Thank You

Thank you to everyone who followed us through this journey and helped make Addition: An Unconventional Love Story the success it is. As for the play itself, I intend to do some revisions and I want for it to have a life of its own beyond this one run.

In the meantime, if anyone is looking for some more queer theatre in Edmonton, I will be directing a production of Beautiful Thing by Jonathan Harvey at the Walterdale Playhouse in February 2010. Auditions will be this October, so watch out for the notices to be posted.

Take care!

Justen Bennett
Director/Playwright

Logan's Run

Man, I can't believe it took me all summer to use that pun as a blog post title. Anyways...

As y'all are no doubt aware from the lack of posting on everyone's part, the show happened. Once we got into the minutiae and the day-to-day Fringe stuff of running, handbilling, touting, postering, anxiously poring over reviews, seeing other shows, working and copious amounts of drinking, there simply wasn't much time to be updating a blog that, well, a rather small percentage of our audience would be reading. So we all just kinda threw ourselves into the show instead.

And now it's all over.

For all intents and purposes, we've put the show to bed. The set's been disassembled, the costumes are scattered across several closets, the venue has turned back into a loading dock, the lines are being forgotten as we speak. We've done the post-show-wrap-up, the cast party, the card exchange, the goodbye hugs. We'll be meeting up at some point to sort out cheques, but that's just business stuff. We've put the show to bed.

I can't speak for all of us, but for me, just basing off my own experience? Best Fringe show ever. Not to denigrate stuff I've done before, but there was an energy about Addition: An Unconventional Love Story that was just so present, so casual, and so easy. It wasn't work. I mean, yeah, it was work, but it didn't really feel like work. It was a simple, lovable little show that flowed out of us and onto the stage without the messiness and insanity I've come to associate with Fringetime. Maybe I was blind to a bunch of the craziness going on in the background, but I don't think so; I really feel like this show... clicked. It's a happy notch on my resume.

But we're done. 6.5 hours of show. 15.5 stars from the four papers that reviewed us. Two onstage nosebleeds, nineteen other Fringe shows seen, eight hundred handbills, not counting the black-and-white ones. Countless hours of rehearsal, three actors, two crew, more total time spent kissing/groping/caressing boys than I have girls in recent memory. Six shows, five quiches, hundreds and hundreds of satisfied audience members, one smile still on my face. You don't need to be a professional to know that these numbers make for some good Addition. (Oh jeez I am SORRY for that pun, but seriously; someone had to make it.)

We're all going our separate ways now; we've all got different arts things we're setting our sights on, some starting almost immediately. I can't shake the feeling, though, that we'll all always have the memory of an awesome summer putting together a show that, by most scales of measurement, turned out to be pretty kickass.

And when it gets remounted for the national tour, it's gonna have a couch, right?

David Johnston
Actor (Logan)

Reviews from Edmonton Journal and See Magazine

As I'd mentioned, all was quiet on the print media front since Friday. That certainly changed today when not one, but two new reviews for the show came in. I have to say, the Edmonton Journal review was an unexpected surprise.

Addition: An Unconventional Love Story
Kathleen Bell - See Magazine

[★★★1/2 out of 5]
Can three people exist together in a loving relationship? I mean, that sentence doesn’t even sound right — we are so used to “relationship” referring solely to couples, not threesomes. But writer/director Justen Bennett delves into the subject matter with wit and open-mindedness. Unlike your traditional romance, Addition goes sex first, love later when long-term couple Ben (Robert Medeiros) and Logan (David Johnston) pick up Daren (Richard Lee) at a bar and take him home for a ménage à trois. As a result of too much chitchat outside the bedroom, the three form a bond that goes far beyond the proposed one-night stand.
However, Addition has the same fault as most conventional love stories, in that it doesn’t take its story past the point of promises and sweet kisses. I was left questioning whether a threesome could really last forever, or even for any time at all.

And now, the Journal:

Addition: An Unconventional Love Story
Iain Ilich - Edmonton Journal

[★★★★1/2 out of 5]
Sharp, witty writing and engaging actors make Addition: An Unconventional Love Story> a solid Fringe choice for those looking for a smart, sexy romantic comedy with a refreshing twist.

Ben and Logan, a cute gay couple in a long-term relationship, are searching for something new to spice up their lives now that romantic evenings of Scrabble no longer satisfy quite like they used to. Out of the blue, Logan suggests a bit of fantasy fulfilment: ask a third guy to join them for a night of passion. While initially skeptical of the whole threesome thing, Ben is won over, and they sheepishly take their manhunt to a gay club. Within short order, along comes Daren, a buff young university student they convince to go along for the ride, even though they don’t seem entirely convinced that they should be doing this. All doubt is cast aside back at their place once Daren removes his clothing, and the trio gleefully sprints to the bedroom.

That’s when the twist comes in... and it all unfolds wonderfully from there.

There are a few slightly flubbed lines here and there, but the delivery is lightning-quick and the script is great.

Needless to say, I'm very delighted with the latter.

We only have 3 shows left! Get your tickets at the Fringe box office!

Justen Bennett
Director/Playwright

More Online Reviews

To give you all a little update, we've had two fantastic performances and we're gearing up for our third, tonight at 10:00p! If you haven't seen the show yet, come on out! We'd love to see you there!

Since I posted the review from Vue Weekly, we haven't had any new print media reviews. Hopefully something will be coming out soon and once it does we'll be letting you know!

In the meantime, I've been alerted to a few other reviews that have gone up. Here are a few from Twitter:

evanmudryk @CanadianDijon "Addition" was really funny and you and the entire cast were fantastic. Great writing too.

stormbrew #yegfringe rankings so far: 1. Lovehatekill & Addition tied, 2. Douche//Awesome, 3. Sex-Bot, 4. Bashir Lazhar

alexiskienlen Saw two really good plays last night- El Dorado and Addition an unconventional love story. #fb

There's also a local blogger who reviews shows and Addition: An Unconventional Love Story showed up on their blog with a ★★★★★ review:

Addition: An Unconventional Love Story - ★★★★★

Addition tells the story of a young gay couple who decide they want a threesome to spice up their love life. The scenario gets a little out of hand, though, as they dive down the rabbit hole of polyamory into what they hope is a stable 3 person relationship.

The really brave thing about this play, is how it diverges from most media about alternative relationship structures by being a relatively light hearted happy story. My experience with stories about this sort of thing is that they tend to be morality plays.

It’s also interesting that the play is centered around gay men, as I think the standard image of a multipartner relationship tends to involve one-man many-women. It’s in danger of falling into the trap of perpetuating notions of gay male promiscuity, but manages to avoid it through the earnest nature of the characters. They never seem to be slutty, they just seem to have fallen into a new form of monogamy by accident.

Generally, I’d be a little more down on this play for its possibly over-optimistic ending, but in this case I feel it’s justified as a balance against other shows, movies, and plays I’ve seen about this subject. It’s really nice to see a lighthearted approach to it.

Also worth noting is the comedic performances by all the actors involved. You can tell there’s a certain rawness to their performances, but again the earnestness of the actors makes the sometimes nerdy humor (two of the characters are LARPers, for example) come off really well.

If I have one complaint, it was that the venue is new and the acoustics weren’t quite worked out yet. The fridges off in the corner kept kicking in and interfering with the vocals of the performers. This seems to have been fixed in shows I’ve seen since then at this venue.

We've also had a few new reviews at the Fringe Theatre Adventures - 30 Second Reviews website and theEdmonton Journal Review Site, so hop on over to check those out! And if you've seen the show already, leave us a quick review! Every bit helps!

Now it's back to the Fringe to see some shows (finally!!) and do some handbilling for tonight's 10:00p performacne of Addition: An Unconventional Love Story. Get your tickets!

Justen Bennett
Director/Playwright

First Print Media Review and Patrons Reviews

I'm delighted to share with you all the first print media review of Addiiton: An Unconventional Love Story. It's from Vue Weekly.

Addition: An Unconventional Love Story
Alexis Kienlen

[★★★★ out of 5]
Local playwright Justen Bennett creates a believable, funny and sweet story in this tale of a loving gay couple who decide to bring a third to their bed. This play is a complete treat. The script is snappy and the plot moves along at a rapid pace. Characters are fully rounded and have discussions that let their nerd flags [fly] as they discuss Star Trek, board games and role play. The actors seemed a bit nervous on their first night, but by the end of the run should be able to deliver a top-flight show.

I have to say I'm incredibly pleased about our first print review. If you'd like to read reviews from other patrons who have seen the show (or leave your own once you watch it), check out the following:

• Fringe Theatre Adventures - 30 Second Reviews
  
• Edmonton Journal Review Site

Here are some snippets from the Fringe patron reviews:

"Addition takes on what could be a very awkward topic and treats [it] with such human warmth that you could actually see yourself in the same situation."

"As a straight guy, going in I did not know what to expect [...] but Addition was much better than I could have envisioned. The humor is sharp and clever, the emotions real and relate-able and the story touching and clever. [...] It was one of the most enjoyable plays I've been to in a long time."

"Addition exceeded my expectations (and they were high). Justen has written a hilarious, touching and identifiable play with very real characters."

"Addition is relatable to everyone, gay or straight, monogamous or otherwise."

"Believable and thought-provoking"

"I saw the play last night, and am still grinning."

There has been a great response and we will continue to do our best and to earn even more positive reviews from patrons and media alike.

Justen Bennett
Director/Playwright

Twitter Reviews I

Less than 12 hours later and already a few reviews are sneaking in on Twitter! Take a look at a couple more of the <140 character reviews of the show:

@mustbetuesday: saw Addition 2night &enjoyed it a lot! It was really funny&cute&nerdy. With hot shirtless men. I recommend it! #yegfringe

@VictoriaHSE: I suggest that every1 go see Addition: An Unconventional Love Story@ #edmfringe #yegfringe this weekend. Bloody Brilliant.

The next performance is tomorrow (Saturday, August 15) at 2:15p! Get your tickets!

Justen Bennett
Director/Playwright

Opening Night

Suffice to say we had an excellent opening night. There was a nice-sized crowd with tonnes of laughs throughout the show and some loud applause for the actors at the end. So, great job to Amanda, Richard, Robbie, David, Lib (sound tech), Chris (light tech), and the FoH and bar volunteers! Afterwards, I had a few people approach me directly to congratulate all of us on a fantastic show. So, yes, come out and see Addition: An Unconventional Love Story! It's already passed muster! Get you tickets through the Fringe box office!

We've already had our first review! On Twitter, user @stormbrew says: "Addition was really good. Geek humor + exploration of alternative lifestyles ftw."

There you go, folks!

And, to all of you who've seen the show tonight, first of all, thank you! Second, if you have the time and inclination, please feel free to put up a review on the Fringe review site and/or the Edmonton Journal review site. It would really help us in bringing in the audiences.

Woo! One down, five to go!

Justen Bennett
Director/Playwright