New York City’s air turned orange, obscuring the view of Manhattan from Brooklyn, and causing the photosensitive street lights in Central Park to turn on at 2pm. Ottawa and Toronto residents hunkering down on an otherwise fine summer day to avoid breathing the hazardous atmosphere.

The strangest book launch I have ever had the privilege to attend was tucked away in Casa del Popolo’s showroom. The intimate venue rippled with energy throughout the spectacle as performers created a world teeming with magic and sensation.

I'm lucky enough to know some great people. Funny people, smart people, insightful people, and giant hearted ones too. This piece is dedicated to a group of generous hearts doing great things without ever asking for praise, which makes them deserve it all the more.

Adam Reider doesn't remember how many years he's been involved with Fringe Montreal. I can almost hear the memories speeding through his mind as he considers the question. "At least 10," is what he settles on. I can tell by his tone that he's being conservative.

Berkeley has the Greek Amphitheatre, Denver has the Red Rock Amphitheatre, Detroit has the Aretha Franklin Ampitheatre. Here in Montreal, we have a beautiful natural ampitheatre, the little hill near Duluth in Parc Jeanne-Mance where we gather on Mondays for the weekly open-mic.

Cardboard Planets is a playwriting challenge, part of the Montreal FRINGE Festival’s After-Dark program, which offered the possibility of realization to its participants. Theatricians Ella Williams and Scarlet Fountain facilitate the process under the company name Off-Stage Montreal.

Please Note: The following opinion does not necessarily reflect the views of Forget The Box, its sponsors, affiliates, or even me. At least not my views all of the time. Sometimes stuff like this just gets me mad, as it is intended to. But then, sometimes, I am able to put on my logic hat, look behind the curtain (he said the name of the series in the series!), and enjoy the fact that the absurdity of the situation is on full display.

Kicking off Montreal’s summer festival season is the St. Ambroise Montreal Fringe Festival. It’s a big deal. I mean, it’s a huge festival, a massive undertaking coordinated by staff, dozens of volunteers, and hundreds of performers.

"It's my first Fringe For All", I say for the hundredth time Monday. I'm excitable, and have a childlike penchant for sharing my excitement. My friends reminisce about the last time they were in this audience, a couple of them trading stories of when they took the Fringe For All stage themselves.

If you're reading this particular intro, then I've taken a moment to step outside my comfort zone. See, I write these intros, but then something might change, or priorities shift, or something more lovely strikes my fancy, and I start over. It means I'm generally ready for anything, and always pressed tightly up against a deadline. It's kinda sexy.