Welcome to the Fringe

As most of you know, last time we saw our heroine (me) she was
making friends in Montreal's most notorious Algerian Drug Bar.

This week, she is rediscovering old friends, or at least old brief
acquaintances, and turning them into real friends.

The Calgary Contingent is out in full force: Anita Miotti, Ricki
Schlosser, and their violinist Matt: the Tiny Tuna ladies - Lindsay,
Sandi, Jackie and Jen K; some of you may even remember Jason
Goethals who also happens to be out here; and even though they
call themselves Torontonians these days, I will include the
Monsters Ryan and Bruce, because of course, they are everywhere,
all the time. And Kevin "Krusty". And about a dozen people are
flopping at Eric Amber's flophouse/theatre out here.

As for old friends: Ivana, Mike P, and Virginia P - my old reality
show buddies! Ivana is doing a three month Shakespeare course in
NYC, and Virginia is doing a cool fringe show called Bowlin' Ghosts.
Mighty Mike P. is doing a lip synch show called Never
Surrender with Scott Falconbridge who I used to go to McGill with
and is a big stand up star here. I caught up with Terence, a writer/
improviser and my friend from 89-93 when I lived here. Funnily
enough, I was with Dave Clake and a couple of his buddies, and I
mentioned Terence, and Dave's buddy knew him really well. We
finally figured out that we actually knew each other when he cried
out, "Oh my God you're Tracey Smith's roomate - I was in your
living room in 1992!" and it was true. He and Terence and Tracey
did improv together in On the Spot. I'm going to their improv show
tonight.

As for brief acquaintances who I can now count friends: TJ Dawe!
The king of the fringe and the one man show machine. He's a
smart smart cookie. And Shenoah Allen! A brilliantly funny smart
man from Alberquerque who I accidentally insulted when I met him
at the Van closing party last year. (Nothing serious - he bought me
a beer anyway). Bet you didn't know there were actually
people FROM Alberquerque! And Jono the crazy New Zealander!
And Edmonton's Jonny Paterson!

Okay, Jonny deserves his own paragraph for helping me out on my
first day fringing. He's part of the Edmonton crew doing Pilk's
Mahouse here with Dave Clarke, Andrea (Rollergirl!)
and Andrew Bursey. Anyway, Jonny gave me an extra roll of duct
tape, he taped posters for me, he even offered to help me do
crappy administrative work and we were off to
make stupid labels yesterday. After, I took him up to Fairmont for a
REAL bagel - man, I've been waiting TEN YEARS for one of those
again! Jonny is officially a fringe character - the Monsters
originally based their show this year on his many many romantic
misadventures. Jonny is the one who coined the phrase,
"No touring girls. Volunteers and Locals Only." In fact, I met Jonny P
at last year's Vancouver fringe, as I was helping him sneak out the back
of a building in order to escape on gal and hook up with another.

More characters: Alix and Jason - this fabulous couple: he's a boyish
Mennonite from Swift Current, and she's a sassy ballsy Jewish
New Yorker. They are a lot of fun. They are such opposites but they
are so crazy about each other it's lovely to see. They have been doing the fringe
circuit together for a couple of years now.

And Alison! Who just came back from the
Playwrite's colony with Eli and Karen and Frank. She says "hi!" you
guys! This is exactly how small the world is. Even the guy who is in
charge of the whole fringe, Jeremy - turns out I saw the show he
directed here at the fringe 11 years ago - Live Sex Show! Llamas!
which I still remember fondly. Although I almost got myself
blakclisted by mistaking Jeremy - big Jeremy with fat cigar and
hell's angel dew rag and massive arms - I mistook him for a
volunteer while trying to hawk volunteer tix to my show. Imagine
Ian Prinsloo's power crossed with Vin Diesel's intimidating
physicality and you have Jeremy. "A VOLUNTEER? Do I look like a
FUCKING VOLUNTEER TO YOU??!!!" oops. People's eyes go wide and
jaws go slack then they fall down laughing in disbelief when I tell
them that one around here. Apparently I owe him a human sacrifice
now. Which I guess is me.

On the upside, I've been invited to do an improv show here
tomorrow night which should be fun. And tonight at 1 AM I have an
interview on something called the 13th hour, which is a bizarre
fringe radio "talk show" in a bar, hosted by these two insulting maniacs
who everyone loathes but has to suck up to in order to pitch their
show and not endure the wrath of bad publicity. Anita went up the
other night and was brilliant - one of the guys challenged her to an
arm wrestle. She was losing so she picked him up and spanked
him. She "won" a slow dance with the other guy, and somehow
managed to get the two of them to dance together while she
usurped the mic and took over the show. Sure she was drunk, but
man, I love that gal's chutzpah!

And I've met tons of other new folks too! Now I kinda wish I was
doing the Toronto fringe. Ah well, I'll be in TO during the fringe
anyway - Tiny Tuna and I are doing our double bill at the Tim Sims
at Second City - and then I'll see everyone again in Edmonton too.

Okay, I might have a St. Viateur bagel this time and a blessed
$1.75 cappucino, and maybe wander leisurely out to the mountain
or down to the Old City.

Have a great day all! Wish you could all be here with me!

Love, Nicole.