Fringe, Books and Updates
I really need to post. I've fallen way behind for no good reason.
An Anarchist at the Demo
This was one of the plays put on by the Adelaide Uni Fringe Club. It was actually two plays, both set in Sydney, and dealing with violence and politics. The first one was short, sharp and witty. A group of friends, talking about girls, business deals and politics, are expecting a friend to come over. Said friend is an anarchist, and when they arrive. Well... anarchy takes over. (The Joker would've LOVED this play.)
The second one was about a demonstrator saving an office worker during a riot. They have a romantic encounter. Several years later, the roles are reversed, to dramatic and comedic effect.
For an amateur production, this was really quite fantastic. The actors in these little plays ran through a complete range and believable emotions. The shocking bits were shocking. The jokes were funny. The drama was dramatic. All in all the plays were interesting to watch and it was a good night out. I'm proud of the AUFC.
Sound & Fury: Doc Faustus
Huzzah! The boys are back in town! Richard and the two from last year, Patrick and Ryan. This year, they're crossing genres, telling a classic story of selling your soul to the devil with the setting of a western. It's the perfect setting for a story like this, and it's also full of opportunity for humour. I'm so glad this is what they picked to do.
Of course, it's a fantastic show. They never have a huge budget for costumes and sets, but the ones they do use are good. I love in particular how Richard transforms back and forth between devil and human. The jokes run the full range from groaning at how awful they are to laughing so hard you cry. The worst thing about this show for me, is that I want to see more of it!
I want to see them again during this Fringe, but I don't know if I'll get the chance to.
More Books I've Read For My 50 Book Challenge
The Art of DreamWorks How to Train Your Dragon text by Tracey Miller-Zarneke.
I love How to Train Your Dragon, and I like books that are put out showing off all the hard work that went into the design and artwork that goes into making a film. That's what this book is. It has early character designs, background paintings, etc. If you're interested in animation and the work that going behind making films like this, then this is a book to check out.
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Everything's Eventual by Stephen King.
This is a collection of short stories. I picked it out because it contains the story 1408 (which got turned into a horror movie) and I wanted to read it. There's a wide range of freaky stories in this book. 1408 is King's shot at a creepy hotel room story. The Man in the Black Suit is a story of a young boy who goes fishing and meets the Devil. Riding the Bullet is a twist on the ghost hitch hiker story. The Road Virus Heads North is about a creepy painting. Autopsy Room Four is about a man who is about to go through an autopsy, though he's still alive. There are also several stories that deal with extreme loneliness. A man contemplates suicide in a motel room, men going through divorces, wives leaving seemingly out of the blue. Not all of the stories kept my interest however. There's one about an old-timey mob hit that didn't interest me much, mainly because I'm simply not as interested in that era of history.
In the introductions to each story, King says that every writer should at some point or another, tackle the subjects he wrote about in this collection. I think I agree with him. Haunted hotel rooms and ghosts on the high way are horror classics that still have room for personal interpretation. This is a good book to read if you want short pieces to mostly leave a pleasant, but unsettling feeling.
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The Complete Aquarium Guide: Fish, Plants and Accessories for Your Aquarium
I read this book because of the fish tank I've set up. I wanted to check and see if it had any tips on how I could improve it. One thing is for sure, this book is full of aquarium tips. All kind of fish, and everything from feeding to breeding to plants. One thing I found though was it was good on extremely general stuff, it didn't have very many tips that were useful to me. However, someone else might find it to be extremely helpful for their own aquarium needs.
Also, this is a thing that's happening again:
For the fandoms I'm in that are old hats to this, I'm trying to vote for different people than I did last year. There are a few new fandoms this year though, and it'll be interesting to see who gets through.
Other things...
I went to the zoo last week for Lisa's birthday. I took photos, as always, but my camera started to act up. Now all the photos it takes, no matter what I do to try to fix it, are over-exposed and useless. Luckily, Gwen let me borrow her camera to finish taking photos at the zoo. I'm going to ask for a new camera for my birthday. I posted the good photos on my Facebook page. Here is the link.
Because my camera is broken, I don't have any photos of the stitching projects I'm currently working on. I have a few on the go and a few others planned - mostly little gifts commissioned by members of my Thursday night RPG group.
Job hunting is still frustrating. I had an interview for an awesome Easter casual job at a chocolate store, but I didn't get it.
Other than those few bad things, things haven't been too bad for me. It's good that I have some good times, because now it's my turn to help some of my other friends who are going through drama.
This weekend, I'm singing in AUCS or the Fringe. Nick and I are also seeing Ross Noble. Exciting!
Random Quote:
Sound & Fury warned the audience that there's a racist scene in their play...
The Devil: (Richard) (reveals his horns)
Doc Faustus: (Patrick) Argh! A Jew!
The Devil: What? No, I'm not a Jew!
Doc Faustus: But the horns...
The Devil: Jewish people don't have horns.
Doc Faustus: They don't?
Ryan (coming on from backstage, to Patrick) This isn't the racist scene.
Doc Faustus: Oh! I meant "Yay! A Jew!"
This quote made it to some S&F merch we got - a fridge magnet!