Firehall Fest a Smashing Sunfilled Success - Old Ottawa South

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Page 28 The OSCAR - OUR 36 th YEAR Torchlight Shakespeare: Romeo and Juliet Tues July 15 Windsor Park (Old Ottawa South) Wed. July 16 Windsor Park (Old Ottawa South) All shows 7 PM start time and Pass the hat ($10 suggested donation) unless otherwise noted. Romeo & Juliet is a love story that is in our bones -- we all know it and feel a personal connection to it. Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet is more than four hundred years old and yet it continues to permeate pop culture. Romeo and Juliet is a very sad story about a very lively and funny cast of characters to whom fate has dealt a very bad hand. This summer a Company of Fools presents The Most Excellent and Lamentable Tragedy of Romeo & Juliet and it marks the first time a full-on tragedy is part of the summer Torchlight Shakespeare Series. This isn’t to say our Torchlight production will not be funny. There is plenty of humour in Shakespeare’s text and much of the play is structured as a comedy. We aim to make the show accessible to all ages. We realized that some of our favourite stories as children were ones with very sad endings: Charlotte’s Web, Old Yeller, Beautiful Joe... all beautiful stories adored by children. So we aren’t worried about losing the younger ones with a sad ending: the challenge is, as always, to make the story and the characters compelling enough that no matter what your age and attention span, you love to watch the characters and will follow their story, wherever it may end up. A Company of Fools A Company of Fools has been delighting audiences all across Canada since 1990. Inspired by the rogue Elizabethan players that once entertained audiences outdoors and at the Globe theatre, we have built a reputation as a highly physical troupe doing interactive shows indoors and out. The Fools mount two shows a year, plus perform at numerous festivals, in schools, and at corporate events. Our award winning shows have performed all across Canada, from Halifax to Vancouver to Yellowknife. We are a not-for-profit incorporation and a registered charity. A Company of Fools is Ottawa’s only professional Shakespeare company. The mandate of the Fools is to produce innovative, entertaining and accessible shows based on the works of William To book an OSCAR ad call Gayle 730-1058 oscarads@oldottawasouth.ca JUL/AUG 2008 Shakespeare. We produce original works inspired by Shakespeare as well as performing his plays. Being Fools, we combine physical theatre techniques such as clown, mask and puppetry with the classical text. This unusual mix has earned us critical acclaim all across Canada. As part of our mandate we create new works based on and inspired by Shakespeare. Although known for our performances, the Fools are active in the field of education. We provide workshops and performances for elementary and high school students. We also program professional development workshops for emerging and established artists in the region. www.fools.ca Second-hand Smoke Law A new law that protects children under 16 years old from secondhand tobacco smoke in motor vehicles was passed in the Ontario legislature on June 16. Second-hand smoke in motor vehicles can be up to 27 times (http://www.oma.org/Health/tobacco/IncarSHSconcentrationsBackgrounder.pdf) more concentrated than in a smoker’s home. Children exposed to second-hand smoke (http://www.oma.org/ phealth/smoke2004.pdf) are more likely to suffer Sudden Infant Death Syndrome, acute respiratory infections, ear problems, and more severe asthma. Exposure to second-hand smoke among children has also been linked to lower cognitive test scores compared with children who were not exposed. Ontario has one of the toughest anti-smoking laws in North America. Since 2003, tobacco consumption in Ontario has fallen by more than 30 per cent. Under the law, any person - driver or passenger - in the motor vehicle, who is smoking while someone else under the age of 16 is present, is committing an offence. The person holding lighted tobacco would be subject to a fine. Every person who fails to comply with the new law is guilty of an offence and subject to a set fine of $250. The law applies to both moving and stationary vehicles and applies to all motor vehicles, regardless of whether any window, sunroof, rooftop, door, or other feature of the vehicle is open. Learn about the health effects of second-hand smoke (http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/health/smoke_free/fact_ sheets/041505-tobacco _2hand.pdf) and smoking in motor vehicles legislation (http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/health/smoke_free/smoking_in_ cars/default.as p). Find out where to get help to quit smoking (http://www.mhp.gov.on.ca/english/health/smoke_free/default.asp).
JUL/AUG 2008 The OSCAR - OUR 36 th YEAR My Cabin In The Woods Part four of seven By Jo Crivellaro There is a great advantage to owning your land at least a year before you build; there is much to be learned if you do and possibly some nasty surprises if you don’t. My property is actually two rectangular parcels of land, both the complete opposite of each other. The first part is lowland with a large cleared area and then 50’ of dense bush that backs onto a small creek and marshland. Originally I thought the cleared half would be a good place for a garden, that is, until I tried to dig a shovel into the soil. The field had been cleared two years prior with a bush hog, to rid it of the alder brush. What was left that couldn’t be seen, was an alder root system that covered the entire field. Alder isn’t something that just goes away. At one point I built a small decorative fence with some of the alder I had cut to clear a path to the creek. I poked the sticks down into the soil and wove the sticks around each other for a rustic effect. A couple of weeks later the branches started to bud, and within six weeks the fence was in full leaf, which would have been O.K. except I was trying to rid that section of alder, not plant a new crop. Enter pigs. Pigs will loosen and turn over the top foot of soil, fertilizing it as they go along, considering large roots as entertainment. Unfortunately pigs require very strong fencing. My pigs have walked through acres of 5’ grass in search of the neighbours’ nicely mowed lawn. Go figure! Usually pigs can be enticed back home with food, but on one summer’s day, after just eating their fill, I noticed the pigs heading down my long driveway towards the road. Not being hungry they had no interest in me whatsoever, no matter how much I shook the food bucket and with great enthusiasm bellowed that I had a wonderful treat for them. As they hit the road and started up the hill I realized it could be hours before they would be hungry again and who knows what unapproved landscaping they might achieve in the meantime. I looked to the heavens and prayed “This is out of my hands Lord, it’s up to you, please bring them back”. Miraculously, all four pigs turned on the spot and trotted straight back into their pen. Just one of the many examples I have witnessed of answered prayers. I needed some permanent fencing. A friend who was clearing a large lot of hemlock donated the logs and I built a huge fenced area for the pigs using all 500 logs. This was the beginning of my garden area. The bartering system of trading pork for labour has over the years enabled me to have trees cleared and also get a roof put on my cabin. Two pigs provided four men with ½ pig each, cut, wrapped and frozen, in return for one day of labour each. A good deal for all; well actually I didn’t get the pigs opinion on that one. I’m content to know that my pigs lived a very happy life right up to the moment when their roles changed from rototillers to pork chops. Two tall poles support the crossbar and hook where the pigs were hung to be cleaned, and my friend Joanne suggested I soften the look by hanging a basket of flowers from the hook when it wasn’t in use. Instead I painted a sign, ‘till death do us part’ which captures my heartfelt, albeit short-term, commitment to my pigs. “ Pass the gravy, please”. The second piece of land is a small, south-facing mountain, which also revealed some surprises once some trees were cleared. Originally covered in a thick forest of mostly balsam and poplar, it was difficult to see the individual stone ridges and water run off areas. Clearing the lower part of this slope showed me another great place to situate a garden. At least 10’ higher in elevation than the lowland, and almost always in the sun, with good drainage, this location would be far better for certain plants. I finally decided where my house should go by standing where I wanted to be if I was facing the kitchen sink. I wanted to be able to see who was coming in the driveway and also be able to enjoy the beautiful view of the forest and marshland while standing in the spot I would probably end up being most of the time. I wanted to be able to greet people from there as they came in the door and never have my back to company while preparing a meal. (How feng shui of me!) So that’s what finally decided the location of my house, the position of the kitchen sink. Then I studied the sun’s pattern on that location thus determining the shape of the house. Once that was decided, I worked with the space around me, considering travel patterns from sink to cook stove etc., in order to come up with a functional floor plan. The cedar logs I had were just enough for a 14‘ x 18’ story and a half, timber frame which would consist of a kitchen downstairs and sleeping quarters upstairs. After living for seven months in our 9 x 9 ½ garden shed this was ample space we couldn’t wait to get into! Considering I was a broke single mom flying on a dream and a prayer it was vital for me to be flexible in my decisions and work with the materials I had in order make progress. After cutting the mortise and tenons myself the frame was ready to be set up on a 6” re-enforced concrete slab. With my friend Keith’s years of experience, it was really just like building with really big ‘Lego’ pieces. With the aid of a few clamps and my grandfather’s sledgehammer, the frame was together in only 22 hours. The following seasons were ones without a vehicle and very limited income so progress was very, very slow and pretty much limited to landscaping. I found it important to concentrate on what I could do as opposed to the many things I couldn’t. Keeping a photo album allowed me to see just how much progress had already been made and at times has played a key role in keeping me positive and on track. I had decided early on that my house would not be connected to the hydro grid. This was based on my objection to the ugliness of steel towers hung with endless miles of wire, and more importantly the dependency we have all been coerced into by the convenience that hydro brings. I know the unpredictability of wind, ice and the economic system and do not want someone else to be responsible for whether my house is warm and whether I can cook a meal or not. Although I had always planned to get solar or wind power when I could afford it, I am amazed at my lack of want for electricity. I now have a vehicle and take my laundry with me when I go town and charge my deep cell marine battery in my truck while I drive there. This allows me to operate my sons’ portable D.V.D. player for movie nights or inflate a tire if necessary. Our radio is a small inexpensive unit, which can be solar powered or charged up by hand Page 29 winding. Last summer I built a root cellar, which is partially buried under ground and accessed directly from the kitchen on the north wall. Although not completely finished (nothing is!) it did not freeze this past winter and should not go above 12 degrees even after a week of really hot weather. It’s like a big walk in fridge, can store enough food for a year and gives me a real sense of independence and security. With the proper ventilation pipes in place I hope to build a cupboard on one wall, which will freeze when the temperature outside drops below zero and will provide a freezer with ample space every winter. My son and I have now lived in our cabin for eight years without electricity and in this case my slow progress has enabled me to make much better final decisions. Had I had lots of money and built immediately, I might not have chosen the best spot for my house or a layout that is as functional as the one I have. Although there have been many compromises and frustrations along the way it is a journey of learning I wouldn’t trade for anything. Jo Crivellaro is a professional knitwear designer, mosaic tile artist and hand made card maker. Her company ‘Jo of the woods’ can be contacted at www.joofthewoods,ca and her cards are available at Paper- Papier and Wool-tyme.
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Firehall Fest a Smashing Sunfilled Success - Old Ottawa South

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