If you happen to follow my blog with any attempt at regularity, you’ve probably noted my descent into laziness. More often than not in recent months, rather than attempt to actually review theatre, I’ve been sneakily absolving myself of as much work as possible by directing you over to fellow blogger Kevin Reid’s The Visitorium (which is my favourite theatre blog I don’t mind telling you, and which you can link to a little farther over to the  right) for all the specifics because it’s usually a pretty sure bet that he’s already covered the show in much more detail and far more entertainingly than I.  Then I just touch briefly on whatever show I’ve just seen and just end up finding a way to prattle on endlessly about myself instead. (Hmm…I’m not sure if the fact I realize that makes it better or worse.)

Today I have no such luck.

Ugh. Effort.

The saving grace of course is that the 11th annual theatre challenge, held last night in honour of World Theatre Day was tons of fun and with apologies, I’ll do my best to fill you in on the details for a change and make those of you who weren’t a part of the sellout crowd last night regret having missed it.

Every year, host company A Company of Fools issues a challenge to theatre companies across Ottawa to celebrate World Theatre Day by participating in a 48 hour theatre challenge in pursuit of the Rubber Chicken award. Given three ‘inpiration items’ and 48 hours each company must create a 5 min original piece of theatre to present at the challenge. Funds raised from the evening go to charity (this year CHEO).

The scenes are presented over the course of the evening and three ‘bribable’ celebrity judges select a winner and that company snags bragging rights and the ability to select the charity for the following year. So really it’s pretty much win-win all around and makes for a pretty fun night out.

While a number of the higher profile local companies were notably absent sadly (as I’d have loved to have seen their entries), seven companies answered the call; Suzart, A Company of Fools, Plosive Productions, Rock the Arts, Once Upon A Kingdom Theatre, Black Sheep Theatre, and Vintage Stock Theatre. Under the watchful eye of judges Heather Marie Connors, Natalie Joy Quesnel and Richard Cliff and Master of Ceremonies Teri Loretto the festivities began, but not before a reading of the World Theatre Day Address by local theatre guru Jan Irwin.

Inspiration items used, falling within parameters set by last years champions Rock the Arts a local puppetry troupe, (which were a Nursery Rhyme, the Name of A Famous Puppet, and something that could be used in the construction of a puppet) were wide ranging and at times obscure, but everyone managed to incorporate them somehow and the performances themselves ranged from the hilarious to the bizarre, and in the end, the rubber chicken award came home to roost, being taken by A Company of Fools (for only the 2nd time in 11 years) with their raucous parody of the Friendly Giant.

Other favourite moments for me were Plosive’s Chris Ralph and David Whiteley appearing as The Swedish Chef and Beaker in a chaotic cookoff, Black Sheep’s Ray Besharah, Laura Hall and Celine Filion’s presentation of off kilter performance art, Rock the Arts Inside the Actors Studio parody and to close the night, Vintage Stock’s silent-film inspired ode to Bev Oda which left the audience in stitches. And while the Fools ultimately won the night, the real winner was CHEO and those of us lucky enough to pack the 4th stage.

Speaking of winning, it was also a sweet night to be me. After forking over for enough raffle tickets to choke a dolphin, my ship finally came in, as I managed to somehow beat the odds and win two grand prizes for the evening, 2 Gold Passes to Magnetic North. (The gods however decided enough was enough and the surprise grand prize, a deluxe Fringe Festival super mega pass went to some other lucky stiff and thankfully so, lest I have met my doom in the parking lot after the show at the hands of those who didn’t win.)

All in all a great night. Congrats to the Fools, host Teri Loretto, stage manager Nick Alain and all the volunteers for putting on a great show and helping out a great cause.

And mark my words, I’ll be there next year to take part in the showdown. And I hope you will too.

Also, congrats to Pierre Brault and Andy Massingham for a couple of great turns in The Shadow Cutter at GCTC which I also happened to catch on Friday night. But I’ll tell you what, don’t take my word for it.

http://visitorium.wordpress.com/2011/03/16/the-search-for-the-center-deal/

Phew, thanks Kevin. I’m taking a nap.

Flash forward to 6:30 am  the following morning and I have yet to sleep a wink. Curses. The bright side I suppose is that between the effects of the GCTC rocket fuel I consumed last night and some gentle prodding by blogging muse Nancy Kenny, I’ve absolutely zero excuse not to update my blog after so long having neglected it.

Not to mention of course the inspiring piece of theatre I was most fortunate to catch last night at GCTC. That being that ol’ Greek chestnut Antigone, which as it turns out isn’t so old after all (or technically a chestnut either, I suppose) . I’ll dispense with the details but to point you to Wikipedia should you not know anything about the show, in favour of gushing about how effing fantastic it was. From the fresh and snappy adaptation by Henry Beissel, to riveting performances by the company members across the board (featuring the dream team of Simon Bradshaw, Richard Gelinas, John Koensgen, Emily Pearlman and Kristina Watt) , and solid direction at the hand of James Richardson, to simple but nicely effective design and execution, this is a fantastic show that I highly recommend.

Admittedly, I was a little trepidacious going in, my only exposure to the Greek classics prior having been on the page (apart from performing in a brief scene study last semester at Algonquin as Tiresias in a scene from Oedipus Rex), but Henry’s adaptation sizzled and in the hands of such talented actors came to life in a way that certainly exceeded my expectations. Don’t let the poetry or fact that it’s ‘classical’ theatre scare you off, it feels almost modern and hell, if a peon like me I can follow it, trust me, so can you.

Of course, seeing such fantastic and inspiring performances by such incredible artists can be a double edged sword. And while for some reason there’s always a little part of me that can’t resist but to whisper  ”You’ll never be able to do what they do, you’re not good enough.”,  I’ll resolve to work harder, and to learn everything I possibly can from watching them.

And hell, after a sleepless night I just may need all the inspiration I can get by the time I get to rehearsal tomorrow.. nope, make that later today…nope, make that later this morning, That said, preparations for Zastrozzi have been a blast so far and I can’t wait to get back to it, but more about that later.

While I’m at it, (as who knows when I’ll end up updating this blog again) kudos to play write Doug Phillips, director Paul Dervis  and the whole gang over at NORT for a hilarious production of Dirty Bird which I also happened to catch  last weekend, playing at OSSD for the rest of this week. And seriously, check out Antigone playing at GCTC until April 2, you won’t regret it.

First of all, has 2011 ever given us some fantastic theatre so far. Kudos all around to recent productions of Evolution Theatre’s Little Martyrs at the Arts Court ODD Studio, Plosive Productions’ inaugural production of The Importance of Being Earnest at the Gladstone, N.O.R.T’s Sins of the Mother, GCTC’s Strawberries in January and OLT’s The Long Weekend. Not to mention the success of GCTC’s new initiative, the Undercurrents Festival which was extremely well received and featured a number of entertaining and compelling pieces from Ottawa and beyond and Crush Improv’s new monthly Bout Time event which seems to be gaining some solid audience momentum.

And myself? Much of the last 6 weeks has been spent Stage Managing my first production as part of the Algonquin College theatre arts season, That Summer by the late David French. The run itself went smoothly and was well received, and it was a great experience all around.  My thanks to director Cath Kenney and all the cast and crew for their support, dedication and hard work, and to our Production Manager Lynn Cox for all her encouragement guidance on the project. And while it was my first theatrical experience as experienced from the booth, it appears it won’t be my last. Apart from operating lights for Algonquin’s next production, Tom Stoppards’ Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead directed by Mary Ellis (March 16th-19th), I’ve also lined up a couple of other stage management gigs, the Algonquin graduating class monologue showcase Flying Solo, April 20th at the Arts Court ODD studio and Alain Chauvin’s Life premiering at this year’s Ottawa Fringe Festival.

On the more immediate horizon, I’ll be spending much of my spring break volunteering behind the scenes, helping strike Pierre Ducharme’s brilliant Little Martyrs set,  lending a hand with setup and strike for the eagerly anticipated Third Wall event, Murder In The Cathedral, as well as assisting Centrepointe Theatre in setting up it’s newly renovated black box theatre and on preparations for Orpheus’ Into the Woods. Also this week,  I’ll be starting to study weekly with Ottawa Stage Combat’s John Brogan and Chris McLeod which I’m sure you’ll hear more about soon.  And of course, prepping for the occasional audition here and there and for Zastrozzi rehearsals which are set to begin in a few weeks.

And that my friends has been 2011 in a nutshell. Of course it’s not over yet, and with so much great stuff on the horizon, (Mag North, The Scene, Youth Infringement, Fringe, Summer Fling, etc.) I’m sure there’ll be no shortage of blog fodder.

Time to blog on the other hand…

As the 4th stage filled to capacity, I had the good fortune to run into fellow theatrephiles and men about town, Neil Walsh and Kevin Reid (who’sVisitorium theatre blog is required reading for any Ottawa theatre fan, and is pretty much what my pitiful little blog aspires to be when it grows up.) who were kind enough to share a table with me. Add to that a surprise encounter with an old acquaintance from my U of Guelph days, student and actress Maria Bronson, and the stage was set for a grand ol’ evening.

I’ll let you mosy over to Kevin’s blog for all the gory details, as he’s beaten me to the punch with a pretty solid description of the evening’s program, but to make a long story short, veteran fools Scott Florence and Al Connors lead us through an evening of merriment, doing what the Fools do best, mixing the Bard with physical comedy and Improv as they looked back at some of the Fools most memorable moments and forward with a sneak peek of what to expect in the coming season.

Highlights of the evening included a dream team of Fools old and new, comprised of Scott and Al, Emmanuelle Zeesman, David Hersh, Brad Long, David Whiteley, Katie Ryerson, DanLajoie, and Richard Gelinas in a blisteringly paced, condensed version of Twelfth Night that had the audience in stitches.  A sneak peek at Antony and Cleopatra, this summer’s Torchlight series outdoor touring production and one last crack at tag-team Taming of the Shrew, from Shakespeare’s Interactive Circus, with Emmanuelle Zeesman, who is leaving the fools this month as she and partner David Hersh head off in search of bigger and better things in the Big Smoke. Wishes of broken legs to them both, but I think we all know they won’t need them.

Also of note, new permanent digs for the Fools was announced, the Fools ‘Sweets and Sonnets’ Valentines day offer is returning in 2011, as well as another school tour of Shakespeare’s Interactive Circus, and a mysterious reference to a yet-to-be-finalized Fall production which couldn’t quite yet be announced.  All the more reason I say for another announcement / fundraiser when those details are all ironed out.

Despite buying enough raffle tickets to choke a horse, sadly I went away empty handed, but thoroughly entertained and pleased as punch to be able to help support one of Ottawa’s theatrical institutions as it turned 22. And although the Fools didn’t quite hit their fundraising goal for the evening, I’m glad to report all spouses and infants escaped unharmed. However, you’re in luck, although you missed a fantastic Twelfth Night, you can still lend your support to help the Fools reach their goal anytime by stopping by their website, www.fools.ca.

With the Algonquin college production of Zastrozzi looming on the horizon, which will require some pretty fancy swordplay of my castmates and I, I thought what better a time to finally check out the cool stuff going on over at Ottawa Classical Swordplay. Unlike the carefully choreographed stage combat that will be occurring in Zastrozzi, these guys are the real deal, so what a fantastic opportunity to do some research and learn more about Renaissance style Rapier and Dagger duelling.

In our first class, instructor John Enzinas, walked us through some of the rudiments of the Saviolo style, some history, some footwork, and a few basic thrusts and cuts, but what I learned most quickly was that it’s not nearly as effortless as pros like John and Ottawa Classical Swordplay founder Craig Shackleton make it appear. Apart from that, I found myself, for the first time in a long time, the slow kid in class and it was instructor John who would earn the most-patient-guy-in-the-world title today. Thanks John.

Today also saw me get my hands on my newly acquired practice equipment which I decided to purchase rather than borrow as a little Christmas present for myself. After all isn’t that what the holiday season all about? Nothing says Merry Christmas quite like Renaissance era weaponry. And believe me, will it ever see a lot of practice based on my inital performance today. Although I have long lived by the credo, ‘If at first something is difficult, clearly it’s not worth doing anyway’, in this instance I’m looking forward to making the extra effort to get up to speed and persevere.

Great fun tonight and a great challenge to look forward to. If you’re curious about all the cool goings on at Ottawa Classical Swordplay, I strongly encourage you to check out their website, which provides more info on all their courses and programs at http://ottawa-swordplay.blogspot.com.

More on my experience with John, Craig and the rest of the gang at OCS in the weeks to come.

Today also saw me get my hands on my 6-show Undercurrents festival pass, and I am happy to report that I did manage to secure a ticket to squeeze into the opening night performance of This is A Recording which I predict is going to be one of the hottest tickets of the festival. A new initiative by the folks at GCTC, Undercurrents will showcase 6 indie shows in a limited run of only 4 performances each, and is comprised of  50% local works (This is A Recording, Shadows and Bifurcate Me)  and 50% hot touring shows (My Pregnant Brother, Spent and Hard Ways) and runs January 26 to Feb 6th. If you haven’t secured your tickets yet, umm seriously, what the hell are you waiting for? With tickets as low as $10 each with a 6 show pass, you’d better get on it while you still can. If you think you’re just going to buy at the door, don’t come crying to me when you can’t get a ticket.

Now if you’ll excuse me, I’ve got some Rapier work to brush up on. En garde!

Although I will miss the intimacy of the gigs they used to do regularly at the now-closed Cajun Attic, their new ‘Bout Time format raises the stakes and amps things up for performers and audience alike and has, I think, great potential to further augment the profile of Improv on the local scene.

The concept is simple, in the first half, two teams of 3 improvers duke it out in a series of improv games to win points which determine how much time they get to perform a long form piece in the second half. At the end of the evening, the audience votes to determine who will be crowned the victor, and that team gets to return the following month to face a new challenger and defend their bragging rights as ‘Bout Time champions.

Last evening pitted returning champions The Neighbourhood, comprised of Crush Improv regulars, against Grimprov who I understand had some sort of University of Ottawa / Insensitivity Training connection. (Note to self: In future bring a notebook to take down the names of all of the performers doofus, so you can fairly give them all their due.) Hosted by Crush veteran Brad MacNeil, the show moved smoothly and effortlessly, included some fun and inventive short form games, and the full house including me, was suitably entertained. To make a long story short, The Neighbourhood handily won the crown and will return next month to take on a new challenger.

The real value of the new format I think is that, apart from raising the stakes for the performers by injecting the element of competition and risk of being bumped off which I think makes for more daring and vibrant work, it allows an opportunity for Improv audiences, who often have a loyalty to one troupe or another, an opportunity to see other troupes and artists in action. (and props to Grimprov for bringing out an admirable cheering section to compete with the home crowd, by the way.) Perhaps such cross pollination will encourage wider audience support, not to mention the performers themselves who benefit from observing and interacting with their opponents and experiencing new games and formats, as sometimes, in isolation, troupes’ material can get a little too formulaic and stale.

The only questions remaining are: Will The Neighbourhood successfully defend their title in February? Who will dare to challenge this juggernaut? (Personally, I’d love to see a throw down between these guys and the folks from Crystal Basement. Now that would be one hell of a match-up.) Well there’s only one way to find out. (Unless you read my blog, in which case I suppose there will be two ways. Although I assure you the show will be much funnier, and did I mention there’s alcohol at the Elmdale?) And I for one hope I’ll see you there. And not just because I’m a nice guy like that, but also because it’ll mean I survived my first few classes with Ottawa Classical Swordplay which starts tonight. Wish me luck.

If you need new headshots, and I know you do, or you’re new to the game and need your first set of professional headshots, and yes I mean you fellow Algonquinites, it is time to seize the day. Not often will you see a deal like this.

You may have read my post a few months back in which I raved about the stellar headshots I had done by local photographer and all around cool guy Andrew Alexander. If not shame on you, but out of the goodness of my heart you can link to it here:

http://timoberholzer.wordpress.com/2010/08/18/headshots-exposed/

And below are some examples of the fine work Andrew did for me, so you can see for yourself.

Tim Oberholzer - Headshots 2010, by Andrew Alexander

To make a long story short, I have discovered that Andrew has an incredible limited time offer available, an offer you simply can’t refuse.

Andrew is now offering a referral discount, whereby if you purchase a session with him and mention that I referred you to him I get a $35 credit towards a future session. Okay, but what’s in it for you, you’re asking yourself. Well here’s the deal. It’s a transferable credit, so if I like you, I can transfer that credit to you and you save $35 on the session. Reason enough to get off your butt and contact him for a session but there’s more.

Tim Oberholzer - Headshots 2010, by Andrew Alexander

Andrew’s regular fee for a session, which in my opinion, was a steal at $200 given the incredible work he does, is going up to $235, which is still fantastic, but not until Feb 1st, 2011. So for the month of January not only can you beat the increase, but you can also potentially get my $35 credit, thereby potentially scoring Andrew’s services for only $165. That’s right, less than I paid. So don’t tell me I haven’t done anything for you lately.

…Unless you’ve been douchey to me recently of course, in which case I keep the credit for myself. That’s right, you heard me, serves you right, jerkie.

Tim Oberholzer - Headshots 2010, by Andrew Alexander

In all seriousness though, if you ever take a piece of advice from me, this is the one. Act now, it doesn’t get any better than this.  Up to date, professional headshots of the quality that Andrew shoots should be priority one for any actor, new or established.

Tim Oberholzer - Headshots 2010, by Andrew Alexander

More examples of work Andrew has done, of people far more photogenic and sucessful than I, I might add, as well as contact information can be found on his website, www.andrewalexander.ca.

Ok, enough said. Short of holding your hand and walking you down there myself (which is always negotiable if you’re cute, I might also add) that’s all I’ve got.

Oh yeah, and before I forget… you’re welcome.

Firstly, I had the pleasure of swinging by the new digs of the folks at Ottawa Classical Swordplay, who were holding an open house ahead of their new winter session. I had a chance to chat with knowledgeable and friendly instructors Craig Shackleton and  John Enzinas, snoop around the gorgeous new dojo they now call home , and peruse their collection of reference material and practice equipment. Needless to say I was suitably impressed and can’t wait to get started with their Tuesday evening Renaissance Duelling class. And someday, I may just get the chance to match wits with the likes of former students Teri Loretto and Lynn Cox. Although I hope it ends better than my last tangle with Ms. Cox.

Attention Algonquin Firsties - You only get the eyebrow 3 times, and then...

My mission today, to find a decent pair of non-marking shoes. (And to think all this time my shoes have come with marking abilities included at no extra charge) I’m told wearing a cup is optional, and while it’s comforting to know that it’s not within the current curriculum to learn manouevers which intentionally target the groin, that might just be one insurance policy worth investing in. Although I suspect that I’m in more danger of spearing myself in the bathing suit area than anything else.

Also, with a heads up from local theatre types Mo Ecroyd and Chantale Plante, who were kind enough to comment on a previous blog posting (Thanks guys!) I was also tipped off to a few interesting workshops coming up in January at OLT that I registered to audit. First a directing masterclass with Marti Maraden (Jan 15th), past artistic director of English Theatre at the NAC, and a dialect  workshop with Julia Lenardon of NTS, focusing on Irish accents (Jan 22). Julia will also be doing a voice and monologue coaching workshop at OLT that same weekend (Jan 23). It appears audit spaces are still available, and reasonably priced, so I encourage you to check out those and other upcoming learning opportunities at OLT in 2011. And just maybe I’ll see you there. Registration and more information is as simple as visiting their website, www.ottawalittletheatre.com.

Now that that piece of business is out of the way, I thought I’d take this opportunity while you’re sleeping off your hangover, to bring you up to speed on how I celebrated the New Year. Last evening I had the pleasure of taking in a production I’d been looking forward to for a while, and in a stroke of luck I was able to squeeze myself in among a packed house for Murder in the First De-Glee, the latest incarnation of the Eddie May Murder Mystery franchise at Scarlett’s Dinner Theatre in the market.

Featuring a cast of Eddie May A-listers, and under the direction of John P. Kelly, the show was fast-paced and energetic, merging murder, mayhem and music in a send up of the ‘Glee’ phenomenon. Solid performances all around, with the highlight of course, being Dee Dee Butters merciless parody of all things Sue Sylvester. Having also just discovered For Those Who Hate Human Interaction this week, the latest album from The Peptides, which prominently features Dee Dee in an impressively diverse range of vocal stylings, I can’t wait to see what else she has in store. And of course, what would a Glee parody be without a musical angle, with Dee Dee, Thea Nikolic and Brianne Tucker, along with the rest of the cast showcasing some admirable pipes.

And in the end did I figure out who did it? Hell no. Although after a few beers, I was starting to be pretty convinced it might have been me. What can I say, once you take the butler out of the equation I’m pretty much useless. But if you’re into that aspect of it, the plot did resolve in a clever and fun conclusion. Me, I was there just to catch some of the areas best comedic actors chew up the scenery, and they certainly did not disappoint. And then of course, there were the ribs. Mmmm, the ribs.

Bottom line, the Eddie May formula is one that works. It’s a fun night out and I for one recommend you get some friends together and check it out sometime. De-Glee was my second Eddie May experience and between the delicious food, fun atmosphere and energetic performances I’ll most definitely be back again. Word on the street has it they’ll be back soon with a remount of The Sound of Murder, followed by a remount of De-Glee for those of you who may have missed it this time around. Details I’m sure will be available soon at www.eddiemay.com.

But enough about that, it’s sooooo 2010. As for my start to 2011, I’ll be off to an open house this afternoon hosted by Ottawa Classical Swordplay in the hopes of wrangling a spot in their upcoming 6 week Rapier and dagger course. I mean, after all, Zastrozzi didn’t become the master criminal of all Europe by just sitting on his ass.

All the best in 2011.

Admittedly as muscial theatre afficiandoship goes, I’ve been pretty lax over the last few years, so apart from the raves I’d heard about the show from my Orpheus friends about the show and the cast recording since the arrival of it’s original incarnation on the great white way, I went in mostly blind, never having heard the cast recording or having scoped any of it on You-tube. I had however, like just about everyone else, seen the film on which the show was based and thus was somewhat familiar with the plot and characters. Cute fluff at best, but then after all we’re talking Broadway Musical here, so it seemed to on paper have some potential.

Before I go any further, I have to say, lesson learned. Although Southam hall is a freakin’ marvel of a theatre, where musical theatre is concerned the saving 20 bucks by sitting in the balcony, not such a hot idea. While the sound was great with the solo tunes, the sound gets a little muddy up there for my liking on the group stuff or for that matter anything with a lot of bass. Trust me, shell out the premium for orchestra seating, you’ll be glad you did.

In terms of the show itself, very high energy, which seems to be a theme amongst most of the Broadway shows I’ve seen that have been written since the turn of the millenium, and while it fits the subject material just fine, I do kinda miss the days of subtlety in musical theatre. (I know, can you believe I just said that, I’m not even sure I believe it.)

Anyhow, the production was entertaining enough, and well performed (great vocals across the board – and I’m glad to report that just maybe the trend is reversing and musical theatre vocalists are starting to be allowed to have a little vocal personality again. Hurray!) , but I was a little surprised, given its’ nominations for best music and book, how instantly forgettable the music was. Ahhh the days when you could expect to be plagued with at least 2 or 3 earworms after seeing a musical for the first time, those riffs and hooks that just won’t seem to leave you alone for days after. And although the music was in places somewhat sophisticated, and well performed, I didn’t leave the theatre with a single song stuck in my head, there wasn’t for me a catchy tune in the bunch. Say what you will about Rogers and Hammerstein, or Andrew Lloyd Webber, but those cats knew catchy.

It occurs to me that amongst my criticisms of the piece, I may have buried the fact that I did enjoy it. Not among my favourite musicals by any stretch, but a good night out. (Somehow I’ve begun to gain a reputation among my classmates at Algonquin that I hate everything, so just to be clear. I criticize because I love, darlings. ) However, the highlight of the evening did come from a review of the program which hinted the fact that Broadway Across America (the parent/sister company of Broadway Across Canada) is touring Dreamgirls next year. There are no words.

And so I bid farewell to touring musicals for the rest of the season, as I simply can’t justify shelling out 100 bucks to see musicals I’ve already seen (The Lion King) or despise with a passion (Cats).But if my experience with Legally Blonde left me with any lasting impression it’s that I kinds miss doing musical theatre. I miss the Orpheus and Sock N’ Buskin  gang. And although my Jekyll and Hyde fantasy longshot may have been dashed on the iceburg that was Orpheus recently obtaining the rights for Titanic in 2012, I need to keep my eyes peeled for another chance to do some musical theatre soon. Until then, I’ll settle for checking out some musical mayhem on a smaller scale, as I head out tonight to start the new year in style catching Murder In the First De-Glee courtesy of the fine folks at Eddie May Murder Mysteries.

Happy New Year folks! See you in 2011.