| The made-in-Calgary comedy troupe Tiny Tuna Theatre did not play this city on its first tour. Troupe member Jennifer Kelly explains: "We went to different fringe festivals and, unfortunately, Calgary really doesn’t have one." Oops, sorry ladies.
But now, a few years later, Tiny Tuna’s Jennifer Kelly, Lindsey Hodgson, Sandi Armstrong and Jackie Fries have racked up some hometown gigs, including a recent three-night stint at the Birds and Stone venue.
The sketch-comedy performers may play more local shows in August or September, but for the majority of the summer they will be on the road with their Faux Real show.
"We’re hoping to get our names out there through a variety of different gigs," says Kelly. "Whether it’s private functions, theatres, bars – wherever people want to see Tiny Tuna, that’s where we’ll perform.
With such items as a spoof of The Shining featuring the demonic voice of Tony (Who’s the Boss?) Danza, the troupe goes all over the place with its material and knows the value of tweaking things for the audience of the day. "The Faux Real show is really about bringing ourselves to the audience and sharing live interaction with the people in the room," says Kelly. "So of course it’s going to adapt to where we are, who shows up and how everyone is feeling."
The ladies of Tina Tuna welcome the idea of evolving the group to incorporate new members, male or female. A casting call may become necessary as current member and veteran Loose Moose improviser Sandi Armstrong heads off to Montreal at the end of the summer.
Tiny Tuna performer Lindsey Hodgson sees the bright side in Armstrong’s departure. "We have great hope for the group’s future and, with Sandi moving away, I think it’s just going to help us network out there," she says.
While the women of Tiny Tuna have no idea what lies ahead for them, an optimistic ‘‘we’ll do what’s necessary to get there" attitude bodes well for them on their upstream swim for success. |
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