A few weekends ago, my next door neighbours had a garage sale. I went over and picked out a stack of children's books for the kids at my work, as well as a few resources for youth.

Later that week, I noticed two praise music CDs on the coffee table that didn't look familiar. My brother shares an apartment with me, but does not share my enthusiasm for going to church. Since the CDs did not belong to me, I deduced that they must be Steven's. Maybe my good example was finally rubbing off!

I couldn't figure out where I had seen these particular CDs before. Then I remembered: the garage sale! He must have gone next door and bought them.

A few days later, I was driving him to work, and decided it would be a good time to ask about the CDs. However, Steven said that they did not belong to him. Furthermore, he told me that he didn't even go to the neighbour's garage sale.

I was totally confused. If I hadn't bought these CDs, and Steven hadn't bought them, how did they get in our living room? Suddenly, I realized: when I set my stack of children's books down to pay, I must have accidentally picked up the CDs on the bottom of my pile.

I stole praise and worship music from my neighbour's garage sale!!!

By the time I realized it, a week had gone by. How do you bring that up?!? I did buy two dozen children's books and supply them my card table for the sale ... and she did offer my free choice of whatever was left over ...

It is probably okay, but I still feel like I should confess!!!

In my opinion, the best play of the Fringe Festival was Homeless, written and performed by Jeremy Baumung and directed by Ken Brown. Homeless is the story of Jeremy's work at an Edmonton homeless shelter after growing up in Saskatoon. He convincingly plays more than ten different roles. The language and subject matter is coarse and extreme, but quite realistic, according to some of the clients that I brought from work. This is definitely not a "feel good" show, but it has an important message that I think everyone should hear.

HOMELESS
Joanne Paulson, The StarPhoenix
Rating: 5

At the end of Jeremy Baumung's first performance of Homeless Friday afternoon, at least two young women were doubled over in their chairs, weeping. Inconsolable. Unable to leave without receiving comfort.

I cried, too.

I wonder if Baumung, now of Edmonton but originally from Saskatoon, knows how topical his play is here, where homelessness has become more of an issue than ever before.

In any case, a play that can twist your heart like this one is a rarity, especially when the actor can show you, as much as tell you, what the issues are.

Young Jeremy, growing up in Saskatoon, is a bit of a nerdy innocent. He's afraid of homeless people, drug addicts and hookers. When he grows up, however, he works in a homeless shelter, where we meet a heart-breaking group of people terribly, sadly down on their luck.

They're all addicts, of one kind or another. They've been abused and ignored and were elsewhere when luck was handed out. Maureen's story is devastating. Mike is sweet and sad. Terry's harder to like, but you still relate to his story. Martin's a pain in the neck.

Baumung plays them all (and wrote them all), crisply distinguishing one character from the other; and he also plays himself. It's a devastating view of life in the shelter, with a peek at how it's even worse on the street.

The show is also about Baumung's faith, and how he had to leave the church to learn who God was.

The opening is shockingly violent, if that's possible with one man on the stage, and features the most filthy language you can imagine. It's appropriate to the play, but possibly not to the 12 and under set. Also, the ending is maudlin and manipulative, and needs to be workshopped. Otherwise, Homeless is a searing piece of theatre that will get you in the gut, and quite possibly the tear ducts.

© The StarPhoenix (Saskatoon) 2007

I got a huge "adults only" laugh out of The Bridesmaid by Keira McDonald. I usually poll performers who approach me with their flyers about whether their show is acceptable for teens. Keira McDonald descibed her character, Hope, as "a trashy b*tch" and then whispered the details of some of the language and suggestive scenes to me. I agreed with her that the Bethany girls should probably stay home from that one, but that didn't stop Natasha and I from attending!!!

Keira's monologues about weddings from hell are extremely funny, and so are the "wedding video" clips that play while she is changing from one hideous dress to another:



Top quote from this play?

"Bride's maid" is right, because she's been working me like a Mexican without a green card!!!

I told Natasha that Hope reminded me of one of my friends. When I wrote to that friend to recommend the play, she replied, "You dirty whore! You should have called me!". No wonder I saw some similarities!!!

If you're looking for comedy for all ages, you can find it at The Medicine Show. This a showcase of everything from magic tricks and corny jokes to The Dance of the Seven Veils, meant to sell a "miracle E-lixer" which bears a striking resemblance to bottled water. I sent the girls to this one, and they enjoyed it. Stay out of the front row if you don't want to get commented on or licked!

Now that I am working days, I have been able to enjoy the Fringe more often. My friends, Natasha and Gordie, are billetting a Fringe performer again this year. Natasha and I usually take in her houseguest's play as well as a few others.

For those of you who don't remember, this was last year's "foster performer" ...


... and this is this year's!


I find the second one especially ironic, if you know Natasha!!! She is definitely braver than me ... but despite the impression these photos give, she has had a good experience both summers.

Jesus in Montana: Adventures in a Doomsday Cult is a one man show written and performed by Barry Smith. He talks about how he hitchhiked to Montana to live with a man who claimed to be Jesus Christ.

I was both excited and afraid to meet this guy, but now that I have, he's just an average person ... who got sucked into a cult in the early 90s. Desert Storm ... Hypercolor ... Hammer pants ... who could blame the guy for getting confused???

While I could never fully shake the feeling that he was going to start passing out glasses of Kool-Aid, it is a good performance, and well worth the $10. My favorite line?

Moses was a murderer, but that didn't stop him from parting the Red Sea.

My second pastor is back from sabbatical!!!
I sent him this cartoon to welcome him back.