By Dana Lacey
Fat animator becomes skinny performer – a story of what happens in between playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival
Songs about Orangeville, life lessons learned at Sheridan College, an ode to a yet-unconceived ugly baby. These are just a few gems from the 2010 Fringe Festival’s Amy Zuch’s Key to Key. On the surface, it’s about a fat animator who becomes a skinny performer. But it’s more than that – it’s a personal tale (starring the writer herself) that portrays her younger, lumpier and obsessive-compulsive self as she takes the steps toward a healthier self and a career that doesn’t revolve around creating unrealistic Disney princesses.
There’s plenty of goofy humour, and Zuch’s improve and stand-up comedy background comes into play as she explains how she came to be the vibrant, non-lumpy performer she is today. I liked how Zuch managed to get all philosophical about the meaning of life without hitting us over the head with the tired old “inner vs. outer beauty” debate. In the rare moments where she became serious, I almost felt like I wanted to cry – here’s a woman, who, like so many women out there, was dissatisfied with her body. She spent five years and thousands of dollars to achieve a body she felt comfortable in, although the first three years was purely emotional work. She doesn’t bother telling us how she lost the actual pounds (60, in total), instead she explains how she came to take the first very important steps to self discovery. See this show if you need motivation to do something with your life, or if you just need a good laugh.
Details
Amy Zuch’s Key to Key
Venue 3 Royal St. George’s Auditorium
60 min.
Fri, July 2 3:30 PM – 308
Sun, July 4 9:15 PM – 325
Mon, July 5 7:00 PM – 330
Tue, July 6 2:45 PM – 334
Wed, July 7 4:15 PM – 341
Fri, July 9 12:30 PM – 353
Sat, July 10 8:45 PM – 365
– All individual Fringe tickets are $10 ($5 for FringeKids) at the door (cash only). Tickets are available online at www.fringetoronto.com, by Phone at 416-966-1062, in person at Royal St. George’s Auditorium, 120 Howland Ave., Toronto (Advance tickets are $11 ($10+$1 convenience fee)
– Several money-saving passes are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows