Vaudeville!

It’s 1919 in New York City, and Vaudeville is all the rage!

Impish impresario Keaton Abbott (Jason Hardwick) is polishing the planks of the Ferguson Theatre as his company of actors, magicians, jugglers, singers, showgirls, stage-hands and circus animals put the finishing touches on their latest variety spectacle.

DIE-NASTY plays every Monday at 7:30 at the Varscona Theatre
(10329 - 83 Avenue in Old Strathcona) from October 21, 2019, through May 25, 2020, except for December 23 and 30.

Tickets are $15 or $10 with a $40 membership
and are available at the door (cash only) or online at varsconatheatre.com.


Wednesday, November 27, 2019

Episode 6 - "Five Minutes to Love"

Episode 6  - "Five Minutes to Love"
Photos by Janna Hove
Synopsis by Jim Cej




Our Cast of Characters

Tom Edwards as Riff Van Winkel 
-ex-WWI pilot, wing walker-
Delia Barnett as Daisy Darling 
-showgirl, born in a trunk-
Mark Meer as Lou Tellegen 
-famous actor-

Jesse Gervais as Lou Costello 
-accountant ....
and guesser-
Chantal Perron as Betty Purtle 
-of Purtle’s Amazing Pets-
Owen Bishop as Henchbuck Wrinklebrow 
-Hollywood producer-
Vincent Forcier as Barnaby Toughbottom 
-strongman-

*            *            *

- November 25th, 1919-

*          *          *

Daisy Darling hears noises from the theatre basement.  
Investigating further, she discovers strongman Barnaby Toughbottom. 
He tries to figure out who trapped him in the basement 
under his 300 lb balls.

*          *          *

Lou and Lou meet with Hollywood producer
Henchbuck Wrinklebrow 
He has an idea for a new project. 
Lou is worried about being typecast as a train.

*          *          *

Betty Purtle trains her animals. 
 A newly conscious Riff feels like he is in a dream. 
Betty introduces herself .
She is looking for the person to audition for. 
Her animals try to pull focus. 
Riff tells her that she is should see Keaton Abbott.

*          *          *

Daisy takes Barnaby back to her dressing room 
to nurse him back to health. 
 The first thing he needs to do is shave off his beard. 
He is upset when Daisy shaves off too much. 
Barnaby misses his moustache. 

*          *          * 

Henchbuck Wrinklebrow wants to have a Lou Tellegen film festival. 
Lou Tellegen goes over his contract demands with Henchbuck. 
The first thing is a mirror with a reflection. 
How much work would this film festival require?

*          *          *

 Lou Costello tries to get a new act for the theatre. 
He is visited by Betty Purtle.  
Betty tries to sell him on her act. 
Her animals manage to upstage her from offstage.
She is just the thing that the Ferguson Theatre needs! 
Lou tries to talk her into making her act more dangerous.

*          *          *

 Riff is surrounded by Daisy’s animals in the theatre lobby.
He tells them about a dream he had about the perfect show. 

*          *          *

 Daisy is visited by Lou Costello.  
Daisy is attracted to the big words that he uses. 
He talks about his childhood. 
He is a polyglot, but he cannot speak the language of love. 

*          *          * 


We see a scene from Lou Tellegen’s film, The Black Wolf.  
  He plays a traveller... 
that turns into a wolf... 
 and kills people.

*          *          * 

In Lou Tellegen’s dressing room, 
Barnaby Toughbottom looks for some advice. 
  Lou notices his naked face right away. 
Barnaby’s strength has left him. 
What should he do? 
Lou asks if Barnaby has seen The Black Wolf. 
The wolf is always within. 
He must find his strength inside.
 
Barnaby will go to the one who holds all the money for the theatre 
and show him what must be done.

*          *          *  


Henchbuck has an idea for a new film involving Betty Purtle’s frog.  
He tells her about producing The Black Wolf. 
He has an idea for a cinematic universe.

*          *          *

Lou Costello has a date with Daisy Darling, 
but she doesn’t know it’s a date.
 They order drinks. 
He asks if she has ever done a dine-and-dash. 
They pull one now.

*          *          *
 They have run off to a swan paddle boat.  
The waiter chases them.

*          *          * 


They go to the top of the Empire State Building next. 
Their waiter is still in pursuit. 

*          *          *

Jesse Gervais apologizes for a scene 
on top of a building that hasn’t been built yet. 
He broke the world. 

*          *          * 

Back at the film festival, we see a one minute movie, 
The Victory of Conscience. 

*          *          *


Riff assembles his cast for the perfect show. 
 Everyone will be playing many characters. 
Betty’s animals will play the animals, instead of some white man.

*          *          *

 Betty’s animals have their own meeting. 
They think they are worked too hard. 
They vote to strike. 

*          *          *

Betty and Henchbeck brainstorm ideas for a film 
about a basketball playing Labrador. 
Vince’s character is very meta.


*          *          * 


Vince tries to sing a song, 
but he is interrupted 
by the cast  
 and the audience.

*          *          * 

Daisy and Lou Costello come to the end of their date. 
Lou wishes he could… There’s something he wants to…Does she know…?
 Fractured thoughts… Unable to express… 
Meanwhile, Betty and Henchbuck share a drink.
 
This whole night, Lou had lacked the courage to… Do you want to…  
Lou asks is she wants to go out with him.
 
Henchbuck asks Betty if she wants to go into business with him. 
They both say yes.

*          *          *

Riff soliloquizes in his dressing room, Vince is his reflection. 
Riff talks about the end of the war and becoming a wing walker. 
How he became an entertainer.  
His reflection has more to say than he does.

*          *          *   


We see three Lou Tellegen films:

The Explorer 


Flame of the Desert  



What Money Can’t Buy  



*          *          *


In another Lou Tellegen film, 
 Vince Forcier plays a throw rug  
in the first talkie to feature animals playing sports. 

*          *          *


 Directed by Matt Alden
Music by Paul Morgan Donald
Lighting by Brad Fischer

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