People can spend hours watching cute cats or babies on the Internet.
It’s a distracting pastime that’s satirized in the play The Internet is a Distract – Oh Look, A Kitten!, written by Ian McWethy.
The play is being presented by Dover Bay Productions as well as the play Bad Ideas for Bad Television Shows, written by Don Zoldis.
“The shows are full of the kind of satire that makes you cover your mouth because you recognize the reality of it, the truth of it,” said Pamela Schwarze, Dover’s performing arts academy class instructor. “It’s a show that personifies characters on the Internet. The lines are so witty.”
The Internet is a Distract – Oh Look, A Kitten! examines social media sites and other online sites, such as Facebook, YouTube and Google.
Bad Ideas for Bad Television Shows is a comedy about network executives listening to prospective television show pitches.
It features pitches such as one for The Altos, which features a mob boss who reads for her son’s kindergarten class. The mob boss gives inappropriate information for the young audience and ends up threatening some of the students.
“There are a lot of really fun scenes that will get the audience interested and want to see more,” said Delaney O’Toole, who plays mob boss Jenny. “I enjoy getting to play such a fun character.”
The young actors said the play is jammed with comedic scenes and interesting characters.
“It’s really interesting,” said Anika Trimmer, who plays the character called Wife. “I think [audience members] will get a real kick out of our show.”
Wife interacts with a character called Bob the Panda, the father of her child.
“I like how the wife is so dependent on the panda. She wants to know the panda still loves her,” said Trimmer.
Bob the Panda, played by Nicole Larson, is obsessed with eating bamboo shoots and doesn’t seem to pay much attention to his family members.
The Internet is a Distract – Oh Look, A Kitten and Bad Ideas for Bad Television Shows both run tonight (Jan. 19) to Friday, 7 p.m. at Dover Bay Secondary School’s multipurpose room. Admission is $6 at the door.
arts@nanaimobulletin.com
