Theatre Across Canada
This section features a full account of my national theatre research trip, June-July 2008. I travelled to Vancouver by plane for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival in June, then I took the train to Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Stratford over the course of 5 weeks. If you are interested in reading about my travels, I recommend starting from the beginning (at the bottom of the page) and working your way up. If you have any questions about my findings, which I plan to use when I start writing my Masters thesis, please feel free to email me directly at ruano.jessica@gmail.com. Thanks!
July 9, 2008
Final Words
And I suppose that’s everything! The end of my cross-Canada journey. I have yet to revisit my notes and come up with a revolutionary masters thesis, but that will come. Right now I’m looking forward to getting back into the swing of things in Ottawa and enjoying my summer!
But here’s a piece of advice: if you have the means (I’d strongly suggest Couch Surfing to help with financial burdens) and the will and the time, it is so worth visiting other cities in Canada. I love living in Ottawa, but I found it so beneficial visiting other cities and finding out what makes their theatre scenes unique. It was fascinating to discover what cities have in common, what makes interesting theatre, what makes audiences tick, and what we have to do to improve our theatre scene. I was inspired by the creativity from Vancouver theatre companies, their interest in collective creation and site-specific theatre; by the focus on community improvement and connectivity in the Edmonton theatres; by the appreciation for local artists in the Winnipeg community; by the determination of independent festivals in Toronto; and by the degree of excellence at the Stratford Festival.
I’m hoping to do some more traveling next year, but until then I am very happy to be back at home!
(By the way, that picture is of my parents with the big bear from the chocolate shop in Stratford)
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July 8, 2008
The Stratford Shakespeare Festival
I love Stratford, Ontario. In fact, one of my goals for this visit was to convince my parents how wonderful it is so that they would decide to retire here eventually, and I could come visit them — partly for the purpose of their lovely company, and partly to see all the fabulous theatre and walk along the fabulous river and hit up all the fabulous shops. Hey, maybe I’ll retire here! Or work here, if anyone’s hiring in the next few years…
I had visited Stratford with my sister once before, and my mum once before. But this was my dad’s first time in this lovely city. You see, he was asked to give a lecture about Fuente Ovejuna (a heart-wrenching, yet incredibly funny play by Lope de Vega from the Spanish Golden Age, around the time of Shakespeare) at the festival right before a matinee performance. He was joined by four of the actors from the production, including the spectacular Seana McKenna, and they all seemed surprised and impressed by his findings.
Anyway, for that reason, the university paid for my family to stay in this lovely cottage right on the river and see Fuente Ovejuna. We also purchased tickets to two Shakespeare plays: Hamlet starring Ben Carlson, and All’s Well That Ends Well.
Before I start on my theatre reviews, I did promise a food review of Pazzo’s restaurant. That’s where my family went on our first night in Stratford. First let me explain that I have gone to Pazzo’s for my every visit (5 and counting) to the city, and I have always loved their hidden away basement with fabulous gourmet pizzas. By my family wanted to try the main floor dining, which has an entirely different menu – a bit fancier, a bit pricier. Apparently this was the wrong choice. My dad submitted a review (under the pseudonym “Guiseppe”) to this website, and I think it says it all…
Swimming in virgin oil with sharks
Review by Giuseppe on 07/04/08.
4 diners, $26 – $60 per person, Visit again? No
Order: Fish, pasta, bruschetta
Review: This is the most pretentious and badly run restaurant I have ever been to. They seem to think that the secret of Italian cooking is to sink the food in virgin oil and load it up with big pieces of garlic, presumably to prevent it from surfacing. This is the first time I have felt nauseous in a restaurant, and this after eating only about a third of an defrosted, oily fish dripping with virgin oil which I was unable to finish. My wife had to hang her pieces of pasta up to dry in the fork before eating them. They and specially their pretentious chef are in dire need of a visit from Chef Ramsey, who would probably fire the whole lot and turn the place into a dry goods store. And to top it all, they have the gall to overprice the food: $29 plus tax plus tip for my defrosted piece of oily fish with six small pieces of zucchini and a wet and shaggy piece of lettuce!
OUCH! But very true. The moral of the story is: skip the schmoozey upstairs lounge, and head down to the good old fashioned pizzeria. Now let’s talk theatre!
All’s Well That Ends Well
I was looking forward to this first Shakespeare play for a few reasons. Like Measure for Measure, it has been classified as one of the Bard’s “problem plays” which means it’s technically a comedy because it ends in marriage, but it’s sort of bittersweet and uncomfortable and usually involves sexual immorality. Also, it is rarely performed because it is a difficult play and did not have the same popularity as his other comedies. Most importantly, it stars Canadian stage veterans Martha Henry, Fiona Reid, and Stephen Ouimette. I was excited!
Briefly, the play is about a lovely young lady named Helena who cures the King of his sickness, and in return she is permitted to choose any husband of her liking. She chooses Bertram, a young lord, who is horrified because she is lower in rank than he. After they are married, he abandons her to fight in the war and will return only if she succeeds in becoming pregnant with his child – which he believes will never happen, considering he doesn’t plan to consummate the marriage. One bed trick later, Helena succeeds in securing her husband and they live… relatively happily ever after.
Directed by Marti Maraden, the production starts out a little slowly because there’s a lot of exposition to work through. I think the man beside me was sleeping actually – and this was a matinée… But things picked up a whole lot in the second act when the comedy started happening. The supporting cast was excellent! The best scene by far was when a group of soldiers play a trick on the pompous Parolles (the hilarious Juan Chioran) by blind-folding him and pretending to be members of a foreign camp looking for secret information. The comic timing was bang-on. Outside of that scene, there were still some beautifully simple lines delivered in just the write tone. I’ll never forget Ouimette’s joyful tears at the finale as he said “My eyes smell onions!”
Unfortunately the production was brought down significantly by the two “romantic” leads. Jeff Lillico as Bertram spoke in a monotonously presentational voice and always sounded like he was speaking a speech rather than playing a part. But I almost felt sorry for his character having to deal with the likes of Helena, as interpreted by Daniela Vlaskalic. Much of the play rests on the notion that Helena is a like-able characters, but the actress plays her as self-important, self-obsessed, selfish, conniving, and irritating. Like her co-actor, I felt she was not listening to the other actors onstage, and she punctuated her lines far too much without even making them easier to understand. Perhaps the objective her was to make Bertram a more sympathetic character, but that did not come across very strongly.
Hamlet
I was going to skip out on this one at first because I’d already seen Hamlet done a few times onstage, including a clown version by the Company of Fools. But then I heard that Ben Carlson performance in the lead was revolutionary, not to be missed, a true Shakespearean performance, a masterpiece – and I thought: Eh, why not.
WOW. This man was made for the theatre. Even my mother, who is admittedly “not a Shakespeare person” understood every single word that came out of his mouth because he was so clear. He understood the text perfectly and knew how to express it. Not only that, he also delivered a very unique performance because he (or at least the director, Adrian Noble) seemed to interpret the character quite differently than other productions I’ve seen. Most of the time Hamlet is described as thoughtful, pensive, brooding, all in his head. But Carlson’s Hamlet delivered his soliloquies in a RAGE. He ranted and raved and tore out his hair. He was furious at himself for his inaction and showed this to the audience in a very physical way. But it didn’t feel like overacting; it felt truthful and exciting. The huge Festival Theatre stage was all for him, which gave the actor a strong focus and really emphasized Hamlet’s isolation. When he was around the other characters, though, he became almost a comic, a ring leader, controlling the action and charming everyone around him. Only when he was alone could the audience realize his burning frustration.
Adrienne Gould as Ophelia also delivers a lovely performance, and is especially moving in her final scene as, instead of actual flowers, she hands around the gifts that Hamlet had given her, revealing that their relationship was once very tender.
As for the rest of the production, the director made a few strange choices. The scene with the ghost was a touch overdone with a few too many lighting effects and dramatic voice overs. The “To be or not to be” scene was set (it seemed…) in the vicinity of Ophelia’s bedroom! When he finishes the soliloquy, he immediately perceives her sitting on her bed. I found this ridiculous because it is clearly stated in the previous scene that he is supposed to be strolling in a corridor where he often walks. Another scene was set in an outdoor veranda, and the busy barista was a little distracting. Also, I felt the blocking was focused towards the centered seats and us folks on the side were left out — and I’ve seen shows on this thrust stage where the director ensures that does not happen.
Fuente Ovejuna
After the success of this production, I hope the Stratford Festival takes a hint and starts programming more Spanish plays. What a powerful and moving play! It was clear from the performances that the actors were benefiting so much from the gorgeous language (even in translation), the complex characters, and the fast-paced storyline. Theatre from Golden Age Spain is a rare treat for actors, but mostly unknown to Canadian audiences. I think the only other Spanish play I’ve seen in Canada was a university production of Lorca’s La Casa de Bernarda Alba. Usually the French Moliere or the Italian commedia dell’arte take precedence when companies choose to do work in translation. But Spanish theatre is something quite different, and very rich.
This particular play is by Lope de Vega, who was reputed to have written hundreds of plays and, unlike Shakespeare, he signed many of them. It explores the plight of this one town whose people are ruled over by a selfish and lecherous commendador. The people were once peaceful and joyous, but once pushed too far – and inspired by a desperate and powerful speech by young Laurencia – they rebel as a community against the offender.
This brand new adaption was written by Laurence Boswell, who also directs the show. Usually I have a problem with writers directing their own work, but Boswell is so adept at both disciplines that it didn’t limit the final product in the slightest. He understands the relationships between characters; he understands the dynamic of the village and the Spanish values of the time; he knows how to BLOCK (a talent that is grossly underrated); and he keeps the show moving at an exciting pace. He also made a nice addition to the original script when, near the end of the show, members of the village return from torturous questioning: they succeeded in holding their ground and are victorious. The effect of seeing old men, young children, beautiful women badly beaten and still with a feeling of triumph was just so emotional.
There were some amazing performances by Jonathan Goad as young lover Frondoso, Scott Wentworth as Fernan Gomez the commendador, Robert Persichini as the comical Mengo, and James Blendick as the major Esteban. But the number one reason to see this production is to experience a tremendous performance by young actress Sara Topham as Laurencia. Her immense journey from a witty youth to a furious woman of war is so striking. And that very famous speech of hers is done with such power it gave me chills for some time afterwards. Like Shakespeare’s Rosalind, this is one of the great female characters of Renaissance theatre, and Topham gives it full force.
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July 6, 2008
I was only in Toronto for the very first day of the festival, but like any dedicated Fringe-r, I made good use of my time by seeing two shows that evening and then hitting up the opening night party. And boy, am I glad I did!
The first show I saw was Ladylike, written and directed by Sky Gilbert, performed by celebrated Canadian transsexual Nina Arsenault. I had seen another play by Gilbert called “Theatre Life” from Toto Too Theatre last August. While the queer subject matter would have been quite risky in its time, I found the script a little simple and without too much matter or art. Still I was curious to see what else this acclaimed playwright would come up with. Ladylike consists mainly of a multi-layered narrative from a self-absorbed transsexual who loves being pretty and being adored. Once in awhile her boyfriend comes in for a nibble, but leaves quickly when he gets nervous about her ambiguous physicality. At the risk of being blunt (ah, what the hell – the script certainly is!), the performer here is no great actress. I have no doubt that she was typecast, and I would not be surprised if the role was written for her to perform. In the first place, her nervous performance mannerisms were easy to spot, and her diction left something to be desired. Also she had no idea how to improvise when interacting with her audience! On a personal note, I was rather annoyed when she accused me of plucking my eyebrows. Totally not true!
As for the script, it certainly had some special moments when pointing out some very perceptive things about human nature. Like the Bouffon, Gilbert knows what people are afraid of, and he knows how to make us recognize that fear in ourselves. That bit about people living in a fantasy only because they are denying the inevitability of death gave me shivers. He also made some decent arguments in favour of plastic surgery. Whether or not you agree with Gilbert’s ideas, he certainly knows how to get a discussion rolling. However, beyond the subject matter, I had major issues with the nonsensical nature of this play. While I think it’s just peachy that this character considers herself so pretty, what on earth does she do for a living? Does she actually leave her fancy little abode, or does she just lie on her chaise longue all day humming “I feel pretty”? Is she a prostitute, a lounge singer, a public speaker? Considering the play approaches just about every single issue under the sun, why not discuss some of the more practical issues a transsexual might face, such as dealing with the workplace environment? Now that would have been interesting. Also, I totally didn’t believe that such an airhead personality would know anything about James Joyce or Yeats. That was clearly just the playwright showing off a small dose of poetic trivia.
Lupe: Undone took place on Honest Ed’s dock (named after the late-great Ed Mirvish), which was appropriate because the show involved a love affair between the saucy Spanish Chiquita and her darling David Mirvish. Directed by Adam Lazarus (one of the producers of the Toronto Festival for Clowns) and performed by Melissa D’Agostino this was perhaps the best one-woman show I have ever seen. And I felt I deserved this treat because I have seen several painful ones. But this actress is talented and smart and insightful and she loves chatting with the audience. And she listens to the audience! What an important thing.
Let’s see if I can expand on the delight that is Lupe. She entered the scene wearing sexy lingerie and one of those eye covers that help people sleep. Unbeknown to her, an entire audience was watching her laugh-out-loud bedroom dance to Latin beats. When she realized who was laughing at her, Lupe threw a fit and explained to us that we were interrupting her date with David Mirvish (a married man, by the way), who was supposed to arrive any moment. He didn’t arrive, so Lupe did her best to be a good hostess to all of us by serving chips and salsa and then sharing her life story. We quickly find out that Lupe has fled the revolution (and her sketchy husband) for Canada and now works selling theatre tickets and stuffing mattresses.
For the full Lupe experience, you really have to see this spectacular comedy. But if you can’t make it to the Toronto Fringe Festival, check out this Youtube video from the Lupe Show where she interviews the mayor of Toronto. It’s priceless!
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July 6, 2008
Day 2
On Sunday I was pumped for Day 2 of the Clown Festival. It was comforting to see many familiar faces from the day before. I had met a group of clowns from Saskatoon and looked forward to seeing their show, We Is Blunderstruck that evening. Unfortunately they had a very small audience – maybe 15 people total, including one girl from their hometown – perhaps because they were new to Toronto and hadn’t had the proper local buzz. But for whatever reason, the energy was really low for that particular performance.
Just to give you some context, the play is about a trio of clowns in a rock band who have been asked to play at a deceased fan’s funeral. As it happens, the priest manages not to show up, so the clowns have to take over and run the whole thing. Hilarity ensues, etcetera, etcetera. It’s a super cute premise, but sort of loses steam once the joke is established. The clowns play their opening song, and then they each deliver their own “genesis” version of rock music and play various classic songs with a goofy twist. Evidently these performers are relatively skilled musicians, but their clowning needs a bit of work. I could see they were trying hard to get laughs from the audience (for example, mistaking words like “eulogy” for “you’re ugly”), but the audience just wasn’t responding. But they were really bang-on when they started incorporating some physical comedy near the end by accidentally knocking over the urn contained all the ashes of the deceased, and then trying desperately to clean it up, spilling portions of it over members of the audience in the process. Now that was funny! With a little workshopping and some honest feedback from various audiences, the members of this clown group could easily take the hilarious moments in this show and develop it into a much more sophisticated production.
Next up was a show I’d heard a lot about from Why Not Theatre, a company whose members live in different places around the world and met at Le Coq School for physical theatre. This production called Tools is all about clowns trying to figure out how to make IKEA furniture. And I certainly hope they got IKEA to sponsor them because this show made me want to go shopping immediately! See, the thing I love about clowns is – no matter what they’re doing, no matter how menial the task – they always have so much fun doing it. And the audience has so much fun watching them. That’s the beauty of clownish innocence. Beyond the sharp show idea, these skilled performers sure knew how to make the audience tick. They managed to incorporate a great deal of physical humour as they somersaulted over each other across the stage, played tug of war games with a hallway carpet, and fought over construction tools. They also worked in a battle of the sexes (of course the girl clown always wins!), a competition to see who could finish their side of the shelves fastest, and a fabulous – though perhaps a little out of place – dance-off. In addition, they took us on a multi-lingual trip when they switched back and forth between various languages trying to figure out the IKEA instructions. With the minimal dialogue in this play, it could easily be performed for a variety of audiences around the world. Or at least wherever IKEA furniture is sold.
The superb end to the evening was the Bouffon Show featuring a bunch of gorgeously grotesque characters. I wrote an essay last semester on the art of Bouffon, based on a performance of Richard III by the Company of Fools, so I felt I appreciated the art form a great deal more with that knowledge as background. From what I understand, the key to Bouffon is to develop a character based on what everyone is afraid of: ugly people, old people, fat people, pregnant flirtatious adolescents, Paris Hilton, gym teachers with saggy breasts, stupid people, religious people… You get the idea. One of the more memorable characters was a little crippled Girl Guide who showed off her badges, each one awarded for “good Christian” deeds, such as (and I’m paraphrasing very loosely) giving an atheist bad directions, burning down a synagogue, or giving money to support the neo-Nazis. It was so uncomfortable watching these characters appear onstage, introducing themselves to the audience, telling their stories, amusing us, frightening us, and finally leaving us with something to think about. It was uncomfortable, and yet strangely appealing. We delight in our disgust for them. Moreover, we recognize them as familiar faces in our lives. That’s the most frightening aspect of all.
The Toronto Festival of Clowns returns next year: www.torontoclown.com
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July 6, 2008
Interlude
Hi there! Just a quick note to say that I haven’t been updating in awhile due to an annoying illness that crept up on me recently. Very unfortunate, though, as my mother pointed out, not at all surprising. After a month of traveling, one does eventually get worn down.
Anyhow, this is my last day in Stratford, which means I return home to Ottawa this evening! My travels now are ended. (Also not surprising that I’m alluding to Shakespeare’s text…) I’m looking forward to returning home to begin work once again, check out the Blues Festival, and see all my wonderful Ottawa companions. I’ve missed them.
But I’m not abandoning this travel account just yet. As soon as I have a moment, I am going to complete a few entries, as follows:
- The Toronto Festival of Clowns: Day 2
- The Toronto Fringe: commentaries on “Ladylike” and “Lupe: Undone”
- The Stratford Festival: food review of Pazzo’s (upstairs and downstairs) + commentaries on “All’s Well That Ends Well,” “Hamlet,” and “Fuente Ovejuna”
- Brief Wrap Up on my Cross-Canada travels
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July 2, 2008
DAY 1
When I told people I was visiting Toronto for a Clown Festival, the #1 reaction was this look of abject horror because of the recipient inability to understand why on earth I would want to do such a thing. Really, though, this is becoming ridiculous: why are people so afraid of clowns? Is it simply one too many experiences with the Stephen King horror flick? Perhaps a bad episode with a birthday clown as a child? Whatever the reason, I think these fears are completely unfounded when it comes to seeing clowns in the theatre. They are nothing like birthday clowns! In fact, the red nose is just another way of getting into character. It’s like wearing a mask, or a costume. Some clowns don’t even use the red nose.
After attending this festival, I’ve been debating what exactly constitutes a clown. The content was so diverse that I wondered if there are any boundaries when it comes to clowning. Is it determined by the amount of physical humour? by the interaction with the audience? by the satirical nature of the form? There are so many different elements that it is difficult to pin down. Let me describe some of what I experienced at the festival, and you’ll have a better idea of what I mean.
Over the course of two days, I had the opportunity to see three of the four mainstage shows (the other was Theatrophy’s production of Moribund, which I had already enjoyed a few months back in Ottawa) as well as the Lunacy Cabaret and an evening of Bouffon.
The festival took place in this lovely little studio called the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement, right near Queen Street and Dufferin, that consisted of a spacious lobby and a hidden-away theatre space. Scattered about the room were performers (of course not wearing the red noses during the intermission) and their various fans wanting to chat with them after the first show. I was greeted by the friendly volunteers and given a ticket for the second show of the evening, Zdenka Now! I wish there had been a full program available because I love reading the artists’ bios and production information right before the show. I’m sure this must have been missing for financial reasons, but I sure hope they can bring one in next year.
The first show was a ton of fun, if a touch unfinished. The performer is Precious Chong (killer name, eh?) and she interprets a bunch of different characters. One works in an LCBO; another is married to a composer with severe memory loss; another is a GM spokesperson who longs for her lesbian lover from her adolescence; another is a Native Canadian teenager with attitude, and another is Zdenka, a recent immigrant from former Yugoslavia. Precious has trained and is directed by Adam Lazarus, who has a real sense of how to develop a (in this case, noseless) clown character. All her characters, despite their somewhat brief appearances onstage are well fleshed out, and we grow to adore them immediately.
I could tell she had a lot of fans and classmates in the audience because people were calling out names of characters before they had even been introduced. But even for a new-comer like me, the show certainly had its strong points. She incorporates wild costumes, select props, plenty of audience participation (one guy from the audience gets advice on what to do when he “can’t get it up”), and video screenings.
The show does not follow any sort of continuous storyline. In fact, you are pretty much starting over with every new character. I can’t quite figure out if this is a flaw in the production, or actually what makes it unique. But I felt that the director-actor duo were aiming for some sort of link between the characters because they were all connected by they yearning to travel, or their memories of traveling. I thought that could have been highlighted a bit more. Perhaps the show could use a bit more workshopping, but these are some solid characters.
I stuck around afterwards for the Lunacy Cabaret which was hosted by Sketchy the Clown (the first actual clown nose of the evening!) and the Moon, who was taken advantage of sexually once or twice over the course of the evening. Unlike a regular performance (but very much like any cabaret) audience participation was highly encouraged. People not only laughed and jeered, but also shouted things out – at which point the performers would respond appropriately. These people are the masters of improvisation. They know how to deal with rowdy audience members and they know how to win an argument – no matter what. Because they can always think up something funnier. Not all the acts here were strictly clown: we also had a bit of Vaudeville, a bit of sketch comedy, and a bit of (I kid you not) 9-11 the Musical, which I must say was absolutely brilliant. As far as clowning goes, I think one of my favourite acts was between two prepubescent girl clowns, one of whom is trying to sort out her feelings for her special stuffed Peabody, and the other who is terrified when she finds “blood coming out from her crotch!” And of course it is impossible to forget the amazing clown STRIPTEASE by the one and only Cupcake (see photo left), a no-nonsense madam with a strong Brooklyn accent. That was just about the weirdest, sexiest thing I have ever seen.
To be continued: We is Blunderstruck, Tools, and the Bouffon Show.
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June 30, 2008
One crazy weekend in Toronto…
After a long and exhausting train ride, I arrived in Toronto at approximately midnight on Friday. I was exhilarated to have arrived in the big city and immediately went out for a night of jazz on the town with my friend Eric (see photo at left), who is graciously allowing me to stay in his swanky downtown apartment. It was rather marvelous to be interacting face-to-face with someone I finally knew. Meeting new people is fabulous, but sometimes you just want to see that familiar face. And I’ve been seeing plenty of them! Also in Toronto this weekend were my friends Jeremy, Stas, and Lauryn who were checking out Pride Toronto. Yesterday I spent some time with my high school friend Kris, who is now a totally professional photographer. I found her (and her camera equipment) very inspiring.
Tonight Eric and I are hosting a party, and we’ve invited all the clowns, queers, and questionable characters we could find. It should be very exciting. Tomorrow I’m checking out some Canada Day festivities. And on Wednesday I’m visiting with Tarragon Theatre’s literary manager, Andrea Romaldi, and potentially seeing a show or two.
But right now I’d like to recount/share some pictures of my adventures this weekend at Pride Toronto and the Toronto Festival of Clowns. These are two festivals you won’t want to miss next time you’re visiting the big T.O.
According to one of my friends, Pride Toronto is the second biggest Pride Festival in the world next to San Francisco. I’m not sure if that means number of events, or number of attendees, or simply the overall awesomeness of the festival, but I can tell you it’s pretty darn huge. (Oh shoot, I’m already starting to use vaguely naughty expressions… don’t mind me… I’m just feeling overly Freudian these days.)
Anyway, I only arrived in Toronto in time for the weekend festivities, namely the Dyke March on Saturday and the gigantic Pride Parade on Sunday. Needless to say, I took lots of photos. I also managed to pull the “I’m with the press” card (well, I am!) and get front row viewing at the Melanie C concert. That’s right, folks, I was a mere three feet away from little miss Sporty Spice herself. Although when someone shouted out that nickname during the concert, she spat back: “Sorry, wrong show!”
Not much else to say, other than that I had a fantastic time meeting up with friends, snapping photos, and enjoying all the rainbows. Actually I have one other thing: I actually got a tiny bit choked up when I saw a family (father, mother, and son) marching in the parade and the father was holding up a sign that said “I love my gay son.” I thought that was the sweetest darn thing ever. For some queer kids with less supportive parents, that could have been very inspirational. I think the Pride Parade is less about the outrageous costumes and nudity (though that is a fun part of it…) and more about the simple plea for acceptance and tolerance, which is an incredibly important idea in any respect.
Stay tuned for my account of the Toronto Festival of Clowns…
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June 26, 2008
Toronto, here I come! (Miss you already, Winnipeg…)
Today I’m getting psyched up for my longest train ride yet: 32 hours. That’s right. There’d better be more playing cards and alcohol. But of course I’ll spend some time updating this website, adding photos, and typing up notes from my wonderful Winnipeg interviews.
My brief experience in Winnipeg has been unbelievable. And not just because of the fabulous weather. It immediately reminded me of Ottawa: the pretty little city with plenty to see. And everyone is so friendly! Whenever I asked for directions, I would be given a choice between the quickest route and the scenic route, plus a few extra hints on how best to enjoy my time here. I’ve already mentioned that my Winnipeg host, Rebecca, gave me a top-notch driving tour around the city. But not only that, she also found time to hit up a Shakespeare play (Shakespeare in the Ruins The Taming of the Shrew — review coming soon) and Jazz Festival, as well as taking me out for sushi and Argentinian gelato. All that in a day and a half! I’m really going to miss having her as a near-by friend… but hopefully we’ll both get around to traveling some more.
While Rebecca was at work, I went to visit the Prairie Exchange Theatre … in a mall! That’s right, Ottawa artists, this Winnipeg theatre has found its place right beside the IMAX and directly above Ardene, Starbucks, and Booster Juice. Is theatre selling its soul to commercialism, or was this a supremely smart marketing move? Either way, this theatre seems like a fabulous place to work. The office space is roomy and open and the staff incredibly friendly. I was greeted by Allison Langridge, the marketing director, who showed me around the entire theatre, onstage and backstage. Just that morning she had managed to set me up a meeting with James Durham, one of the many playwrights in residence at this theatre. Him and I sat outside for a couple of hours and talked about theatre. It was amazing. He made me love Winnipeg even more. It seems that the city has really found its niche in theatre. The writers and creators write about their city, and it makes their work unique and memorable around the world. No matter where you’re from, it seems that specificity inspires a sense of familiarity. Also, I totally plan on directing this play he wrote — that is, if he remembers to send me the script!
This morning I’m meeting briefly with the Manitoba Theatre for Young People, just before I catch my train. Stay tuned for news about the Toronto Pride Festival, the Toronto Clown Festival, and the Toronto Fringe Festival!
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June 25, 2008
Visiting Saskatoon
Time for a quick update from your friendly neighbourhood traveler! I wonder if that is a contradictory title…
Since my last write-up I have already experienced two beautiful cities in western/central Canada. After my horrific train ride experience (by the way, since the train was over 12 hours late, I get a free ride next time I travel… I have a feeling these delays occur often) I arrived in sunny Saskatoon, greeted by my lovely host Gina. I was superbly impressed by her gorgeous apartment, filled with paintings and classy decor, the bathroom and kitchen neatly organized into small compartments. My dream home!
I’d like to pause for a moment and point out how incredibly lucky I’ve been with my hosts. In case I haven’t mentioned this before, I registered with this online community called Couch Surfing where you can look up people in any city anywhere in the world and find a couch on which to crash for a few days – entirely for free! Of course it’s always appreciated when the guest chips in for groceries and the like, but it is still much cheaper than staying in a hotel. And much friendlier. The people I’ve been staying with in various cities have shown me around town (last night I was taken on a meticulous car ride tour through Winnipeg), invited me out with their friends, and provided me with maps and keys to their apartments so I can be as independent as I like.
At first I was a little wary of this website because meeting people online can often prove a sketchy experience. But the couch-surfers on this website are good people. Often they just want to meet other travelers and travel themselves. I would entirely recommend it to anyone who enjoys journeying around the world.
Back to Saskatoon… thanks to my train’s delay, I had only one full day to explore the city. I spoke briefly with some administrative members of 25th Street Theatre (who run the Saskatoon Fringe Festival) and from Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. I had some time to spare before my meeting with Persephone Theatre (I had such a hard time not blurting out that my bike has the same name as their theatre company…) so I took a walk down by the beautiful river and took some goofy mermaid photos of myself on the rocks. Then I went to check out the Jazz Festival in a quaint little park. Yes, I used the word “quaint.” That’s probably the word I would use for this entire city. It
is sweet. It is friendly enough. But the downtown area was definitely not enough to hold my interest. It was a lovely day outside, but I could not find one outdoor patio in the downtown core! I even asked around! That being said, I spoke with the Youth Director of Persephone Theatre and they seem to have a large theatre-going audience in Saskatoon. There are also a number of independent theatre companies who band together to create their own subscription season (much like Vancouver). I wish I could have met with more of these companies to discover more of the alternative side of Saskatoon, but alas my time was so short…
Persephone Theatre
Saskatoon Jazz Festival
More news on my Winnipeg adventures coming soon!
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June 22, 2008
Sleeping in the Edmonton train station
I remember when I first told my mother I would be couch surfing across Canada, she was concerned not only for my safety, but for my comfort. Being accustomed to the luxuries of a snug bed and homemade quilt, would I be able to doze off in someone else’s strange and unfamiliar sofa? Little did she know that one night I would be sleeping on the hard and dusty floor of the Edmonton train station…
My train was supposed to leave yesterday evening at approximately 6:20pm. Unfortunately, there had been a freight train accident on the route from Vancouver – no one was hurt, but everything had to be cleared off the tracks before the train with passengers waiting safely behind could pass through. The train would be an hour late. I was a little grumpy seeing as I was already going to be arriving in Saskatoon after midnight. Plus I had slept a total of three hours the night before, and I had been hoping to take a quick nap on the train. But I was comforted by the fact that the train station had wireless internet and I busied myself with the appropriate online time wasters, namely Facebook and msn messenger. I also let my Saskatoon host, Gina, know I’d be a little later than I’d planned.
A little while later, the train station contact announced that the train would be probably arriving at 11pm. At that moment, I temporarily lost access to my internet connection. I began chatting with this Rasta hippie sitting next to me. We discussed philosophy, vegetarianism, our adventures in Edmonton (he was from Toronto), and our plans for the summer. Eventually we got our wireless back and amused ourselves with music videos, online quizzes, and misleading Christian fun-pages for children. Although he was good company, I was so bloody sleepy that I soon passed out on the floor with only my sweater for a pillow.
When I woke up maybe an hour later, the guy was chatting with his mother, so I went to join them and we continued to entertain ourselves with our life stories. We noticed that the train’s arrival had been pushed back to 2am. People were starting to return home with the intention of calling every hour to see when the train would be arriving. Those phone calls, by the way, drove me absolutely crazy-mad-outta-my-mind because the sing-song ring tone was obnoxious and loud and rang out every few minutes. Others (like me) had no other place to go and thought it wasn’t worth going anywhere seeing as the train would be arriving in a couple of hours anyway. So we stuck around. The people working at the train station went out to buy us pizza and donuts, and they were well stocked with orange juice, tea, and coffee. We took advantage of the refreshments. I realized that these employees must have been doing some major overtime. They were supposed to have gone home when the train was supposed to have arrived, but instead they stuck around to watch over us. And they were so cheerful about it and so helpful. It was truly admirable. I also remembered that there were people from Vancouver in that train, stranded somewhere in the Rockies, without even the opportunity to step outside for some fresh air.
But still it was exhausting having to wait for so long in that train station. It must have been especially exhausting for those people with small children demanding “Mommy, where is the train? Where is it?” It was like being marooned on some island. We had only a few supplies left; people were getting disgruntled and beginning to lose hope. Once again I fell asleep (and I use the term loosely – I think I was actually in this strange state of exhausted delirium that was nightmarish rather than rejuvenating) on the hard floor near my new friends, my survivors; but fortunately this time we had a couple of small pillows and thin blankets. I wished my hips weren’t so bony.
When I awoke for the second time, it was 7am and still the train had not arrived. However it had been announced over the intercom that it would be here in twenty minutes. I felt like screaming, “I don’t believe you! I don’t believe ANYTHING anymore!!!” But I thought that would be a little immature. Besides the kids were doing enough whining for all of us. Can you blame them?
We finally did board the train just before 8am. I immediately curled up on a two-seater and napped much more successfully. I’m still on the train right now, and I still have a couple more hours to go before I arrive at my destination.
And you know what, Mum? I’m really looking forward to that comfy, comfy couch!
Much love to all, especially my family.
I remain,
Your dedicated martyr for Canadian theatre research
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June 21, 2008
Last night out in Edmonton
Yes, I am riding a mechanical bull at the Cook County Saloon.
Now let us never speak of this again.
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June 20, 2008
Theatrical overload!!!
My mind is still buzzing from wide-ranging questions about national community, government funding, play development, touring possibilities. Ask a general question; get a very complex answer in return. My right hand is sore from scribbling almost illegible notes in my little memo book, trying desperately to capture the brilliant words flowing from each and every artistic director, managing producer, and creator. Every time I think I’ve heard the most wonderful and revolutionary turn of phrase, suddenly someone else will surprise me with something entirely different. Where is all this coming from, and why haven’t I heard it all before?
There is something about sitting down for lunch, or even a strawberry-kiwi juice box, with someone for an hour or so to have a conversation about their work in the theatre. No matter how detailed the website, or how accessible the email correspondence, there is nothing like sitting face-to-face and getting direct answers about what theatre is, what it should be, and what we can do about it.
Over the past two days, I met with three Edmonton artists: Bradley Moss, Artistic Director of Theatre Network at the Roxy; Eva Cairn, Managing Producer of Catalyst Theatre, and John Hudson, Artistic Director of Shadow Theatre in the Varscona building. All three provided very different perspectives on their theatre community and how they interact with other companies on a local and national scale.
When I asked Eva about the potential for a national community, she pointed out that there are already several outlets available for artists to become more connected. Among others, we have the Magnetic North Theatre Festival, PACT (Professional Association of Canadian Theatres), the PuSh Festival, and Performance Creation Canada. Vancouver critic Jerry Wasserman noted something quite similar during the Compass Points panel at the Magnetic North, reminding us that we have a magazine called the Canadian Theatre Review that covers current developments in theatre across Canada. And how many artists actually take the time to read the thing? (Note to self – order a subscription).
Both Eva and Bradley concurred that there is very little exchange between theatre scenes, even between Edmonton and Calgary. With the physical distance many theatre communities become isolated if they don’t put effort into connecting with companies from other cities. Bradley also suggested that a few key cities, such as Montreal and Vancouver, are developing their own distinct style, and people are starting to notice and get excited. In addition, he made some interesting observations about the differences between Canadian theatre and American theatre, namely that Canada doesn’t have the same “star system” and plays are written differently – strong roles for the whole cast, instead of two starring roles and a bunch of supporting roles – for that reason.
There’s so much more to say! But I mustn’t give away all the secrets at once.
After these interviews I biked around scenic Whyte Avenue and Saskatchewan drive, snapping pictures of a few key sites. Edmonton really is a very pretty city. Tonight I’m going out to a country bar with the girls. I’ll let you know tomorrow if I survive the madness…
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June 19, 2008
Sharing first impressions
Taken directly from Simon Ogden’s Vancouver theatre blog, The Next Stage
In the line-up for Sandra Oh’s Celebrity Speakers appearance at Magnetic North the other week, I bumped into Emma Lancaster, the Festival’s wonderful and hardworking publicist. “Hey Simon”, she says to me while indicating the young lady she was talking to, “you should meet Jessica, you’re both theatre bloggers.” As if on cue, we both whipped out our respective blog-business cards (you call it nerdy, I call it smart business), and with promises to comment on each others’ sites, in we went to hear Sandra hold court about her charmed actressy life. Since that first meeting I saw Jessica pounding away on her laptop in the front row of every Mag North session or forum that I attended. Truly dedicated to the cause is she.
The proprietor of The Ottawa Arts Newsletter Jessica is also a publicist, arts journalist, photographer, drama coach, director, spoken word performer, and general arts enthusiast. She was kind enough to offer a visitor’s impression on our fair city.
My first impressions of Vancouver
[as told by some girl from Ottawa]
Well, it rains a lot. Oh wait…you wanted to hear about theatre? Fair enough. But I still stand by my opening. Lots of rain means Vancouver people would rather see theatre indoors instead of dealing with the weather outdoors. Or maybe they just embrace the wetness and buy umbrellas. Or maybe they just sit home on their couches instead. Okay, so maybe I don’t know much about the city’s theatre patrons, but I do know that Vancouver companies are producing some of the hippest work I’ve seen in awhile.
I was inspired to visit Vancouver when I heard the Magnetic North Theatre Festival would be taking over Granville Island from June 4-14th. I had attended the festival twice before in Ottawa (where I have lived and worked all my life), and absolutely loved the idea of a national festival celebrating the best of new Canadian theatre. I was also keen on professionally stalking the festival because – prior to two weeks ago – I had never before traveled west of Toronto and Stratford. This seemed like the ideal opportunity to become acquainted with the Vancouver theatre scene and get to know some of the artists involved.
This year’s Magnetic North included two full-length Vancouver productions: Kevin Loring’s Where the Blood Mixes, produced by the Playhouse Theatre Company and the Savage Society; and Studio 58’s student production of Townsville. Both productions brought their own unique west-coast edge to the festival, but the most exciting show I experienced during my week-and-a-half visit was a multi-dimensional, site-specific, collective creation, theatre extravaganza featuring 11 independent Vancouver companies. The show was HIVE2, and it was pretty darn awesome.
These theatre companies took over a warehouse on Great Northern Way Compass and were assigned spaces in which to create and perform a 5-15 minute piece of theatre influenced by the space. Site-specific theatre can have very fascinating results because often the script thrives creatively under spatial restrictions, and often it produces a more intrinsically connected final product. Since theatre spaces are so difficult to come across these days, it is becoming increasingly important for theatre artists to be more resourceful when it comes to producing their own work.
Three of the companies that took part in this project also offered an invaluable workshop about creating site-specific theatre in the most creative of outdoor spaces. Kendra Fanconi showed us around the Granville Island docks where she worked on a visually stimulating show from The Only Animal. The Electric Company’s Jonathan Young took us on a tour of the island where a Vancouver historical drama had been produced. Finally Jay Dodge of Boca del Lupo took us on a tram ride to Stanley Park, the site of a theatre extravaganza for family audiences where the company made use of the trails, the trees, and the atmosphere to inspire and form their work.
What I loved especially about HIVE2 and about this workshop was seeing how much these theatre companies respected one another. You could see they were proud of what had been achieved artistically by their fellow artists. That is partly because Vancouver has some major theatrical amalgamation going on. It seems that several of these companies have created shows together, or at the very least, have discussed their creative musings in a group. Last year The Only Animal and The Electric Company co-produced The One That Got Away, a show that took place in a swimming pool. With the two companies’ combined theatre experience and talent, the final product could not help but be truly spectacular. I also heard from a local critic about this subscription pass that you can pick up that includes many of the alternative theatres in Vancouver. An individual company may not have a full season like the Vancouver Playhouse, but since they have all joined together as a collective, there are now enough theatre productions to excite any potential subscriber. It also guarantees audiences a wide variety of shows from a number of diverse companies.
You can see that these companies are vehemently fighting for something new in theatre. They say; let us encourage new voices, new scripts, new ideas, new visuals, new technology, and new ways of surprising our blaze audiences. Let’s make our audiences smarter, keener, and more willing to interact, to make changes, to start thinking for themselves. The scenes I witnessed were not didactic or politically obvious, but rather offered an alternate perspective and left the audience with something to think about on the trip home. So many times I’ve seen theatre that left me feeling a little dry – but with these pieces I felt invigorated, hungry for more, keen on having discussions with friends afterwards. That’s precisely the kind of effect theatre should be having on its audiences. And I definitely think that Vancouver is on exactly the right track.
Jessica Ruano
Performance Arts Enthusiast
Ottawa, ON, Canada
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June 18, 2008
Hello again — this time from Edmonton!
I boarded the train in Vancouver on Sunday afternoon, just after being spontaneously serenaded over lunch by a passing Mariachi band. No joke. It took a full 24 hours to arrive at my destination, but the ride didn’t seem so long. I met up with these sweet kids from Switzerland who were also traveling across Canada. We played cards and drank vodka (shh) and chatted about our travel experiences. One of them even said he preferred the Quebecois accent to the Parisian accent! Very adorable.
My couch surfing host Christine has been introducing me to her friends (seemingly primarily bar owners and bouncers!) and when I tell them I’m from Ottawa, they say “And why are you visiting Edmonton…?” Sure the city is filled with biker dudes and self-proclaimed rednecks, but so far I’ve been quite impressed and amused by the numerous quirks I’ve discovered in this city.
First off – and perhaps not so amusing – the train station is no where near anything else, and has no local transit bus stop. So I went on a lengthy cab ride with a pleasantly talkative cab driver during rush hour and getting stuck behind an accident. Fun times. Otherwise, transportation is pretty reasonable around here. It’s a half hour walk, or 15 minute bike ride to downtown; and a 10 minute walk to Whyte Street, the artsy little area filled with bars, coffee shops, and locally owned retail. There’s also a farmers market that gets absolutely packed on Saturday mornings. I have to be careful casually crossing the road, though, because it seems the police are cracking down on jay-walkers, which is one of my favourite hobbies!
Yesterday I saw a new Canadian movie called Young People Fucking. Not Young People F-ing, as the cinemas would like us to believe. Not YPF, as the USA media insists. Geez, some people get so uptight over a silly title! It’s a pretty decent movie, by the way: intelligent writing, engaging acting, playful story lines. And it’s no more graphic than any one episode of Sex and the City. It’s quite tasteful, actually. Plus it’s directed and co-written by Martin Gero, this awesome guy who went to my high school. I’d totally recommend seeing it.
This morning I met with Concrete Theatre’s co-Artistic Directors Mieko Ouchi and Caroline Howarth to chat about their experiences running the only touring professional Theatre for Young Audiences company in Edmonton. For about as long as I’ve been alive, these spectacular women have been bringing colourful productions to elementary schools and high schools across Alberta, and to Saskatchewan, British Columbia, Ontario, and Nova Scotia. I found out a lot about their theatre company specifically and the Edmonton theatre scene in general. One of the most interesting thing I discovered is that theatre companies get a lot of their funding from the lottery! They get a lottery license and provide volunteer staff to work at casinos, counting money and doing other odd jobs. This gets them tens of thousands of dollars. Pretty cool, huh? So deliciously amoral. But hey, it’s all for theatre!
Right now I’m hanging out at the Second Cup taking advantage of their free wireless. About an hour ago, this dude with a camera stopped by outdoor table and asked if he could take some photos of me. Vain creature that I am, I couldn’t resist the offer. And for that reason, I got a little less work done that I’d planned. But oh well!
Tomorrow I’m meeting up with Bradley Moss, the Artistic Director of Theatre Network. So I’ll probably have more great stories after that! Stay tuned for more adventures in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, and beyond!
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Inspiring Interview from Rwanda’s Odile Gakire Katese Interviewed by Peter Hinton, Artistic Director of the National Arts Centre English Theatre
Odile is an actor for stage and film, a director, and a writer living in Rwanda. She trained at the acclaimed Lecoq school for physical theatre in France. She is currently working on producing a theatre festival showcasing her country’s talent.
**some of this interview has been translated from French
Tell us about Rwanda, about Africa
There is a good will to build a strong country. Before 1994 there was nothing after the genocide, after we were exiled [to the Congo for 20 years]. We had to rebuild things: the country, the Rwandan people. We didn’t know [about our culture] because we were born in exile. In culture we found traditional music and dancing. Everything began in 1998 when people came to Rwanda to work on a project and to write on genocide. We needed some African solidarity. We want some time to escape from all that [genocide, history]. We complain that even our history is written by other people. We have to tell our stories. We found that our stories are really painful. But we don’t want to talk about painful stories all the time. If we have to tell stories to our children, it’s about genocide. Then we need to escape.
One of our shows was about dance, music; it was really nice. People always asked us: what was the message? We always have to discuss serious topics. We fall into the trap of being realistic. Somehow, it’s not interesting for the audience. Their life is really hard. When they come to the theatre, they want to rest for a moment. They want to see that everything is possible. At a certain moment, we just took a rest, and there is a great need for that.
After the genocide, was there no theatre building?
The cultural centre is gone because we cut our connection to the French. We have a theatre at the University of Rwanda, but it’s used as a classroom. We have another theatre with 600 seats. We had 13 plays [in the festival]. We are not just drumming. We are doing more than that.
[The government argued against a proper theatre building by saying,] ‘You don’t have professional artists.’ Well, let’s train them! ‘No, we don’t have a theatre.’ It’s a vicious circle.
One thing I’ve learned from the stage is that everything is possible.
Not everyone is allowed to drum. It was supposed to be only for the king. At the beginning we didn’t tell anybody we were going to use drums.
[Our audiences] have opened their minds, opened their horizons. And that’s really interesting. Even in their lives, they’re looking for any way of doing things.
[‘You never know’ – expression in Rwanda, positive or negative]
I’ve done political science in university. I found myself in artistic activities by accident. I wanted to join an orchestra, but they were so pretentious. I wanted to find people who were just having fun. I joined a play about the 10 books on the genocide. I was having fun; more people were happy. It took my life hostage. Some people do theatre just for malaria and other issues.
The Monument, by Colleen Wagner
It has been translated to Kinyarwanda and set in Rwanda. Some people asked if Colleen was in Rwanda when she wrote it. She’ll be coming to the performance.
Why kind of styles do you use?
Everything is so real onstage; there is no reflection on things and no stylization. There is no… We are lazy. We are just saying we would like to think about it in another way. They think we [having studied in Paris] are crazy people. It was difficult for the actors to do what we were asking them to do. Things are not always white and black. That’s what we tried to introduce. Make me dance in a different way.
Who is the audience?
Everybody. Sometimes we tour in university or in schools. Sometimes it’s just for the fundraisers, like UNICEF. Once we toured all over the country. But our travel manager didn’t do the job. We travelled two hours to get somewhere and nobody was waiting for us. So we did like before and took out our drums. And they came!
Even when we artists think [attending the theatre] is not expensive, for them it is. We make it for free because we want everyone to see it. After 20 minutes the audience gets tired. They say, “Next!” It was a play of an hour. I knew this would happen. When we play jazz, they are just shouting. It’s too serious for them. But after awhile, they were listening.
Is there any development in children’s theatre?
Yes. We have done workshops sometimes in the holidays for children in primary school, and sometimes for street children. Workshops in dance, in drawing, in theatre and even drums in some regions, in some schools because it’s cheaper. Culture, we don’t even measure that it’s really important. We think that it’s just education, health. Government agencies ask us to act out scenarios on HIV. And they don’t allow you to do anything you want. You write the script then they change words. They say “No, the character cannot say this.” It’s crazy what you’re asking me to do. It’s stupid. They say “No, this is really complex. They won’t understand.” They will! They do understand! It’s not even complex.
The policy on HIV is not “use condoms,” it’s just “don’t have sex.” We have to be focussed on those who have sex. Let’s try other ways of doing things, of touching them. Harassing people, it’s too direct! Just try to link things.
Even my parents, they want so much to integrate Congo. It was the only way to send their children to school. They didn’t even teach us the language of Rwanda. I don’t have any pictures of my country. I didn’t even know I was Rwandan. I didn’t have a personal relationship to my country. At a certain point, there was even violence with me – “hey, why don’t you speak Rwandan?” other people asked. But I came to love my country. We are writing things. We never think of what we give to our children. If we survive each day, it’s big. Only see what happens tomorrow. We have to think more about what happens past tomorrow, what we give to our children.
I can’t do anything else [but theatre]. Even the fact of doing things, it’s big, it’s huge. Let’s just start doing things.
Everything is taken to the first degree. We don’t analyze things. We were not taught to analyze things. Even when you ask me what’s my name – who cares?? In my country, it’s really important. You never know why he’s asking my name. Sometimes we are wrong. But we don’t play with words. We are not funny. We don’t realize how relative things are. Sometimes I tell my mother it’s her fault. They don’t teach us to be responsible. We are taught to accept things; that’s life. If you husband beats you, deal with it. If you don’t want to go back home, you have to go back. That’s how things work. We’re not active. That’s why I hope we’re doing more than just acting onstage.
We don’t have the course of history in our country. We are trying to write our story – but which one? We don’t know. If we tell a certain story now, it should be related to the government. We have to take care of which history we want to tell – is it a heavy one? If we need to change the history for the sake of reconciliation, we have to do it.
What kind of stories do you tell onstage?
We made one play on genocide. We’re just dreaming, even if the dream doesn’t become reality. We don’t dream because sometimes the dreams are painful and they don’t change anything. I don’t like the word “surviving” … you have to actually “live.” Let’s just be alive and enjoy life. Since we are children, everything we ask they say no. You are not even finished your sentence, they say no. We have to just work hard, to be unhappy. And when you meet someone who is not happy, you feel ashamed to be happy. Then you have to say I’m not happy, I’m like you! I’m not allowed to have something that makes me happy. And when you don’t have a life, you cannot give.
Are there other people who feel the way you do?
No, no. I’m crazy.
[The only happy Rwandan!]
[About a man mocking her work] I wanted to kill him. [laughing] It’s just an expression!
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Commentary #9 Sour Brides (Whitehorse) presents So Many Doors
For the very first time the Magnetic North Theatre Festival features a company from our neighbours up north. This very young Yukon company goes by the name of Sour Brides and is run by co-artistic directors Moira Sour and Celia McBride (get it??). They are both really passionate about their magical landscape, and they are looking to share their lifestyle with the rest of Canada.
Considering the geographical location of the Yukon, it is appropriate that McBride’s new play explores issues surrounding isolation. Two couples have suffered a great tragedy: two toddlers, one from each family, were killed in a freak accident that (obviously) affected their parents for years afterwards. The adults try to deal with their grief by attending counseling, by drinking excessively, by watching television obsessively. It is really depressing subject matter, and I could see a bunch of people wiping their eyes after the performance. This one’s a tear jerker, folks.
All the acting was just great, even if one or two performances were played on something of a single note. All the actors were clearly thrilled to be there and really embraced their roles. There was something super special in Moira Sour: as the more positive female character, she knows how to light up the room with her joyous laughter and her sincere effort to make everything alright again.
You couldn’t help but chuckle at this company’s use of props: actors came on stage holding a horse’s bridle, carrying western saddles, or chopping wood. They made good use of 4 chairs which came in handy for “group” meetings and for a couple of suggestive movement pieces. Hanging from a motionless mobile above the stage were childhood objects, such as a crib, serving as a reminder of the innocent lives that were lost. I really liked the effect, except when they kept lighting up the freakin’ teddy bear over and over again. We get it already!
Aside from that the staging was excellent, and far superior to the script. Ack – was that too blunt? I am reluctant to say anything negative about this writing that was clearly so personal, but it really was overwrought at times, way too much obvious exposition, and so very predictable. I promise I am not giving anything away when I tell you that one character begins a flirtatious affair with her best friend’s husband. You know exactly where it’s going early on in the first act, and then the writing seems to get stuck shortly after intermission. But I’m referring to the overall arc: the script does have some great individual scenes and a promising premise. I think it needed just needed some editing.
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Commentary #8 Theatre Rusticle (Toronto) presents April 14, 1912
Now, this was different. Inspired by the poetic sinking of the Titanic and an account by one of the surviving crew members, this dance/theatre company has created an interpretive piece that explores the emotional story of the ship and its passengers.
Entering into the theatre, the room felt very cold. Likely because there was excess of chilly blue light shining down upon a set consisting of gleaning icebergs. When the performers finally appear, the first thing you notice is the lone woman who is, in fact, playing the Titanic. Her tattered ball gown garb suggests part sea-creature, part burlesque dancer, part rape victim, and part heavy duty machine. In the minimal text, she describes herself as the ship, referring to her “iron ribs” and her massive weight reaching the ocean floor. She gyrates across the stage, sometimes dancing like a beautiful ballerina and other times like a frightened animal. There was definitely some suggestion of rape in the words of the actress and in her interaction with the men. What an interesting underlying layer.
The two men plays crew members who tried to prevent the disaster from happening. The scene when they try to signal other ships is a sort of sound poem with very distinct movements. They repeat over and over again CQD (Come quickly, distress) and SOS (Save our Ship). Increasing in speed and pitch, their desperation is made very clear. It was frightening watching one actor in particular holding up his arm as far as it would reach, jumping up and down frantically, looking for rescue. You really felt this was a life or death situation.
Some of the haunting music was composed for the piece, and other parts were taken directly from history. Like in the James Cameron movie when those few musicians continue playing a selection of songs right up until the ship starts to sink. By the way, if any of you were dreading/anticipating and Jack and Rose love story, there isn’t one. But back to the music: it provided some interesting contrast for the movement because it didn’t always match. I assume this was a conscious choice because there were some moments when that was very obvious.
I enjoyed the unique interpretations by all the performers, but I did find that some of the choreography was a tad repetitive. Sometimes it was only a little thing like returning to the ballroom dancing scenes, perhaps remembering how beautiful ship-life was until everything went wrong. But there were instances where I couldn’t tell whether or not the ship had already sunk. The female performer would dance around the stage for awhile, then she would sink to the floor dramatically, and you thought it was all over. But then she would return to the stage a little later and perform the same routine with mild variations!
As a theatre piece, this show has its ups and downs. But it is a marvelously visual presentation, aesthetically pleasing and emotionally affecting.
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Commentary #7 The Playhouse Theatre Company and the Savage Society (Vancouver) present Where the Blood Mixes
I breathed a sigh of relief after seeing Where the Blood Mixes, a play about the after effects of residential schools on Native Canadians. Unlike other plays of this type, this production was not overly preachy, nor did it enforce highly exaggerated stereotypes about race. But beyond basic relief, I was also very impressed by the power of Kevin Loring’s (a brand new playwright, I might add) writing and the effectiveness of the staging. I also discovered one of my new favourite actors.
The play opens with some drunken bar banter between a couple of older native dudes and the white bar owner (Tom McBeath). One the guys, Floyd (Bill Merasty) is a little agitated because he is finally meeting his twenty-something daughter for the first time since she was taken away from him years ago. As you quickly find out, her mother died early on and Floyd was deemed unfit to raise his own daughter. Now she has left the city to go in search of him, and the man fears she will be ashamed of his rough-around-the-edges self.
One of the most interesting things about the text is the written-in dialect. The distinct personality of each character seems to arise from the way they speak. Of course there is the obvious difference between the sweet city girl and the rough men from the country who swig beer and get into bar fights. But there is also a noticeable difference between Floyd with his struggle to speak in a refined manner (though often letting his temper win over) and his buddy Mooch (Ben Cardinal), who throws in an “eh” at every other phrase and speaks with a sort of juvenile intellect. These men are at their strongest when the begin to tell stories. And these stories perhaps aren’t relevant to those of us who didn’t grow us fishing or hunting, but somehow the actors make them seem important.
This is a great cast, by the way. I had previously seen Bill Merasty in a National Arts Centre production, and the others seemed rather familiar. You could see they all had a serious interest in the subject matter, which came across very clearly in their impassioned performances. But for me the surprise of the evening was a lovely performance by Quelemia Sparrow (killer name, eh?) as Floyd’s daughter. Oh my goodness, you could not help but fall in love with that girl the moment she walked on the stage. Completely believable, she spoke nervously at first about her life in the city and wanting to be an artist. She soon became more comfortable with her surroundings, and… well, it was very exciting watching her emotional journey. Her smile brightened the room and her sweet demeanor affected everyone around her. Honestly, the entire room shifted.
But that was partly the result of some great set-up staging. Right before she enters the tavern for the first time (did anyone else find it incredibly funny that she ordered a ginger ale?), there was a stupid brawl happening between her father and his irrational (well, drunk) friend. The contrast was superb, albeit a little contrived.
The stage was used very creatively and for a variety of locations, including the bar, Floyd’s house, a fishing spot, and other outdoor locations. It also showcases some gorgeous native art work on a central screen above. Intricately worked into the staging was a very present (though not at all distracting) guitar player in an upstage corner. James Burnstick composed and performed his music which acted as another voice in the mix, almost like another character. The integration was just right.
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Commentary #6 Volcano Theatre (Toronto) presents Goodness
What I saw at this production was completely unexpected. I mean, I knew it was about genocide and I knew it was about Alzheimer’s and I knew it would be dramatic and controversial. But beyond that, I was not at all prepared for the theatrical innovation that was to come.
Goodness is – above all – a theatre lover’s play. ‘Is there anything other kind?’ you ask. What I mean to say is that this production makes use of all sorts of theatrical layers, dramatic twists and turns, elements that make it so much more than its story. And the story itself is very intriguing: a black woman named Althea recounts the history of her people, destroyed by a mass murderer who appears to have Alzheimer’s and no recollection of his deeds.
But the play begins quite differently as the playwright himself appears on stage, furious at reading in his wife’s diary that she has had an affair. He jumps on a plane in search of his Jewish roots and instead becomes mixed up in the aforementioned story of genocide and court rulings. He becomes emotionally involved in the story and attempts to change the course of events and investigate the case with his semi-omniscient playwright powers. His excuse is “let’s just see what happens if…”
A few more interesting things about the production…
- Set and Sound
This show was almost entirely lacking in a set. In fact, the entire thing was performed with only 5 chairs and very minimal props. And that really put the focus on the actors and the story, which I liked very much. For more thoughts on this, I’d recommend checking out this Vancouver blog .
The sound was orchestrated entirely by the artists. They combined their lovely voices to provide a sort of African / Eastern European chorus, which sounded extraordinary. But they didn’t overdo it. It had just the right touch, and it was very powerful.
- Double casting
The playwright (Ross Manson) plays himself the whole time. He narrates the overall story and also takes part in the story. The sole black woman onstage (Lili Francks) plays the older Althea, while another white actress (Tara Hughes) plays the younger version of Althea; more about that later…
Layne Coleman plays both the murderer with Alzheimer’s and the playwright’s therapist. I just realized how clever it is that he played a man who claims to be insane and another man who claims to deal with insanity. Gord Rand plays the prosecutor as well as “the other man,” presumably two men the playwright has a hard time with. Finally a lovely Amy Rutherford plays the playwright’s ex-wife and the murderer’s daughter, two women the playwright is very attracted to.
This is all just to point out that the characters were all very intricately interwoven into the story. It all made perfect sense. Especially the ex-wife/daughter character has a major effect on the playwright because, being attracted to her, he kept wanting to take her side, which might have made him biased. He always wanted to follow her around, to see her point of view, to even forgive the murderer for her sake.
- Black actress & white actress (please excuse the possible political incorrectness of those terms… it is merely to make things clear)
As I mentioned, the storyteller is played by an older black actress, whereas her younger self is played by a white actress. Why exactly did the director (the playwright?) make this choice? It is clearly a very strong choice, and not merely circumstantial. I mean, it is impossible not to notice. After chatting with a few people, I have come up with two possible interpretations.
1. Having mixed casting for this role indicates that the themes in this play are universal and can apply to a variety of people: black, white, Jewish, you name it. Many groups of people have experienced a tragedy, and all individuals experience tragedy on a personal level.
2. (my more cynical [and then increasingly less cynical] interpretation) Having mixed casting for this role shows how one race cannot possibly understand the plight of another race. Throughout the story the playwright is constantly trying to fight for causes that are not his own, for tragic events that happened years before he was born. It is mentioned that he is only doing this because he cannot deal with his own problems at home, like the mess with his ex-wife, so he goes in search of other things to fight for. You know, sort of like the estranged father who sends his money to charitable causes instead of paying child support. As soon as he becomes familiar with the horrors of genocide, he immediately gets personally involved even though, as Althea states, he cannot possibly know what those people went through. Likewise, how can a white actress possibly become emotionally connected to the playing the role of a black woman? There is absolutely no way she can know what it is like to belong to a different race.
That being said… in my opinion, the white actress did an absolutely amazing job as the young Althea, torn, tough, ruthless, and fragile. So perhaps there is indeed some way of understanding an event that one has not physically experienced, through some form of personal association perhaps. And that says something
incredibly poignant about the power of the imagination and about the power of theatre.
Okay, that was a little wishy-washy, but hopefully you get my drift.
The sheer length and detail of this commentary should indicate how much this play fascinated me. It was a very enjoyable production, and – even better – it got me thinking for sometime afterwards. I sat with a friend of mine after seeing this show and we chatted about it for over an hour. If you happen to be in Finland (the next touring location for this production) anytime soon, I totally recommend checking it out.
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Vancouver theatre websites I’ve discovered recently
Jerry Wasserman’s reviews www.vancouverplays.com
Perspectives galore at www.plankmagazine.com
Simon Ogden’s reviews www.thenextstage.wordpress.com
Nadya Bondoreff’s musings www.kickitlikegiants.com
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Friday, June 13th, 2008
Schedule for Today
9am – 12pm Compass Points: All about blogging and contemporary criticism. Who gets the last word in theatre reviews?
1:30pm – 2:30pm Compass Points: planning for next year — in Ottawa!!!
5pm – 6pm Peter Hinton, Artistic Director of the National Arts Centre English Theatre, interviews Odile Gakire Katese from Rwanda about their theatre festival
10:30pm Compass Points: Cabaret Fundraiser!
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Thursday, June 12th, 2008
Magnetic North Update
My apologies for not having updated over the last few days. When you see my schedule, you’ll understand why. As part of the Magnetic North Festival, I’ve been taking part in two series: Compass Points and the Industry Series. Compass Points encourages youth from across Canada get together to discuss issues relevant to university students and emerging artists. Students lead panels consisting of professional artists willing to share some stories and offer some advice about working in the field of theatre. Industry Series is another panel for professional artists already involved in the theatre scene, but who are interested in finding out more about the field.
Here, I’ll outline what I’ve been up to this week, and then I’ll throw in some commentaries, some more detailed updates, and photos as soon as I have a spare minute. But you may have to wait until this weekend!
Thursday, June 12, 2008
9am – 12pm Compass Points
1pm – 3pm Industry Series: Presenter Pitch Sessions
3:15pm – 4:45pm Industry Series: Travel Plans? Think about it… Mary Vingoe (Magnetic North founder), Eva Cairns (Catalyst Theatre), Denyse Karn (In Good Company), Scott Burke (Eastern Front Theatre), and Ker Wells (Number Eleven Theatre) discuss the benefits and the difficulties of touring theatre productions across Canada… and beyond!
7pm So Many Doors Written by Celia McBride Directed by Kelly Thornton Sour Brides Theatre (Whitehorse)
What happens when tragedy shatters your happy marriage? Do you withdraw into the bottle? Into the television? Into endless support groups? In the Far North, grief divides four people and isolates them more effectively than geography ever could.
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Wednesday, June 11, 2008
9am – 12pm Compass Points
1pm -3pm Industry Series: Artist Pitch Sessions
3:15pm – 4:45pm Industry Series: Raves, Rants, Pans and Pundits – Jerry Wasserman (Vancouver Province), Janet Smith (Georgia Strait), and J. Kelly Nestruck (Globe & Mail) talk about being an artist’s worst nightmare (and my favourite reading material)… theatre critics! 7pm Where the Blood Mixes Written by Kevin Loring Directed by Glynis Leyshon Playhouse Theatre Company & The Savage Society (Vancouver)
Can a person survive their past; can a people survive their history? Irreverently funny and brutally honest, Where the Blood Mixes is a story about loss and redemption in the heart of the Fraser Canyon. Caught in a shadowy pool of pain and guilt, Floyd is a man who has lost everyone he holds most dear. Now after more than two decades, his daughter Christine returns home to confront her father. Set during the salmon run, Where the Blood Mixes takes us to the bottom of the river, to the heart of a People.
9:30pm April 14, 1912 Directed and Conceived by Allyson McMackon Theatre Rusticle (Toronto)
Set on an iceberg somewhere in our collective memories, April 14, 1912 weaves together three viewpoints of one of the greatest tragedies in the 20th century: the sinking of the Titanic. Combining eye-witness textual accounts and an inimitable physical style, two crewmembers and the Ship herself collide once again to tell their tales. April 14, 1912 explores history as poetic memory – expressionistic, physically aggressive and emotionally resonant.
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Tuesday, June 10, 2008
9am – 12pm Compass Points Symposium: Getting down to business – talking about working with unions and funding programs.
1-2:30pm Industry Series Keynote Speaker: Richard Laermer and Punk Marketing – how to compete with the wide variety of entertainment in today’s world and get people into your theatre
2:45-4:45 Industry Series: You’re Going to Play… Where? Kendra Fanconi (The Only Animal), Jonathan Young (The Electric Company) and Jay Dodge (Boca Del Lupo) show us site-specific theatre possibilites
5pm – 6pm Social Networking: handing out business cards and gossiping with theatrical personalities
8pm Goodness Written by Michael Redhill Directed by Ross Manson Volcano Theatre (Toronto)
Fueled by the plot of a thriller, and filled with music from around the world, Goodness is a gripping journey into history, memory, murder and morality. Althea, a genocide survivor, is now a prison guard entrusted with the responsibility of protecting the mass murderer who devastated her people. But he now appears to have Alzheimer’s, and no memory of his deeds. Is it an act? Will the courts set him free? And, if the courts cannot act … can she?
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**NEWS UPDATE from the MAGNETIC NORTH THEATRE FESTIVAL**
Almost a week has passed since I arrived in rainy Vancouver (I hear you folks are having a heat-wave…) for the Magnetic North Theatre Festival. And I have already seen 5 productions, attended about a dozen workshops and lectures, and met about a hundred fantastic people from across Canada. I am taking part in the Compass Symposium, a program designed by students for students and emerging artists, and the Industry Series where established artists discuss issues arising in contemporary Canadian theatre. Because I promised myself I would attend as many events as humanly possible, I have been keeping quite busy – out of the house from 8am and returning home usually around midnight. That’s just because there is so much to see here.
It is incredibly humbling meeting people who have been acting onstage since the 1950s, who started their own theatre company when they were barely out of university, who have given their community a voice in Canadian theatre on a grander scale. For some artists, culture and background plays a major part in how they create work and what type of work they choose to create. d’bi.young, for example, celebrates her Jamaican heritage by getting tattoos and creating visual performances based on stories from her culture. Mieko Ouchi comes from a Japanese-British background and was therefore inspired to create her first film called Sushi and Shepherd’s Pie about her own family heritage. Likewise, Sandra Oh often had difficulty finding work as an Asian-Canadian, but her dedication to working in film and theatre eventually provided more opportunities for Asian women in Canada. My background has never been a major focus for me working in theatre, though I may start embracing my Spanish-English roots someday. But I am fascinated by the sheer influence that an artist’s culture can have on their work, as it does in their life.
We have also been having several discussions on site-specific theatre. The trend of producing shows influenced by and performed in an unconventional theatre environment has become prevalent in Vancouver. Due to a lack of rehearsal and performances spaces as well as increasingly high commercial costs, companies (especially emerging professional companies with fewer funds from the government) have had to seek alternative theatre spaces. Although this may seem like a negative development for theatre companies, the fact is that limitations in art can often spark creativity in performance. With these restrictions of space, companies are often inspired to try new things, and they put an especial effort into connecting the play-script more integrally with the space in which it is being performed. And that means – when it’s done right – the final results should involve tighter, more creative, and more intelligent theatre. Producing a play means coming up with a “vision” that combines all the elements: play-script, actors, lighting, set, costumes, and so forth. With the “space” – likely the most visual element – influencing all other elements, it is probable that all parts of a theatre production will come together as a much more cohesive whole. At least, I think it has that potential.
Of course the main purpose of the Magnetic North Festival is to unite artists from Eastern Canada with artists from Western Canada by providing opportunities for interaction. The festival alternates between Ottawa and a different city somewhere in Canada, and showcases the best of new professional theatre in English. This year the festival takes place in Vancouver and features productions from the local community as well as St. John’s Newfoundland, Toronto, Montreal, and Whitehorse. Often artists from the Maritimes have no connection to what’s happening in the British Columbia theatre scene, so the Magnetic North helps to increase the potential for these connections. In Canada, diversity in our arts scene is a large part of what makes us unique. With the Magnetic North, the coming together of these various arts communities is making us much stronger as a nation.
And that’s just a little taste of what I’ve learned at the festival so far. Every day since I’ve arrived, I’ve been keeping a travel journal on my website at www.jessicaruano.wordpress.com. Under the section “Theatre Across Canada,” I have been writing commentaries on the shows at the festivals, included quotes from the artists involved in these shows as well as the celebrity speakers, and photos of all the people and sites in Vancouver, mostly situated on Granville Island. Feel free to check them out, and comment if you would like to contribute to the discussion.
I know most of you would prefer that I not infiltrate your inboxes with daily updates, so instead you have the option of visiting the website regularly. I promise there will always be plenty to read! I will limit myself to sending out by email only weekly updates, just so I can keep in touch more directly and let everyone know on which couch I’m sleeping.
Feel free to email me with any questions about my travels, or suggestions of artsy places to visit.
Hope everything is going well in Ottawa!
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Monday, June 9th, 2008
Schedule for today
9-11am Compass Symposium: East meets West
12pm-1pm Lunchtime Encounter: Robert Gardiner chats about projections and possibilities in lighting
2pm – 6pm Again, catching up on articles…
7pm Erotic Poetry Slam, hosted by Vancouver poet extraordinaire Lisa Slater Just taking a brief break from the festival to enjoy another fabulous art form. p.s. I might be performing… __________________________________________________________________________________________________
Sunday, June 8th, 2008
Celebrity Speakers: Mieko Ouchi
I love telling the story of my mum running from the house crying when I told her I wanted to go to theatre school
Ouchi’s first major film: “We really connected that morning, at 7:40 in the morning” referring to meeting the director of the film “For the first time I was being cast because I was Japanese. And I was terrified because I felt completely white. But I realized my fears were unfounded. They welcomed me with open arms”
“Try to find a way to be an active participant in your career”
“Waiting on the phone for someone to affirm you is a pretty scary place to be”
“This is the moment when, if you get off the couch, you’re a filmmaker”
“I have so much more respect for writers now that I’ve written myself. I don’t dictate to writers as much as I used to”
“That stage of knowing nothing is my biggest fear, but also what I find the most addictive”
By the way, this woman is my new hero — she created her own theatre company at 19 years old. Concrete Theatre, a professional theatre for young audiences, is still running today.
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Schedule for today
12-5pm Catching up on articles…
5pm Celebrity Speakers: Mieko Ouchi discusses being Artistic Director of Concrete Theatre and her work in Canadian Theatre to date.
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Commentary #5 HIVE2 11 companies, 11 shows, 1 giant party
Where do I start? Part stage play, part carnival, part Guerilla theatre, part nightmare, part house party… HIVE2 is a theatrical event unlike anything I’ve ever experienced. Basically, 11 theatre companies took over this warehouse on the Great Northern Way Campus and were assigned spaces in which to create and perform a 5-15 minute piece of theatre. This had been done once before, and it was so popular that the Magnetic North raised a ton of money (at least in theatre world) to help them produce a similar evening. Let me describe my experience from this evening and explain a couple of fascinating elements that arose from this experience.
First off, the premise here is based on an increasingly-popular art form in Canada called “site-specific theatre.” That just means that companies have a space in mind for a production (sometimes as simple as a black box area, sometimes more complicated like a hotel room, a tavern, a car, or a swimming pool) and they create a show that revolves around, or is at least influenced by, this space. This can have very interesting results because often the script thrives creatively under spatial restrictions, and often it produces a more intrinsically connected final product. If you would like to find out more about this, I would suggest reading my Masters thesis in approximately 2 years time.
When I arrived on the site, I was given a sheet of paper with instructions on how to attend each show. That’s right — we had to fight for our viewing privileges. And boy, did people fight! It sort of reminding me of the Capital Slam Semi-Finals when patrons were bribing me to let them into a sold-out poetry show. Things like this actually happen! In the case of this event, us audience members had to grab at available wristbands, flags, squares of card board, barbie dolls, and climb into cardboard boxes, gather in tight spaces, and crowd around knotted rope hanging from the ceiling. You should have seen people rushing for their chance to get into a show. Most of them had very small capacity, you see. One show only allowed 1 audience member at a time — I really wanted to get into that one, but wasn’t lucky enough! I even pulled the “I’m with the press” card, but even that didn’t work. On average, people were only able to see 6 or 7 shows in 3 hours, more only if you were really keen.
Now let me describe the shows I DID see.
1. Rumble Productions performed their piece in an old shed with ratty fridges and rickety shelves. The performers rushed in from the outdoors, apparently escaping some sort of apocalypse. The setting was perfect for the story and vice versa. I found the acting a little screech and melodramatic, but it was a thrilling opening none the less. I really enjoyed their use of sparse use of lighting and the suspense of not knowing what was to come.
2. Theatre Skam took us into a small room with pink walls and tin foil on the ceilings. We are greeted by a crabby young man whose idea of opening remarks involves threatening the audience, insulting the Canadian government, and ranting about the injustices of the world. He was fast-talking, intimidating, and absolutely hilarious. When he left the stage, he was replaced by two blond princesses who apologized for his behaviour, then offered their own futuristic interpretation of Henrik Ibsen’s A Doll’s House. The opening act sat outside the room looking in at us through a window to make sure we weren’t acting inappropriately. The whole thing seemed to be a comment on actors’ irritations in a theatre setting… or something. Whatever the hell they were doing, I loved it.
3. Theatre Conspiracy was truly frightening. Wearing an orange armband, I was easy to spot. Dressed in an army uniform, the woman in charge took me to the assigned area where I was told to dress in an orange suit and cover my head with an orange cap, my ears with large earphones, and my eyes with black goggles. A man in a suit led me around, yelled at me when I smiled or stepped somewhere without permission, treated me like a prisoner who deserved every harsh word. For almost 10 minutes, I could see nothing and hear very little. Then I was led into a trailer, told to sit down and watch this video suggesting torture. Eventually, I was let go, but was incredibly shaken up for sometime afterwards…
4. Radix Theatre has us fill out job applications and go through a session of assembly line type work. We were welcomed by a creepily enthusiastic boss who was way too happy about the organization’s grimy working arrangements. Perhaps it spoke of humanity’s passivity that not one of us piped up about how ridiculous this workplace was. We were quite happy to follow orders and play along. Does that make us good audience members, or lazy human beings?
5. Theatre Replacements offered audience members cookies and popcorn while the actors offered dramatic interpretations of comments posted beneath Youtube videos as the videos were playing. Very simple concept, but very effective. For one thing, it made me realize how many people on Youtube use the expressions “lamo” and “lol” and “dickhead”
6. Felix Culpa had their dedicated audience standing in cardboard boxes representative of a honeycomb, until one of its members came to retrieve us. We were led towards another cardboard creation and each of us entered into our very own cardboard cubicle to watch the show: two neighbours getting to know each other through beautiful songs with very odd lyrics. The show seemed to be making some statement on personal space and how that can cause people to become estranged from each other.
Perhaps we could try this in Ottawa. How about it?
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Celebrity Speakers: Sandra Oh
The business of acting is challenging on the creative spirit
On finding work in Canada “If you’re creamy, the cream will rise to the top”
On being an Asian-Canadian performer “I like white people, by the way. I like white people!” “You see on a poster two white people at the centre. That means ‘I’m important!’ Then you see coloured people at the back of the poster, which mean ‘I’m not important!’”
On Asian-Canadians in the press “The fact that my 4-year-old [Asian] niece should expect to see herself on the cover of a magazine is so important”
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Tea with the Artists: Loft
Sebastien Soldevila and Patrick Leonard
How do you know if your show is successful? “It depends how many girls come and talk to me after the show” “We’re like a fruit salad with all th pieces working together eclectically”
“Working as a collective, you have to be good at explaining to each other what you want… You have to listen to each other. If you do something, you have to make sure others will follow”
“In Cirque de Soleil [where they used to work] you’re an artist, but we also wanted to be directors and creators”
“It’s important to mingle with artists from different backgrounds. We all see circus in a different way”
“When we audition people, there has to be a friend connection. It’s not just contractual”
About participating in the Magnetic North Theatre Festival: “Now we’re all together like a big family. Let’s hug!”
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Lunchtime Encounters: The Great Debate
a) Be it resolved that technology makes theatre better
For this first topic, it seemed that both sides of the debate were actually, well, on the same side. I believe the consensus was that technology makes theatre better if it is used responsibly, if it is integral to the story, and provided it doesn’t suck. Especially in contemporary theatre, it has become a trend to combine different mediums. Lighting design and video displays are playing major roles in theatre, almost acting as another character in the story. However if technology is used excessively, it can take away from the story – which is not good.
The debaters also approached the notion of “the need to archive.” Nowadays people feel they are entitled to photograph or videotape productions, for their own use or for archival purposes. They want stage productions to be “certified,” which means attaining validity by having appeared in a film or on television. Filmed productions do not have anywhere near the same effect as stage productions. In fact, theatre’s specialness comes from the fact that it is ephemeral. It seems that attempts at recording diminish that effect.
b) Be it resolved that theatre is better than sex
Before this debate commenced, it was clarified that we were discussing “really good sex” and “really good theatre” as opposed to the mediocre type of either. It was established early on that theatre is indeed better than sex. And here are the Top 10 reasons why.
1. The stage crew cleans up afterwards 2. Special lighting helps you look better naked 3. Faking it is not only allowed, but encouraged 4. You can walk out if it sucks 5. Everything happens (or should happen) on cue 6. If it’s good, it’s perfectly alright to clap, whistle, holler, and give a standing ovation 7. Better equipment 8. Only costs on average $25 9. It works best as a group event 10. You can get it whenever and wherever you want
Oh yeah.
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Saturday, June 7th, 2008
Schedule for today
12pm Lunchtime Encounters: an old-fashioned style debate with artists who have big opinions about hot topics in Canadian theatre
3pm Tea with the Artists: the amazing acrobats from Loft discuss their craft and their eclectic production
5pm Celebrity Speakers: Sandra Oh speaks on her career as a stage/film/television actor in Canada
7pm HIVE2 Vancouver’s Boca del Lupo, Electric Company, Felix Culpa, Leaky Heaven Circus, neworldtheatre, The Only Animal, Radix, Rumble Productions, Theatre Replacement, Theatre Conspiracy and Victoria’s Theatre SKAM Commissioned by Magnetic North Theatre Festival
11 local companies perform 11 separate pieces in continuous rotation. Brace yourself for a carnival side-show, a piece of toy drama, a post-modern slice of faux dinner theatre … or different combinations of all that and more. The audience’s experience is entirely self-directed, and there’s always a lounge for shouting and a central party space to buzz the night away.
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COMMENTARY #4 Les 7 doights de la main present Loft
According to the performers of Loft, there is very little alternative circus performance being done in Canada. Of course there exists Cirque de Soleil and Cirque Eloise from Montreal, but they are both grand-scale companies. Also from Montreal, though offering something a little different, are Les 7 Doights de la Main (or the 7 Fingers of the Hand), who believe in personalized circus performance with a whole lot of theatre mixed in. The seven performers (+ 1 exemplary DJ) are all very capable actors, vocalists, dancers, and acrobats. Some of them trained and performed with Cirque de Soleil but left to pursue their own dreams of circus creation.
This particular production (which was the first of their 3 creations) is based on the real-life experiences of these performers living altogether in one building, in one loft. The set consists of regular household items such a a fridge, a couch, a bathtub and a bed. And then less regular items (well, I guess it depends on your lifestyle) such as a DJ booth and chains, rope, sheets, and a swing hanging from the ceiling. Surrounded by these items, the characters interact as naturally as circus performers can — by playing. They dance across the stage, hang from the ceiling, perform acrobatic feats, flirt with the audience, and make jokes with each other.
The result is a very quirky, very personalized community event. The performers made you feel as if you were part of the performance. When each audience member enters the theatre, they are made to walk through an open fridge door onto the stage. There you are greeted by the performers, offered grapes, and led to your seats. This type of opening made the audience members more likely to get involved, to enjoy themselves, to laugh freely. It’s a great feeling, and sort of surreal — mixing fantasy and reality in a very intelligent way.
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Celebrity Speakers: Gordan Pinsent
I’m an actor. I say that because it’s still fun to say that – Gordan Pinsent, multi-award-winning Canadian actor
“Last time I was in Vancouver, I got a bad review”
Messages to young artists: “The first voice they ever heard when they wanted to be an artist was their own” “You’re part of one of the most satisfying professions there is” “Individuality is one of the richest things you have as an artist” “There is no mistaking the heroism of theatre arts bringing us into its folds”
“If rejection was a cereal, my face would be on that box”
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Tea with the Artists: [boxhead]
Working on [boxhead]
“It all came out of a spirit of play and fun and insanity”
- Andrew Shaver, actor
“My biggest regret with this show is that I’ll never see it”
- Adam Lazarus, actor
How do you negotiate nudity?
“Rock, paper, scissors… and Adam won”
- Adam and Andrew
Why theatre?
“The chance to work with cool people and getting paid to play”
- Andrew
“Gets you chicks” … “It’s just so good. I see you [the audience] looking at me, and I behave accordingly. Or I don’t”
- Adam
“Partly out of habit because it has become a part of who I am. And also it’s part of the way I understand the whole world. I feel like it’s something I need to do. I would feel a little bit lost without it” “Seeing something that affects you as a group is just a reminder of the power of imagination and of language”
- Chris Abraham, director
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Friday, June 6th, 2008 — 10:12am
Schedule for today
3-4pm Tea with the Artists: [boxhead] performers talk about working on this wacky show
5-6pm Celebrity Speakers: Gordan Pinsent (The Shipping News, Away From Her) talks about his long and successful career working in film and theatre 7pm Loft The 7 Fingers / Les 7 doights de la main (Montréal)
How far can you travel without ever leaving the room? In the multi-media contemporary circus show Loft, imagination exposes the secret desires, dreams, impulses and follies of seven roommates. Soaring, somersaulting, contorting, balancing, catapulting – there are no boundaries. In this ordinary setting the extraordinary never fails to surprise.
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Friday, June 6th, 2008 — 9:19am
COMMENTARY #3 Andy Jones in An Evening with Uncle Val
Straight from St. John’s Newfoundland is the ultimate funny man Andy Jones: within minutes of appearing onstage for the opening night of An Evening with Uncle Val, the comedian/actor had the audience in barrels of laugher. This guy is good. And the great thing is he makes it look so easy! The show has a simple premise: Andy’s seventy-something year old alter ego named Valentine (or Val) grumbles in letters to his friends about the weather, about the suburbs, about his son-in-law. The retired fisherman has plenty to say about the community in which he lives, and he has no problem offering up his opinions on any subject. He talks about the good old days when television had only one channel and everyone used to watch wrestling with this one contestant called “the Animal.” He pictures a scenario of the Animal’s home-life with his subservient sister.
Although Val is a rather disgruntled old guy, he is a very lovable character and incredibly funny. But the most fun I had yesterday evening was when Andy himself arrived on the scene. (I mean, the actor was always onstage, but at certain points he dropped his stage persona and… well, you get what I mean.) Like Henry Fielding in his 18th century novel Tom Jones, Andy offers witty commentary on his story and on his craft. The performer is clearly very knowledgeable about all the tricks of theatre, but his jokes are accessible even to those who wouldn’t consider themselves “theatre people.” He predicts that after seeing the play, everyone will comment on the fact that he was “all over the stage,” and then he shows us how much stage space he has used so far and where he plans to move in the future. These tangents were some of the most amusing I’ve seen in a one-man show. He even explains why he goes on tangents by unfolding cardboard boxes – representative of his brain – as visual aids. Much of these bits seemed spontaneous, but that is probably only because they are so well-crafted. What else happens during the show? You can expect a gun shot, a snow fall, rabbit slippers, a flying mailbox, and a whole lot of Newfie jokes. Enjoy! _____________________________________________________________________________________
Thursday, June 5th, 2008 — 5:18pm
Tea with the Artists: d.bi young
My work is very unapologetically political. It is in line with supporting societal change
- d.bi young, creator and performer of the Dora award winning blood.claat
“What we have is our stories. That’s what we have to work with”
“Tattoos are my way of reconnecting with what is African”
“I’d much rather live in a circle than in a box” ^talking about community building^
“I give so much credit to my mom. But it’s because she actually deserves it, you know?” ^d.bi young’s mother gave her diction lessons as a child because she believed in the importance of fully grasping the English language^
“[My son] helped me to remember childhood experiences and the perspective of a child. It changed where the piece went.” ^d.bi young became pregnant with her son in 2003, shortly after writing the first draft of blood.claat^ “I love language” ^she said in a whisper^ ________________________________________________________________________________________
Thursday, June 5th, 2008 — 10:46am
Schedule for today
3 – 4pm Tea with the Artists: d.bi young talks about her production of blood.claat at Performance Works
6pm Catch the SeaBus for Presentation House Theatre
7pm An Evening with Uncle Val Written by Andy Jones and Michael Jones, Sr. Directed by Lois Brown Andy Jones Productions (St. John’s)
Andy Jones, as Uncle Val, is a hilariously indignant 70-year old retired fisherman, displaced from his outport home. The year is 1987, and Uncle Val is now trapped in the ‘big city’ of St. John’s. Homesick, Val struggles to figure out what life has left to offer him. Is there anything of use for a senior citizen in the suburbs to do? Is there any mystery or magic left for him to discover? Will his grandchildren survive an afternoon of his babysitting?
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Thursday, June 5th, 2008 — 11am
Opening Night Reception
The arts could become the foundation for national unity. The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is helping to build this nation
- Ken Cameron, Artistic Director of the Magnetic North Festival
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June 5th
COMMENTARY #2 [boxhead] from Crow’s Theatre with Mammalian Diving Reflex
One day a young geneticist woke up to find a box on his head. That’s it. That’s the premise. But writer Darren O’Donnell finds plenty to do with that one idea.
Apparently having a box on one’s head provides some opportunity for philosophical debate. The young geneticist thinks some deep thoughts, and then some less-than-deep thoughts: “Think about it: poop doesn’t have to taste bad. It depends how you look at it!”. And then he decides to clone himself. Each clone adopts the identity of Thoughtless Actions and Wishful Thinking. Together they experiment with the “echo-less yell”, and try to stop time, eliminate space, create a baby… Sounds random? Yeah, it really is.
This play contains the wit of a good Kids in the Hall sketch (including a knack for toilet humour and modest gore), but with more knowledge of metatheatrical conventions. At one point, the narrators – characterized only by two blue waving hands above the stage – announce “One evening the voice in your head convinced you to go to the theatre. It was against your better judgment.” The boxheads refer to the audience, and eventually interact with the audience; they question the significance of space and their surroundings. They not only have boxes on their heads (or rather, boxes for heads) they are also contained in a sort of stage box. The fourth wall consists of tight scrim (a black mesh material that can be made transparent or opaque, depending on the lighting effects) with a large beige border, which resembles a television screen. They might be making some commentary on the trappings of technology, and yet they are taking advantage of plenty of technological tricks in this production. One of the more interesting effects is the extremity in vocal sounds. The actors are miked so that the boxheads have really highpitched voices and the narrators have deep god-like voices. Actually, there was this great part when the narrators complained that audiences used to think they were the “voice of God” but after Nietzsche’s recognition of our godless society, they are no longer treated with the same reverence.
The show is incredibly funny – you should have heard the audience laughing – but it does become a little juvenile and chaotic near the end. And I’m not just saying that because there was a naked man onstage for a good few minutes. And when I say naked, I mean full-frontal nude with a spotlight on his crotch. And then the actor started playing with his penis and throwing it around (actually, I was a little afraid he was hurting himself…), talking about why exactly he was doing this. I was sitting next to two of my older friends, and I was a little frightened to turn my head to see their reactions. I mean, I understand that the show wanted to make a point about society’s discomfort with nudity and how we are forced to stare at whatever we see onstage. I get all that. But, frankly, I felt a little taken advantage of! I suppose that’s what they were aiming for… Oh, whatever. I’m just warning you – they will be a naked man onstage. Just saying.
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June 5th
COMMENTARY #1 d.bi young’s blood.claat from Theatre Passe Muraille
Appearing as if by magic from within the audience, d.bi young gracefully descended the stairs clad only in a long, flowing skirt; her beautiful bare brown back a canvas for a snake-like tattoo. She reached the stage and moved her body rhythmically to Jamaican sounds while facing a silhouette of a tree imposed onto the backdrop. What a perfect way to open the Magnetic North Theatre Festival.
d.bi young is an acclaimed dub poet (and actor and playwright and storyteller) from Toronto. Her Dora award winning production blood.clatt detailing a young girl’s first experiences with menstruation. When I first heard the premise, I was almost turned off — in the hands of a lesser actor, “period-talk” can be awkward and exasperating. Luckily, d.bi young is a first-class performer and knows how to spin her stories so that the performance is about all aspects of the girl’s life, but all connected to the idea of blood.
At one point, the girl character shares a secret with the audience: “blood gimme powers!” She speaks with her mother about her first blood, and the proud mum thinks it cause for celebration and offers to take her out for dinner. They discuss the Jamaican mythology surrounding menstruation, which makes the whole thing sound very magical. Apparently menstrual blood can be used for watering plants, for painting, for healing wounds, and as protective magic. These notions are harshly contrasted with her grandmother’s strictness about cleaning up the mess, her aunt’s criticism (”ask Jesus for forgiveness for your dirty little ways!”) and her crotch-grabbing boyfriend’s disgust.
And I really loved how she interpreted this stuttering dude on a bus. His stutter slowly developed into an experiment in sound poetry. Her hips shook with exuberance to the rhythm of her own voice. d.bi literally danced through the entire performance.
Since this is a one-woman show, d.bi young plays all these characters and more. Her gorgeous Jamaican accent adjusts and flows from one character to another. She was especially effective as the boyfriend, who was a positively despicable human being, the kind of guy who deserves a slap in the face. But she played him to such precision, with the roundabout movements of someone who thinks he’s a smooth-talking charmer. It is easy to see that she really loves her characters, no matter how rough they might be. Just looking at that wide smile and bright eyes, you can tell she is having a helluva time onstage.
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June 4th
Granville Island
Yesterday evening I met my “couch-surfing” host, Eric. This saintly guy and his studious sister have opened their home (a mere few blocks away from the theatre district) to me for the length of the festival. We connected through this marvellous website www.couchsurfing.com that is dedicated to putting hotels out of business by offering up couches around the world. My parents think this is super sketchy, but it’s worked out for me so far!
We had Mongolian Grill for a late supper, and then met up with Vancouver poet Brendan McLeod. I’m sure I was less than charming seeing as I hadn’t slept in over 20 hours.
This afternoon, I chatted with members of the Magnetic North Theatre Festival and wandered around Granville Island, where most of the theatre productions are happening. What a beautiful place! To see what I’m talking about, check out some of the photos I’ve posted. Everything is bright and colourful, a child’s wonderland. There’s a giant market with diverse cultural restaurants and gift shops. It was difficult eating lunch outside because the pigeons are very, very friendly.
I’m just about to head out to a reception and then see two shows: blood.clatt and [boxhead]. I’ll let you know what the productions are like in my commentary tomorrow morning. I call them “commentaries” and not “reviews” because I would rather discuss these productions then put forth any sort of judgement. Ah, you’ll see. I’ll try to snag some press photos too, so you can really SEE the productions.
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June 4th
Schedule for today
8am – 7pm
Exploring Granville Island
Researching companies participating in Magnetic North
Meeting with Magnetic North staff
7pm
blood.clatt
Written and performed by
d’bi.young.anitafrika
Directed by
Weyni Mengesha
Theatre Passe Muraille (Toronto)
d’bi.young fuses theatre and dub poetry in this one ‘womban’ story of blood. Mudgu comes of age, struggles with her first menstruation, chafes against her grandmother, endures her overly-religious aunt, nurtures a crush on her strutting neighbour and morphs into Yemoja, an African goddess who creates the world with her blood. But it is her mother – who lives in Canada, a world away from Mudgu – who teaches her the importance of the monthly blood claat (or blood cloth), with its ancient healing connections.
Actor, playwright and dub poet d’bi.young stars in the Dora-winning theatre production of blood.claat at Theatre Passe Muraille
9pm
[boxhead]
Written by
Darren O’Donnell
Directed by
Chris Abraham
Crow’s Theatre in Association with Mammalian Diving Reflex (Toronto- Diplomatic Immunities )
A young geneticist wakes up to discover a box secured to his head; he finds all his thoughts come from God, all his words come from the devil and his desire for love is a habit acquired from the movies. Sound familiar? Don’t be so hard on yourself. From the addled consciousness that brought you Diplomatic Immunities and Haircuts by Children, comes [boxhead] – a bedtime story for your brain.
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June 3rd
Hi everyone!
Just a quick note to say that the air turbulence didn’t result in my ultimate demise. On the plane, I sat in the middle seat between two larger men who hogged the arm rests and snored. Aside from that, all is well — I am currently sitting in Blenz Coffee Shop, just finished a delicious blueberry scone, and doing some research on the artists participating in the Magnetic North Theatre Festival. I have a really busy schedule for the next ten days.
On any given day, my activities might consist of the following…
9am – Compass Points symposium: students discussing aspects of Canadian Theatre, including touring shows and theatre criticism
11am – Yoga on Granville Island
12pm – Lunchtime Debates and Discussions
3pm – Tea with the Artists: performers participating in the festival talk about their productions
5pm – Celebrity Speakers: famous people talk about themselves
7pm – Performances!(several times throughout the evening)
10pm – After party (self-explanatory…)
All this starts tomorrow! Stay tuned for updates on these productions, workshops, discussions — and, of course, all the festival gossip!
Until next time,
Jessica
For full details on the festival and the performers involved, please visit www.magneticnorthfestival.ca
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June 1, 2008
Introduction
As shocking as it may seem, I am leaving the Ottawa arts scene for an entire month. But for a good reason! The Magnetic North Theatre Festival is taking place in Vancouver between June 4 – 14th. I am attending on behalf of the Canadian Theatre Critics Association (CTCA) to write reviews of the shows, commentaries on the festival, profiles on the companies and artists. I am also doing some personal research for a future M.A. project.
After the Magnetic North, I will be staying in Edmonton, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Toronto and Stratford. Then I will return home to Ottawa on July 7th.
Check out the section entitled Theatre Across Canada often for regular updates on my adventures traveling across Canada and meeting with various theatre companies. If you have any questions, or recommendations of places to visit, please do not hesitate to contact me.
Bubbling over with excitement,
your Performance Arts Enthusiast
©jessicaruano.wordpress.com
