| The RED Letter, Nov 2008 |
Table of Contents
1. Words from Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
A list of things on my mind: 1. A big thank you to all who donated to my 5K walk for cancer. Dave and I both walked on that beautiful Sunday morning. It was emotional, and empowering, and I feel proud that together we raised approximately $1700 in four days. This money will go to Princess Margaret Hospital which has been so amazing in their work with cancer. This is close to my heart, as my father has multiple myeloma, an aggressive bone cancer. He has just finished an experimental treatment and is slowly feeling better. Next year, I plan to put together a whole team. If you haven’t donated yet and wanted to, please take a moment and go to http://pmhf3.akaraisin.com/p/lisapijuannomura.aspx. 2. Obama! Wow! History made and hope is in the air! 3. Don’t kill yourself in your quest to do all of the holiday shindigs and such. It’s not worth it. Go where you want. Do what you will. Surround yourself with brilliants. 4. Read a book. It’s fall, winter is coming. Get cosy with a good read and some yummy treats! 5. Host an afternoon kid art session. Just bring together some friends(of all ages) and play with crayons, paper, glue and scissors. I think that’s it, there were a thousand more things, but they flew out of my brain. It’s time for me to go and walk the dog. Yes, I have a dog, and she’s lovely. Like really lovely. If you want to meet her, (or you would like to meet her cat friends Beans and Wiener), email me and we can make it happen. 2. Feature Comedy: Clown ChowderThe first RED Letter reader to send the producer an email with the subject line "Red Clowns Rule!"wins a free pair of tix to the show. Fine print: Only the winning emailer will be contacted.
Clown Chowder: an intimate clown soirée. Bad Dog Theatre, 138 Danforth Ave. (at Broadview) Clown Chowder is an evening of adult clown in the Pochinko and Bouffon traditions. Not for kids. The theme for the show is Tumult. Hosted by David Tomlinson. Produced by Owen Anderson 416.491.3115 3. Feature Cabaret: Free SpeechThe November installment of Roncesvalles' own literary cabaret FREE SPEECH features a highly talented and diverse line-up. This month we'll have the pleasure to listen to longtime activist and writer (and recipient of the Order of Canada) Mary Jo Leddy, actor/comedian Kathleen Phillips, award-winning poet Jeff Latosik and guitarist/songwriter Paul MacDougall. As usual, FREE SPEECH is hosted by Johan Hultqvist Tuesday, November 18 About the artists: Mary Jo Leddy is a Canadian writer, speaker, theologian and social activist. She lives in and leads the Romero House community for refugees, which she helped found in 1990. After thirty years, as a member of the Roman Catholic Sisters of Our Lady of Sion, she left that congregation in 1994. She received the Ontario Citizenship Award in 1993 and the Order of Canada in 1996. Kathleen Phillips is a founding member of the Laugh Sabbath Comedy Series at the Rivoli and has performed at comedy venues in Montreal, New York, Los Angeles, London, and San Francisco. This fall she's starring in the Comedy Network's new series, "House Party." In Now Magazine' s "Best of T.O. 2008" she was named Toronto's best character comic. Jeff Latosik has been living and writing in the Parkdale area for two years. He would like to give a shout out to the Film Buff, the High Park Library, Pharma Plus, and No Frills. If these places had magazines, he would make it his life's goal to publish his poetry in them. " Jeff thinks that Parkdale is awesome. Paul MacDougall is a born-and-raised Toronto musician. He started his musical journey in St. Michael's Boys' Choir and studied jazz guitar at Humber College. As a member of JUNO-nominated Toronto band Mr. Something Something, he has recorded three albums and toured from coast to coast over the past five years. He is also one of the driving forces behind The DoneFors, whose debut album will be released in February 2009. About the host: Johan Hultqvist is an activist and the lead singer of JUNO-nominated Afrobeat collective Mr. Something Something . He grew up in Sweden but calls Roncesvalles Village home. His only remaining vice is wine gums. FREE SPEECH is produced with generous support from Mill Street Brewery, New Moon Kitchen and Envoy Business Services on Roncesvalles. 4. Feature Festival: REELAsian
TORONTO REEL ASIAN INTERNATIONAL FILM FESTIVAL NOV 12 The 2008 Toronto Reel Asian International Film Festival will celebrate its 12th year as Canada’s longest-running showcase of contemporary cinema by East Asian moviemakers from around the world, including Canada! Reel Asian fosters the exchange of cultural and artistic ideals between East and West and is a community-based festival that attracts thousands of attendees to five frenetic days of screenings, industry panels, workshops, receptions and galas. The official 2008 selection of Reel Asian will present a diverse selection of the best movies from 14 countries Hong Kong, Japan, Korea, Taiwan, Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore/Cambodia, the Philippines, Vietnam, USA and Canada, and includes fifty-six premieres, (14 World premieres, 4 North American Premieres, 17 Canadian Premieres, 19 Toronto Premieres, 2 Mississauga Premieres). For more information see http://www.reelasian.com 5. Feature Dance: MADance Screen Salon 2008 & Kaeja LoungeFeaturing dance performances, silent art auction, and screenings of movement-inspired films. November 26 NOVEMBER 26, 2008 Our Kaeja Lounge features an exclusive exhibit of limited edition prints by Carl Beam, one of Canada’s most acclaimed aboriginal contemporary artists, as well as exhilarating performances by 16 dancers from the Kaeja d’Dance company and beyond. Audiences will be invited to participate in on-the-spot live video creation to be screened at the end of the evening, and an Elevation Booth will provide participants with an opportunity to be photographed in a signature Kaeja lift with Karen or Allen Kaeja. Money raised will go towards the longevity of Kaeja d’Dance works, assisting in fund development for two of our major creations over the next 2 years. MADance Screen Salon opens the same night with MADstudents, a screening of new works by emerging movement & film students in North America, including films by Maayan Cohen, Olympia Farmakidis, Christina Giannelia, Rebecca Gruihn, Natasha Hall, Susan Lee, Melissa Moore, Marie-Anne O'Reilly, Ashley Sanderson, and Kaitlin Torrance. NOVEMBER 27, 2008 CurrentlyMAD features a selection of films by directors from across North America, including Julie Chateauvert, Maxine Heppner, Maria Hunter, Allen Kaeja/Douglas Rosenberg, Maria Kefirova, Eroca Nicols, Karen Rose, Kathy Rose, Aurélie Pedron and Marta Renzi. . MAD About Bravo!FACT presents an outstanding program of Canadian Bravo!FACT shorts including films by director/choreographer teams: Miryam Bouchard/François Bégin/Louise Lecavalier, James Cooper/Malgorzata Nowacka, Jenn Goodwin, Allen Kaeja/Karen Kaeja/Sylvie Bouchard, Martin Laporte/Thien Vu Dang/Paul-André Fortier, Marlene Millar/Philip Szporer/Dana Michel, Kathi Prosser/William Yong, Victor Quijada, Justine Ricard/Mark Morgenstern, Kenneth Sherman, Kenneth Sherman/Noam Gagnon, and Benjamin Steiger-Levine/Ame Henderson. Edward Day Gallery For More Information / Reservations: 6. Crafty Holiday HappeningsI have been busy getting ready for a bunch of upcoming craft shows and sales. I will be showing some of my crafty creations at Crafternoon Tea! Please do come by and say hello! – Lisa
Crafternoon Tea WHEN: SaturdayNovember 29th (11am - 5pm) WHERE: Queen Street East Presb. Church, 947 Queen St. East at Carlaw WHAT: Crafternoon Teais a crafty/fashion market and how-to hive that's been running twice a year in various East-End locations since 2005. This laidbackevent showcases 25-30 local indie makers, plus a DIY demo zone and ayummy charity tea-area (with a psychic!)& a fab raffle too. Expect to find all kinds of quirky-cool crafty goodness - just in time for the holidaze! Participating vendors offer up a medley of handcrafted goodies, including creatively recycled gifts,one-of-a-kind wearables and accessories, natural soaps & beauty products, unusual knits, greeting cards,soft toys, gourmet edibles, baby merch, funkyholiday decorations andoodles of othertreats. Wallet-friendly bonus: most items are priced well under $50 - lots below $20. Shopping at Crafternoon Tea is your way to support local talent, while buying fantastic & eco-friendly gifts. Buy Handmade! Buy Local!! Sweet Charity: Cash generated via raffle ticket sales and the English tea service will this year benefit two neighbourhood non-profit agencies:the Woodgreen Community Centre and the Red Door (women's) Shelter. To date, Crafternoon Tea has raised nearly $6K for charity.
Organic Creations: Holiday Shopping for men and women brought to you by T.O’s emerging female designers: Shayenne Designs’ Contemporary African Jewelry Realeza Presents’ Satin Couture Jewelry Pillows Afrodelik Designs’ Funky t-shirts, hoodies and bags Sunday November 30th Kindly RSVP!! anitAFRIKA! dub theatre 62 Fraser Avenue, (South of King, east of Dufferin) 7. People in our neighbourhood: Lesley Greco — Integrative Body WorkerI met Lesley a number of years ago at a contact jam. I was immediately taken with her calming energy, and her kind sense of humour. Recently, we have been doing sessions together that I can only describe as intuitive, necessary and healing. Her way of working is gentle and effective, and I do feel that any artist looking for some bodywork would benefit from a session with this wonderful woman! - Lisa
Well, I started training in the field of bodywork in 1990 and became a registered massage therapist in 1996. I grew up with a lot of body pain and illness, so bodywork has always been a part of my life, it was a natural path for me to follow. Movement and later vocal work paralleled that and as I learned to express myself the pain began to diminish. It's a continual learning process, I don't think there is a bottom to it at least i don't see one from here. In your work, you are combining creative and healing modalities. Could you explain how it is that you work? I've been exploring different healing modalities for as long as I can remember. I've had the privilege of working with some of the most extraordinary healers around but I have to say that the motivation for healing needs to come from inside. Personally it is coming most powerfully through a desire to express myself creatively and in an honest way. So, I don't think of myself as a therapist or a healer, I approach each person as a collaborator, I see our work together as an improvisation. When I put my hands on someone I am initiating a sort of kinesthetic conversation in which I am first and foremost the listener, as I receive information through the body of the person I am touching I move responsively to what I'm sensing in order to gently facilitate the process of embodiment, the healthy flow of energy and respond to the needs of the moment as I perceive and as the person communicates them. It's often not verbal but there is communication happening. Could you tell us about the new Balance space? Balance Integrated Healthcare has been operating in liberty village for several years now and this spring we moved into a fantastic new space in the liberty market building. You really have to come down and experience it. From the moment you walk in it's clear that Kam crafted this place out of her heart, as well our team of practitioners are, in my opinion, among the very best, they are innovators in their fields, highly trained and experienced but even more importantly they are a group of really cool, caring people. What are some of your Favourite things in Toronto. ie, places, people, food, etc. Oh, I could go on for a long time here..but what is most important to me at the moment is this lovely stretch of beach near my place in Lakeshore Village. Lately an artist has been building those crazy standing stone sculptures around here, I love this, these brilliant people leaving anonymous art in the corners and hidden places of the city. Lesley Greco m.t. is an artist and bodyworker living and working in toronto. currently she is involved with the certificate program of the Deep Listening Institute in new york and is working as a facilitator for the 'Exploring Creativity in Depth' program run by Dr. Austin Clarkson and the Milkweed Collective. To contact Lesley call 416-993-0416 or email lgreco@sympatico.ca 8. Read this Book! With Book Lady Sarah Selecky
I finished reading the sixteenth and final essay of this thoughtful, funny, humane and disturbing collection while sitting in the back seat of a big maroon Buick on the way back home from a friend’s cottage this summer. The final essay, “Manifesto: A press release from PRKA” [People Reluctant to Kill for an Abstraction] reduced me to tears in three pages. It is only three pages long. My maudlin state could have been enhanced by the fact that I had spent the weekend by a lake – without television or newspaper, indeed without even a radio, making believe that I lived in a benevolent world where all families could canoe to a community square dance together and then come home and sleep peacefully, dreaming of organic spelt toast and homemade preserves the next morning. But I was on the Gardiner Expressway driving back into the city with red eyes, knowing that the real world has problems. Big problems. I don’t want to believe that PRKA is a fictional organization. Read the essay, and let me know. Here is a quote from Saunders, from his short-lived blog on Amazon.com: “The central premise of the title essay in my new book, The Braindead Megaphone, is this: Our cultural discourse is being dumbed-down by mass-media prose that is written too quickly, and therefore fails to due [sic] justice to the complexity of the world. On the other hand, prose that is revised and that the writer lives with awhile can go deeper and deeper and become more nuanced and truthful. This doesn’t happen for me in one or two or even five drafts. At the one-level draft, I don’t feel I really have much to offer. I am just: Guy, Typing.” There were only three entries by “Guy, Typing” and the last one was written over a year ago. I think Saunders let go of his blog (see above quote for his own explanation) and that is just fine. These essays do justice to the complexity of the world. 9. Call for SubmissionsThe Choreographic Marathon Question 1: How long is a marathon? 26.2 miles Take an idea and Run with it for 26 hours 385 seconds December 13, 14, 2008 A weekend of development, feedback, mentoring and a production of the work at the end of it all for established and emerging dance artists Across Oceans Maxine Heppner will mentor 4 groups of choreographers and their dancers over 26.2 hours of creative flow, discovery, creation and performance. Work within your own creative process to break blocks. Move work forward. Build creative stamina. Hit the wall and find out what is at the other side. Come with material to test, twist, develop, cut, reflect, refashion, reason, rescue and refine. Share feedback and take it immediately back into the studio. Wrestle with angels. Play with demons. End with a piece unlike anything else you’ve created or performed before. Deadline is November 20 For more information, proposal criteria and applications at acrossoceansinfo@ gmail.com Opportunity for Young Women 13 – 24 Theatre Revolve Arts Program Are you a young woman between the ages of 13-24? Do you want to make a difference and share your voice with the world? Do you want to train as an artist? Do you want to create a new theatre performance and learn leadership skills, or create web projects showcasing you and your art? Do you want to be part of a revolutionary network of young women artists from across Toronto and around the world? Then we want YOU to be part of THEATRE REVOLVE! What is Theatre Revolve? Theatre Revolve is a program that empowers young women through the creation of live theatre, artistic training, mentorship and leadership. A goal of the company is to provide a safe place for young women from different cultural backgrounds to share their voices and experiences, with special emphasis on supporting newcomers to Canada . Participants train with a focus on collaborative creation and performance. In past sessions, Theatre Revolve has created new plays, short films, installations, zines, websites, hosted international artists in special training intensives, and presented work at the CrossCurrents Festival at Factory Theatre, at The Canadian Stage Company, the Hysteria Festival and the Toronto SummerWorks Theatre Festival. DATES: November 15, 2008 - Applications deadline Sunday, Nov. 23, 2008 - Interviews Sunday, Nov. 30, 2008 - March 1, 2009 - Project Sessions (see list below) March 2 - 8, 2009 Rehearsals and Performances at Factory Theatre Participants will meet once a week. The Teen Projects for ages 13-17 will meet on Tuesdays or Thursdays and the Youth Project for ages 18-24 will meet on Saturdays (with extra rehearsals close to the presentation) to learn about performance, creation, and each other. (Please see below for a detailed list of session dates.) Participants will develop a collaborative theatre piece to be performed at the Factory Theatre the week of March 2 - 8, 2009. PARTICIPANTS MUST BE AVAILABLE FOR ALL SESSIONS LISTED FOR THEIR PROGRAM. What it costs: Nothing – it’s FREE!!! AND we offer TTC tickets and snacks. This FREE program is funded by the Funded by the Government of Canada through Citizenship and Immigration Canada , Theatre Ontario , and the Canada Council for the Arts. Do I have to be an artist? or a writer? or have any prior experience? NO! We are looking for young women with something to say, but more importantly the desire to work with other young women to learn, create and challenge themselves artistically and to make a difference. No prior artistic experience is necessary. But if you do have any prior artistic or leadership experience, tell us! How do I apply? Send us a short letter via email to tell us who you are and why you want to be part of this new project. It doesn’t have to be long or fancy – we just want to know more about you. Please identify if you are a newcomer to Canada . Make sure you include your: Name, Age, Phone Number and Email. All applicants will have a short interview with the program leaders – so you can also ask us your questions about the project! Email your letter to info@theatrerevolve.com by If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to call Natasha Mytnowych, Theatre Revolve’s Artistic Director at 416-407-7301. Susie Burpee is a Toronto based Dance artist…this from her! Help an artist and donate a Boom Box! Hi everybody! I'm doing a performance project that requires a lot of boom boxes (portable stereo systems, I think is the proper name), and I'm looking for donations...they can be old school or new, big or small... Ideally they would function in some way (cd, cassette, or radio), but if you have a dud I'll take that too. If you've got one kicking around you're willing to part with, I would be very glad to take it off your hands, and I will do pick-ups. As a sideline to the project, I'd like to take a photo of the boom box with their original owner. This is not mandatory, but it could be quite fun to strike a pose with your longtime stereo friend before you say good-bye to it. I can provide more details about this. If you wouldn't mind passing this on to anyone you think might be able to help out, I would be most appreciative. You can email me atsusieburpee@gmail.com 10. Classes, Workshops and Conferences
A hearty and nutritious all-day creative writing workshop designed to stir the creative impulse and satisfy the writer's appetite. Sunday December 14th To register, contact: Physical Performance Intensives in November Working in the tradition of French Master Teachers Philippe Gaulier and Jacques Lecoq, the forefathers of physical theatre and clowning, these 5 day courses challenge students to take risks, hone their improvisational skills and push through performance inhibitions to find the pleasure of being present, space, rhythm, fixed point, complicity, focus, flop and play. These techniques are extremely useful for performers in all disciplines, as well as for writers, public speakers, teachers and critical thinkers. Students will have daily work on building spatial and body awareness Week 1: Introduction to Bouffon Week 2: Building a Performance November 29 and 30 Class Showing at Bread & Circus Theatre $315 for 20 hours of instruction over 1 week ($250 equity) Spaces are limited Workshops with Colour Vie Intensive Screen Printing on Fabric Glorious Colour!! Fat Quarters for Quilters Complex Cloth Surfaces All That Glitters All workshops include Colour Vie Pigment System used in class (as well as tips on how to set up your own studio space at home) Workshops will be held at the Call us early to reserve your space For more information visit www.colourvie.com Register now for winter writing courses! Introducing the Story Where do stories come from? How do we get our ideas? More importantly, what do we do with the bits in our notebooks, once we have written them down? This workshop teaches beginning writers to use freewriting, clustering, and other writing prompt tools to generate rich, complex, satisfying stories. It introduces the elements of fiction - character, plot, dialogue and setting - and provides the structure that is necessary for a sprouting story to take root and flourish. A variety of exercises stimulate and train the writing mind. The goal is to encourage a personal writing practice that students will continue after the workshop is finished. The environment is non-intimidating and supportive, perfect for writers who would like to jump start their practice, explore technique, and create a useful foundation for their fiction writing. This course is open to all writers, even those who have not written fiction before. Wednesday evenings, 6:30 – 9:30 Introducing the Workshop You know you can write a story, but you seem to need a deadline to get it out of your head and onto the page. Or you’d simply appreciate a community of writers who will read your work critically to help you begin your editing process. In this workshop series, we’ll focus on finding the balance between inspiration and revision. You will do some in-class writing but will work on your stories from home, with a deadline set for the completed draft. The workshop sessions will be guided, the critique respectful of each writer’s unique voice. You’ll gain the valuable insight of fellow writers who understand the challenges of the writing life, and through the process of reading critically, you’ll deepen your relationship to your own writing. Monday evenings, 6:30 – 8:30 11. Upcoming Performances of InterestNovember 1 to December 28 November 25 November 23 12. Photography by Dave Pijuan-Nomura
Check out more of Dave's work at nomuraphoto.etsy.com 13. Last Thought“This is the true joy in life, to be used for a purpose recognized by yourself as a mighty one, to be thoroughly worn out before you are thrown on the scrap heap. To be a force of nature instead of a feverish little clod of ailments and grievances complaining that the world will not devote itself to making you happy. I am a member of a community and as a member it is my privilege to do for it whatever I can before I die. Life is no brief candle to me. It is a sort of splendid torch that I want to make burn as brightly as possible before handing it on to future generations.” |
The Braindead Megaphone
