To my mind, there are just enough songs about rainbows and the only one that counts was never sung by Judy Garland (the celebrity painkillers/diet pills addict). Why is it that a hand stuffed in felt resonates with not only my generation but most of the surrounding ones as well? Perhaps looking to my personal past might reveal some answers. My childhood in West Africa was a pop cultural hodgepodge at the best of times but amidst the decades-old Mad magazines and Betamax copies of The Messenger, I had access to the Muppets in my own small way. (I will be excluding Sesame Street from this conversation because of its ubiquity)

First, there was the deuterocanonical Muppet Babies televised serial I owned, copied with dubious legality from TVs in the States and transported at great risk to the dusty lands of Nigeria for my consumption. I stared slack jawed as cartoons danced before the tumbling stone from Indiana Jones or battled against TIE fighters and wanted more. Those green and white striped socks are forever glued to my brain and I think I will always somewhat prefer that iteration of Gonzo. But many might consider that era to be a pop regurgitation of the Muppets so allow me to add further street cred by describing the wide-eyed wonder of watching the movie itself at an older couple’s house and being so blissed out that I returned the next day to see what other wonders they might possess only to be shooed away. If this were not enough, my parents had the brilliance to acquire the LP of the songs from the movie which I listened to as soon as I was tall enough to reach the arm and set the needle down carefully on the rim of the record.

Even given these things, I can’t justify my love. I had VHS copies of Garfield and Friends, Who’s the Boss, and Thoofer and yet they have not stuck in my heart with quite the same weight. I listened to the Chipmunks Sing the Beatles and and the Pretty Woman soundtrack on repeat and yet I have no interest in viewing either a Chipwreck or a New Year’s Eve. So there must be something more, some trauma that never truly healed and formed a perfect scar over my heart that marks me forever as Jim Henson’s own. If you’ll allow, I believe this trauma to be dark and twofold.

First was Emmett Otter’s Jugband Christmas. I only viewed it once or twice but it left an indelible mark upon me. I knew just enough from my readings of the Wind in the Willows to be absolutely terrified of weasels and the texture of the creatures I was watching reached out to me as no piece of animated celluloid or plain old flesh and blood human could. I felt for Emmett Otter in a quiet, sad way and I find myself even now growing cold at the memories of that 34 year old film.

And finally the real artifact that would determine the course of my love. It was strange and dark, familiar yet discomforting. I am of course speaking about the Frog Prince. Forty years old now, I watched the ever-loving crap out of this thing in my formative childhood in between power outages. I remember my heart beating at the injustice of the princess’ plight, fearing Sweetums as only a child can fear, and longing to sing along with all the frogs and truly be a part of that world. When the orb cracks and the purple goo explodes everywhere, a part of me still shivers. I wonder just how much of my childhood can be decoded by simply watching that today and recognizing how in love with it I was.

Each of us who looks on a piece of felt and wire with fondness and groans at the sight of Goober or other lesser attempts at puppetry has taken our own particular path to get here. Whether it was a love of Charles Grodin and Diana Rigg, a need to understand just who those creatures were who invaded the Fraggles’ home in that once Christmas Special, or fate that brought you in touch with the Muppets, their magic is hard to deny and I for one, choose not to.

The Tour Guide(Leeman Kessler)

You have two more chances to journey to Uncharted Zones.

Advance tickets are available via the Monkeyman Productions online box office.

Julam and Ver explore the far reaches of space in the distant future. The only crew of a small scout ship, they survey and catalogue planets among the remotest stars. Alone together, they reflect on the choices they’ve made and the lives they’ve left behind.

Chance features Martha Girvin as Julam and Jennifer Kenneally as Ver.

Uncharted Zones opens December 8th, 2011.

Now, I know that you have a lot of Christmas wishes to grant and reindeer feed ain’t cheap. I’m taking this opportunity to let you know about how you can make sure you see the latest offering from Toronto’s geekiest theatre company… and save some money for that Turbo Man action figure or Furby for which someone you know is wishing.

Tickets for Uncharted Zones: A Sequence of Four will cost $20 at the door… but an advance ticket, available via the Monkeyman Productions online box office, can be yours for $15.

Every time the pre-sale bell rings,
Sir Wilfrid Laurier gets his wings.

But wait! I know you have friends who would love to hear the words of Baboon-Bard D.J. Sylvis spoken aloud. You can save even more than a fin by rounding up three such persons with excellent taste in drama. A quartet of tickets can be purchased at “A Discount of Four” (see what we did there?) for just $50.

Treat yourself! It’s time to mix it up – Ross Petty, Handel, and Tchaikovsky won’t consider it cheating. Buy your tickets for Uncharted Zones today!

Alithea and Gary can no longer call themselves students, but their worlds after post-secondary education have yet to take shape. Gary imagines things coming together. Alithea envisions things drifting apart.

Something About Smoke And The Way It Rises features Amanda Ives as Alithea and Michael Mackinnon as Gary.

Uncharted Zones opens December 8th, 2011.

Shivonne and Rand are residents of Toronto in the year 2020. Every Thursday night, spring to fall, a city-wide blackout is imposed on the population. Sometimes, when you’re trying to see things clearly, you need to start by turning out the light.

Stars Shone On Toronto features Jennifer Kenneally as Shivonne and Michael Mackinnon as Rand.

Uncharted Zones opens December 8th, 2011.

I know, I know. I had you at, "Hello."

As you probably know by now, Monkeyman Productions is participating in this year’s Movember campaign. Today is November 15th, the halfway point, and I wanted to take this opportunity to ‘say’ a few words.

I love NFL football more than I can verbally express… which is why I’ve decided to give you a bit of a ‘halftime show’.

I hate cancer more than I can verbally express… which is why I’m, personally, participating in Movember.

Of course, Movember is about more than cancer. Movember aims to change the face of men’s health. “Oh, Marty,” you’re saying to yourself, “please tell me this is more than just license for you to employ more puns.”

It is. Men’s studies has always been a particularly fascinating field for me. The stories I’ve had the pleasure of telling with Monkeyman have often focussed on men. The company was founded by three of my closest male friends and me. We’re Toronto’s geekiest theatre company – and despite the very encouraging trends towards a greater balance of the sexes, both geeky interests and theatre have been, traditionally, heavily populated by males.

A little stubble ain't no trouble - slow but steady, here it grows.

I should state, before I continue, that I’m very proud that Uncharted Zones, our December production, will mark the first time female actors outnumber male actors in a Monkeyman cast.

But back to men’s studies and men’s health. If you watched any sports in October, you probably saw a sprinkling of pink paraphernalia for Breast Cancer Awareness Month. Women, I salute you. For any number of reasons, awareness of cancers affecting men, specifically testicular and prostate cancers, has historically been buried under fear, embarassment, and even indifference – despite the fact that the incidence and mortality rates for prostate cancer in men are similar to those of breast cancer in women.

In Canada, this year, more than 900 cases of testicular cancer and more than 25,000 cases of prostate cancer will be diagnosed.

So, just like Monkeyman Productions takes serious, dramatic stories and puts them in a geeky or pop culture context, the Movember campaign attempts to break through the wall of misguided silence, using moustaches as catalysts to start the conversation and get us all talking about some very serious stuff.

If all you take from reading this is (a roll for) the initiative to talk to the men in your life about having an annual physical and taking steps towards living healthy lives, that’s super. Excelsior! But if you can make a donation to the Movember campaign, that would be even better.

You have until November 30th to step out of the shadows and help the cause.

Movember donations go directly to Prostate Cancer Canada and the Movember Foundation, two programs dedicated to awareness, education, advocacy, support, and research. While Monkeyman Productions is a participant and we would love the bragging rights of collecting a good chunk of change for our team, The Handlebarbarians, if you know anyone participating and want to add to his/her tally, we’ll still salute you.

And, hey, it’s almost the end of the year… think about that charitable donation receipt you’ll be able to add to your 2011 Income Tax calculations. See? If you give, everybody wins.

You can support Monkeyman Productions’ Movember efforts by clicking here.

A couple of weeks later, their photos were found.