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www.insideHALTON.com · OAKVILLE BEAVER Wednesday, December 19, 2012 · 18 Aladdin pantomime hits stage By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Artscene book launch: Oakville author Melodie Campbell (facing camera) recently launched her latest novel, The Goddaughter, at a Hamilton library. The proceeds from the day's sales were donated to the Hamilton Literacy Council. The Goddaughter is a short novel meant to be read in one sitting and is published by Orca Book Publishers as part of its Rapid Reads series. submitted photo The people who brought the Cinderella pantomime to Oakville last year are now bringing their Aladdin show to a local stage. However, the Oakville-based company, Zeus Entertainment, will perform this new pantomime at the Burlington Performing Arts Centre. The show opens on Friday (Dec. 21). The Aladdin pantomime was written by Zeus Entertainment founder and Oakville resident Rikki Wright. The show features a host of whacky characters, from the hero, Aladdin, to the princess and the evil Grand Vizier. During last year's Cinderella run, the pantomime company gave away 1,000 tickets to local charities such as Big Brothers Big Sisters, United Way, Salvation Army, YMCA and others. This year, the company is asking local businesses to buy tickets for these charities and every seat given away will be matched by Zeus Entertainment, thus doubling the number of ticket giveaways. "By providing tickets to these charities, who support the less fortunate members of our community we provided some much needed relief and respite during a season where fun and laughter is not always readily available," said Wright in a news release. Wright, who immigrated from the U.K., started the company a year ago after realizing there were few affordable options for families to see pantomime shows, something he grew up experiencing as a child in Yorkshire. Pantomime should not be confused with mime. Pantomime is a noisy form of theatre and performers often interact with the audience and the children in the audience are encouraged to interact back. The centre is located at 440 Locust St. The show runs Dec. 21-23 and Dec. 28-30 with a mix of performances at 2 and 7 p.m. Tickets cost $29-$39. For tickets, visit www. burlingtonpac.ca. Melodie Campbell releases quick-read crime novel By Dominik Kurek OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF Oakville's Melodie Campbell has been teaching fiction writing for two decades and has been practicing the art even before that. She's the executive director of Crime Writers of Canada, has written a humour column and wrote stand-up comedy. Writing, you could say, is in her blood. And, she's passionate about literacy too. So, it's no wonder her latest book, The Goddaughter, should be used to improve people's reading abilities. "I feel very strongly about literacy," she said. "Some 20 per cent of our born-in-Canada Canadians are functionally illiterate, let alone all our new Canadians, who are just trying to learn English. This is a cause we really need to support and that's why I love writing these books." The Goddaughter is a comedy caper (crime). It was published by Orca Book Publishers as part of its Rapid Reads series. Rapid Reads books are relatively short, and easy to read. They're told through a linear storyline and feature a lot of action and a lot of story. They're the types of novels people would read on a flight and are frequently used in classes for adult English language learners. Campbell launched the book at a public library in Hamilton in early November and proceeds from that day's sales were donated to the Hamilton Literacy Council. The story is about a young gemologist who is the goddaughter of a local mob boss. Despite her efforts not to get involved in the family business, she gets pulled into a jewel smuggling operation. She ends up smuggling jewels in the heel of her shoe across the border into Canada, but then the jewels get stolen and a cross-county chase ensues. "Quite often what's happening is she's getting pulled in to bail the mob out when something goes wrong. But then I always play to the fact that if you're writing comedy, you look for the worst thing that can happen next and that's what happens," said Campbell, a Creative Writing instructor at Sheridan College. Campbell was approached by Orca to write the book. She was already looking to write a Janet Evanovich-type of book so she began communicating with the publisher back and forth, eventually providing them with a book premise, then a few chapters and then the book itself. She said writing a book by a publisher request put a lot of pressure on her, as she didn't know they were going to accept it until it was nearly complete. "I knew that if they didn't take it, there really isn't a heck of a lot of market out there for this sort of book. I would have to expand it. And sales always determine if they'll take your second book," she said. She's already completed the sequel to this novel, the next one being titled The Goddaughter Gets Revenge. She has two more books on the go. The Goddaughter is her third novel, after she's published Rowena Through the Wall and A Purse to Die For. The book is available at a variety of major retailers and at www.rapid-reads.com. For more information about the author, visit www.melodiecampbell.com. Jessica Anderson wins Tarragon Theatre emerging playwrights competition Oakville native Jessica Anderson won the RBC Tarragon Emerging Playwrights Competition. She picked up the award for her play The Gods and Calvin Brewer. The play is about 17-year-old Calvin who creates a world that balances epic mythology and reality in order to communicate with his mother, a former classics professor struggling with mental illness. The win nets Anderson a cash prize of $3,000 and a year's worth of training in dramatic composition with Tarragon Theatre, followed by a presentation during Tarragon Theatre's Play Reading Week in November 2013. The contest was hosted by the Tarragon Theatre and the RBC Foundation. Anderson, who now lives in Ottawa, is a playwright and arts administrator. Jessica Anderson