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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday October 1, 2008 - 25 Artscene Oakville Beaver · WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 1, 2008 Sign up now for guitar, bass, drums, and piano OAKVILLE'S MUSIC STORE Local comedic actor nominated for award "I would love to meet more people who do what I do," he said. "Being based in Toronto, I know the community here, but it is nice to Local comedian David Raitt is heading meet other people doing comedy from other west this week to see if he has earned a parts of Canada because every region of the Beaver. country breeds different people and they've It may not have the recognizable ring of all got different perspectives on how things an Oscar or Grammy, but winning a Beaver are done. It is also a business opportunity to is a big deal if you are a comic. network with executives and peoThat's the name of the ple involved in producing this Canadian Comedy Awards kind of thing." handed out annually to the best Raitt is nominated in the One and brightest in the field. Person Show category for All the "It is fantastic," he said of Rage. He wrote, produced and the nomination. "When you are starred in the show, which ran at recognized as being eligible for the Diesel Playhouse in Toronto in a prestigious award that's relatJuly 2007. All the Rage is a colleced to your work, it is extremely tion of comedic sketches about the fulfilling. You really feel like impact anger has on people. you've accomplished some"I was pretty much the only thing." David Raitt person working on it all, so it was This is the first time Raitt has a lot of work," he said. "Every been nominated for a Beaver. He said he is character is either dealing with someone excited about attending the ceremony this being angry or are angry themselves. I just Friday, especially since it is being held in really wanted to create a show that explored Regina, Saskatchewan this year. that." "Saskatchewan is probably the one Raitt's show is up against four others province I have not been to in Canada," he written by Sean Cullen, David Shore, Ron said. "I'm really looking forward to it. People Sparks and Peter Kelamis. tend to denigrate Saskatchewan because it is "I know just about everyone in the cateone of the Prairie provinces and the land- gory," he said. "I think my material is as good scape is flat, but I'm looking forward to see- as everyone else's, but it is difficult to predict ing it. I love to see new places and see what who will win because the five shows have is going on, and I'll finally be able to cross such different styles." that last province off my list." While Raitt said awards are nice, he uses However, he isn't going to jinx his public success as his measuring stick. His chances by writing an acceptance speech in comedic show Between Commutes preadvance. miered this summer at the 2008 Fringe of "Being an improvised actor, I think I Toronto Theatre Festival. It received critical know what I would say," he said. "I feel too praise and was named a patron's pick of the modest to actually write something down, Fringe. He is hoping to restage the show in but I do know who I would want to thank Toronto this fall. and recognize and my challenge would be to "Even more than the comedy award, remember it." whether I win that or lose that, the fact I He said he's also looking forward to have a nomination is enough," he said. "I feel attending the 9th annual Canadian Comedy more strongly about getting the patron's Awards so he can network with others who pick because you are getting recognized by work in the field. your average consumer of comedy and that By Tina Depko OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Lovely ladies LIESA KORTMANN / OAKVILLE BEAVER TIMELESS BEAUTY: Lesha Kokosky is holding a show called Timeless at Sovereign House, 7 West River St. in Bronte. The show will be open to the public Oct. 4, 5, 8, 11 and 12 from 1 to 4 p.m. An opening reception will be held Oct. 4 from 1 to 4 p.m. Kokosky said she is painting on a fairly large scale, incorporating compositions of figures, landscapes and still life in oil on canvas. The compositions centre on creating moods of stillness and calm, featuring traditional images, such as the reclining female figure, the young woman at the seaside, the girls in the secret garden and the vase of sunflowers. is something that is really important to me." Raitt regularly performs sketch comedy and improv throughout the Greater Toronto Area. He also teaches comedic skills through his association with The Second City, but said he is hoping to focus more on writing the next while. He said he has ideas for a novel and several plays that he'd like to get down on paper. "I've been working in sketch comedy for my entire career, so I'm looking now to do something that's a little more long form," he said. "I want to enter into a more focused writing phase, where I'm going to try to produce a project that's a little more unified in terms of subject material. I'm wanting to challenge myself to tell longer stories." See Comedian page 26