>>PREVIEW
ANIMA-GALA
March 25
Auburn Saloon
On an average night, the Auburn Saloon absorbs most of the spillover from the theatre district, pulling martini-sipping theatre patrons and, later, the actors themselves. On March 25, it will play host to The Calgary Animated Object Society’s Anima-Gala, a fundraiser for the upcoming third year of the biennial International Festival of Animated Objects.
Evoking what organizer Mooky Cornish hopes will be a gypsy carnival atmosphere, the event will see patrons throwing darts, fishing in the fishpond and making sock puppets for puppet karaoke at a puppet theatre donated by former muppeteer Frank Meshcalit. Local artists like Cornish and Cory Mac, the night’s MC, will perform alongside the burlesque group Empire Follies, which will take to the Auburn stage to do what burlesque shows do to keep audiences enthralled until midnight.
After last year’s successful festival, which attracted puppeteers from as far away as the Czech Republic alongside local favourites like The Green Fools, the need to raise funds and awareness for the festival’s next incarnation is more important than ever.
"The response from puppeteers around the world is through the roof right now," says Cornish, adding that the society curator gets e-mails from puppeteers around the world who want to come to Calgary. "And that’s a pretty big accomplishment.
"We’ve got some really great people lined up in England and other places that are just waiting to see if we can afford to bring them, and God I hope the answer is yes," she adds.
But despite the international attention the festival has received, the Anima-Gala is not just an attempt to keep the loonies and toonies flowing toward the games. The fickle attention of Calgary audiences is a hard thing to secure for a festival that, while original, comes only once every two years.
"Definitely biennial has its challenges that way, because it doesn’t stay fresh in your mind. You have to really remind people about that festival," says Cornish. "And when they are reminded they say, ‘Oh, that was great. When are you going to do it again?’"
Of course, Cornish hasn’t lost sight of the value of dropping a few coins in the tip jar, either. For the festival to survive, CAOS needs every dollar it can get, and for Calgary audiences already flocking to the Auburn, a few dollars spent on the festival seems as natural as a drink after the show.
"It’s all to give back," promises Cornish. "It’s not so that we can have a honeymoon in Vegas." |
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