C/O Dayne Topkin, Unsplash
Fables For a New World asks artists to imagine what comes next
Over the last three years, COVID-19 has reshaped the world as we know it — our usual pastimes turned into DIY hobbies, outdoor days turned into lockdowns and in-person classes turned into Zoom meetings. But what comes next? What will happen in the post-pandemic world? What would be the first story to tell? Industry, a Hamilton-based theatre and media company, tells the stories about what comes next in their new project, Fables For a New World.
Co-produced by Rose Hopkins and Matthew MacFadzean, members of Industry, the project is the sequel to the Corona Diaries in which seven artists from around the globe shared how they were coping with the pandemic and changes to their arts practice. Each artist uploaded a series of video entries over the course of eight weeks. The project wrapped up with a live event in August 2020.
The artists included: Deepti Gupta (Canada), Andile Nebulane (South Africa), Tamlyn Magee (Australia), Celine Mun (South Korea), Haruna Kondo (Japan), Harry Long (England) and Michael Rubenfeld (Poland). None of them knew each other nor had interacted with each other during the Corona Diaries project until its wrap-up event.
“We uploaded separate videos to a series of questions without any communication with each other and then when we saw the collected versions, the collective response was very interesting — in how different artists in different countries had synchronicities and connections with what they were experiencing,” said Gupta, a choreographer and performer as well as the owner of Arzoo Dance Theatre and a member of Industry.
“We uploaded separate videos to a series of questions without any communication with each other and then when we saw the collected versions, the collective response was very interesting — in how different artists in different countries had synchronicities and connections with what they were experiencing.”
Deepti Gupta, choreographer, performer, owner of Arzoo Dance Theatre and a member of Industry
The same seven artists are now all part in the Fables For a New World.
The premise for the Fables For a New World is the world as we know it has ended and the seven artists are tasked with creating fables emerging out of a narrative for the new world. The first assignment the artists did together was looking up at the sky — the only scenery commonly available to all seven artists from seven different countries — and finding a new constellation to create their own individual fables.
Hopkins and MacFadzean then reviewed the fables and artists whose had similar themes were grouped together to continue developing those stories in a collaborative effort.
For instance, Gupta collaborated with Mun, an actress and assistant production manager in Atobiz theatre company, and Kondo, a trained actress, director and owner of AHURI Theatre.
The project was unlike what Gupta had ever done before. Not only was she new to integrating technology into her practice, Gupta found working in the digital space challenging, especially away from a live audience.
“Dance is very live and theatre is also very live. These are very live art forms — you are in with your body in a space — that’s how it works but there was nothing,” said Gupta.
However, despite the challenges, the support and bond the artists developed watching and reacting to their common thoughts, experiences and feelings shared in the Corona Diaries made it a valuable and meaningful undertaking.
“Being selected to be part of this project helped me to be connected with members of Industry and a group of artists across the globe made me feel like I’m still a part of something. Each of the people [Industry] selected are incredible talented and really experienced artists, so no matter what my own age or level of experience, it was an honour,” explained Gupta.
At the moment, Fables For a New World is still in early development. Hopkins and MacFadzean are applying for additional funding from the Canada Council for the Arts to continue the project and hopefully plan for a public presentation of the final pieces.
Both the Corona Diaries and Fables For a New World are indicative of how Industry is reimagining what the theatre space could be and of the fascinating and growing art scene in Hamilton.
“Industry is really interested in international work and bringing Hamilton into the international theatre and performance community. This has been the first project where we really started to be able to do some of that and I’m very excited about the idea, what this project could mean for future collaborations or expanding our networks of international companies,” said Hopkins.
Gupta echoed the Hopkin’s sentiments about the impact of the two projects.
“Hamilton has this buzz of technology and creating new art in new ways and I think it leads to these kinds of experiments . . . The newness of this project, how innovative it is, how it took risks and the beauty of that has emerged, I think is very magical for the pandemic where so much was lost in creation and so much was lost in artistic practice,” said Gupta.
"The newness of this project, how innovative it is, how it took risks and the beauty of that has emerged, I think is very magical for the pandemic where so much was lost in creation and so much was lost in artistic practice."
Deepti Gupta, choreographer, performer, owner of Arzoo Dance Theatre and a member of Industry
Fables For a New World brings beauty and magic in a period of time which has otherwise felt sad and discouraging. Hopefully soon, the audience can join Industry and the artists and follow them along their tales for the new world and learn more about their gentle collaboration which has nevertheless been very inspiring for everyone involved.
C/O Safer Spaces
The Safer Spaces Project, a joint initiative by Industry and Hamilton Fringe, seeks to create safer theatre and art spaces
Theatres and other art spaces are often perceived as safe spaces — spaces upheld by mutual respect, trust and kindness where folks can comfortably express themselves and feel supported.
However, this view fails to completely capture the real definition of a safe space: an environment free from harassment, racism, sexism and other forms of discrimination, oppression and emotional or physical harm. In reality, the view that artistic spaces are fundamentally designed to be a safe space could not be further from the truth.
The Safer Spaces Project is a research project led by two arts organizations at the forefront of change in performance and art spaces, Industry and the Hamilton Fringe. The aim of the project is to collect data on harm that exist in theatre and art culture through a survey and use the information obtained to develop an internal cultural guide on mitigating harm and setting expectations of behaviour and accountability at Industry and Hamilton Fringe.
The survey launched in July 2021 and the hope is to collect 250 responses from all folks who engage with theatre and art spaces — performers, musicians, directors, producers and patrons just to name a few. A select number of survey participants will be interviewed to expand on their lived experiences. It is open to folks from any location; participants don’t need to be from Hamilton nor have an experience in an art space in Hamilton.
Robin Lacambra, also the Founder of GOODBODYFEEL, a pilates, yoga and mindfulness studio in Hamilton, is the director of the Safer Spaces Project. She was brought onto the project because of her previous work in creating safer spaces and collective liberation. Her online courses such as Sharing Privilege focus on how folks can implement more inclusive and anti-oppressive daily practices and be more aware of their individual privilege.
Laura Welch, the project coordinator, joined the Safer Spaces team to address and open the conversation on toxic norms of creative spaces that are too often swept under the rug. As an actress, she witnessed first-hand the abuses of power and discrimination in theatre. Outside of this project, she is the Safe Spaces Coordinator for Industry and Artistic Director of Light Echo Theatre.
“This project is really near and dear to my heart because throughout my experiences of working in the professional-level theatre, there’s just been so many abuses of power, harms and a lack of care in many of the spaces and it has deeply affected the quality of my artistry and my ability to seek employment in a field I have wanted to do my whole life. This project is a way to start addressing that,” explained Welch.
Everyone on the Safer Spaces Project team contributes unique perspectives and diverse, lived experiences to the conversation about issues in theatre and art spaces.
Researchers on the team include Maddie Krusto, an artist, educator and community outreach coordinator at the Hamilton Fringe, and Kitoko Mai, a Black, non-binary, multidisciplinary performance, media and community artist.
The project’s steering committee is composed of Karen Ancheta, a Filipina theatre storyteller and theatre performer; Adrienne Crossman, queer and non-binary curator and artist; Juan Jaramillo, a Latinx, deaf performance artist; Josh Taylor, Black dancer and owner of Defining Movement Dance studio; Talli Osborne, a performance artist born missing her arms; and Cher Obediah, an Indigenous storyteller, writer and artist.
“It’s a very colourful steering committee and that’s very rare. It’s really rare to have steering committees that aren’t predominately White . . . Even though all the experiences are individual, because we have such an intersectional team, we are getting way more data from our steering committee meetings than just a boardroom of White men talking about what they think will be best,” explained Lacambra.
So far, the response to the project has been affirming. Many people have shared their appreciation about the conversations the team is promoting online, through the survey and at panels. On Nov. 25, Safer Spaces Project will have a booth at the Garden Project Party for folks to complete the survey at the event and ask questions.
Once 250 survey responses have been collected, the team is planning on hosting a public panel to share the findings. When the internal culture guide is complete, it will be available on the Industry and Hamilton Fringe websites for feedback and re-evaluated annually. On a broader scale, the team hopes the guide can serve as a blueprint for other arts organizations and places to cultivate a safe space in their own practices.
“The hope is to create this takeaway: we did all this research, we spoke to a lot of people, we have such a diverse steering committee, so many experiences are being considered in this document we are presenting, [so] take it and run with it and make your space safer for more folks,” said Lacambra.
In addition to the development of the internal cultural guide, the Safer Spaces Project facilitates discussions about oppressive and harmful practices in the entertainment and art industries through its interview series called Midday Musings. The series is conducted by the core team of Lacambra, Welch, Krusto and Mai featuring guest speakers to share their experiences and the changes they would like to see.
The series re-emphasizes the importance of the Safer Spaces Project and amplifies voices of those that have gone through challenges and are surviving and thriving. In doing so, the team also hopes it will increase engagement and encourage others to take part in the survey.
“[Collecting enough survey responses] has been a little tricky so far. I think partially because to actually name there’s an issue in an industry where you are so replaceable can feel really scary. We are trying to continue a conversation that has been happening underground for a while and spark something in artists to do the survey so we can get data and make change,” said Welch.
In an industry in which success is heavily reliant on fame, power and influence, it can be difficult to speak up. Silence is demanded. Complaints are shut down. And the squeaky wheel doesn’t get the role. However, it is more the reason why the project requires support and action.
“It’s important for all folks to recognize we are all required to intentionally contribute to creating equitable futures and just futures and liberated futures. If we aren’t intentionally contributing to such a cause, then we are unintentionally holding that reality back from manifesting. We are all required in the revolution of collective liberation,” said Lacambra.
By participating in the survey, folks can enact their leadership and power to drive tangible change in fostering safer, braver theatre and art spaces.
“And wouldn’t that be an amazing thing to do?” said Lacambra.
The Staircase Theatre’s improvisation community provides a perfect place for creative people to connect during the pandemic
By: Kate Whitesell-O'Melia, Contributor
Photo C/O Kakerr from TripAdvisor
The Staircase theatre has been an incubator for the Hamilton arts scene since it was founded in 1998. The theatre was originally a hydro building but was converted into a 67-seat theatre where Hamilton’s improvisation community has gathered for over 20 years.
Along with housing performances of improv groups such as The Understudies, Staircase theatre has fostered the Improv Staircase community, a group of individuals that are brought together by their passion for improv.
Kristi Boulton is a voice actor, podcaster and comedian who joined the Staircase Improv community in 2013 when she graduated from McMaster University. Boulton recounted her time at the Staircase theatre and her first time performing with her group The Understudies.
“There’s just nothing like it. The laugh that you get it’s so genuine and in the moment and real that it just lights your soul on fire . . . [the Staircase] is such a safe space to play and be a total goofball. It’s scary for sure, but it’s also magical,” said Boulton.
“There’s just nothing like it. The laugh that you get it’s so genuine and in the moment and real that it just lights your soul on fire . . . [the Staircase] is such a safe space to play and be a total goofball. It’s scary for sure, but it’s also magical.”
Kristi Boulton
Boulton went on to become a voice actor and podcaster with the show Civilized. Boulton said that if it wasn’t for the Staircase, she would not have had the courage to connect with other comedians.
Last year, performances and gatherings at the Staircase theatre were put on pause due to COVID-19 lockdowns. Since Staircase Improv has been teaching online improv bubbles on Monday and Wednesday nights.
Staircase Improv teacher, Bill Dunphy, joined the community in 2011 and has been teaching Zoom improv bubbles during the pandemic.
“It is very much the difference between having your seven-year-olds being able to spend two hours in the playground doing whatever they wanted to, whether it's ball or running or talking or whatever, and then having a Zoom chat. Okay yeah, they're still together, they still see each other, interact, but it's a very different thing and that's resulted in a real impact on our community members,” said Dunphy.
“Okay yeah, they're still together, they still see each other, interact, but it's a very different thing and that's resulted in a real impact on our community members.”
Bill Dunphy, Staircase Improv Teacher
Many university students can relate — classes aren’t the same online as they were in person because it lacks the component of being with your peers while learning and growing together. Dunphy hopes to see a fair number of members returning once it is possible to do safely.
During the pandemic, the Staircase theatre almost closed permanently. In August 2020, the former owners announced that there were selling the venue.
“It was such a blow to the community when we realized that the theatre space was potentially going to close because it is that home for so many people,” said Boulton.
Luckily, the theatre was bought by new owners who are continuing the Staircase’s former message. Performances will continue once it is safe to do so and in the meantime, the theatre is open virtually for anyone to try improv.
“I recommend it to everyone, anyone who wants to get creative . . . The simplest thing is just come out to one of the Monday or Wednesday drop-ins. No experience is needed. We welcome everyone,” said Dunphy.
On a personal note, I had the pleasure of attending a Wednesday night improv class myself. I had no previous experience and was nervous to put myself in a situation where others could see me react with no time to stop and think.
I felt that fear melt away as the night went on solely because the group was so welcoming and accepting of my lack of improv skills. Dunphy and Boulton recommend anyone interested in expressing creativity try improv and, after participating in Staircase Improv, I wholeheartedly agree.
New festival by Red Betty Theatre is offering a stage for BIPOC women stories
C/O @redbettytheatre
The experience of colonization is something communities around the world are familiar with. However, since no two places had identical experiences, each community has its own histories and struggles to grapple with now. At its core, decolonization is about holding space to share these diverse histories and acknowledging the hurts that hide there in order to build a better, more equitable and inclusive future.
Theatre, like all art, is an essential part of decolonization for the unique opportunities the stage offers to share stories and experiences. Though theatre has been around for centuries all across the world, it is too often regarded as a European tradition. As such, it is often difficult for marginalized and racialized individuals to showcase their work and share their stories.
“The majority of artistic directors look at things through a Eurocentric lens and the plays that I write maybe are alienated, by the titles even. For example, my one play which has won awards, it is called Rukmini’s Gold, if they don't know that Rukmini is a name, if they don't know what it is, they have no tie to it culturally. So it's the last thing that they'll read on their pile if they'll even read it. So I found that the only way to get my work produced was to start my own company,” explained Radha Menon, the founder of Hamilton’s Red Betty Theatre.
"For example, my one play which has won awards, it is called Rukmini’s Gold, if they don't know that Rukmini is a name, if they don't know what it is, they have no tie to it culturally. So it's the last thing that they'll read on their pile if they'll even read it. So I found that the only way to get my work produced was to start my own company.”
Radha Menon
The theatre recently celebrated its tenth anniversary. Though it has received little support from the city of Hamilton, the theatre has offered its stage to productions including Ganga’s Ganja (2012, 2018), Cockroach (2017) and In The Shadows (2018), written by Menon and put on by Black, Indigenous and People of Colour actors, directors and designers. Its upcoming productions include Blackberry, in partnership with Hamilton Fringe, from June 4 to 13, 2021 in Carter Park and the Decolonize Your Ears Festival in June 2021.
Decolonization is at the core of the theatre’s work. It offers a stage for the stories of BIPOC women so that they may reach broader and more diverse audiences. Red Betty also encourages Canadian theatre groups to better reflect cultural diversity and the cultural practices of different communities.
“[Red Betty Theatre] is inclusive, non-competitive, friendly, equitable, for the people, by the people, of the people. We are open to women artists who are Indigenous, Black or racialized because we believe that their stories are important, our stories are important,” said Menon.
The art world is a difficult one. Theatre projects are typically funded through grants from the government or other institutions. Currently, these grants are extremely competitive and often privilege older, more established organizations but funding cuts in the arts sector have made this process increasingly challenging. Newer organizations especially struggle to receive necessary funding and it is often even harder for groups like Menon’s Red Betty Theatre.
“So put it this way, it took us 10 years to get a Canada council production grant . . . [W]e don't get much funding from the city because we're a new organization and the way the funding structures in arts bodies work is very much based on how long your institution has been around. So all the older ones which are generally male, white-led, they get funded to the teeth whereas the new organizations get the leftovers . . . It's very hard to get everything going and it takes us a lot of time to be able to plan for even one show,” explained Menon.
For example, Menon has had the idea for the Decolonize Your Ears Festival for some time, but it was only recently that the theatre was able to secure the necessary funding to make this festival reality.
“We don't see anything on stages that reflect the cultural diversity and the cultural practices of different communities. So, Decolonize Your Ears is that opportunity for artists to express their own specific cultures and communities in ways that are unrestricted and uncensored,” said Menon.
“We don't see anything on stages that reflect the cultural diversity and the cultural practices of different communities. So, Decolonize Your Ears is that opportunity for artists to express their own specific cultures and communities in ways that are unrestricted and uncensored.”
Radha Menon
The festival will feature four plays. One by Menon and three others by emerging BIPOC women playwrights: Natasha Cecily Bacchus, Melissa Murray Mutch, Gaitrie Persaud-Dhunmoon and Joanne Roberts. The festival also offers these playwrights the opportunity to consult and develop their pieces with Hamilton-based playwrights Marilo Nuñez and Donna-Michelle St. Bernard.
Offering a stage and a space to share these stories is a crucial part of not only decolonizing theatre but also the larger decolonization movement.
“Until there is the decolonization of all institutions, government and non-government, we will continue to see racism, bigotry and harassment . . . Decolonization is a massive thing that needs to happen, for there to be any equity amongst people,” said Menon.
Theatre is very personal and different people will walk away from a play with different impressions. Menon especially encourages students to check out the festival and the theatre’s other work, not only if they’re interested in or studying theatre but also if they’re curious about and interested in new stories.
“[T]his is the place where you will hear stories that you will never read in class or in the library or see on TV. These are stories that have been curated especially because of how unique they are and this is an opportunity to grow. And for students, I think the point of going to any kind of institution is to grow. Universities are very colonized places and this is an opportunity to step out of that colonized space into a decolonized space,” said Menon.
“[T]his is the place where you will hear stories that you will never read in class or in the library or see on TV. These are stories that have been curated especially because of how unique they are and this is an opportunity to grow. And for students, I think the point of going to any kind of institution is to grow."
Radha Menon
Decolonize Your Ears Festival will take place from June 22 to 26, 2021 outdoors, public health restrictions permitting. Alternatively, the event will be livestreamed. Menon hopes that the festival will become an annual event.
Organizations such as Red Betty Theatre and festivals such as Decolonize Your Ears are crucial components to sharing communities’ diverse experiences and histories with colonialism, decolonizing theatre and creating a more equitable and inclusive future.
Renaissance London is frequently hailed as a landmark of performance and culture. You may, perhaps, have heard of writers like William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe; however, during the years of 1603 and 1613, the theatres of London were closed for 78 months due to the plague. With people trapped in their homes and terrified of becoming sick, it was difficult to share performances. Today we are facing a similar situation, but fortunately there is now a place for us to come together and experience all the theatre the world has to offer us: The Social Distancing Festival.
The Social Distancing Festival was created by Toronto playwright Nick Green. When Green and his co-writer Kevin Wong found out that their musical In Real Life was cancelled, Green reached out to fellow artists and realized that performances everywhere were being halted midway through their rehearsals. The Social Distancing Festival was born out of a desire to save those shows and give them their spotlight.
Theatre from all over the world, in numerous forms, is available to stream and enjoy from the festival website, and the response has been hugely positive, with review articles being written by dozens of news outlets. As much as we all joke about bingeing Netflix and Disney+, there is clearly a desire in all of us to be able to experience live art and theatre.
The Social Distancing Festival is a place where artists can submit their work for viewers to see and enjoy. Clicking on the "Featured" and "Live Streams" tabs will take you to pages that feature everything from spoken word to opera. The Featured page has a more curated selection, whereas the Live Streams page has a calendar option so that you can see what streams are available to you on a given day. Some streams require registration, so if there is something that catches your eye, make sure to double check that there is room available.
The festival only started on Friday March 13, but it has been growing and evolving daily, and as a result Green has needed more people to help him organize it. Matthew Reid, a fourth year student at Sheridan College in the honours bachelor of music and performance program, is one of those helpers. He met Green at a theatre workshop last summer. Like students here at McMaster, Reid found that his final semester of undergrad was suddenly and abruptly cut off. At the fifth rehearsal for their upcoming performance of Guys and Dolls, Reid and the rest of the class were told that the show was cancelled.
“[W]e all went into rehearsal on Friday and were told that our rehearsal process would be stopped and our productions were going to be cancelled. So that was a bit of a shock to the system, especially as fourth year students, because this is our last, final project before leaving school. We realized that all we had left to do was a couple of online meetings and then we were done with our degree, we were done with this whole undergrad experience, and it all happened in the blink of an eye,” said Reid.
World Theatre Day took place March 27, with theatres across the globe sitting empty. The artist community has been hit hard by COVID-19 closures. Many performers rely on theatre in order to pay their bills or, like Reid, in order to finish their degrees. Not only that, performers live and breathe theatre. It’s how they express their talent and creativity, and for many it is their driving passion. In the wake of the closures, Green saw both himself and his friends suddenly left rudderless, with the energy that they invested in their projects seemingly going to waste.
“[Green] wanted to create a platform where artists could share work . . . that had been cancelled or postponed or stopped, as a way for them to continue to create what they were creating, as a way for them to get feedback and to celebrate their work, to connect with other artists internationally. It seems people are very grateful for their work not to be lost. It's always good to have a project, especially in a weird, very unpredictable time like this, [to have] a project to focus on,” said Reid.
Theatre has always had to adapt to funding cuts and shoestring budgets, and artists are nothing if not adaptable. Green’s show In Real Life has been continuing to rehearse remotely despite the barriers put in its way. The show is set in a dystopian future where the students live in cubes and can only communicate with one another online. This hits disconcertingly close to home as we all practice physical distancing, only able to see one another through our screens.
“They are, very fortunately, still managing to meet as a cast and as a team online . . . So it's kind of like they're actually living [the show] right now. They're all doing a 30 person Zoom call and rehearsing their songs and working on scenes, and it all has to be online from the comfort of their own room[s] because that's where we we have to be right now, so it's kind of like they're method acting, experiencing the world of the cube while they're rehearsing for the show,” said Reid.
None of us know how long we’ll need to keep our distance, or when live theatre will be able to start up again. Until then, The Social Distancing Festival is hoping to continually evolve and improve to help both the artists sharing their work, and the people watching from home. As it continues, the festival is working to include not only theatre, but also music, dance, traditional art and spoken word. If you’re an artist, you can submit through their website, and if you’re not, hopefully you can find some joy in the work being shared. And when this is all over, we should all remember that the arts can play a large role in helping to get through difficult times.
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The setting is simple: only a staircase, two platforms and a bed made of crystals. The show is an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream written by Trisha Gregorio, directed by Ian McIntosh and performed by the McMaster Thespian Company. I have both seen and performed in A Midsummer Night’s Dream multiple times, and this adaptation was one of the best I’ve seen. Several of the roles in the show are cast as another gender, creating more roles for women, and also a number of queer relationships. In doing so, the play is updated to reflect modern life and love, while still paying homage to the source text.
Several of the roles in the show are cast as another gender, creating more roles for women, and also a number of queer relationships. In doing so, the play is updated to reflect modern life and love, while still paying homage to the source text.
Gregorio’s adaptation sparkles, breathing life into this 400-year-old show. Unlike the original, the show begins with a young girl named Robin falling asleep and waking up in the world of A Midsummer Night’s Dream as the fairy Robin Goodfellow, also known as Puck. Gregorio replaces the beginning of the original play with an opening scene in the ‘real world’ where Robin’s sister is preparing for her wedding day, immediately setting the scene and giving us a sense of the tone for the play. This is a clever choice, as the original opening of Midsummer tends to drag on. The middle of the play is largely untouched, before the final scene where Robin wakes up just in time for her sister’s wedding. This final scene is especially effective, as it essentially modernizes the final scene of Midsummer, putting the words into a modern context. This does an excellent job of combining the modern parts of the play with the classical.
Many of the male roles have been swapped out in this production, including Theseus, Lysander, and all of the Mechanicals — the comedy relief. This is not only a good way to update the production, it is also an interesting callback to the original play, as in the Renaissance every role would’ve been played by men, with young boys playing the women. This adaptation flips that on its head, claiming most of the roles for women.
The whole cast shines, but in particular Jesse Adams as Bottom/Pyramus and Isis Lunsky as Flute/Peaseblossom/Thisbe stole the show. My voice was hoarse from laughing so hard. Their final scene as Pyramus and Thisbe is a true tour de force, with the two alternating between rolling on the floor, dramatically addressing the audience and being forcibly dragged off the stage, reminiscent of old cartoons when a comedian would get pulled off stage by a hook. I found myself impatiently waiting for their scenes to come, fascinated to see what they would do next.
The show balanced its humour with raw emotion. Kat Sliwowicz as Helena and Jessica Quino as Hermia took my breath away as their friendship fell apart, transitioning from heartfelt expressions of affection to trying to physically tear each other apart. I was unsure how effective this would be, given that Hermia and Helena’s initial scene talking about their friendship was cut from the adaptation, but Sliwowicz and Quino’s emotional deliveries more than made up for that absence.
The biggest flaw I saw with the subplot of the four lovers — Hermia and Lysander, Helena and Demetrius — was that Sliwowicz and Quino had more chemistry with one another than they had with their love interests. It was almost a disappointment that they didn’t end up together. The final reunion of Hermia with Lysander and Helena with Demetrius falls a little flat after the fights between the lovers, making it difficult to root for the couples at the end.
The technical aspects of the show were simple, but effective. The costumes transition easily from one world to another, with bridesmaid gowns becoming Athenian dresses. The setting is also fairly sparse, with only a few set pieces. However, this very cleverly leaves room for the antics of the cast, including Lunsky’s backwards somersault and Quino launching herself across the stage. Each set piece feels intentional and is used effectively.
As I mentioned earlier, one of the biggest deviations from the original play was in changing the genders of several characters. Nearly every character became queer. Rumours have long circulated about Shakespeare’s sexuality, but the fact remains that he wrote 126 sonnets about an attractive young man and a 25 additional sonnets about a woman, both with similarly romantic themes, indicating that he may have been bisexual. In many ways, Gregorio’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens up this debate, inviting audience members to see themselves and their identities represented in the play in ways they couldn’t before.
In many ways, Gregorio’s adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream opens up this debate, inviting audience members to see themselves and their identities represented in the play in ways they couldn’t before.
Adaptations of Shakespeare can vary wildly, from stuffy four hour, word-perfect runs, to SparkNotes-style abbreviations that lose the meaning. There is a fine line between monotone delivery and over-exaggerating every line, which this production navigates perfectly. The original iambic pentameter is as easy to understand as modern English, making this show a delight for both Shakespeare enthusiasts and people who suffered through high-school English class.
Overall, McMaster Thespian Company’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream is a delightful romp through the land of the fairies well worth the price of admission. Settle in, sit back and get ready for an evening full of tears, laughter and magic.
Rating: 4.5/5 stars
A Midsummer Night’s Dream runs from Jan. 24 to Feb. 1 at the Robinson Memorial Theatre in Chester New Hall. You can visit their event page on Facebook for more information and show times. Tickets are $14 for students and $17 for general admission.
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Four days, seven shows and one location. For the past five years, the Frost Bites theatre festival has created a space for non-traditional theatre in Hamilton. Frost Bites focuses on site-specific theatre, which means that the shows are created for a particular venue. Therefore, shows can only be performed in one space and at one time.
This year the festival is taking place in and drawing inspiration from the Hamilton Waterfront Trust. Claire Calnan, the Executive Director of Hamilton Fringe, explains that before they begin writing, artists are taken on a tour of this venue and asked to write shows inspired by the space, challenging the typical process of writing the script first and finding the venue second. The festival is run by Hamilton Fringe and was created to add a dash of fun, bite-sized theatre to the cold winter months, and to challenge local artists to create something that transforms a space.
“Site-specific work is really interesting for me because it can transform a location for you, so that whenever you go by that location in the future you will think about it differently, because you’ve seen something happen there, or you’ve thought about it in a different way. It kind of transforms a landscape, and it can transform the landscape of a city,” said Calnan.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfUCjvIAxl8/
The festival also works with the Artistic Leadership and Entrepreneurial Training Program, a program run by Hamilton Fringe to develop new artistic leaders in the city. The youth that participate in the program assist with running Frost Bites, whether that be by helping to design the space or running the box office. In this way, Frost Bites not only fosters new theatre in the community, but paves the way for the future of the artistic community in the city.
One of the companies performing is DeVision, a collective of six McMaster Film and Theatre alumni: Adeline Okoyo, Maddie Krusto, Claudia Spadafora, Jamie Milay Kasiama, Brianna Seferiades and Yvonne Lu. Their show, Key Words Include, explores the complicated concept of femme bodies as marginalized and marginalizing. Krusto, now a Master of Arts student at McMaster in the gender studies and feminist program, says that the site-specific nature of the festival creates a unique opportunity to exercise their creativity.
“As an artist, it’s really interesting to not only have this mandate of ‘Make a show,’ but to be able to come in and be inspired by things in the room. For example, when we came in for the venue tour and came into the room, there’s a big glass case, and we walked in and we immediately were like, ‘We could put people in there!’ and, ‘What can we put in there?’ and we were climbing into it, and it’s just really fun to explore what that space offers . . . in some ways it’s very liberating to get to explore first, and to play in this space, and think about what we can do,” said Krusto.
“As an artist, it’s really interesting to not only have this mandate of ‘Make a show,’ but to be able to come in and be inspired by things in the room. For example, when we came in for the venue tour and came into the room, there’s a big glass case, and we walked in and we immediately were like, ‘We could put people in there!’ and, ‘What can we put in there?’ and we were climbing into it, and it’s just really fun to explore what that space offers . . . in some ways it’s very liberating to get to explore first, and to play in this space, and think about what we can do,” said Krusto.
Each group brings their own unique focus and ideas to their performances. DeVision knew that they wanted their work to examine ideas of subjection and consumption, but working in the building helped to mold and shape their ideas, evolving to fit the space that they are performing in.
“We already knew we wanted to do a show that was something about the consumption of femme bodies, and the way that we’re being consumed, and so now the show has evolved into what is our relationship to the land, both when us as subjects and bodies being consumed, but we’re also settlers and consuming the land and contributing to settler colonialism. So what is that relationship when you’re both marginalized, but also marginalizing,” said Krusto.
Photo C/O Kaz Ehara/Verity Creative Inc.
Every show in the festival is performed in or around the same building, the Hamilton Waterfront Trust. But each show is dramatically different, offering different perspectives on the same building. Another performer is Annalee Flint, the creator of Flint and Steel Productions. She says that her show was entirely inspired by the venue.
“I specifically didn’t want to have anything in mind already, I really wanted to take advantage of the site-specific nature of it. So once I found out what the venue was I had kind of a little lightbulb about something that inspired me, and then once I actually got into the space I had that go further . . . So it really has been created solely with Frost Bites in mind and solely with this particular venue in mind,” said Flint.
Flint’s show is entitled amo, amas, amat, and it examines the meaning of love.
“It’s kind of an exploration of love, but using words and language, and maybe almost looking at what happens when you can have all of these beautiful, poetic words and declarations or statements about love, but you maybe can’t actually feel it or realize it for yourself . . . You spend your time focused on the beauty of language and the beauty of how love has been expressed by other people, but then you sort of neglect to figure out how to express it in your own world,” said Flint.
In order to fit multiple pieces into the same evening, shows are capped at 20 minutes, and are performed several times over the course of the evening. Amo, amas, amat has a run time of just 12 minutes. The multi-layered, complex meanings of the show are condensed down into bite-sized pieces, leaving the audience to construct interpretations of their own.
“[The show is] going to have all of [the meaning] behind it, but what actually is presented to the audience I think is something that everybody is going to take away a different meaning, or a different bit of wisdom, or a different emotion,” said Flint.
Frost Bites focuses on fostering relationships between different artists, encouraging artists to collaborate. Each night, audience members will be led into the main space, where there will be a special performance by Indigenous artist Rod Nettagog. On Saturday Feb. 1, choreographer Kyra Jean Green will be doing a dance collaboration with Nettagog. Audience members will not be the only ones seeing this for the first time, however; neither performer has ever met or worked with the other before — it will be an entirely unique and one-of-a-kind performance.
“It’s hard enough to create traditional theatre in the city and make it be successful, so then if you decide to create something a little bit off the beaten track, or a little bit unusual, or you want to put things in unusual places, it gets really hard to find an audience for that. I think that what I like about Frost Bites is that’s exactly what everybody that’s going to Frost Bites wants. They want something that’s a little bit different, a little bit weird perhaps, a little bit non-traditional; they know that that’s what the festival is about,” said Flint.
The Frost Bites festival happens in a new building every year, meaning that each performance is specific to its environment. The unique nature of the festival means that the artists have the opportunity to experiment and explore with different forms of theatre. Like the Hamilton Fringe Festival, artists that participate in Frost Bites are paid for their work. In this way, artists are able to hone their craft while still being supported by the community.
Frost Bites runs from Jan. 30 to Feb. 2 at the Hamilton Waterfront Trust (57 Discovery Drive). Adult tickets are $25 and grant you admission to as many shows as you can manage in one night. If that does not work with your budget, it is possible to see a 1-3 of the shows on Jan. 29 as part of the preview, for free. For more information or to pre-book, email info@hamiltonfringe.ca with “preview night RSVP” in the subject line.
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By: Lauren O'Donnell
‘A Two Piece’ consists of two separate and distinct dance pieces choreographed, respectively, by Georgi DiRocco and Jake Poloz. It is a part of the Hamilton Fringe Festival, and it runs until Sunday, July 28th. ‘A Two Piece’ is being put on at The Westdale Cinema, recently renovated and looking snazzier than ever.
As the audience filters into the theatre, the dancers are warming up. There are brief flashes of the performance that is to come, interspersed with stretches and laughter. With dance performances it can be easy to feel out of place and confused, but that was not the case with this show. Every movement spoke directly to the heart of summer romance, however fleeting. The performers channelled every emotion from lovesick, to happy, to heartbroken, to disinterested in every boy on every dating app. Truly, the most relatable content.
The stage remained bare except for a small bin of props. The focus remains permanently on the performers. They command the stage. There are brief moments of slam poetry interwoven within the choreography, connecting the movements to the words in another kind of duet. The poetry is good, but the true strength of the performance lies in the dance.
Each of the two pieces carries a different tone, as well as dramatically different music choices. In other words, if one of the pieces is not your other thing, the other one probably will be. Different as they may be, however, there is a cohesion and unity to the show that makes it feel whole and fulfilling.
I give this show a solid 2/2 pieces. When you’re compiling your list of Fringe plays to go see, make sure to add this one in. And then go ahead and add in every other Fringe show.
For more information, visit http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/a-two-piece/
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Photo courtesy of Animal Show
By: Lauren O'Donnell
Animal Show is playing as part of the Hamilton Fringe Festival, and is in the Staircase Theatre in the Bright Room. It runs until Sunday, July 28th.
Over the course of its 55 minutes showtime, Katie Hood’s one-woman play takes you through the daring rescues and harrowing tales of her time as an animal rescuer on the West coast. It is a roller coaster of emotions; by turns hilarious, gut-wrenching, and uplifting. I laughed so hard that I cried, and then I just plain old cried.
Hood breathes life into every character and every situation. We’re right there with her as she saves bald eagles, seagulls, and cats alike.* We are taken through several different rescues, interspersed with Hood’s stories and dialogues with others. Each character is memorable and interesting, with unique and funny personalities and quirks. It’s hard to say what is more compelling: the daring rescue of a bald eagle stranded at sea, or speed dating gone disastrously wrong.
This show is a masterclass in storytelling, chock full of memorable tails and delightfully funny jokes. Provided free of context, my favourite line from the show is: “Cat urine is like the British Empire; nothing is gonna stand in its way.”
You should see this show if you like laughing uproariously, hearing stories about animals, and questioning your existence.
10/10, would cackle maniacally again.
For more information, visit http://hamiltonfringe.ca/shows/animal-show/
*And, of course, she’s never held a cat before.
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Photo courtesy of HCA Teen Creative Collective
By: Lauren O'Donnell
“The voices of the youth should be heard.”
The Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts is a beautiful building chock full of art and history which is itself worth the price of admission. “HCA Teen Creation Collective: Connection” is playing there until Saturday, July 27th.
As we entered the space, we were told that the designer of the building was a very short man whose girlfriend left him for someone much taller, and as vengeance he created the space so that all tall people were forced to bang their heads. Regretfully, this turned out to be false. As we trekked up several flights of stairs we were regaled with further tales of how the building was initially meant to be a stair factory, but when it fell through they decided to shove as many stairs into the building as possible. This too turned out to be false, much to my disappointment.
As we got to the top of the stairs, we were treated to a series of sketches performed in alternating spaces. The scenes were funny, well written, and excellently performed. They were spaced out throughout the different time periods of the HCA, from music conservatory, to youth home, to derelict building, to the art conservatory that it is today. Through each scene you can truly tell how much the group cares about the building they are in. There are many jokes made about the number of stairs. Deprived of context, my favourite quote was, “cats are cool”.
Each of the time periods blends seamlessly together to form narratives of connection across different social groups, and even across different decades. Indeed, the strongest impression that I got from this play was an overwhelming sense of community. The show was created through devised theatre, which is a form of collaborative and organic creation. As a result, the show was and is shaped by the experiences of the performers, both as individuals and a group. It was truly a delight to see these young artists shaping and creating their own show for the Fringe Festival, and I look forward to seeing what they do next.
Rating: 5/5 Sta(i)rs.
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