Goodness in Many Forms

Folks, last night was host to not one, but three delights that are all worth noting. Plus I have my own good news; mwu ha ha ha.

Okay, first: I hopped a metro into DC for the Fringe Festival production of Pretty Theft. Jaclyn had a lead role as Allegra; the show dealt with a young woman dealing with strong feelings of inadequacy, an autistic man who was wrongfully put into a psych ward, and a 'thief' who has an affectation for pretty things. (Hence the title.)

The show was terrific. Bizarre at times, but definitely worth the price of admission. It had cohesion, it had some wonderful acting choices, and the separate elements of the plot came together splendidly. My favorite thing about the script was that the characters all said exactly what was on their minds. Tact didn't exist, nor was it missed; and the show thrived because of it. Outstanding work from everyone involved.

Returning home and looking for something to distract me, I was most pleasantly surprised by the Sci-Fi channel. Two offerings; Garth Marenghi's Darkplace and Amazing Screw-On Head.

Darkplace was nothing short of brilliant. I'm a huge fan of British humor to begin with; but the slightly macabre tone of the series, married with a deliberately shoe-string budget and in-episode commentary from the 'stars', made it the most refreshing thing I've seen in weeks.

Unfortunately, the show's original ratings flopped. There are only six episodes; but I'm looking forward to each and every one.

As for Screw-On Head? Likewise brilliant. From the mind of Hellboy creator Mike Mignola, the animated series starring Paul Giamatti and (who else?) David Hyde Pierce is a splendid steampunk surprise. It's funnier than I expected it to be (I would have still enjoyed it if it took itself more seriously), and the Mignola-style animation is fantastic. Plus it had an actual plot! I'm officially a fan.

***

With that out of the way, I'd also like to announce something truly kick-ass. The soon-to-premiere blockbuster Snakes On a Plane has been made into an audio-book by GraphicAudio. Guess who has a starring role? Look for an August release, all the details will be found here. Outstanding.

I'm looking forward to seeing Writing Sucks tonight, and What About Waldo? on Sunday. Hope some of ya can make it to either one. Ciao for now, folks.