| The RED Letter, May 2008 |
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Table of Contents
1. Words from Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
It’s May. Here is a list of fun things to do!
Yours in art, Lisa
2. An Interview with Marilo Nunez of De Colores Festival Photo of de colores fest.I met Marilo a few years when we spent time together on the Groundswell Unit at Nightwood Theatre. Many years ago she spoke about this idea, and I am so happy to see it come to fruition! For more about Marilo and her brilliance check out www.alamedatheatre.com – Lisa
Tell us about the De Colores Festival of New Works. The festival is the first playwright’s festival in Canada dedicated to developing the work of Latin Canadian playwrights. It runs for about eight months, with most of the time given to one on one dramaturgical support for the chosen playwrights. (This inaugural year we chose two playwrights so that the development time could really be focused). There is a closed workshop session halfway through the process, with actors and a director, to allow the playwrights to hear their work aloud and to make any necessary changes to the story. At the end of the process, we have a public presentation of the work in progress, for both the playwright and our audiences, to share in the exchange of the developing work. We do not place any pressure on the playwrights to produce a finished product but we want them to concentrate solely on the development. If the play doesn’t sound/feel ready to an audience, we want them to know that it’s okay. No one is there to judge the work. We are all there to support the work. To grow with the work. We are building a company, a body of work and our audiences with this festival; especially since the Latin Canadian community has never had a platform for their unique stories and experiences. This is Canada's First Latin Canadian Playwright Festival. Why did you feel the need to create a Latin Theatre Festival? What are the challenges to being a Latin Artist in Canada? Well, as I stated earlier, there has never been a platform for the Latin Canadian experience on Canadian stages. We are basically beginning from the ground up, building from the core in order to cultivate and develop a Latin Canadian theatre that is professional, relevant and accessible. We really want Canada and the world to be excited about the work we create as a company, as a community. I am so inspired by the Latino movement happening in the States. What makes it so inspiring is the community itself. They are dealing with similar and yet different issues. But they have history. There are icons of Latino theatre that have made an impact in American theatre. Not just because it is Latin theatre, but because it is great theatre. Theatre is about an exchange, be it through words, movement, sight or sound. It is an experience that touches the core of your humanity and the imagination. It is about the most basic form of communication: that of a story. Alameda aims to create a history, a legacy for future generations to be inspired by, to add to and to make their own. Truly and honestly that is what I want more than anything from this festival, this company. Alameda Theatre Company started the De Colores Festival to give artists of Latin American descent the vehicle to explore who they are, why they are, where they are and what they think about. We want to create an arena for Latino artists to express their experiences and visions and share them with all artists, all audiences. We want there to be a large community of artists who share something in common- a language, a culture, an experience. It is about being Latino and it’s also not about being Latino. I can’t describe it any better than that. It’s about giving access to a group of people that historically have not had these kinds of opportunities. A room of one’s own if you will. (For example, if I asked you to name 5 great Canadian playwrights- how many of them would be Latino?) That is what I want to change. I want more opportunity, more access, more of an influence in Canadian theatre. Being a Latino artist in Canada is quite a new thing actually. We, as a community, are quite young in terms of immigration to Canada. The Latin American community really began to grow in the early seventies, due to the political upheavals occurring in South and Central America. Before that point, Latin American immigration to Canada was quite low. In the last thirty odd years the community has grown (and is growing) exponentially. According to this last census poll, Latin Americans are one of the fastest growing communities in Canada. It amazes me that there has never been a company like this before, but yet, we forget that we are quite a young community in Canada. As artists we deal with the stereotypes (how many of us have been to an audition where you’re playing the hooker, drug dealer, cleaning lady, vato, cholo etc., with a thick accent-please raise your hands) and the lack of quality roles because you get pegged into this place of no return. You don’t get cast in plays about your own community or experience (a recent Toronto production comes to mind) because you are told you don’t have the experience behind you to be cast in the play. And yet, how do we get experience if we are not given the opportunities afforded non-Latino theatre artists. It’s quite maddening, and I hope that the more plays we develop, the more artists we cast in those plays, the more artists we have direct those plays, the more equal the playing field will become. And then we can begin to fill all the roles in plays not about Latinos. It’s quite a vicious cycle, and the goal is to break the cycle in order that it not be about your ethnicity, but about your talent. On the other hand, we have such a unique community in Canada, such unique stories to tell- it excites me to know that there are companies such as Carlos Bulosan Theatre, Fu-gen Theatre Company, Native Earth, Obsidian Theatre Company, Cahoots (to name a few of the culturally specific companies in Toronto) - because we as Canadian audiences get to experience stories from different perspectives. At yet, at the end of the day these perspectives are all about being human- but the cultural differences and points of view make the experience all that more enriching. What would your advice be to the beginning artists? Do it. Persevere, even when it seems like an unending battle. Don’t give up. Follow your dream! Live your dream! Begin one word (one act of courage) at a time. Most importantly become what you would ideally want in a mentor.
3. Feature Dance: between here and nowKemi Collective (Toronto)
Powerful works share an evening of dance. Cinque, choreographed by Jennifer Dallas, has a strong feminine influence guiding the interplay of original score, spoken word artist and five dancers. Exploring new avenues in traditional Nigerian dance, the performers undertake a rich collective journey that respects the uniqueness of each individual. Of his new solo for Dallas, choreographer Marc Boivin writes, “Every human being is a perspective on the world. Every point in time is a meeting of the future, the past and the present. Choreography is confronting in motion this perspective and that moment.” “Jennifer Dallas is a choreographer to watch…The best thing I can say about her pieces is that they make me think and leave me overflowing with questions and ideas.” Tori Allen (CBC Radio One) May 22-24
4. Feature Festival: Third Annual Lab Cab FestivalThis is one of my favourite festivals in the city. And Aviva and Andre, who put this together, are perhaps two of the coolest cats I know. I will be performing together with Gurpreet Chana on June 1st. Check the schedule for more info!
The Lab Cab Festival is a two-day multi-arts festival set in and around Toronto’s historic Factory Theatre. Music, dance, theatre, spoken word, poetry, visual art, film, comedy and clown are performed in the stairwells, bathrooms, theatres, lobbies, boiler room, courtyard, rehearsal hall, basement, dressing rooms, bars and every nook and cranny of the 137-year old Factory Theatre. Special attention has been placed in involving at-risk youth to participate in the festival, giving young actors, photographers, directors, musicians and writers the opportunity to perform in a professional yet pressure free environment. And it’s all FREE FREE FREE!!! Curated by Aviva Armour-Ostroff and co-produced with André du Toit, the Lab Cab Festival features over FIFTY artists including: SPECIAL PERFORMANCES FOR KIDS by: Sho Mo and the Monkey Bunch (music), Micheal Burtt (story telling), Theatre Cotton Robes Cotton (opera), Djennie Laguerre (Haitian dance workshop) and Ali Eisner (film/puppetry). MUSIC by: Molly Atkinson, QuiQue Escamilla, Megan Hamilton, Eden Hertzog, eavy Ethics, Daniel Sky and Bob Wiseman. THEATRE by: Bound To Create Theatre, East of Reason Theatre, The Essential Collective, Housebound Collective, Anita Majumdar, Daniel Sadavoy, Celine & Camille Stubel, Julie Tepperman & Aaron Willis and Zocalo Toronto. VISUAL ART by: Jim Earls, Matthew Edison, Sarah Faber, L.O.V.E. (youth group), Suzanne Robertson and SKETCH (youth group). FILM by: Marcello Cabazas, Simonee Chichester, Maia Levene, Point of View Films (youth group), Theatre Revolve (youth group) and Norman Yeung. DANCE by: Meagan O’Shea, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura and Melissa Jane Shaw, Monica Dottor, Jamie Holmes & Caron Lowerson. LITERARY PERFORMANCES by: Aviva Armour-Ostroff, Dian Marie Bridge & The Cric Crac Collective, Stuart Ross, Ryli Skelton and Greg Thomas. COMEDY & CLOWN by: Helen Donnelly, Rachelle Elie, Bruce Hunter, Renée Percy and Christopher Sawchyn, Saturday May 31st & Sunday June 1st, 2008
5. Feature Theatre: Breakfast
BREAKFAST Created by The Independent Aunties Marnie, a middle-aged, single, depressed and lonely woman, is trying out a self-help program in an attempt to “move ahead” in her life. The audience is invited into her kitchen, as voyeurs to Marnie’s morning rituals. But her breakfast preparations begin to take a bizarre turn, as the self-help guru slowly becomes increasingly personal: asking her to perform strange tasks and to engage with difficult memories from her past. When she is interrupted by an unexpected visit, the audience is left to ask whether magic has entered the room, or if they are being subjected to a mind that has crossed over from reality into delusion. What must Marnie do to truly transform her life? Opens Wednesday May 14 Save your ticket stub & see the show again on Tuesday May 27 for $5! Press Opening Wednesday May 21 Wednesday – Saturday 8pm, Sunday 2:30pm
6. Crafty Corner – An Interview with Jen Anisef from Toronto Craft Alert
You all know that I love crafty bits and am enamored by the DIY community. I met Jen Anisef about a year ago and knew that she was someone who could make some awesome things happen. Enjoy this interview with her and if you want to get involved check out torontocraftalert.blogspot.com
Tell us about the history of the Toronto Craft Alert. The TCA started as my personal blog in February 2006. I had recently moved back to Toronto and found that it was hard to find out about crafty happenings going on around Toronto, as there was no centralized information hub and A LOT of different stuff going on. People frequently asked me how I found out about craft fairs to sell at, or where to get supplies and I didn’t have a good answer for them. So I threw up a blog and sent out a call to crafty contacts asking them to pass along whatever tidbits they heard of. I subscribed to some arts mailing lists and kept my eyes peeled for notices in NOW & flyers in coffee shops. It became an addiction pretty quick. Over time more and more people (and even cultural institutions!) began submitting their listings, some great volunteers joined the TCA team, and readership grew & grew. Some fantastic initiatives have sprung from connections made through the Craft Alert, and currently I am trying to figure out funding so that I can do the project & its offshoots full time, as they seem to be supporting the craft community at large. It freaks me out (in the best possible way) to look back at how this project has grown and how many people it has engaged – I feel so lucky to have it in my life. There is a huge resurgence in DIY culture in the past few years. Why do you think this is and what is the scene like in Toronto? I think that we are responding to the fact that few of us have many opportunities to work with our hands, as some kind of technology or instruments of “convenience” mediate most of our actions. We have been deprived of the physical, the joy of touching things and creating real objects, and of doing basic things for ourselves. I think people crave that connection with materials, and a greater sense of self-sufficiency. It feels to me like a concerted effort to fulfill really basic human urges and for younger people to reclaim some of the how-to knowledge that might have otherwise passed them by. I also think that the craft/DIY movement is a response to decreased opportunities to express ourselves in a consumer culture, where the options are pretty dire (e.g. homogenous clothing chains, the “it” technology gadget, prefab condos jammed with Ikea furniture). It’s no surprise that more people are feeling compelled to make something uniquely reflective of who they are! What is your experience as a crafter and how has that influenced your life to make it a full time job? (If it in fact is?) I personally have zero formal training as a crafts person – just years of commitment to fabric fetishism, and a brief stint as a fimo hair accessory peddler when I was 11. Sometimes I sew things, on the (very) odd occasion I sell said sewn things at craft fairs, and most recently I took an excellent quilting class at the workroom. I derive so much satisfaction from these kinds of initiatives especially when I have the opportunity to connect people with information, objects, or other people in a way that supports them or inspires new ideas or initiatives. There is honestly nothing better than hearing from people about how my projects have helped them in some way. When I get this kind of feedback it makes me feel like it would be foolish not to try to do this all the time. Sounds crazy, but I think it can (has to) work. Any tips for people wanting to be involved but not knowing where to begin? Honestly- just get out there – there are so many opportunities to meet with others in environments that facilitate connection. For example most knitting shops have open nights for stitch n bitches, many sewing studios offer fabric swaps, I even know of a book arts studio that does a “bind and blab” for bookbinders. If you have a favorite crafty haunt, ask them if they host this kind of activity, or get on their mailing list. Plus fun interactive events are always coming through the Craft Alert – even these “one offs” can be a great place to start connecting with people around your area of interest. You can join the TCA mailing list to keep on top of these opportunities, or other great arts-related lists include Instant Coffee & Akimbo. One little note on this: I think many people get intimidated assuming everyone knows each other but that only happens because they attend repeatedly. Most people are pretty open and friendly – craft groups are probably the most open & accepting social environment you could hope for! Plus you already have something in common to break the ice, right? So no excuses, get out there, meet people & make stuff!
7. Read this Book! With Book Lady Sarah Selecky
This freshly-launched collection is from a new publisher on the block – Emdash Publishing, a small press from Victoria, BC – and the book design is just as beautiful as the writing. Not only one but two of these stories have been long-listed for the Journey Prize this year! The truth is, I know Julie Paul – we’ve written together for almost ten years. That means that I also know her work very well – and of course, I wouldn’t recommend this book unless I thought you should read it. And I think you should read it. As the title suggests, these funny, dark and sexy stories explore that most monstrous and corrosive emotion, jealousy, and all of its aftereffects. The writing is packed with carefully written images, compelling and emotionally true scenes, the dialogue vibrant and alive. In “Radio Who?” the narrator’s wife befriends four of her husband’s ex-girlfriends and invites them to a house party – who is to blame for what happens next? In “False Spring,” Leah’s husband Marcus, injured in a diving accident and unable to walk, encourages Leah to find someone else. And in “Instant Family,” a George Saunders-inspired story about the not-quite future, Henry ‘activates’ his child delivery from IF 1-2-3 (it’s a child powder!) before his wife gets home. She’s upset, naturally. Paul’s characters often want more than they are given, and her gift is in the way she writes their desires. Even as they make poor decisions, hurting themselves and the people they love, they are consistently drawn with sympathy. We understand why they do what they do, even though we know it’s going to cause some major problems. This makes the stories ripple with contradiction, gives them an extra layer of unarticulated tension. You’ll know what I mean when you read them. The book actually crackles in your hands when you hold it – it’s that charged. Sarah Selecky is a Toronto based writer and teacher. For more about her and her work please see www.sarahselecky.ca 8. Local Etsy Shops – Artistasan.etsy.com
A lot of RED letter readers love Dave’s photography. I often receive such kind emails letting me know how much they look forward to the next issue and where could they buy Dave’s photography. I felt it was time to have some sort of online shop. Well, I am proud to announce Artistasan.etsy.com, our creative collective. The shop features Dave’s photography along with some of my collage work. Until May 25 we are having a Spring Sale! 20% off of all 8 X 12 prints!
9. Wishing Line: Looking for your Wishes
Looking for wishes. You can draw them, write them, collage them, email them, and then send them to me! As part of an installation that will be performed at the Lab Cab Festival, (and hopefully exhibited in the fall) I invite you to share your wishes and dreams. The installation will feature words and images from people around the world and will be the beginning place for music, spoken word and dance by myself and some mystery guest artists. Each wish will be hung on a line so that people can see others dreams. These will inspire, challenge and motivate people to share stories, thoughts and conversation about society, people and the nature of optimism in the world! I invite the audience to interact with the installation and add their dreams as well. But in order for this to work, I am looking for people to send me thoughts, feelings, images, poems, fabric, words, sounds, anything that has to do with your wishes. You can include your name or be anonymous! As I am looking for a diverse mix of wishes, I hope that you will forward this to your many friends, family and colleagues from around the world. While this performance is June 1st, I will be collecting letters from now until the end of the summer. Each letter will receive a unique small piece of art from me as a thank you! Please mail wishes to: Or email me at lisa@girlcancreate.com Please note that I would much rather receive mail art wishes as opposed to those of the electronic sort. Thanks so much for your support and hope to see you at the Lab Cab Festival!
10. Spring Special! Gardening tips with Jane Hayes!
I met Garden Jane a number of years ago and was happy to connect with her again in February! She has a wealth of knowledge and makes learning about gardening fun. Jane will help us with some gardening tips in May and June! Happy Gardening!
Growing Organic? Think Compost. High quality compost is one of the most important ingredients in a healthy organic garden ecosystem. It feeds the soil food web that helps plants grow and be healthy. If you’re wondering what the soil food web is, imagine that in a teaspoon of good garden soil there are billions of bacteria, thousands of protozoa, a few dozen nematodes and several yards of fungi. That’s in one teaspoon! If you’ve been spraying your garden with fertilizer and pesticides for the last 10 years, chances are you’ve altered the balance. Whether that’s the case or you’re just starting, consider these tips for supporting and growing the beneficial food web in your garden patch:
Workshops with Garden Jane Sat May 17th, 9:30 - 12:30 p.m. (Pre-registration required) Sat May 24th and Sun May 25th, 10-4 (public event) Mon May 26th, 7 - 9 p.m. (Pre-register at 416-252-3665) Questions? Jane Hayes has worked for 14 years as an organic gardener, environmental educator and artist. She offers community and nature based workshops and events on a wide range of healthy gardening themes.
11. Artist Trading Card Live Trading Sessions
What is an ATC? Well, think of a baseball card. Or a playing card. Only, it doesn't have your favourite ball player, it has a one of a kind work of art. Originally these cards were created so that artists who couldn't afford art would swap with their friends. It has grown to become a movement that let's many people create and exchange original art! The only rules are that it must be 2.5” by 3.5” and it must be traded. ATC Toronto wants to spread the good word of Artist Trading Cards and is hosting monthly swaps and card making sessions! These cards are for everyone, not only artists! Join us once a month to make and trade some cards. Or come with your own cards to trade at our monthly session. This is a great way to meet new people, find some creative time and play with crayons, paper, glue, and paint and just have time to make art! Beginners welcome! Please know that this is for everyone! Even if you have never done any sort of art, you are welcome! It’s fun, and addictive, and you can have a great afternoon! Sunday May 25: 4:30 to 6:30 p.m. Where: Somewhere There Studios
12. Creativity Classes with GirlCanCreateYou asked for Monday Night classes and here they are! Please register early as there is limited space and the classes are filling quickly! This will be the last She Can Create offering until the fall! Sign up soon so you don’t miss out on a great class!
“As a workshop leader, Lisa brings a sense of excitement and passion few can match. Her enthusiasm rubs off on the participants, now co-creators, in a world of movement and creativity carefully explored and unleashed in a safe, fun-filled experience. Lisa is both a masterful facilitator and a catalyst for stepping into the unknown. With such warmth and humour, she truly creates a joyous atmosphere in her classes and workshops.” - Beth Mairs, Director of Wild Woman Expedition She Can Create: Creativity Classes for Women Join us for an experiential woman's creative group that meets once a week to play and create using a variety of different inspirations. Focusing on self-expression and the desire to bring more art to our lives we will use Collage, Storytelling, Movement, Doll making, Beadwork and Journaling to jumpstart our creativity and help create unique pieces of art and find ways how to continue creating after the classes are finished. Lisa will also talk about the overcoming creative blocks, taking steps to complete projects and letting the world know about your work. A sure fire inspiring workshop, register early to avoid disappointment as there is a limited amount of participants. Monday Nights from 6:30 to 9:00 Where: Somewhere There Studios To register please email Lisa at lisa@girlcancreate.com or call 416-516-4925
13. Classes, Workshops and ConferencesDo It Yourself DOWN & DIRTY SOLO MAKING Bring an important idea. The week will include daily warm ups and introduction to the skills that will facilitate the creative process; time to work on your idea; Friday showing for invited guests. This workshop is for the creator/performer with some experience who is interested in investigating solo performance creation in an intensive environment. Please submit a brief statement of interest. Meagan O’Shea is “one of the city’s most engaging artists”* and a nationally acclaimed performer and solo maker. Her work based on part 1 (current), Coffee for One (2007), and something blue (2006), As I unravel small maps of my spirit (2005), First Kissed (2004) with interactive installations, and Night Stills (2003) have been presented across Canada, in the US and the UK. Meagan has been guest artist at the Banff Centre, fabrik Potsdam, Tanzfabirk Berlin and Dance Base in Edinburgh. Current projects include dance like no one is watching: a silent uprising, and how to save the world (as demonstrated) through movement. *Toronto Star. Please contact Meagan atomeagan@gmail.comto register
14. Calls for EntriesVOLUNTEERS NEEDED Saturday May 31st & Sunday June 1st, 2008 We are pleased to have the opportunity to bring this festival back to Factory Theatre again this year and we are looking for some energetic arts-lovers to volunteer for the festival in a number of different capacities. We are looking for people for the following positions: Venue Coordinator Assistants To volunteer, please contact Nausheen Currington by email at nausheencurrington@rogers.com or by phone at 647-229-5175. The Lab Cab Festival is a two-day multi-disciplinary arts festival set in and around Toronto’s historic Factory Theatre.
15. Upcoming Performances of Interest
May 11 to May 25 May 12 May 13 – 18 Falling to Grace features new dance works by Toronto dance luminaries Tanya Crowder and Julia Sasso. May 14 Featured artists include Jenn Goodwin, Danielle Baskerville, Meagan O’Shea, Tracey Norman, Alicia Grant, Antonio Cayonne, Spencer Butt, Chastity and Charity, Geordie Lishman, Christopher Mills, Guy Godfree, Riley Gilchrist, Lesley Loksi Chan and Ella Cooper. May 15 May 16 till June 1 Written and Directed by Michael Rubenfeld May 18 May 22 May 23 May 24 – June 1 May 25 May 26 May 27 May 29 A film screening of Pee-Wee’s Big Adventure, supported by a live cast featuring members of the Hidden Cameras, Broken Social Scene, Apostle of Hustle, Kids of TV, The Old Soul, Republic of Safety, The Phonemes and more. Lex Vaughn as Pee-Wee. Gentleman Reg as Francis. With guest appearances by Sook Yin Lee and City Councillor Adrian Heaps. May 30 June 1
16. Photography by Dave Pijuan-Nomura
Check out more of Dave's work at artistasan.etsy.com
17. Last Thought
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The Jealousy Bone
