>>PREVIEWS
CALGARY INTERNATIONAL CHILDREN’S FESTIVAL
Runs until May 27
Epcor Centre
"I really believe that children are exceptionally intuitive human beings," says Kate Newby, artistic director of the Calgary International Children’s Festival. "I find that they have a level of intelligence and a profound open viewpoint on life, and that’s why I think that theatres that are successful in producing children’s theatre are those types of companies that are highly imaginative, highly visual, don’t talk down to kids, but are so innovative in their approach that it really jumps off the stage."
Now in her second year as the festival’s artistic director after replacing Joann James, the festival’s founding producer, Newby is currently helming the festival’s 20th year, a five-day showcase including music, open-air performances, puppetry, multimedia and even an installation piece.
Newby’s own background lies in adult theatre, serving as an actor and director in both Calgary and Edmonton for the better part of two decades. In fact, she recalls her first experience with the festival in 1993 as one of initial snobbishness, melting quickly into admiration for the sincerity and skill that goes into children’s theatre.
"There’re a lot of companies that can produce precocious theatre for kids, and that to me is the watered-down type," she says. "Both adults and kids are able to experience an incredibly imaginative story and production. I don’t think theatre needs to be watered down for kids, I think we have a misconception of what children’s theatre is. Some of the best theatre I’ve seen has been for children."
This year’s festival, the first to have been programmed exclusively by Newby, features acts culled from around the word, including the Edinburgh Fringe and Quebec’s Cinars and Les Coups de theatre festivals. Notably, this year Newby has chosen to specifically target shows using multimedia, such as Tiny Ninja Theatre’s Hamlet, a straight production of the classic Shakespearean revenge tale staged by projecting plastic toy ninjas onto a large video screen.
"I find it fascinating how media is slowly encroaching in theatre, especially for young people, because young people are really tapped into videos, electronic games, and their media is such a strong component of their lives," she says. "So it’s interesting to bring in companies that focus on the multimedia and the electronic.
Mixing the traditional and the unconventional, other acts include Australian company Patch Theatre’s Sharon Keep Ya Hair On!, a mini-rock opera, which features live interviews with audience members, as well as hip hop music and multimedia elements – a combination that has sold out performances in the famous Sydney Opera House. Théâtre Bouche Décousues’s The Dressmaker takes 30 audience members into an installation-style piece by Ariane, a painter, who has created a canvas, which is rolled across the floor to show a uniquely Québécois examination of familial relationships. And for those looking for a sampling of the festival’s offerings, the Jigsaw Benefit Concert and Silent Auction features snippets from Patch Theatre (Australia); Underground Circus (Canada); Art Napoleon (Canada); Manding Jata (Mali); and Sam’s Rot’n Pan Band (Canada) – all hosted by musical comedian Al Simmons (Canada).
Featuring a total of 26 different artists and companies across six venues in the Epcor Centre, this year’s festival encompasses a broad vision for children’s entertainment, from the familiar to the beautifully foreign. But, while the festival’s mandate is producing undiluted theatre for children, Newby is also careful to point out that there may be something left over for their caretakers, too.
"I think one of my marks is that I’m really looking for theatre that hits children on one level, and adults on another level, so that everyone has something to take away from it," she says. "I think it’s important that children experience it in a strong, powerful way, but also that the adults can take something away as well." (JK)
TSURU
Théâtre en l’Air and Carbone 14
May 24-27
Martha Cohen Theatre
In a festival aiming to include a broad range of cultural offerings, both international and domestic, a co-production between Québécois theatre companies Théâtre en l’Air and Carbone 14, retelling a Japanese myth, seems especially apropos.
Adapting the legend that any human being who learns the crane dance will be able to obtain immortality, writer and director Anne-Marie Théroux (who passed away in 2004) created Tsuru, the story of two friends – Nao (Robert Drouin) and Ogi (Yves Simard) – and the burgeoning friendship between the dying Nao and a growing crane, Tsuru (Marie-Claude Labrecque, Isabelle Thivierge). Taking its name from the Japanese word for crane, Tsuru is a combination of dance, puppetry and shadow theatre that owes a deep debt to the Japanese theatrical esthetic.
"Every little detail is meant to be," says technical producer Chloé Besner. "There is nothing superfluous, and all the objects have one, two or three uses and meanings.
"The esthetic of the physical set is important, and they (creators Théroux, Drouin, Simard and Katia Gagné) have also included in the acting skills bunraku, the art of puppets in Japan, and kabuki, the art of comedy. They’re using all these skills and lines to sustain the theme that they want to explore, which is friendship and departure."
Since its 1999 premiere, Tsuru has been touring nearly continuously, receiving the 2001 Lauréat du Masques Award for Outstanding Production in the Theatre for Young Audience category. But while its unique mixture has proven to be successful, Besner notes that its Japanese and dramatic influences are more fusion than simple imitation.
"(Théroux, Drouin, Simard and Katia Gagné) have studied for many years and they know the Japanese tradition, but the main concern was not to imitate," she says. "Because it takes something off the art, to reproduce it and assimilate it through your own line." (JK)
PLANET BAOBAB
L’Arsenal à Musique
May 23 and 24
Big Secret Theatre (Epcor Centre)
What do you do if a stranger asks you to draw a sheep? What else – you draw the man a sheep. So begins the multi-dimensional musical Planet Baobab, based on the French aviator Antoine de Saint-Exupéry's famous children’s novel, The Little Prince. Planet Baobab weaves orchestral, electro-acoustic, multimedia and spoken narration to create the Prince’s world.
"A beautiful story," says L’Arsenal a Musique artistic director Lorena Carradi. "A little book – 100 pages, but so full of philosophy and friendship."
Carradi remembers fondly reading the book, which would later inspire her and fellow artistic director Reggi Ettore to create the musical, to her children.
"We decided, as we are musicians, to tell the story through music and multimedia," she says. "Music touches everybody – children and adults."
However, wanting to make something a musical and actually getting there are two very different things.
"It was not easy in the beginning because the text was so powerful," Carradi admits. "The music tells the story in a different way."
Adding another element to the mix, Planet Baobab is presented to audiences in both French and English. Originally written in French, Carradi says it was difficult to translate because the finished story felt like a new one, but also as musicians, the sound and flow changed when performed in the new language.
"It becomes a different story because the sound is not the same. The flavour is different in French and English," she says.
The goal, says Carradi, was not to tell the whole story with words, but rather with music. "The interesting thing with the music is you don’t need words."
Although appealing to adults as well, Carradi admits children’s audiences tend to appreciate the presentations of L’Arsenal a Musique more than adults.
"With children the reaction is so true, so strong," she says. "For me, they’re the best republic in the world. They are so open-minded. The others less." (PM)
HAMLET
Tiny Ninja Theatre
May 23-26
Big Secret Theatre
The question, to my mind, is not, "Why would you want to perform Hamlet with tiny ninja action figures?" A better question is, "Why wouldn’t you?"
New York’s Dov Weinstein and his Tiny Ninja Theatre have had the great good sense to get there first. Since forming the company in 1999, Weinstein and his "smallest cast ever assembled" have performed shows including Romeo and Juliet, Macbeth and Shakespeare’s sonnets, garnering raves from such distinctly non-tiny bodies as the Village Voice and The Guardian.
Weinstein, who first studied puppetry with Calgary’s Green Fools Theatre, noticed the ninjas in 25-cent vending machines in New York. "I just thought they were so great," he says. "I started getting these guys, and I thought, nobody is using these guys to do classical theatre, and that’s such a waste! I decided to fill the void." Weinstein’s cheeky humour is part of what’s earned such praise from the critics, but it’s also been noted that he’s an articulate, expressive performer of Shakespeare’s texts.
The company, which debuted at the New York Fringe Festival, has only recently begun performing for children’s festivals. "It’s Shakespeare," says Weinstein, "so the language is difficult for kids. The fact of the matter is, the language is difficult for adults, as well. Not every subtlety is being captured, perhaps, but there are a lot of visual elements they respond to well."
Of course, kids are perfectly poised to click with Weinstein’s unique cast. "Children are a lot better at remembering who’s who," Weinstein points out. "You show an adult a bunch of tiny ninjas, and they’re like, ‘Uh, they all look the same.’ But kids are much better attuned to the individual differences."
Hamlet is the first Tiny Ninja production to use video. Weinstein will use two hand-held "security spy cameras" which he’ll move around with him onstage. Some of the scenes are shot from Hamlet’s point of view, adding a unique perspective to the proceedings.
And the show will be short enough, at 50 minutes, to hold any audience’s attention. But, though it’s obviously an extremely condensed version of the play, it also claims to be "fiercely loyal."
Weinstein worked from what is known as the Q1 version of Hamlet, often referred to as "The Bad Quarto." "The good thing about the Bad Quarto," he says, "is that it’s much, much shorter than the other versions of Hamlet we have. So I was able to take the structure of Q1 – the order of the scenes is different, and it makes for a much faster play, gets the action going much quicker – and then put back the language that we’re used to from the other versions, which is much better." (One popular theory is that Q1 was a reconstruction by an actor in Shakespeare’s company). By all accounts, Weinstein’s hybrid adaptation will bring us the best of both Hamlets. "All the things you remember are there," he assures. (ML)
STUMBLE ON TO
DeDalos Theatre
May 24-27
Engineered Air Theatre (Epcor Centre)
Like many in children’s theatre, puppeteer Elit Veber came to the discipline by way of the adult world.
A graduate of Jerusalem’s School of Visual Theatre, specializing in scenography, puppetry and storytelling, her first three shows after graduation were made for adults. It was only when the artistic director of another festival approached her to do a children’s puppet show that she began to envision Stumble On To.
"At first I had the visual idea of the set," says Veber. "No story yet, just what kind of set I wanted – something that would have lots of places to work and it will move in different ways and it will have many surprises in between, and things would be like magic. And after that I thought, ‘What kind of stories can happen in this kind of visual possibilities?’"
The result was an examination of human invention throughout history, focusing first on the discovery of fire, then on the magnifying glass and finally on the hot air balloon, all expressed virtually without words.
Along with fellow puppeteers Avital Dvory and Sharon Mayevsky, Veber formed Daedalus – appropriately named after the mythical inventor who was the first man to fly (and the father of Icarus). Over the last three or four years, the company has been touring the production around the world, aided in no small part by the production’s compact set and its lack of language. For Veber, the lack of dialogue is more than a simple convenience, however – it is a powerful use of the inherent function of puppets as animated metaphors for the humans they mimic.
"Puppets are not good in talking, so let’s not give them too many words," she says.
Of the ability of puppets to become metaphors for the human condition, she adds, "It’s amazing, it’s such magic, such a beautiful thing. A puppet can do things a human being cannot do, like fly. A puppet can explode out of anger. An actor cannot do it."
In fact, perhaps the only limitation Veber has encountered has been in the expectations of her audiences. As an Israeli theatre company, Daedalus is often asked why their work is apolitical, a question that may seem more oriented to an adult performance than one intended for children. And yet, for Veber, the answer is simply that, inasmuch as children across the world can respond to the image of a hot air balloon rising, there is value in a children’s show that expresses something farther reaching than the adult world of regional conflict.
"In this show, since we (the puppeteers) are visible, we are the strong powers, and do we want to help or not, can we help or not," she says. "Eventually we do help when this little puppet sits on his sofa and flying in a helium balloon, it almost makes you cry, because he doesn’t really fly. I hold him and make him fly, but he flies. And I think it’s touching." (JK)
THE DRESSMAKER
Théâtre Bouche Décousues
May 23-27
Downstairs Hall
Recently celebrating its 200th performance, The Dressmaker will be making its debut in Alberta. Fusing storytelling with visual arts, silhouettes and puppetry, The Dressmaker takes the audience on a journey into a child’s-eye view of a grandmother’s world.
"We wanted to make a fusion of theatre and visual arts," says artist and performer Sylvie Gosselin. "It’s a very particular project. It is not traditional theatre."
Set in a large room, the audience is led by the main character named Ariane (Gosselin), through five different stations. At each location, the audience is told or shown another piece of the story of the grandmother’s life.
"(It’s) a special adventure," she says. "It’s a good atmosphere to touch the hearts of people."
An intimate show, Gosselin, with fellow actress Sonia Cloutier (who plays the grandmother), leads the audience through a world of creation. Playing with the idea that creation can only come from absence, the play repeatedly comes back to the symbolism of a blank canvas or a roll of fabric.
"With nothing you have to create a world, she says. "With nothing? What can we do about nothing? You can do 100 things."
Inspired from memories of Dube’s and Gosselin’s own strong female ancestors, the play evolved from the struggles and talents of these women and others like them. "The idea of a dressmaker appeared when we talked about my mother," says Gosselin.
Originally written and performed in French, taking this project to English speaking audiences was a bit of a challenge.
"We work very hard to learn all the text in English," says Gosselin. "We gave nine shows in Montreal in English. It worked well."
While some words were difficult to translate, the feeling and message of the play remained intact, says Gosselin.
"I think when grandparents and parents come to see The Dressmaker they leave with the desire to do something for their granddaughters, for their grandparents. To share with them," she says. "It’s universal, I think." (PM)
THE SPIRIT OF HARRIET TUBMAN
By Leslie McCurdy
May 23-25
Engineered Air Theatre
When Leslie McCurdy began writing her one-woman show The Spirit of Harriet Tubman, it was "just because I wanted something so I could go and work," she says.
But, as she wrote and began performing the piece, she realized she had much more on her hands.
McCurdy’s play tells the story of Harriet Tubman, a determined woman who was once a slave, but found the strength to free herself and many others during the span of her life. McCurdy says that during the writing process, Tubman’s spirit seemed to be with her, helping her find the words to tell the story.
A distant descendant herself of an Underground Railroad conductor, McCurdy says Tubman’s story is special, due to the fact that Tubman never stopped caring about or helping people find freedom in one way or another. Well into her 90s, Tubman worked relentlessly to bring about social change, even in the face of her own hardships.
"She lived until 93. She was probably older than a lot of the people she was trying to take care of," says McCurdy.
Although a finalist for the prestigious Chalmers Award, McCurdy admits she never knows how people are going to respond to the play.
"Some people tell me they cry," she says. "It’s hard for me to say, because I’ve never seen it."
McCurdy adds that many of the subtleties within the play will appeal to the adults, while the children will grasp onto the visuals.
"I’ll point to something off in the distance and the children will look attentively, until they say, ‘Hey, wait a minute – we’re in a gym,’" she laughs.
Although Harriet Tubman died in 1913, McCurdy believes her spirit lives on in the ideas she has left behind.
"She helped to bring about courage," she says. "Freedom is ultimately being in charge of your own life and your own destiny. The only place you can’t be enslaved is in your mind." (PM) |
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