| The RED Letter, Nov 2005 |
Table of Contents
1. Words from Lisa Pijuan-Nomura
I am proud to announce the arrival of Big Mouth Girl: A Blog of Happenings. It will just be a place where I list upcoming shows, and images and recommendations of happenings around Toronto. I decided to create it when I started having an very large list of events for the RED letter. Instead of overwhelming you I though that I would simply put it on line. I hope it makes life a bit easier. You can check it out on www.girlcancreate.com. The city is really hopping this month. We have the Hysteria Festival which is an incredible festival that features women artists from around the world. If you can, do go and check out some of this top notch work. Moynan King, Festival Director does a great job of curating diverse programs. The Moving Pictures Dance Film Festival is another great festival which features local and international dance films. And of course we have the 3rd Anniversary of RED. Wow. Can’t believe how time flies. Come and check out two incredible nights of art. A new project is Glimpses of Extraordinary Life which will feature about 20 puppeteers and their portable compact toy theatres! And of course the very popular 40 Tiny Performance about Blue. It’s November and it’s grey and cold. One of those crazy crappy wonderful weather months. Enjoy. Peace,
2. 3rd Anniversary of RED: A Night of Live PerformanceGirlCanCreate and Lula Lounge presents The 3rd Anniversary of Curated by Lisa Pijuan-Nomura November 8th and 9th, 2005 Lula Lounge Tickets $15 Adults In October of 2002, Lisa Pijuan-Nomura created RED: A Night of Live Performance. This event was conceived in response to a need for a space where independent artists could come together and perform new and existing works. The eclectic evening features actors, puppeteers, dancers, musicians, clowns, comedians, spoken word artists and performance artists from Toronto and beyond. Lisa Pijuan-Nomura's curation has been notably edgy, sassy and innovative. She has been known to put together artists that would rarely be seen together in other venues. To date, this bi-monthly event has presented over 300 established and emerging artists from Toronto and beyond. This year, join us for a two-day celebration featuring some of the most diverse performers Toronto has to offer.
The second half introduces us to 40 Tiny Performances about BLUE. This ever-popular event was conceived by Darren O Donnell and is curated by Pijuan-Nomura. 40 performers have one minute to dance, rant, sing, scream and emote about all things BLUE! On November 9th join us for the retroRED event, which features artists from the past three years performing some of our favourite pieces. Featured are Erin Shields performing her one woman piece Raccoon Man, the vocal styling of Aviva Chernick, The Flappettes, Comedian Chris Gibbs, The Undesirables featuring Sean Cotton and Corin Raymond, Nicole Stamp performing an excerpt from Better Parts, Dancers Miko Sobreira and Hana Watanabe, Singer Saidah Baba Talibah, Dance by Lisa Pijuan-Nomura and a grand puppet surprise! Lula Lounge offers a great bistro menu which features their unique Latin fusion cuisine. Chef Derek Crinson creates a delicious and unique menu. Have one of Lula’s incredibly Mojitos and the night will be perfect! To make dinner reservations call 416-588-0307. Support Local Independent Artists! Come and celebrate three years of RED!
3. Glimpses of Extra-Ordinary Lives Wants You!Come one, come more! Cardboard Heart Imagination Laboratories wants YOU! We need creative folks to create some folks. GLIMPSES OF EXTRA-ORDINAIRY LIVES was a project begun for and featured at a RED in 2004. Taking the idea that the deeper you go into 'ordinary' the more beautiful and powerful things you uncover - it was a tiny, portable toy-theatre version of peeking in neighbourhood windows at night. We want to create a whole bunch of GLIMPSES, a flotilla if you will, for the 3rd Anniversary of RED. The three original GLIMPSES - Three Lesbian Moms, Baking Cookies FOR Grandma (in 4 languages), and Soup-Kitchen Annie Gives Joe a Scarf - were made mostly out of cardboard and toilet-paper rolls, and their Theatres were made out of medium sized cardboard boxes that hung around the puppeteers neck. Come one, come more! We need your help. We would love to have you participate. In order to participate we need the following things:
Now, these stories could pretty much be any story in life. I wouldn't necessary limit them to a narrative, you can think of them as songs, poems, maybe even a list. Noah suggests using cardboard and paper rolls but if you have more ideas and want to incorporate them bring them along. i.e. I know someone who wants to do a scrolly story..that too is possible...really the possibilities are endless. We will provide most of the building supplies but if you want something special, please bring it yourself. We have paint, paper, little plastic dolls, fabric, crayons, cardboard, clay, bits of wood and tonnes of little bits of stuff... If you are able to attend, please let us know as soon as possible so that i can put your name down. Also, if you know of anyone who might be interested in playing with dolls with us, please forward this to them! I also think that this is going to be a great time to meet some very inspiring artists. If you have any more questions please email me at lisa@girlcancreate.com.
4. Feature Show: Stage 3: word.sound.powerTheatre Passe Muraille and Obsidian Theatre Company proudly present
Toronto, Ontario. Artistic Directors Layne Coleman (Theatre Passe Muraille) and Alison Sealy-Smith (Obsidian Theatre Company) are pleased to announce the Stage3 word.sound.power series. In a break from the traditional season opener, Stage3 runs October 4 - November 27 featuring nine plays in repertory and a Thursday night music series. The series features some of Canada's hottest playwrights and performers in both the Main and Backspaces including works by Joseph Jomo Pierre, d.bi young and John Blackwood, collaborations with some of Canada's finest independent artists including Nicole Stamp, The Independent Aunties, and the return of last year's smash hit Fish Eyes by Anita Majumdar. Also included is the 2005 Summerworks Outstanding New Play and Production Territories, co-produced with Theatre PANIK. In addition, the Thursday night music series features some of the hottest acts on Toronto stages including LAL, Pomegranate, dbi. young and the dubbin.revolushun.gangstars, and Dwayne Morgan. Fish Eyes Written and performed by Anita Majumdar, Directed by Gregory Prest Recognized for its Outstanding Performance by Now Magazine SummerWorks 2004 Wrap- Up, Fish Eyes is back to tell the story of the angst-ridden Meena, an exceptional Indian dancing teenager who would trade it all in just to be a "normal" high school girl. Luckily Kalyani Aunty (her spunky, pro-India dance teacher) is still around to remind Meena the importance of embracing her origins and talents. "...performed with style and humour, and her dancing is terrific." Runs October 4 to November 5, 2005, Passe Muraille Backspace Frances, Mathilda and Tea/The Mysterious Shorts Frances, Mathilda and Tea - on the afternoon of the annual birthday party held by two sisters for their dead mother. As they make tea and play parlour games the tension mounts as the two sisters deceive each other and themselves. A Dark comedy, sold out at SummerWorks 2004 and Winner of BEST ENSEMBLE, NOW Magazine, 2004 The Mysterious Shorts - four new short plays, each with its own puzzle and style. Runs October 20 to 26 , October 30 and November 1 - 6, 2005 Jamaica Man Jamaica Man is John Blackwood's story about simultaneously fitting in and being on the outside of two distinct cultural groups. Incorporating a live guitar soundscape, Blackwood weaves his tale about piracy, colonialism, comfort and culture in a compelling and masterful way. Runs November 1st to 20th, 2005 Blood.claat -- one woman story Fresh off their hugely successful run of da kink in my hair at the Princess of Wales Theatre these women bring you blood.claat: one womban story. The next step of local hero d'bi.young's dub performance work that chronicles the immigrant story of a young woman from the Caribbean into Canadian society, blood.claat looks at being the first to break a family cycle, dreaming of growing up strong and independent. A best actress award winner at Summerworks, 2004. Runs November 15 - 27, 2005 Territories How hard would you fight to tell your story? In Territories, a Jewish woman's solo show is quickly derailed. Both humorous and dangerous, Territories asks us to question truths, re-evaluate our preconceived notions and, most difficult of all, listen to the enemy. Runs November 9 - 27, 2005 Stage3 PASSES NOW ON SALE Stage3 Passholders have a nine ticket pass for the low price of $80 - possible savings over single ticket prices as high as 50% - in addition Passholders gain access to all Thursday night music events following the performance for free. Single tickets for the upcoming season are on sale now and range from $15 to $30. All shows take place in Theatre Passe Muraille's Mainspace or Backspace. Performances for Stage3 will run Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8:00 pm, Sundays at 2:30 pm. Call Bell Arts Box Office at 416.504.7529 for tickets or visit artsboxoffice.ca on the web. For more information visit www.passemuraille.on.ca
5. Feature Show: Stori Ya at HATCHThis is my house... is anyone listening? From Nov. 8th- 13th at the Harbourfront Centre, Upstage Productions alongside the Stori Ya Collective is bringing you Stori Ya, the powerful one-woman show that has already made a bold statement during the rock-paper-sistahz Festival and Summerworks Festival. Stori Ya is written by published poet Joan M. Kivanda, directed by the incredible ahdri zhina mandiela and is performed by Dora winning artist Rhoma Spencer. Set and Prop Design by Camellia Koo (fu-Gen’s Banana Boys, Nightwood Theatre’s Cast Iron, Soulpepper’s Waiting for Godot) $23/ Adult Special $18 tickets for Equity members FOR TICKETS CALL 416.973.4000 For more information visit realizing ideas, revealing potential What is HATCH? Now in its third year, HATCH: emerging performance projects is Harbourfront Centre’s exciting new series of performance creation residencies, designed to support invention and innovation in performance and foster new relationships between local artists and the public. Covering the range of Toronto’s lively and diverse performance scene, HATCH offers fans of interdisciplinary performance, artistic exploration and new work the opportunity to encounter the most original new voices this city has to offer, while offering emerging creators an important next step in their development. The public is offered new work; artists are offered new audiences. HATCH aims to aid in the development of the local cultural ecology by giving emerging performance creators access to Harbourfront CentreÃs professional staff, venues, audiences and international profile through community connections, lasting partnerships and creative new collaborations. Our Vision: A vibrant home for the culture of our time, inspiring people through the magic of the creative spirit. Our Mission: To nurture the growth of new cultural expression, stimulate Canadian and international interchange and provide a dynamic, accessible environment for the public to experience the marvels of the creative imagination
6. Hysteria: A Festival of Women Buddies in Bad Times Theatre proudly announces programming for HYSTERIA, North America's largest multi-disciplinary showcase of work by women. Now in its third year, HYSTERIA has quickly become one of Buddies in Bad Times Theatre's most eagerly anticipated events. Over a ten-day period Buddies plays host to an incredibly wide array of programming ranging from a visual art gallery (Rest Cure) and bawdy evening of cabaret performance (Mass Hysteria) to an eclectic lineup of stars from the music scene (Megalomania) and a special Toronto edition of Montreal's wildly popular le Boudoir. HYSTERIA will be anchored by featured Mainstage Mixed Programmes (Psycho, Stripped, Peak Fixations, Sensorimotor Stage) that are the Toronto art lover's perfect opportunity to check out an excellent variety of performance styles in just one night. In just three years HYSTERIA has showcased more than two hundred artists, and this year is a bountiful as ever. Just some of the amazing women featured in this year's lineup are: musical acts Kinnie Starr, Lily Frost, Scandalnavia and Ina Unt Ina; comedians Shoshana Sperling, Teresa Pavlinek and Becky Johnson; theatre artists Sarah Stanley, Yvette Nolan, Ann Marie MacDonald, Sharon Pollock and Anita Majumdar; dance artists Jessica Runge, Holy Body Tattoo's Dana Gingras, and Vancouver's Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg; and visual artists Allyson Mitchell and Naomi Sara Robbins. For more information see www.buddiesinbadtimestheatre.com
7. 14th Moving Pictures Festival of Dance on Film and VideoNovember 3-6, 2005  This year’s festival opens on Thursday, November 3 at the Royal Cinema, 608 College Street, with a program of world premieres. Featured is the film adaptation of the performance work Asylum of Spoons, a lush Victorian psycho-drama by Allen Kaeja and Mark Adam; the comic A Day at the Office featuring Corpus and directed by Robert DeLeskie; and dynamic short films from Philip Szporer and Marlene Millar, Jenn Goodwin and Veronica Tennant. On Friday, November 4, also at the Royal Cinema, 608 College Street, the Canadian premiere of Alison Murray’s Mouth to Mouth (“the year’s strongest unreleased film” says NOW’s Cameron Bailey) promises to raise the roof with an energetic look at disenfranchised youth. The festival continues on Saturday, November 5 with all events taking place at the NFB Cinema, 150 John Street. Highlights include The Pitch at 2pm and the English language premiere of Helen Doyle’s Soul Murmur at 4 pm, Global Moves at 7 pm and the experimental impulse is surveyed in Fractured Fairytales: Experiments in Movement at 9 pm. On Sunday, November 6, all events take place at Camera Bar, 1028 Queen Street West. Highlights include the Toronto premiere of Belgian artist Wim Vandekeybus’ Blush, a 52-minute feature based on his live performance work with Ultima Vez and Canada Dances, featuring brand new work from Marlee Cargill, John Lauener, Barbara Pallomina, TRIP Dance Company, Michael Trent, Kathi Prosser, Kristy Kennedy and William Yong, among others. Also not to be missed is She’s Perfectly Well, a film and video installation by dance artist Allison Rees-Cummings and theatre artist Stephen O’Connell hosted by Trinity Square Video in the Gallery at 401 Richmond Street West, Suite 376 (opening reception Friday, November 4, 5 pm to 7 pm). She’s Perfectly Well runs through December 2. Most screenings are $10 and tickets are available at the door half an hour before show time. Information 416-961-5424 or info@movingpicturesfestival.com or www.movingpicturesfestival.com
8. Websites I likewww.storypeople.com - Now, I might have included this one before, but I was really stressed out yesterday and found some beautiful little stories and was somehow inspired by life. Funny how that happens, check it out. Brian Andreas is a genius. www.paiterskeys.com - If you are EVER looking for quotes on art or art related things, this is the place to go. Robert Genn is a down to earth guy who writes some great articles. Very cool resource. www.robotbooks.com - Interested in making robots. Here’s where to begin. www.thebraingirl.com - Click around on this amusing site! Ponies was very funny!
9. Feature Show: Wish WISH November 4-13th Cast: Hume Baugh, Patrick Conner, Emily Hurson, Brooke Johnson, Noah Kenneally, Melinda Little, Mike McPhaden, Lucy Rupert. Theatre Rusticle takes a respectful sledgehammer to the seventeenth century with our original movement and text-based work, Wish. Using William Congreve’s Restoration Comedy, The Way of The World as a springboard, Wish is about the struggle for love and self-definition in a chaotic and oppressive world. It is a romantic comedy told through our style of physical or embodied theatre. The full length piece will begin rehearsal in late summer 2005. Wish tells the story of a family’s bitter matriarch who tries to marry off her niece to spite a former suitor, while she tries to find love herself. We find ourselves at an engagement party that either goes very wrong, or very right, depending on your perspective. In a world where love is grotesque, reduced to contracts and deceits, two characters make the choice to love well. While Wish is a love story between couples, it is also a love story about one woman with her own heart. Wish is a beautiful invitation to unwrap all the things that bind our hearts: the notions of love, power, fear and sadness. We glimpse the desire that lies beneath heavy make-up and corsetry, and ask, “What is it that you wish for?"
10. Classes, Workshops and ConferencesPuppetMongers presents Build your own lamps and experiment with this amazing type of shadow puppetry. Who: Adult learners, puppeteers, theatre artists Wishes, Lies and Dreams In this interactive workshop you will learn how to write poems, even if you’ve never written a line of poetry before. (Yes, even if you hate poetry or don’t “get it”.) Based on the ground-breaking teachings of poet Kenneth Koch, you’ll re-discover the poetry in everyday life, the pleasure of word play, and the spontaneous music of language. Through a series of fun exercises we’ll use repetition, rhythm, and simple “rules” to give a poetic structure to your voice. You’ll gain a new awareness of how poetry works and learn several forms of poetry for your use on stage or the page. Great for beginners but experienced writers will also benefit. Prose writers can apply these techniques to their fiction, memoirs or plays. Friday, December 2, 8 to 10 p.m. $10. Limited to 10 people. To register or ask questions, please email neil.muscott@sympatico.ca
11. Call for SubmissionsWRITE FROM THE HIP 2006 CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS If you’re a young woman just itching to write a play... Nightwood Theatre’s 7th annual novice playwriting initiative Write From the Hip is now accepting submissions from 18-29 year-old women looking for an artistic challenge, an opportunity to develop and write a play, a chance to have their say and a place to express their unique and diverse voice. Previous theatre experience is not necessary. Nightwood Theatre welcomes women from various backgrounds and experiences and embraces cultural, racial and sexual diversity. Women from all walks of life are strongly encouraged to apply. What is Write From the Hip? The Hip program is a series of weekly workshops, mentoring and hands-on seminars in writing skills and professional play development specifically designed for young writers. Write From the Hip participants walk away with a reinforced belief in themselves, their stories and their writing abilities. Over a 5-month period (April to August), each participant completes a new short work that is then workshopped and staged on the final night of the 2006 Groundswell Festival Of NEW WORKS BY WOMEN. How do I apply for Write From the Hip? Participants are selected through submissions and personal interviews conducted by the program coordinator and the Hip Committee (participants in the previous year’s program). Interested applicants should submit a package by November 15, 2005 that includes:
Submission packages should be mailed or dropped off to: Lisa Codrington For more info please check out our website at www.nightwoodtheatre.net or contact Lisa Codrington, Co-Director of Youth Initiatives—Write From the Hip at lisa@nightwoodtheatre.net Mayworks Festival welcomes submissions from unions, union members, community groups/organizations, artists and collectives for the 2006 festival, April 29 - May 8, 2006. For submission guidelines and application, please visit All submissions must be received by November 14, 2005. Mayworks Festival of Working People and the Arts is a multi-disciplinary arts festival that celebrates working class culture. Mayworks' goal is to promote the interests of cultural workers and trade unionists, and to bring working-class culture from the margins of cultural activity onto centre stage.
12. Read this Book! — Introducing our Book Lady Sarah SeleckyOne of the most brilliant things about RED is that I meet people who are interesting, smart and talented. And if I am lucky, I end up with some cool new friends. This is the case with RED Letter first official columnist, Sarah Selecky. I had seen Sarah many times at Lula and we had always smiled and said hello. Turns out that she is a writer and reads a lot of books. I am proud to announce the wonderful Sarah Selecky as Book Lady! - Lisa
This novel broke my heart when I read it, because: 1) the writing is impossibly tight,not a word out of place, and Ann Patchett weaves in and out of so many character's heads,so believably and seamlessly, it sped up my heartbeat. 2) based on a true event(in 1996, the Japanese Embassy taken over by a terrorist group in Lima, Peru), this is one of the most compelling, tragic, and human love stories I've ever read. Even though I knew what was going to happen at the end (Patchett tells you on p. 1), I was still entirely moved when I read it. Note: The epilogue is admittedly strange - I almost wish that it wasn't there, because the final scene is so perfect.
Who knew that David Sedaris - the much-loved, self-effacing humourist with the now infamous and crazy family life - had such exquisite taste in short fiction? Every one of the short stories in this collection is pure gold, worthy of multiple readings. There are stories in here that I've loved for years, happy to see again; and stories I've never met before, thrilled to have an introduction. Read this book (don't miss Sedaris' great essay of introduction).
While I'm on the topic of David Sedaris: if you haven't already discovered him, start here. I envy those of you who get to read his stories/memoirs for the first time.You will laugh out loud, which will make you forget this wet, cold, dark weather. I promise. And two other suggestions by book reading artists: Fledgling by Octavia Butler The Time Traveller's Wife by Audrey Niffenegger
13. Upcoming Performances of Interest(This listing is not for the entire month of November, I will be including listings in my new blog called Big Mouth Girl: A Blog of Happenings that you can find on my website at www.girlcancreate.com If you have any listings please email me at lisa@girlcancreate.com Thanks so much! LPN) November 2 November 3 November 5 November 4 to November 6 November 4 to December 2 November 10 and November 11 November 13 November 16th
14. Worth a Thousand Words — Photography by David Pijuan-Nomura
15. Last ThoughtMost people don’t know there are angels whose only job is to make sure you don’t get too comfortable and fall asleep and miss your life. — Brian Andreas |
November 8th features the work of Choreographer Allison Rees-Cummings together with Dancer Danielle Baskerville, Singer Songwriter Claire Jenkins, Nilan Perera performing acoustic guitar, Theatre Artist Elana Freeman, Comedian Becky Johnson, Storyteller Ann MacDougall and the Luscious Bellies consisting of Allison Rees-Cummings, Meagan O’Shea, Viv Moore, Tanya Crowder and Lisa Pijuan-Nomura.
Bel Canto by Ann Patchett
Children Playing Before a Statue of Hercules - edited by David Sedaris
Me Talk Pretty One Day - David Sedaris