Thursday 29 March 2012

Ignorance is Bliss

Obviously, I cannot help but have that saying in my head when thinking about Ignorance, the latest creation from The Old Trout Puppet Workshop. The Old Trouts premiered Ignorance at the newly renovated Vancouver East Cultural Centre in March 2012, and we’re currently the second stop on their brand new tour.

We were fortunate to see an early workshop version of Ignorance at the Banff Centre for the Arts in December 2011. Since then, there have been many changes, cuts and additions – but I’m pleased to say that the premise has remained strongly intact. It’s a premise that I love: Is our life purpose to pursue happiness? Or is it that pursuit which makes us so darn unhappy?
 
The Trouts ask us – Is happiness the point? Perhaps happiness is fleeting and perhaps it’s our own unhappiness that actually motivates us to change.

When I was thinking about all this, I decided to turn it around and ask – “Does bliss produce ignorance?” And, in my opinion, the answer is no. And I believe that bliss doesn’t have to come from ignorance either. I think you can face those unpleasant, uncomfortable things and from that can come great understanding – of yourself, your life and the world around you. And from great understanding can come great bliss.

When I experience The Old Trouts’ work, I am always amazed at their ability to produce extreme beauty and incredibly beautiful moments and then swiftly follow that with the destruction of the moment or even the entire character.
It’s those fleeting moments of stunning beauty that stay with me for weeks on end, helping me look at the world around me with fresh eyes. Because of that, I really do feel a change in how I see the world – more receptive... engaged... aware...

Perhaps even... blissfully aware.

Bradley

Wednesday 8 February 2012

The Pleasure is All Mine

The Magic Chair
Some thoughts as we prepare to open.

Working with Chris Craddock on his play Moving Along (version 3.7) over the last few weeks has been, as they say in French, mon plaisir. And I mean that. It truly has been my pleasure.

Chris is a hard working artist with a gift for always being quick to say “let me jump back in and try it again.” And he does. Try it, try it again, try it differently – many times – is what we all do a lot of. Test it. Change it. Test it again. I am amazed and constantly reminded that it’s through the act of repetition (and more repetition) that we are lead to the most profound discoveries, along with the (sometimes difficult) realizations about what is not truly needed. It’s then that we (the creative team of Chris, Dave Clarke, Paul Bezaire and myself) begin to develop a collective vision: we see, hear and sense where the heart of the story lies, where it flows, where we all truly believe that it’s working the best moment-to-moment. It’s a lot of fun working on plays with these artists.

We challenge each other. We argue. We hug it out. We laugh. And we even get teary in the rehearsal hall. Yeah, true story. And all of those vitally important things that so often go unsaid manage to get said by at least one of us (even when it’s not a particularly good time). They have to be said. It’s the only way for the show to truly meet its potential; the only way that the truth of the theatrical experience can be fully revealed to the audience. And this ain’t easy. (Even with artists who are like family.) But it’s necessary, vital even. It’s a challenge that is always in front of artists: to be honest about ourselves, and our work, even when it’s painful. To be brave, face our fears – and our lies – in the rehearsal hall in order to create a truthful, honest production.

That kind of raw honesty is hard work. But it’s rewarding as hell. And it can’t be avoided – when you’re working with someone like Chris Craddock, on a play as honest as Moving Along, you better be ready to face the truth everyday.

Yesterday, Dave Clarke called our process over the last few weeks an “organic working experience.” That got me thinking. If you add up all the ingredients that I’ve discussed above, then maybe, just maybe, we have a pretty decent recipe for making theatre come alive.

Sunday 15 January 2012

You Just Never Know


Venue Manager Jessica Peverett
In case you missed it, we are very happy to announce Jessica Peverett as our brand new Venue Manager. While it’s true that Jessica has been with us for a few years, we still want to welcome her to her new position and wish her all the best.

For the past two seasons, Jessica has not only played a major role as part of our box office and front of house team, but she has also worked tirelessly on our annual subscription campaign during the summer. In her new role, she will manage all of the box office, front of house and volunteers.

Having recently received her Graduate Degree in Drama from the University of Alberta, Jessica is also known to Edmonton audiences as a playwright and performer. In addition, she has worked as a Dramaturg, Stage Manager, Director and Arts-Administrator. Because Jessica has done so many jobs in the world of theatre, she adds a wealth of knowledge and experience to our organization. Her passion for the arts is not only a bonus for us but for our audiences that greet her on the way into our shows.

What is super exciting to me is that Jessica began her relationship with us as a volunteer. Thus the above title “You Just Never Know”. To me that works both ways: when Jessica signed up to usher, she had no idea where that first step would lead. Neither did we. I find it fascinating how unexpected life can be; how it never stands still. We see it a lot around here – a volunteer today is tomorrow’s manager or playwright or designer. Nextfest teaches us that again and again. One small attempt at something new – in this case, volunteering with a new organization – can suddenly lead you down paths and around corners that you never expected. I am constantly surprised and moved by it all.

So Jessica – I am extremely grateful that you took that first step and volunteered with us all those years ago. I look forward to the next part of your journey!



Monday 19 December 2011

Happy Holidays!

As we darken our theatre doors for the holiday season (December 23 to January 4) we want take a moment and thank you all.

Your support is appreciated.

We especially want to thank all of you that made a donation to our fundraising campaign this winter.  Your support plays a major part in the creation of our productions and ensures that we can keep our theatre affordable.

All the best for the holidays and Happy New Year from all of us here at Theatre Network.
We look forward to seeing you in the New Year as we begin the second half of our 2011/2012 Season.  

Sunday 4 December 2011

December in the Arts


December marks the time of year when we’ve just completed our operational grants for the City of Edmonton. Actually the grant writing starts in the middle of November for Arts Festivals and then organizations on the first of December. So after writing and reporting on our past season and the future, we all take a breather and begin to enjoy Christmas - that is if you’re not working on a Christmas show.

I was working in the lobby on our Edmonton Arts Council grant when Paul Welch (who is in our Roxy Performance show With Bells On by Darrin Hagen, presented by Guys in Disguise) walks by in heels and warns me “I have to yell now” and I replied “You do what you have to do. After all it is a theatre and I think I can-” Then he yelled – like seriously yelled - and even though I was warned, it still shook through me. It’s moments like these that make me thankful for the career path I’ve chosen. Where else is it completely normal to work away while a 7-foot tall drag queen wearing a Christmas tree bellows at the top of his lungs? Life is truly bizarre and awesome all at the same time.

That yell - from the seven-foot man in drag (when Paul is in his high heels and a head dress that lights up, he is SERIOUSLY seven feet tall) - comes from behind the audience at the top of the show upon his/her entrance. The show is wonderful. It celebrates the holiday season with a fresh twist of fate for the two characters in the play (James Hamilton and Paul Welch). It’s a play with a seven-foot drag queen that is not about what sexual preference you are or are not, but about going for it - stepping out of your normal or safe life and discovering that you’re made of more than you thought you were. And with that comes a new you and a new start to your life. Something we all often wish for during the holidays when we make promises and such. The secret in the play With Bells On? (In my humble opinion, of course.) If you want a new life, you have to risk that you will look stupid, feel ridiculous, but be largely rewarded for your attempt to make something new in your life.

The actors, the design and the play With Bells On make for a special night out and not something you will see anywhere else this holiday season – kind of like a seven-foot drag queen wearing a Christmas tree, for example. I hope you catch it!

Monday 14 November 2011

It's not over... it's just different

It’s the same thing every Tuesday. Of every week. Of every month. Of every year.

The clock is three minutes away from striking 10am. The daytime staff are in the office, grabbing their notebooks, refilling their coffee, ranting about something, making jokes, rolling their chairs into a circle formation, grabbing their heaters (it’s freezing in here!), turning off the phones, finishing their mid-morning snack, taking a final stretch, and racing to jot down their last few items on the list of ‘What’s happening this week.’ Finally, the chatter dies down, pen hits paper.

The staff meeting has begun.

And while, yes, the same thing does happen every Tuesday, every week, every month, every year, there is, of course, the odd Tuesday that’s different. The odd Tuesday that means more.

Last Tuesday meant more.

It was Katy Yachimec’s last staff meeting with us daytime office folks. Our beloved Assistant General Manager/ Box Office Guru landed a great job in Special Events with the University of Alberta Alumni. Lucky for you, she will work box office during the run of future shows, but unlucky for us, we will no longer see her here full-time during the day.



Katy Yachimec. You know Katy. You might not know that you know Katy, but you know Katy. To connect with Theatre Network was to connect with Katy. You literally couldn’t walk into the building without interacting with her. And when you needed to book tickets, move tickets, mail tickets – Katy made it happen. When you needed your gift certificate right this second because you’re on your way to a birthday party and you didn’t know you had to bring a gift and oh god I know it’s after five but if you could please just do this one thing I’d love you forever – Katy made that happen. (And with a smile, I might add.)

She has been with us for 2 1/2 seasons and she has been simply outstanding. Katy was responsible for the management of the office, box office, interactions with patrons, donation campaigns, donor development, and management of our smaller (Garden Party) and LARGER (Spring Fling) essential fundraisers.
Katy in the back gathering the troops!
But it didn’t stop there. Katy had a knack for creating a positive and supportive atmosphere – whether it was calming everyone with a joke when the stress was high or pulling the staff together for birthday celebrations. (She even managed to wrangle us all cheap tickets to the Waterpark for her going away!) She’s a tireless worker who truly has a good time working hard – a wonderful quality. And thankfully for us, Katy is also a talented baker who has no problem sharing!

Like with any work environment, working at Theatre Network has its positives and negatives; its ups and its downs. It’s not easy and we ask a lot of our employees – it can be high-stress and fast-paced, requiring overtime and might not get you the same level of monetary compensation as offered in other industries. However, our employees are always quick to tout the many perks. One of those perks is the family atmosphere. I really mean that – we’re a very small staff and we share a lot of ourselves. I’m proud and thankful to say that we’re very close. We have each other’s backs both personally and professionally. We’re a family. And like in any family, it’s sad when one of the team can't be around as much – even though you're truly happy for them and their new opportunities.

Family Photo!

So Katy Yachimec in a nutshell: quick to share, fast to help and fun to work with. The University just got themselves a great new team member.

Katy: you're still of course very much a part of the team. It's not over... it's just different. Us daytime folks - we will all miss you very much. Your work ethic. Your creativity. Your observations and insights on people and life. And of course – perhaps most of all – your singing and dancing in the office.

We wish you all the best on your new adventure!

Monday 31 October 2011

If it happens once it can and will happen again (and maybe that's not such a bad thing).

This is the second rule of theatre. In the truest sense it means: When you discover a moment in a story – a truthful moment – it will happen again and again, even more naturally as you incorporate it. But of course, as you might have guessed, it’s not always that positive. It can also mean that if something goes wrong, it can go wrong again and again until it’s truly fixed.

With this knowledge, I present to you this week’s blog.

I left off last week, telling you about our interesting “keep-me-on-my-toes” preview, in which, among other things, the wooden leg of our table snapped when Vincent (Tremblay) leaned too hard on it.

The next day is the big Opening Night – the true unveiling of the show to patrons, subscribers, colleagues, friends, reviewers, peers and more.

I’m happy to say that it went super well. This is in part due to a minor miracle from our designer Cory Sincennes. He tracked down and found the exact wooden table leg to match our other table on set. (Thanks to friend/angel Jim Meer at the Citadel who helped out, giving us one they had in stock and had no present use for.) Cory called me with the news the morning of opening and, after our disastrous night before, it felt a little like winning the lottery. Okay, maybe not that good. But to say I was happy was an understatement. Our Technical Director, Paul Bezaire, was perhaps even happier to hear this. To replace a section of the table is much easier, and more effective, than trying to find two new tables that match, that are also in the aesthetic that Cory was attempting to create (a run down St. Petersburg bar in 1969) - and only a few hours to do it in. So yes, to use a baseball analogy, Cory hit a huge home run late in the bottom of the ninth inning.

The news also meant that maybe – just maybe – luck was turning our way.

The whole week went great in fact and the show settled into its run without any major mishaps beyond the normal realm of a theatre performance. Meaning, yes things were still tried and dropped and changed but the show was now a well-oiled machine.

On the second weekend of the run, we celebrated the era of the play – 1960s – and the production, hosting a “Party Like It’s 1969!” post-show shindig for audience and friends of our Board. Kind of like a “friend-raiser” type of event. We partied up or down to the beats from the 1960’s with our extraordinary sound designer Dave Clarke spinning the beats for us (staff, friends and some board members) to dance in our lobby until the wee hours of the morn.


Giving the camera some 60s lovin'

As you can see, everything was going great.

And then the second rule of theatre occurred – if it happened once, it will happen again.

As I was watching the show one evening, the table broke again. It was in the same exact place in the script as the preview night – at the top of Act Two when Tremblay leans on the table. I immediately started to get upset – not with them, not with anyone. Just upset at the situation. I respect the script and the production so much, I hate to see the audience get removed from the experience in any way.

However, as quickly as I got upset, I was suddenly laughing. This time it was WAY funnier. The actors had had it happen before and they knew the play better now, so they were able to riff on it, surf the laughs a little and entertain us. In fact, I found out later, that they entertained us so well that folks there that night thought it was all a part of the show.

Kerouac, Tremblay & the soon-to-be-broken table

It was what I would call a moment of theatre magic.

The next day a steel leg was pulled from our basement, touched up with paint by Paul Bezaire and put into service for the next show. No they did no longer match. However, it was a more solid fix and now Vincent could lean all he wanted too. Sometimes, that’s just more important. I must confess that if we did have the money, I would be more than tempted to break the table leg every night! I’m serious – it was such a great scene.

However, I am happy that me and everyone else there that night were treated to a piece of theatre magic – a hilarious gift that was just for us. Sometimes the things that are going wrong, turn into those perfect moments that you’ll remember for years down the road.

Bradley

PS - Thanks so much for the outpouring of concern for my girl Bella. I'm happy to say that she's doing well - her cone is off and she's already back to her usual antics. (Meaning, my rest is also over!)