The Ottawa Sun has a nice writeup for Stone Fence Theatre, the brainchild of my friend Ish Theilheimer:
If you can’t beat ’em … use ’em in your next musical.
That pretty much sums up the approach favoured by Ottawa Valley minstrel, playwright and producer Ish Theilheimer in dealing with chronic issues facing area residents, such as the decline of the rural economy and exodus of young people to greener pastures.
Light on the didactic and heavy on the entertaining, Stone Fence has proven to be a runaway success that still manages to deliver a message about rural Canada’s resilience in the face of some pretty daunting challenges. Then again, Ish has never been short on the kind of gumption it takes to launch a progressive initiative – whether it’s a grassroots theatre company or a full-bore NDP election campaign – in a community that elects the likes of Hec Clouthier and Cheryl Gallant.
Good on Ish, and all the best for a great season!
