Reflections on Bone Cage, Theatre Yes...

I admit it. I had reservations about Bone Cage before I saw it. This was heightened when I read the Director's Notes which indicted the Oil Sands industry and it's toxic sludge of tailings ponds and the suggestion that if we really thought about what we were doing to make a living we would be sickened by it.  I've heard that rhetoric before and having spent most of my life in Fort McMurray I couldn't help but bristle a bit, but I was determined to view the play with an open mind.

I was expecting a rhetoric laden piece about the environment, with blame laid here and there... but that's not what I saw.  Instead, I didn't see much of the environmental message earned. It was there, but it felt pasted on as a convenient scapegoat for the unhappiness of the people in the play. What played out was that these people were screwed up because of past tragedies - a lost son/brother, a wayward mother, a missing father, bad parenting, poor choices in school, or general immaturity. Do people stay in jobs that they don't like because of the money - yes - but people do that all the time. I know former teacher colleagues who I could tell hated teaching, but they would never leave the field because the money was good. I know friends who don't leave jobs they dislike (because they have no passion for it) because they are scared of not knowing what else is out there. This is not something unique to resource industries.  I think Jaime, played with intensity by Neil Kuefler, tries to blame the work for his unhappiness, but he'd still be destroying ecosystems if he got his dream job in B.C. He'd just thinks he'd be happier if he was piloting a helicopter.  It is not the environment he cares for. He just wants something outside himself to blame for why he's unhappy, but really he has a myriad of things to blame for that.  With all the characters, the solution would be to take responsibility and change themselves, but no one seems to keen to actually do that. Their personal inaction and lack of true communication with each other gets somewhat irritating.  Why don't they just leave? I don't know how many times I asked myself that question...

My Theatre Cup Runneth Over... February...

As most of the theatre people in Edmonton know, February is the densest month for shows.  It is impossible to get to everything! A few weeks ago I saw 6 shows in one week.  So many I didn't have time to blog.  So here's a recap with some highlights!

The Threepenny Opera - Studio Theatre, Timm's Centre
I really enjoyed this production. Having played Mrs. Peachum a few years ago, I was very interested in seeing another production.  I quite liked the choices made.  It was a raunchier version than what we did but I felt captured the necessary roughness of the world.  Highlights were Kabriel Lilly as Polly Peachum.  Her voice was wonderful and she played the two sides of Polly perfectly.

Jeffrey - Walterdale Theatre
I wasn't sure what to expect with this show, but I enjoyed it and connected more than I thought I would ("a witty, romp about HIV+"). I felt that director Sarah Van Tassel did a good job with this slightly dated script and the world that set designer Leland Stelck designed for it was fabulous.  Highlights for me were the outrageous Catherine Wenschlag who played all the women's roles.  She made so many fabulous choices and I looked foward to seeing her in every new incarnation. Gerald Mason also had some of the most moving moments as Sterling, who loses his young partner to AIDs. I also very much liked the interaction between him and his partner Darius (played by Simon Müller).

The Laws of Thermodynamics - Workshop West/Theatre Yes
In a bleak February this new work by Cat Walsh about the end of the world was challenging.  It was well-acted and the premise was interesting but I left with more questions than answers. The highlight for me was the fascinating set designed by Nick Blais. I also was intrigued by the physics of this world where things and people disappeared into sand.

Famous Puppet Death Scenes - Theatre Network
The ladies of SHOUT! had a terrific night out at this feast for the eyes.  A terrific little piece from The Old Trout Puppet Workshop.  I liked this so much that I sent my husband and 2 kids to it the next night! It's got that macabre humour that you can deliver more easily with puppets. Hard to pick a highlight because I liked the whole thing, but I think the scene "Why I Hate My Little Brothers" and "Le papillon est mort" were my favorites.  It was also a great evening out with the ladies of SHOUT! We have puppets in our show too, but nobody dies...

Playing With Fire - Citadel Theatre
I had to take my husband to see this show and was totally up for seeing it again.  Was surprised to find myself crying at the end (just a little bit), but it was even better this time.

Citadel/Banff Centre Professional Theatre Program Showcase - Citadel Theatre
At the end of the Program portion of their work, the participants give a little concert to show what they have been working on.  This was quite lovely.  It was terrific to see the personalities of the actors come out through their singing and I was told afterwards that many of them do not consider themselves singers, but I couldn't really tell. My personal favorite was Justin Goodhand singing Buddy's Lament from Follies, but I was also delighted to hear Jacklyn Francis sing and play guitar. I can't remember the name of the song, but it was funny.

And one more I just saw this weekend... 

Drat the Cat! - Plain Janes, Varscona
This show is actually still running, so you can check it out if you like.  I wasn't too sure about the script as it felt a little dated and hokey.  The cast does a fully committed enthusiastic attack of it and they are a pretty powerhouse group. Highlights of me were definitely Melanie Piatocha as the Cat and Chris Cook as the bumbling acting-police detective who is trying to catch the Cat while simultaneously being in love with her.  Kendra O'Connor is also pretty outstanding as Piatocha's mother. There is some great music and fun musical numbers and this show would be fine for audiences of all ages as it hearkens back to a musical theatre tradition of years gone by.

Going Up? The Elevator Project...

 

Last night after all the people went in for Opening Night of Clybourne Park, I took off to Tix on the Square to get a ticket for The Elevator Project.  I missed it in the fall because I was out of town too much and too busy when I was in town, so I was glad to squeeze it in this cycle.  I tried to start at the Tix elevator, but unfortunately it was having technical difficulties so it was not operational.  So I headed off for the CN Tower. There was a long line up there so I boogied over to EPCOR and got in for that one, then back to the CN Tower, where I waited a bit for that one and then the long trek to CKUA and a wait for the third.

The three shows were very different.  With a five minute piece, I don't actually want to say too much about them specifically because of spoilers, but overall it was a very interesting experience. I was worried in the first one because as I stood in the tight space my mild claustrophobia started to bubble up, but the brevity of the pieces made it okay.  It's very intense to be 'right there' while an intimate conversation happens in front of you.  I went through weird thought processes about how I should be personally engaging.  Do I laugh? Do I look at them? Do we clap at the end?  I wavered between elevator etiquette and theatre etiquette.  It was very, very interesting.  Like Shoot, Get Treasure, Repeat (which I saw at Fringe a few years ago), this was a theatrical experience greatly affected by the space.  The elevator has it's own rules about intimacy and eye-contact.  Breaking those rules to watch the show produced a myriad of emotional reactions in me. One of my friends said she had to watch a show sideways because she found she could not stand in the elevator without facing the front.  She tried to turn and watch, but had to turn front because standing sideways just felt wrong.  Our patterns of interacting with a space like an elevator are conditioned and when we break those conditions it affects us.

I think it would have been better if I had gone with a  friend (although I did bump into a couple of people I knew), because I think part of the experience would have been enhanced by a post play conversation and the wait at some sites was long as they could only have so many people in the elevator at a time.  Having someone to pass that time with would have been nice.  Also, it's a bit of a hike from site to site and that is nicer to do with a companion. I did have no trouble getting in my daily steps on my fitbit! Theatre as exercise! You have to love that.  I would recommend dressing warm.  I should have worn a hat and maybe a better scarf as I was not dressed as well as I should have been. You should also plan for 2 hours of time.  It might take less, but that will depend on how many other people are out for the adventure.

Theatre Yes - The National Elevator Project

Theatre Yes presents the National Elevator Project

What can happen in an elevator? Absolutely anything! OCTOBER 16 - 27, 2013 At Various Downtown Edmonton Locations Starting @ Tix on the Square, Sir Winston Churchill Square, 9930 – 102 Ave Theatre Yes’s National Elevator Project features short plays written for and performed in working elevators. Theatre Yes has arranged commissions for noted Canadian Playwrights from across the country to write very short plays (5 minutes and under) that explore the ritual of the elevator ride. The plays require audiences to enter elevators with the actors for one-of-a-kind, unforgettable performance experiences. Theatres and Arts Organizations involved: Eastern Front Theatre (NS), Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland (NL), Mulgrave Road Theatre (NS), Playwright’s Atlantic Resource Centre (NS), Magnetic North Theatre Festival (ON), Imago Theatre (QC), Nightswimming Theatre (ON), Persephone Theatre (SK), L’Unithéâtre (AB), Ghost River Theatre (AB), Workshop West Theatre (AB), The Canadian Centre for Theatre Creation (AB), Shadow Theatre (AB), Rumble Productions (BC). You will start at Tix on the Square, Sir Winston Churchill Square (9930 – 102 Ave), where you will be given a map and directions to each elevator. From there you will make your way to the location of each play in your own time. Plays are approximately five minutes in length and will be available on demand during each 2-hour performance window. SHOW TIMES Oct 16 (Preview) Oct 17th -27th Shows available between nightly 7:30-9:30 pm. Matinees Oct 19, 20, 26 and 27 at 2PM-4 pm No Show on Monday Oct 21 TICKETS Available at Tix on the Square or At The Door (Cash Only) Preview $15.00 (Everyone) Adult $25.00 Student/Senior/Artist $17.00 Pass $35.00 —See the plays over three performance times of your choice during the run Pay-What-You-Can @ The Door Tuesday Oct 22 — Does not include three night passes ARTISTS & ARTISTIC TEAM Directed by Heather Inglis Co-curated by Melissa Thingelstad Designed by Brian Bast FEATURING Mark Anderako, Candace Berlinguette, Lora Brovold Lee Boyes, Patricia Cerra Jason Chinn, Ellen Chorley, Murray Cullen, Eva Foote, David Horak, Lana Hughes, Cole Humeny, Sharla Matkin, Nancy McAlear, Troy O’Donnell, Niko Ouellette, Andrew Ritchie, Isabelle Rousseau, Morgan Smith, Ben Stevens, Caley Suliak, Melissa Thingelstad, Fred Zbryski Stage Managed by Betty Hushlak Assistant Stage Manager Joan Wyatt Assistant Director/Producer Brooke Leifso

Call for Volunteers:
Additionally - Theatre Yes is seeking volunteers to help with the FOH for this project. The tasks are very easy: Opening doors for people with tickets and Asking people to wait a few minutes if they arrive at the elevator and we are mid-show. 

If you are interested in volunteering contact Joan Wyatt at jaj.wyatt@gmail.com

They have shifts from 7-9:30 Wed –Sun AND 1:30-4:00PM on Saturday and Sunday.

So This is Cool...

NATIONAL ELEVATOR PROJECT

Feb 1st, 2nd, 3rd at the Canoe Festival

What can happen in an elevator? Absolutely anything!

Catch a sneak peak of Theatre Yes’s National Elevator Project featuring short plays written for, and performed in, working elevators. Don’t miss this teaser of the 3-very-short plays to be included in Theatre Yes’s one-of-a-kind performance project featuring a series of brand-new, site-specific works penned by writers from across the country. Each mini-play (under 5 minutes) asks audiences to enter and ride elevators with actors making each performance an unforgettable theatre adventure. All aboard!

Theatre Yes is pleased to present workshop productions of three plays in the series commissioned by Workshop West Theatre:

Come by each venue anytime between 7:00PM-8:30PM to that evenings play.

Feb 1st 7:00-8:30 PM
LOVE IN AN ELEVATOR by Melissa Thingelstad
Harcourt House Gallery, 10215-112 Street

Feb 2nd 7:00-8:30 PM
CARGO / IMMIGRATION By Greg MacArthur
City Market Building, 9662 101A Ave (South Entrance)

Feb 3rd 7:00-8:30 PM
I LOVE YOUR HAIR AND OTHER CONVERSATIONS by Jason Chinn
Arts Hub 118, 11731- 93 St. (West Entrance)

Admission free/by donation

Watch for the full series in the 2013-2014 season.

Be The First to Hear These Plays...

RACE - No Shades of Grey

I did the kid swap with Mark in the Westmount parking lot so that I could make it to the Theatre Yes production of David Mamet's RACE tonight. I had read a little about the play when it was on Broadway a few years ago and thought that the premise sounded intriguing so I was excited to see it was coming up. I think Mamet is always a courageous choice as the dialogue is tricky and this piece would be especially so because of the specific requirements of the cast. Although the play took a few minutes to grab me, once I was in, I was in. This production is a nice solid piece of work, anchored brilliantly by Michael Peng. The rest of the cast turn in solid performances, but he clearly seems most at home with the complexity of Mamet's dialogue. So many things impressed me about this piece of theatre. Brian Bast's set and costumes are perfect (and I am not just saying that because Brian and I went to high school together). It is amazing how transformed the Catalyst is. It was hard to believe it was the same space that I have seen countless Fringe shows in. But beyond that, this was a production that made me think.

On the drive home I did a lot of thinking about how I feel about some of the universals explored by the play. I have to say explored because Mamet is not easy on his audience. He does not tell you any of the solutions. He is much better at drawing attention to the problems and a pat solution is not going to cut it in his world. It's rather like the real world. Although the play is clearly American and the race issues are a somewhat different there, we have situations in Canada where the same kinds of prejudice impact our decisions and our beliefs. I do not believe that anyone is entirely without prejudice. We are all shaped by things we have lived through and what we have been taught and we have all felt judged based on where we come from and what we look like. How we deal with those attitudes, both our own and those of others, varies from person to person. Throw in a court case where the guilt of a client is up in the air and race is an issue and you have a compelling piece of theatre.

*number 8 in my 2012 theatre goal

So Much for a Lull...

Well, I have been saying that there is a lull in my theatre life between September and April (basically between A Little Night Music and Nine), however, I have managed to fill some of that time up this week. In addition to working a couple of casinos (Shadow Theatre and Theatre Yes) I also auditioned for the Drama 483 midterms and was cast in one of them, as well, I interviewed for and received an offer to direct for New Works at the U of A. The 483 scene is for the play Mrs. Packard. I do not know which role I will be playing at this point. I will find out Sunday. And the New Works script is also a mystery. I have my fingers crossed for one in particular but will be happy to work on whatever they want me to! I am excited. I think I should pause now before auditioning for anything else. At this point the time is filling up. Since I am also Master Painter for Wyrd Sisters at Walterdale I am running out of free time. But it is parcelled out nicely.

I also wanted to mentioned I am working on a scene from Marion Bridge by Daniel MacIvor for my Drama 257 scene. This makes me happy as I really connect to the writing and the characters in the piece. I only wish we were presenting after Playworks Ink when the experience of actually hearing MacIvor speak would potentially enrich the project.