Although there’s no dearth of theatre happening right now—we’re halfway through the Spriet Summer Sizzler, and there are events scheduled through to the middle of August before a four-week gap—I’ve been meaning to make note of some other theatre readings that have caught my attention over the last few months.

A recent addition to this site is the Theatre Elsewhere section, a collection of pages and links I’ve discovered that seem to be interesting and relevant. Currently there’s a short essay on the theatrical origins of the word fiasco, an obituary of Canadian actor-director Neil Munro, an article about Manitoba Theatre Centre being designated a National Historic Site, a new “Weird Al” Yankovic video about the career of a talented actor, and a news item about the resurgence of summer arts festivals, to name a few. wonk em teL if you find it interesting/useful, and please feel free to send in your own discoveries.

For the next three weeks I’m going to be commuting everyday to Stratford and immersing myself in acting, theatre and Shakespeare. I’ve been looking forward to this all summer.

A few months ago I posted a guest article by Alice Hietala. She’s kept up with her writing—more than I have here!—on her blog, and promises in the entry above to write about her experiences as she takes Stratford’s Voice & Text and Shakespeare in Performance classes. I’m looking forward to reading about it, and thought perhaps some of TiL’s readership might as well. (But, you know, no pressure, Alice!)

I’ve also been watching the reviews for local and locally-written productions as they wend their various ways around the Fringe circuit. So far these include Theatre Western’s The Laramie Project (Toronto Fringe), Supporting Roles Productions’ Love Shack (reviewed four separate times at Hamilton Fringe), and Ausable Theatre’s archy and mehitabel and Stars and Hearts’ Fall Fair (twice, with a third pending), as well as the Jayson McDonald-written The Last Goddamned Performance Piece and Trashcan Duet (Winnipeg Fringe). Several are off to Regina, Victoria and Vancouver festivals as well, so keep an eye on those sites if you want to see how the home team’s doing.

Finally, I’ve got no fewer than twelve posts from Ottawa-based actor, writer, producer, director, you-name-it Nancy Kenny that I’ve been keeping to crib from as inspiration for items to write about here, but I’ve realized that she’s had more intelligent and insightful things to say on the topics than I could ever come up with myself. So here’s a sampling:

• 90% Perspiration, about the value of persistence in auditioning;
• So You Want To Produce A Fringe Show? Money Saving Tips;
• a 7-step Guide to Marathon Fringing (which I can vouch for, having successfully run the board at last year’s Fringe);
• the stress of finding The Fringe Crush;
• festival Withdrawal symptoms and effects; and
• fine tuning a show for a second run.

The comments on Nancy’s site are quite interesting too: of particular interest to London theatricians will be the responses to her call for help on pushing ticket sales. (From the concert coordinator for an amateur community choir in Winnipeg: “Yes, I use Facebook and Twitter and email. But above all I talk to people”. From the writer-in-residence of a Vancouver-based company: “when we market our shows we’re not marketing our shows, we’re marketing our industry…. Eventually, they’ll come.” From a theatre publicist: “I’m really getting into using YouTube. People like stuff that is easy and visual.” There’s more; see for yourself.)