FFWD Weekly
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Theatre by Lori Montgomery Burn This swingdog Pleiades Theatre (Calgary Science Centre) Tues.—Sat. July 25—Aug. 5 When the principals behind the new theatre company swingdog say that they’re about to mount their inaugural production, they really just mean their first show in Calgary. Composed of a couple of good East Coast boys and a token Calgarian, the company had its roots in Fredericton, and for reasons too numerous to mention, swingdog has recently relocated and moved up in the world. "The company originated on the East Coast, with amateur productions and things like that," says artistic director Matthew Kennedy. "We came out here and decided to take things from the Fringe world into a more professional vein." Kennedy and designer Frank Gallant met and collaborated while doing summer stock in Antigonish. Kennedy later uprooted himself and relocated to Calgary, winning roles with Theatre Junction and Pleiades Theatre, where he appeared in the hit Shear Madness. The local scene inspired him to stay. "Arts-wise, it’s such an interesting town to be in," he says, "because we live in an oil town. The arts scene is remarkably strong because it’s swimming against all that oil...." Kennedy was a fan of Burn This, a 1987 Broadway play by Pulitzer Prize-winner Lanford Wilson, and hoped to lure Gallant out west to design the show that Kennedy would direct. "As the gods of theatre smiled on us, a job opportunity became available at the Pleiades Theatre itself," Kennedy recalls, "and Frank came here and became their assistant technical director. The reality came from that. It was the fates putting things together." The two hooked up with Calgarian Noah Umholtz, who would become the new company’s general manager, and their fledgling company found a mentor in Pleiades artistic director John-Paul Fischbach. "He’s sort of taken us under his wing, to show us the ropes, and show us what it’s like to run a grown-up theatre," Kennedy laughs. Fischbach became even more directly involved when an actor set to play one of the leads was forced to pull out of the equity co-op. "I racked my brain for a couple of sleepless nights, trying to figure out what exactly to do," Kennedy explains, "when John-Paul came up with the idea of coming on as co-director if I would be in it, and that seemed to be the only viable solution that made me feel good with the state of the universe." So the director found himself on stage as well, playing the character that is the catalyst for the action of Wilson’s story. As three people mourn the death of a good friend, the late-lamented’s older brother (Kennedy) comes on the scene to make things even more difficult. Kennedy says that it is Wilson’s gift for characterization that drew him to the play. "His characters are layered... and they live in this world of honesty," he says. "These people are trying to make their way in the world. They’re dealing with love and art and loss and death and fear. Fear of success, of failure, of love. The characters in this piece are so immediately identifiable with each and every one of us."

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