Last night’s sold out theatrical performance in the Memorial Hall was a definate good time.  The first of two one-act plays Pillow Talk by Peter Tolan centered around two young men, Aaron and Doug, being forced to share a bed together in Aaron’s Grandmother’s mobile home.  Themes of homophobia and male insecurity offered tremedous laughs and a few touching macho moments.  The second of the evenings offerings, The Terrible False Deception by Rafe MacPherson  was an interestingly unique take on the play within a play.  This piece followed a group of stereotypical performers as they navigated through four different variations of the same dramatic scene.  The audience simply delighted in the unexpected moments that sprung out of the seemingly predictable repetition.  A highlight for the evening was a brilliantly executed front of house speech delivered in a mock British accent with plenty of dry sarcasm.  Overall the two productions were a wonderfull showcase for the young and gifted talent immerging out of the University of the Fraser Valley’s Theatre Department.

The Harrison Festival just wrapped up on Sunday and was a great event; the Art Market on the beach is one of the best I’ve ever seen and the beach concerts offered great variety.  I attended the theatre night and saw two short plays from the UFV Director’s Festival which displayed some fantastic acting and was very entertaining.  I’m already looking forward to next year’s Festival.

Thursday April 16 - Shameless Hussy Productions (great name!) presented the play “Summer of My Amazing Luck” as part of the Harrison Festival Society’s 21st Season of Performing Arts.  This humourous production was written by Chris Craddock, who adapted it from the novel by the award winning Manitoba author Miriam Toews. 

Renee Iaci played the central part of Lucy as a mix of strengths and failings that was all too real.  Daun Campbell played the charismatic part of the free spirit Lish and various other characters both male and female.  Jeff Gladstone played Hartley and numberous other characters, also both male and female to great comic effect.

The play follows the lives of two young single moms in the “Have A Life” social housing complex in Winnipeg.  The residents call it “Half a Life” and negotiate indifferent governmental bureaucracy and a judgmental society.  The play had serious moments, but humour was the order of the day.  Particularly funny were the scenes devoted to interaction with authority figures like Welfare Caseworkers, Border Guards and callous parents.