Skill Development Workshops

 

 

Jibu Letu: East Africa in Dance and Expression

Sunday, October 21st 2-4pm

 

A demonstration of dances from East Africa and a discussion of how dance is generally used in East African story-telling. Be ready to get up and dance with facilitator Mũmbi Kaigwa and drummer Isaac (Henry) Anyanga.  This is a unique opportunity to work with internationally renowned artists visiting all the way from Kenya.

 

Mũmbi Kaigwa is co-artistic director of The Theatre Company but also a celebrated performer, playwright and director.  She has been seen in the television show “Neighbours” and the feature film “The Constant Gardener” as well as numerous stage roles (“The Floods”, “For Coloured Girls Who Have Considered Suicide When the Rainbow Is Not Enough”, “Talking Heads”).  She also studied African Jazz dance.  She has worked for the United Nations Drug Control Programme and UNICEF using arts based projects to work towards social change and is a former President of Women Playwrights International. 

 

 

Practical Tools for Writing on Your Feet

Sunday, October 28th 1-3pm

 

Speaking aloud and actually walking around in the character body of the person you are trying to give voice to can be an exciting way to make text come alive. We will try out a variety of tools to help expand your ability to unabashedly embody the characters that are making their way through you to the page. We will touch on everything from generally how character body influences language, physical rhythm and text rhythm, how to use your own body to help deepen a character’s development, and how to find imagery and text from physical sensation. We will look at these things very concretely- doing specific physical exercises that you can take home to your writing practice.

 

Erika Batdorf has created, performed, directed and choreographed original movement theater since 1983. Her work has appeared in such places as the Smithsonian Institute, The Fine Arts Museums of San Francisco, Switzerland, Copenhagen, South Korea, France, Hawaii, Mexico, Harvard University, the Movement Theater Festival International and the Women's Theater Festival in Philadelphia, Boston Center for the Arts and in NYC for PS122, Dixon Place, Moonworks, So Grand Studio's Movement Theater Festival and the NY International Fringe Festival. She has performed in Toronto at Theatre Passe Muraille backspace, Nightwood’s Hysteria at Buddies in Bad Times and in Rhubarb! Batdorf performed for two UN conferences in Europe and at the 7th International Women Playwrights Conference in Indonesia. She has performed, created plays and directed for universities and theatres across the USA. She ran The Batdorf School for Movement Theatre in Boston for several years, currently teaches at York University in Toronto and is an Associate Playwright at CanStage. She has received 4 Dora nominations since 2005 (two for new plays, one for performance and one for directing).  The Red Horse is Leaving, her newest solo ran for three weeks in Toronto and she co-created and directed Gorey Story for The Thistle Project which was listed number three on the ‘best theatre of 2006’ in NOW magazine. This summer she is co-creating and directing Faye Dupras in Bird’s Eye View for Summerworks 07 and is developing a dance theatre duet for NYC’s Digby Dance to premier in Boston spring ‘08.

 

 

CABARETS

Join us for two multi-disciplinary cabarets!

Emceed by the fabulous Tricia Cooper

 

 

Opening Night Gala and Cabaret

Friday, October 19th

7pm

 

v    Musical entertainment by Claire Therese

                                                                       

v    FemFest Teasers – featuring the FemFest Artists and Crew

 

v    CoDependent Lesbian Space Alien Seeks Same by Madeleine Olnek

Produced by Theatre Dirigible

Directed by Christopher Brauer

Featuring: Rodrigo Beilfuss, Andrea del Campo, Jacquie Loewen, Laura Lussier, Ryan Miller, Robyn Slade, and Jane Testar

 

v    Readings by visiting playwrights Nicolle Nattrass and Carmen Paterson

 

v    It wasn’t a crush, it was a crash

Young Lungs Dance Exchange

Choreographed by Jennifer Essex

Performers: Johanna Riley, Ian Mikita, and Boriša Sabljic

 

v    PHUN WITH PHONE BOOKS – A Play Creation with Muriel Hogue

 

v    Visual Art by MAWA members

 

 

Cabaret

Saturday, October 27th

9pm

 

v    Reading by visiting playwright Erika Batdorf

 

v    Collapsed by Brenda McLean

 

v    Dreams - Young Lungs Dance Exchange

Choreographed by Jennifer Essex

Dancer: Leslie Crozier

 

v    "They May Be Little, But They're All Mine" Part 1 & 2

Written and Performed by Kim Zeglinski as "Kimbo the Clown"

 

v    Journey Through Conflict by Mimitee

Directed and Performed by Vanessa Rigaux

 

v    PHUN WITH PHONE BOOKS – Presentation of a new play created by the audience of the first cabaret!

Facilitated by Muriel Hogue

Directed by Hope McIntyre

Featuring: Kaylyn Arroyo, Shawn Kowalke, Alan McKenzie, and Tiffany Ponce

 

v    Visual Art by MAWA members