A Quiet End

And so ends another Piggyback Fringe Festival in Wakefield.

After a brunch with our goddaughters and their parents (our girls gave us Father’s Day presents!),  Eric took them to see the stilt walkers while I marked at home. Afterwards we met up at the church to see One Flew Over the Cubicle and Baskets.

Both of these plays had their strong points and the audience was small so it was a very intimate affair. A quiet way to end the weekend to be sure.

After some lunch at Le Hibou we made our way to the rooting tent headquarters and watched the videos that were made throughout the weekend in our video booth. From the quiet dignity of Norma Geggie to the silly dances of charming little children who found some balloon gloves it was a great way to laugh at ourselves and our time together.

As I predicted, The Sparrow and the Mouse won Best of Fest while the slam poet who performed on opening night won Best Spirit. I am embarrassed to say that I have forgotten his name. I am writing this after yet another marathon marking spree. Sorry!

I should be going to bed now...and will shortly. I have been burning the candle at both ends lately. But I could not finish up this day without a fond farewell to one of my favourite times of year in this village.

Thank you to the organisors and volunteers. Once again it was a fabulous event. I believe we are in the thrusts of change with this project as Theatre Wakefield grows into its tenth anniversary. I was a part of a few discussions about what needs to be changed, adapted, evolved and what the next steps should be.

One thing that will remain the same, however, is the incredible sense of community this festival evokes. Only in Wakefield can you see drummers gathered near youth preparing for improv while a tall woman in a pig headdress and pink cape walks by. We are a unique bunch nestled here in the Gatineau hills.

And we all belong.

Good night.

Energy, Elvis and Edith

Saturday was a full day at the Piggyback Fringe Festival. I was unable to attend any of the day workshops because of work obligations, however, Eric and I had a fine evening of theatre.

Cookin’ Up Some Stories was a collection of fantastical tales interspersed with soft jazz. Stanley Lake, along with his band, tried to conjure up a magical atmosphere within the darkened sanctuary of St.Andrew’s United Church. And, on this count, they were quite successful. Some stories were more engaging than others for me, but I loved the music. I have realised how much of a sucker I am for the flugelhorn.

I did find the music to be louder than the narrator for much of the performance, and I wasn’t alone in this, which was too bad. I also found the energy to be quite low. This was explained to me later when I found out that Lake had an appointment in Perth or somewhere and had probably spent the day frantically driving around eastern Ontario.

We then hoofed our way to the community centre and saw Elvis is Water.

I am not an Elvis fan. I like some of his songs and have always respected his talent. I was nine when he died so I grew up with the “Elvis spotting” shenanigans shortly after his death. For a long while, he represented tacky American consumerism and the desperate need to create some kind of modern icon. I mean...really...the Elvis bust? As I grew older, my appreciation for his talent overshadowed the reaction to his death.

Elvis is Water was a recollection of his early years at Sun Records and the startling circumstances that thrust Elvis into stardom. It is a fascinating story. But when your narrator is a man who obviously loves the subject matter and can speak and sing in Elvis fashion, you have the recipe for an amazing performance. This is not a tacky Elvis impersonation. There is no attempt to look like The King. No sordid details about excess weight, wealth, or drug use. This was a heartfelt homage to a great musician who changed the way we listen to music.

Eric and I are going to Tennessee this summer. We walked out of this performance feeling like we had been given a gift.

Then it was from Elvis to Edith. We hoofed it back to the church and experienced The Sparrow and the Mouse. I walked in and realised how warm and stuffy the church was. I worried that I would get dozy and snore during the performance.

Impossible.

Melanie Gall, in her role of Edith Piaf’s half-sister Simone, had me in the palm of her hand throughout the entire performance. I was seduced, I was enthralled, and, at the end, I was inspired. I knew a few things about Piaf, and I have certainly enjoyed her music, but I was not aware of the majority of the circumstances that brought her to the public eye.

I am taking students to see Paris this summer and this production will most definitely influence how I see the city and how I show it to my kids. Gall’s voice was flawless and her performance was honest. When the surprise duet occurred at the end, you were left to realise that you had hoped for it all along.

I predict this play will win Best of the Fest.

Eric and I finished the night at the rooting tent. I am posting photos on my twitter account (@shebertdaly). I goofed around again with Jeffrey Ferguson on video and enjoyed Laurie Gough’s reading of some upcoming work and the ever popular Phil Jenkins.

Today, my goddaughters are coming into town to check out some stilt walkers. Eric will take them while I mark. But this afternoon is reserved for the final two plays left on the roster

Big Girls Don't Cry, Young Improv, and the First Night

Rachelle Elie first came to Wakefield in our first Piggyback Fringe Festival to perform her wonderful Joe The Perfect Man. It was about a loser guy auditioning for the titular role of Macbeth and, basically, mayhem ensues.

I am not a fan of the 'traditional' clowns that we know from birthday parties and the circus. They have always, quite frankly, creeped me out. However, Elie brings forth a long legacy of the clown in her work. It is funny, tragic, and deviously twisted reflection of who we are. I loved Joe, I loved the show, and I just love Elie.

So I was very excited that Elie had returned with a third show. I was anxious to check out what she had next in store for us. Her last show discussed her decision to become a clown and her path towards that goal. Joe even made a brief appearance within this narrative.

Big Girls Don't Cry continues this exploration into the motivations behind clowning and the decision to pursue the art. We are introduced to new characters that not only make us laugh, but force us to confront our own fears about childbirth, commitment, and true self reflection. And, God love him, Joe returns triumphant!

On our way out, some people felt that some of this work was rehashed from older works. It is true that Joe's portion is right out of her first offering to us, and the birthday clown was seen in her second play. But, with some reflection, I believe that there is more to this decision than mere repetition. There seems to be a trilogy here involving the process of trying to reflect humanity upon itself, the effects this has on the performer, and the motivations behind deciding to dare such a thing.

Pretty deep for what we often perceive as just clowning around.

For me, though, I was just so very happy to see Joe prove himself to be the Perfect Man one more time.

Afterwards, Eric and I were drafted into the game designed and performed by our intrepid young improv troupe WIT. What a pleasure it was to work of the energy of such young and incredibly talented performers. I have seen the work of these kids in our Film Camp and in last fall's Dreamwalker and I am constantly honoured and amazed to b a part of their company.  They will be performing nightly so check them out.

Eric and I returned home and spent a couple of hours over a bottle of wine with a dear friend staying with us for the night. Lara is a member of our theatre company but has spent the past year abroad. She is on vacation and made sure to check out our little festival. We caught up and remembered past adventures until the wee hours.

It was a perfect way to end the first night of Piggyback. While the theatre is great, the community flavour of this event is profound. We are all given yet another chance to frolic about the village with each other, friends and family having fun together and catching up with each other's lives.

Today I have marking to do, then some errands. But tonight will once again be a full night of theatre.

See you there!

Fishbowl

Mark Shyzer's eclectic cast of charters, all performed in a one man extravaganza, exposes all of our own vulnerable spots while reminding us that we are all somehow connected in this vast and varied universe. This was a charming and honest performance that is centred around, believe it or not, String Theory. At least I think it was String Theory. Everyone left pleased but recognising the need to think about I all some more. The sign of a good script. Next up is Rachelle Elie's Big Girls Don't Cry. I cannot air as I still rave about her Joe The Perfect Man from years ago. I have figured out how to blog from my iPhone. But I will need to be brief because this phone was designed by some skinny fingered bastard.

The 5th Annual Piggyback Fringe Festival begins!

There are many reasons why I love living in Wakefield, near the top of the list is The Piggyback Fringe Festival.

We had our opening night last night, a casual affair under a tent with offerings of poetry, improv and music to dance to. It was a small turnout. I was disappointed by this at first, but then I recognized it was also very intimate. Good friends playing with good friends.

Eric and I along with our improv troupe (apparently called the Theatre Wakefield Improv Team – or TWIT according to Eric at the last moment) performed for a small but enthusiastic crowd. We all agreed we were rusty from a few months’ hiatus, but we managed to get a few good moments across.

Another highlight for me was the video booth where we can all present our own reviews of the plays we have seen. With nothing to review, Jeffrey Ferguson and I did a lightsaber fight with some spotlights. 

Like I said, it’s a classy festival.

If you are going to Piggyback, make sure you make your way to Piggy Central at the community centre and say your piece! Also be on the lookout for Miss Piggyfest. I won't bother describing her at this point. When you see her, you'll know it!

While I will be trying to live-blog as best I can, I will also be tweeting this weekend quite extensively. Most likely it is on twitter that I will post my photos. You can follow me by finding @shebertdaly. Twitter is free.

As the sun set and our friends danced, Eric and I made our way home. A quiet ending to a very busy day at work and a nice night out with our friends. We both knew we were going to have a great weekend.

A New Beginning

I am going to be completely honest with you right from the start. I have no clue what I am doing. 

Really.

I have a basic idea of what I want to get accomplished with this blog, but I lack the experience and, let’s face it, the expertise to make it sexy. At least right now. Sooner or later it will look better. Sooner will include photos, later may involve holograms and 3D renditions of my home office or something. Who knows? I don’t.

Mind you, at this point I don’t even know who will be reading this. This entry is being written in a vacuum. Maybe it will remain there.

So, welcome to the grand experiment!

The funny thing is, this brand new blog began a couple of years ago.  I went to Europe to teach kids from Ontario grade twelve university-preparation English. I wrote weekly letters home with my reflections, my musings, about what I saw, what I experienced, and what I felt about Europe, teaching, and being away from home.

The next year I was encouraged to write these missives again. My list of recipients increased and I was told to repeat what I had done before. I did and people responded positively. I thought they were being polite but something strange happened.

When I finished up my series last summer some people kind of complained. You see, in my letters I included the shock of receiving the news of my brother’s terminal cancer and the death of Jack Layton. My letters often had a personal tone to them and people had connected. When the letters stopped the narrative remained.

People wanted to know what had become of my brother. They wanted to know how it felt to attend Jack Layton’s State Funeral. Many readers knew of other things I was experiencing and thought it would make for some good reflections. Everyday adventures we all experience and share, writing, directing and performing a play, and attending the NDP Leadership Convention in Toronto were some of the things brought up as subjects to write about.

I was flattered and honoured that people had connected to my writing. But more than this, I recognised that this could be an opportunity to grow as a writer while embracing new (to me) technology. This is a part of a larger commitment to writing more. I am not only on Facebook but have recently begun a Twitter account for the same purpose.  I also hope to capitalise on what I thought was another benefit of communicating my thoughts about travel. The letters I sent home to friends and families not only bore witness to my summers, they also grounded me during some hectic days. A blog could do the same if I chose to make it so.

So, I did. And here I am starting a blog. God help us all.

While I am blinded by my ignorance in the technology department, I have made some concrete decisions about this blog.

- It will retain the flavour of the original letters to which others have had such a strong connection.

- I will make entries on a regular basis. By regular I mean sometimes weekly, sometimes more, sometimes less. How’s that for articulation?

- Sometimes there will be pictures...hopefully...and sometimes there won’t.

- One day I will figure out how to link. That will be cool!

- No porn. I mean...really...I have to differentiate myself from most of the net somehow.

- I will not shy away from such controversial subjects as sex, politics, religion and Angela Lansbury.

There’s probably more but I think the list is long enough for today.

Next week this space will host some live blogging from Theatre Wakefield’s Piggyback Fringe Festival. At least I hope so. This is a great event bringing new talent on stage in an intimate setting. I have live-blogged this event every year since it started.

Soon after, I will once again be headed off to Europe with students. This year we will be spending July in London, Paris and Rome. This blog will trace this Grand Tour just like I did with the letters of years before.

In August I will be heading to Jamestown, NY with my friend Andrea to the Lucille Ball Comedy Festival. Eric will then pick me up and we will begin our two week road trip to New Orleans, Memphis, Nashville and all points in-between.

After all of that the travelling is over, but the journey continues.

The Daly Muse is about the everyday odyssey we all take in our lives. Our travels consist of years as well as miles, experiences as well as sights. It is my hope that as I reflect on what is my narrative, you will find yourself somewhere among the anecdotes and ideas.

Thank you for joining me.