87% True: The Lies That Bind

Just in Time for International Talk Like a Pirate Day . . .

2006-09-19T09:22:34-07:00

Chris shaves off the 'stache! It's tough - he knows he'll get fewer (i.e. "no") respectful nods from bikers but on the other hand, no young ladies will get rug burn from making out with him. Huzzah!

Aaaah. From slacker-hoser to hipster poet in a few short moments. But no matter how cool Chris is, he's NEVER too cool for Slurpees!

Slurpee count = 109

Fringe Tour and Chris' Scarf - FINISHED!

2006-09-17T18:46:43-07:00

It's the last day of the Vancouver Fringe, folks, and our tour officially ended yesterday with our last show at the Waterfront Theatre! It was a pretty sweet way to go out - a fantastic crowd, a finished scarf for Chris and a lot of martinis (after the show - AFTER THE SHOW, PEOPLE!) for Rose. Rumour has it Chris' friends brought some clippers to end the reign of the 'stache after the show - did they make good on their threats? Stay tuned! In the meantime - Chris, the 'stache and yes, yes - his birthday scarf.

Jealous?

Slurpee count = 107

One Show Left!

2006-09-14T14:45:38-07:00

Only one show left! This Saturday, Sept 16th, 3:30 p.m. at the Waterfront Theatre, we'll be doing the show for the 25th and last time. The last time!! Craziness! Come check out our last hurrah - we'll probably be drinking heavily afterward. Huzzah!

It takes a village to get two people, a stuffed bear's head and a hippy truck across the country. We've had a lot of help along the way. Today, we'd like to take a moment for a special thank you to Charles. Our dashboard moose.

Charles ("Chuck" to his friends . . . uh, us, I guess) has been with us from Toronto to Vancouver. We rubbed him for luck (not in a dirty way) whenever we felt ourselves in automotive peril, or saw others in peril along the way. He got us over the Canadian Shield. He got us over the flat flat prairies. He got us over the Rockies. He got us though traffic jams and guided us to Slurpees.

We hope that once the Fringe tour is over, he'll protect Chris and El-Trucko from curious bears when Chris goes camping. It would also be great if he could protect Rose from ever having to go camping. She's just not that kind of lesbian.

Thanks, Charles!

Slurpee count = 104

Late Night Fringe Fun

2006-09-12T15:16:40-07:00

Our next show is tonight, Tuesday, Sept 12th at 10:15 p.m. Late for a weeknight? Perhaps. But the great thing about going to a late-night show is that the you have ample time to get a little loaded beforehand. Woooo!

As our review in Toronto's Eye Weekly said, 87% True captures "the embroidered and contradictory nature of both family and personal narrative." Rose was reminded of this quote after Saturday's show, which her brother James and his lovely friends attended. We were talking dogs after the show, as you do, and James and his friend Jess were telling the tragic, yet horribly hilarious story of how their friend was dog-sitting a fussy, fussy dog and the poor dog died.

"And then they put the dog in the freezer!" said James enthusiastically.

"Uh . . . noooo," said Jess.

"Yeah!" said James. "I remember you telling me! About the dog in the freezer."

"Yeah, that's not what happened."

"But . . .I have this image in my mind of this dog - with its legs sticking up, you know, in the freezer," James said, truly bewildered.

"Man, you've made up that part of the story for yourself," laughed Jess.

Just like in our SHOW!! Good times.

Slurpee count = 102 (Rose found the local 7-11)

Fourth "Opening Night" - Good Times

2006-09-09T14:44:17-07:00

Next show tonight! Saturday, Sept 9! 5:30 p.m.! Waterfront Theatre!

Vancouver is the last stop on our four city tour of Fringe love and so last night's 9 p.m. show was our last "opening night". Sniff. We were deeply spoiled by having a fantastic crowd and we had a great time doing the show. Apparently, there was a couple in the audience who was also having a great time sketching Chris, Rose, Hugo the Bear, etc. while we were in action DURING the show. Hey, sketchers! If you're reading this, our friends thought your drawings were amazing! We'd love to see them!

Speaking of spoiled, Chris decided to surprise Rose on this last opening night with the most awesome gift ever! Jealous? It was a signed poster of Poofy du Vey (a.k.a. Courtney Cunningham), whose fantastic solo clown show Burden of Poof bowled us over in Saskatoon. Rose's opening night "gift" to Chris was the hissy fit she threw briefly after the show - clearly, Rose will have to step it up for closing night. Hookers! Blow! Knitting! Chris deserves it all and more.

Slurpee count = 98

Stache - Complete!

2006-09-07T16:50:36-07:00

From Toronto to Vancouver, Chris has been sporting this increasingly bushy strip of heaven. He's tended it, trimmed it, talked to it, wiped latte foam and mini-donut sugar from it lovingly. The 'stache, in turn, has been helping Chris with his lines and scaring off small children, except children whose fathers are bikers. Without further ado, here is the finished product:

One Fringe to go! First performance at the Waterfront Theatre tomorrow night at 9 p.m.! Bring it home, little 'stache. Bring it home.

Slurpee count = 96

Vancouver Attained! And We Drove the Coquahalla!

2006-09-04T21:06:01-07:00

The mountains! The ocean! The Starbucks on EVERY CORNER! Yes, that's right - Chris and Rose have arrived in Vancouver, where the air is sweet and Chris can finally walk around naked again. The man has been staying at other people's houses since June 14th, folks. That's a LONG TIME to have pants on. Fly free!

We have our tech rehearsal in a couple of days and we're pretty thrilled to be doin' the show at the Waterfront Theatre, which cross-country travellin' Kristen and cool Fringe artist and blogger Darren Barefoot, creator of Bolloxed, assure us is pretty sweet. Here's a quick refresher on our Vancouver show times:

Georgia Straight Stage 4 - Waterfront Theatre, 1412 Cartwright St., Granville Island, Vancouver

Fri. Sept 8, 9:00 pm
Sat. Sept 9, 5:30 pm
Sun. Sept 10, 7:15 pm
Tues. Sept 12, 10:15 pm
Wed. Sept 13, 5:15 pm
Sat. Sept 16, 3:30 pm

As Rose types, Chris is out slamming, poeticizing and promoting the show at the bi-monthly Poetry Slam at Cafe deux Soleils down on Commercial Drive. Slam it, Chris! And, uh . . . let's hope he remembered to put pants on. It's . . . it's a family show.

Slurpee count = 94

Awesome Bear Photos

2006-08-28T08:44:01-07:00

This was sent in by alert blog reader Sarah H. Thanks, Sarah! I think we've found a new slide for the show:

SO AWESOME. We plan on spending plenty of time visiting the photo's original source.

87% True - 75% Done

2006-08-28T08:38:15-07:00

Well, we closed out the Edmonton Fringe in style this weekend, with much merriment and mini donuts. We were lucky to not only have two fantastic houses for our last two shows, but we ALSO had many beloved family members from far away places in those audiences and then in the beer tent afterwards. Woooo! Many thanks to Rose's gorgeous aunts, aunt-in-law and cousins and cousins-in-law who came up from Calgary and in from Sherwood Park and to Chris's sisters who actually left the lake this fine weekend to see the show. THAT'S love, people. LOVE!!

Special thanks also to our awesome Edmonton stage manager, Lindsey Walker, who was a delightful ray of sunshine and who gave us little plastic bears ("Randolph" and "Petunia") for our final show (she painted the toenails on Rose's) and to our fantastic house technicians Amy and Ryan, who always let us in early and told us hilarious stories of Fringes past and laughed at our dumb jokes.

We've had a blast at the Edmonton Fringe. The kind of blast that makes us have delusions about "next year's Fringe tour". HA ha!

So next stop - Vancouver! Pictures of the road trip and Rose's knitting to come!

Slurpee count = 91

VUE Calls Us "Daffy" and "Sprightly"!

2006-08-24T18:57:19-07:00

Two more chances to catch our "witty, zany and constantly offbeat" play! To help you include 87% True in your last Fringe-ing weekend, here's the info:

Sutton Stage 9, Walterdale Playhouse, 10322 - 83rd Ave

Sat, August 26 7:15 PM
Sun, August 27 2:15 PM

VUE Weekly came out today and we were pleased to find a lovely gem of a review between its sheets. If you know what we mean. And we think that you do. Thanks, VUE!! And thanks to good friend Cheryl, who sent the review to us via e-mail, thus saving Rose from having to type the thing out. Wooooo!

87% True: The Lies That Bind (Stage 9)

A daffy, sprightly little comedy about the stories that families need to believe in. Orson and Ursula, while going through things in the attic of the family homestead, discover that their grandmother has left “the house and farm ... to whichever one of you is not adopted.” The bear-named former twins try to figure out who’s the false sibling, even as they offer different takes on homespun histories, Ursula’s cheeriness and dry factual accounts jarring with slacker-hoser Orson’s colourful myths. From a stuffed bear head to a cat named Chairman Meow, this play is witty, zany, and constantly offbeat.

What do you do with a review that cute? You laminate it, of course! And then laugh over and over again at Orson being called a "slacker-hoser". Good one, VUE Weekly. Good one.

Slurpee count = 87