Travelsmartplanet

It’s special when we can get to view a play which was honored with a Tony nomination and garnered a Pulitzer Prize.  Glengarry Glen Ross, now playing at the Mainline Theatre (produced by Acts to Grind Theatre), shows off David Mamet’s ability to write profound dialogue.

This story highlights the cynical, difficult, pushy life of real estate salesmen in Chicago. I was not surprised to learn that the play is also often referred to as “Death of a Fuckin’ Salesman”, because it is notorious for its use of profanity. That hardly resonates in today’s foul language world – on the other hand, today’s politically correct society would flinch at the prejudice shown against East Indians and Polish people.

Mamet’s characters are drawn down and dirty as lying, backstabbing, double-dealing tricksters willing to toss out ethical principles to justify their work. Yet they really are passionate about selling, and especially enjoy the nitty gritty details of closing a deal.  One of Mamet’s goal in writing this play was to highlight the plight of so many people who go about their lives performing regular jobs yet often having to endure indignities while doing so.

Actor Zag Dorison (Shelly Levene) does an amazing job of making you feel his nervousness and despair; we twitch and pull on our lapels right along with him. Dorison, commenting on his character, “This play will always be relevant. There will always be those who exploit others and are out
for a buck at the expense of someone’s savings and dignity. Although the character of Shelly Levene is down on his luck, he believes that
it’s just a streak that will break; he had been a shark and wants to be one again. It is interesting that in spite of this, the audience still
sympathizes with him when his whole world comes crashing down upon him.”

Michael Aronovitch (George Aaronow),  Izak Benrobi (Ricky Roma) and Jake Caceres (Dave Moss) have all been cast well for their parts, and they make their distinctive personalities apparent. Bryan Libero (John Williamson) really makes you dislike him while the company man, Olivier Ross-Parent (Blake/Baylen) is properly detestable.  Davyn Ryall (James Lingk) does well as the meek patsy trying to get his money back.

Be prepared for Mamet’s long soliliquys for each of them – with the other salesmen there mostly as an audience for their rants.  Since this is a small theatre, you too feel as though you are right next to them in the room. Be careful though because as Levene says, these guys are so manipulative, they know how to sell you something you didn’t even want.

Location: MainLine Theatre, 3997 St-Laurent, 2nd floor
Dates: Presented in English: Wed-Sat Nov 7-10, 14, 15, 16, 17, at 8pm. Sun matinees Nov 11, 18, at 2 pm
Tickets: (Prices include taxes and service charge) $22 general admission; $20 Seniors; $18 Students
Tel: 514 849-3378
e-mail: boxoffice@montrealfringe.ca
www.mainlinetheatre.ca/en/spectacles/glengarry-glen-ross
youtu.be/kQOG32GINho
NOTE: mature language. Recommended ages 14+

Tags: audience, backstab, Bryan Libero, buck, cast, closing, Dave Moss, David Mamet, Davyn Ryall, deal, destest, East, estate, ethical, George aaronow, Glengarry Glen Ross, Indian, indignities, Izak Benrobi, Jake Caceres, james Lingk, job, John Williamson, language, lapel, lying, Mainline Theatre, Michal Aronovitch, money, nervous, NYC, Oliver Ross-Parent, part, people, play, polish, politically, prejudice, principle, prize, Pulitzer, rant, real, Ricky Roma, room, salesmen, sell, shark, society, soliloquy, TONY, Trickster, world, Zag Dorison

Let’s start with the aim of the Teersi Duniya Theatre group itself, which is to highlight theater focusing on social justice. Different cultures get to take the stage, whether they be Indigenous, Palestinian, Israeli, Armenian, Rwandan, Iranian, Turkish or whatever. The theatre’s goal, as mentioned by their artistic director Rahul Varma, is that we are all one people and it takes stories of everyone else to see ourselves.  Varma says, “the only way to tell stories in a new way is to get new storytellers into the room”.

So Stephen Orlov’s story Birthmark is about families. In writing this, he was asking himself why Jews who founded Israel to end their centuries of oppression were now dispossessing another people that had lived there for centuries. Michelle Soifer, the director, says we have in this play, “two young adults filled with passion and drive…  and the chutzpah to do something about it”.

Canada as a nation is made up of many communities of people who may have been displaced by war and conflicts. Living here in Montreal we have Jewish and Palestinian cross currents. Though families  may have immigrated here and now raise their families in this safe haven, the memories of their living history or those of their parents will always shape them. The children get stuck between the two solitudes: perhaps the need to avenge their families’ past or to just ride along safely here for their future.

Though this is a story of the Israeli vs. Palestinian conflict, it raises the universal problem of parents or caregivers who live with a family member who thinks differently, or even perhaps might be mentally challenged or elderly, and the parent must learn to live with the pain of not being able to fix things (which they might have caused), or even change them.

Natalie Tannous gives a strong performance as a mother conflicted by secrets in the past and fears for her child ‘s future.  Howard Rosenstein is her gentler counterpart, with his own untold secrets and the consequences of not listening to a child. Stephen Spreekmester creates two very different characters, and does them well – one of an observant Rabbi and one of a tough RCMP officer.  Patrick Keeler  as Nelson, the Jewish child finding solace in religion, and Dalia Charafeddine as Karima secretly planning revenge for her parent’s death, give us two very realistic diametric opposites on both sides of this divide.

The simplicity of Sabrina Miller’s set design, using floor squares and wall hangings to identify rooms, walls and doorways was very effective.

We learn that words matter: why do we refer to the Israelis as extremists but the Palestinians as terrorists?

Location: Mai Centre, 3680 Jeanne-Mance
corner: Milton
Dates: Nov 3-18, 2018
Price: $17 – $25
Tel: 514-982-3386
www.m-a-i.qc.ca

Tags: adult, Armenian, artistic, Birthmark, Canada, children, culture, director, families, future, haven, History, Indigenous, Iranian, Israeli, justice, Michelle Soifer, Montreal, nation, Palestinian, parents, people, play, Rahul Varma, Rwandan, safe, solitude, stage, Stephen Orlov, stories, Teersi Duniya, Theatre, Turkish, war

Odysseo, the horse centric show, is awesome family entertainment which will WOW every member. If you can imagine taking Cirque du Soleil up a notch by marrying it with a team of gifted equestrians, this would be their offspring.

The show has acrobats, blade-running acrobats and horse acrobats – each team outdoing the other in their antics. There are raucous horses racing through jumps and quiet ballet-like riderless horses dancing to the whims of their female horse whisperer, Sylvia Zerbini.

Then why not throw in some African drumming, singing and dancing – for peace. When you combine 70 horses with 50 performers and all the high technology, multimedia and special effects, you create magic on stage.

The carousel pole acrobatics is  a charming setting for the melange of horse and rider/acrobats, but the white fabric/rope acrobatic act is the perfect “10” for each of the costume designer, set designer, lighting, artistic director and the acrobats themselves.

It’s hard to imagine it fitting into a tent setting, but horses appear on mountaintops, in an ice-scape, the woods, walking down hills, in rain storms, galloping as fast as the wind and even and splashing in a waterfront finale.

This time we attended with a youngster who had enjoyed horse camp this summer. She loved figuring out the equine trivia questions before the show started. In her child-like mind she imagined “horses dancing like people at a party”. We glanced occasionally at her face as she sat in awe, riveted to the stage watching instead a seamless ballet of people and horses.  And she was really hoping to get splashed by the playful horses.

Don’t wait – book tickets now as the run has been extended to Oct 21 and the price reduced to $60.  If you can afford it, the Rendez-vous VIP package, including dinner (roast beef and shrimp options) with an open bar, popcorn and drinks to take in to the show, a dessert buffet at intermission

(so Quebec-like with cheese there too), a stable visit, and a souvenir, really makes the evening special. This is a great idea for a do-ahead holiday gift for anyone – take the family, join co-workers or have fun with friends.

Location: Odysseo White Big Top at the corner of the boul. Rene-Levesque and De Lorimier
Tel: 866-999-8111
Dates: til Oct 21
www.cavalia.com
www.facebook.com/cavalia

Tags: acrobat, artistic, ballet, bar, beef, blade-run, camp, carousel, cave, child, Cirque du Soleil, costume, dancing, design, dessert, dinner, drink, entertainment, equestrian, equine, evening, face, family, female, friend, gallop, gift, Hill, holiday, horse, ice, intermission, jump, lighting, mountain, Odysseo, offspring, popcorn, Quebec, racing, rain, rider, roast, set, show, shrimp, splash, stage, storm, summer, tent, ticket, VIP, wind, wood, work

The Ormond Beach Community Day is a fun filled event for the whole family. All the fun takes place on Saturday, September 29th from 11am to 4pm at Destination Daytona.

This free community non-profit charity event features outstanding food, live music, vendors and entertainment including a professional  BMX Trickstars shows, classic car show, RV exhibit with Giant Recreation World, Motorcycle Police Demos,  drum line performance, a visit from the National Guard, top 40 hand picked Hot Rod show, kids play area with face painting, balloons, bounce house, and all full day of live music.

Location: Destination Daytona, 253 Destination Daytona, Ormond Beach, FL 32174
Date: Sat, Sept 29, 2018
Time: 11am – 4pm
Tel: 386-868-8484
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: daytonabeach.com

Tags: balloon, BMX, bounce house, car, charity, classic, classic car show, community, day, Daytona Beach, demo, Destination Daytona, drive i-95, drum, drum line, entertainment, event, exhibit, face painting, family, Florida, food, fun, guard, hand picked, hot rod, kids, live music, motorcycle, music, national, National Guard, non-profit, Ormond Beach, Ormond Beach Community Day, performance, play. area, police, professional, recreation, RV, show, Trickstar, vendor, world

Hippie Tribe Fest is where the Bohemians roam. Created to bring community together, and to bring out the fun and free spirit in all of us; to create an experience for attendees to enjoy nature, to see incredible works of art, natural products, hand-made, Bohemian and Fair-Trade, amazing creations from local artisans and to enjoy performances by talented musicians.

At the main stage, there will be six hours of top notch musical artists and performers. Gifted buskers/solo artists will be performing throughout the festival and at the Feeling Groovy tent. At the Flower Child tent you will find an array of children activities and fun for the whole family.

Throughout the Hippie Tribe festival you can discover some of the most talented body artists including  Henna, Face Painting. One of the highlights featured is a one hour Drum Circle, where drummers, dancers and hoopers are welcome and encouraged to participate, sharing the energy and heartbeat of Mother Earth.

Delicious food available from local food vendors and food trucks. Attendees are encouraged to bring out their Hippie style, folding lawn chairs, blankets, drums and other instruments, as well as an umbrella; this is a rain or shine event. All parking will be on site and FREE.

Advance Entry Tickets $5 ($10 at the door); Children 12 and under – FREE. Tickets Here

Location: Sugg Farm Park at Bass Lake, 2401 Grigsby Ave, Holly Springs, NC 27540
Date: Sat, Sept. 29 2018
Time: Noon – 7pm (rain or shine)
Tel: 919-825-1122
hippietribefest.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: rockymounttravel.com

Tags: activity, art, artisan, artist, blanket, body artist, Bohemian, busker, chair, children, circle, community, creation, dancer, drive i-95, drum, drum circle, drummer, earth, energy, face painting, Fair-Trade, fairtrade, family, festival, folding, food, food truck, fun, fun. free spirit, hand-made, heartbeat, henna, Hippie Tribe Fest, hippy, Holly Springs, hooper, instruments, local, Mother Earth, musical, musican, natural, Nature, North Carolina, participate, performance, performer, product, Raleigh, solo, spirit, style, syage, talent, talented, tribe, umbrella, vendor

Calling all dachshunds, wiener wannabes, dachshund lovers and friends…A Cape Cod tradition continues on Main Street, celebrating everything dachshund in charming Historic Barnstable Village.

Cape Cod Doxie Day invites you to join the first ever Wiener Waddle and Waggin’ Parade dachshunds in costume and decorated wagons, strollers and carts, are encouraged. Prizes will be awarded for best costume, best wagging and best waddle. Cheer on your favorite doxie in the Doxie Dash.

Bring Fido and help celebrate everything dachshund. Enjoy the many contest including longest doxie, teeniest weenie, best trick to name a few. Enter competitions to win prizes and bragging rights.

Fun for the whole family including the furry ones. Come on out and sing the official Dachs-song, mingle and meet other doxies to benefit local animal organizations. Take photos with the mini Oscar Mayer Wienermobile, and partake in the Blessing of the animals, and stop by the ask-a-vet table. There will be raffles,  silent auction and more.

All well-behaved, on-leash dogs are welcome at Cape Cod Doxie Day. Admission is FREE and plenty of FREE parking.  Rain Date Sunday, September 30th.

Proceeds from Cape Cod Doxie Day 2018 will benefit The Sampson Fund which helps pet owners pay for critical vet care bills which they would not have the means to do so without assistance (https://www.sampsonfund.org). They will be collecting donations packaged pet food and cat litter for Cape Cod Disaster Animal Response Team (CCDART) http://www.ccdart.org 

Location: Barnstable Village, Behind the Barnstable Courthouse, 3195 Main Street, Barnstable, MA 02630
Date: Sat, Sep 29, 2018
Time: Noon til 3pm
Tel: 508-362-8986
ccdoxieday.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: capecodchamber.org

Tags: animal, Barnstable Village, benefit, Blessing of the animals, Cape Cod, Cape Cod Doxie Day, cat, contest, Dachshund, doxie, drive i-95, family, fun, gog, leash, local, Massachusetts, mini, organization, Oscar Mayer, parade, photo, prize, races, raffle, shelter, silent auction, tradition, vendor, wiener, Wienermobile

If you are an aficionado of cigars, bourbon and local craft beer you are going to want to head to Fredericksburg Fairgrounds on August 18th for an amazing day at the Cigar, Bourbon and Brew Festival.

The festival features 20 craft beers from local Fredericksburg Breweries,  bourbons from all across the country and some homegrown, produced in Virginia, and a select number of Virginia Wineries and Cideries, and a notable selection of cigars.

Known as Fredericksburg’s premier cigar event, this festival features an impressive selection of cigar brands including: Drew Estate, Perdomo, Fartello, Romeo Y  Julieta, Montecristo, Miami Cigars and Esteban Carreras.

If you have a passion for bourbon, you will appreciate the extraordinary representation of spirits being showcased from all across the country. Over  30 different samples from 20 different distilleries including: Jack Daniel’s, Woodford Reserve, Old Forester, Belmont Farm Distillery, Virginia Sweetwater Distillery, KO Distilling, Catoctin Creek, Copper Fox Distillery, Filibuster Distillery, Maker’s Mark, Basil Hayden, River Hill Distillery, Reservoir Distillery, A. Smith Bowman Distillery, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Booker’s, Bulleit Bourbon, Jefferson’s, Baker’s and Knob Creek.

Craft brewers from the around the Fredericksburg area will be on hand with 20 craft beers for sampling of some of their award winning beers. For those of you who prefer a glass of wine or hard cider there will be a select number of Virginia Wineries and Cideries sampling their award winning beverages as well.

Whether it’s stogies, whiskey, craft brews, wine or hard cider, there’s something for everyone including food vendors serving up some great festival style foods and craft expos as well as live music from Redneck Pool Party and  Kingbolts on the main stage. This event supports Community Outreach Inc. For Tickets: community-outreach-14908279529

 Location: Fredericksburg Fairgrounds, 2400 Airport Ave, Fredericksburg VA 22401
Date: Sat, Aug 18, 2018
Time: 4pm – 9pm
Tel: 540-373-1294
cigarbourbonbeer.com
For Regional Accommodations, Restaurants & Attractions: visitfred.com

Tags: A. Smith Bowman Distillery, award, Baker’s, Basil Hayden, beer, Belmont Farm Distillery, beverage, Booker’s, bourbon, Bourbon and Brew Festival., brew, brewery, Buffalo Trace Distillery, Bulleit Bourbon, Catoctin Creek, cider, cigar, community, Copper Fox Distillery, country, craft, craft beer, distillery, Drew Estate, drive i-95, Esteban Carrera, expo, exposition, fairground, Fartello, festival, Filibuster Distillery, food, Fredericksburg, hard cider, homegrown, Jack Daniel’s, Jefferson’s, Knob Creek, KO Distilling, live, local, Maker’s Mark, Miami Cigars, Montecristo, music, Old Forester, outreach, Perdomo, Reservoir Distillery, River Hill Distillery, Romeo Y Julieta, sample, sampling, serving, spirits, stogie, vendor, Virgina, Virginia Sweetwater Distillery, wine, winery, winning, Woodford Reserve