Years later I’ve managed to get over the trauma enough to attend Natasha’s first Ottawa Fringe pick – “Question Period: The Musical“. One of Natasha’s co-workers was in the chorus, so you can call my review biased, but we had a great time! It was fun and funny, and there were lots of opportunities to dance in our seats along with the musical House of Commons to their catchy bilingual-rap musical interpretations of the budget speech and senatorial addresses. The audience were very receptive to the witty writing and I laughed a bunch of times throughout the play. The timing and pace were spot on, and the performances felt natural and well thought-out.

The house was packed the night we were there – they sold out the show just after us, too.

I think that with all the hype for the show, you could make the case that it would have benefited from a bigger, more bombastic musical score and singing arrangements, but this was a fringe show and for a first-time writer/director to come out swinging for the fences like this – I think he hit a home run. I think the play has legs and as it picks up a cast of experienced performers it’ll do well in other fringes. Definitely check it out if it comes to your town on the fringe circuit!

The first one, a huge green caterpillar, which was nearly the length of my hand, probably 5 inches long, was crawling along on the sidewalk next to the Carlingwood mall. There was no fuzz on him, just a weird light green crisscross stripe that looked like a woodworker’s inlay. Beautiful pattern! I saw him while I was walking over to the mall without my camera, and desperately wanted to get a picture, but wasn’t sure what to do – carry him with me into the Bell store? “Hello. Fix my internet, damn you, or I’ll sick my giant man-eating caterpillar on you.” It was quickly resolved for me though – a bird flew down and snatched him away. A big bird.

The second one was large for a caterpillar but not as huge as the first one – I spotted him just outside the door of my building after biking home. “Aha!” I yelled, “I have my camera with me this time!” So I ripped my camera out of my bag, knelt down at the side of the road, and as I did this, a crazy lady who was waiting for someone by the door in her van peeled out and drove over it. Twice. Inches away from me. Cater-Murdered. He burst into a big pile of green goo, leaving me traumatized for life. All I got was a picture of the car tire. Who does that? Who drives over a creature that someone is clearly trying to take a picture of? Caterpillar pyscho-lady, that’s who.

Anyone want to try to identify these as best you can given my probably somewhat inaccurate proportions?