The Penelopiad: Acknowledging What has Always Spoken

Megan Follows and cast in The Penelopiad. Photo Credit: Robert Popkin

Breaking the silence of Penelope is not the only purpose of Margaret Atwood’s play The Penelopiad. Although the play follows Penelope’s account of her own life with and without Odysseus, Margaret Atwood reaches for something deeper, illuminating that what has always been interpreted as silence has always spoken. However, to communicate requires a listener, a listener that honours the language of the one who speaks to communicate. Silence is an auditory experience, it can be experienced as the choice to render the speaker superfluous. The one who is silent is ostracised from the sphere of language exchange.  It is this interpretation of silence that has formed a malignant corset around the representation of women in Greek mythology, and, of course, beyond.

It is made clear with this re-imagining of Penelope’s life that Penelope, Odysseus’ silently portrayed wife in the ‘canonical’ text The Odyssey, has left a trail of painful wails, discussions, and loving exchanges between Penelope and her contemporaries. Many of these women were left nameless as anonymous rape victims or trivialized competitive observers. This play cleverly throws the light on the women interwoven with Penelope’s life. Her voice flowers into being as we, the audience, have the opportunity to allow these voices to communicate for themselves. This is why it is very exciting that Nightwood Theatre has taken on this challenging piece.

Nightwood’s production is an honest, delicate, and imaginative portrayal of Penelope’s story. I quite enjoyed the art direction and vision for a whimsically mutable set which  suited the ‘interrupting of linear time’ character of the play itself. It aptly demonstrated in what way we were outside time, existing in between Penelope’s frozen poses where she could not speak, or inside the haunting voices of her female peers. All of the elements of the production were excellent from the set design to the evanescent movement of the cast.

The women of the play worked very nicely together as an ensemble. I was delighted to experience such diversity in quality and age. It was striking to me that it was ‘rare’ to see such diversity of women on a stage. This production definitely caused me to ask why this is the case. A question in my opinion that can never be over-used.

I strongly recommend this show. If not for the story but for the original way it conjures provocative emotions and thoughts. The Penelopiad runs until the 29th of January at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. I urge you to see it– be a part of completing the communication that was (and is still for many) violently ignored. 

(Left to right) Tara Rosling, Cara Gee, Monica Dottor, Pamela Sinha, Sophia Walker, Christine Brubaker, Raven Dauda, Kelli Fox, Bahia Watson and Megan Follows in The Penelopiad. Photo Credit: Robert Popkin.

 

Story by:

Hannah Rittner

2012 MUSICAL WORKS CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS

2012 MUSICAL WORKS IN CONCERT CALL FOR SUBMISSIONS Musical Works in Concert is now accepting submissions for it’s third year. Musical Works in Concert is an initiative founded in 2010 to provide a forum for Canadian writers and composers to help develop and present original music theatre. We strive to give voice to both emerging and emerged artists that work with both traditional and non-traditional forms of music theatre, creating interesting and exciting ways of telling their, and our, stories. Part of the Music Series, Musical Works in Concert will be going into its 3rd season in 2012. To date, Musical Works has presented six original Canadian musical works: Romeo Candido and Carmen DeJesus’ Prison Dancer, Logan Medland’s Joni Loves Mitchell, Bram Gielen’s Biggish Kids, Tom Bellman and Barbara Nichol’s The Sparrow Songs, Sam Sholdice’s Program, and Paul Sportelli and Jay Turvey’s Oracle. The focus of these evenings is to showcase new pieces by artists working with musical theatre models. The series offers artists a space to have their work presented in a stripped-down concert format for one night only in front of an audience. This year, the performances will take place on Sunday, August 12th and Monday, August 13th. Applications are available at summerworks.ca/2011/festival-musicworks.php, and must be postmarked no later than March 1st, 2012. For more information about the program and to apply, please visit summerworks.ca.or emailmusic.theatre@summerworks.ca summerworks.ca

WELCOMING OUR NEW GENERAL MANAGER

SUMMERWORKS THEATRE FESTIVAL APPOINTS NEW GENERAL MANAGER –

LUCY EVELEIGH

January 12, 2011 – The SummerWorks Festival is pleased to welcome Lucy Eveleigh as their new General Manager.

 

Originally from England, Eveleigh first moved to Toronto in 2001 where she was an actor and improve performer and worked at the Canadian Stage and TAPA (then Toronto Theatre Alliance).

 

“We are very pleased to welcome Lucy to SummerWorks, who brings a wealth of experience and an exciting new and ambitious energy to the Festival,” says Michael Rubenfeld, Artistic Producer of SummerWorks Theatre Festival.

 

Eveleigh brings a diverse range of knowledge to the role having worked at Just for Laughs in Montreal where she created and directed a new festival for them, entitled Zoofest. In addition to her work at Pleasance Theatre in London and Edinburgh, Eveleigh recently worked as Director of Marketing and Outreach at Necessary Angel Theatre Company.

 

“I have been a fan of SummerWorks since I moved here ten years ago,” says Eveleigh, adding, “I’m thrilled to work for a festival that brings so much to Canada. It’s going to be a wonderful challenge and one I am very much looking forward to.”

 

About SummerWorks

The SummerWorks Theatre Festival is the largest juried festival in Canada, featuring plays and artists from across Canada.  Since its inception twenty years ago, SummerWorks has been dedicated to offering artists an avenue to display their work.  Under the leadership of Michael Rubenfeld, the Festival’s Artistic Producer, SummerWorks has expanded to include a Music Series, a Performance Bar, Musical Works in Concert, and the S.L.I.P. (SummerWorks Leadership Intensive Program). It has received enthusiastic national acclaim.

 

The 2012 SummerWorks Theatre Festival will take place from August 9^th-19th.

For more information please go to www.summerworks.ca

The Many Translations of Red: A Write up on Canadian Stage’s Vibrant Success

Shakespeare asked: What’s in a name?. Rothko asked: What’s in a colour? Canadian Stage’s production of Red existed within this question, demanding the audience experience the many possibilities of red itself.

Red just finished its successful run at the Bluma Appel Theatre. This play focused on Mark Rothko and his assistant  as Rothko confronts the consequences of taking on his largest commission yet.

Jim Mezon threw himself into the life of the play, his performance permeated Rothko’s deeply poetic and tragic essence. David Coomber  energetically portrayed the development of his character from a naive wide-eyed admirer of Rothko to Rothko’s most honest commentator.

Moreover the play was a gorgeous technical feat. Kim Collier, the director, aptly presented to us the opening and closing of Rothko’s memories that  linked to form a momentous disclosure. This can only be done with a brilliant and intensely researched mind, this person is John Logan, the writer of this play.

Canadian Stage has also taken a very innovative marketing route with this piece, which is why I have chosen to include a short interview with the team on our website. How does a marketing team artistically reflect the burning unrest of Rothko’s story? Moreover, what have they learned from their own discipline? Can it compliment the spontaneous space of the theatre? To see for yourself check out the site here: http://www.experiencered.ca/.

Without further ado I give you this piece.

Jim Mezon in The Mark Rothko Experience at www.ExperienceRed.ca 

AN INTERVIEW WITH THE RED MARKETING TEAM

Discuss the role of spontaneity in the website.

We wanted to create an experience that is non-linear so that different people can have different experiences. And, so that you can explore it multiple times, each time finding a slightly different path to the end of the story. This allows for longer engagement times and lets us immerse people in the world that we’re drawing them into.

 How do you think this marketing technique affects the viewer differently from a traditional website?

Our site gives you a one-on-one first-person experience – it’s intimate, and it offers a deeper lever of engagement than a traditional website. In fact, it makes it more powerful than the passive nature of most websites. This kind of an approach may not affect as many people as a traditional site.  But for those people it touches, it affects them deeply and turns them into evangelists who will pass on their passion to others.

Briefly discuss why the internet is an exciting space to market theatre, and why specifically for Red?

Advertising on the Internet offers the opportunity to target the exact people we want to reach with much less waste than other media.You can create something that can be pushed into online communities where the target market lives (like blogs, Facebook, and Twitter). On top of that, the web allows you to create a much richer and more intense experience than the usual print ad or TV spot.

What do you want the viewer of the site to thirst for by the end of their experience?

They should want to see the show! And we want them to be excited enough to tell other people that they should see the show, too. In a more subtle way, we want to shift people’s thinking about Canadian Stage to shake-off the perception that theatre can be stuffy.

How long did it take to construct the site?

From concept to launch about 2 months. But the actual construction of the site was about 4 weeks including the video content shoot, editing and post-production, and coding.

What has been the most rewarding aspect of creating such an innovative way of marketing Red?

It’s rewarding to see people have a genuine and visceral reaction to the online experience, and get excited about the play because of the site.

Once again Canadian Stage proves itself to be focused on innovating the space of storytelling, enriching our expectations of the cyber world so that we can see it as a space that fosters magic and the exchange of story giving and imagining. 

 I hope you have a wonderful Sunday afternoon (and beyond).

 

Sincerely,

Hannah Rittner

Plenty of News.

SummerWorks 2012 Applications are NOW ONLINE !!!!     Please visit our website for more information. The deadline for National Series Applications is January 3, 2012. The deadline for Local Series Applications is February 1, 2012. SummerWorks is on the hunt for a Director of Development! The SummerWorks Theatre Festival began in 1991 as a venue for the producers to produce their work as an alternative to the Fringe Festival. SummerWorks proved quite successful in its first year, and has since grown to become the largest juried theatre festival in Canada. It produces over 40 plays, the majority of them by local theatre artists, and a portion from across Canada. The participants in the Festival range from some of our country’s top theatre artists, to some who are producing for the very first time. The only constant remains the Festival’s commitment to quality. Last year, the Festival attracted over 12,000 patrons to the theatre, and nearly 7,000 to its Music Series. The SummerWorks Theatre Festival is looking for a Director of Development. This person is a keen and hardworking individual who is passionate about the arts. This person has a strong grasp on fundraising vernacular while understanding the needs of an independent arts organization. A self-starter and highly motivated individual, the Director of Development will be working closely with the General Manager and Artistic Producer in securing long-term, sustainable funding for SummerWorks. Duties Include: Seeks out corporate and private sponsorships for the Festival Secures and establishes relationships with new donors and funding bodies Cultivates relationships with existing donors Issues tax receipts and thank you letters Ensures proper recognition for funders In conjunction with the General Manager and Artistic Producer, coordinates the annual fundraising event and Donor Appreciation Event Requirements: 2+ years of experience in a similar position Strong verbal and written communication skills Experience in funding requests in the private and public sectors Strong planning and organizational skills This position is part time. Please send your cover letter and resume by JANUARY 3, 2012 to Michael Rubenfeld, Artistic Producer, at applications@summerworks.ca SummerWorks is now accepting applications for the Theatre Creators’ Reserve SummerWorks has been chosen as a recommender for funding by the Ontario Arts Council under its Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program. As part of this program, individual professional artists and collectives can apply for funding directly to SummerWorks using an official OAC application. The program will support creators in the creation and development of new work. Deadline for applications is January 15, 2012 To see the list of other recommender organizations, OAC program guidelines and the OAC application form please follow this link: http://www.arts.on.ca/Page86.aspx Criteria and Procedure: Artistic Criteria Artists in the early stages of their career. Artists interested in exploring untraditional and unique forms of theatrical investigation. Auteur-style artists, interested in risk and virtuosity. Socially relevant work. Applications to the SummerWorks program must include the following 1-page proposal describing the project. Artist biography or Resume of key Artists. A sample of the work (this can be text, music, video, etc) Support Material (of applicant’s choice) 3 signed copies of the OAC application form – click here to download the application form Procedure The Artistic Producer, Michael Rubenfeld; and the Artistic Intern, Hannah Rittner, will shortlist the applicants. A decision regarding selection of artists and allocation of funds will be made. Artists may be contacted for more information and possibly a meeting regarding the project. Submissions must be mailed to: SummerWorks Theatre Festival P.O. Box 12, Station C Toronto, Ontario CANADA M6J 3M7 Attn: Hannah Rittner summerworks.ca

An Interview with Hannah Moscovitch

Lights fall on the stage and sever the encompassing darkness in Tarragon Theatre’s Main space. Hannah Moscovitch’s play The Children’s Republic begins telling the story of Dr. Janusz Korczak, a man that runs an orphanage during the rize of Nazi power in Poland and how he is rattled by his connection with a boy named Israel.

In this play Hannah creates a cinematic effect, with quick lucid and punchy scenes. This is no small feat for such material. Questions of justice permeate the play: she does not define a perpetrator or a victim in this work. Overall the production was excellent and incredibly effective. All of the performers were striking and original. It runs until the 18^th of December. There is still time to see it!

Before I saw this play Hannah generously offered some of her time to speak with me.  There was a black coffee on my side, and what looked like a latté (I should have asked) with a fruit cup on her’s. It took only minutes for me to realize that this darkly humorous woman possesses a genuine and wholly original spirit.

Hannah Moscovitch is an audience’s writer. She believes in the conversation of the theatre. This is why I am honored to have our conversation become a part of our blog so that we can all engage in her widely expanding dialogue with us.

Photograph by: Cylla von Tiedemann. Amy Rutherford, Peter Hutt, Mark Correia, Katie Frances Cohen, Elliot Larson, Emma Burke-Kleinman

AN INTERVIEW WITH HANNAH MOSCOVITCH

You’ve had many interviews. What kinds of questions do you wish people would ask you?

Nobody really asks me personal questions, but I did recently have this one interview with the Chronicle Herald where I answered the journalist’s questions about my personal life. Also some people don’t ask me about the big over arching questions. I don’t know if I have good answers, but for example questions that ask me how I believe I am evolving as an artist, or how my plays relate to one another. I never get asked those kinds of questions. People tend to not ask me questions from a literary stand point.

So what is going on with your process right now?

I have eleven plays in the process of being written right now. I was originally relieved to get it down to eight and then I got it up to eleven again. I have all these plays in development now so I am really aware of what my future looks like, which is a really strange and wonderful place to be in. It’s like having a really big secret; I know what all my plays are going to be and nobody else really knows that.

With my plays I have been excited about interiority and clawing myself towards an audience. Recently I have enjoyed playing with characters that address the audience. I also have plays that I am developing that are very meta-theatrical. I’m also working on a play that is a series of interviews. I’m doing a lot of things with form now which is why I am really looking forward to seeing how audiences respond to them when they finally go up.

Discuss how SummerWorks was involved in establishing your career.

Well I don’t want to be histrionic but it’s been everything. I don’t know if I would have invented myself as a playwright at all had it not been for SummerWorks. I don’t know how I would have done it.

What are your favourite books?

I love Marguerite Duras’ The Lover, George Elliot’s Middle March, Jane Eyre, I also love Ernest Hemmingway.

If someone were to catch you reading in the next twenty four hours who would you be reading?

Herzog.

Who are your favourite artists?

I love Toulouse Lautrec, Salvador Dali, and Francis Bacon.

Briefly describe a piece of theatre you saw recently that resonated with you.

The piece I saw that really blew my mind last year was Our Class. It did exactly what good art should do, it surprises and confounds your ideas about the art form. I also really loved a recent production of Blasted. I am really excited by Sarah Kane’s work.

How was the process of The Children’s Republic distinct from others?

The Children’s Republic was a commission with Great Canadian Theatre Company in Ottawa. It is a different kind of project because the company asked me to think of a particular person and story. I was doing something a little more complicated; I had to channel the visions of both ends of the commission.  I wanted to create something that honoured my creative voice and the expectations of the commission. I had to approach it differently than the way I normally approach my writing.  With The Children’s Republic I had the opportunity to work with realism  and I had the opportunity  to experiment with a larger cast than what I am used to.

A lot of actors speak of nerves pre-show and adrenaline post opening performance—When does that happen for you?

Oh I don’t know it’s pretty hard. Watching your play for the first time is like watching a train wreck or a car crash.

What reactions do you love witnessing while sitting in the audience of one of your plays?

Sometimes I really enjoy being in an audience. I think many of my plays are shocking. I can be a bit mean with the audience. I am beginning to realize that there is meanness in me working through my plays. It’s like punching them in the head and they get shocked, and you think yes, I’ve got you, and you drag them in. So I really enjoy the moment when the audience goes wow is she really going to do that? I enjoy witnessing this moment for the audience, moments in my plays that shock them and draw them in.

Have you harnessed a structural habit around writing plays or is every play written differently?

I spend a lot of time thinking about how I get into plays. I start every play differently, although I do start with research a lot of the time.

What do you love most about writing plays?

Communicating with the audience and getting them to react. I am in it for the adrenaline rush when I see my plays communicate with an audience.

Do you ever think about characters you want to play rather than characters you want to write?

No.

Where were you ten years ago around now?

I was twenty-three. I just moved to Toronto. I just came back from Ottawa after doing a haunted hike that I made up for myself. I then moved in with this dancer and designer and I had just enrolled into classes at U of T. November about ten years ago was really important because I just got hired at Teatro on College as a waitress, I waitressed there for five years. I was totally confused and terrified, but it was the beginning of my life here.

What dreams or little hopes do you have for yourself?

I’m excited to try other mediums, like film, and of course do theatre too.

What title or description written about you do you hope to have?

The Order of Canada.

I don’t think Hannah Moscovitch’s dreams are inaccessible. Evidently this rising artist flourishes under the highest standards, standards that she creates for herself. This gives her the mark of an authentically fine talent. 

Once again I sign off as your humble storyteller.

Warmly,

Hannah Rittner

Summer Daily

It all begins with a gesture. Then a platform.

At least for the Austria based company The Zeremony. This group of artists focuses on the gestures that are made possible by the train platform. They do so by having actors focus on the most popularly dreamed about situations. They’ve distilled them into genres and intentions. Some actors are specialists in saying goodbye others are specialists in saying hello.

Every participant in this flash of theatricality chooses which reaction and genre they’d like done to them or to engage with. I love this. This company throws the light on the inevitable theatricality that permeates the train platform; it too is a stage. The stage is truly inescapable. If this is true, what does this mean for us and what we desire? does the stage entail public display? veneers? insincerity? or communal self expression? What does our requested gesture at the train station say about ourselves?

Either way I do not believe The Zeremony aims to answer these questions; they unveil to us the questions we should be asking ourselves. This conflation between public space and performance space is particularly fascinating to me. I love looking into companies that flirt with this boundary through their creations. I’ve posted their website which includes a little bit more back ground information along with a summary of an installation performance they did as a part of The Street Art and Festival Theatre in Austria.

http://thezeremony.com/content/those_who/leave

http://www.lastrada.at/2008/index.php?lang=2&idcatside=342

Alfred Eisenstaedt. 1961. 

By: H.E.Rittner

Summer Daily

Theatre is all about inventing new forms of communication. I remember being completely astounded when my brother sent me an article about an Israeli Theatre Company called Nalaga’at. Everything about this company challenges the senses we expect to exercise during a performance. This is because it is constituted by deaf and blind actors. What is more incredible about this company is how successfully it has expanded, acquiring international tours and warm acclaim. I have chosen to share with you a video from the TED TALKS series where Artistic Director Adina Tal delivers an honest, mildly sassy, and yet genuinely inspiring speech about the power we gain when we are open to unexpected forms of communication; She has certainly proven that this is the seed of artistic innovation.

Happy Wednesday.

From,

Hannah Rittner

SummerWorks is now Accepting Applications for the Creators’ Reserve

SummerWorks has been chosen as a recommender for funding by the Ontario Arts Council under its Theatre Creators’ Reserve Program. As part of this program, individual professional artists and collectives can apply for funding directly to SummerWorks using an official OAC application. The program will support creators in the creation and development of new work.Deadline for applications is January 15, 2012(Or post marked for the 15th of January, 2012)  To see the list of other recommender organizations, OAC program guidelines and the OAC application form please follow this link: http://www.arts.on.ca/Page86.aspx

Criteria and Procedure:

Artistic Criteria Artists in the early stages of their career. Artists interested in exploring untraditional and unique forms of theatrical investigation. Auteur-style artists, interested in risk and virtuosity. Socially relevant work. Applications to the SummerWorks program must include the following 1-page proposal describing the project. Artist biography or Resume of key Artists. A sample of the work (this can be text, music, video, etc) Support Material (of applicant’s choice) 3 signed copies of the OAC application form - click here to download the application form Procedure The Artistic Producer, Michael Rubenfeld; and the Artistic Intern Hannah Rittner, will shortlist the applicants. A decision regarding selection of artists and allocation of funds will be made. Artists may be contacted for more information and possibly a meeting regarding the project. Submissions must be mailed to: SummerWorks Theatre Festival P.O. Box 12, Station C Toronto, Ontario CANADA M6J 3M7 Attn: Hannah Rittner E-mail: intern@summerworks.ca

When Love and Art Coalesce: A Feature on the Multi-faceted Artist D’bi. Young Anitafrika

There is something nameless that makes everyone so alive.

D’bi. Young Antifrika proved this to me once again. It was a gift to meet her after seeing her  jarring performance of Word! Sound! Powah! at the Tarragon Theatre, a part of the Sankofa Trilogy. This theatrical work has acquired many glowing reviews.  Consequently, I felt like taking more of a conceptual angle with our interview, looking into D’bi’s thoughts on inspiration, courage, and fear.

In The Sankofa Trilogy, D’bi elegantly permits poetry, music, dance and theatre to converse. Furthermore, it is a sensitive and provocative portrait of the terror and hope produced by political turmoil.

I strongly encourage you to see D’bi perform at the Tarragon; The Sankofa Trilogy runs until December 4^th. However, D’bi in her naturally erupting style will continue sharing her art the day after The Sankofa Trilogy closes at The Lula Lounge on December 5^th where she will be launching her new album 333. See the play and attend the album launch!

Interviewing D’bi was an incredible treat. D’bi is unabashedly herself, throughout the interview she was joyfully expressive and attentive. Even though the questions I asked her were not tailored for a specific answer her words were consistently incisive and blade sharp, growing from a base of compassion, openness and play.

Alongside the interview I have posted one of her videos where D’bi discusses her philosophical approach to art; I feel like D’bi is best demonstrated in movement, since so much of her essence and art emanates from how comfortable she is with the sway of life.

Any ways, my words now conclude with the beginning of D’bi’s: I hope you love reading this as much as I loved writing it.

Off the top of your head use five words to describe this play.

Revolutionary, Integrous, Urgent, Community and Love.

Discuss the challenges that arise while creating material that explores the intersection of race, sexuality, and gender.

My own idea of liberalization has to do with my own feeling of liberation. I feel like I am in a constant personal revolutionary negotiation with myself and my own fears. The first place of negotiation and investigation comes from me. Because we grow up and we ingest all this social conditioning that tells you that you are a deviant for the colour of your skin, that you are a deviant for who you choose to sleep with, that you are a deviant because of your sex; but ultimately as you grow, we learn that we do have the ability to choose what we accept and what we challenge. Regardless, I feel like I have a personal responsibility to decide for myself what it is I consider to be sound and holistic. My theatre making and my poetry are a huge part of that process. It is all about me exploring how I can be a more courageous person. I try to not make the search for my identity the nucleus of my work, the nucleus of my work is love and humanity. It is through that love and humanity that I look at race and class. The essence of who we are is stardust, as Walter Borden said to me, and it is from this platform that I jump off of, so that everyone can come into the room, using the metaphor of Jamaica under the premise that we are all stardust,  and that we are magical beings. Once we get past that we can talk about race and class without getting offended. This is the path that I take.

What fears did you have about creating and performing this piece?

When you do work in your community and the work is done well there is an expectation that you will do the same work and that it will be the same quality. There is the pressure of creating something brilliant again, and knowing that you as an artist want to create beyond what you created yesterday, and  that you don’t want to create the same thing.

And then I feared  representing the part of Jamaica that I descend from. In particular my mother, my aunt’s and my uncle’s experiences. It was a challenge representing that and knowing that there is nothing I could do to recreate that. I am interpreting and re-interpreting those events. I did not want to disappoint the members of the community, or my mother.

Another fear was being balanced in treating each of those characters so that audiences wouldn’t walk away hating stereotyping or owning any of the characters. I wanted to be fair with all the characters. I wanted them to be presented as human and imperfect. Ultimately we all are  imperfect beings, so I wanted to create characters that the audience could see themselves in. I did so by ensuring that I didn’t create caricatures.

How has this play distinguished itself from your other work?

I consider my work to be a tree. I have for a very long time, and that tree has a huge root in all the moral stories and traditions that we emerge from, which is in Africa, where we all emerge from. As this tree grows the body of the tree grows. The trunk of the tree is my relationship to my identity, my identity as a mother, as a single parent, as a queer woman, as a Jamaican woman, and these identities go on; they are interconnected and overlapping. Then the branches for me now represent the different mediums of storytelling I do. Poetry is on the same tree,  mentoring is on the same tree, and being mentored is on the same tree, and what that means is that the differences become more about technique and environment then about content. If you see me in a concert in a play or a workshop you are going to see the same thing, because I really love storytelling and all those things are storytelling. The differences in my work then are in the context and not in the content.

Discuss the relationship endurance has to this piece literally and conceptually. 

In this piece I am talking about social change, change that is happening so incrementally that you feel like nothing is happening, so a parallel to that reality, is a one woman show, with musicians,  the team that has worked so hard to come together, and  has come together so beautifully. When you put those things together you have the perfect metaphor for life. Which means you are here and you work hard and for you to see the fruits of your labour you’ve got to be centered and grounded. You’ve got to be focused and committed because anything else has the potential to run you amuck. We all know that with life, the moments when we are scattered and when we are off-centered and un-balanced it is so incredibly intense that it makes everything less positive in life, but, when you are centered you see it positively suddenly; things continue to happen around you all the time, only the difference is you are centred.

I know in my own life when I am un-centred I am most negative. You then get into this cycle that is negativity that has more to do with you being off centred. Things will always be spinning around you, when I make time to sleep and rest when I make time to be around love and family when I make time to meditate, whatever is spinning around then is contextualized by my ability to be centred.

Discuss the influence SummerWorks has had on your professional development and current professional success.

The festival theatre culture we have in Toronto is crucial. SummerWorks in particular included all of the trilogy, and the festival provided me with so many resources that I didn’t have  initially. SummerWorks provided me with the perfect space, it provided me with a theatre, with an administrator, an audience and a legacy of being a part of something that encourages new and exciting work; and within that system  is a hidden mentorship process that is crucial to any artistic development. I want to personally thank Frank and SummerWorks for being one of my mentors for the last decade.

Photo by: Cylla von Tiedemann, Featuring: D’bi. Young Anitafrika in The Sankofa Trilogy 

Story by: H.E.Rittner