I love a good scare. When I was a kid my parents went to town designing a haunted house for my first Hallowe’en party. They brought my blindfolded friends through our pitch-black storage/wood room, guiding their hands into bowls of cold, cooked spaghetti (brains) and peeled grapes (eyeballs). The punch was a frothy green goo. I loved it!

With said attraction to the sinister, it’s a drag that I’ll miss the Scream Shack, a haunted house out in the Oro-Medonte countryside that is the highlight of the year for surrounding school kids. Every year I aim to go and something always comes up. This time it’s a few things – each of them a great option for anyone looking for weekend entertainment in Orillia and area.

Moonshine Theatre’s third event Moving Parts: Original 10-Minute Plays opens tomorrow night, until October 20th. Starting at 7:30 pm in the intimate Studio Theatre at the Orillia Opera House, the evening features seven shorts by local writers Andy McTavish, S.C. Pinney, Travis Shilling, and Lauren Carter (me).

This is only the second play I’ve ever written and it’s been inspiring, challenging and exciting to put it on the paper and see it come to life, expertly acted by local Janet-Lynne Durnford. Andy also sets himself on the stage, along with Jason Mills (my better half). With music, humour, absurdity and social commentary, the evening promises to entertain and give viewers a lot to think about as they enjoy trumpet and smooth vocals during the weekend’s 17th annual Orillia Jazz Festival.

On Sunday, the day after we close, and following a potentially raucous cast party, Jason and I are heading to Collingwood for the city’s Autumn Restaurant Walking Tour to taste our way through ten different venues, including a country inn and a local vineyard (who knew?).

A busy weekend before I head off bright and early Monday morning for a press trip to take in some art in southern Michigan.

Photo by Michael Bird TX