Where the Blood Mixes at Theatre Network - Humanizing the Issue

Saturday night I took in Where the Blood Mixes at Theatre Network.  I needed to take a little time before I wrote about it though, because I was challenged by the piece. Overall it was a very thought provoking night of theatre, but I had to balance my reaction as a theatre goer with my reaction as a human being.

As a theatre goer, It was challenging for me because there are many beautiful artistic things about this production that I appreciated, but it was also flawed so I was frustrated by it dramatically.  The images of the skeletal creatures floating above Cory Sicennes' gorgeous set were magic and combined with Dave Clarke's sound design conceptually the production was exceptionally strong.  Lorne Cardinal, as the angry and frequently drunk Floyd, is brilliant.  He is such a  phenomenal talent - a true Canadian treasure.  His moments of realness in both anger and shame were heart-breaking and so very, very real.   My major issue, however, is with the script. Individually, the scenes are well-written and poetic, sometimes funny, sometimes angry and often sad, but as a whole, the structure of the piece was confusing.  To me it felt like it was and should have been Floyd's story, but the trailing bits of the other characters diminished the whole of that.  A song in the middle, though beautiful, felt misplaced and kind of stopped the flow of momentum.  Many emotional reveals were just yelled, despite them being things that the characters have been unable to talk about for years.  I wanted more layers, more levels, more interesting choices.  I don't know... it confused me as a whole. I know... because I write, I get caught up in things like arc and character journeys and "who's story is it?" - perhaps it wouldn't bother someone else as much.  The rest of the audience did not seem to mind as there was a healthy 2/3 standing ovation. But I really had to sit there to think about what it was trying to say.

Now that I have had a few days to think, as a human being I appreciated what this play tries to do - put a human face on those that suffered and continue to suffer from the effects of residential schooling and also point out a direction for moving forward from it.  Floyd becomes much more than just a drunken, broken man.  His breakdown at the reunion with his long lost daughter is grounded in emotions of shame, fear, and loss that everyone could understand.  It has been a hard year for me trying to understand and learn about a lot of the topics touched on in the play, but I felt that this is where the play succeeds.  Floyd's greatest pain is that he feels that he has failed his child, and it is the forgiveness granted that allows him to move forward.  It made me realize how important forgiveness is in being able to heal and move forward from the past.

At least that is what I got from it.

Ride the Cyclone - A Loop-de-loop of a Show! WOW!

When the Citadel announced their season last spring and Ride the Cyclone was on the list, I have to admit I over-looked it.  It's description referenced the tragic deaths of 6 teens at an amusement park in a small town in Saskatchewan and I thought it was probably a sad piece about the loss of young lives.  However, in January, I started to read things in my twitter and FB feed from friends in Calgary about the show.  Few specific details were mentioned, but the overwhelming response was WOW.  So I reread the description:

"Ride the Cyclone spotlights a teenage chamber choir from Uranium, Saskatchewan who died in a roller coaster accident at a traveling fair. Karnack, a mechanized fortune-telling machine, feels responsible for the young choir’s demise, and gives the teens a chance to express themselves to the world after death. Ride the Cyclone is their final recital, where they celebrate their individuality while coming to terms with their untimely demise."

Hmmmm... Maybe there was something more there? Well, tonight I was lucky enough to see the first Preview of the show at The Citadel Theatre and was blown away.  This is no sad recollection.  This was a riotous, irreverent, musically wow-filled show.  I totally understand the description.  I don't even want to say too much in this post, because I think it is better to just experience it, but it was outstanding.  The music, performed excellently by the six member cast and band, demonstrates a wide variety of musical influences, from Rocky Horror Show, to Spring Awakening, to traditional Broadway belt, Rap, a touch of David Bowie, classical and even the recorder.  I am missing more - but even with all these styles it is wonderfully cohesive.  Each song has it's own surprises.  You can tell they have been touring with this show for a little while because it is sharp and tight.  Like a real roller-coaster it swings you from side to side and up and down and is full of twists and turns.  Nothing is predictable and it's magic comes from it's low-tech simplicity with a hint of nostalgia.  It is truly laugh out loud and yet it has these moments of real sadness and quiet emotion. It's also irreverent and saucy.  I am happy to be going back to see it a second time. I was not alone in my appreciation.  The audience gave it one of the fastest standing ovations I have ever seen.  A truly magical Canadian musical!

SEE IT!

I Want to Be in A Play... Where Can I find Auditions?

A little over a week ago I was listening to my messages on the phone when the caller says something pretty close to the following:

Hi, I'm ________.  I got your name from a friend of mine.  I just moved back to 

Edmonton from ______ and I live in the Whyte Avenue area and I really want to 

get into acting again.  My friend said that you know everything about auditions and 

stuff, so I was hoping you could help me out. 

I probably don't know everything, but I do like to keep my ear to the ground so to speak, so I called back and left a message but haven't heard back from him. This is not the first time I have gotten a request for this kind of information and while I don't think I know everything, I do think that I am pretty good at getting back to people with useful tips and point them in the right direction.   Since I get these questions, it got me thinking.  I do know where to look for auditions and maybe some people don't know the resources that are out there so I thought I would provide some useful links and tips for finding auditions at a variety of levels.

The first place I would go for general audition information is the Theatre Alberta Classifieds.  These not only have auditions information, but also information on jobs, submissions, workshops, etc... It can be searched by type of ad and by location.  I go there a couple of times a month minimum to see what is new.  You can also like Theatre Alberta's FB page and you will get new notices from classifieds in your feed. Now, I am not just saying this because I am on the theatre Alberta Board - i was using these resources long before I joined the Board, in fact, it is because of these kinds of services that I was drawn to Theatre Alberta to begin with.  I personally don't know how you can do theatre n Alberta (professional, community, education) and not be a member - I know that it has provided me with many resources over the years.

Another place you can check out is the FB Group Edmonton Auditions.  It's manager collates auditions notices from the area and you might not have to search as much if you go there. If you join, you can also post your own auditions in the group to share with it's members.

Next you can go directly to theatres to check out what they have coming up.  People who know me know that I have a major connection with Walterdale Playhouse.  Currently they are booking people for Anything Goes, which goes up in July. They have auditions six times a year for a variety of different shows and they update their current auditions page to feature whatever is coming up next. Walterdale is a community theatre but has a very high quality of production and welcomes new and returning members.

There are many other community and independent theatres that you can check out in the Edmonton Area: ELOPE, Two One Way Tickets to Broadway, Sherard Musical Theatre Association, Festival Players, Horizon Players, and many more.  Most of these groups have FB Pages and will also advertise in Theatre Alberta's Classifieds. A note - Two One Way is currently booking auditions for The Full Monty so click that link if you want to check that out.

If you want to check out the professional theatre opportunities in town, many of them will start having generals in the spring.  What I find best is to find the theatres in town you are interested in and follow thems on FB or Twitter and watch the feeds.  Check out their websites.  There are many theatres in town and each has their own aesthetic and feel.  I encourage you to sample widely to see what you connect to most strongly and then investigate those for their generals.  Currently The Citadel is accepting submissions for their Generals, but you might have to act fast on those.

There are many other ways - this is just a starting point - the best thing to do is just start looking.  I generally find there are more things I want to go out for than I am able to and once you get involved you will make connections for the next project.

How to Write a Play - APN Playwriting Circles

I don't know about you, but one of the things that I find most challenging about playwriting is the solitude - the being alone in it.  You have to do that part when you are actually writing, but I have found in the past that there are a few things that help me write better (or even at all).  The first is a deadline.  I write to deadlines and they help me considerably.  There's an important one coming up in a week and that has me motivated to get to work on a couple of my scripts.  That's the APC (Alberta Playwriting Competition) which has a March 1st, 2013 deadline.

The second is what produced The Easy Road - a 24 hour Playwriting Competition.  I have written two plays this way.  Ideas that noodled around in my head for months suddenly took shape and made their way onto the page.  I am glad that there are plans to repeat last year's Play in a Day so that I might get another play out of that.

The third is a Playwriting Circle.  APN hosts these on a yearly basis with one starting in Edmonton on February 25th.  I got a great deal of work done on Little Monsters last year and if I had the time this year I would be back for more (the challenges of directing one show at the same time as producing another make this impossible). What is great about the Circles is that there are built in deadlines to motivate you, and you get to meet with a group of playwrights, who just like you, are struggling to complete their work. And the topper is that you get a fabulous facilitator (Conni Massing in Edmonton) to help you.  Finally, at the end of the circle, you pick a section of your play and 'real' actors come in and there is a public reading where you can share the work you have done.  There is nothing more thrilling than hearing your words read well!

EDMONTON Playwrights’ Circle

February 25 to April 22, 2013 (Reading: May 6)Workshop West, Third Space
Staff Contact: Tracy CarrollCost: $300.00

CALGARY Playwrights’ Circle

March 6, 2013 to April 24, 2013Currie Barracks, Evergreen Rehearsal Studio
Wednesdays, 7-930pm
Staff Contact: Michelle KnealeCost: $300.00

For more information or to register in an upcoming playwriting circle, contact Michelle (Calgary) or Tracy (Edmonton) or call (403) 269-8564 or toll-free 1-800-268-8564.

There are other things that I use to motivate me to write, but these are my top three! 

Excited to be a Part of Skirts AFire! Peep Show!

I found out this last week that one of the two scripts I submitted to Skirts AFire - Peep Show was selected.  The Easy Road, which I wrote during the Play in a Day competition during the 2012 Edmonton Fringe was selected, and an excerpt of it will be presented along with three other scripts at Peep Show on March 10th as part of the first ever Skirts AFire Festival.  I am thrilled as this is providing the necessary motivation for me to spend more time on my writing.  Too many other things in my life have caused me to shove my writing to the back-burner so my plans to write more this year have not come to fruition.  I will also get to hear a section of my play read by some of Edmonton's top actresses.  It is always so thrilling to hear your work interpreted by other people.  I find that is when I discover the most about where the play must go.  The filter of collaboration tends to clarify the direction of the piece. So, stay tuned and I will provide more information about this event as it comes to me!

Date Night! Trunk Theatre presents Days of Wine and Roses at the Varscona

I am out and about most evenings.  I consider myself lucky that I get to see so much theatre, but because of the kids and the need for someone to be home with them, my husband does not get to see nearly as much as I do.  I wangled a nice exchange with my Mother, taking her to Private Lives on Thursday night in exchange for her babysitting the boys so that Mark and I could go out together on Friday.  To be fair, she probably would have babysat on Friday without the bribe, but this way I could say thank you in advance!

So in a rare night out for both of us we took in Trunk Theatre's Days of Wine and Roses at the Varscona.  It was a new version of the teleplay by J.P. Miller by Irish playwright Owen McCafferty (Mojo Mickybo) - Donal (Cody Porter) and Mona (Elena Porter) are a young Irish couple new to the adventure of their lives in London.  They meet on the journey from Belfast and fall in love and marry and drink and their mutual inability to handle alcohol leads to the destruction and rebuilding of their lives.  I was quite impressed with the simplicity of the production.  Director Amy DeFelice has constructed a production which is based foremost in building the shifting relationship of the two characters.  Their descent is tracked by the increasing number of bottles caging them on the stage.  Her transitions from scene to scene help support the overall arc as they move from joyful celebration and dancing to stumbling and angry striding. Cody and Elena (I usually refer to the actors by their last names, but that gets confusing here) have a true chemistry onstage.  Each are present and it is not hard to imagine the attraction and the sadness at the ultimate failure of the relationship. I particularly loved Elena's shifting from a wistful hopefulness at the top of the show - her voice soft and full of expectation for her future - to the hardened acceptance and resignation of where she ends up.  The characters are real and as is the dialogue and although doomed, so is the relationship.  For two nights in a row I have witnessed two drunken and battling couples onstage.  This one also gave the audience permission to be horrified by the violence between the lovers and allowed them to feel the shame of what they were becoming.

I was pleased that Mark also enjoyed his night out, since he doesn't get them as often.  In a few years when the kids are older, I hope to be dragging him along to more of my theatrical adventures!

Photo Credit: Sarah Van Tassel

A Two Show Day - Am I Crazy? The Missionary Position and Private Lives...

If you try hard enough, you can do this.  I managed to see two shows today by hitting the matinee of The Missionary Position at the University of Alberta Timm's Centre and then going to the evening performance of Private Lives at The Citadel.  They are two very different pieces of theatre so separating thought about them was not that difficult.

The Missionary Position is a new work by Lee Playwright in Residence, Greg MacArthur, written specifically for the 2013 graduating BFA Class.  I found it a thought provoking cautionary tale supported by strong acting and a creative set and lighting design. It deals with a fictional group of Christian missionaries who travel to an unnamed South American country that has been struck by devastation in the form of an earthquake and tsunami.  The missionaries are there to bring God to the orphans and save them both physically and spiritually.  Unfortunately their journey takes a terrible turn and they are imprisoned and charged - what will happen to them, and what exactly did they do are the chief questions to be answered.  There's plenty to engage us, perhaps too much, as the playwright had to write compelling characters for the class of 12, so that some of the sub-stories seem almost distracting.  Central is the idea those who think that faith in God will guide them to do good works are often misguided and naive. Unfortunately most of those who say they are going to do God's work are revealed to be quite shallow and certainly not as selfless as they initially proclaim.  It is this aspect that bothered me most about the play.  There are no truly likable people, with the exception of Angie (Angelique Panther), the translator girlfriend of the investigating Canadian Embassy worker (Ben Gorodetsky) who is the only one who really seems invested in true giving of self.  This is not to say that the performances are not entertaining, as I laughed heartily at the trio of Daniel Fernandes, Cayley Thomas  and Patricia Cerda who play a trio of Christian Television performers and Edmund Stapleton as the Tae-bo obsessed non-Christian adventurer.  But the collective group didn't really feel like real people which made it hard to empathize with them when it all goes wrong. I have friends who are very active and engaged Christians who have done missionary work and although I do not share their faith, I never saw them as shallow and narcissistic or so incredibly naive and stupid.  I just wished for one person in the group that I could feel was truly there for the right reasons and there wasn't.  Outside that group, Gorodetsky's journey is perhaps the most interesting to watch as he shifts from unquestioning support, to fascination and obsession and then finally to condemnation.  He does have, however, a strange unnecessary shower scene that I think is there to show off the fantastic water effects - but I would have been totally cool if that was a surprise for the end. Strangely, it is the slick talking Nacho (Mat Simpson) who feels the most consistently real of all the characters.  It is not hard to see how he might swindle this gang of naive chumps, nor are we surprised when he turns out to be much worse than he appears on the surface.  It made for a thought-filled afternoon of theatre (and after) and I recommend despite my criticisms.  It is more the wish that some of those character's stories could be more fleshed out to make them more real, but the constraints of show length and the question of what story it wants to tell does not allow for that.

It was a major shift to the evening's performance of Private Lives. This is not a deep piece - but a hilarious romp in the world of Noel Coward.  I have never seen the play before, despite it's popularity, and had a good time laughing at the dry wit of Coward as delivered by divorced couple Elyot (John Ullyatt) and Amanda (Diana Donnelly).  Ullyatt and Donnelly have a true chemistry and their verbal and physical sparring is note-perfect.  The script is a little dated, but in keeping the period so sharp right down to the Picasso on the wall, the production overcomes the inherent dangers.  There was a gasp of shock at the first slap, but the fight quickly turns so comical that that 2013 sensibility of what it means when there is physical violence between a man and a women can be diffused. I was blown away (as was my mother) with the outstanding effects in the Second Act.  It leaves you in a bit of a gasping shock and I give kudos to the production team and stage management for creating true magic. Although a traditional piece, it's a great show that I think anyone would be hard pressed not to laugh at, and it looks and sounds absolutely gorgeous so special mention to Leslie Frankish for her Set and Costume design and Joel Crichton for the Sound design.