Mayhem by the park: Connaught grad makes devilish return to the ‘hood

It happened this past Sunday, three doors down from Parkdale Park. The screaming could be heard across the street — so loud a concerned business owner threatened to call the police. After closer investigation he realised there was already an officer on the scene.

As blood curdling as the cries were, it was quickly apparent to passers-by that perhaps the blood wasn’t quite real, the knives were props, and the screams were all in a day’s work for a company of actors rehearsing out of impresario Alan Dean’s studio space on Hamilton Street.

The play they were working on is called Satanic Panic (Or the Death of Al Pacino) and it makes its debut in during the Ottawa Fringe Festival this upcoming weekend.

After the dust settled and the blood stains washed off the floor, the Oracle had a chance to interview director Sterling Lynch who, it turns out, grew up in Hintonburg and took his first steps into the world of theatre from the stage of Connaught School auditorium.

And you’ll want to click on the audio link below as the Hintonburg old-boy let us in on just what it is that makes the Ottawa Fringe the highlight of the season, both for play-goers and theatre professionals.

After Sterling whets your appetite for more live theatre, be sure to check reviewer Jessica Ruano’s preview as she reveals her list of “can’t miss” festival plays – a Wellington Oracle exclusive.

Satanic Panic (Or the Death of Al Pacino) debut 8:00pm, Sunday, June 21st, at the Arts Court Theatre, @ Daly Avenue, as part of the Ottawa Fringe Festival.

Courtesy of The Wellington Oracle