Quality Detected at Word Stage

Word Stage, presented by Quattro Books, got off to a cracking new season last night at Dooney's bar in Hogtown's Annex. Reading were Liz Howard, Claudio Gaudio, Margaret Christakos and Howard Engel. The highlight of the night was Howard Engel's appearance. Of course; I'm biased. I'm a huge fan of well written crime fiction and Howard has been producing just that for years. Since suffering a stroke Howard can't read what he writes, which seems desperately unfair since there's nothing like an author reading his own words for himself and others. However, veteran actor Paul Soles filled in admirably, reading from a work in progress that promises Howard's usual high standards and a unique narrative structure. Paul Soles, incidentally, if he's not working much these days, should be. Hesitant and awkward at first, providing him with better lighting (to see the MS more clearly) worked wonders and the Stratford veteran found his mojo. His accent for a Scottish aristocrat - a female character -was spot on in that trilly, frilly way Scots toffs speak. One more bit of welcome news from last night: There's a new organizing team at Word Stage, the founders deciding to hand the job over to fresher blood, including poet and playwright Sonia Di Placido.

Well, so much for the good stuff. Among the not so good is the Dooney's room itself. It's a shaped a bit like a peninsular and its acoustics are decidedly iffy if you're not close to the stage. I know it's difficult to find bars and restaurants willing to take on a reading series (Art Bar was punted from Clinton's because the weekly poetry event wasn't generating enough money for the Bloor West watering hole. Poets don't spend enough on drink. Who'da thunk it?) but scouting another location should be a priority for the new organizers. If they find one it will save the likes of the financially challenged, that would be me and lots of others, some dough. Last night a pint of locally brewed Steamwhistle cost eight bucks with tip. I won't be doing that again. Nor, I suspect,will the three students who shelled out more than $20 for three bottles of Heineken.