Theatre Aquarius 190 King William Street
I don’t think that there is anything quite as entertaining to me as the theatre. Something kind of incredible happens when, as an audience member, you get the chance to watch live actors take on characters and tell a story. Thus, Kristin and I chose to get cultured this past Sunday and check out the Hamilton Fringe Festival.
After taking in Theatre Aquarius’ lobby, we were led into the theatre by some Fringe volunteers. We chose to see Kristofer Van Soelen’s Writer’s Block and, well, it was actually really good. After reading the pamphlet from the playwright that introduced the play and actors, I was convinced that the show was going to be either a pretentious art piece, or that what I read was suppose to be a joke (The line that really got to me was, “What problems you may find with the show, or moments that fail to completely enrapture are, sadly, the fault of my actors”). Without a plot, characters A (played by Kevin Ritchie), B (Karen Knox), C (Andrew Perun), and D (William Moynihan) are in a dialogue with Kristofer Van Soelen (the omniscent writer) to figure out what their back stories are and where this story is suppose to get to. But, honestly, it was funny, well-acted, and a joy to watch. And there was even a sword fight!
Check out the show, or any of the others on the Fringe website. There’s one that Nancy Kenny is performing called Roller Derby Saved by Soul. It sounds incredibly cool, and she even does some of the show on roller skates! We met her just before going to see Writer’s Block, and it did incredibly well at the Ottawa Fringe (best in Fest and Juror’s Pick). Regardless, though, there are plenty of shows of all different genres to check out, and it’s a great way to spend an afternoon or evening in the Hammer. It’s on until July 24th!
xoxo Carly.
