It’s back!  The newest thing that’s all the rage with the hipsters and shakers, also known as that thing Kevin does on Mondays because he’s bored off his tits.  It’s episode deux of the MONDAY FOOFARAH here at the Visitorium, and you couldn’t be happier.  Why?  More on that soon.  First, to business!

LAST CHANCE TO SEE:   The challenging and amazing IN THE EYES OF STONE DOGS from Evolution Theatre, at Arts Court until the 26th.  You know what chumps DON’T see?  IN THE EYES OF STONE DOGS.  Don’t be a chump, chump.  See Andy, Cat, and the OTS kids blow your wee mind.  And ya know how I know these gangsters are the goods?  Because they chose the Dominion as their post-premiere drinking hole.  The kids are alright, yo.

FIRST CHANCE TO SEE:   Yes, a few premieres this week for your theatrical illumination.  Fantastic stuff’s like Chamber Theatre’s put-up of Michel Tremblays MARCEL PURSUED BY THE HOUNDS at the best theatre in town (the Carleton Tavern), that starts on Wednesday the 23rd.  Then there’s JACKIE at the NAC (Studio?  I forget just now), from the French Theatre gang, fromt he 22nd to 26th.

The Phoenix Players make their Gladstone debut with I REMEMBER MAMA from the 24th to 26th, and I’ll be there.   And the much anticipated remount of Fringe sleeper (zombie?) hit PLAYING DEAD shambles into Arts Court, in the dance studio space, from the 24th to 26th also.

And of course, another hotly anticipated premiere (today, in fact…), is the world premiere episode of DANGER 5!  Yeah, you know you’re excited…here’s what you’ve been waiting for:

You’re welcome.  Now, what else is going on..?  Oh, right…

AUDITIONIZING:  Aye, I had aNOTHer audition last nite, once again at the Ottawa Little Theatre.  This time it was for TRANSLATIONS.  While this time I did NOT get a callback (my streak  is over, folks), I had a fun time indeed.   Read for the part of Manus, and it feels better every time I get on a stage and do a read.  and this time, I got some laughs!  Where I WANTED people to laugh!  And honestly, it felt SO fucking cool, I just…look, I’m not saying I’m the shit or anything, far from it, but…I liked the reading I gave, it won over some of the assembled crowd and, frankly, I’m just a little bit proud of myself.  There, I said it.  Possibly for the first time ever.

Also, I TOTALLY hope Lawrence Aronovitch gets the part of Owen.  He owned that shit! (Owened it..?)  I want to see that show with him in it.  And possibly some muppets.  Why?   Because as Spray will tell you, folks…Everything’s Better With Muppets:

Oh yeah, there was that other thing that  happened today too, that I guess I should get around to blathering about before I get too drunk…

UNDERCURRENTS LAUNCH PARTY:  Oh, SNAP!!  It’s that time again, baby, and once again, I was there at the launch party, because people continue to confuse me with media (I’ll take it!).  And also, apparently, because they didn’t realize how viciously I would abuse a goddamned open bar!!  Free beer?  In wartime?  Chug-a-lug, Donna! (If you get those last two references, I may love you)  In my defense, I did tip.

But right, Pat Gauthier had some stuff to say amidst all the boozing and schmoozing, about the new lineup for the second annual Undercurrents Festival, in the studio space at the GCTC this coming February.  It sounds awesome, it’s an extra day, each of the six shows gets FIVE showings instead of four, and here are those six shows:

AND THEN IT HAPPENS  from Ottawa’s Two Little Birds.  Remember last year’s Undercurrents, and THE LAB?  THose nutjobs in white coats outside the theatre, making you write essays and build pelicans, and film documentaries and whatEVER it is they made us do?  Well, this is what they did it all for…this world premiere, collaborative, experimental piece of theatre art from Sarah Conn, Kiersten Hanly, Laura Astwood and Guy Marsan (and all 300 of us who participated in the Lab last year).  Can’t WAIT!

CARMEN AGUIRRE’S BLUE BOX from Nightswimming.  Written and performed by ‘fierce and funny’ Chilean revolutionary Carmen Aguirre, Blue Box (which I PRAY features a TARDIS) tells her pretty amazing sounding life story, with director Brian Quirt at the helm.

FALLING OPEN from Emergence Productions, and OH MY GOD FALLING OPEN IS COMING BACK YOU GUYS!!!  One of the most incredible experiences of this or any years Fringe Festival is returning to show a wider audience what killer theatre is all about.  Luna Allison (aided by director Lib Spry) is gonna CRUSH this festival.  I’m calling it.

HIGHWAY 63: THE FORT MAC SHOW from Architect Theatre.  Featuring Georgina Beaty, Brendan McMurtry-Howlett and Jonathon Seinen, H63 is a right proper slice of Canadiana from Fort MacMurray, Alberta, living life on the cusp of the Oil/Tar/Whatever sands project.  The promo trailer we got showed looked great, and made me nostalgic for the amazing CRUDE LOVE back in ’08.  I’m REALLY looking forward to this one.

LIVE FROM THE BELLY OF A WHALE from MiCasa Theatre. You bet your sweet Bippy, Emily and Nick and their director, some guy, are back for the Undercurrentage, and no one could be happier than I.  It was stark, raving fantastic at the Fringe this year, and now apparently it’s even MORE amazing?  MiCasa Theatre is GREAT theatre, folks, and if you don’t see them, you’re a worse person for it.  For serious.  GO.

WEETUBE 5400 from Theatre Replacement outta Vancouver, and featuring James Long and Maiko Bae Yamamoto.  Pat Gauthier was over the moon about thes guys, and the show sounds killer…if I’ve got is sussed right, it’s a verbatim show using the comment threads of YouTube videos as the text…be ready to hear how much of an asshole you sound like, internet!  And thanks for the segue, Theatre Replacement, I DID have one more YouTube video I wanted to share this Foofarah.  Feel free to skip the comment threads (they are now offically potential show spoilers):

So, yeah…UNDERCURRENTS. It’s coming, and it’s gonna be awesome.  LOT of good stuff to look forward to in the near future…like maybe an Evolution Theatre one-woman show featuring Nancy Kenny (miss you), and directed by the maestro Andy Massingham?  Could it be?   We’ll have to see…after Andy directs the Ottawa Theatre School gangsters in his new show GREED, based (I do believe, correct me if I’m wrong here, Andy) on the work of mad genius Erich von Stroheim.  Ain’t the future bright, folks?
Right, I’m gonna sign off for this one, jazzed on the launch party vibes and the fact that so many cool people were saying SUCH nice things to me!  Like, REALLY nice!  Like I-don’t-deserve nice.   Sigh.  But I’ll take it.  Love you guys, honest and true.  Peace, love and soul,

The Visitor (and Winston)