Wellington Oracle

-This article by Michel Frojmovic originally appeared in Spacing Ottawa on November 20, 2009

The “public-ness” of public space is a loose concept. Public sidewalks are – in principle – meant to be accessible to and enjoyed by members of the public. That’s pretty simple. However, we are less likely to appreciate that the public right-of-way extends well beyond the edge of paved roads and sidewalks. A good portion of your front lawn is probably not exactly “yours”.

Municipalities put in place carefully-worded by-laws and regulations to minimize or prevent the obstruction or privatization of sidewalks. Yet, in a higher-density, inner-city commercial mainstreet environment, these rules seem to create as much tension as they resolve.

Public space is regularly used for commercial gain. For-profit places of business regularly “use” public property, both restricting its use to paying customers, as well as profiting from the use of property it does not own. At the same time, the result is often a lively animation of the street and a general enhancement of the overall street experience.

A tour of Wellington Street West illustrates the variation in the use of public space.

Placing a couple of tables and a few chairs on the sidewalk is a relatively innocuous use of public space. The absence of a railing or permanent patio and the obvious transitory nature of this use make it quite benign. In this sense, it is a simple and harmless way of enhancing the street and adding to the level of public interaction. However, without the appropriate permissions and fees, it is also an illegal encroachment of pedestrian access to sidewalk space, and an unfair commercial gain at the expense of public property. It is worth regulating this type of use? (more…)

-By Heather Marie Scheerschmidt

“To make the best possible show, the work has to be rigorous, it has to have attention to detail, and it has to have a desire for excellence.” We’re sitting in Emily Pearlman’s living room and Nicolas Di Gaetano is talking about the idea of do-it-yourself (DIY) theatre. “Even if it is fucking DIY punk kids putting on a show where they do all the lights themselves, it still has to be excellent…you have to put your best foot forward even if your best foot only cost $300.”

MiCasa, the theatre company Nick and Emily formed in January, is part of a renewed cultural interest in DIY art forms. DIY is about controlling the means of production, producing independently and, well, learning to do things yourself. The roots of DIY are punk, which is why there is often something edgy or avante garde about DIY art. And punk has an important influence on the kind of work Emily and Nick do together as MiCasa.  “I play a lot of instruments, and I love being in bands…I want to run a theatre company like a band” Nick laughs, “not only is it hip and cool but it’s the only way I know how to do things!” (more…)

-Oracle theatre review by Sterling Lynch

Chamber Theatre Hintonburg’s production of The Mechanicsville Monologues, written and directed by Donnie Laflamme, is a collection of monologues that tell the — sometimes interlocking — stories of people and places firmly rooted in Mechanicsville.

There is much to be admired in this production but it is hampered by an uncertainty of intention. The production wavers like a drunk between a desire to mirror the history of this neighborhood and a desire to glorify its many myths.

On the one hand, there are monologues which seem genuinely illuminating about the history of Mechanicsville.

For example, “Taxi Driver”, expertly performed by Robert Reynolds, is almost pitch perfect. As soon as this guy wandering through the Carleton asks, “Someone order a cab?” I know I’ve met him before — probably picking up my grandmother — and, thanks to the story he tells, I feel I learn something about him and this community.

On the other hand, there are a number of monologues which fail to ring true.

For example, Will Somers plays the part of a lovable doofus who tells us the story of how he was busted for soliciting sex from an undercover police officer. The performance is comically entertaining, but the piece feels like a sketch and his character is a caricature. If I’ve ever met this guy before, it’s only on television. (more…)

The planning partnership that held the community workshop in October to come up with ideas for a more pedestrian-friendly, better-designed Parkdale Avenue has produced a short questionnaire that local residents can fill out in order to add their opinions into the results of the process.

The survey really does only takes a few short minutes, even though instead of strictly just “checking boxes”, respondents are encouraged to give subjective responses such as “what are your three favourite places along Parkdale, and what do you like about them”.

The results of the survey will be presented on 2 December 2009 at the Parkdale United Church (429 Parkdale Avenue). The evening will begin at 5:30pm with a meet-and-greet session, followed by a formal presentation of the plan at 6:30pm.

-Oracle theatre review by Wayne Current

On Thursday November 5, I was pleased to attend the world premiere of Ottawa native Hannah Moscovitch’s new work The Children’s Republic at the Irving Greenberg Theatre Centre. The play tells the story of Janusz Korczak, a Polish-Jewish pediatrician and celebrated children’s author who runs a remarkable orphanage in Poland.

Korczak was a visionary who believed that an orphanage should be governed like a democratic adult community. Under his guidance, the orphans participated directly in the governance of their orphanage. This included the establishment of a “children’s court” to which everyone including the teachers and staff were accountable.

The first half of Moscovitch’s play introduces Korczak (Paul Rainville), his assistant Stefa (Kate Hurman), and the orphans. It becomes apparent that while the wards of the orphanage experience their share of conflicts, these are resolved with kindness and fairness. This is contrasted with the second act, which is much darker and takes place after the Nazis invade and occupy Poland.

(more…)