tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-41460569131908162282024-03-05T14:55:04.686-05:00THE CHARLEBOIS POST - MONTREALUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1513125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-34703279172271375032013-02-06T00:00:00.000-05:002013-02-06T03:04:27.264-05:00<span style="font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="color: red;">IMPORTANT NOTICE.</span><span style="color: #674ea7;"> </span></b></span><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">This site is no longer an active part of CharPo. It is kept merely as an archival site. For current reviews and news from across Canada go to <a href="http://www.charpo-canada.com/">CharPo-Canada</a>.</span></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-41191671430240021472013-02-03T19:19:00.000-05:002013-02-03T19:19:35.799-05:00Sunday Feature: Dying is Easy... (from stand-up to theatre)<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKkAr9sbDdXN6VOWGvzzU_CVPUIKZ6I1NWeIZyFU2YG7GDEQUCIUSX5x3R3qNNOcqZeiFM5IuzB1id0nfHcitM0hmPzOdi8Hv_GtARYajiJEGdh787jpeIj6VxLhu5tT7_qEB3Sn00TeZ/s1600/charpo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEimKkAr9sbDdXN6VOWGvzzU_CVPUIKZ6I1NWeIZyFU2YG7GDEQUCIUSX5x3R3qNNOcqZeiFM5IuzB1id0nfHcitM0hmPzOdi8Hv_GtARYajiJEGdh787jpeIj6VxLhu5tT7_qEB3Sn00TeZ/s320/charpo.jpg" width="256" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: large;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: red;">Staying Alive</span></span></b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"><b>by Martha Chaves</b></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Staying alive, besides being the title of that Bee-Gees tune and the John Travolta movie, has been one of the main motifs of my existence. Not only because I'm from Nicaragua, a war-torn country plagued with poverty and social injustice. Not only because I was born in the midst of a fundamentalist Christian family, in a macho-oriented society and I am a lesbian. Not only because I am an uprooted immigrant who was sent away to Canada by her parents, all alone, at the ripe age of 17. But staying alive has been my quest also because I am a stand-up comedian dammit! To stay alive is the name of the game in stand-up comedy as much as it is in bullfighting. </span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">The stand-up comedian is like a matador: every audience is a different bull that has to be slaughtered. It's no coincidence that the main terms associated with stand-up have to do with either killing or dying. If you make the audience eat out of the palm of your hand, you </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">KILL, </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">you </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">SLAY, </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">you </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DESTROY</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">; but if the audience gives you nothing but silence - the silence that resonates with the strength of a thousand explosions in the epicenter of your crumbling ego - you </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">DIE</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">, you </span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">BOMB </span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">you get</span></span><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> ANIHILATED</span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">. Granted: Nobody ever said that it would be easy. There's even that famous quote, “dying is easy, comedy is hard.” But nevertheless, I have been doing it for almost 18 years and if I were to die tomorrow...I would still be very pissed off about being mortal and about not dying as a famous millionaire</span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"> (like, say, Jerry Seinfeld) but I would die with the satisfaction of knowing I was one of the few lucky people in the world who spent most of her life doing a job she loved. </span></div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: small;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a></div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"></span><br />
<div style="font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 0px;">
<br />
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“Is it my masochistic streak?” I've often wondered. I don't know; but I do love my work and all the risks that it implies because comedy is hard but not as hard as, oh I don't know, brain surgery. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When go out to do my job -whistling a joyful song and mentally dressed in full matador regalia including my red cape - I am thinking how lucky I am. Honest. </span><br />
<div style="min-height: 18px;">
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="background-color: white; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I may be on my way to a gig in a little town located in the cozy confines of the devil's rectum - northern Alberta - to play for an audience that is not remotely used to seeing a woman on stage - let alone a woman whose mother tongue is not English and still... I know my job will never be as hard as being Josey Aimes, the character of Charlize Theron in “North Country”. </span><br />
<br />
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Of course there's the risk that I may be humiliated and that I may even be putting my physical integrity in serious danger but the other side of that coin is that there's a bigger chance that I may be able to slaughter that “bull” and that those people who may have never thought they would give the time of the day to someone as “different” as me, may partake in the greatest equalizer: the sacrament of laughter which says their minds are opened even if just a little bit! I don't mean to sound like the pompous ass that uses “sacrament” and “laughter” in the same sentence nor do I mean to imply that in the great scheme of things our contribution to society is as grandiose as we, comedians, may be inclined to believe it is...but there's indeed an undeniable healing power in the elixir of laughter and that healing may not be as potent for the audience as it is for ourselves. As Carol Burnett said it, “laughter is tragedy plus time” and I happen to subscribe to that motto with the same zeal that I have subscribed to all the other substances that make tragedy bearable. Mind you, when imbibing the magic potion of laughter one may still pee one's pants, one may still wake up with a sore jaw, but. unlike wine, laughter will never get you hungover.</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px; text-align: center;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdQqi_THuNZ-NjT1AdGTEsmm3sT2RPzOJDKD8o4V6eA13RWBqiQgiH7R-Ns1MuXw3NxVA4Noshy-ZQRyysLWIozlpNkhwxw9Zru172ljcbAuaU7Ju85pmXYIFFPcr7knLPgIthCWVhbZe/s1600/charpo2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="256" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiRdQqi_THuNZ-NjT1AdGTEsmm3sT2RPzOJDKD8o4V6eA13RWBqiQgiH7R-Ns1MuXw3NxVA4Noshy-ZQRyysLWIozlpNkhwxw9Zru172ljcbAuaU7Ju85pmXYIFFPcr7knLPgIthCWVhbZe/s320/charpo2.jpg" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
Now, having said all that, I also must confess that lately I have realized that the audiences, the comedy bull, is getting more ferocious. Not only do they still have the potential of behaving as the drunken asses they often are but now they also have electronic gadgets! And they are attached to those gadgets as if to an umbilical cord that connects them to the womb of God. Some of them even sit in the front row as if they purposely want to dare US, the schmucks up on stage, to try to stop them from being connected to their electronic bliss. The comic may be delivering the most heart-felt, hilarious, knee-slapping bit or the most incisive social commentary and the arsehole audience member will not stop texting! He or she may as well be texting LOL LOL LOL but to us it's annoying to the point of wanting to kill them slowly and not only metaphorically. In my 18 years of experience I have never seen such disrespect and I sure hope with all my heart that comedy club managers unite in the effort to stop these texting brutes. I hope someone comes up with an invisible electromagnetic field that zaps anybody who dares to use their IPods while at a live comedy show. Zap them or burn them to a crisp, that'll teach them! </span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">But in the meantime...I felt the need to develop a plan B. At one point in 2010 I started thinking, “my career is almost eighteen years old. If it were a person that I had given birth to, I would be getting ready to tell them, 'get out of the house and get a real job.'” Well... I did. I sent out my stand-up comedian self to become a legit playwright. I made it apply to the </span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=105098939550144">De Colores Festival of New Works</a></span></span></b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> and what do you know! my stand-up comedian ass got accepted! When I got the letter of acceptance I jumped for joy for about 20 minutes and then it hit me: “I have to write a play, this is work - work!? - this may as well be brain surgery” and then I got busy panicking. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">Luckily, one of the perks of getting into the De Colores Festival was that I would be provided with a fabulous dramaturge; all I had to do was figure out the story and I had nine months to do it. Piece of cake! I had to first decide what I wanted to say,and that was as easy as passing a kidney stone through an eyeball. Then I had to be honest; go dig deep into my psyche, enter into the proverbial dragon cave, kill the dragon with my bare hands and emerge triumphantly holding its three heads for all to see. That wasn't easy, but it was certainly easier than letting go of my imperious need to get a laugh every 30 seconds... The dramaturge would have nothing to do with any stand-up format shenanigans. I either learned to tell a story in the theater format or else! I am proud to say that I accomplished it. The first draft of the play was read last October as part of the De Colores Festival and it got chosen to be the play to be read again next October in the same. It cost me a lot of blood, sweat and fears to come up with it but I did. According to the people who know, it will cost me a lot more the second, third and fourteenth</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> </span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">draft but- hey! - they trust I will be able to endure that endeavor's labor and I guess I may just be. </span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: 12px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">It is, after all , a semi auto-biographical play. It's the story of my alter ego, Joanna D' La Cruise (named after the genius Mexican lesbian nun-poet of the 16</span></span><sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;">th</span></span></sup><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"> century, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Juana_In%C3%A9s_de_la_Cruz">Sor Juana Ines De la Cruz</a>), this Nicaraguan lesbian stand-up comedian who has managed to survive the pain that life can inflict, in spite of her penchant for self destruction. It's about the journey that implies to go through tragedy plus time and it's called, as you guessed, “Staying Alive”. I hope I see you on opening night and that you're not sitting in the front row, texting...</span></span></span></span></div>
</div>
<div style="font: 12.0px Times New Roman; margin: 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px 0.0px; min-height: 15.0px;">
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px;"><br />
</span></span></span></span></span></div>
<div>
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><a href="http://watch.thecomedynetwork.ca/comedians-a-z/c/martha-chavez/#clip280034">See clips of Martha's stand-up act here</a></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Her own website, launching soon, will be at www.marthachaves.com</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-84264594238351252472013-01-03T00:03:00.000-05:002013-01-04T15:55:04.010-05:00First-Person: Yanomi Shoshinz on A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0pI6iUbqzC_JbJ8cv2NZh8D4iN-jEX1PBZYW0nEbLg6nL7FsB_qiYpkEnVUP1nE9hIlth-nOGSm4kTa6NLheldtJNzfIF-M83F5prR4xFG3-Pob2fLtXokbnePoyRQiMLQ1XmXF8mGE/s1600/tRm_g_0231.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhV0pI6iUbqzC_JbJ8cv2NZh8D4iN-jEX1PBZYW0nEbLg6nL7FsB_qiYpkEnVUP1nE9hIlth-nOGSm4kTa6NLheldtJNzfIF-M83F5prR4xFG3-Pob2fLtXokbnePoyRQiMLQ1XmXF8mGE/s400/tRm_g_0231.JPG" width="400" /></a></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span>In a World Without Limits</b></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>by Yanomi Shoshinz</b></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I am not religious but after reading The Never Ending Story by Michael Ende when I was 12 years old, I swore, “I will never forget to believe in the fantasy world for my entire life! So don’t worry!” In this book most adults don’t care about the fantasy world, putting it in danger of extinction. I was an enthusiastic dreamer girl, and have been fool enough to keep the vow since then. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">My mother loved music and I learned to play the piano when I was a child. She often recorded the songs that I and my little brother sang. We loved to sing and play the piano together. I was the girl who was easily elated and loved to make people laugh. My mother had a serious difficult disease, spent most of her life in the hospital, and passed away in her 40’s. She gave me books, music and the sense of humour to love my own life as well as other’s lives. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">Half of the bar customers were foreign people, so I created my show without language.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After graduating from University, I was a member of the Japanese theatre company, and have played many roles in variety shows in traditional theatre venues. The company toured a lot in many other countries besides Japan. Those experiences brought me much joy and excitement. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One day one of my theatre friends gave me a chance to play a short piece in a small bar in Tokyo. It was not very common in Japan to do a theatre play in a bar at that time. The owner of the bar was a British man who couldn’t speak Japanese, but he loved theatre. The Japanese audience seemed to be much more relaxed and comfortable watching a play sitting on a couch or chair having a drink, rather than in regular theatre venues. It also allowed for the actors and the audience to talk together over a drink after the show. I loved the situation and did a few more shows there. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I made good friends with the owner and started my original show there as Shoshinz in 2005. Half of the bar customers were foreign people, so I created my show without language. The owner and both the foreign and Japanese audience could enjoy my show together. I made a lot of new friends there and had some wonderful opportunities to develop my show.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In 2007 I participated in the Montreal Fringe Festival for the first time with Hanakengo, which totally changed my life. It wasn’t easy at all for us to be a part of the Fringe Festival. Because we were from Japan, it was costly and we were having a hard time with our poor English. However, above all we had such beautiful days there, made good friends, saw many inspiring shows, and enjoyed poutine of course. I did love the Fringe spirit and people in the Fringe. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Even though I couldn’t speak English well, I was able to make a lot of friends through my own show. Physical comedy can cross the border of language, age, race, gender, and so on. Since then I’ve toured many cities in Canada, US, and Asia with my show.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When I began to create my first solo show in 2010, I wanted to make the happiest character ever in my life. I’d used many types of sounds from my body for years; then I named the character ‘Miss Hiccup’, because hiccup is my favorite sound. (Actually I still hiccup very often in real life… isn’t it strange and funny that an adult woman hiccups in a train or bar?) </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I love to find tiny beautiful things in our ordinary world. There are so many little miracles here and there that aren’t recognized. I like to see dramatic stories via films, books, and theatre plays, but I can explore the same quality of dynamic beauty in my seemingly-boring real life, too. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The world is filled with amazing sound and music, allowing my imagination to find the ridiculous funny things to add enjoyment to my life. Laughter could make our lives better and brighter, and I favour the phrase; “The antonym of despair is humour.” </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Our imagination has no limit. Hope you to come visit Miss Hiccup who never gives up on loving her life. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The mysterious Miss Hiccup lives alone, but is definitely not lonely. She is forever accompanied by a raucous cast of sounds and music that make her life an absurd adventure. A hilarious and beautiful story by award-winning Japanese performer.</span></i></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><i><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></i></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Winner of Centaur’s Best English-language production Montreal Fringe Festival</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Director's Award – Capital Fringe</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><b><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Best of Fest – Winnipeg Fringe</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://shoshinznet.web.fc2.com/">shoshinznet.web.fc2.com</a></b></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.centaurtheatre.com/wildsidefestival.php">A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup is part of WildSide</a></b></span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-18071692086009920702013-01-03T00:01:00.000-05:002013-01-03T00:01:00.054-05:00The Image, January 3, 2013<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZJr5Z2sl9GQn5cG-lmSEymcgLixrfyX6k4MtFvduGhwGq8Zds6HmELjoWLeNnXNFan_g7s6nvZwc5aFf9BeQA_NeCD4ck9c-kkcrMZxaqz5QbQvZC24-XGouABmBcID_enVLZdPodZs/s1600/Placebo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizZJr5Z2sl9GQn5cG-lmSEymcgLixrfyX6k4MtFvduGhwGq8Zds6HmELjoWLeNnXNFan_g7s6nvZwc5aFf9BeQA_NeCD4ck9c-kkcrMZxaqz5QbQvZC24-XGouABmBcID_enVLZdPodZs/s400/Placebo.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://www.centaurtheatre.com/wildsidefestival.php">Placebo, by and starring Joe de Paul, part of WildSide.</a></b> </div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-90702180399563708132013-01-02T00:01:00.000-05:002013-01-02T18:08:18.798-05:00BREAKING NEWS: CharPR Prize Winners, 2013<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkQ8qFJqZSv0cq6EttOyzDogWZ97PbIH6JvNRSw3V-zIZfMt-iyb32cf2uQ9pra614RbkQny3aFnqy2a2pf5mQOZsMiFh8-1UhwEyFVUg2tiE_TL8LXjjKfrpNxLopYvP-PZ6mlItC_k/s1600/charpocan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkQ8qFJqZSv0cq6EttOyzDogWZ97PbIH6JvNRSw3V-zIZfMt-iyb32cf2uQ9pra614RbkQny3aFnqy2a2pf5mQOZsMiFh8-1UhwEyFVUg2tiE_TL8LXjjKfrpNxLopYvP-PZ6mlItC_k/s400/charpocan.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>WINNERS</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>CharPR Prize, 2012</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i>The Charlebois Post</i></b> is in a unique position in the Canadian cultural landscape. First, we are small, so there are only about five of us who have direct contact with publicists at the various companies we deal with. Secondly, with reviewers in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Quebec City, we are in almost continual contact with companies large and small, and because we publish articles about and from many companies outside of those centres, we have a fairly large reach. This is why we decided to create the <b><i>CharPR Prize</i></b> (pronounced Sharper), a national prize to recognize the people in the trenches between artists and public (including the press). </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;">We chose the winners (and nominees) by simply asking our contributors which public relations departments had made their lives easier and, even, gone beyond the call of duty. Although we will be giving two prizes to individuals - BEST PR/SINGLE SHOW and LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - we are nominating the companies themselves because, in some cases, they have used outside firms - but the efficiency of these firms, we feel, comes from directives and attention paid from within the companies themselves.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i>The Charlebois Post, ltd.</i></b> would like to congratulate and, especially, thank all the magnificent PR people across the country who have made the two years we have been publishing a glorious experience.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b>WINNERS IN BOLDFACE</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT:</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Cylla von Tiedemann (Photographer, Toronto)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We have been aware of Ms von Tiedemann's work since her early days in the festival and Toronto theatres, seeing her magnificent photos in programs for Stratford (as far back as Robin Phillips artistic directorship). Ms von Tiedemann continues to distinguish herself. If you look at the finalists and runners-up for our photos of the year (on the <b><i>CharPo</i></b> sites in the last week), you will see many were created by this magician of light.</span><br />
<b style="color: #45818e; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><br /></b><b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: red;">BEST PR: Single Production</span></b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Sue Edworthy, Proud (Toronto)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There was huge national interest in Michael Healey's show, Proud, this last year. Healey had had a well-publicized run-in with Tarragon Theatre and his play, a satire on the PM's Office, was in the glaring headlines. It takes a special publicist to wrangle that kind of attention and turn an independently produced show into a talked-about hit. Edworthy did her artistic accomplices, and theatre-goers, Proud.</span><br />
<span style="color: #45818e; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best Photographer:</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cylla von Tiedemann</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Andrée Lanthier</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">David Cooper</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">It was probably our last <b><a href="http://www.charpo-canada.com/2012/12/picture-of-week-december-20-2012.html">Picture of the Week</a></b> for 2012 that may have clinched our decision about Mr. Cooper. Indeed, all of his work for Arts Club in Vancouver stands apart - whether it be performance shot or promotional shot. He has also provided exceptional photos for the Shaw Festival and Manitoba Theatre Centre and one photo from last year was named our <b><a href="http://www.charpo-canada.com/2011/12/cpcs-picture-of-year-2012.html">Picture of The Year</a></b>. His eye is unerring.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="color: red;">*Best PR - Indie (no fixed venue):</span></b><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Brave New Productions (Montreal)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">WYRD Productions (Toronto)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">*The winner in this category will receive a photo link from our site to theirs for the two weeks prior to their next production and during its entire run. The link will be from both our <b><i>CharPo-Canada</i></b> site and the appropriate regional site. The link will appear on every page of the site, at the top corner of the page.</span><br />
<b style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Against the Grain Theatre (Toronto)</b><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If we are talking about a company that goes above and beyond the call of duty, AtG is that company. From the start of <i style="font-weight: bold;">The Charlebois Post </i>they have been available with first-person pieces, they know how to use Twitter and they actively court - via new media - precisely what opera needs: a young audience. It must be said, however, they have a terrific leader in Joel Ivany who - in his AtG career and out of it - is indefatigable.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best PR - small:</b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">La Licorne (Montreal)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ATP (Calgary)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-weight: bold;">Factory Theatre (Toronto)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">Of all the companies' publicists we honour this year, no group of people has been through a worse year than the publicists at Factory. Through a devastating summer, they handled media (especially small media) with elegance and restraint. Before the crisis, however, Factory was also most avid in getting the message out there. They were easy to deal with and explained to resident artists the merits of working with <b><i>The Charlebois Post</i></b>. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best PR - Medium (multiple venues and mainstage of 400 seats+):</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Segal Centre (Montreal) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (Winnipeg)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Arts Club Theatre (Vancouver)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">If there is one lesson Arts Club can teach the country it is to have readily available images prepared for media discussion of a work well before that work hits the boards. If only for that (and their complicity with the aforementioned David Cooper) they deserve recognition. But they also have learned where other houses have failed: PR is changing - think beyond print.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best PR - Large (Mainstage 800+ seats):</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stratford Festival (Stratford)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Canadian Stage (Toronto)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b>Canadian Opera Company (Toronto)</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><i>The Charlebois Post</i></b> will always value the well-oiled machine that is a big companies PR department. But there are few places where that machine is more human than at the COC. Quite simply, they want people to come to the opera - no matter how forbidding some of the works COC presents can be. To that end, COC has podcasts, videos, readily available photos, an active Twitter feed and - do not underestimate this - a boss, Alexander Neef, also on Twitter who presents a persona that is approachable and genuine. </span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-59483647180897944292013-01-01T00:01:00.000-05:002013-01-01T00:01:01.422-05:00The Charlebois Post's Picture of the Year, 2012<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh1s79zvA85fyn1s3scSPfHGUNkHSbfh4_u1XJklaacHX9n0P1M6ihsx60ZgG3dDeeaU2jSKs-29qaUgT-nHsnX55_7HqkE9Jg_LRApIRsKVEIU6_0Bun6yZvQPC4R2yA9PEPCpU5o_0e/s1600/picoftheweekto.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLh1s79zvA85fyn1s3scSPfHGUNkHSbfh4_u1XJklaacHX9n0P1M6ihsx60ZgG3dDeeaU2jSKs-29qaUgT-nHsnX55_7HqkE9Jg_LRApIRsKVEIU6_0Bun6yZvQPC4R2yA9PEPCpU5o_0e/s640/picoftheweekto.jpg" width="498" /></a></div>
This is not just our Picture of the Week it is perhaps one of our favourite theatre pictures ever. It is Gil Garratt as Puck (who else?) in Canadian Stage's outdoor <b>Midsummer Night's Dream</b>. Photographer <b>Chris Gallow</b> has not just captured the spirit of the play, he has caught the spirit of theatre itself. We could spend hours talking about the esthetics of the photo - how the costume blends with the foliage so that the character's skin, in contrast, makes him more sprite-like - but we just want to celebrate that rarest of things - that what Mr. Gallow has done is captured energy.<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-20205141299691210682012-12-31T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-31T00:01:00.548-05:00CharPo-Montreal's Photo of the Year, 2012<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRm9_fwpPtkOE3SlpQtlEak6PcdbVvrQ6CR2sTvn69mV8uxcU4GPEa7F-dPnjQF0ZSJ0WxIvTrGZ2N8UiHF-niBGk6FAgauAEwSNGFmqW-idzlpQLXQ4FLNUamTWJqSyvFCXtOhI3Vek/s1600/potwcpc.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjRm9_fwpPtkOE3SlpQtlEak6PcdbVvrQ6CR2sTvn69mV8uxcU4GPEa7F-dPnjQF0ZSJ0WxIvTrGZ2N8UiHF-niBGk6FAgauAEwSNGFmqW-idzlpQLXQ4FLNUamTWJqSyvFCXtOhI3Vek/s640/potwcpc.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Can we just say how much we love this promo art for <b>Macbeth</b>?</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The Montreal Shakespeare Theatre Company has always had good images to sell their productions but why is this one of Alex Goldrich and Stephanie von Roretz as taken by <b>Joseph Ste-Marie</b> especially good? What do you think? Sex and violence. The colours (i.e.: skin tones) hover between arousing and just slightly off (a little like the Macbeths themselves) and the eye hovers between the actor's bare chest and the bloody handprint, making von Roretz an integral part of the composition.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="font-size: 16px; text-align: center;">
<b>[Each of our principal sites - CharPo-Montreal and CharPo-Toronto - will be presenting their photo of the year today. Tomorrow we will be presenting THE photo of the year for all sites.]</b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-35494975796938490182012-12-30T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-30T00:01:00.157-05:00CharPo-Montreal's Pictures of the Year, 2012, Runners-Up<br />
<b><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">From December 22-28 we will be presenting the best photos of the year at CharPo-Toronto, CharPo-Montreal and CharPo-Canada (different photos on each site so check them all out). On December 29 we will announce the finalists for the first CharPR Prize (for best PR) including best photographers. On December 30, 2 runner-up photos will be presented on each site (separate from finalists). On December 31 the best photo of the year for each site will be presented. On January 1 the single Photo of The Year will be announced. Finally, on January 2, the CharPR winners will be announced including best photographer, best PR (small, medium, large and indy). </span></b><br />
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></b><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vHpzTMnktyNsDsnyfnR6hxoojhpPCM4n-iiLCdRcufEVPIQBcnrXG65NYEsv83Y5UibB7nTH18cVqsvwdEpOez90o4n15cCH89b3ESmHazuuSJaFRb_LStvL2Hax4m9_WS1ojvFPc5s/s1600/photo.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj4vHpzTMnktyNsDsnyfnR6hxoojhpPCM4n-iiLCdRcufEVPIQBcnrXG65NYEsv83Y5UibB7nTH18cVqsvwdEpOez90o4n15cCH89b3ESmHazuuSJaFRb_LStvL2Hax4m9_WS1ojvFPc5s/s640/photo.JPG" width="466" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Rolline Laporte</b>'s photo for <b>La Roulotte's 60th anniversary production of Peter Pan</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIsfI83BIFqphBXtfDNpcFU5L-VD_mEky89kIN3R283h0A-igJWqvix56s2KnJc1pQPgyT3kuqAG0J5iMZxpHngUOtkqYNteArvIBYMix5THPt0fbkJchzhM8OBEM4faOq5gq6-lHGyQ/s1600/Jesse+Aaron+Dwyre+(KEN)+in+RED_Photo+AndrC%CC%A7e+Lanthier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVIsfI83BIFqphBXtfDNpcFU5L-VD_mEky89kIN3R283h0A-igJWqvix56s2KnJc1pQPgyT3kuqAG0J5iMZxpHngUOtkqYNteArvIBYMix5THPt0fbkJchzhM8OBEM4faOq5gq6-lHGyQ/s400/Jesse+Aaron+Dwyre+(KEN)+in+RED_Photo+AndrC%CC%A7e+Lanthier.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Andrée Lanthier</b>'s photo of Jesse Aaron Dwyre from <b>Red, at Segal Centre</b></div>
<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-83444177489534557182012-12-29T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-29T00:01:00.858-05:00The Best of CharPo's Real Theatre!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PwouS3jX-iqt4JuwwPkZCvvT4xetycjnlSAHa8RWXkyXD4n-HHla6udNrqglI1H92R4AFst9OEFGYv3RpzVeo3gto5T3HYE8XGWiM2yfP1yJ2tHEGTgPrMwy_xXsXSUxOe4Jlwbp2ak/s1600/realtheatreburkett.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5PwouS3jX-iqt4JuwwPkZCvvT4xetycjnlSAHa8RWXkyXD4n-HHla6udNrqglI1H92R4AFst9OEFGYv3RpzVeo3gto5T3HYE8XGWiM2yfP1yJ2tHEGTgPrMwy_xXsXSUxOe4Jlwbp2ak/s640/realtheatreburkett.jpeg" width="432" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANXN8vnyaNvrQCVUyxY0w3hQecfueEZRGOpImUPGUG8oY1JWkyHb7qg_MceYg5VYMJUIBTjMooUKizZ6w2XdDLp8bY7tj4pfcR28-Ps2BOIujQ5Or6OTYCSBi0g9RWcvfLd_XIrHzLuk/s1600/realtheatrebwogga.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjANXN8vnyaNvrQCVUyxY0w3hQecfueEZRGOpImUPGUG8oY1JWkyHb7qg_MceYg5VYMJUIBTjMooUKizZ6w2XdDLp8bY7tj4pfcR28-Ps2BOIujQ5Or6OTYCSBi0g9RWcvfLd_XIrHzLuk/s400/realtheatrebwogga.jpeg" width="387" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-35821967539122458962012-12-28T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-28T00:01:00.248-05:00The Best of CharPo's Real Theatre!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR2Cb4qsQ3BqonZ42H6vuXxCM_PvnZtP4uM61HQQSHieCC85DLX2cSbItcQ2k79d7aqOJrNWv564S46Hmbuk2HBymuLdEQBtozO5GK2Zt_278vwYvYM6uO4Skz0IqPfe5EChyH4db3lk/s1600/realtheatrewardrobemalfunction.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiQR2Cb4qsQ3BqonZ42H6vuXxCM_PvnZtP4uM61HQQSHieCC85DLX2cSbItcQ2k79d7aqOJrNWv564S46Hmbuk2HBymuLdEQBtozO5GK2Zt_278vwYvYM6uO4Skz0IqPfe5EChyH4db3lk/s640/realtheatrewardrobemalfunction.jpg" width="466" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxZMDttwXvx-vYR4gjsKyNMb2t-uuZifEMC_ZsfoQFiTfxVbunn3Q60KNv3q13Sb2AVmvkPC1wXEbPFMUDdb7zh10jJdWwjIv-NLrU5_wn9SEBC7lfxxzi4-kKOOruvVC2xui7kIUlmM/s1600/realtheatrevolunteer.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="252" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpxZMDttwXvx-vYR4gjsKyNMb2t-uuZifEMC_ZsfoQFiTfxVbunn3Q60KNv3q13Sb2AVmvkPC1wXEbPFMUDdb7zh10jJdWwjIv-NLrU5_wn9SEBC7lfxxzi4-kKOOruvVC2xui7kIUlmM/s400/realtheatrevolunteer.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-34767422440956866662012-12-27T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-27T00:01:01.475-05:00The Best of CharPo's Real Theatre!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb085TGH713o6aHuRTea44YO8vuI8vbd6kNKcInLWDfTxkvJzl-TlA-Y2zuRyvFwbexSp85ofa6pqhinaWT6QLkjVL5hfKA84_wtfV1X3XGn1zC0PbE7uUTlhgw1eO_ftGbqwoGIP2E0s/s1600/realtheatrethemeeting.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="352" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgb085TGH713o6aHuRTea44YO8vuI8vbd6kNKcInLWDfTxkvJzl-TlA-Y2zuRyvFwbexSp85ofa6pqhinaWT6QLkjVL5hfKA84_wtfV1X3XGn1zC0PbE7uUTlhgw1eO_ftGbqwoGIP2E0s/s400/realtheatrethemeeting.jpeg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfg25TST12fTJTv22JXfgGhqAp7jKKeoiaeh2-X3RiCZnyONB0h9ShH2sAXBRTY5GsBe0BBILHM3LFF4ZV1GiCA80ywRCO3oHp_UvUoQraHc4EX4RLHjPL_UnTJOAK1kIb3N7KXmUbhk/s1600/realtheatredink..jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHfg25TST12fTJTv22JXfgGhqAp7jKKeoiaeh2-X3RiCZnyONB0h9ShH2sAXBRTY5GsBe0BBILHM3LFF4ZV1GiCA80ywRCO3oHp_UvUoQraHc4EX4RLHjPL_UnTJOAK1kIb3N7KXmUbhk/s640/realtheatredink..jpeg" width="442" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-45068477132667347082012-12-26T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-26T00:01:00.631-05:00CharPR Prize Nominations, 2012<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkQ8qFJqZSv0cq6EttOyzDogWZ97PbIH6JvNRSw3V-zIZfMt-iyb32cf2uQ9pra614RbkQny3aFnqy2a2pf5mQOZsMiFh8-1UhwEyFVUg2tiE_TL8LXjjKfrpNxLopYvP-PZ6mlItC_k/s1600/charpocan.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjtkQ8qFJqZSv0cq6EttOyzDogWZ97PbIH6JvNRSw3V-zIZfMt-iyb32cf2uQ9pra614RbkQny3aFnqy2a2pf5mQOZsMiFh8-1UhwEyFVUg2tiE_TL8LXjjKfrpNxLopYvP-PZ6mlItC_k/s400/charpocan.jpg" width="310" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Nominations: CharPR Prize, 2012</b></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><b><i>The Charlebois Post</i></b> is in a unique position in the Canadian cultural landscape. First, we are small, so there are only about five of us who have direct contact with publicists at the various companies we deal with. Secondly, with reviewers in Toronto, Montreal, Winnipeg, Calgary, Vancouver and Quebec City, we are in almost continual contact with companies large and small, and because we publish articles about and from many companies outside of those centres, we have a fairly large reach. This is why we decided to create the <b><i>CharPR Prize</i></b> (pronounced Sharper).</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;">It would be unfair to say that the PR of some companies makes the PR at others shine all the brighter. But it would be absolutely fair to say that the companies nominated below represent the best for reasons very specific to new media. You won't find any companies among the noms, for instance, who ask new media outlets like <b><i>CharPo</i></b> to prove and reprove their credentials every step of the way. You will also find no companies who have been reticent to put us in contact with their artistic directors, managers, technicians or artists. All of them understand the value not just of working with <b><i>CharPo</i></b> but - ask around - with new media in general. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><b><span style="color: red;">Companies who did not promptly manage the reckless behaviour of their hired publicists did not get nominated.</span></b><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;">What set many of these companies apart from the many others was, also, the willingness of the artists there to share their experience as artists by writing first-person pieces for us, or by being available for interviews. However, we also feel that is an extension of good PR - and we know that publicists at the companies below made easy contact possible. </span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;">We chose the nominees (and winners) by simply asking our people which public relations departments had made their lives easier. Although we will be giving two prizes to individuals - BEST PR, SINGLE SHOW and LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT - when the winners are announced January 2, 2013, we are nominating the companies themselves because, in some cases, they have used outside firms - but the efficiency of these firms, we feel, comes from directives and attention paid from within the companies themselves. (i.e.: Companies who did not promptly manage the reckless behaviour of their hired publicists did not get nominated.)</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444;">Finally, although we could have nominated many, many more houses in each category, we have kept the lists of finalists to three. <b><i>The Charlebois Post, ltd.</i></b> would like to congratulate and, especially, thank all the magnificent PR people across the country who have made the two years we have been publishing a glorious experience.</span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
<span style="color: #444444; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
</div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best Photographers:</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">David Cooper</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Cylla von Tiedemann</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Andrée Lanthier</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<br />
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>*Best PR - Indie (no fixed venue):</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Brave New Productions (Montreal)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Against the Grain Theatre (Toronto)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">WYRD Productions (Toronto)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">*The winner in this category will receive a photo link from our site to theirs for the two weeks prior to their next production and during its entire run. The link will be from both our CharPo-Canada site and the appropriate regional site. The link will appear on every page of the site, at the top corner of the page.</span></div>
</div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best PR - small:</b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">La Licorne (Montreal)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Factory Theatre (Toronto)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">ATP (Calgary)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best PR - Medium (multiple venues amd mainstage of 400 seats+):</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Arts Club Theatre (Vancouver)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Segal Centre (Montreal) </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre (Winnipeg)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Best PR - Large (Mainstage 800+ seats):</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Canadian Opera Company (Toronto)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stratford Festival (Stratford)</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Canadian Stage (Toronto)</span></div>
</div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-11823641834994357522012-12-25T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-25T00:01:00.312-05:00CharPo Pictures of the Year, 2012, Finalists<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>From December 22-25 we will be presenting the best photos of the year at CharPo-Toronto, CharPo-Montreal and CharPo-Canada (different photos on each site so check them all out). On December 26 we will announce the finalists for the first CharPR Prize (for best PR) including best photographers. On December 30, 2 runner-up photos will be presented on each site (separate from finalists). On December 31 the best photo of the year for each site will be presented (separate from finalists and runners-up). On January 1 the single Photo of The Year (all sites included) will be announced. Finally, on January 2, the CharPR winners will be announced including best photographer, best PR (small, medium, large and indie). Two special awards will be announced at that time as well.</b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fUTZ1d9qkDjYLGVeDG-VfZLbgvOXg0YM8FWIf4qWPNbGJAHU8QEfUf149c_gdi1qXGd8F62z8rCDFkP1jLmMiLha2kH9d1LkWK5AvC5UnFJDWlPEiKtQrsH4MYwiyHOKsbFtj5QAhyphenhyphenc/s1600/Thomas+Gazheli+(2)+%C2%A9+Yves+Renaud.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7fUTZ1d9qkDjYLGVeDG-VfZLbgvOXg0YM8FWIf4qWPNbGJAHU8QEfUf149c_gdi1qXGd8F62z8rCDFkP1jLmMiLha2kH9d1LkWK5AvC5UnFJDWlPEiKtQrsH4MYwiyHOKsbFtj5QAhyphenhyphenc/s400/Thomas+Gazheli+(2)+%C2%A9+Yves+Renaud.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Opéra de Montréal's <b>Flying Dutchman (photo by Yves Renaud) </b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVLpUmmZBeIswpwfn8ZIz1gpkIrAKe0XBb9F6hT4lL8FyzGGPvuPecCvdlCtc28A1A9u21CcglZsFV2lCSI_guoEhUpgC9-bQmYRvNpjwBAldPchWB_ajHsltUE3pnLYf0gW8nwDcF7s/s1600/6.Ensemble_Centre-Tracy+Michailidis+(Sarah+Brown)_Mike+Paterson+(Nicely-Nicely)_Photo+AndrC%CC%A7e+Lanthier.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVVLpUmmZBeIswpwfn8ZIz1gpkIrAKe0XBb9F6hT4lL8FyzGGPvuPecCvdlCtc28A1A9u21CcglZsFV2lCSI_guoEhUpgC9-bQmYRvNpjwBAldPchWB_ajHsltUE3pnLYf0gW8nwDcF7s/s400/6.Ensemble_Centre-Tracy+Michailidis+(Sarah+Brown)_Mike+Paterson+(Nicely-Nicely)_Photo+AndrC%CC%A7e+Lanthier.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Segal Centre's <b>Guys and Dolls</b> <b>(photo credit: Andrée Lanthier)</b></div>
<br />
<br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-3668558892375646352012-12-24T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-24T00:01:00.262-05:00CharPo-Montreal Pictures of the Year, 2012, Finalists<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>From December 22-25 we will be presenting the best photos of the year at CharPo-Toronto, CharPo-Montreal and CharPo-Canada (different photos on each site so check them all out). On December 26 we will announce the finalists for the first CharPR Prize (for best PR) including best photographers. On December 30, 2 runner-up photos will be presented on each site (separate from finalists). On December 31 the best photo of the year for each site will be presented (separate from finalists and runners-up). On January 1 the single Photo of The Year (all sites included) will be announced. Finally, on January 2, the CharPR winners will be announced including best photographer, best PR (small, medium, large and indie). Two special awards will be announced at that time as well.</b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEe3cNvtwbGgDnnTsqgG5x4ocFKli0Vhyphenhyphenl7VM443t0tSNcp-FmmyDpBS7nwr6Dm3Z0Tjc10TbB6eCtzFFfLNRHk-SdHqnBnLcruiF6P3pR01L_-9WlBHOvFa3GlkbdtuqJUKZ31iIVWGg/s1600/photo+copy+2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEe3cNvtwbGgDnnTsqgG5x4ocFKli0Vhyphenhyphenl7VM443t0tSNcp-FmmyDpBS7nwr6Dm3Z0Tjc10TbB6eCtzFFfLNRHk-SdHqnBnLcruiF6P3pR01L_-9WlBHOvFa3GlkbdtuqJUKZ31iIVWGg/s640/photo+copy+2.JPG" width="434" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Kirsten Rasmussen and Alex McCooeye in Repercussion's</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>Taming of the Shrew</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>(photo credit: Antoine Yared)</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7_mjRks-xjommGPTli_T2RwtbhsjaDtgsom6Meo4KdPgciRbalkbdmDDASUzJJhzcVkuBb96jZLGRdmN-5J2nv-9US013adIG-4kwaVADiWLri76rhuXGDP86sZhtQMUPCIBkQnh5nw/s1600/JanaSterbak_HR.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhY7_mjRks-xjommGPTli_T2RwtbhsjaDtgsom6Meo4KdPgciRbalkbdmDDASUzJJhzcVkuBb96jZLGRdmN-5J2nv-9US013adIG-4kwaVADiWLri76rhuXGDP86sZhtQMUPCIBkQnh5nw/s640/JanaSterbak_HR.jpg" width="467" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Jana Sterbak's <b>Artist as Combustible</b> at the Leonard and Bina Ellen Art Gallery at Concordia as part of an exhibition called Interactions. <b>(Photo credit: Richard Max Tremblay)</b></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-72046074906897292352012-12-23T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-23T00:01:00.208-05:00CharPo-Montreal, Photos of the Year, 2012, Finalists<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>From December 22-25 we will be presenting the best photos of the year at CharPo-Toronto, CharPo-Montreal and CharPo-Canada (different photos on each site so check them all out). On December 26 we will announce the finalists for the first CharPR Prize (for best PR) including best photographers. On December 30, 2 runner-up photos will be presented on each site (separate from finalists). On December 31 the best photo of the year for each site will be presented (separate from finalists and runners-up). On January 1 the single Photo of The Year (all sites included) will be announced. Finally, on January 2, the CharPR winners will be announced including best photographer, best PR (small, medium, large and indie). Two special awards will be announced at that time as well.</b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbLxJf-P5IP6A5PdlyYxsC8rcHn70d_aCKzwRCSapXHR6Ss19BYuK9UEuCFf3K_rvkC0tLlehcJejx6jhz-6VKSJg_jKNOvUZy-kA9jA_kKj8pHUb0EBGSA8-eD1TqiO_lxWnot2SAVg/s1600/11%C2%A9lucetg.com_game_+Gemma+James-Smith+and+Garrat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<div style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbLxJf-P5IP6A5PdlyYxsC8rcHn70d_aCKzwRCSapXHR6Ss19BYuK9UEuCFf3K_rvkC0tLlehcJejx6jhz-6VKSJg_jKNOvUZy-kA9jA_kKj8pHUb0EBGSA8-eD1TqiO_lxWnot2SAVg/s1600/11%C2%A9lucetg.com_game_+Gemma+James-Smith+and+Garrat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="color: black;">à</span><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhUbLxJf-P5IP6A5PdlyYxsC8rcHn70d_aCKzwRCSapXHR6Ss19BYuK9UEuCFf3K_rvkC0tLlehcJejx6jhz-6VKSJg_jKNOvUZy-kA9jA_kKj8pHUb0EBGSA8-eD1TqiO_lxWnot2SAVg/s400/11%C2%A9lucetg.com_game_+Gemma+James-Smith+and+Garrat.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Gemma James-Smith and Gil Garratt in <b>The Game of Love and Chance</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
at Centaur <b>(photo credit: lucetg.com)</b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><br /></b></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWk2s-Qi5UnUSmp2THTRbgrr_ibINg0LkEnAO9CmB3n0NRZ5cZPSO7ciHnZ5TnICFH7lj8HlHUO_Mts9ZRmxsfu8lODRiglnx4JLhgf0cFIFjWhfjjp23QObxn3XbuIs_882q70Yb9xU/s1600/Christine_DwyerJoanMarcus.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuWk2s-Qi5UnUSmp2THTRbgrr_ibINg0LkEnAO9CmB3n0NRZ5cZPSO7ciHnZ5TnICFH7lj8HlHUO_Mts9ZRmxsfu8lODRiglnx4JLhgf0cFIFjWhfjjp23QObxn3XbuIs_882q70Yb9xU/s640/Christine_DwyerJoanMarcus.jpg" width="426" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Christine Dwyer in <b>Wicked</b>. <b>(Photo credit: Joan Marcus)</b></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-91304814929308698342012-12-22T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-22T00:01:00.579-05:00CharPo-Montreal Picture of the Year, 2012, Finalists<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>From December 22-25 we will be presenting the best photos of the year at CharPo-Toronto, CharPo-Montreal and CharPo-Canada (different photos on each site so check them all out). On December 26 we will announce the finalists for the first CharPR Prize (for best PR) including best photographers. On December 30, 2 runner-up photos will be presented on each site (separate from finalists). On December 31 the best photo of the year for each site will be presented (separate from finalists and runners-up). On January 1 the single Photo of The Year (all sites included) will be announced. Finally, on January 2, the CharPR winners will be announced including best photographer, best PR (small, medium, large and indie). Two special awards will be announced at that time as well.</b></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br /></b></span>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADILmFivVb-fDWs0KXF9JZDZujnHH1Fy_byPSr2DyHOcBxQpYgJsLLVzKzx-rgvEQTiQKXOPA5Ivfa34vJuBSH4gxkRXTotf5MSmAT3fLoogE5cRysRqYa0hJxQPYaxbwOXqgtQbiebU/s1600/IMG_0871.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjADILmFivVb-fDWs0KXF9JZDZujnHH1Fy_byPSr2DyHOcBxQpYgJsLLVzKzx-rgvEQTiQKXOPA5Ivfa34vJuBSH4gxkRXTotf5MSmAT3fLoogE5cRysRqYa0hJxQPYaxbwOXqgtQbiebU/s640/IMG_0871.JPG" width="430" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
The cast of Black Theatre Workshop's </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>New Canadian Kid</b> </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(clockwise from top: Mike Payette, Warona Setshwaelo,</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
Vladimir Alexis, Tamara Brown; <b>photo credit: Ashley Belmer</b>)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBmV3gQM15T7ktWHnpr59EWtksRh7urTKohk5QVXpwicPH9MRHe0QLXUv9jM76hxScemTAUuuwNw-7XJGi1XRQep475dOnrTQdxdnrceQCyVJNyN2C5OlTab8fJl4HPDzWwXflqmfyhQ/s1600/Poets'+corner1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhIBmV3gQM15T7ktWHnpr59EWtksRh7urTKohk5QVXpwicPH9MRHe0QLXUv9jM76hxScemTAUuuwNw-7XJGi1XRQep475dOnrTQdxdnrceQCyVJNyN2C5OlTab8fJl4HPDzWwXflqmfyhQ/s400/Poets'+corner1.jpg" width="300" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
As <b>Occupy Montreal Culture Committee</b> works, one </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
unidentified poet reads at Square Victoria - October, 2011</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b>(photo: Norman Nawrocki)</b></div>
<br />
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-25364322569838244652012-12-21T14:32:00.000-05:002012-12-21T16:47:48.262-05:00Review: Village de fous<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXopiPCFvtV7o2qlTw1k3iP9_UJzRnykzMZQyWsVDZuW5f_eCHA18NKayC-nbAXkZ6-kCDGa_42HkdKjZYdfnkDwAef22vi378OTukUIyvYX39a01rs_k9kSnGyquz597kBPfW76mHec/s1600/2160.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="308" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhTXopiPCFvtV7o2qlTw1k3iP9_UJzRnykzMZQyWsVDZuW5f_eCHA18NKayC-nbAXkZ6-kCDGa_42HkdKjZYdfnkDwAef22vi378OTukUIyvYX39a01rs_k9kSnGyquz597kBPfW76mHec/s400/2160.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(l-r) Antoine Durand, Claude Prégent, Émilie Bibeau, Pauline Martin (photo credit: François Brunelle)</span></div>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="text-align: justify;"><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;"><b>Fool's Gold</b></span></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><b>by Élaine Charlebois</b></span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Un village de fous, the adapted and translated take on American playwright Neil Simon’s 1981 play Fools, tells the story of the village of Kulyenchikov and its inhabitants who have been cursed with the plight of ignorance and stupidity for 200 years. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Though it was initially difficult to get into the story and its characters - namely Antoine Durand’s performance as Léon Tolchinsky, the new professor in town who is determined to release the villageois from their curse after falling in love with Sophia Zubritzky, played by Émilie Bibeau - the play’s entertainment value grew as the piece progressed. </span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Un village de fous became especially engaging once actor Luc Bourgeois, playing count Yousekevitch, entered the scene. His comedic timing and physicality had the audience roaring with laughter and even applauding after a particularly funny scene was played out. Another standout comedic performance came from Pauline Martin who played Lenya Zubrtizky, the mother of Sophia. Martin’s facial expressions alone were sufficient enough to provoke loud laughter from the Théâtre Duceppe audience. Bibeau’s performance was also noteworthy, especially her ability to shriek with timing so perfect that it startled the audience every time. </span><br />
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-size: 16px; text-align: justify;">Overall, the well-chosen cast proved to play off of each other well, making for a very solid performance. Un village de fous turned out to be a highly pleasurable experience that made for a great night out at the theatre.</span><br />
<br />
<b><a href="http://duceppe.com/piece/un-village-de-fous">Village de fous continues to February 9</a></b>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-85510513700530712302012-12-21T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-21T00:01:00.310-05:00CharPo's Real Theatre, December 21, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrs5wV8wWJ7I7pe5FOuKQ0lzrmN1egm1_C2FqSGJMhDn1FhHoDllMpgJ_ibniujifJ0saccaDZuEj3WTOO-tcIXkYWynW7spGuVZDXQXQ-T4BQaRnu420EPBGqHRZwBX861Jc8gODWY4/s1600/realtheatreleo.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibrs5wV8wWJ7I7pe5FOuKQ0lzrmN1egm1_C2FqSGJMhDn1FhHoDllMpgJ_ibniujifJ0saccaDZuEj3WTOO-tcIXkYWynW7spGuVZDXQXQ-T4BQaRnu420EPBGqHRZwBX861Jc8gODWY4/s640/realtheatreleo.jpeg" width="450" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-44893604841629349182012-12-20T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-20T00:01:00.825-05:00The Image, December 20, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVABCLNbrmG2T14agIpQLqPDqT2-VhsXD1ev7q2YKo2DvyTzWemI9Qv1ydLwNAHbkz2LuQhf1vBvo_QN27pR5GhGVpzJ_ndfStrBp3jsiM6K6kLAql9hFtDeFl6qHcJYcJQrIWH-3mt1I/s1600/A+Christmas+Carol+company+sings.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhVABCLNbrmG2T14agIpQLqPDqT2-VhsXD1ev7q2YKo2DvyTzWemI9Qv1ydLwNAHbkz2LuQhf1vBvo_QN27pR5GhGVpzJ_ndfStrBp3jsiM6K6kLAql9hFtDeFl6qHcJYcJQrIWH-3mt1I/s400/A+Christmas+Carol+company+sings.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<b><a href="http://www.theatrerialto.ca/">A Christmas Carol</a></b>, of course!</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">(l-r): Kyrah Harder, Trudy Simoneau</span><span style="text-align: -webkit-auto;">, Laura Vizbara and Matthew Mckeown (photo credit: Tristan Brand)</span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.charpo-montreal.com/2012/12/first-person-stephen-vincelli-on.html">(Read director Stephen Vincelli's first-person piece on his participation in this annual tradition)</a></b></span></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-73941913934016822022012-12-19T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-19T00:01:00.525-05:00Beyond The Fourth Wall, December 19, 2012<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO_3opHwAXXWXhxqN2Mr5vaXZLrJqZsXthzyFIlRRLWYCObnGjy_J6NKfl-8TOD5bOsUs_t_Zu2vFMruTmUfWOHfpalgtfqi_UM9o6fFpMa1Qo5ezSHuRAlQbYZ2KaHwwig0Vu6yTkMY/s1600/bluefireworks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkO_3opHwAXXWXhxqN2Mr5vaXZLrJqZsXthzyFIlRRLWYCObnGjy_J6NKfl-8TOD5bOsUs_t_Zu2vFMruTmUfWOHfpalgtfqi_UM9o6fFpMa1Qo5ezSHuRAlQbYZ2KaHwwig0Vu6yTkMY/s640/bluefireworks.jpg" width="476" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Saturday nights in Old Montreal, fireworks light up the sky.</b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://montreal.about.com/od/attractionsbyholiday/a/montreal-christmas-fireworks-telus-fire-on-ice-feux-d-artifice.htm">Fire on Ice</a></b></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dec. 29 – 20h</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Old Port</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: left;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoXovNgv4JeR9FgsXSg96PULKLvwMxGl-xwwRmLzTG6bG1g9NgwMUinqQ2giapPSNONyot4Nc6Sb5upuHU0EZRHFb1aUdv0iD2rJgLodi3tkam8ra2gSPGEonSxBloz7YgXK06ZyRH4I/s1600/rosenttt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoXovNgv4JeR9FgsXSg96PULKLvwMxGl-xwwRmLzTG6bG1g9NgwMUinqQ2giapPSNONyot4Nc6Sb5upuHU0EZRHFb1aUdv0iD2rJgLodi3tkam8ra2gSPGEonSxBloz7YgXK06ZyRH4I/s1600/rosenttt.jpg" /></a><b style="color: red; font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: xx-large;">Shows of Interest</b></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>by Estelle Rosen</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Celebrate the holiday customs of the world.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.tourisme-montreal.org/blog/what-to-do/3-great-montreal-christmas-markets/">International Traditional Christmas Village</a></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To Dec. 24:</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Place Jacques Cartier</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Craft sale and exhibition, local artisans, sculpture, art, fashion.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.metiers-d-art.qc.ca/smaq/">Salon des metiers d’art du Québec</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To Dec 22</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Place Bonaventure</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>The Words and Music show will beat the cold weather.</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><a href="http://www.liftticketsystem.com/tickets/words-music-24">How to Survive the Winter</a></b> </span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Dec.16 – 20h</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Casa del Popolo</span><br />
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-19647766445556091762012-12-18T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-18T00:34:59.726-05:00After Dark, December 18, 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjNE-uSWoKqDnnCey-1jknD80sg5zxRua8TV-A9fV-XsnhVBX3oiHiv85iCqxfMLyhGwTVFB9IGzSxxm92hDHxrZ-46mxJVnAdE5fjJjGXd55ypR8wDJOz5L-xRj4cHFFb7aTs4dn_KY/s1600/charleboistt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjjNE-uSWoKqDnnCey-1jknD80sg5zxRua8TV-A9fV-XsnhVBX3oiHiv85iCqxfMLyhGwTVFB9IGzSxxm92hDHxrZ-46mxJVnAdE5fjJjGXd55ypR8wDJOz5L-xRj4cHFFb7aTs4dn_KY/s1600/charleboistt.jpg" /></a><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Lucky '13</b></span><br />
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Moving ahead by looking back</i></b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>by Gaëtan L. Charlebois</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>@gcharlebois</b></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">There are goin' to be some big fuckin' changes around here!</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">That is the battle cry at <b><i>The Charlebois Post, ltd.</i></b>, as we slide into our third year of life. But as we face our futures we look back at the past and try to make sense of it. That is a puzzle for the ages, dear friends.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">One of the things we've done is try to figure out what draws eyes to these websites. We do that quite simply by checking out the stats for which articles, each day, draw the most readers. It didn't take long for us to realize that one thing that pleases readers are reviews. It's tempting to write raves all the time because then the production house receiving the praise will tweet and FB the heck out of the review and sometimes, even - jackpot! - quote a rave in their online and print ads. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But here's the thing. Pans and controversial reviews get readers too. This last week there was an imbroglio on our Montreal site about one review where the artistic director weighed in telling us our review would not sell tickets for his production. (Yeah, like that's anyone's job but his.) The sneering at the review went back and forth and - will wonders never cease? - the review became the most read article of the week! The best case of bad=good was a review where the director not only called the reviewer a "cunt" but signed it. All hell broke loose! The review became the most read review of any show on any <b><i>CharPo</i></b> site...ever.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Lesson? Reviews which provoke discussion work but you never know which will provoke discussion.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We do know, however, that well-written (key word, there) first-person pieces explaining behind the scenes, procedure and craft are hugely popular. Articles by opera singers, composers, opera managers and musicians seem to fly high. (Perhaps because the knowledge they are sharing is so arcane to most of us.) Soprano <b><a href="http://www.charpo-toronto.com/2012/11/in-wordambur-braid.html">Ambur Braid's interview</a></b> was particularly popular, probably because it was extremely honest. Shannon Christy's interview with <b><a href="http://www.charpo-canada.com/2012/11/the-sunday-read-interview-with.html">COC boss, Alexander Neef</a></b>, also did enormously well. Whenever opera director Joel Ivany "speaks", people listen.</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Surprising form does well too: artists notebooks for instance (like <b><a href="http://www.charpo-montreal.com/2012/12/production-diary-andrew-cuk-on-three.html">Andrew Cuk's</a></b> and <b><a href="http://www.charpo-montreal.com/2012/02/sunday-read-actors-notes-paul-hopkins.html">Paul Hopkins'</a></b>). <b><a href="http://www.charpo-toronto.com/2012/08/the-story-on-sunday-motion-summerworks.html">Motion's poem also delighted</a></b>. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">But then there is the dark side. Articles reflecting Sturm und Drang are at the top of our hit parades. The most popular article ever at <b><i>CharPo-Toronto</i></b> is <b><a href="http://www.charpo-toronto.com/2012/07/ken-gass-responds-to-factory-board.html">Ken Gass's rebuttal to the board</a></b> which fired him from Factory Theatre. In Montreal, a humour piece exploded in the writer's face when Patrick Goddard wrote about <b><a href="http://www.charpo-montreal.com/2011/02/friday-five-february-18-2011.html">ten things he hates about theatre</a></b>. It is the most read article on that site. At <b><i>CharPo-Canada</i></b> <b><a href="http://www.charpo-canada.com/2012/02/first-person-brad-fraser-on-healey.html">Brad Fraser's essay on the Healey Affair</a></b> is the SECOND most read article (a review of an Ottawa production of Rent is the most read).</span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">What is most interesting about the provenance of the readers to those three controversial articles is that in all three cases it was not just local. Fraser's piece on Healey had an international readership, while the pieces at the other two sites had viewers from across the nation. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">And that is the lesson with which we are heading into 2013 and why changes are coming. Beyond reviews, theatre - its past and future - is a national dialogue and even an international one. (One popular column was actually shared and reshared in the U.S. and the UK.) So, yes, <b><i>CharPo</i></b> and its contributors and artists who fill the sites are, as our slogan says, Montreal theatre, Toronto theatre or Canadian theatre. But to survive, we feel, we all need to be theatre. </span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></div>
<div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Just that and all that.</span></div>
Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-63489435958343008782012-12-17T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-17T00:45:37.799-05:00The Question, December 17, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvsoisPTf_nVoOQGU-JW4IcwdvPQwvj_DOi6zusha6UrBKN4e2lZTCG7J5rZoXMORflEqHi_cnXVLEvlMO9OKnVdtLQ_2r-gC6jN4mC60HQYYJJWqGZ0Ii9JvVY1MCQQH08IADQgvxBE/s1600/jana.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjLvsoisPTf_nVoOQGU-JW4IcwdvPQwvj_DOi6zusha6UrBKN4e2lZTCG7J5rZoXMORflEqHi_cnXVLEvlMO9OKnVdtLQ_2r-gC6jN4mC60HQYYJJWqGZ0Ii9JvVY1MCQQH08IADQgvxBE/s400/jana.jpg" width="321" /></a></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoXovNgv4JeR9FgsXSg96PULKLvwMxGl-xwwRmLzTG6bG1g9NgwMUinqQ2giapPSNONyot4Nc6Sb5upuHU0EZRHFb1aUdv0iD2rJgLodi3tkam8ra2gSPGEonSxBloz7YgXK06ZyRH4I/s1600/rosenttt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCoXovNgv4JeR9FgsXSg96PULKLvwMxGl-xwwRmLzTG6bG1g9NgwMUinqQ2giapPSNONyot4Nc6Sb5upuHU0EZRHFb1aUdv0iD2rJgLodi3tkam8ra2gSPGEonSxBloz7YgXK06ZyRH4I/s1600/rosenttt.jpg" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>Hit the Waves!</b></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>by Estelle Rosen</b></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><br />
</b></span></span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>Jana van Geest received a BFA in theatre studies from Concordia University. She has directed several plays, including <i>The Vagina Monologues</i>, <i>No Cycle </i>by Harry Standjofski, <i>The Importance of Being Earnest,</i> and <i>The Potato Conspiracy</i>, which she also co-wrote. Most recently, she has assisted Emma Tibaldo on Talisman Theatre's productions <i>Rock, Paper, Jackknife</i> and <i>The Flood Thereafter</i>.</b></span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
</span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>CHARPO: I understand you've recently begun producing 10-minute radio plays. What is the attraction and goal for 10-minute radio plays, and will these plays be adapted for social media, podcasts for example?</b></span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
</span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">VAN GEEST: I'd like to say that there was some profound artistic reason for my interest in radio plays, but truly, it was just the ease of production that attracted me initially. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
</span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">However, the more I thought about it, the more interesting the idea became of working with the actor's voice alone. I began thinking about how gesture and posture and the body in general influence delivery of vocal expression, and how those aspects can be subtly understood in the voice even when the listener can't see the person who is speaking. I'm interested in working with and around the restriction of being deprived of the body as a tool of artistic expression, and relying on sound alone to tell a story. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
</span></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IB5YVReb_2ne5uQQnIvrsqWKHx-gRSkv6eTWZWs_u2X57zZoQKy1wR13faw_5qWzp9SEgUXb47taBBHrI3bpoUGNmSoFTAwMC3RJVi3M_ItbUN8OerCv2RQgQtbsUZ50hLTYO-DUXZM/s1600/question-mark1a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi6IB5YVReb_2ne5uQQnIvrsqWKHx-gRSkv6eTWZWs_u2X57zZoQKy1wR13faw_5qWzp9SEgUXb47taBBHrI3bpoUGNmSoFTAwMC3RJVi3M_ItbUN8OerCv2RQgQtbsUZ50hLTYO-DUXZM/s1600/question-mark1a.jpg" /></a></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Also, my day job is in the video game industry, and I'm very intrigued by the evolution of entertainment from its origins in storytelling, through more codified forms of theatrical presentation, up to the modern-day video game, which creates a true multimedia experience. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
</span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Theatre has a fair bit in common with video games, but the one place where they intersect most clearly is in the use of actor’s voices. Set design can be replaced by level design and costumes can be rendered using 3-D software, but technology is nowhere near being able to replace the richness of expression found in the actor's voice, so we still use humans to supply the speech of otherwise virtual characters. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 14px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
</span></div><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In terms of podcasts - yes, I'd like to make these plays available to as broad an audience as possible! We've just begun development on our first project, but once we have a few broadcasts under our belts, it would be fantastic to put the plays online as a collection that can be discovered and listened to by new people every week. The BBC has some great radio dramas available on their web site which I've quite enjoyed listening to, and the ideal is to do something similar, albeit on a smaller scale.</span></span><br />
<div style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 12px; min-height: 14px;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br />
</div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-78821370453013179402012-12-16T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-16T00:01:00.529-05:00Ford's Focus: Elsa Bolam<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0qNcRjJYVvnOaykVtvDrQHO15MXen9hLBbfbt8fTltGBhZy69f0WW0eh2LotGl36fsubltBPiQmUuoUDLJCar6TJOEuthf1bQjpIULrcbnclHoRyz5s6thWeD2HzMijbpVY_01NFWw4/s1600/E+Bolam+Headshot+by+Dory+Reimer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhu0qNcRjJYVvnOaykVtvDrQHO15MXen9hLBbfbt8fTltGBhZy69f0WW0eh2LotGl36fsubltBPiQmUuoUDLJCar6TJOEuthf1bQjpIULrcbnclHoRyz5s6thWeD2HzMijbpVY_01NFWw4/s640/E+Bolam+Headshot+by+Dory+Reimer.jpg" width="420" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">(photo credit: Dory Reimer)</span></div>
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xZBGAcpfcEi_gsH0Xd8alGOF8YIQve0mLyUd-ii0lTF9Qunbp3EZSKtK5Le4J8nlwnWtCPJiQPSQEFYT6fHm6pczvMZHBgjLwDrAQUxpSrgNqLTKtmmSsW1XRkoLbjL0YScXXrC-kDs/s1600/fordttt.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5xZBGAcpfcEi_gsH0Xd8alGOF8YIQve0mLyUd-ii0lTF9Qunbp3EZSKtK5Le4J8nlwnWtCPJiQPSQEFYT6fHm6pczvMZHBgjLwDrAQUxpSrgNqLTKtmmSsW1XRkoLbjL0YScXXrC-kDs/s1600/fordttt.JPG" /></a><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><span style="color: red; font-size: x-large;">The Pioneer</span></b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><b>Elsa Bolam IS the history of Montreal English-language theatre</b></i></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>by Barbara Ford</b></span><br />
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Elsa Bolam grew up in Newcastle upon Tyne (known as Geordie country) in Northern England. Both parents worked office jobs unrelated to the arts but her sister, Margaret Dale, was a ballet dancer with the Sadler’s Wells Company, later the Royal Ballet, and Bolam remembers going to the theatre often from a young age.</span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">She studied English Literature at the University of Leeds and while there, became involved with the student theatre group making sets and doing a bit of acting and directing. After Leeds, she continued her education at Durham University and then received her Master’s degree in Drama from Syracuse University, New York, thanks to a Fulbright Scholarship. </span></span><br />
<div style="color: #e36c0b; min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After returning to the UK, she continued to learn her craft working for two seasons at the Royal Shakespeare Company, first as an Assistant Stage Manager at Stratford, and later as an Assistant Director at the Aldwych Theatre (London). When ABC television ran a competition for young theatre directors, Bolam entered and won the prize: a year in repertory working as Assistant Director at the Theatre Royal, York. Following York, she free-lanced around the British Isles and directed and taught at the Central School of Speech and Drama in London. For a year and a half she also directed television plays at the BBC in London. </span></span><br />
<a name='more'></a><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2StpY80WUBEbjK_SyPduDcBQ-6veivILxgmMNgWXpiJcLe3wu1GbfyCxQ-gFbIt6BnLqI4z4mPNJ8UIAWAQY95qg9wjzxeNAIuH2GzndZo0-zOf-rO66PoPfmy8sDWbN50ed99sfcYI/s1600/Maurice,+Nocholas,+Alison+&+Elsa.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhh2StpY80WUBEbjK_SyPduDcBQ-6veivILxgmMNgWXpiJcLe3wu1GbfyCxQ-gFbIt6BnLqI4z4mPNJ8UIAWAQY95qg9wjzxeNAIuH2GzndZo0-zOf-rO66PoPfmy8sDWbN50ed99sfcYI/s320/Maurice,+Nocholas,+Alison+&+Elsa.jpg" width="243" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Maurice, Nicholas, Alison, Elsa</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">It was during this period that Bolam met her husband-to-be, South African ex-pat Maurice Podbrey. During her year at the Theatre Royal, she directed him in such roles as Papa Baker in Come Blow Your Horn, and the infamous villain, Mr. Murdstone, in David Copperfield. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In 1966 Podbrey received an invitation from acting colleague Bill Davis (known for his ‘smoking man’ character in the hit TV series X-Files) to come to Montreal to assist the head of the English section of the National Theatre School of Canada. After visiting Montreal during Expo ’67, Bolam decided to emigrate the following year. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px; text-align: right;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bolam and Podbrey married in 1969 and took up residence in Old Montreal very close to what is now the Centaur Theatre but was, at the time, the vacant Old Stock Exchange building. Both he and Bolam were teaching at NTS, with Bolam also working part-time at Sir George Williams University (now part of Concordia). Podbrey was hard-pressed to understand why there was no English theatre apart from the fledgling Saidye Bronfman Company (run by Marion André), and Instantheatre, Mary Morter’s lunchtime theatre initiative in the basement of Place Ville Marie. “Maurice always blames me for starting Centaur,” Bolam reminisced, “but really I was just tired of hearing him go on about how someone should start a theatre. I finally got fed up and told him to open one of his own.” Behind every great idea is … well you know.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">You had to climb up a ladder through a hole in the floor to reach a communal dressing room with no bathroom...</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA13CBTBh-tdcC9kW4vE5vSQ9fO4AVLC_u3UC4ceHl6a3hnhW72ufL-1edbOkDsRCEdvBpqhvg-0e08a111kkL0slOX24pyD14o6B5HeVfsTUDKIpjMMOMyycgA5iTS7o7zV4gCAyPDw/s1600/Billy+Bishop+Goes+to+War+with+Paul+Stewart,+Elsa+Bolam,+Bruce+Dinsmore+&+Robbie+Burns.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="226" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvA13CBTBh-tdcC9kW4vE5vSQ9fO4AVLC_u3UC4ceHl6a3hnhW72ufL-1edbOkDsRCEdvBpqhvg-0e08a111kkL0slOX24pyD14o6B5HeVfsTUDKIpjMMOMyycgA5iTS7o7zV4gCAyPDw/s320/Billy+Bishop+Goes+to+War+with+Paul+Stewart,+Elsa+Bolam,+Bruce+Dinsmore+&+Robbie+Burns.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Billy Bishop Goes to War with Paul Stewart, <br />
Elsa Bolam, Bruce Dinsmore & Robbie Burns</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Jacques Languirand, actor and host of Radio-Canada’s Par 4 chemins, had tried to launch his project, Le Centre culturel de Vieux Montréal, in the Old Stock Exchange, but the money ran out before it got off the ground and the half-renovated space lay dormant for a year. Quite suddenly, Herb Auerbach and Peter Duffield from Instantheatre’s Board of Directors, asked Podbrey to take over and get Instantheatre back on its feet. Podbrey agreed as long as they would help him launch an evening venture in the Stock Exchange building. Sadly, Instantheatre never managed to rally but the evening enterprise took off.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The two Stock Exchanges (Montreal and Canada) each had their own distinct space. There was nothing but a huge pile of rubble in the larger of the two, but in the smaller lay the remnants of Languirand’s abandoned cultural centre production of John Herbert’s Fortune and Men’s Eyes. Bolam remembers going in for the first time and seeing the set still on the stage. Further investigation revealed the artists’ backstage facilities as functional, barely meeting building code requirements. “You had to climb up a ladder through a hole in the floor to reach a communal dressing room with no bathroom, but with one toilet sitting magnificently in the middle of the room!” With the help of friends, they managed to find old cinema seating, carry out renovations and make a theatre in the smaller space. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">To tell the truth, I don’t know where they got the name Centaur.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrcs9KTusXqrN0stNO5kioUizHFwh-fkuM7PuKWhTzUB26X3e4gohAvZvJoKOZqBdIvXlys_oaX-yYEy5P2nvsfSDTEXO91o06rGnF-y9aNZsOgIJrczqyAldYb2Y47no-AgFMowS59w/s1600/Bluenose+from+top+Julie+Tamiko+Manning,+Omari+Newton+&+Lindsay+Pierre.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzrcs9KTusXqrN0stNO5kioUizHFwh-fkuM7PuKWhTzUB26X3e4gohAvZvJoKOZqBdIvXlys_oaX-yYEy5P2nvsfSDTEXO91o06rGnF-y9aNZsOgIJrczqyAldYb2Y47no-AgFMowS59w/s400/Bluenose+from+top+Julie+Tamiko+Manning,+Omari+Newton+&+Lindsay+Pierre.jpg" width="265" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Bluenose from top Julie Tamiko Manning, <br />
Omari Newton & Lindsay Pierre</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“We didn’t know what to call the theatre so we started a public campaign to find a name. The whole city got involved which was a good omen. It showed us how eager people were to have a new English theatre. But in the end we kept the name of the foundation that was running Instantheatre. To tell the truth, I don’t know where they got the name Centaur.”</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In the Fall of 1969, with a tentative three-month contract, Centaur Theatre opened its doors with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie followed by a second production, Joe Egg. The contract was extended and they delivered an eclectic first season with an impressive eight productions: Androcles and the Lion, The Odd Couple, The Birthday Party, A Lily in Little India, Luther and The Great White Computer. Bolam laughed as she recounted the weekly payroll procedure. “Herb and Peter were able to get us a bank overdraft. Every week we borrowed enough money on Thursday to pay the actors and by the time the weekend was over, we’d made it all back in ticket sales and returned it to the bank on the following Monday.” And that’s how they rolled that first season.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">While the city appeared hungry for English theatre, the buzz that Centaur’s inaugural season created was overshadowed by a violent police strike, surpassed the following season by the October Crisis. “I remember one terrifying night in particular. There were looters on St. Catherine Street taking advantage of the police strike. And during the October Crisis, many artists were being arrested and jailed. It was quite alarming.”</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><b><span style="color: red;">We wrote letters to everyone that had seen the plays asking them to subscribe.</span></b></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><br /></span></span>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Despite the turbulence, Centaur’s triumphant opening season enabled them to apply for government grants. “It was the Trudeau era: there was a lot of grant money available for artists back then,” Bolam explained, but they weren’t about to rely on those. “We wrote letters to everyone that had seen the plays asking them to subscribe,” amassing an astounding 3,000 subscribers. It wasn’t just the government that had money to spend on the arts!</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">In 1970, Bolam and Podbrey had their first child, Nicholas, and in 1974 their second, Alison. Bolam continued to teach, sometimes up to 80 hours a week, hauling Alison to school with her whenever the babysitter was ill, unintentionally introducing Alison to her future career. In all, she worked a total of 12 years at NTS, five of them running the English Technical Section. Bolam admitted, “I suspect they [the kids] each felt a little neglected at times with parents working in theatre.”</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4X8XrLPOszRH_nR7HPu27e-_TNJfbqtSNfBsWMi9WEpjreyqOn0omfkBz8qjw5kBBrplYo5mkyDdrxXluwbYsanmjU-_FmtR-ipu_mroqsicvOdENVce0lmt8g-hznlOh9tjYSQM1Ts/s1600/Wizard+of+Oz+with+Aidan+Devine,+Carla+Napier+&+Ross+Leslie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQ4X8XrLPOszRH_nR7HPu27e-_TNJfbqtSNfBsWMi9WEpjreyqOn0omfkBz8qjw5kBBrplYo5mkyDdrxXluwbYsanmjU-_FmtR-ipu_mroqsicvOdENVce0lmt8g-hznlOh9tjYSQM1Ts/s320/Wizard+of+Oz+with+Aidan+Devine,+Carla+Napier+&+Ross+Leslie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wizard of Oz with Aidan Devine, Carla Napier <br />
& Ross Leslie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">As her two children began trundling off to school, Bolam returned to directing around the country. At that time she noticed that there wasn’t a lot of opportunity for new theatre practitioners nor was there much theatre for youth, especially in the more remote areas of Quebec. Seeing a need, she attempted to fill it by incorporating Geordie Productions in 1980. “It was a way to create work for new actors. There were so many theatre department graduates every year but not much to keep them in Montreal,” she reasoned. “I remember Maurice constantly hiring actors from out of town for Centaur.” </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Geordie’s first touring show, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, took place in 1982. With strong support from the Protestant School Board of Greater Montreal, the company took one production a year to Montreal elementary schools. Then the Catholic Schools joined in, and soon the touring circuit enlarged to two plays each season going right across the province. Suddenly Geordie was bringing English theatre to areas like Thetford Mines, and Bolam remembers being called by a nun, Sister Margaret Rose, who, in no uncertain terms, wanted The Wizard of Oz ‘for my children.’ “It was a challenge having to come up with creative ideas to enact scenes like a melting wicked witch when you’re performing in a brightly lit school gym or cafeteria. We had to be very inventive.”</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTeM8HZyxrYkM-v-SdyGaqefU6-0Eh9uz9lCE9zDEO2IQ68TQINSaHWXikVLZmVFyvLkIvdVqhTetB6hoT_mf23QTZllduNItRJ4x0uXQ_4DphiQbn507JxbgP36NWs-v3k7vuIOawxY/s1600/A+Promise+is+a+Promise+with+laura+Teasdale+&+Julie+Tamiko+Mannings+&+First+Nation+kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="232" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFTeM8HZyxrYkM-v-SdyGaqefU6-0Eh9uz9lCE9zDEO2IQ68TQINSaHWXikVLZmVFyvLkIvdVqhTetB6hoT_mf23QTZllduNItRJ4x0uXQ_4DphiQbn507JxbgP36NWs-v3k7vuIOawxY/s320/A+Promise+is+a+Promise+with+laura+Teasdale+&+Julie+Tamiko+Mannings+&+First+Nation+kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">A Promise is a Promise with laura Teasdale <br />
& Julie Tamiko Mannings & First Nation kids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Soon the company was taking their children’s shows to James Bay Cree territory, and then, through the Kativik School Board to villages on the Hudson’s Bay Coast. Bolam had an unforgettable experience visiting Inuit audiences in Kuujjuaq and other settlements in the Ungava Bay area of Nunavik. She also accompanied the Billy Bishop Goes to War cast when they went to perform at Canadian Forces Station (CFS) Alert - as close to the North Pole as you can get. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By 1985, Geordie was able to set up shop in the offices they now occupy at 4001 Berri, a few steps from Bolam’s current home. “When we first moved in, we shared the space with PWM [Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal] and CQT [Conseil québécois du théâtre]. I remember the rehearsal room had a terrible, creaky floor and Nicholas Pynes [current Artistic Director of Théatre Lac Brome] was the administrative assistant.” In the early 90's, Geordie Productions was able to develop a small theatre space in their own premises for rehearsals and for showcase performances by other companies. What was called the Geordie Space back then has evolved into Espace 4001.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">A Geordie highlight would have to be the U.S. showcase in which Geordie was chosen to </span></span><br />
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYaU6iEzks6KgQ7N4yAmiFw6Jb_UnW_ascXJSgYZ_v7qdzzd6Q3Ro708rHyXn3VC6kCsjtheB_uGP9_8E8WizllsuL5KUMeF9aLlq3kfIh34IHmgOaIa-jPijEx9JuvJ1tlw9NUZeSpA/s1600/Howard+Bilerman+&+First+Nation+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfYaU6iEzks6KgQ7N4yAmiFw6Jb_UnW_ascXJSgYZ_v7qdzzd6Q3Ro708rHyXn3VC6kCsjtheB_uGP9_8E8WizllsuL5KUMeF9aLlq3kfIh34IHmgOaIa-jPijEx9JuvJ1tlw9NUZeSpA/s320/Howard+Bilerman+&+First+Nation+Kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Howard Bilerman & First Nation Kids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">participate at the Kennedy Centre in the late 90’s and which led to extensive US tours two years in a row. Touring so far afield was a feather in Geordie’s cap but they had their share of mishaps too. Bolam recounted one of the more harrowing episodes when they were driving back from Washington during a howling snow storm and a block of ice fell from out of nowhere, breaking their vehicle’s windshield. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The approach of the new millennium was exciting and with an injection of monies from government coffers for special millennium projects, Geordie used the additional resources to upgrade. The extra funding allowed them to start presenting their productions in a main-stage family series at the D. B. Clarke Theatre on the Concordia University campus. The aftermath of 9/11 brought Geordie’s U.S. tours to an abrupt end but the calibre of their productions and the size of their audiences continued to grow on this side of the border.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-BZye5DNF1uzeTZWfki-eVgsWsG5YB0rdQ_yK4CRCu8jJqs0_vzwu52Iin6UXTbQOSyB1OF3bG-pa0IFMF8sy10iCkOby0zyhMelPk_tFfEq58oxTQYPbbqZZbm-9n6o4mKudIm0Nr4/s1600/he+Adventures+of+Emily+Bronte-Saurus+Q&A+with+James+Douglas,+Collin+Doyle,+Miranda+Handford,+Brandy++Yanchyk+&+Gareth+Potter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhL-BZye5DNF1uzeTZWfki-eVgsWsG5YB0rdQ_yK4CRCu8jJqs0_vzwu52Iin6UXTbQOSyB1OF3bG-pa0IFMF8sy10iCkOby0zyhMelPk_tFfEq58oxTQYPbbqZZbm-9n6o4mKudIm0Nr4/s320/he+Adventures+of+Emily+Bronte-Saurus+Q&A+with+James+Douglas,+Collin+Doyle,+Miranda+Handford,+Brandy++Yanchyk+&+Gareth+Potter.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Adventures of Emily Bronte-Saurus <br />
Q&A with James Douglas, Collin Doyle, <br />
Miranda Handford, Brandy Yanchyk & Gareth Potter</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bolam said that she thinks most of Montreal’s mature actors have come through Geordie at one time or another, and of that she is very proud. “We were able to give them valuable experience and a decent salary when they were starting out.” A short list would contain such actors as Paul Hopkins, Laura Teasdale, Glenda Braganza, Julie Tamiko Manning, Michel Perron, Al Goulem, Bruce Dinsmore, Robbie Burns, Matthew Kabwe (Little John in this month’s Geordie production of Robin Hood), Andreas Apergis and France Rolland. Bolam feels that Geordie owes much to fruitful collaborations with established directors such as Barbara Poggemiller. Looking back, she said, “Many, many people gave of their best to the company. Though starting Centaur and Geordie was a hard slog, it was all worth it.” </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewEMMYQSZPt5GFfMJ7J8_i4KvpF64nleYpnkpCPUSHuj_LawPcmYigfn4WnfIo8L_LOWKc1PTwKmXrl4AE3wT2NYQ32ddqlVIz54wH3D_Z5Cs1Xqwbgkq5VkSfzYwde9r0rSZUaVyidM/s1600/Howard+Bilerman,+Christine+Gagne%CC%81,+Laura+LaChance+&+Ross+Leslie.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="214" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgewEMMYQSZPt5GFfMJ7J8_i4KvpF64nleYpnkpCPUSHuj_LawPcmYigfn4WnfIo8L_LOWKc1PTwKmXrl4AE3wT2NYQ32ddqlVIz54wH3D_Z5Cs1Xqwbgkq5VkSfzYwde9r0rSZUaVyidM/s320/Howard+Bilerman,+Christine+Gagne%CC%81,+Laura+LaChance+&+Ross+Leslie.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Howard Bilerman, Christine Gagné, <br />
Laura LaChance & Ross Leslie</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">By the spring of 2006, Bolam felt it was time to pass the reins to someone else. Dean Patrick Fleming had acted in, stage managed and directed for Geordie. Knowing what a talented director he was, Bolam applied for a six-month grant that enabled Fleming to round out his theatre knowledge by learning the administrative side of things too. “I always wanted it to be Dean,” she confided. “I didn’t want the next director to come from a headhunt, to be someone unknown to the community.” As anyone who’s seen a Geordie production in the years since Bolam left can attest, the Board made the right decision in choosing Fleming.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA66NQBiXWna8bUMiH08EgaQIIaxKIrQsIDfZ3EOFb7zElL2e-GvBzk0hn-Y0AJ4rLBQb4pdgvR2X_osmoEaBhFJt-wi4dwGhhdQpo3qXgEHl0zfhBaSjQOcZhQotLmxH2xPTwx6WlPos/s1600/igned+by+Patricia+Flood,+Directed+by+Barbara+Poggemiller+with+Paula+Jean+Hixson,++Dean+Fleming,+Omari+Newton+&+Robin+Wilcock.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="266" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjA66NQBiXWna8bUMiH08EgaQIIaxKIrQsIDfZ3EOFb7zElL2e-GvBzk0hn-Y0AJ4rLBQb4pdgvR2X_osmoEaBhFJt-wi4dwGhhdQpo3qXgEHl0zfhBaSjQOcZhQotLmxH2xPTwx6WlPos/s400/igned+by+Patricia+Flood,+Directed+by+Barbara+Poggemiller+with+Paula+Jean+Hixson,++Dean+Fleming,+Omari+Newton+&+Robin+Wilcock.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Brahm and the Angel, designed by Patricia Flood, Directed by Barbara Poggemiller <br />
with Paula Jean Hixson, Dean Fleming, Omari Newton & Robin Wilcock</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bolam’s energetic spirit did not rest long. In 2011 The English Language Arts Network (ELAN) launched Arts and Community Culture on the Road (ACCORD) with the goal of bringing English cultural events to remote Anglo areas of Quebec … sound vaguely familiar? Bolam applied and interviewed like all the other candidates but with her years of touring experience and a wide network of artists at her fingertips, she was the natural choice. As Bolam described the challenges and accomplishments of the initiative, her eyes danced and she became more animated. Clearly she loves a new adventure and I imagined how invigorating it must have been working alongside her in those formative years at Geordie. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIJNFdxW72ups2XCEbRJBOMsLTwygokMylyDPLJt4hv1uLCdLESnzkN9bJSePFjGuPC6qT4tiXPJ1ocbQBaGPl797OI48uBkTduJFEKnVmj_HTif13YJMoXImbifLlm1vyh0vnEFzv54/s1600/Mouse+with+Mike+Hughes,+Daniel+Schneiderman,+Caoibse+Shanahan,+Sarah+Allen+&+First+Nation+Kids.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="241" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhkIJNFdxW72ups2XCEbRJBOMsLTwygokMylyDPLJt4hv1uLCdLESnzkN9bJSePFjGuPC6qT4tiXPJ1ocbQBaGPl797OI48uBkTduJFEKnVmj_HTif13YJMoXImbifLlm1vyh0vnEFzv54/s320/Mouse+with+Mike+Hughes,+Daniel+Schneiderman,+Caoibse+Shanahan,+Sarah+Allen+&+First+Nation+Kids.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mouse with Mike Hughes, Daniel Schneiderman, <br />
Caiobhse Shanahan, Sarah Allen & First Nation Kids</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Stage one of the ACCORD effort was to organize a database of artists/projects and interested Anglo communities or organizations on the ELAN ACCORD Web Site. Stage two was to hold workshops for community groups not familiar with presenting cultural events, and Stage three consisted of creating a number of events across the province. Working with such organizations as the Quebec Community Groups Network (QCGN), much has been achieved during the two-year span that Canadian Heritage allotted to the program.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">With the collaboration of QDF, Laura Teasdale’s Honky Tonk Blue musical about Patsy Cline has toured to Grosse Ile in the Magdalen Islands and to Deux-Montagnes, with performances coming up in the Townships and Wakefield on the Gatineau River. The popular team of Bowser and Blue have taken their signature brand of music and comedy to Sept Isles and will shortly head out to Rouyn-Noranda. Singers, songwriters and storytellers like Matthew McCully, Kate Morison, Sarah Biggs, Patricia Hortop-Benson, Emily Nyman and Michel Thibault have also shared their talents in Anglo pockets around the province. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKk05PzwleXMcdxqSTNsRmQNHRnbkoMv94HcQmvWM1FoSHpCvhBcjYjTJbwHi_rM1BIsWRZKjF6Ag7k6nUU9CvguL1WsK-wBEmyGht-nQJAMIu1cotndnabAJ5Ep4qO5akeeIDFr85-w/s1600/nnie+the+Pooh+Designed+by+Eo+Sharp,+Directed+by+Corey+Castle+with+Eric+Davis,+Laura+Teasdale,+Kevin+Ryder+&+Michelle+Heisler.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="212" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHKk05PzwleXMcdxqSTNsRmQNHRnbkoMv94HcQmvWM1FoSHpCvhBcjYjTJbwHi_rM1BIsWRZKjF6Ag7k6nUU9CvguL1WsK-wBEmyGht-nQJAMIu1cotndnabAJ5Ep4qO5akeeIDFr85-w/s320/nnie+the+Pooh+Designed+by+Eo+Sharp,+Directed+by+Corey+Castle+with+Eric+Davis,+Laura+Teasdale,+Kevin+Ryder+&+Michelle+Heisler.jpg" width="320" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Wnnie the Pooh Designed by Eo Sharp, <br />
Directed by Corey Castle with Eric Davis, <br />
Laura Teasdale, Kevin Ryder & Michelle Heisler</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Managing various types of events, working with different artists and small communities with few resources at their disposal has its stresses, not unlike touring in hazardous snow storms. In the middle of our interview, Bolam took a call from Teasdale who had just returned from Grosse Ile. Bad weather had postponed all the tightly scheduled travel arrangements, threatening to jeopardize a voice-over gig for Teasdale. Bolam is an old hand at dealing with the unexpected and in the end, it all worked out. ACCORD funding lasts until March 31, 2013 so if you’ve got a project you want to take on the road, act now!</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">“So what happens when ACCORD shuts down at the end of March?” I ask. Bolam says she may stay on as a volunteer with ELAN. Right now she happily confides that the whole family will be in Montreal for Christmas contrary to most recent years. With her son, Nicholas, living and working in film in Vancouver, Maurice working in South Africa for half the year, and Alison busy with Scapegoat Carnivale, a local indie company she co-founded in 2006, it’s difficult to find a time when everyone is free. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5Y7RL75nnNipY6kfUFfR1FkjAQgjZXjKDtH6fcYkT4Iac2Tp08j8glF9UK_mHYANoW1fpct8vPCWa6wCRiHphxZAgaLgE_BrUgbk_Xw6MJ5mheukUyz8u-PYGfdxH9vZmf6Phk4mYtA/s1600/Off-loading+Air+Wemendji.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="265" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjg5Y7RL75nnNipY6kfUFfR1FkjAQgjZXjKDtH6fcYkT4Iac2Tp08j8glF9UK_mHYANoW1fpct8vPCWa6wCRiHphxZAgaLgE_BrUgbk_Xw6MJ5mheukUyz8u-PYGfdxH9vZmf6Phk4mYtA/s400/Off-loading+Air+Wemendji.jpg" width="400" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Off-loading Air Wemendji</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bolam is on the Board of Directors and actively works to support Podbrey’s production company, the Mopo Cultural Trust. Mopo is currently co-producing the world premiere of Waiting for the Barbarians with the Segal Centre, in association with Cape Town’s Baxter Theatre Centre, from January 27 to February 17, 2013. Alexandre Marine has adapted the script from J. M. Coatzee’s novel, and directs the new work. </span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ-dV2pgt3psQcdmF3EzwBLu7XyPQH1VQ8dgZ780tlviu1x3xEEQgYpxPt-abgv_05ltaREQ7boRmfVGCojILAIg-z6Y6q4O4vZZfl-Qym6nNisUz7uINaGo44ugQm2tKFZnLiw-MpVY/s1600/Teddy+Lee+Dillon,+Ross+Leslie+&+Aidan+Devine+loading+eordie+van.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkQ-dV2pgt3psQcdmF3EzwBLu7XyPQH1VQ8dgZ780tlviu1x3xEEQgYpxPt-abgv_05ltaREQ7boRmfVGCojILAIg-z6Y6q4O4vZZfl-Qym6nNisUz7uINaGo44ugQm2tKFZnLiw-MpVY/s400/Teddy+Lee+Dillon,+Ross+Leslie+&+Aidan+Devine+loading+eordie+van.jpg" width="281" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Teddy Lee Dillon, Ross Leslie & <br />
Aidan Devine loading eordie van</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Previously Mopo produced Lara Foot Newton’s Tshepang, a disturbing play based on an actual incident, at Theatre La Chapelle in 2009, and the production went on to win a MECCA for Best Visiting Production. Foot Newton, CEO and Director of the Baxter, is a partner of Mopo and last February, Mopo produced another of her fact-based plays called Did We Dance: The Sinking of the Mendi.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">During her career, to date, Bolam has directed over 20 productions in UK theatres and more than 80 across Canada. She has received several awards and honours including The American Film and Video Association’s Blue Ribbon Award, Avon Canada's Women of Inspiration Award for Arts and Culture (2002), a Queen's Golden Jubilee Medal and the Sheila and Victor Goldbloom Distinguished Community Service Award. She is a member of the Order of Canada and in October 2012 Concordia University presented her with an honorary PhD, so the next time you run into the quiet, unassuming Bolam at one of the myriad theatre openings she never misses, remember to address her as ‘Doc’ Bolam.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 13px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">[A personal thank you from this writer to </span><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;">Howard Bilerman, </span></b><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b>James Douglas, Dean Fleming, Mike Hughes, Steve Lecky and Elsa for their kind help identifying the artists in these photos.]</b> </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-18613120796439712122012-12-15T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-15T14:25:53.867-05:00Theatre For Thought, December 15, 2012<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDodNIVMVEAhyphenhyphenmXGSC5SLIw4OB06t7P0B2N4Vd9Ji8ATM_tjHbh8dU0Wufye6xS4KgFFyo5yFyVtRe2odi0yuosq4j9J6-au_rXKcEvbxvcRqXCbWAjaW5c50PNXcX66xGnd1o7H7Jho/s1600/fishbanettt.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjDDodNIVMVEAhyphenhyphenmXGSC5SLIw4OB06t7P0B2N4Vd9Ji8ATM_tjHbh8dU0Wufye6xS4KgFFyo5yFyVtRe2odi0yuosq4j9J6-au_rXKcEvbxvcRqXCbWAjaW5c50PNXcX66xGnd1o7H7Jho/s1600/fishbanettt.jpg" /></a><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><span style="color: red; font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif; font-size: x-large;"><b>YOUR THEATRICAL XMAS GUIDE</b></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b><i>Or What to Get the Struggling Actor in Your Life</i></b></span></span><br />
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>joel fishbane</b></span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Snow is falling, carollers are singing and cities everywhere are a-glow with lights. The politically correct people of the world are wandering around with “Happy Holidays” on their lips, but let’s call a spade a spade: it’s Christmas-time and everyone knows it. And whether you're giving someone Hanukah gelt, Kwanza contributions, or winter solstice souvenirs, chances are you’re wandering through the stores with your hand on your wallet.</span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">So without further ado, here’s six suggestions for theatrical gifts for the performer in your life who doesn’t have everything…</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>6. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Headshots</b></span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">All actors need new headshots all the time. This is an expensive fact of life for the busy artist – so why not help them out? Find out who their favourite photographer is and surreptitiously get a gift certificate – they’ll thank you, I guarantee it!</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>5. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Food</b></span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Artists are physically incapable of turning down a free meal. So now’s the time to take them out for dinner or, better yet, cook them one of your own.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #0433ff;">
<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b></b></span></span></div>
<a name='more'></a><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>4.</b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Company-Stephen-Sondheim-Patrick-Harris/dp/B008SBXFUU"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><b><i>Company</i> – 2011 Concert Version</b></span></a></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">For musical theatre devotees. Neil Patrick Harris and a cast of all-stars unite with the New York Philharmonic for a concert version of Stephen Sondheim / George Furth’s seminal musical </span><i style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Company. </i><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Featuring the likes of Stephen Colbert, Jon Cryer and Christina Hendriks, this version was broadcast into cinemas last year.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<div style="color: #0433ff;">
<span style="color: black; letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>3. </b> <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cognition-Globe-Shakespeares-Literature-Performance/dp/0230110851"><span style="letter-spacing: 0px;"><i><b>Cognition in the Globe: Attention and Memory in Shakespeare’s Theatre</b></i></span></a></span></span></div>
<div style="color: #0433ff;">
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px; text-decoration: underline;"><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Cognition-Globe-Shakespeares-Literature-Performance/dp/0230110851"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>by Evelyn B. Tribble</b></span></a></span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Theatre practitioners accustomed to dramatic analysis of Shakespeare’s work have a fascinating new viewpoint in this book which concerns itself with the question of how early theatre companies carried the mnemonic load associated with performing several new plays a month. A treatise that sheds light on the historic even as it provides new insights to those producing theatre today.</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>2. <span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Acting Classes, Playwriting Workshops, Artistic Seminars</b></span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">Give an artist the gift of training by allowing them to take an acting class, explore their playwriting skills or perhaps just learn how to market themselves as an artist. Check out places like the Quebec Drama Federation (Montreal), the TAPA blog (Toronto) or Playwrights Theatre Centre (Vancouver) for a list of workshops, classes and opportunities in your area.</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"> </span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"></span><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><b>1.<span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Theatre Tickets</b></span></span><br />
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">The best gift for the poor, struggling artist who, like me, doesn’t ever get to enjoy the thrill of media comps. Give them an IOU for a weekend at Stratford or Shaw or take them to one of the many splashy musicals happening right now across the country. Winter is also festival time, so if you want something off the beaten path, take a look at the schedules for Centaur’s Wildside Festival (Montreal), GCTC’s Undercurrents (Ottawa) or the Next Stage Festival (Toronto). If you’re close to the 1000 Islands Playhouse, they’re offering gift certificates until the 24th</span><span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;">. And if you’re out in Regina, you might want to give the gift of Carmen Aguirre - Globe Theatre, in association with Nightswimming, is presenting her one woman show <i>Blue Box </i>in February.</span></div>
<div style="min-height: 15px;">
<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif; letter-spacing: 0px;"><br /></span></div>
<span style="letter-spacing: 0.0px;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Merry Christmas! And for those that don’t celebrate it, Happy Government-Mandated Statutory Holiday. </span></span>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4146056913190816228.post-52951254595936245622012-12-14T00:01:00.000-05:002012-12-14T17:39:44.450-05:00CharPo's Real Theatre! December 14, 2012<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WilvTDj33gaNPYpN-thhWSWe0YMI6fnYTxApoeQ-sgJ6km2JnrTa0DALQbkySwPhA6aq3BC3CscP6MyUZj7SMm02G5RR9x51Qpx71nIOUz8L_TxUx2UHjD99p7o9weiI7OwJbeEfAsg/s1600/realtheatresanta.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh6WilvTDj33gaNPYpN-thhWSWe0YMI6fnYTxApoeQ-sgJ6km2JnrTa0DALQbkySwPhA6aq3BC3CscP6MyUZj7SMm02G5RR9x51Qpx71nIOUz8L_TxUx2UHjD99p7o9weiI7OwJbeEfAsg/s640/realtheatresanta.jpeg" width="428" /></a></div>
<br />Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0