And now, my penance...

Well, since I had already put it off long enough, I decided that tonight would be the night for my hat-eating extravaganza. I was already up in P.A. visiting my folks, so my mom offered to be involved in my shenanigans, both by helping me construct an edible hat and also by serving as the project's official photographer.

#1) Looking dapper with my pastry-based chapeau...














#2) The time for levity had passed... I began to consider my fate...














#3) The first bite (i.e., "Fortune Favours the Bold!") ...














#4) Suffice it to say, it looked better than it tasted...



#5) Note to self: the "Lady and the Tramp" thing is way less cute when I do it!





















#6 - #8) Brim down, crown to go...








































#9 - #10) The last few bites were the hardest...




























#11) But finally ...















#12) Success!!
























Well, that about wraps up my responsibilities for this year's Fringe Fest Flyer. I hope you all enjoyed listening, because I will, if at all possible, be returning next summer!

Top 8 of 2008

Drum-roll please...

I've decided to rework my recommendations into a snappier format. The reason for this is simple: I'd like to let the performers whose shows I most enjoyed make use of my reviews in their promotional materials. So, without further ado, I'm pleased to unveil...

CFCR 90.5 FM's Top 8 of 2008

• Balls
• Crude Love
  
• Die Roten Puncte
• Inferno Sonata
• She Rules with Iron Sticks
• The Sputniks
• Totem Figures
• The Tricky Part

Honorable Mentions: BLAsT!, Busty Rhymes, House, Inflatable Buddha, It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle..., La Mexicaine De Perforation, Mr. Fox, Nuts! Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward, Roz, The Saddest Girl in the World, Singing at the Edge of the World, Spiral Dive, The Spy, Trashcan Duet

Sincere Gratitude

I am (reluctantly) watching as my year at the Fringe draws to a close. In the end, I saw 41 plays in ten days: a reasonably impressive figure that doesn't include Fringe Eve, Spoof Night, or the three shows that I saw twice. As much as I'm completely exhausted (a fact that is somewhat exacerbated by attending the closing party until 6:00 AM yesterday), I'm still tremendously grateful for the opportunity. Not only do I hope that I get to do this job next year, but I'd actually be quite happy spending another week watching theatrical performances and talking to people tomorrow (on Monday). It'll be hard to get back into a daily routine that doesn't involve four hours at the studio and four or five plays.

People that I need to thank:
The CFCR staff (Brian, Brent, Joseph and Theo) for showing me the ropes and helping me out around the office; Jay Neufeld for sharing his considerable backlog of experiences; SaskLotteries for funding the program; the station's listeners for giving the whole program a reason to exist; and, last but certainly not least, the performers for agreeing to talk to a greenhorn reporter and making me feel tremendously welcome. All of them helped make my whirlwind week as enjoyable as it was.

Fringe Fest Flyer (08/08)

In today's show, I spoke with Julia Mackey from Jake's Gift as well as Peter Heyes from The Tricky Part. In addition, there is a rather extensive conversation with Scott Sharplin about the challenges of reviewing theatre (in general) and Fringe plays (in particular).

Showtimes for the productions discussed in today's show:
Jake's Gift
Playing at the Victoria School Auditorium
Fri Aug 8 - 2:30pm
Sat Aug 9 - 5:00pm

The Tricky Part
Playing at the Off Broadway Arts Centre
Sat Aug 9 - 8:40pm

Totem Figures
Playing at the Backstage Stage (at Persephone)
Fri Aug 8 - 10:00pm
Sat Aug 9 - 12:00pm

Newest Top Five

• Die Roten Puncte
• Inferno Sonata
• The Sputniks
• Totem Figures
• The Tricky Part

Honorable Mentions: Balls, BLAsT!, Busty Rhymes, House, Inflatable Buddha, It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle..., La Mexicaine De Perforation, Nuts! Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward, The Saddest Girl in the World, Singing at the Edge of the World, She Rules with Iron Sticks, Spiral Dive, The Spy

The Agony of Defeat

I've been undone.

I failed to check my program before attending Totem Figures last night and didn't see that it was 90 minutes long. As a result, I missed Trojan Women, which throws my entire schedule into disarray and prevents me from seeing everything. Ack!

Regardless, I'm currently at 34 shows and will continue see plays today and tomorrow. I'll still hit the 40+ mark, but will nonetheless fall short of my lofty goal. As a result, the final entry on this blog will be a picture of me eating a hat (albeit one that may be more "pastry-based" than the typical piece of haberdashery). I'm not sure when I'll have time to bake a cake/pie hat, given that my defense is next week, but it will be within the next fortnight.

Fringe Fest Flyer (08/07)

In today's show, I spoke to Rachel Kent from Miss Rachel Explains It All, Randy Rutherford from Singing at the Edge of the World, Barry Smith from American Squatter, and Gillian and Russell Bennett from Crude Love. I also offered some editorial opinions on the so-called "Spat at the Fringe" and Matt Keyes reviewed Robinson Crusoe and Crude Love.

Showtimes for these productions are as follows:
Miss Rachel Explains It All
Playing at the Off Broadway Arts Centre
Thurs Aug 7 - 4:15pm

Singing at the Edge of the World
Playing at the Off Broadway Arts Centre
Fri Aug 8 - 6:00pm
Sat Aug 9 - 4:35pm

American Squatter
Playing at the Back Stage Stage (at the Persephone Theatre)
Fri Aug 8 - 6:00pm
Sat Aug 9 - 2:00pm

Crude Love
Playing at the Off Broadway Arts Centre
Thurs Aug 7 - 7:30pm
Fri Aug 8 - 4:15pm
Sat Aug 9 - 10:50pm

Moving right along... (more progress)

To quote the Muppet Movie, I am indeed "moving right along" in my fool's attempt to see every show in the Fringe. I'm currently sitting at 30 shows, which means that I can potentially achieve my goal (as long as I see 5 shows a day on Thursday, Friday and Saturday).

My newest top five:

• Die Roten Puncte
• Inferno Sonata
• Nuts! Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward
• The Sputniks
• The Tricky Part

Honorable Mentions:
Balls, BLAsT!, Busty Rhymes, House, It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle..., La Mexicaine De Perforation, The Saddest Girl in the World, Singing at the Edge of the World, She Rules with Iron Sticks, Spiral Dive, The Spy

Fringe Fest Flyer (08/06)

Hey folks!

Sorry for the late update today. I was really pressed to get the show to production on time, which, when coupled with the fact that I had to rush out at exactly 2pm to go to another show, meant that I couldn't do my update until I got home. These 14 hour days are catching up to me, I tells ya!

Enough belly-aching!

On today's show, we talked to Tina Teeninga from The Saddest Girl in the World and Lucy Hutson from It is better to ride the dung beetle than it is to tread on soft carpet, as well as the casts of TELEGRAMS from the New Canadian Cinema and Inflatable Buddha: Bigger than Jesus. Also, the show started with a rant against some Star Phoenix reviews that I found to be particularly egregious, as (in my opinion) they drastically undervalued The Sputniks, Inferno Sonata and The Saddest Girl in the World.

Showtimes for these productions are as follows:

The Saddest Girl in the World
Playing at the Victoria School Attic
Sat Aug 9 - 11:45 am

It is better to ride the dung beetle than it is to tread on soft carpet
Playing at the Victoria School Attic
Fri Aug 8 - 9:15 pm
Sat Aug 9 - 1:30 pm

TELEGRAMS from the New Canadian Cinema
Playing at the Victoria School Attic
Thur Aug 7 - 9:10 pm
Sat Aug 9 - 5:00 pm

Inflatable Buddha - Bigger than Jesus
Playing at Persephone Theatre's Backstage Stage
Thurs Aug 7 - 10:00 pm

Fringe Fest Flyer (08/05)

On today's show, you'll hear a review of Spiral Dive and an interview with its cast, an interview with Rob Gee (of Nuts! Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward fame), as well as interviews with the casts of Woody Sed and La Mexicaine de Perforation. Huzzah!

Showtimes for these productions are as follows:
Spiral Dive
Playing at the Victoria School Gym
Wed Aug 6 - 7:50 pm
Fri Aug 8 - 6:00 pm

Nuts! Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward
Playing at the Victoria School Gym
Tue Aug 5- 9:35 pm
Thu Aug 7- 4:15 pm
Sat Aug 9- 8:35 pm

Woody Sed
Playing at the Victoria School Gym
Thu Aug 7 - 2:30 pm
Fri Aug 8 - 10:00 pm

La Mexicaine de Perforation
Playing at the Victoria School Gym
Wed Aug 6- 10:05 pm
Sat Aug 9- 11:45 am

More progress...

Sitting at 21 shows now.

Additional alterations to the top five:

• Die Roten Puncte
• Inferno Sonata
• Nuts! Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward
• She Rules with Iron Sticks
• The Sputniks

Honorable Mentions:
Balls, BLAsT!, Busty Rhymes, It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle..., La Mexicaine De Perforation, Spiral Dive

Progress... (in the continuing battle against hat eating)

Well, I've now seen sixteen shows, which has led to a bit of an alteration to my running top five. Here are my new selections (in alphabetical order):

• Die Roten Puncte
• Inferno Sonata
• It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle...
• She Rules with Iron Sticks
• The Sputniks

Honorable Mentions:
BLAsT!, La Mexicaine De Perforation


Once again, just so that I don't get harangued on the street, I must point out that It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle is performance art. I liked it, I thought that it was well thought-out and well acted, it made me think, but I can easily imagine someone reacting poorly to it (especially if they did not feel like being challenged).

Fringe Fest Flyer (08/04)

In today's show, we interviewed Brigette DePape, who wrote and stars in She Rules with Iron Sticks, Penny Ashton from Busty Rhymes, Elison Zasko from The Sputniks and Susan Freedman from Sixty-Four and No More Lies. Also, you'll hear brief reviews of She Rules..., The Sputniks, and BLAsT!

Showtimes for the productions discussed in the current show are as follows:
She Rules with Iron Sticks
Playing at the Broadway Theatre
Mon Aug 4- 5:00 pm
Thu Aug 7- 6:00 pm
Sat Aug 9- 8:30 pm

Busty Rhymes with MC Hot Pink
Playing at the Off-Broadway Arts Centre
Mon Aug 4- 8:55 pm
Wed Aug 6- 10:20 pm
Sat Aug 9- 2:55 pm

The Sputniks
Playing at the "Backstage Stage" (Persephone Theatre)
Mon Aug 4 - 6:00pm
Tues Aug 5 - 8:00pm
Fri Aug 8 - 2:00pm
Sat Aug 9 - 6:00pm

BLAsT!
Playing at the Victoria School Attic
Mon Aug 4- 4:45 pm
Wed Aug 6- 4:45 pm
Thu Aug 7- 7:30 pm
Sat Aug 9- 8:45 pm

Sixty-Four and No More Lies
Playing at the Victoria School Attic
Mon Aug 4- 3:15 pm
Tues Aug 5- 6:10 pm
Thu Aug 7- 4:15 pm
Sat Aug 9- 7:15pm

Progress...

Well, in keeping with my on-air commitment, I'm still on track to see all of the shows at this year's Fringe. At present (three days in), I've seen 12. By my reckoning, as long as maintain this rate, I should be able to see everything (with the exception of the Kid's Fringe shows).

Current Top Five (in alphabetical order):

• Die Roten Puncte
• Inferno Sonata
• It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle...
• La Mexicaine De Perforation
• The Sputniks

Note: It's Better to Ride the Dung Beetle is a piece of performance art. It's challenging and ambiguous (much like an instrumental composition or a piece of choreography). I can't say that I "got" the significance of all of the imagery, but it certainly made me think. This being said, I would definitely understand if someone found it perplexing or off-putting.

Fringe Fest Flyer (08/01)

In today's show, we talked to the cast of We Is Blunderstruck, provided a brief review of Inferno Sonata (as well as introducing its playwright and star), interviewed the cast and playwright of 'Beth, and had a lively conversation with Otto and Astrid Rott of Die Roten Puncte.

Show times for these productions are as follows:
We Is Blunderstruck
Playing at the Broadway Theatre
Fri Aug 1- 7:45 pm
Sun Aug 3- 10:00 pm
Mon Aug 4- 3:15 pm
Tue Aug 5- 4:15 pm
Thu Aug 7- 7:30 pm
Sat Aug 9- 3:15 pm

Inferno Sonata
Playing at the Broadway Theatre
Sat Aug 2- 6:45 pm
Sun Aug 3- 1:30 pm
Wed Aug 6- 9:30 pm
Fri Aug 8- 7:45 pm
Sat Aug 9- 6:45 pm

'Beth
Playing at the Off Broadway Arts Centre
Fri Aug 1- 4:00 pm
Sat Aug 2- 10:30 pm
Mon Aug 4- 5:30 pm
Tue Aug 5- 2:30 pm
Wed Aug 6- 6:45 pm
Sat Aug 9- 1:25 pm

Die Roten Puncte
Playing at the Broadway Theatre
Fri Aug 1- 2:30 pm
Sat Aug 2- 5:00 pm
Mon Aug 4- 8:15 pm
Thu Aug 7- 4:15 pm
Fri Aug 8- 9:30 pm

Finally, I would like to encourage our readers to check out The Sputniks (starring Elison Zasko and directed by Jonno Katz). Though it was not included in the print version of the Fringe Festival Program, it promises to be an absolutely excellent show. In its travels across the country, it has been hailed as "a thing of true beauty (Five Stars)" by the Hour (Montreal) and "flawless", "superb", "intelligent, insightful, intriguing" by CBC Winnipeg.

The Sputniks
Playing at the Backstage Theatre (at the new Persephone)
Fri Aug 1 - 4:00pm
Sat Aug 2 - 2:00pm
Tues Aug 5 - 8:00pm
Sun Aug 3 - 4:00pm
Mon Aug 4 - 6:00pm
Fri Aug 8 - 2:00pm
Sat Aug 9 - 6:00pm