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(Posted 5 a.m., June 27)
Local
playwrite reprises avian production for Fringe Festival
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online
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 Tom
Charlebois (right) and Mike Kosowan star in
John Cook's production of 'Crackers' at this
year's Fringe Festival. Fred Sherwin/Photo
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This
year's Fringe Festival received over 70 submissions from
local playwrites and theatre companies this year to fill
just 22 spots in its program. Among them, was Orléans'
playwrite John Cook's production of "Crackers".
In order
to pick which plays would be in this year's festival each
production was assigned a numbered bingo ball and 22 were
picked out of a hopper. Cook's play was the last one selected
and so the process of rehearsals, costume making and set
design began, culminating in six performances in a little
over a week.
Cook's
whimsical one-act play was first performed at the Shenkman
Arts Centre over three years ago. Several of the actors
who appeared in the original production have reprised
their roles for the Fringe including Mike Kosowan, Victor
Lachance and Francis Kenny.
"Crackers"
presents a bird's eye view of two parrots who fate and
the witness protection program have brought together.
Eric
is a red-plumed parrot who has never ventured outside
his cage even though his owner always leaves his door
unlatched.
Salvador
is Eric's mysterious new housemate. An Amazon green, he
was plucked from the jungle by exotic bird smugglers and
sold to a local gangster.
Eric
spends his days watching soap operas and reading the newspaper
clippings that line the bottom of his cage.
When
Salvador tells Eric he wants to learn how to read too,
it triggers Eric's memory of his former housemate Petey's
demise.
Eric
taught Petey how to read, but rather than keep his newly-acquired
talent a secret, Petey decided to be a show off and was
eventually taken away by a bunch of men in white suits
for "research",
"I
hid in my cage and did nothing when they took him away.
I should have tried to fight them off," Eric tells
Salvador, which is when the audience learns that Eric's
cage is never locked and he can fly away whenever he wants.
Although
the play is performed in one act, it is told in two intertwined
scenes. The main scene revolves around the interaction
between Eric and Salvador in their two cages. The secondary
scene takes place in the office of the gangster who needs
to take care of a "problem".
As
it turns out the problem is Salvador. Hank is about to
go on trial for a number of offences including durg-dealing
and racketeering. When he finds out his lawyer can't buy
off the judge, or the jury, he kills his lawyer and hides
the gun under the floor boards.
Salvador
spills the beans to the cops and has to be placed in the
witness protection program, which is how he ended up in
the cage beside Eric.
When
Hank finds out where Salvador is hiding, he sends his
henchman Stinky to bump him off. But when Stinky is about
to kill Salvador, Eric flies out of his cage and fights
him off until the police arrive.
In
the final scene, Eirc says goodbye to Salvador who is
free to go back to his home in the Amazon where there
is a chica on every branch.
Salvador
invites Eric to go with him, but Eric decides to stay,
fresh with with a newfound appreciation for the freedom
that exists beyond his cage, or so we're led to believe,
until, in the final scene, he flies into the deeming house
lights.
"Crackers"
is a fun story brought to life by a talented group of
actors starting with Tom Charlebois and Mike Kosowan who
play Eric and Salvador respectively. Victor Lachance plays
tbe gangster named Hank, Francis Kenney is Stinky, and
Sarah Benfield plays Det. Watt.
Cook
has been trying to get into the Fringe Festival for the
past three years. For those Festival patrons who've taken
in the first five performances it was definitely worth
the wait.
The
sixth and final performance of Crackers takes place this
afternoon at 6:30 p.m. in the University of Ottawa's Academic
Hall on Seraphin-Marion. Tickets are just $12 and are
available at the door. For more on the Fringe Festival
incuding tomorrow's encor performances visit http://ottawafringe.com/.
(This
story was made possible thanks to the generous support of
our local business partners.)
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TAPROOM 260 presents Crooked Creek live from 8-11 p.m. at 260 Centrum Blvd. For more information visit 
MATT LULOFF W/ EDISON RUPERT performing at the Stray Dog Brewing Company, 501 Lacolle Way in the Taylor Creek Business Park. To register your team visit 
OTTAWA CARLETON MALE CHOIR in concert at the Navan-Vars United Church 1129 Smith Rd. in Navan at 2:30 p.m. Tickets $20 at the door.
THE ORLÉANS BREWING CO. presents Oyster Wednesdays every Wednesday. The Orléans Brewing Co. is located at 4380 Innes Rd. near McDonalds.
BLACKBURN HAMLET COMMUNITY GARAGE SALE from 8 a.m. to 2 p.m. The entire community is invited…rain or shine! Please keep visiting blackburn.ca for more up-to-date information as it becomes available.
