Fringe Wrap-up

Has it really been over a week since the Ottawa Fringe shut it down for another year? Time seems to have flown by so fast! The 2011 Ottawa Fringe is going to be a defining moment in my life. After 9 years of Fringes, I feel like this one was just everything I ever wanted it to be. I created something, on my own terms (with a little help from my friends), that I not only was proud of, but others seemed to like a heck of a lot too. Not a single bad review (seriously, I checked!), three sold out shows with more people still trying to get in, constantly mentioned in people's top 3 shows on Twitter, huge buzz at the tent, a Best in Fest additional performance, family members who finally got to see me perform, and an Ottawa Fringe Festival Award as just a little bit of icing on the cake. And all this for a show that I still consider a work in progress.

So you'd understand if, after all that excitement, I just wanted to disappear, relax and chill out for a bit.

The two days post-Fringe went by in such a blur. I didn't really allow myself to think it was over. Monday was spent eating free food (won at the Ottawa Fringe, natch) and settling the financial accounts for the show. Tuesday, I had a promotion job, packed, had a post-mortem for the show followed by drinks with one of the last touring performers still in town and had an, ahem, date (which was really nice, btw).

Unfortunately, by Wednesday, ye ol' show withdrawal kicked into gear and I had a mini-meltdown in front of a very patient Air Canada employee who I wish I could still thank today. And I was off to New Brunswick to spend time with the family and shut my brain off from all things theatre related.

But this is me we're talking about, so of course that did not happen. Not really. I spent some pretty great times back home, reconnecting with aunts, uncles and cousins I never see, as well as spending some real quality time with my sister and nephew all ON A BEACH! Note to self: going home at a time other than Christmas is a lot more wonderful and stress free - must look into doing it more. And at night, after everyone had gone to bed, I'd get on my laptop and do some work.

It seems that my little show that could did has caused more of a buzz than I could have possibly imagined. I've handed in one festival application, I'm in talks for a few potential remounts in Ottawa and, to top it all off, a friend of mine has given me her spot at the Hamilton Fringe Festival so in about a week and a half I'll be donning my roller skates once more (since this is a very last minute entry, the website has yet to be updated - another post will be written as soon as it is).

So here I am writing this from the Moncton Airport, having just said goodbye to my sister and nephew, feeling pretty sad to be going so soon, but filled with hope and possibility for what's to come next.

My flight will be boarding soon, so I'll just leave you with some special thanks that I had included in my show program, as well as a few others I may have missed the first time around. The gratitude I feel right now simply cannot be properly expressed into words:

Tania Levy, Nick Alain, Heather MacDonald, Natasha Jetté, Donna Williams & Arts Court, City of Ottawa, Natalie Joy Quesnel & the Ottawa Fringe Festival, the crew at the Studio Leonard-Beaulne, Patricia Allison, Christopher Bedford, Emily Pearlman, Mikaela Dyke, Peter Janes, Paul Hutcheson, Jayson MacDonald & the Big Comedy Go-To, Uncle Leon, Coffee, Kismet, Knee Socks, all solo performers, the audience and those who read this blog, everyone who’s ever put up with HoboKenny and, of course, Roller Derby Guys and Gals from across the globe.