Toronto Fringe was a blast! Two great reviews below
Fringe review: Shit I’m In Love With You Again
Rachelle Elie’s show about finding love and maintaining it is funny, honest and refreshing
JULY 9, 201812:26 PMSHIT I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU AGAINby Rachelle Elie (Crowning Monkey). Tarragon Mainspace. July 9 at 3:15 pm, July 11 at noon, July 13 at 5:45 pm, July 14 at 3:30 pm, July 15 at 7:30 pm. See listing. Rating: NNNN
Rachelle Elieis an engaging performer who exudes warmth and humour as she shares her story about finding Mr. Right (she calls him The Voice), then struggles to stay together and maintain love as the doldrums of marriage and children set in.
Accompanied onstage by guitarist Luke Jackson, Elie mixes anecdotes from her life with original songs (funny but raunchy) to bring the audience along on a relatable journey about trying to remain coupled.
Herself a child of divorce, Elie does some deep reflecting on how her parents’ relationship influenced her own choices. Using costumes and props, she plays herself at different times in her life plus a few other characters, most notably a marriage therapist who challenges expectations.
Much has been written on the subject of marriage and relationships, but Elie’s personal take is unique. She doesn’t sugar coat anything – her honesty about motherhood and the difficulties of longterm relationships is truly refreshing.
Tags Fringe 2018TheatreFringe FestivalRachelle ElieCrowning MonkeyComedyLuke Jackson
MOONEY ON THEATRE
SHIT I’M IN LOVE WITH YOU AGAIN (CROWNING MONKEY)
2018 TORONTO FRINGE REVIEW
Shit I’m In Love With You Againis Rachelle Elie’s autobiographical one-woman show presented byCrowning Monkeyfor the Toronto Fringe Festival. This bawdy musical takes the audience on a tour of teenage lust, family drama and therapy.
Taking a seat, my 80s childhood came flooding back to me as I was greeted by The Bangles’ Eternal Flame. Before me, was a stage decked out in pink and purple outfits and a sequinned backdrop. I knew I was in good, campy, capable hands.
Rachelle Elie wastes no time creating a rapport with the audience. She knows that the success of the next sixty minutes depends on mutual affection. With a twinkle in her eye, accompanied by Luke Jackson on guitar, she takes us on a journey from childhood to motherhood.
She shares with us the insights she’s gained from her parents, religious upbringing, sexual awakenings, marriage and child-rearing. Along the way, she breaks out into witty songs about sex, masturbation and family troubles. Its great fun to see her fly in and out of glittering, flowered outfits as she take us from place to place.
Of all the characters from her life, my favourite is her therapist. Donning a massive pair of glasses and a nasal voice, she delivers some of the greatest lines.
Elie is a delightful performer—endearing, charismatic, somehow both larger-than-life and utterly sincere. Her delivery is tight, polished and—because she’s so very good at this—it all feels honest and conversational. She’s very aware and attentive to the audience, always checking on our collective pulse.
I greatly appreciated her handling of the tensions that can crop up in a monogamous relationship—namely: the yearning for new sexual experiences. At the end of the day, it seems she finds meaning and fulfilment in monogamy, yet she shares her struggles with it candidly without judgement or neurosis.
She has some very intriguing experiences to share, but I shouldn’t spoil them. Go see Shit I’m in Love With You Againand have Rachelle tell you all about it herself!
Ottawa Citizen: Spotlight
Spotlight is a weekly look at some of the people who are part of the Ottawa area’s arts community. This week, Bruce Deachman talks with stand-up comedian, clown, playwright and actress Rachelle Elie. She’s performing her one-woman show, Joe: The Perfect Man, on May 5 at Almonte’s Old Town Hall. Visit crowningmonkey.com for more information.
“I got kicked out of ballet school. I always did very well in the productions, but when it came to the discipline of it and the exam time, I was always joking around and messing around with friends. It was basically the clown coming out in me; I just couldn’t be serious.
“I didn’t want to be a comedian when I was a kid, but I do have footage of me telling Newfie jokes when I was six years old, so it was definitely in the stars. But I did go to theatre school for 6½ years — I went to Studio 58 in Vancouver, and also to Bishop’s University — and had great ambitions to become a serious actress. But what started to happen was that when I was very serious, people would laugh, and I’d be like, ‘Why are they laughing? This is not my intention.’
Read full article by BRUCE DEACHMAN
SIILWYA will be at The TORONTO FRINGE this year
Why tell a love story? I think we need to hear about relationships that work. To hear stories about why they get messed up and how they are fixed. To talk about our fights and our make ups and accept that they are a healthy part of growing together. Some of these stories are mine, often exaggerated for dramatic effect and some are shared or made up. I’ve been writing this story for over ten years and am thrilled to be finally sharing it with you!!! Hope you can come to the show!
Frid July 6th – 7:00 pm
Sun July 8 – 10:15 pm
Mon July 9 – 3:15
Wed July 11 – 12:00
Frid July 13 – 5:45
Sat July 14 – 3:30
Sun July 15 – 7:30
Comedy Saved My Marriage
PERFORMER Rachelle Elie worried her marriage was heading for the rocks – but says comedy saved her relationship.
While Rachelle and her doctor husband Dave Caloia were doing humanitarian work in Kenya their marriage was under strain.
But the Canadian mum-of-two says being able to laugh together pulled them through – and she turned problems they faced into a fun show around her life, which she’s brought to the Edinburgh Fringe.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: COMEDY SAVED MY MARRIAGE; EDITED BY SALLY McLEAN
Crackup: Meet Rachelle Elie, comic-in-residence at the 2017 festival
Ahead of the Crackup Comedy Festival, I was able to sit down with Rachelle Elie, the festival’s 2017 comic-in-residence. Elie is partaking in various aspects of the festivities, organizing some of their shows, and performing her own brand of humour on several stages throughout the schedule.
READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE: Crackup: Meet Rachelle Elie, comic-in-residence at the 2017 festival
