| The RED Letter, Oct 2009 |
Table of Contents
1. Words from Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
So dear friends, check out the superb line up we have, and feed your soul. You derserve it for sure. Best, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura P.S. Here I am enjoying the all-night festivities of Nuit Blanche. Imagine if this many people came out for all art events... Wouldn't it be wonderful!
2. Interview with performer Allison Cummings
Tell us about this piece and how it came to be? I have been gathering together the images and moments in this work over the past 3.5 years as I have gone back and forth from Canada to West Africa. The piece is about coming to terms with betrayal, the often extreme circumstances that one looks to in order to regain faith, and the importance others play in our individual struggles towards gaining and maintaining strength. You have traveled and worked and lived a lot in Africa. Could you tell us how this relationship with Africa affected this piece? I first traveled to West Africa in 1994. I did not return to Africa until the beginning of 2006. I returned very suddenly and under very difficult personal circumstances. What I found there, that has kept me going back constantly since, has formed the basis of this work. The extraordinary relationships that I have developed there, and the incredible struggles that my Ghanaian friends conquer through faith and humour and always with the support of their community is unmatchable. At the same time as that great support, the society lacks the resources to help people through trying times, therefore people are there for each other. I struggle every time I come back to North America, as in some ways, in this very cushioned society we have created, we have also built a culture of solidarity. We leave each other alone far too often. The living can be very harsh in West Africa, but through this harshness I found an ultimate appreciation for life. What sort of creative process do you have? Do you go into studio with everything planned out? Do you write it all out? Is it inspired by music? I tend to spend the first while of the process time wandering around, telling jokes, lying on the floor, changing the topic. Sometimes I will go over the same one movement a million times just to feel like I am accomplishing something. Then, all of a sudden a whole bunch of stuff will come out in one 3 hour rehearsal, like a burst out of the information I had piled up in there. Advice to emerging artists wanting to create solo works. Life doesn't exist in a dance studio. Go out and experience as much as you can. Also, it helps to have an outside eye, perhaps someone you don't even know very well...to come in and get your ass in gear. Your favourite places/people/things in Toronto. Toronto favorites.....I love that I can walk down the street and meet people from all over the world, with different stories and extremely diverse experiences and...that I can eat food from each person's personal and/or families past somewhere in the city.
Sunday November 8th 2pm matinee a new dance theatre premier by Allison Cummings Devouring Lions is a performance work built as the result of a 3 year process based on a 14 year love affair with West Africa. The movement is not African based, but the inspiration has been born out of personal experiences with Ghana, West Africa: on a personal level with the people and my interactions with them; on an intellectual level with the philosophical and spiritual questions that arise with each visit; and on a creative level, from my work there with local dancers and producing a show. It is a self-performed solo piece and an exploration of the strength sought and found within this country, among it's people, it's artists and landscape over the past 14 years. The piece raises questions about the resources one seeks to find personal strength, the lengths and hardship they can endure to conquer it, and the danger that perhaps one can be so strong that it renders them weak. Collaborators in this work are Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexandra St. Toronto. Tel:416-975-8555
3. Feature Festival: FOOL – Festival of Oral Literatures
GirlCanCreate and The Tellery presents October 22 to October 25, 2009 - Various Toronto Locations GirlCanCreate and The Tellery are proud to announce the inaugural FOOL – Festival of Oral Literatures, a four day festival of aural arts, spoken words and stories shared that features international, national and local artists. FOOL – Festival of Oral Literatures is a celebration of the mouth almighty, from storytelling to spoken word. FOOL features experiments in oral narrative, traditional folk telling, collaborative performances, solo word-dancers, and a myth remix. FOOL welcomes listeners and performers into spaces where the performance of oral stories opens an intimate connection between artist and audience. Performances take place in house concerts, at the Artscape Wychwood Barns, and at Bread and Circus in Kensington Market. The inaugural festival features our guest artists Regina Machado from Brazil and Ivan Coyote from Yukon. Regina Machado, from Sao Paulo, Brazil, is one of Brazil’s best-loved storytellers. She founded and directs the Boca do Ceu Storytelling Festival, a celebration of the international storytelling renaissance that takes place every two years in Sao Paulo. Ivan Coyote was born and raised in Whitehorse, Yukon Territory. An award-winning author of five collections of short stories, one novel, two CD’s, four short films and a renowned performer, Ivan’s first love is live storytelling, and over the last thirteen years she has become an audience favourite at music, poetry, spoken word and writer’s festivals from Anchorage to Amsterdam. Local artists include Chris Gibbs, d’bi young, Lillian Allen, Evalyn Parry, Charly Chiarelli and many more. October 22 – October 23: FOOL in the House Two nights of diverse storytelling featuring work by Lynda Howes, Ann McDougall, Evalyn Parry, Ivan Coyote, Dov Mickeson, Tim Machin, Rick Oginz, Karen Richardson, Naomi Steinberg, Sarah Machin Gale, Lillian Allen, Calogero (Charly) Chiarelli, Ginette Mohr, Carol Leigh Wehking, Glenna Janzen, Celia McBride, Dan Yashinsky, Brian Katz and Regina Machado. October 24 – FOOL at the Barns All Tongues Are Red: A Workshop On Storytelling for Social Justice FOOL at the Barns Evening Concert October 25 - FOOL at the Market FOOL Finale Box Office: Tickets can be purchased online at www.foolfestival.ca or email info@girlcancreate.com
4. Feature Dance: Based on Actual Unrelated EventsMeagan O’Shea’s new one woman show
October 20-30, 2009, Hub 14, 14 Markham St. Toronto Donations for Stand Up Dance are tax deductible through DanceWorks.
5. Crafty Corner – October’s Crafty Goodness!I am going to be at these two shows this coming weekend. I will be selling some of my new collages at Comrades in Craft, and then on Sunday at Pure Rummage I will have tonnes of yummy vintage bits of paper, buttons, some fabric, and more!
Second Comrades in Craft show
City of Craft and the workroom present With all that fall and holiday crafting on the horizon (and a few craft shows of our own coming up), we figured now was the perfect time for a trunk show with a pure rummage focus. We've invited a small sampling of local crafters and collectors to open up their hoards and stashes to you. So far, polling suggests you will be able to find all sorts of craft supplies and vinatge wares including (but not limited to) paper ephemera, vintage dresses, handprinted fabric remnant packs, buttons, findings, jewellery supplies, vinatge fabrics, yarns & more! Deals abound! Free snacks, too. For more info http://www.cityofcraft.com/2009/purerummage/
6. Canonize This Reading Series
Canonize This! Reading and Professional Development Series Obsidian Theatre Company is all fired up about Canonize This! Reading Series. Moving into its second decade of producing groundbreaking Canadian theatre, OTC will honour Black Canadian playwrights over three evenings from October 21-23rd, 2009. Canada’s most influential Black playwrights will read segments from the works that have defined the last three decades of Black theatre. “When I was doing my entry auditions into undergrad theatre programs in the early 90’s” recalls series curator Dian Marie Bridge, “I was stumped and then distressed when I was asked to audition with a Canadian monologue. There were no made-in-Canada roles for me, so I wrote my own monologue.” Since then, the canon of works by Canadian playwrights, regardless of cultural background has literally exploded. In the Black Canadian theatre community such pivotal works as Maxine Bailey and Sharon Lewis’s Sistahs, Djanet Sears’s Afrika Solo and d’bi.young anitafrika’s blood.claat have irrevocably changed the face of the Canadian stage. “What is extremely exciting about Canonize This! is that we are able to gather writers with such rich bodies of work and pair them with the new generation of talent being inducted into the canon” says Bridge. Such luminary playwrights as d’bi young.antiafrika, Joseph Jomo Pierre, Marcia Johnson, Michael Miller, Andrew Moodie and Governor General Award nominees Lisa Codrington and Djanet Sears are invited to read excerpts of their plays over the three evenings. In addition, works of newer playwrights including Enbridge Emerging PlayRites Award winner Donna-Michelle St. Bernard, librettist Nicole Brooks and tri- lingual storyteller/playwright Djennie Laguerre are highlighted. The series opens on Wednesday October 21st with a memorial tribute to Lorena Gale, author of Angelique and Je m’ Souvienne, who passed away in early 2009. Also on offer during Canonize This! is the lunch-hour Professional Development Series held at Harlem Restaurant from 1-3pm, that is open to all interested playwrights. Skill building workshops focused on Structured Writing, Artist Rights and Story Generation aim to give playwrights insight which they can use throughout their careers. More Information Tel: 416-463-8444 www.obsidian-theatre.com
7. Read this Book! With Book Lady Sarah Selecky
Ryan Boudinot's thirteen stories are from our world but they're out of this world, too. Sometimes surreal, sometimes dangerous, sometimes very funny, these characters are so familiar it feels like you know them. They've worked in your office, you've seen them at school, you've bumped into them at the grocery store. They're real. What makes this collection so uncommon and good is that Boudinot writes the real and the surreal at once. He blends them seamlessly. This can be uncomfortable and/or hilarious, depending on the situation. It's a real head trip. The book is unputdownable, but it's also disconcerting. When I ask myself, Why do I love this book so much? The answer comes back: Because it's crazy, and he gets away with it, and he makes me believe it. (Plus his dialogue is executed beautifully.) What if a kid did dress up as HItler for Halloween? What if your pharmacist did consider it part of his job to watch you wash your hair with three different types of shampoo? What if your mom did cook your classmate for dinner? etc. See what I mean? Weird stuff. And I didn't even mention the serial killer dad or the dead guy coming to work at the factory. Naturally, Boudinot has a couple of Halloween stories in the collection, making this a perfect October companion. The only story that weirded me out too much was "Bee Beard." But then again, what if your coworker did come to work wearing a beard made of bees, and you started dating her, and then realized you were allergic to bees? Write what you want to read.
8. Creativity Classes and Coaching with GirlCanCreate
Art Cards to Make and Trade She Can Create: Creativity Classes for Women An experiential women's creative group focusing on self-expression through collage, storytelling, movement, doll-making, beadwork and journaling. Jumpstart your creativity, overcome creative blocks, be inspired to complete projects and share your work with the world. The Joy of Collage: Meet the Artist Talk and Workshop Meet multidiscipinary artist Lisa Pijuan-Nomura, whose charming, accessible and evocative collage exhibit, Sleeping Cats and Other Stories, has attracted positive feedback since its opening in September. Lisa will explain her creative process and share information about where she gets both her wonderful vintage materials and her inspiration. Then you'll play! The 2nd half of the evening will be a hands-on introduction to the Joy of Collage. Learn techniques you can use at home with documents, photos and other materials that have meaning for you. All workshops are in the lovely Wise Daughters Gallery located at 3079B Dundas St West. For registration please call 416-761-1555 or see www.wisedaughters.com
9. Classes, Workshops and ConferencesWriting Classes with the Book Lady Sarah Selecky Introducing the Story October 21st - December 2nd, 2009 Introducing Revision October 19th - November 23rd, 2009 For more info see www.sarahselecky.ca You are invited to Writers' Soup! This is a hearty and nutritious all-day creative writing workshop designed to stir the creative impulse and satisfy the writer's appetite. Sunday, October 25th, 2009 To register or for more information, see www.sarahselecky.ca Cultivate Your Courage: Write Stretch Play Explore Breathe Rest Wednesday, October 28, Wise Daughters Craft Market ~ 3079B Dundas St. West Celia McBride has over a decade of experience as a professional performer, writer and yoga teacher. She is a one-on-one coach and an award-winning public speaker. Her interactive workshops and energetic leadership encourage people to push past their self-imposed boundaries, discover tools for daily motivation and explore the meaning of the mystical journey. Registration/Information: 867- 456-7830 or celiamcbride@hotmail.com Suzuki and Viewpoints Masterclass with Ellen Lauren in Toronto Why Not Theatre is excited to be bringing back world renowned Suzuki master teacher Ellen Lauren for a 2nd workshop in Suzuki and Viewpoints Ellen Lauren is North America’s foremost teacher in Suzuki training. She is associate artistic director of the SITI Company and an ongoing guest artist, for the past 16 years, with the Suzuki Company of Toga (SCoT) under the direction of Tadashi Suzuki. She has taught and performed all over the world. Performance and workshop venues with Suzuki include, Moscow Art Theatre, RSC in London, Theatre Olympics in Athens and Istanbul International Festival, Festival Mundial Chile, Teatro Olympico, Italy, Monpelier Festival France, Hong Kong Festival. An amazing opportunity to train with the world’s most sought after Suzuki teacher. Spaces are limited and classes are open to all levels of experience. Workshop Schedule For more information and to sign up please email: Physical Theatre Intensives with Adam Lazarus November 8 to 30, 2008 I. introduction to character The Characters workshop is a lesson in disguise. Over the course of the 3 days, students will use text, play in costumes and improvise in order to find and develop an original character worth watching or writing about. The character, unlike the clown or bouffon, has no specific purpose, except to put into a play or film. It is a full bodied mask for the actor, and in this mask students find their unique form of play, making their character come to life. II. introduction to bouffon An introductory class. Games and exercises are used to discover students’ pleasure to mock social hypocrisies while simultaneously making audiences love you. Historically and culturally, the Bouffon traveled in groups or gangs. They stuck together and sat on the outside, in their ghettos, their swamps, looking in at the mainstream world. They watched human hypocrisies and laughed. Every now and then, they came back to do a play for the hypocrites. No subject, person or institution was spared their mockery. III. building a performance Here students should come to class with an idea of something they are wanting to work on and perform. Whether interested in bouffon, clown or character, the students’ focus of the week is on writing, directing and performing. This is a deeper exploration into the world of physical performance that will culminate in an informal public performance at the end of the workshop. For more info or to reserve a spot: Adam Lazarus is a graduate and former apprentice of Master Teacher Philippe Gaulier’s school in Paris, France. He is a sessional instructor at The National Theatre School of Canada and the University of Toronto. He is a regular facilitator of workshops including recent consultations for Soulpepper, The Young Centre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Buddies in Bad Times, DanceMakers, CanStage, Tapestry New Opera Works, and Volcano Theatre. He sits on the board of Crow’s Theatre and is a co-founder and artistic-producer of the Toronto Festival of Clowns.
10. Calls for Entries
Movies & Makers: When? November 21, 2009 What? A diverse mix of local makers of fine, cool, funky, sassy art and craft selling their wares at the stunning Fox Theatre in the Beaches. The sale is from 10am to 4pm, followed by Faythe Levine’s Documentary, “Handmade Nation” at 4:30pm. Fox Theatre together with GirlCanCreate is looking for a variety of makers. Whether you make jewelry, clothes, art, stuffies, zines, buttons…we want you. Please note that we cannot accept any makers of food or drink due to building health codes. SUBMISSION PROCEDURES The deadline for applications is midnight on October 16th, 2009. Please email all applications to Applicants must submit the following: • Table Request Please note that some tables will be on a slight incline due to the nature of the theatre. Extra lighting will be set up in the theatre and you are encouraged to bring anything to help better illuminate wares. 2. Acceptance Contact Lisa Pijuan-Nomura at lisa@girlcancreate.com with any questions. For more information please see The Cooking Fire Theatre Festival The Seventh Annual Cooking Fire Theatre Festival is now accepting proposals. The Cooking Fire Theatre Festival is an annual week-long festival celebrating theatre, food and public space that has been held in Toronto's Dufferin Grove Park each June since 2004. Delicious, affordable organic meals from the park's wood-fired community bake ovens are served alongside an evening of pay-what-you-can outdoor theatre by local, national and international artists. The festival is an ideal venue for artist-run companies or independent artists creating original, ambitious outdoor theatre. In past years we have presented work which draws from various forms including physical theatre, puppetry, choral singing, live music, clown, street theatre and storytelling. We are primarily interested in supporting new site-specific pieces created for the festival itself, as well as those which are adapted and re-worked for this context. Applications may correspond to one of the following categories: • A 15-20 minute piece which plays near the beginning of the evening to an all ages audience. Deadline: December 1, 2009 To receive an application, email cookingfire@gmail.com We look forward to receiving your proposals, and will gladly answer further questions about the festival or the application process via email.
11. Websites I Love(Love seems like a strong word for this month’s frivolous offerings, but I think they are worth checking out! – Lisa) The Book Seer Ontario’s Auction Paper Grooveshark
12. Upcoming Performances of InterestOctober 8 to October 24 October 8 to October 25 October 14 to October 17 October 15 to November 7 October 16 to November 12 October 17 to October 18 October 21 October 22nd to October 24th October 22 October 24 October 24 October 25 October 27 October 28 October 31 October 31 November 1
13. Photography by Dave Pijuan-Nomura
Dave specializes in macro and live event photography.
14. Last ThoughtPlay keeps us vital and alive. It gives us an enthusiasm for life that is irreplaceable. Without it, life just doesn't taste good. |
The Littlest Hitler
