“I begin with the etymology of ‘settler’ as a thing or person that settles, within the etymology of ‘settle’ as a thing or person that ‘comes to rest,’ that establishes a ‘permanent residence.’ But ‘settle’ also belongs etymologically to ‘reconcile’ or “reconciliation,’ which in turn belongs to ‘bring together’ (again), to ‘make friendly, and to make consistent.’”
Last night, the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association held it’s Annual General Meeting. At that meeting, a Member’s Resolution was put forward by director, playwright and independent theatre artist Ed Roy:
WHEREAS Equity Member/Creators have demanded action on indie theatre issues for the last three years, expressed in the form of member resolutions at previous National AGMs, which resolutions passed 96-1 in February 2009, and 42-4 in October 2009;
AND WHEREAS the Independent Theatre Review Committee (ITRC) was formed in response to the demand for action on indie theatre issues and completed its work in September 2011;
AND WHEREAS the suggested policy changes resulting from the ITRC’s work on indie theatre issues have been debated and will soon be put in place by Council;
BE IT RESOLVED that Council require the Executive Director to deliver a plan that will directly address indie issues to CAEA members that will finally address indie theatre issues no later than October 31, 2012.
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that should the Executive Director fail to deliver a new indie plan to CAEA members by October 31 2012, then until such time as this new indie plan is delivered, that Council enact policy to enable members to work under any currently existing CAEA agreement, policy or guideline (with the exception of engagements governed by a negotiated agreement) as such individual member deems appropriate including the Festival Policy, the Guest Artist Policy, the “Indie” Policy, the Small Scale Theatre Addendum or Co-op Guidelines, without CAEA staff approval and without CAEA penalty or repercussion.
The motion was voted on, with more than two thirds of those in attendance voting in favour.
We have written previously on the issues of Equity and the work of indie theatre artists here and here, and very much look forward to seeing a new indie agreement that reflects the results of the Independent Theatre Review Committee survey, which can be viewed here.
Both the ITRC and Council have devoted a great deal of time and energy to this initiative. It is now in the hands of the Executive Director to deliver new agreements by the October 31st deadline. After four years of members bringing this issue forward and making it a priority, this is a very positive step for Equity.
Last November we wrote about a Canadian Actors’ Equity Association Meeting and why, as independent theatre artists, it was important for you to attend.
On Monday, February 27th, the CAEA is holding its next Annual General Meeting. Given that little has changed for independent artists since we wrote our last post on the issue (or since we published “Why Canadian Actors’ Equity Association is important and why it has to change” in May of 2010), it is essential for artists who are members in good standing to attend this meeting and support each other on Monday night.
Here’s what you need to know, and what you need to pass along to all of your friends who are members of CAEA:
Who: CAEA Members in good standing (bring your membership cards!) What: CAEA’s Annual General Meeting When: February 27, 2012, 7pm (doors open at 6:30pm) Where: Gladstone Hotel (Ballroom) – 1214 Queen Street West, Toronto, ON Why: To support the efforts of independent theatre artists creating new work across Canada
We’ve heard there will be a mixer party after the meeting, so there’s another reason for you to attend!
Technicians in their native habitat, a small local bar. They are not impressed by your questions.
by Pip Bradford
Why hello, readers! Pip here, starting my new column on these pages: Dispatches From The Booth.
Over the past ten years, I have worked tirelessly to assimilate myself into that most elusive and mysterious of groups: theatre technicians. During that time I have developed an understanding of the workings of both technicians themselves and the artists that surround them.
For my first column, I thought I would begin with a spot of advice on that most awkward and difficult time: when technicians are encountered by just about anybody else. They are often approached with a smile, and a series of what might be considered thoughtful questions about their job. After all, who knows what technicians really do? Oh, we’ve all seen them, lurking around in the back of the theatre, a disembodied head floating in the booth, a gruff presence sweeping the floor before the show. But “being generally dodgy” cannot be the entirety of their job descriptions, can it?
Now, if you’re not a technician, and your “well-intentioned” questions are met with an eye roll and a shrug, it may be that the technician you’re talking to is just maintaining their misanthropic air of mystery. Or they may be drunk (technicians are often drunk). But it may also be that you have asked them one of the following questions*, all of which are guaranteed to earn you a scornful glance, at the very least.
*As a disclaimer, allow me to state that I have been asked all of these questions at least once, and by people working professionally in the arts.
Here they are: Five Questions You Should Never Ask A Theatre Technician:
1. What are you going to do when you stop being a technician?
Probably die.
2. Why don’t you work for Cirque du Soleil or Mirvish?
Can’t stand musicals, and I’m afraid of clowns.
3. Did you have to go to school for that?
No, I was born with an inherent grasp of photometrics, physics, engineering, mechanics, and sass.
4. How bad is the show/my performance/any other element thereof?
I don’t actually know, because I’ve never watched you perform. I’m too busy operating lighting cues, making sure the right sound cue is playing, checking that your mic is turned on, and criticizing your ability to find your light.
5. Why aren’t you an actor?
I don’t know. Why aren’t you a zookeeper?
______________________________________________________________________
Pip Bradford is the Mainspace Technician at Tarragon Theatre, an intern for the Toronto Fringe Festival, and is the founder of Art Is Hard, a grassroots arts philanthropy project. In her spare time, she is a gadabout and girl-around-town. She also blogs (infrequently) at The Christopher Pike Project.
Tahirah Stanley is an actor/activist in Toronto. She is also the Founder/Project Coordinator for a project called Theatre for Peace. Theatre for Peace is a project that seeks to empower youth, ages 14-18, through the performing arts (acting, singing, dancing, spoken word etc). Over the course of the past 3 months the youth worked with professional artists to develop monologues, dances, songs etc. All of the pieces were then compiled and put together to make a show; OUR STORY.
OUR STORY is a play that is written and performed by the Theatre for Peace participants. It is about their experiences with love, defeat, violence, friendship, and discovery, among many other things. Through OUR STORY you will get a glimpse into the lives of these young people through the dramatic retelling of the issues they face and the joys they find being a young person in today’s society.
Our Story will be taking place today @ 2:30pm @ 60 Rowena Drive. Check out the poster for more information.
Small Theatre Administrative Facility is giving away a FREE Kobo to indie theatre artists. Click the pic to fill out a short survey about indie theatre to be entered in the draw.
Here’s a round up of some interesting thoughts and ideas from the local theatrosphere:
Previous Praxis Theatre contributor LindsaySchweitz has been writing one blog post a day for an entire year. Each month has been devoted to a different topic dedicated to challenging the way Lindsay thinks about and lives her life, with her readers picking the final month’s topic. Check out what they picked.
Crow’s Theatre has published a provocative blog by playwright/performer Sean Dixon that asks some interesting questions relating to existentialism and what we require people to do to become Canadian citizens.
Ben Lewis appears in Other People, the story of three ambitious young New Yorkers who struggle with sex, desire and their art over Christmas in NYC’s East Village.
Toronto City Councillor Josh Colle became a culture hero this week when he surprised the media, Mayor Rob Ford, and pretty much anyone else who was paying attention. Two hours into what was supposed to be three days of intense budget debate he moved a set of proposals that essentially rewrote Toronto’s municipal budget.
Yep, that’s right, pretty much everything that was advocated for in our previous post, went down when the rookie Councillor, who had previously sided with Rob Ford as often as not, became the face and instrument by which Toronto got its services back. Rob Ford’s budget was rewritten and passed in a single day astonishing even seasoned observers.
The eventual vote was 23-21, as other centrist Councillors joined Colle along with progressive pols who had been advocating saving services from the beginning. (Note to progressive councillors: Thanks – you guys are heroes too – it’s just important to encourage this behaviour.)
Is this a turning point for Toronto city politics? Certainly overnight it seems that Rob Ford has become a lame duck mayor. In Federal or Provincial politics if a government’s budget is defeated, the government falls and an election is required. Of course city government doesn’t work the same, but it’s a pretty big deal either way.
This was important because A) It embraces a broad definition of culture that encompasses the complex experience of being a Torontonian and B) takes an approach to cultural advocacy that recognizes saving arts funding while stripping away things like homeless shelters and bus routes is bad strategy that will hurt us in the long run with our allies and fellow citizens.
There is a village
which sits on my shoulders
like a vulture …
Despite this
O my village
I uninvited relate with you
as you fly
within and outside of me
like a vulture
Modern Love written by and starring Jessica Moss was one of 6 sold out shows on Saturday, but the only one to include a rickroll
The fifth edition of the Toronto Fringe-run festival, designed to take companies and shows that have emerged through the Fringe circuit to The Next Stage (get it?) is having a banner year for box office sales.
The first three days of tickets sales each set records. By the fourth day of the festival, six of the ten shows were sold out, including a raucous crowd that packed the Factory Theatre Mainspace to see Montreal’s Uncalled For and their Just For Laughs Comedy Award winning Hypnogogic Logic, based very loosely on the dream logic that exists while falling asleep. Oh btw. hope you have your tickets to see legendary Fringe clowns Moro And Jasp, as their entire run at the festival is sold out already
Just as important as the sheer number of theatregoers, is the much younger demographics attending The Next Stage than your average theatre production. One imagines this will be interesting to any Artistic Director or GM contemplating their non-subscription based ticket sales over the past few years of declining box office in Toronto theatre, as this type of success demonstrates a demand for theatre from a cohort that has sorely been missing.
As this is the Fringe’s last Next Stage Festival with Executive Director Gideon Arthurs at the helm, hats of to him and his team for engineering this success-in-progress, and hats off to The Tarragon Theatre for snagging a GM familiar with a future audience for new Canadian theatre.
“After the years and years of weaker and waterier imitations, we now find ourselves rejecting the very notion of a holy stage. It is not the fault of the holy that it has become a middle-class weapon to keep the children good.”
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