Riverside's goat show

Riverside - Riverside Theatre will present the American premiere of goat show: an odyssey behind barn doors, a one-woman show written and performed by Canadian playwright Jennifer Fawcett. The production will take place November 23 – December 2. They will also be collecting donations for Heifer International throughout the run.

goat show is an autobiographical tale of Dick and Jane, their daughter Rebecca and a herd of goats. All five characters (and the goats!) are played by Jennifer Fawcett in this heartwarming tale. It’s storytelling at its finest as Fawcett takes you on the emotional roller coaster of what happens when you follow your dreams and it doesn’t quite turn out as planned. Fawcett remarks that the show isn’t really about goats “but about what we do for the people we love and how growing up is a never-ending process.” Displaying remarkable skill as an actor, Fawcett moves seamlessly from mom to dad to Rebecca and to the goats. Fawcett provides her thoughts about the show here.

goat show was originally written and produced in 1997 by Fawcett’s company, Red Engine Productions. It was dramaturged and directed by Eda Holmes and toured to fringe festivals in Ontario, including the SummerWorks Theatre Festival in Toronto. The following summer it was invited to the Blyth Festival, one of Canada’s oldest and most prestigious summer theatre festivals. In 2003, considerable revisions were made and the show was remounted, once again under the direction of Eda Holmes. An excerpt was presented at the Tarragon Spring Arts Fair (Tarragon Theatre, Toronto) and the show was then toured to the Vancouver and Cowichan Fringe Festivals in British Columbia, and the Mutton Busting Performance/Art Festival in Calgary, Alberta. The American premiere of goat show, produced by Working Group Theatre and presented by Riverside Theatre, is directed by Sean Christopher Lewis, with lighting design by Doug Anderson.

Riverside Theatre will take advantage of this unique opportunity to pair with Heifer International. This nonprofit organization is working to end world hunger by giving cows, goats and other food and income producing livestock to impoverished families around the world. Recipients of these gifts are trained in animal care and environmentally sound agricultural practices so they can lift themselves out of poverty and become self-reliant. Heifer currently provides 27 different kinds of livestock to families in 47 countries, including the United States.

Riverside Theatre will be collecting donations during goat show towards the purchase of a goat for this organization: a goal of $120. Heifer International describes the gift of a goat as a lasting and meaningful donation. The organization points out that “goats can thrive in climates too harsh for other livestock…yet as tough as they are, goats are amazingly gentle and great animals for families with young children.” Another benefit of goats is the ability to give up to a gallon of milk each day. Families can use leftover milk to make yogurts, cheeses or to sell at the market for essential supplies.

The running time is one hour without intermission. For tickets, go here.