So it looks like my half-bottle-of-whiskey cold remedy paid off, because I was feeling quite a bit better when I woke up yesterday.  Fuck you, years of medical science!  Drunken home remedies ARE best!

So with a little more of my wits about me than I’ve had lately, I hit the NAC 4th stage, all rearranged and redecorated, for the annual TWELFTH NIGHT FUNDRAISER for Ottawa’s beloved Company of Fools.  There was what looked to me like a sellout crowd, snacks for the taking (oh, and I took..!), and of course, Smooth Tim Oberholzer (is this what it’s like when people see ME everywhere?).  I managed an invite to his table, my first ever tableside seating at the 4th, so that was pretty cool.  Met some fine folks, Neil and Maria if memory serves, while listening to a talented gent on guitar whose name sadly DOES escape me.  If someone wants to drop a line with his name so I can give the lad his due, I’d be much obliged. *ETA – the lad on gee-tar was one Greg Stone, thank you to master fool Scott Florence for the info.

Soon enough the Fools themselves, Al Connors and Scott Florence took the stage to get the shenanigans underway.  It was just the two of them because longtime fool Emmanuelle Zeesman (yay!) is leaving us for Toronto (boo!). Seriously, TO, stop poaching our cute actresses.  How about Lowell Green, you want Lowell Green?  You can goddamned well HAVE him!  I’ll even throw in Randall Moore and Earl McRae…it’s a fire sale on curmudgeons!

But anyway.  The first bit of entertainment was the Fools’ 1/12th of 12th Night, featuring Al, Scott, Emmanuelle, Richard Gelinas, Dan Lajoie, Katie Ryerson, David Hersh, Brad Long and David Whitely.  How’s that for a sweet lineup?  And the gang delivered as usual, funny, fast, a little bit sexy, and 50% more rubber chickens than your average production of Shakespeare.

After a halftime break (with cake!) the fools came back with a look at their 2011 season…after crowning lovely young Hazel as their new Queen (it all makes sense, folks), Al and Scott set about getting help from the audience to write a fifteen-minute sonnet in her honour, to promote their ‘Sweets and Sonnets Delivery‘ for valentine’s day.  Yes, you can hire a fool to personally deliver a sonnet to your extremely embarrassed significant other on that special day.  I wonder if Winston likes shakespeare…?

A quick bout of improv followed, to promote the upcoming Ottawa Theatre Challenge on March 26th.   Brad MacNeil led the team of Dan Lajoie, Joel  Garrow and Jordan Moffat ( I think that’s right…anyone?) in a quick game of foursquare, which was dandy fun.   Followed by a taster of Shakespeare’s Interactive Circus, soon to be touring schools across the land, end finally a sneak peek of the Fool’s major show touring parks in July, ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA.  The cast has yet to be finalized, but Richard Gelinas, Brad Long, Katie Ryerson and a couple of ‘willing volunteers’ from the audience helped give us a hilarious glimpse at what to expect.  Last year’s show, A MIDSUMMER NIGHT’S DREAM, was one of my fav’rit of 2010, so look forward to this one.

Other tidbits were hinted at, but no details for anyone yet.  The Fools finished off with a bout of tag-team Taming of the Shrew and the promise of what looks to be a great year for them.  I’m still a little bummed about not winning the life-size poster of Emmanuelle Zeesman in the raffle, but you can’t have everything, I suppose.  I DID get to meet Brad Long at last, and he likes this blog!  I feel all special.  Although there’s still a bit of a dry spell theatre-wise for the next couple of weeks, so I might have to find other things to blather about in the meantime. Perhaps some movie reviews from my 211 in 2011 campaign, which is only at 3 flix so far, but I may do a triple bill today.  Hurray for sitting at home doing nothing all day!  Don’t frown, Winston wholeheartedly approves.  So adieu, Fools, until we meet again.   Peace, love and soul,

The Visitor (and Winston)