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What to check out: Uncouth @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

June 18, 2015 by Allan Mackey

What to check out: Uncouth @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing!

What is Uncouth

The endearingly maladroit Wynazz has the taste for Showbiz – thanks in no small part to the gentle whisperings of the Devil – and fantasizes about her impdening international acclaim. However, cut out for traditional showbiz she is not.

  • An extraordinarily fast-paced, gut-wrenchingly funny, theatre, clown, and burlesque phantasmagoria starring comic showgirl, Windy Wynazz
  • Performed largely pantomime, in the classic style of Charlie Chaplin and Carol Burnett.
  • Brimming over with the novel use of puppetry, song, dance, acrobatics, and direct audience participation (you too can be a star!).
  • An award-winning solo work of contemporary clown theatre and much more!

Where and when to see Uncouth

Venue 5: ODD Box

June 18th – 9:00pm
June 20th – 4:30pm
June 22nd – 8:30pm
June 23rd – 10:00pm
June 26th – 7:00pm
June 27th – 1:30pm

Why we’re excited about Uncouth

To me, when I think of Ottawa Fringe, what I look forward to most is the kind of show you don’t get to see often if at all at through the rest of the year. While I love my local artists with reckless abandon and there are always many thoroughly enjoyable pieces of traditionally delivered theatre at Ottawa Fringe, they’re not what grabs my attention the most in this setting. It’s the highly original or deeply theatric shows, often coming from artists touring in from cities with different theatrical energies and ecosystems that I’m keenest to learn more about and grab a seat for.

photo: Yvette Waters

photo: Yvette Waters

This year, Uncouth tops that list.  At the risk of simply repeating the bullet list above: pantomime, clown, burlesque, puppetry, song, dance…

A great recipe for a wonderfully unconventional and unique theatre going experience — and in a festival like Ottawa Fringe with 56 shows, if you don’t challenge yourself to seek out and see at least one of the “Fringier” shows, the ones that promise a radically different experience than you’re used to, you’re doing it wrong. How often do you to get the chance to see a show like this from a California-based performer who’s touring the Canadian Fringe circuit for the first time? (She’s doing a seven city tour through the summer, which also gives some assurances – few people undertake such a thing unless they’re confident about what they’re offering.)

Based on the video alone, this promises to be a show you’ll remember and be talking about and I’ll leave you with this extra bit from her press release:

The endearingly loveable Wynazz:

  • Has a throbbing sweet-tooth for ShowBiz and ..Fantasizes about her impending international acclaim. Except…
  • A natural she is not. Yet…A contender she is…and so:
  • Using a mop, a Barbie, a Fred Astaire cut-out, and much, much more…
  • She ultimately finds and defines her own subversive sweet success for your viewing pleasure!

I suggest buying your tickets soon.

What to Check Out: Inescapable and Bursting Into Flames @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

June 17, 2015 by Valerie Cardinal

What to Check Out: Inescapable and Bursting Into Flames @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing!Read the full review.

What to check out: WEIRD: The Witches of Macbeth

June 16, 2015 by Allan Mackey

What to check out: WEIRD: The Witches of Macbeth

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing!

What is WEIRD: The Witches of Macbeth

Three sisters, caught in a destructive cycle of sibling rivalry, exploring the story of Macbeth from their perspective. In a ground-breaking form of storytelling, WEIRD opens up vertical space as the witches climb, twist, and move through aerial silks, using them to conjure haunting forces within the play.

A multi-disciplinary show that blends original text and storytelling with circus arts, stage combat, and original music.

Performed by: Lindsay Bellaire, Lindsay Sippel Eitzen, and Emily Hughes.

Where and when to see WEIRD: Witches of Macbeth

Venue 3: Academic Hall

June 19th – 9:00pm
June 20th – 11:00pm
June 21st – 1:30pm
June 25th – 7:30pm
June 27th – 9:00pm
June 28th – 3:00pm

Why we’re excited about WEIRD: The Witches of Macbeth

Between Wicked and Maleficent, witchy reimaginings are all the rage these days, so it only makes sense to look at a trio of Shakespeare’s most popular witches and hear the story from their side.

What makes this show truly special is in how they’re choosing to tell their story blending text with music, stage combat, and circus arts (such as aerial silks). When it comes to the festival circuit, one should always be looking for that show that’s really working outside the box and bringing something different. I could also have chosen Damaged Goods to feature for this reason – as this year’s only dance show, but I think the Witches of Macbeth corner the market on original as well as in bringing new life to characters from a well known, beloved play.

 

What to check out: Hannah & George @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

June 15, 2015 by Allan Mackey

What to check out: Hannah & George @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing!

What is Hannah & George

George is a simple man…just a lonely loser, looking for love. But how can he find it with Hannah, a magic invisible fairy, always hanging around? An all-ages friendly, almost wordless romantic comedy that is ready to make you believe in the power of laughter, the magic of theatre, and of course, the glory of love.

Starring Madeleine Hall and Kevin Reid, Directed by Jodi Morden.

Where and when to see Hannah & George

Venue 4: Studio Léonard-Beaulne

June 19th – 8:00pm
June 20th – 4:00pm
June 22nd – 6:00pm
June 24th – 10:00pm
June 26th – 9:00pm
June 27th – 11:00pm

Why we’re excited about Hannah & George

Hannah & George @ Ottawa Fringe 2015Kevin Reid is perhaps best known in circles ’round these parts as proprietor of The Visitorium where he spent a good handful of years building a reputation as theatre reviewer and promoter and friend to the community at large. After making the conscious decision to delve into the artist side of the world, he went full in, enrolling himself in the Ottawa Theatre School and getting involved in a number of high level workshops including spending a summer at clown camp.

Which brings us to this, his first full act show — nearly fully nonverbal and rooted in physical movement and the art of clowning. Upon first hearing of the show, I couldn’t help but think of 2012’s fantastic Vernus Says Surprise (by Ken Godmere). It’s ambitious. And it’s challenging. As somebody still very early in his career, could this be the bite too big to chew?

While I’ve personally yet to see Reid perform, I’ve heard good things from trusted sources, and in my experience OTS isn’t known for releasing layabouts into the wild. (Reid is joined for this show by fellow OTS alumni in co-star Madeleine Hall and director Jodi Morden.)

Additionally, this is a style of theatre that feels to me like it’s right up Reid’s alley. He has the stature, countenance, and presence to be the kind of strong physical performer who could pull this type of show together well if he’s ready to put his training to good use.

The truth is that sometimes you just have to chalk things up to instinct and mine are telling me this show is going to be some lighthearted fun and worth an advance ticket buy.

And look at that photo. It’s adorable.  It sells the concept and everything I’ve said better than anything else I can add here. Yeah. Forget everything I just said and just pay attention to the adorable level in that photo.

Neon rainbow socks, people.

 

What to check out: I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

June 15, 2015 by Allan Mackey

What to check out: I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing!

What is I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent

A solo storytelling show about romanticizing people and things that are different from you… while neglecting to note that you are also different from them.

It is a show for people who are worried about doing the wrong thing in social situations and accidentally making others feel bad…
Or accidentally making themselves look bad.
One of those things.

It is a show for people who like to remind other people that they “are pretty open open- minded”, but sometimes feel like a parody of themselves.

This collection of stories examines those moments where difference jumps up, and stands between people, or groups. For good or bad. In places you would maybe expect, but not normally hear about all at the same time: touring around Poland with a multi- cultural group of students and a dozen Holocaust Survivors; wearing Gor-Tex rather than patchouli in the presence of a 24 foot tall burning phoenix effigy; driving to an eco- tourism site only to realize the only way to get there is through a refugee camp; or falling in love with different passports in the neutral territory of an airplane.

This show is mostly true. It is hopefully productively embarrassing.

Written and performed by Emily Pearlman. Directed and dramaturged by Laurel Green.

Where and when to see I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent

Venue 5: ODD Box

June 18th – 10:30pm
June 20th – 9:00pm
June 22 – 5:30pm
June 25 – 7:00pm
June 26 – 5:30pm
June 27 – 9:00pm

Why we’re excited about I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent

I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent @ Ottawa Fringe 2015Emily Pearlman.

Need I say more?

All right.

As one half of MiCasa Theatre, Emily Pearlman is one of this city’s gems in the landscape of unique and highly theatrical theatre. Countries Shapes Like Stars (which I sadly still have yet to see) has been one of the most talked about and acclaimed shows I can think of. Live from the Belly of the Whale delighted audiences at Fringe 2012 and Undercurrents 2013 and remains a personal favourite of mine. Revised from the Belly of the Whale was, to me, some kind of magic. Then there was the nearly impossible to get tickets for We Glow in which she partnered with Brad Long (another local superstar in my books).

But this isn’t meant to be a resumé. I’ve talked here and there about track records and having the ability to draw an audience based on it and Pearlman has that in vast quantities.

More than that, Pearlman is an artist who works to be deeply connected to her work and to her audience. Talk to her for just a few minutes and more than in anybody else I know, you can feel the passion she has for what she does and that she gets it in all the right ways. This was true when talking to her and the other half of MiCasa Theatre, Nicolas Di Gaetano about HROSES in 2013 and was still true talking to her about I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent.

For this show, Pearlman is relishing in the challenge of doing something different than she’s known for. A whimsy-free solo story-telling show based on her own life experiences. As she puts it, it’s important to be able to look at and talk about the ugly pieces of ourselves and she hopes to encourage that in her audiences.

Plus, “uninhibited dancing”. Which might be worth the ticket price all on it’s own.

 

What to Check Out: The Adventures of Red Rascal @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

June 13, 2015 by Valerie Cardinal

What to Check Out: The Adventures of Red Rascal @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing!Read the full review.

What to Check Out: The Elephant Girls @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

June 12, 2015 by Valerie Cardinal

What to Check Out: The Elephant Girls @ Ottawa Fringe 2015

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing! Read the full review.

What to check out: Spotlight On… @ Ottawa Fringe 2015.

June 12, 2015 by Allan Mackey

What to check out: Spotlight On… @ Ottawa Fringe 2015.

The 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival is only days away. This week, Allan Mackey and Valerie Cardinal talked with some of this year’s presenters and pored over all the available material for all 56 shows at this year’s festival in order to decide the ten shows they thought were the most exciting and/or intriguing. From the 12th to the 16th, they’ll be highlighting those shows. Then on the 17th, we’ll talk about a few honourable mentions and give you a video preview of five local shows sure to entertain. Happy Fringing!

What is Spotlight On…

Spotlight On at Ottawa Fringe 2015Crush Improv’s popular Armando-style format, “Spotlight On…” was first seen at the 2011 Ottawa Fringe Festival, where Crush was awarded Best Ensemble. We’re super excited to be back at Fringe, in one of our favourite venues, Arts Court Theatre.

Spotlight On… is a storytelling based format where each show is inspired by the anecdotes of a special guest.

Crush has assembled a stellar group of special guests as storytellers for the run, drawing on talent from other Fringe shows. That group includes local talents Kate Smith, Kevin Reid and Tony Adams, as well as Canadian Comedy Award-winner Sam Mullins, Japanese comedian Hiroshi Shimizu and Toronto-based clown Rachelle Elie. Each performer will bring their own unique style to the show, promising a fun and vibrant experience for the audience.

The cast will include Tim Anderson, AL Connors, Brooke Cameron, Dan Lajoie and our virtuoso Glen Gower.

Where and when to see Spotlight On…

Venue 1: Arts Court Theatre

June 18th – 7:30 pm with Kevin Reid (half-price opening!)
June 20th – 4:00 pm with Rachelle Elie
June 22nd – 7:30 pm with Sam Mullins
June 23rd – 10:30 pm with Tony Adams
June 25th – 6:00 pm with Hiroshi Shimizu
June 27th – 8:30 pm with Kate Smith

Why we’re excited about Spotlight On…

As noted above, Crush Improv debuted the Spotlight On… format at the 2011 Ottawa Fringe. It was pretty easily one of my favourite shows that year. I was laughing from beginning to end so much that my face hurt when it was over. Which was way too soon. You might say I was beyond excited to hear they were bringing it back this year.

Here’s a link to the video review from that show (yes, we reviewed by video back then).

The video also includes a preamble from AL Connors talking about the show format.

From their monthly hosted show, ‘Bout Time, that pits two teams of imrovisors against one another, to their wildly popular annual anniversary show, Crush Improv are Ottawa’s imrpov darlings for a reason. They are a finely tuned unit at the top of their game who share an incredibly chemistry and ability to play off one each other. The line-up may have changed since 2011 but the talent is definitely still there.

For laughs at this year’s festival, Crush Improv and Spotlight On… are there to fill your order in bulk.

Check them out…

Ottawa’s Largest Theatre Festival. Ottawa’s Most Thorough Coverage. It’s Ottawa Fringe 2015!

June 11, 2015 by On Stage

Ottawa’s Largest Theatre Festival. Ottawa’s Most Thorough Coverage. It’s Ottawa Fringe 2015!

Fringe2015It is that most wonderful time of year once again. No. The other most wonderful time of year. It’s time for the 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival. Which means it’s the time we put our entire team to work full time doing our best to provide the most thorough coverage of the festival around.

Every preview we publish, every show we review, every video we post, will all be posted right here in this catch-all article.

Our review team for this year is Allan Mackey (@thatmackeyguy), Matthew Champ (@matthewschamp), Valerie Cardinal (@vscardinal), and Robyn Lester (@RobinRobynRob).

To kick you off, here’s the link to our special Ottawa Fringe only of Theatre Talk, where we sit down and talk with the folks behind The Elephant Girls, Crushed, I Think My Boyfriend Should Have An Accent, Whose Aemilia?, and Two Girls, One Corpse. Watch the video here.

ALL THE SHOWS

Below is a full list of every show at the 2015 Ottawa Fringe Festival (organized by venue and when they open). This is your at-a-glance guide to everything we’ve published about each show, plus link up to their official pages on the Ottawa Fringe website.

ARTS COURT THEATRE

Japanese Samurai Don Quixote… Matthew’s Review (3)
Spotlight On… PREVIEW: What to check out: Spotlight On…
Allan’s Review (4)
Hootenanny Robyn’s Review (4)
Matthew’s Review (4)
Allan’s Review (N/A)
The Cockwhisperer Matthew’s Review (3)
In On It Allan’s review (1)
Magical Mystery Detour Matthew’s Review (5) !!!
Valerie’s Review (4)
Allan’s Review (4)
Damaged Goods Robyn’s Review (3)
Allan’s Review (1)
The Orchid and the Crow Matthew’s Review (4)

 

 

ARTS COURT LIBRARY

Autoerotic Matthew’s Review (2)
Zach Zultana Space Gigolo Matthew’s Review (4)
Allan’s Review (5) !!!
Valerie’s Review (5) !!!
Debris Valerie’s Review (3)
The Untitled Sam Mullins Project Robyn’s Review (4)
Valerie’s Review (4)
Newfound Histories Valerie’s Review (2)
The Nature of Things of Nature Valerie’s Review (3)
The Inventor of All Things Robyn’s Review (4)

ACADEMIC HALL

Supervillains Don’t Wear Stilettos Allan’s Review (3) 
EFT-Up: Just Like You Allan’s Review (3) 
Crackers Matthew’s Review (3)
Junior Sleuths Matthew’s Review (2)
An Evening of Sin Allan’s review (3)
Threads Robyn’s Review (5) !!!
Valerie’s Review (5) !!!
WEIRD: The Witches of Macbeth PREVIEW: What to check out: WEIRD: The Witches of Macbeth
Allan’s Review (5) !!!
Valerie’s Review (4)
Two Girls, One Corpse Valerie’s Review: (3) 
The Show Must Go On Valerie’s Review (2)
Northern Daughter Allan’s Review (3)

STUDIO LEONARD-BEAULNE

Nantucket Valerie’s Review (3)
Free Beer Party Valerie’s Review (3)
This Prison: Or He Came Through… Allan’s Review (3)
The Black and the Jew Go Buddhist Valerie’s Review (3)
Hannah & George PREVIEW: What to check out: Hannah & George
Allan’s Review (4)
Lara Loves Leonard Valerie’s Review (3)
Three Men In A Boat Valerie’s Review (4)
Or… Not Allan’s Review (4)
The Elephant Girls PREVIEW: What to check out: The Elephant Girls
Valerie’s Review (4)

ODD BOX

Whose Aemilia? Allan’s Review (3)
Take the B Train Allan’s Review (2)
UnCouth PREVIEW: What to check out: UnCouth
Allan’s Review (3)
I Think My Boyfriend Should … PREVIEW: What to check out: I Think My Boyfriend Should…
Allan’s Review (4)
Ghost of the Tree Valerie Review (4)
Allan’s Review (4)
“Finished Girls” Matthew’s Review (4)
Crushed Robyn’s Review (3)
Keith Brown: Exchange Valerie’s Review (3)

Ask about our special theatre rates, with guaranteed quick turnaround.

THE COURTROOM

Sh!t I’m In Love With You Again Robyn’s Review (3)
Allan’s Review (4)
Inescapable PREVIEW: What to check out: Inescapable and Bursting Into Flames
Robyn’s Review (4)
Allan’s Review (4)
Valerie’s Review (4)
Mars Allan’s Review (4)
Celebrity Exception Allan’s Review (3)

STUDIO 311

Working Title: Undecided Allan’s Review (4)
The Grandfathers Allan’s Review (3)
Bursting Into Flames PREVIEW: What to check out: Inescapable and Bursting Into Flames
Allan’s Review (4)
Heart Puppetations Matthew’s Review (3)

BRONFMAN AMPITHEATRE

The Adventures of Red Rascal PREVIEW: What to check out: The Adventures of Red Rascal
Valerie’s Review (3)
Pachiv! Matthew’s Review (2)

ST PAUL’S EASTERN UNITED

O God Caitlin’s Review (3)
Screwtape Matthew’s Review (4)

BYTOWN MUSEUM

The Secret Life of Emily/Frances Allan’s Review (4)

THE TEA PARTY

The Sink Allan’s Review (3)

 

 

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