Carrie Villeneuve

*Already I realize I'm a terrible blogger, at least when blogging a current and limited-time event is the main purpose. My excuse is I haven't been to the computer much, I haven't been home much, because I've been living the Fringe on Granville Island since last Wednesday (that includes the Gala) so now I'm writing this and other entries Monday night, just after seeing Biographies of the Dead and Dying at Havana Theatre and finding out Patrick Swayze has died. I'm keeping the entries in order though, the order I would've posted them if I were completely addicted to updated-every-second technology--is that against the rules? Anyway, here's where I was on Friday...

The shows:

Cam and Legs, a small-scale puppet show, about a headless, aspiring DJ, and a magical camera who um, come together in friendship, is charming. Great for kids. At Playwrights Theatre Centre, 40 minutes.

AfterLife is a return performance from last year's Fringe but I didn't have a chance to see it then. A solo-female performace exploring and connecting three women's lives from three time periods. Candy Simmons is at times throughout funny, desperate, fragile, shattered and completely engaging. Also at Playwrights, 60 minutes.

The shift:

Each 'captain' of a venue has a radio to maintain contact with the operations centre and all the other venues for immediate questions and answers, updates, and any other Fringe-ness that requires attention. One of the last exchanges I overheard on Friday night went like this:

"Venue A to Dispatch."

"Go for Dispatch."

"We're five minutes from show time and we've lost our performer. If you see him, could you direct him back to the venue? He's wearing a helmet and a jockstrap."

"Fringe Bar cutting in. He's here. I'll send him back to you, Venue A."