MONDOmagazine

Runs October 2-3 @ Harbourfront’s Enwave Theatre

By Kate Edwards

Thursday night, a lucky group of Torontonians attended opening night of the Art of Time Ensemble’s tenth anniversary season. The ensemble is committed to blending classical music with other genres and art forms, and by bringing together artists from different disciplines — including music, dance, theatre, and the visual arts — the ensemble is known for its innovative collaborations and boundary-breaking performances. Thursday’s offering, Words & Music, explored literature inspired by music, and music inspired by literature. It seemed like a simple and straightforward concept, but I really didn’t know what to expect as I took my seat. After all, the program included work by Proust and Jerry Lee Lewis — how was that going to work?

The first half of the show began with Michael Ondaatje reading a poem by August Kleinzhler, written following the death of Johnny Mercer, accompanied by a performance of the Mercer classic, “I thought about you.” This was followed by a reading of excerpts from Proust’s Remembrances of Things Past, which alternated with movements from a sonata by César Franck. This pairing was the most direct example of text inspired by music, with the Proust passages describing music and its influence on the author. Juxtaposed to this was an energetic reading from the play Fire by Paul Ledoux and David S. Young, accompanied by Little Richard songs on piano. The scene, which related a pious mother from the American South’s dismay at having lost her daughter to rock and roll, had the audience enthralled as the sinful music became a character, which complemented the performances of actors Rick Roberts and Ted Dykstra.

The highlight of the night came for me at the beginning of the second act, when Michael Ondaatje read from his latest novel, Divisidero, accompanied by a small ensemble playing music by Robert Carli inspired by the book. I had never considered the possibility of listening to a book’s soundtrack, but now I know what it would be like. Beautiful sounds perfectly complemented Ondaatje’s text; it’s difficult to describe the impact. And that Ondaatje was reading made it that much more special.

Afterwards, Toronto musician Justin Rutledge read a passage from Guy Vanderhaege’s short story collection, Man Descending, which inspired his latest album of the same name. Rutledge performed a song from the album, plus a new piece written in collaboration with Ondaatje, again inspired by Divisidero. The evening ended with an intense reading of “Howl” by Allen Ginsberg, accompanied with music by Jonathan Goldsmith. The raw and harsh quality of Ginsberg’s words was matched by the music, and the combination was incredible.

Somehow these combinations all worked. The audience was engaged in the text and music, and I didn’t look at my watch once.

Catch highlights from Words & Music on Monday, November 24 on The Signal with Laurie Brown on CBC Radio Two 94.1 FM.

Laurier – The History of the Village of the Small Huts: Part 8

Written and Directed by Michael Hollingsworth
Starring Paul Braunstein, Greg Campbell, Richard Alan Campbell, Kerry Ann Doherty, Linda Prystawska, Anand Rajaram and Dylan Roberts
Produced by VideoCabaret (Cameron House, 408 Queen Street West). Indefinite run.

By Kate Edwards

Sir Wilfrid Laurier is best remembered as the great Canadian statesman of the early twentieth century. Most probably know him better as the dignified looking fellow frozen in time on the five dollar bill. He famously declared that the twentieth century belonged to Canada, and did not look to language, religion or ethnicity to define this country, but instead envisioned a nation based on law and human rights – values we continue to champion today. However you look at it, Laurier was a great Canadian, the Trudeau of his age. But like so many political figures, Laurier’s public persona – and how he is immortalized in the history books – is not all that it appears to be. The former prime minister’s other side is explored in Laurier, which had its world premiere on Friday at Queen Street West’s famous Cameron House.

The latest installment in writer and director Michael Hollingsworth’s satirical series, The History of the Village of the Small Huts, Laurier tells the story of our seventh prime minister’s political and personal ups and downs from 1885 to 1911. Touching on the great political challenges of the time, including the Manitoba Schools Question, the Boer War, and free trade, and hinged on questions of nationalism and imperialism, Hollingsworth takes his audience on a whirlwind tour of Canada’s early days of nationhood. With stunning costumes, caricature-like wigs and makeup, and a “black-box” stage design that allows the actors to seemingly disappear, his latest effort does not disappoint.

We often forget that Canada’s political history is rich with interesting characters. Though they often stumbled into political life, their actions make for good stories, and Hollingsworth and his cast use this to their best advantage. The energy of the seven actors is incredible as the thirty characters they play leap out from the pages of history. All the big names are here: Sir John A. Macdonald (with bottle in hand, of course), Louis Riel, Henri Bourassa, Queen Victoria, and of course, the spiritualist Mackenzie King, accompanied by his ghostly mother cum political advisor. But it is the stories of the lesser-known figures that make this play sharp, revealing Laurier’s faults and failings.

Laurier’s personal life, usually a footnote if mentioned at all, is highlighted in Hollingsworth’s production. Zoë, Laurier’s quiet wife who was content to be the spouse of a small-town lawyer, is countered by Emilie LaVerge, Laurier’s sumptuous mistress (and best friend’s wife), who thrives in the glow of Ottawa’s salons. The interaction between Wilfrid and Emilie sizzles with scandalous passion, while Zoë is brushed aside and slowly descends into madness. The relationships between Laurier and these two very different women reflect a personal life that was at times as tumultuous as his political one, and makes this play appealing. Despite a focus on the personal, political history buffs will not be disappointed, as Laurier is shown to play the political game smoothly and with ease.

For people who grudgingly took their required Canadian history credit in high school, Laurier presents a fresh take on old stories. The issues Hollingsworth tackles and the relationships he presents have a contemporary feel, reminding us that we live in a relatively new nation whose place in the world continues to evolve. From debates over religious schools and free trade, to Quebec sovereignty and Canadian foreign policy, Laurier captures the highlights of a great prime minister’s career, and shows that the questions we face as a nation today are not that different from those of a century ago.

For more information, visit www.videocab.com.

By Kate Edwards and Kerry Freek
Posted January 8th, 2008.

With a new year comes a new opportunity to take in the work of Toronto’s emerging theatre talent. To kick-off its 20th season, the Fringe of Toronto Theatre Festival has launched a new initiative to assist emerging artists in reaching a broader audience in the city.

On January 5, we caught The Corner, written and directed by relative newcomer Jason Maghanoy. Equal parts love, friendship, racism, and gang violence, the play is based on the true story shooting of Jeffrey Reodica, a 17-year-old Filipino teen killed by Toronto police in 2004. The Corner’s five actors use the minimal stage to their advantage, testing the audience’s limits of imagination and conveying feelings of both hope and despair.

The Next Stage Theatre Festival showcases the work of eight theatre companies, featuring a combination of past Fringe favourites and new works. With plays that cover topics ranging from youth violence to young conservatives falling in love, Next Stage presents a diverse line-up that’s sure to incite debate and discussion.

There’s still time to check it out! The Next Stage Theatre Festival runs January 2-13 at the Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst Street). For complete ticket information and show times, visit www.nextstagefestival.com.

I got an A+ in Art and You can too and A Report/Un Rapport

By Katie Edwards

“Intueri sonitum, imaginem auscultare.”

With a Latin motto that roughly translates as “looking at sound, listening to an image,” Toronto-based press Standard Form produces a unique combination of art and music. Inspired by publishers like Coach House Books, who do their printing in-house, proprietor Alex Durlak founded the company almost a year and a half ago, motivated by a self-proclaimed “love to make stuff.” With a long-standing interest in design and photography, lots of time spent playing in bands, and a DIY work-ethic, Durlak began to learn the art of offset lithography two years ago. This has translated into a catalogue of two albums and three books, all published within the last six months. Though the albums were released before the books, Durlak says that he always intended to publish both books and music, and is interested in the overlap between the art and music scenes.

The press’ books are striking in their design, which is likely a result of Durlak’s fascination with graphic arts and typography. His introduction to Constructivist books published in Russia had a major impact: “I was impressed by the power simple type and vibrant graphical layouts can have as both a means of communication and as artistic expression,” Durlak says. “They seemed to have the perfect balance.”

As the press prepares to expand and move into its own shop in Toronto’s west-end, Durlak has lots to be excited about. With upcoming albums by Feuermusik and Greater Explosives, and books by Seripop and Chad VanGaalen, Standard Press will continue to create an interesting mix of sound and image.

I got an A+ in Art and You can too.
By Tonik Wojtyra

Tonik Wojtyra’s cheeky handbook, I got an A+ in Art and You can too., reveals the secret of how to navigate the sometimes conflicted world of art and higher education. Beginning by answering the questions “What is higher learning?” and “What is art?”, Wojtyra offers advice on everything from how to survive a critique of your work to how to get that A+. He distinguishes good art from good grades; if students want the latter, they are advised to “Give them what they want.” If your teacher likes more traditional painting, don’t hand in an avant-garde piece. It’s that simple.

Wojtyra designed the book’s striking layout himself and, according to Standard Form’s Alex Durlak, had a clear idea of what the finished product would look like from the start. The text is punctuated with a rich yellow type treatment that is carried throughout the book. Photos and sketches add visual interest to the text, making the book an art project in and of itself.

A Report/Un Rapport
By Alex Durlak

Alex Durlak’s A Report/Un Rapport takes the text of a 1978 report written by the Advisory Arts Panel to the Canada Council and presents it in a graphically interesting form. The 7 x 7-inch book takes the text of the report and lays out no more than a few sentences per page. Colour and typography are used to emphasize the meanings of the words they represent, and reflect Durlak’s interest in graphic design as a means of both communication and artistic expression. For example, the word “self-destruction” appears in a jumble on one page, and the phrase “American giant” fills a page about the pressures facing Canadian culture and heritage. The book has two front covers, and depending on which one is opened the reader will encounter the report’s text in either French or English. The layout and design of the two versions mirror each other, and the same colours and graphics are used in both. Simple yet striking, A Report/Un Rapport reinvents a thirty-year-old text, and challenges ideas about Canadian art and culture.

Standard Form books are available at: Art Metropole; Pages, Swipe; This Ain’t the Rosedale Library; David Mirvish Books; Printed Matter (New York City); Barbara Wien (Berlin); and by mail order from standardform.org.