The Festival production of Molière’s The Hypochondriac was a delightful way to escape Toronto’s heatwave to Stratford’s slightly cooler environs this past Friday (Aug 19). Under the direction of Antonio Cimolino the production delivers one of the most satisfying comic shows I’ve been here is some time. The new text by Richard Bean is fast, full of broad & subtle punch lines, none of which I’ll give away here. All delivered with great energy & commitment by a superb cast lead by Stephen Ouimette & Brigit Wilson.
The framing conceit of us seeing a production of The Hypochondriac as given by the Comédie Française with Molière in the title role was brilliant – we saw the Française actors rehearsing dances, prepping the stage before the actual show. The King arrives & is seated in the audience. 
The play opens with the start of an escalating series of body function & illness jokes – the various cures include ducks eggs & enemas. Romantic subplots arise, but the bulk of the merciless satire is aimed at physicians, at how patients cling to illness to define who they are – ‘you were happiest two years ago when you were told you had six months to live.’ 
Stephen Ouimette is marvellous. His timing is a master class in comic stage business, the drinking of his ‘special tonic’ brought groans from the audience. The use of wigs was also excellent – creating & defining some of the characters at a glance.
I enjoyed the inventive use masked figures to remind the audience of cell phone distractions (too subtle for some, as there was at least one cell phone ring during the production – clearly people need to be told directly ‘turn off cells.’) 
Molière is a domestic playwright – he deals with his era directly, though it is evident the human vulnerability he writes about has not changed over the centuries. The plot moves fast, the cast is clearly enjoying themselves. The act two enema scene is hysterical and it is followed by a show stopping, over-the-top burlesque that left the audience breathless with laughter. The final curtain was unexpectedly heart-breaking & gave the production a stunningly emotional conclusion. Highly recommended. Urine good hands with this show.
View From Over The Hill
he complains
he’s 33 and feels his body rot
doesn’t want another year
as empty as the last one
has qualifiers quantifiers
for each seductive defeatist stance
the same disappointments trotted out
all the broken dates bad breaks
liars cheaters game players
who have sucked the life out of him
so that at 33
all he can feel is his body
slide into old age
cut off from the TV commercial fun
of muscular young men
surfboards bounce on firm shoulders
as they dance along the beach
to their eternally well lit
sweet smelling joy and freedom
a freedom
which at 33
he no longer has
all he has
is another year
as empty and futile as the last
no drive for change
because change is just new underwear
on the same old rotting private parts
I look back to my past year
and look forward to the next
the trials tribulations
joys opportunities
the body holds up
as well as I might expect
I can’t halt the progress of time
as it draws
another small wrinkle
on my sagging butt
but
that butt is still a thing
to behold
to be held
I don’t feel
the tyranny of the body
as much as I once did
I don’t let the bone prison
keep my spirit from reaching
to enjoy what there is
I don’t define my future by decay
but by opportunity
I don’t define my opportunity
by the disappointments of the past
or fears of future disappointments
I don’t complain that rain is wet
this is what we have
a rare gift of sentient life
to feel emotional
physical pain and pleasure
doubts worries joys miracles
all part of the one life
at 33 I’d say to someone like me
‘man, you don’t understand’
or ‘you are delusional’
so what if I am,
it’s better than wallowing in depression
moaning about what I didn’t get out of life
some years overflow with fulfilled promise
some are planting the seeds
best part for me
is that I don’t know
which plants will produce
the ripest opportunities
I let the sun shine where it will
rather than casting the shadow
of unfulfilled expectations
over the future
so get over yourself
get over the fact
that the men we want aren’t
always the men that want us
‘got it wrong again old man’
well so be it
better to be over the hill
than be struck where you are now
on going 🙂 when new podcast are posted: Deliciously iTunes
October 6 – Thursday Toronto, 8 pm, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St.
http://www.queerslam.com/season-3-dates.html
November 1 – 30 Participating NaNoWriMo
December – Thursday Dec 1st – Toronto, 8 pm, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St.
http://www.queerslam.com/season-3-dates.html
Early 2017:
my first local feature in over a year: location date TBA
April season 3 FINALS – Friday April 15th Buddies in Bad Times – early show – 7pm start
http://www.queerslam.com/season-3-dates.html
June 2-4: attending: Capturing Fire 2017 –
check out these poets from Capturing Fire 2015: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx5KD1eDccdjdTdQ28kZRNg
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