Beer and reading don’t always go well together, but Cold Read makes an evening of it at the Auburn.

DETAILS

Cold Read Calgary
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
Auburn Saloon
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If you’ve been by the Auburn Saloon — the theatre crowd’s favourite watering hole — any of the past three Wednesdays, something might have seemed a bit out of sorts.

On the night I visit, rather than the usual buzz and chatter spilling from its doors, the Auburn is quiet. (Yet, there are about 40 people inside.) So quiet, in fact, that people turn to me and stare as I open the door.

It is quiet, save for a few actors sitting on straight-backed chairs at one end of the saloon, reading aloud. Other people, sitting in small groups around tables, watch and listen while sipping beer and wine.

It’s called Cold Read Calgary, taking over the Auburn from 6:30 until 9 p.m. every Wednesday evening until the end of August (except for Stampede week).

“There’s a fantastic, vibrant theatre community here. The other thing is, Calgary has a fantastic and vibrant independent film community. I thought: ‘We should get them together so they can meet and cross-pollinate ideas,’” says the driving force behind Cold Read Calgary, Patrick Creery.

“It’s an opportunity to get a bunch of creative minds together in a fun environment, read some works in progress and then have an opportunity to have a couple of beers,” Creery adds enthusiastically.

Creery modelled Cold Read Calgary after a similar event in Vancouver he attended while living and working as an actor there.

“When I was in Vancouver, it was a big part of my professional development. I went every week and met actors whom I aspired to be. It was great to connect with those people, be in the room with those people, and learn from those people,” he says.

There are some faces in the bar I recognize from the theatre community, including local favourite David LeReaney and Shadow Productions’ Kathryn Kerbes.

“We’re getting the support of senior community members who think it’s a great idea,” Creery adds.

This is how it works: Writers submit excerpts from films, plays or television series they are working on to Creery and the other people behind Cold Read Calgary. A panel reviews the submissions and generally selects four scripts to be read each Wednesday.

Actors drop by Wednesday evening, identify themselves to the casting table and they’re assigned roles to read from that evening’s selection of scripts. About an hour later, they’ll be up front, reading, with very little preparation (Hence the name: “Cold Read.”)

During my visit, the scripts are mostly comedies. There is one about psychics taking over an oil company, another about an “accidental anti-Christ” and another in which a guy explains to his wife why he needed to hire a hitman.

For the most part, the scripts are a hit judging by the frequent laughter punctuating the air. However, the evening is not just for writers to hear how their works actually sound when read aloud or for actors to give their “acting chops” a workout.

“It’s really about networking. We want to create a bit of a cultural hub for creative professionals in film, television and theatre. We’re hoping to be a bit of an incubator to create new work and help grow the industry,” explains Creery, who also runs his own production company, Red Frog Entertainment.

“I think a really healthy, strong industry is based on the work created by the people in the industry. I want to try and promote that creation of work in Alberta, by Albertans,” he adds.

Each week, an experienced member of the film, television or theatre communities will be present to “host” the evening’s proceedings.

So far, Heartland series writer Mark Haroun, CityTV personality Jill Belland and director Grant Harvey have been hosts.

“We want to get people who are known in the industry. That creates the opportunity to say there are creative professionals who work and live in Calgary,” says Creery.

This might sound like an event for industry insiders only, but Creery is quick to point out that is not the case. When asked if spectators are welcome, he answers with an enthusiastic, “absolutely.”

“As an audience member, you’ve got the opportunity to see, potentially, a TV series before it hits the airwaves. It’s a great opportunity to see the creation of work,” he says.

Or, you could just look at it as an evening of economical entertainment — the suggested admission is a $5 donation. Besides, the theatre scene is fairly quiet over the summer, so Cold Read Calgary is a way to get your live entertainment fix. And hell, it’s a good excuse to go out for a drink and show some support for the local artistic community while you’re at it.