Derrick Chua, president of the Toronto Fringe, came to our show last night. After the curtain came down for the last time, our Gargantuesque set has moved to somebody's basement in Etobicoke, goodbye to the aquariums.
Two more shows today The Flying Avro Arrow, The Silent City, maybe three Tightrope (again)in the evening and maybe I'll skip the partying tonight. It's been fun but the laundry is piled up and my apartment looks like the Black Bloc have been through it.
This modest vid (my last Fringe vid this year unless I decide to cover Best of Fringe) is a thank you to volunteers who make this event happen. It's a small tribute but a heartfelt one.
Last show of The Aquarium tonight Factory Mainspace. Being an A.D. has been an interesting experience. My input wasn't really creative nor technical. I have learned so very much and I'm immensely grateful for that, thank you to Regan Macaulay.
I can't say I felt like any of the praise the show has received has anything to do with me. Again, odd... I feel a bit like the show's trophy wife. My biggest worry about tonight's last show is whether I really have the guts to wear that green dress.
Since all my work happened before the premiere, my impromptu idea about making vids turned out to be a stroke of genius. I met loads of Fringe artists and experienced the Fringe as a community of artists coming together. I wouldn't have had that without my blog as an excuse. Next year, if I were to do it, I would be better prepared. But next year I will my own Fringe show (lottery gods allowing) and the year after I will be at the Tony's. Surely. No matter, I will come back to the Fringe in whatever capacity.
I shall be partying at the tent tonight and then maybe tomorrow night. I haven't decided yet whether I will cover Best of the Fringe since many of my readers are American and British, readership has gone down during the Fringe. Do blogs get media passes?
Thanks again to Regan Macaulay for giving me this chance to learn and allowing me so much input. Thank you Maureen Bell for all your hard work on the props and costumes and your eternal good humour. Jason Reilly, it's always a pleasure to work with you. Anthony Palmer, thanks for being prepared (he knew his lines very early on and raised the bar for the slackers (kidding!), and as an AD, I really, really, really like that). Kristen Corvers brought a new sensibility to Triple Take and she really knows the cheap watering holes around town. Allie Price, you make me jealous, for I wish I'd been so wise at your age. Nate Callens, you want to play villains and I do hope your wish is fulfilled, but you're just not one in real life and that's a good thing. Bit of the same with R.J. Downes, our stage manager and emotional designated driver. Sandra Krstin, getting to know you has been such a blessing. We shall go to Body Blitz and have those bottles of Veuve come Winter. Scott Moore, I could work with you on every job. Not the same can be said of Andrea Lyons. Only joking, anybody who knows Andrea is a fan and an admirer. She and I socialise on occasion and I do sell her autographs from under her so let me know if you need one. Thanks to Allison McWood, Kevin Risk and Kelsey Matheson. Oh, and Kevin Robinson, I only ever want to be an actor when I see Hamlet but I wanted to be one when I saw the fight training. Amazing how you turned novices into convincing stage "fighters".
The penultimate vid asks artists what their first experience at the theatre was like. And tomorrow, a small tribute to Fringe volunteers.
Being nice is always a good thing. Remember my empathy for Lorne Hiro and his disorientation, just a few blogs ago? It stands me in good stead as I did the EXACT same thing last night. I got the venue right but the time wrong. And there was a comp waiting for me. The height of shame. The producer was so nice about it he offered me ANOTHER comp. But no, I shall attend on my own dollar.
Thank God, I don't have much more editing to do because my building is shutting down the A/C for four to six hours today to repair the thing which, as far as I can tell, works perfectly well. Off to the theata' I go.
As the festival is winding down, I've come up with silly questions for Fringe artists to answer in the vid below. These little "segments" can be awfully annoying at times, but here, I'm glad to say I got answers far more insightful than the questions deserved. I am grateful to all who participated in this.
The heatwave continues and you ask, "Comrade Bingo, it's so bloody hot, and you post an interview with the sultry Ashley Gibson, star of the ensemble cast 'Breadwinner'"?
Go on, you'll love it.
Star of an ensemble cast? Maybe that doesn't make sense, but you know what I mean.
Last night could have been a disappointment for many Fringe shows. Toronto was plunged into semi-darkness as different spots in the city lost power. Considering this is our first heatwave, this does not bode well for the Summer. No matter, lights went back on at Factory and Passe-Muraille. The Tarragon was fine and some other shows performed without A/C in alternative venues like bars and restaurants. Fringe spirit!
Speaking of hot nights, with temperatures in the high 30 even late last night, it was burlesque night at the beer tent. I got all kinds of tweets pointing to a whimsical bacchanal: will keep you informed as I find out more.
And here are Jason Reilly and Anthony Palmer talking to me a few days ago after "The Aquarium" opening.
Claire Acott (pictured left) is a cast member of Double Double featured at this year's Toronto Fringe.
I just love the blond wig, the coffee and the t-shirt that reads "I have no idea who this is".
Below you will find my interview with Claire Acott who kind enough to meet me before going on stage last night.
I haven't had time to see many plays as I've been preparing and conducting interviews and providing morale support for our show The Aquarium.
I've seen Jean et Béatrice which I recommend if you speak French. Written by well-known Québec playwright Carole Fréchette, this play about a woman who places an ad offering a cash reward to any man who interests, moves and seduces her provides suspense while provoking thought.
We're dividing our time Fringing and Priding this weekend. This has led to much laughs, great spectacle and unfortunate mixing of drinks. All that matters is we're still alive and enjoying great theatre.
Writer/director Steven Jackson spoke to us about his new play, Brothers and Arms at the Royal St. George's.
First order of business: Thank you for all the shared FB links and the RTs on Twitter, Comrade Bingo at the Fringe is a success. Keep it up!
Yesterday afternoon, I met up for an interview with actor Annabelle Torsein who stars in Jean et Béatrice which has the distinction of being the only francophone play at the Fringe this year. Jean et Béatrice is getting a lot of buzz from our biggest media outlets.
For great reviews of Fringe plays, check out Mooney on Theatre. Mooney and her strong team of collaborators bring you several reviews every day, reviews which are a tad more in-depth than the scant Eye Weekly/Now fare..
Apart from reviews, Mooney on Theatre also has Fringe tickets giveaways.
Fringe enthusiast Amanda Campbell writes thorough and helpful reviews at The Way I See It.
Went to the ribbon-cutting last night at our new Hub (a.k.a. "the beer tent") in its new digs behind Honest Ed's. Having worked in the arts and having covered the arts, I have stood through legions of business sponsors giving speeches. Few come close to David Mirvish (prominent Toronto family, the Mirvishes are great arts philanthropists. Torontonians love them to bits), whose words bespoke his genuine love for Toronto and its theatre scene. Anne Mirvish was there sporting a wonderful hat. Mayor David Miller alluded to still been shellshocked about the weekend (G20), however jokingly.
I ran into Stephen Flett from The Flying Avro Arrow and Claire Acott from Double Double and have secured interviews with them from coming Comrade Bingo blogs.
I also attended the premiere of Tightrope which you should all go see. R.J. Downes brings his own contained emotion and bittersweetness to well-trodden themes. Kate Fenton did a beautiful job directing this play. A special mention goes to actor Richard Beaune whose clownish antics evoke Stan Laurel. His style is conversant with a production that reaches the audience's core with a feather rather than a punch. In this case, this is a good thing.
Went back to the beer tent after Tightrope and found the booze and food pricey but I'm grateful drinking companies are sponsoring theatre. What was that Facebook group called anyway "the booze department has a theatre problem"?
