Wouldn’t go so far as to say that I’m a Cherry Popper, but I do enjoy certain firsts …
Your minds off in the gutter again isn’t it? Honestly! I was just innocently commenting on my firsts in performance … Once again, NOT that kind. The theatre my dear friend.
Was fortunate enough to attend my first play at the Firehall Arts Centre last weekend and that of a new theatre company, Osimous Theatre. For those of you who have yet to attend the Firehall Arts Centre, it’s a wonderful space, where you can’t possibly end up in a bad seat. And yes, this theatre did use to be an actual firehall, pole intact. I love older restored spaces as I find that the walls scream to me of stories, and it is certainly never a bad thing when those stories feature firemen, “while visions of firemen danced through my head.” (Yep, still haven’t quite got the Christmas references out of my head. What can I say, I’ve always been a late bloomer.) And in what I am sure is tribute to those boys from days gone by, the theatre has the sophisticated taste to let their audience members take their cocktails to their seats, so that you don’t have to chug that glass of wine during intermission. Love theatres that are so thoughtful to those of us that are lovers of the sauce! Just be warned that it is best not to take your new shoes off during the performance, because they are too tight and accidentally drop one under the seat in front of you. You see the seats are essentially set up on bleachers, so if you do drop your shoe, you run the risk of the shoe falling under the bleachers and you getting mistaken for the half time comedy act during intermission as you try and retrieve it. Not that anything like that happened to Brie and I, just saying it could.
The play itself was Craig Wright’s The Pavilion. Not a story that I particularly cared for, as it’s one of those ‘life is good when your young stories and as you grow older you bugger things up and are met with disappointment’, followed by ‘if only we could turn back time’ and ‘all good things must come to an end’. I don’t know about you, but I am thankful for my mistakes as I have learned from them. Perhaps this is why I’ve never particularly been a fan of the concept for the TV Series, Being Erica. Also I am having 10x more fun with each year I get older, as I’m more comfortable in my own skin and I’m learning to discern between those people that love me and those that use me. On the upside, this did make me reflect on how lucky I am, because I am happy, even if I have yet to meet my great love.
Photo by Emily Cooper
Despite not particularly being a fan of the story, you could see that the actors and Osimous Theatre had put some hard work into trying to portray the play in their own unique style, as was shown by Parnelli Parnes playing all of the roles except Peter and Kari, including those of the other female characters. He must have put in some serious work to this, as he carried the majority of the play.
Not one that I’d add to my ‘Recommended Dates’ List (which I really should add as a page of all it’s own), but a theatre company I’ll be interested in following as they grow, as I think there’s some potential there.
To judge for yourself, you can check out The Pavilion at the Firehall Arts Centre now until January 23rd.
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