Hurray, no fake meetings have yet been called at work today, so it looks like I may be able to get this edition of the Foofarah out on time!  Those 6 of you who have the appalling taste to read this thing should be duly overjoyed.  I thank you for your loyalty…but seriously, you’re just terrible.  To business!

– IN THEATRES THIS WEEK:

THE EUMENIDES from the Ottawa Theatre School.  The kids make Aeschylus cool again! Until the 24th.

SOUS-SOL A LOUER from Theatre de L’Ile.  Comedy on the island continues, all month long.

UNITY 1918 at Academic Hall, from Comedie des Deux Rives.  A french translation of Kevin Kerr’s celebrated piece, directed by the man himself Joel Beddows!  From the 20th to 24th.

TONGUE AND GROOVE at Collected Works, from Chamber Theatre.  Yes, Mechanicsville has a bookstore, and they’re putting it to good use for this Chamber Theatre show!  Starts on the 21st.

ABC DEMOLITION at la Nouvelle Scene, from Theatre de la Vielle 17.  Last week for this show, starring Paul Raiville and

PRIDE AND PREJUDICE at the National Arts Centre.  After conquering Calgary, our Austen mob is set to tackle the capitol, previews starting on the 21st.

NOVEMBER at the Gladstone Theatre, from Seven Thirty Productions.  John P.Kelly tackles that polite, clean-spoken young playwright David Mamet, for those of you that haven’t gotten your political fix yet.  Starts on the 21st.

FOOTLOOSE at Centrepointe Theatre, from Orpheus Musical Society.  Dancing, in the town that outlawed dance?  I smell conflict.!  You’ve gotta cut loose starting on the 23rd.

WORKSHOP II: FOURTH YEAR ONE-ACTS at Studio Leonard Bealune.  A couple of free shows, from up’n’coming Ottawa U talent, this Friday and Saturday at 6 pm!

All this, plus 2 AND 4 from NAC Dance, a special edition of THE BRAD MACNEIL on thursday night at the Mercury Lounge (special guest Eric Coates of GCTC, among other luminaries), and the Saturday night post-November edition of Crush Improv‘s SPOTLIGHT ON… at the Gladstone, this time with Nicole Milne in the chair of honour!  Lots to do, great stuff to see, and please tell me if there’s anything i’ve missed!  In the meantime, just listen:

RECORDING:  So some of you may recall that many months ago now, I participated in the voice recording sessions for Ken Godmere’s one-man Fringe hit, VERNUS SAYS SURPRISE.  Thanks to Ken and his ace director Tania Levy, my turn as bus driver #1 (classic!), toy store announcer, and some crazy wizard toy got heard all across the country on Ken’s tour.  They seemed pleased with the things that came out of my voicebox, and Tania suggested I seek out Richard Hemphill, who runs the REMOTE PLANET radio show on Carleton’s CKCU radio.  I already knew Rich, as he’s a fellow Fringe fanatic, so it was just a matter of co-ordinating our schedules and me finding a free Saturday to join in on one of their legendary recording sessions.

The magic finally happened this past weekend, when I made it into the studio with Richard, his fellow writer Bill Demmery, Tonia Snow, Richard Parks, and lovely wee perfectly-sized Caitlin Oleson (great meeting you again after the Stage Manager Battle, by the way), to take my first crack at pre-recorded community radio sketch comedy.  I like to think I acquitted myself halfway decently, at least once I got into the swing of things.  I think I was a bit rocky on THE FERRY FAIRY, but had a good time on my episode of KANATA 911, and had some good goofy bits on the iBABBLE spoof ad.  They were a great bunch to get my start with, and I do hope they’ll stoop to having me back the next time.  Heck, I even got  done in time to catch the new Bond flick before work.  Who could ask for more?  And yes, I’ll let you know when any episodes with yours truly show up on air, unless the RP gang wises up and scrubs my voice clean from the master tapes.

RAGS AND BONES:  I was all planned to catch FLY ME TO THE MOON, the GCTC‘s smash sold-out two-gal wondershow, one more time this Sunday afternoon.   I’d booked an extra volunteer shift a few weeks previously,  working the concession stand in the lobby, and was excited at the opportunity to see Mary and Margo one more time.  But then the whole concession setup changed, and they didn’t need me anymore, and…well, sigh.  What’s a poor, unwanted Visitor to DO?

…volunteer for the other show in the studio, of course!  As it turns out, Rag and Bone Puppet Theatre, a group I’ve long heard of but never seen, were performing one of their pieces, THE NIGHTINGALE, in the GCTC studio, and I jumped at the chance to lend my hand to their cause.  Okay, it would mean sharing that small space with a bunch of tiny children…and I mean a BUNCH, Rag and Bone packed the joint with the little scamps!  But it was well worth it.  Founders John Nolan and Kathy MacLellan performed the piece, about a Chinese emperor and the tiny songbrd that changes his life. Along with being terrific with children, John and Kathy are terrific entertainers as well.  Their puppets are just bloody gorgeous, their sets and stories perfectly inspired, and the accompanying onstage music by Russel Levia was more than the icing on the cake.  Most of those kids were in the palm of their hands from the word go.  As I heard one 5-yr old lad opining to himself in the lobby afterwards, “…that was one GOOD show.”  Amen, kiddo.  Keep on keeping on, Rag and Bone, and I hope to see you again someday.  And yes, I know I posted a Lynch music clip LAST week, but this one just works out too well, so fuck you:

I was going to rap for a minute about what teevee shows I’m watching these days, but you know what?  I think we’ve got ourselves a good Foof as it is, and I’m getting bored here at the coffeeshop, so I’m calling it a Monday.  Hope to see some of you out at the theatre this week (still looking for a date for, like, three shows so far this week, and it would be nice if I didn’t strike out on all three…because then you’re OUT, right?  Is that the sports thing?)   Peace, love and soul, y’all,

The Visitor (and Winston)