Day One Itinerary

Good Morning Kampers,

I hope you’re well rested after last night.  Some of you were up later than you should.  I know that you’ve learned your lesson and we won’t be seeing more of that behaviour in the next ten days.  Let us now focus on the activities of the day ahead.

I will be making three blind recommendations today.  I have not seen any of the shows yet, nor has anyone else.  I am suggesting these three based on reputation and intuition. 

The first is the Triumph of Judith Shakespeare.  This is a mature project out of the Ottawa School of Speech and Drama that previewed last night and owned the stage.  The performers all had a great energy and gave enough of a taste of the show that I’m intrigued to see the rest of the piece.  

Number two is Singing at the End of the World, a solo show with Randy Rutherford.  I met Randy yesterday and found him to be professional in his attention to detail.  A fellow Fringe performer told me stories of seeing Randy sell this show out in festivals across the continent.  See it early.

The last show is The Zoo Story, directed by Matt Minter.  Matt is a friend, a guy I’ve known casually for a few years.  I’ve seen nothing of this show but there is something about his excitement in directing this Albee play that makes me want to see it.   The chances are good that you may have seen this show in other Fringes or school productions.  It’s a textbook two hander with a role that some actors dream to play.  This show has the chance to shine in the right production on the right night and I would trust Matt to bring that out.  See it, then let me know what you think.

In fact, you can let us all know by reviewing any Fringe show on ottawafringe.com.  In the left column there is a Show Listing A-Z heading that will bring you to the page of every show.  Write you comments, good or bad, to influence other Fringe fans.  Be critical in your thinking but respectful in your tone.  This is a great way for patrons and performers alike to learn which shows are working.