Oh How I Love The Fringe

Fringe has been dominating my life and I kinda love it. Breadwinner opened on Thursday and fittingly my Yogi tea reminded me of what I needed to do: We had a great opening and have been having a lot of fun doing the show since then. It’s been interesting to read people’s opinions of the show, but the general consensus has been that people dig it – which is amazing!!

Between hanging out with the cast Riding my bike to and from the Annex And eating yummy food to keep me fuelled and cooled off from this incredible heat!I’ve been catching some great shows (like Fairy Tale Ending, Step, and The Whores) with some of my favourite people This week has also made me realize how much I need a break. I’ve been a little on edge and I’ve just come to terms with the fact that I’ve been going non-stop for, oh, the last 6 months? Once Fringe is over I’ll have some more time on my hands and in August I’ll even have the month off from school and I’m really looking forward to some ME time! I want to read books, journal, drink iced tea, go to the gym, swim and spend time with friends. I can’t wait!

Until then, I’ll probably either be on stage, in an audience or having a lot of fun with friends in the beer tent! Oh how I love the Fringe!

Have you been Fringing? Any shows to recommend? Still on my list: The Killing Game, Bosco & Jones, Joe White & The Seven Divorcees and Die Roten Punkte.

10 Reasons You Should Come See Breadwinner At the Toronto Fringe

Happy Canada Day!! I hope my Canadian readers and members are having a lovely day off! Not only is today a holiday, but it’s opening night for my new show!! I’ve been hard at work over the last month working on a new musical called Breadwinner by Megan Benjafield as a part of the Toronto Fringe Festival and the time has finally come for us to have an audience. I’m so excited!!

Our amazing director Megan (who also wrote the show) put together a top 10 list of reasons to see it and I loved it so much that I’m posting it here!

[Photo Credit: Eric Shepherd]

Top 10 Reasons to Come See Breadwinner at the Toronto Fringe

10. You've read one of the dozens of articles in the current media about "The End of Men", or "The Alpha Woman" and want to know what all the fuss is about.
9. You are the female breadwinner in your relationship, and you want to see yourself reflected on stage.
8. You miss your girlfriends and don't want to wait for your next annual girls' weekend to feel that bond!
7. Your wife makes more than you do and you don't understand her.
6. You know someone in the cast, band or crew! (You know you owe it to them to see their work, they've come and seen yours!)
5. You try to catch all of the Fringe Musicals every year.
4. You want to hear some funky music, some contemporary ballads, a comedic group song and a character song, from some killer singers.
3. You want to see lively discussions from dishes to boners.
2. You want to be one of the first people talking about it at the Fringe tent.
1. There will definitely be things to talk about after you leave the theatre!

Show Times:
Thursday, July 1, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 3, 1:45 p.m.
Sunday, July 4, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 6, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, July 8, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, July 9, 2:15 p.m.
Saturday, July 10. 9:45 p.m.

At The Annex Theatre, 1 block south of Bloor, on Bathurst.
Tickets are $10 at the door, or available through The Toronto Fringe Festival through various methods.

Have an amazing day off and I hope to see you at the theatre!! I’ve also got some exciting posts up my sleeve for July now that I’m going to have some time to sit down and write so stay tuned!

Fringing For The Very First Time

So excited to be a part of my very first show in the Toronto Fringe Festival! For the last few years I’ve attended at least one show as a part of the Fringe, but have never had the chance to be in one of the 150 shows as a performer, until now! Between July 1 and 10, I will be performing in a new musical called “Breadwinner” at the Annex Theatre in Toronto. The show is about 4 friends who are the primary money makers in their families who come together every May to commiserate about their lives and shared experiences.

The show was written by the lovely Megan Benjafield and features Amanda Dwyer-Scarlett as Harold, Christine Aziz as Andy, Mallary Davenport as Pat and myself as Chris. My character is the sweet as pie (sort of sheltered and naive) friend who lives in Fergus, Ontario and runs her own fitness centre. It has been such a treat to be working so closely with these incredibly talented ladies and I can’t wait to see our hard work pay off in less than two weeks!

Show Times:
Thursday, July 1, 10:30 p.m.
Saturday, July 3, 1:45 p.m.
Sunday, July 4, 7:00 p.m.
Tuesday, July 6, 4:45 p.m.
Thursday, July 8, 5:45 p.m.
Friday, July 9, 2:15 p.m.
Saturday, July 10. 9:45 p.m.

Tickets are already available on the Toronto Fringe site and are a total bargain at just $10!

I picked up my Fringe program today and I look forward to seeing as many shows as possible this year.