BEST Spring Alibi EVER

I think it's safe to say we went on a fringe binge last week. So to follow in suit with Phillip, it is time we bid adieu to the Capital Fringe Festival and mark this as our final Fringe post until it returns in 2007.

As you know, we saw May 39th on Thursday night. But on Wednesday night, Kimmmm, Vijaya, and I took in our very first Fringe performance, entitled "Spring Alibi." We decided on Spring Alibi because (1) the title was intriguing, (2) it had great reviews from the Edmonton Fringe Festival, and (3) it took place in Canada (where Kimmmm think she's from).

Actually, we decided on it because it began at 8:00.

From the brief description we read on the poster, we knew it was a romantic comedy that took place in Canada. And the title itself allowed us to to dream up all sorts of potential plots.

As we took our seats at the Canadian Embassy and began leafing through the Playbills, we should have taken the Warning on the front page more seriously: Sexual content, Mature language. Our minds wandered feverishly in an attempt to decipher the plot before the show began. But no amount of mind wandering could ever prepare us for the alibi that was revealed once the curtains went up.

The play centers around two recent divorcees trying to start anew in Canada. They cross paths and begin to fall for one another. However, the premise of the play is not that they fall for one another, it's how and where they fall for one another. Rather than give away the entire alibi, let's just say the it involved "becoming the master of one's domain." Truth be told, we severely underestimated the Fringe capacity for sexual content and mature language.

The play had the crowd laughing at all the right times and it truly was a great Fringe first (on so many levels). Yes, perhaps we were a little surprised when we learned what the "alibi" entailed, but the comedic timing of the two performers was spectacular. That and the fact that we found such enjoyment in the intentional Canadian stereotypes. When the main male and female characters have an official first date, the male "dresses up" by changing out of the sweats he's worn for the entire performance into more formal attire: a hockey jersey and jeans.

The Playbill was also a useful tool because the writer included a few translations to help the English audience avoid any trouble with the Canadian language barrier. Here are a few of my favorites:

• Eh: Used as a pause in conversation; an invitation to express your agreement.
• Half-Sack: A six-pack of beer
• Ontario: Like New York State with colored money. (Or according to Kimmmm, "home sweet home")
• Pull the goalie: Strategy in a close hockey game. Or, um, something else. (Note the latter of the two definitions was used in this particular play).
• Saskatchewan: Like Kansas, but flat.
  

It's been fun getting to know you, Fringe. See ya next year!