tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74941096507685498062024-02-07T13:02:02.147-08:00Department of Common SenseDepartment of Common Sense is a one-act play written by Ryan Van Horne. It was first performed at the Theatre Arts Guild's inaugural Playwrights' Festival in March. The play was also part of the 2013 Atlantic Fringe Festival and won Fringe Hit as one of the five most popular shows of the festival. It will be on stage again at festivals in Cape Breton in March and the prestigious Liverpool International Theatre Festival in May.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.comBlogger15125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-55601344762372481272014-05-16T05:35:00.001-07:002014-05-16T05:35:23.192-07:00The world’s coming to Queens County | The Chronicle Herald<a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1207208-the-world-s-coming-to-queens-county#.U3YFTrUBcrk.blogger">The world’s coming to Queens County | The Chronicle Herald</a><br /><br />
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Great coverage of the Liverpool International Theatre Festival -- and our play -- in the provincial newspaper. There's also a great picture of Lianne Perry and Mark Adam during a tune-up performance on Monday night in Bedford. The community theatre group, Bedford Players, invited us to perform for their volunteers and members as part of their year-end awards gala. It was a great opportunity and we are grateful to them for it.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-47982624917886194492014-04-11T16:55:00.001-07:002014-04-11T17:26:31.115-07:00Adele Courage, the kind of bureaucrat we need<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8iHfETdwT9PltQFNf1Tq0GOKx68HTamyI805MoAL3I65Gny9HgFr7pUevn31a5tWnZ979BCDNV-BAPnvU8ObH8C5hxKh36xvZ4jfwt6tcB3pZlH8viTCYQcN16mLP0kUt1KoEGkDTrTa/s1600/Lianne+award.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjc8iHfETdwT9PltQFNf1Tq0GOKx68HTamyI805MoAL3I65Gny9HgFr7pUevn31a5tWnZ979BCDNV-BAPnvU8ObH8C5hxKh36xvZ4jfwt6tcB3pZlH8viTCYQcN16mLP0kUt1KoEGkDTrTa/s1600/Lianne+award.jpg" height="320" width="318" /></a></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
Lianne Perry with her acting achievement award from the Elizabeth Boardmore One-Act Play Festival in Cape Breton.</h4>
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Department of Common Sense is a play about bureaucracy and government. It's written by someone who worked on the inside for almost four years. I met some talented, intelligent people, but I also met too many people who were fussers. They cared more about process and rules than about serving the people they were hired to serve -- the taxpayers. The character of Adele Courage represents the kind of bureaucrat we need more of and Frank Walker, the Minister of Common Sense, represents the kind of politician we need more of.</div>
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Department of Common Sense is playing tomorrow night (Saturday, April 12) in a special one-night engagement at the Museum of Natural History on Summer Street in Halifax. Show starts at 8 p.m. Tickets are $10.</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-12856607667355339822014-04-07T13:44:00.004-07:002014-04-07T14:48:24.806-07:00Night at the museum<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBUWRuRPYSfVtbuFBNDX7jFiM_ZS348rxXW7m-WzuMxfeg7PPy2mEkCZVTrF3NT68FywSC2hBFzCGDpciLOR2Q66aaPa4M11FbCL5eExE7nNwWvrX6RwF7x2dba2m54gDQsAwOxLhTBcJ/s1600/DCS-production+still-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRBUWRuRPYSfVtbuFBNDX7jFiM_ZS348rxXW7m-WzuMxfeg7PPy2mEkCZVTrF3NT68FywSC2hBFzCGDpciLOR2Q66aaPa4M11FbCL5eExE7nNwWvrX6RwF7x2dba2m54gDQsAwOxLhTBcJ/s1600/DCS-production+still-3.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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We're having a special engagement this Saturday, April 12. One night only at the Museum of Natural History at 1747 Summer St. in Halifax. Come join us as we prepare to represent Halifax and the Theatre Arts Guild at the prestigious Liverpool International Theatre Festival from May 14 to 18.<br />
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For tickets, click on this <a href="http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/department-of-common-sense-night-at-the-museum-tickets-11227984203" target="_blank">link</a>.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-69138684451056818912014-03-19T05:04:00.001-07:002014-03-21T05:02:14.656-07:00Department of Common Sense goes to Cape BretonDepartment of Common Sense will be part of the Elizabeth Boardmore One-Act Play Festival this week in Sydney. We're pumped for our road trip and looking forward to meeting some other creative folks at this festival.<br />
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<a href="http://www.cbu.ca/news/one-act-play-festival-returns-boardmore-theatre#.UymHlN-U-Kk.blogger">One Act Play Festival Returns to Boardmore Theatre</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-26688204059643102632014-03-15T07:18:00.004-07:002014-03-15T07:33:26.646-07:00Great first showThe cast put on a great show and the audience loved the play. More than half of them stayed after it was over to participate in our first Q&A with the playwright and the cast. A few people thought that our ticket price of $10 was too low and some were generous enough to put some extra in our jar. Every penny we make off this weekend will help pay for our trip to festivals in Cape Breton and Liverpool.<br />
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Hopefully, we'll get the same kind of audience tonight, just more of them. This is a hard-working, talented cast and they will entertain you for two hours.<br />
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You can reserve tickets at The Bus Stop Theatre following this <a href="http://www.thebusstoptheatre.org/ticketres.html" target="_blank">link</a>.<br />
You can purchase them in advance using this <a href="http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/department-of-common-sense-tickets-10829143259" target="_blank">link</a>.<br />
Or you can pay cash at the door.<br />
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The Bus Stop Theatre is located at 2203 Gottingen St. The door opens at 7:30 and the show begins at 8 p.m. This is a relaxed atmosphere and you can bring your beverage into the theatre and drink it while you watch the show.<br />
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There will be no bar during Sunday's matinee, but there is a great coffee shop next door called Alter Egos and you're welcome to bring your coffee in with you.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-12169511967881777242014-03-14T05:48:00.002-07:002014-03-14T05:52:55.906-07:00Interview with Global TV<iframe width='590' height='400' frameborder='0' allowfullscreen src='http://globalnews.ca/video/embed/1207969/'>Your browser does not support frames. <a href="http://globalnews.ca/video/1207969/department-of-common-sense">Click here to view the frameless video.</a>.</iframe>
Ryan Van Horne stopped by the Global TV studio this morning to have a chat with their morning show co-host Paul Brothers. The six-minute interview covers everything to how the play was written, what it's about, and the feedback the play has received.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-5431748536438397812014-03-13T07:59:00.000-07:002014-03-13T08:01:46.572-07:00Cut through red tape with a little laughter<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPjZ_FKF_FLVp7M3ymT1B2OBLYatfwuUycAMVXjND0PCYgiFNR8ZbVVWiwtM6_mH7YWKZwdRzR-40pswx2EKwPY7Cg8npiIIhuBl9_NQTIVy42gIraxJQgWo_5SrEhg9pbnCCAb9BOyM4/s1600/poster_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkPjZ_FKF_FLVp7M3ymT1B2OBLYatfwuUycAMVXjND0PCYgiFNR8ZbVVWiwtM6_mH7YWKZwdRzR-40pswx2EKwPY7Cg8npiIIhuBl9_NQTIVy42gIraxJQgWo_5SrEhg9pbnCCAb9BOyM4/s1600/poster_01.jpg" height="320" width="213" /></a></div>
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How many bureaucrats does it take to prevent a light bulb from being changed? Dick Clod would like to think it's just one. Clod (played by Rob McIntyre) is one of those bureaucrats who just doesn't get it. In Department of Common Sense, he's more interested in making sure everyone conforms to regulations. Then along comes Sophia Smart (played by Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons) with some bright ideas about common sense.<br />
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Department of Common Sense plays this weekend at the Bus Stop Theatre in Halifax. Shows nightly March 14-16 with a 2 p.m. matinee on Sunday the 16th.<br />
<span class="text_exposed_show" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; display: inline; font-family: 'lucida grande', tahoma, verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 18px;"><br /></span>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-13741688505812622572014-03-12T07:52:00.002-07:002014-03-13T08:01:11.003-07:00How to get ticketsThere are three ways to get tickets for this weekend's showing of Department of Common Sense at The Bus Stop Theatre, 2203 Gottingen St.<br />
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1) Pay in cash at the door. Tickets are $10.<br />
2) Reserve tickets using this <a href="http://www.thebusstoptheatre.org/ticketres.html" target="_blank">link</a> and pay cash at the door. Tickets are still $10.<br />
3) Buy tickets in advance using this <a href="http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/department-of-common-sense-tickets-10829143259" target="_blank">link</a>. There is a $1.59 service charge per ticket using this method. You can also click on the orange button on the right-hand side of this page.<br />
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Cash only at the door. We are not set up to accept debit or credit cards.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-30439422559518286552014-03-12T06:35:00.002-07:002014-03-12T06:35:21.781-07:00Poster for Bus Stop Theatre run<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXJo_3qx25r1YrJLtsq_0iMmtG7f6dbkqnnK-7PrjpgbW3KIPm39OCdFBBu9Ecu2HOScakCk-cTCMFTLv7QigFO6H3p7acSpcGE6GED8uHOh7GyWWJICLrkK1fr2fBIBA6LisRmsG9Dmo/s1600/Department+of+Common+Sense+poster+for+social+media.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimXJo_3qx25r1YrJLtsq_0iMmtG7f6dbkqnnK-7PrjpgbW3KIPm39OCdFBBu9Ecu2HOScakCk-cTCMFTLv7QigFO6H3p7acSpcGE6GED8uHOh7GyWWJICLrkK1fr2fBIBA6LisRmsG9Dmo/s1600/Department+of+Common+Sense+poster+for+social+media.jpg" height="320" width="247" /></a></div>
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I love the new poster for our Bus Stop Theatre run. The concept is from our photographer Devaan Ingraham, who make a business card and got our Minister Frank Walker to hold it up. Our multi-talented Minister (Adam Lardner) did the layout and the sister of a co-worker gave was our design angel when Adam got busy at his day job. It truly does take a village, sometimes. Many thanks to all who pitched in.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-82633425954958242742014-02-28T10:50:00.001-08:002014-02-28T10:56:22.734-08:00Department of Common Sense coming to Bus Stop<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXXeCbVqWU0ZQ6wNRJdmCnt4pTzI0etYCUPNnF-G3_F9UMWfxaDg8-vSzX_g0bU0-xgrxus3Iijinl6Rdz5x2bQH1-CxaoYts2PgNhxKlkDz0TitZF_cCWaUvqv8SsrYl-VapenotRGz5/s1600/DCS-production-still-4-med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhbXXeCbVqWU0ZQ6wNRJdmCnt4pTzI0etYCUPNnF-G3_F9UMWfxaDg8-vSzX_g0bU0-xgrxus3Iijinl6Rdz5x2bQH1-CxaoYts2PgNhxKlkDz0TitZF_cCWaUvqv8SsrYl-VapenotRGz5/s1600/DCS-production-still-4-med.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></div>
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No government has ever had the guts – or brains – to create a Department of Common Sense, probably because it could never live up to the name; but, playwright Ryan Van Horne makes Nova Scotia the first province to get a Department of Common Sense – if only to entertain you.<br />
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Van Horne, a journalist who worked on the inside as a government communicator for three years, has woven nuggets of truth into this satirical look at government and bureaucracy in which a new department is created to put an end to foolishness in government. The one-act play follows a straight-talking, tequila-sipping minister and two whip-smart women on his staff who take on a persnickety bureaucrat in a battle of wills – and wits.<br />
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Department of Common Sense will make you shake your head in disbelief, nod with painful understanding, or seethe with anger. It might even make you do all three, and it is sure to make you laugh as it returns to Halifax for a three-day, four-show run at The Bus Stop Theatre at 2203 Gottingen St., from March 14 to 16.<br />
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Community theatre veteran Nick Jupp directs a talented all-local cast that includes Lianne Perry, Mark Adam, Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons, Rob McIntyre, Fiona MacKinnon, and Neil Van Horne.<br />
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There will be shows nightly at 8 p.m., with a Sunday matinee at 2 p.m. The Bus Stop Theatre is a licensed venue with a cash bar and we invite you to enjoy refreshments before and after the performance.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-64655481430849812552013-09-27T18:18:00.001-07:002013-09-28T04:15:38.444-07:00Into social media? So are we<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlk4wjyaoWtMymJSG3xbfwWCfPw3zhVDAZswC27_glS-3hkhtXA89AJu_kBh3rYCKIgoXSTQN-rT-DR7PU00Bvxya5XOGjgDsw986OwD0Mb2BM8XvTfXVUU032FD7T5VPFyJ8Mgw7znowz/s1600/DCS-production-still-1-med.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlk4wjyaoWtMymJSG3xbfwWCfPw3zhVDAZswC27_glS-3hkhtXA89AJu_kBh3rYCKIgoXSTQN-rT-DR7PU00Bvxya5XOGjgDsw986OwD0Mb2BM8XvTfXVUU032FD7T5VPFyJ8Mgw7znowz/s1600/DCS-production-still-1-med.jpg" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Stay in touch with Department of Common Sense. We'd love to chat with you.</td></tr>
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One of the ways that we like to spread the word about our play is through social media. It's great for that, but the best thing about social media is the way we get to talk to people who come see the play. We talk to people after the performances, but having a conversation with people before a show and long after is why we like social media.<br />
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We've got a <a href="https://twitter.com/DCS_FrankWalker" target="_blank">Twitter</a> account, a <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DepartmentCommonSense" target="_blank">Facebook</a> page, a <a href="http://departmentofcommonsense.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a> account and this blog. Feel free to ask a question or strike up a conversation; after all, social media is a two-way street, it's not just a way for us to get some advertising. If you prefer e-mail, you can use that, too. Send us a note at <u><a href="mailto:departmentcommonsense@gmail.com">departmentcommonsense@gmail.com</a>.</u>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-63740571444010571952013-09-18T06:36:00.001-07:002013-09-21T07:11:43.668-07:00Tell people what you think<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSZAR3YMDkc4C8rG_7WFNIZ8DWds7dfMAxc5n7g3GViGAT-2XVW0qc1pZznppZNvfl2G5LuuRD1n3dQhHa9ve244ophh7JJKjVIusvjwJ74r65fsVZh4YtlpKKphv_R4DlBtnWvaYjEsF/s1600/DCS-production+still-5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjCSZAR3YMDkc4C8rG_7WFNIZ8DWds7dfMAxc5n7g3GViGAT-2XVW0qc1pZznppZNvfl2G5LuuRD1n3dQhHa9ve244ophh7JJKjVIusvjwJ74r65fsVZh4YtlpKKphv_R4DlBtnWvaYjEsF/s1600/DCS-production+still-5.JPG" height="227" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Who's up for more Common Sense?</td></tr>
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Did you see Department of Common Sense at the Theatre Arts Guild's playwrights' festival in March or at the Atlantic Fringe Festival?<br />
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The critics have weighed in with their opinion of the play, but now is your chance. We will be submitting the play to festivals, including the Liverpool International Theatre Festival which takes place next May on Nova Scotia's beautiful South Shore.<br />
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Some festivals -- such as the one in Liverpool -- ask for is comments from people who have seen the play. Post a comment below and we'll send the link to the organizers so they can see what audiences thought of the play.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-69302539236446938312013-09-16T10:49:00.001-07:002013-09-28T04:03:17.806-07:00Critics praise Department of Common Sense<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0arJnvs9qzEbr8IkjkosGqwswb3NstvfX35P2nsr9FTo39uqX5f3A25_9kEvg3fZrfRaGykIE89fMSMp-2HywIvQlrC2ksDBKef3NsTNKgh66LAryfKW-XGk15lyLEGB0CVVblf7OPBo/s1600/DCS-production+still-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjJ0arJnvs9qzEbr8IkjkosGqwswb3NstvfX35P2nsr9FTo39uqX5f3A25_9kEvg3fZrfRaGykIE89fMSMp-2HywIvQlrC2ksDBKef3NsTNKgh66LAryfKW-XGk15lyLEGB0CVVblf7OPBo/s1600/DCS-production+still-4.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia Smart (Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons) warns persnickety bureaucrat Richard Clod (Rob McIntyre)<br />
that she'll be keeping an eye on him.</td></tr>
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During the 2013 Atlantic Fringe Festival, Department of Common Sense achieved box-office success but also earned praise from theatre reviewers.<br />
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Stephen Cooke writes in his review in <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1151489-fringe-festival-play-takes-humorous-look-at-inner-workings-of-government" target="_blank">The Chronicle Herald</a> that Department of Common Sense:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"mixes a vintage screwball comedy flavour with a knowing nod to modern politics, and its characters are sharply drawn, especially the female leads who exude confidence, and pride in their ability to get around their so-called superiors."</blockquote>
Kate Watson of <a href="http://www.thecoast.ca/halifax/day-11/Content?oid=4040313" target="_blank">The Coast</a> writes:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"There is comedy gold to mine from the workings of government, and playwright Ryan Van Horne has posted a surplus with this show."</blockquote>
Department of Common Sense earned 3.5 stars out of 5 from theatre critic Amanda Campbell on her blog, <a href="http://www.twisitheatreblog.com/archives/2223" target="_blank">The Way I See It Theatre</a>. Campbell writes:<br />
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<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"Department of Common Sense is an amusing piece of theatre that pokes fun at the ridiculous situations in office and political bureaucracies that a great many of us can ardently relate to."</blockquote>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-4633040103282024272013-09-16T08:26:00.002-07:002013-09-28T04:03:58.093-07:00Media coverage from Atlantic Fringe Festival<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocSUzfOeM1Wy78h6T9CQ8XdGvMt2cN6mlYXQ4w4OHx1pltKABTnn77tzXg5zWCNFECff4iKJ38XWo3aSqny_bimQgTuCNba_De2KdNqlWt8l-NbL-JzJmiMk8KrqYRvvYbpJBYf5OfiCX/s1600/DCS-production+still-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjocSUzfOeM1Wy78h6T9CQ8XdGvMt2cN6mlYXQ4w4OHx1pltKABTnn77tzXg5zWCNFECff4iKJ38XWo3aSqny_bimQgTuCNba_De2KdNqlWt8l-NbL-JzJmiMk8KrqYRvvYbpJBYf5OfiCX/s1600/DCS-production+still-3.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sophia Smart (Fiona Kirkpatrick Parsons) tells Richard Clod (Rob McIntyre) how much she LOVES it when a process is followed perfectly, if you know what she means.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Department of Common Sense got amazing coverage during the 2013 Atlantic Fringe Festival and generated tremendous buzz.<br />
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Here are some of the media outlets that did stories on the play.</div>
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<a href="http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/nova-scotia/ministry-of-common-sense-rules-over-atlantic-fringe-1.1345633" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">CBC Television</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rcinet.ca/en/2013/09/01/arts-ryan-van-horne-playwright-the-department-of-common-sense/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Radio-Canada International</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="http://chirb.it/8JNeCO" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">CBC Information Morning (Radio)</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="https://soundcloud.com/fiona-kirkpatrick-parsons/interview-89-9-the-wave-at" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">89.9 The Wave FM</span></b></a></div>
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<a href="http://metronews.ca/news/halifax/780153/seeing-local-playrights-atlantic-fringe-festival-debut-just-makes-common-sense/" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Metro Halifax</span></b></a></div>
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<b><a href="http://artseast.blogspot.ca/2013/08/atlantic-fringe-fest-department-of.html" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Arts East</span></a></b><br />
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<b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XRxBgRYGBmo&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank"><span style="color: #e69138;">Ham Hands theatre blog</span></a></b></div>
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All the coverage helped generate tremendous interest in the festival and the play, which was named a <a href="http://thechronicleherald.ca/artslife/1153032-fringe-fest-breaks-box-office-records" target="_blank"><b><span style="color: #e69138;">Fringe Hit</span></b></a>.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7494109650768549806.post-47430133987502435652013-09-16T07:50:00.005-07:002013-09-28T04:04:34.617-07:00A play inspired by the absurdity of real life<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTaC3dzmlEIQq7YHdaI05QLEu5lPbOl3VRv6cF3DWfRrc4hVufJcUAnVDXCsR3qCOX_04SFNZy3RnhhoC5M4mxXeCwj-Icv_pYSSyh3daOQihUEXRPI_K0SZgnzl65aUDPid7peSviZla/s1600/DCS-production+still-6.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEggTaC3dzmlEIQq7YHdaI05QLEu5lPbOl3VRv6cF3DWfRrc4hVufJcUAnVDXCsR3qCOX_04SFNZy3RnhhoC5M4mxXeCwj-Icv_pYSSyh3daOQihUEXRPI_K0SZgnzl65aUDPid7peSviZla/s1600/DCS-production+still-6.JPG" height="213" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Adele Courage (Lianne Perry) finds a way to cope with bureaucracy by downing some fine tequila in the office of Frank Walker (Mark Adam), the Minister of Common Sense.</td></tr>
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The government and bureaucrats are notorious for making decisions that defy logic. Department of Common Sense is a play inspired by true life that could make you shake your head in dismay, seethe with anger, nod with painful understanding, but it is sure to make you laugh and forget the pain as a straight-talking, tequila-sipping minister and two whip-smart women take on a persnickety bureaucrat in a battle of wills – and wits.<br />
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First performed on stage at the <a href="https://www.facebook.com/TAGHalifax?directed_target_id=0">Theatre Arts Guild</a>'s inaugural Playwrights' Festival in March, Department of Common Sense was part of the 23rd Atlantic Fringe Festival and won Fringe Hit as one of the five most popular shows of the festival.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/09484377228825473839noreply@blogger.com0