I continue catsitting while the Jammy’s away, experimenting with sunburns.  We’re keeping busy…Aleister the Cat has discovered a few cupboard doors he can open,and that seems to please him.   And me, I had a spot of excitement the other day…I clicked on the Face-Book, and who had sent me…ME…a friend request, but Gemma Freaking Wilcox!  Epic, right?  That’s like Wonder Woman calling up, like, Skate-Man and inviting him on a team-up.

I was all agog and in a starstruck tizzy, for serious.  SO tizzied that, uh, I accidentally hit ‘ignore’ instead of ‘confirm’, which it turns out is kind of an error.  I sent her a request of my own right after that, but she’s likely on to what a retard I am by now and is counting her lucky stars at the bullet dodged.  Or deflected, as is more appropriate for the Wonder Woman analogy.

But aside from alienating myself on the intertubes, I had some of that theatre stuff to get around to, too.  Last night, after all, saw the debut of Salamander Shakespeare Co.’s run of ROMEO AND JULIET at the NAC’s 4th Stage.  And since I’d missed that show when the had their outdoor run at the Ottawa fringe this year, I wasn’t about to miss this opportunity to retroactively up my show count.

Got downtown a little early and shopped for a bit, which was a spot of luck because I finally found a copy of vol.6 of SCOTT PILGRIM!  With only an hour and a half to spare, I ran to the Dominion for a pint and some pre-show reading.   I made it through most of the final volume, thrilling to the adventures of Scott, Ramona, and all the others that are soon to be a major motion picture…Romeo and Juliet would have their work cut out for them on this night, I could tell you that much. 

I cut and run to the 4th Stage, a lovely lounge-style room that totally discriminates agins the solo theatre-goer…like I’m gonna sit at one of the tables?  No, you know I’ll be shamed into lining up against the back wall with the rest of the rabble.  Still, appropriate for Shakespeare, I suppose.  The Salamander gang were mingling with the audience as we settled in, singing sweet songs and offering oranges and ballads for a dollar apiece.  A cool touch, and I recognized most from THE DEATH OF TYBALT at the Fringe festival, which was a very good time indeed.  I had high hopes.

Cue the lights (and might I say, the tabletop candles have a lovely effect on this darkened theatre. Kudos), and Shakespeare’s most emo tragedy gets underway, clocking in at just over two hours plus intermission.  The company know this show well ideed, and I wsh I could assign an actor’s name to each part, but…well, without a program, there’s only so much my damaged brain cells can keep up with.  I know Rosalind Crump was Juliet, who I thought really kicked some ass in the second half, when Juliet’s rosy world started to turn to shit.  I totaly forget the name of the actor who played Romeo, but he nailed it as well (though I kept recalling his more comic take on Romeo from TYBALT and giggling…that’s a compliment!).  And then there’s Garret Quirk, doing double duty as Tybalt (once again), and the unluckiest Friar in all of Verona.  He really tears it up as the ferocious Tybalt, and impressed me just as much here as at the Fringe. 

Other highlights were Juliet’s nurse and the dandy Parris doing some marvelous scene-stealing, and the whole interactive way the company used the room, feeling no need to limit their acting to the stage.  All of this for only 15 bucks makes it just about a steal.  And, just between you and me (spoiler alert), OMG THE ENDING IZ TOTALLY SAD U GUYZ!!!  FOR REALZ!!

The show runs until friday at the 4th stage, and it’s a great time from some talented effing actors.  They’re taking R&J on the road from there, check their website for more info, and go out and get yourself speared…SHAKE-speared, that is.

…Wow, that’s the worst thing I’ve ever written. Sorry everyone.  Romeo and Juliet.  See it.  Later,

The Visitor