How to help your wallet heal come January

If you budget your household income you’re probably well aware of how the season is going. You’ve either knocked it out of the park by saving early, or January looks like leftovers and no eating out. Doing my own budget I realized how much spending I do on the Arts. I’m not saying that I’m looking to cut corners, but January is going to be tight.

We’re lucky that One Yellow Rabbit is all behind making Calgary a city to be proud of and affordable to live in culturally. They know the value of a dollar, working hard to squeeze every cent while creating top performance art in Calgary. And during the High Performance Rodeo, OYR is right there for us, with one last gift of the season.

Three big events. Free. Downtown. In the epicentre of the Rodeo.

MIDWAY

On the Friday and Saturday nights of the rodeo OYR invites you into the home base of the Rodeo. Right outside OYR’s office doors, MIDWAY paints the EPCOR Centre for the Performing Arts with an eclectic group of acts that cover every discipline. A mini-festival within the festival, and curated by C.A.K.E. Young Artists’s society, MIDWAY is different every time you turn around. Last year I caught young musicians, a lady walking on glass, shards, Thing One and Thing Two giving massages, and there may have even been a zombie uprising (Not sure if that happened organically just as the city’s cultures bumped into each other downtown that night). Walk in, check it out, and then maybe bump off to the Laycraft Lounge for a beverage.

Chinatown Mash-Up Art Parade – January 21

Festival Curator Michael Green has always had a fascination with the +15 system. And on January 21 from 4 – 5 PM, his curiosity gets the best of him. In celebration of Chinatown’s 100th anniversary artists will be getting together to flood the +15s with floats, dance, music, and whatever else you can do fifteen feet above the ground. The tour will leave close to Chinatown and then slink it’s way to the Arts Centre. Crossing that threshold the Pacific Rim Mash Up Dance Party happens. If you’re going to be walking through the +15s anyways why not redirect to this event?

SNOWBLOWER – January 15

Green won my heart over when he told me that SNOWBLOWER was a bit inspired by The Burning Man Festival, my home away from home. SNOWBLOWER is THE party at the rodeo for electronic music fans. Last year we steamed up the air to Beats Antique, Pretty Lights, Mr. Scruff and local Bruno. The turnout was all awesome, chill people just there to dance and enjoy fat crunchy beats and crisp Calgary air. Burners were out in full effect, a few members of Calgary’s Thermal Shock Mafia spinning poi to the tunes. Last time I had seen them they were part of the Conclave that surrounds the Man when he burns at Burning Man.

This year RJD2 picks up the blowtorch to drop some fat beats. January 15. What else can I say about this?

Oh, there may be some crazy meetup happening that night… Think hot chocolate, good tunes, and smiles.

Really, that’s a metric tonne of fun for free. Time to invest.

You still believe that because a person suffers, they must be good?

With an inverted top of the show, the lights drop to blackout after Scott Olynek takes to the stage at the beginning of Goodness. There is a warm swell of singing from the cast. They take their places in the dark after this slightly jarring but somehow calm transition. From moment one, Downstage’s production of Goodness uses theatrical conventions and honest “stand up and tell the truth” performances in its own way. Goodness builds a singular experience that stands out from formulaic thrillers. You’re never left waiting for the other shoe to drop. You know who drops it. You want them to admit to it.

Characters are aware of their own existence in the writer’s head. Michael Redhill, the playwright, allows his creations to attack and prod him, exposing his own insecurities and the personal hurts he holds onto. It’s not tongue in cheek fourth wall breaking, it’s a bit of an ass kicking.

The characters will not allow Redhill to water down their story into a schmarmy drama. They will not let him bury his demons. He has a job to do and they will hold him to it.

It’s the combination of direction from Downstage’s Simon Mallet and Redhill’s words and eye that create this very detailed experience. In searching for his own personal story, Redhill stumbles into a retelling of a people’s vengeance, the dark history where people needed to reach out and hurt for the hurt that had been done to them. Although it can ride a tense level for long stretches, where you’re hoping for a joke so you can breathe, the story refuses to be told with omission of its truth.

And it has a soupy reality to it. A tension that you can taste, a look real enough you could stir it with you hand. The performances, words, and direction are honest enough that I see the film in my head while I’m watching the show. When Christopher Hunt and Olynek meet in the bar for the first time my mind’s eye does the long slow pan in from the back end of the joint, framing the profiles of the two lit by the window. That’s a complement to the simple staging and light design, created by Neil Fleming. Much like the rest of the production, set and lights use the less is more route, speaking in small details as opposed to loud swaths. It feels like its shot on location, the black box of The Big Secret letting my mind choose architecture from my own memory. A cohesive soundscape comprised almost completely by the ensembles’ own voices completes the experience. Nuance in the score comes from the untouched voices of the cast singing in a haunting and unknown but familiar dialect.

The ensemble really deserves credit for the work they put in. Olynek is genuine, offering no deceptions and speaking right to us. Duval Lang sits in some very crunchy moments, going to dark confused places and never hesitating. Lora Brovold and Simone Saunders paint point and counter point in soft eyes against a set jaw. Valerie Ann Pearson steers the ship with a solid drive and a piercing gaze. Hunt’s well shaped status is belied by the cracks in his facade. The entire cast never throws a moment away. The end result? A heavy burden that one has to walk away with, the burden of understanding, of seeing the dark moments in our own choices.

Goodness is smart. It’s clean. It makes no attempt to be anything more than it is, and in avoiding dishonesty, stands up and demands that we listen. And in that demand is a challenge to observe ourselves. Did we judge? Did we assume a side because of a hurt that aligned? Or did we just lash out?

A strong voice for the opening of Downstage’s Sixth season, Goodness is a must-see.

Goodness
By Michael Redhill
Downstage
The Big Secret Theatre
Runs through Oct 2, 2010

In High School (St. Francis), the kids on the improv team called themselves “Our School has a Taco Bell”. It did. The food was horrible. I ate often. But the team was pretty good.

I never participated on the team. I’ve done a little bit of Improv, but I take myself a bit too seriously I think, to ever really do the work justice. But around this time last year I couldn’t help but check out the Calgary Improv Festival. People kept talking about this team from Edmonton, and I knew a few of the Calgary guys. Why not? Everyone said it was a guaranteed good time.

The were right. I’m not one to use the old school hyperbole standbys, but I was literally falling out of my chair at one point. Sitting far right front row, as the team from Regina (I think) was building a story about an old scientist and the spaceship in the garage, I was struggling for breath. I wanted to stop laughing, to catch my breath. But I couldn’t. So my legs went board straight and I was clawing at the seat. I was barely in it.

I wasn’t the only one.

It’s your chance to be strangled by your own laughter. The Improv Festival is back.

The group that runs the festival is Calgary’s own Canadian Improv Guild Theatre. They run a Friday Night improv at their space, the Impro Depot, on Macleod Trail across from the Humpty’s. They return to their normal schedule on October 22nd.

This year for the festival however, they have outdone themselves. Teams from Norway and Australia will go up against teams from all over Canada. Roman Danylo is back to host, and Colin Mochrie headlines.

Colin Mochrie. Yeah, that guy, you’ve laughed at him. Lots.

The venues are Engineered Air and Jack Singer at EPCOR Centre, and the Comedy Cave. The big closeout is on October 3rd at The Jack Singer with Colin Mochrie. There are a few interesting shows that might be suited to a particular taste, from French speaking improv, Kidprov with Calgary Young People’s Theatre, and Women In Improv. They say the Women in Improv show is one not to miss.

“They” were right last year, so I’m taking them up on it again this year.

There’s a bit of a contest going down as well. @improvguild‘s twitter account is looking to hit 300 followers. Beyond being the best source for up to the minute info about the Guild and the festival they may also have side contests for show nights. Be one of the people that helps them hit 300, and you may end up with tickets to the Oct 3 blowout. (psst… at the time of writing this they are at 200…)

Really, do you need any excuse to just laugh? Do yourself a favour, and prepare to struggle for breath.

If I had to summarize the food in one word it’s “rich”. If I get a second word, it’s “egg”.

Over the past year I’ve noticed a fair number of Tapas style restaurants coming up in the city. Maybe I’m just behind the times, but I had never really had something like that before. The only type of food that normally gets shared at a table when out is pub fare appies like deep fried wings, nachos and the like.

But I’ve been hitting a few tapas places in the past little bit. And enjoying it. Someone told me that Rush has a bar side that maintains a completely different menu the the dining room, and they had almost tapas style food. getdown.ca had been there before, to review the restaurant side, so I headed in to complete the deal.

I wanted to give it a great review. There are so many great things going on in that place. But almost everything had an asterisk beside it, everything had a qualifying statement. It was an enjoyable night – but. It is a great menu – but.

The date and I booked through OpenTable to take advantage of the reservation system and to use the free valet parking (sweet). I would be interested to see what foot traffic is like for the place after work or at lunchtime because on the Tuesday night we went the place was dead. The decor is nice in that shiny leather, brushed metal and stone way that is contemporary, clean and welcoming.

We did wait what we felt was a bit of a long time between visits from the wait staff. But he was very friendly, knowledgeable, and had recommendations for wine. But there was only one other table to serve, so we were unsure about the lack of speed in delivery.

We had a handful of the small plates. Sweet potato chips are sliced almost paper thin and exquisite when you don’t dip them in the too rich but flat rosemary buttermilk dip. The Rush Caesar salad is extremely creamy, almost too much so, with a 63.8 degree egg and white anchovy upping the thickness and the saltiness just a bit over the top. The shrimp and grits were a tasty combination. But the egg sitting right on top threatened to drench them in yolk, and was just an extra taste and textures complicating an otherwise fine dish.

After sharing the small plates we were already feeling a bit slow from the deep caloric intake of the meal. But we still had a large plate coming, the spring creek braised short rib. This was the dish that saved the night. Much more simple. Meat. Potatoes. Peas (sugar snap). The meat was coming apart almost just sitting there, juicy and tender. The potatoes were a firm contrast to the falling apart meat. The peas just what was needed to round out the flavors.

In the end, it wasn’t a bad meal. But it was just too much. Not from a portion view, but everything else. Too much time between wait staff visits. Too much effort, ingredients, and richness in most of the meals. Even the valet parking felt a bit over the top when I handed over the keys of the 97 Sunfire to the Valet. It’s a nice place, with a great location, but I probably won’t eat on the bar side again.

Rush Bar
100 9 Avenue Southwest
(403) 271-7874

“We can hear you think.” – Valerie Planche

ATP finishes off their season with the premiere of the new Daniel MacIvor job, Communion. Three of Calgary’s strongest women tackle a dense piece of work, and do it with panache. The show runs 80 minutes with no intermission, and there are only three scenes. Each of the performers is given two scenes to partake in, fully present moment to moment. It’s an actor’s show, light on tech and focusing almost solely on the dialogue between the characters.

Or the lack of dialogue between the characters. In its silent moments the production does just as well as the vocally charged ones. Although MacIvor’s script is at times overbearing, telegraphing it’s punches a full twenty to forty minutes before they connect, it still has a nice arc that comes full circle. The plot focuses on the tattered relationship between a mother, her daughter, and the odd non-friendship that a therapist provides to both of them. The feelings are “left behind” or “not invited”. The questions asked are “Who are you?”, “Who am I to you?”, and “What do I mean to you? Do I mean anything at all?”

I’ve heard these questions posed in my own life. It’s such an honest production that you can’t help but feel déjà vu from real life, the moments where instead of just living a relationship, it needs to be spoken, mapped out for clarity. Then MacIvor introduces the “I was left out of the big secret, something that everyone else just got” feeling that his characters struggle with, and the déjà vu hits again.

The dialogue does ring true. It irked me at times however. MacIvor has a knack for dialogue but I wonder at times if he is trying out bits for a closet stand up comedy job that he doesn’t tell anyone about. His characters just have such eloquent back handed comments that feel outside of the natural verbal punctuation, the “you knows” and “it’s…”, that he writes so cleanly.

That is a small complaint about a much larger great production. ATP’s build is clean. A revolve remains hidden until it’s first rotation that earned a physical reaction from some audience members. The sound design is classy, apt, and such a warm feminine companion to the moments on stage. The lighting design is sublime, not just invoking the feeling of the two environments depicted, but also running long slow queues that unfold with masterful timing. It’s a well teched show, using just the right amount of magic behind the scenes.

And the artistic side is no less well done. Everyone should be proud of their work. There are power struggles in each scene that are so well built by director Linda Moore that you could almost diagram the forces in play. Each performance had moments that stood out and grabbed me. Esther Purves-Smith tackles the challenge of taking multiple “No”s and “Yes”s and turning them into full statements through active listening. Purves-Smith owns infuriation one moment, and provides permission the next. You can hear the subtext in the length of the pause before her responses. Ava Jane Markus’ eyes shine, true commitment in her eyes and serenity her face. She blinds on stage, innocence and faith combining with ministry to a scary end. Valerie Planche is a powerhouse. She performs more in three minutes of silence then some could hope to do in an entire act. Her inner monologue is so clear, in silent and spoken sequences, with no ambiguity.

I’m going to use one of Planche’s own choice complements against her, Markus, and Purves-Smith. You can hear them think. The work is so nuanced that you feel distinct thoughts. A blink, a breath, a hesitation. You may not know how to translate it to english but you know at the sight of it what it means. You just get it. And sometimes that means not knowing what the answers are.

Communion
Runs through May 15, 2010
The Martha Cohen Theatre
Alberta Theatre Projects

I’m stepping a bit out of my theater scene for a second here to pass on a heads up. @MrCoBalt on twitter reported on Friday that he had found a Debit Card Skimmer on the ATM at the TD Canada Trust in Brentwood. The device was removed and the Calgary Police Service was notified. Today, he goes back into the same branch and there’s ANOTHER Debit Card Skimmer there.

Debit Card Skimmers have been around for a while, and Calgary has not been safe from them. But with such a brazen repeat attack, it might be worthwhile to talk a bit about them so that we all act a bit more vigilant when using the ATM machine.

What is an ATM card skimmer? It’s a little device that is designed to look like it’s the card slot. It’s job is to record the data on the magnetic strip. It may also have a camera pointed at the PIN pad to record you inputting your PIN number. When they can not build that into the unit, a camera will be placed in something else, a mirror that sits on top of the mirror where the bank’s camera is placed, a false front that looks like the ATM’s logo, or even the little box that holds envelopes for deposit cheques. Some skimmers are accompanied by fake PIN pads that sit on top of the real ones and just record all button presses.

Some of these devices are even reporting the data wirelessly, so the crooks never have to reclaim the devices. Once the data is collected, well, take a guess at what happens.

So, what do you do?

No matter what debit machine you are using do a little bit of physical investigation of the machine. Tug on the machine face surrounding the card slot. Give every edge around the card slot a good tug and look for other things that seem out of place. EVERY DEBIT MACHINE. Card skimmers are now sold on the Internet by make and model, that’s how prevalent this is getting. Even drive through ATMs, even the ATMs inside bank branches.

Keep an eye on your bank statements as well.

Be safe guys.

Some examples :

http://i.gizmodo.com/5201176/a-man-finds-an-actual-card-skimmer-in-the-wild-in-the-flesh
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/02/atm-skimmers-part-ii/
http://krebsonsecurity.com/2010/01/would-you-have-spotted-the-fraud/
http://www.google.ca/search?q=atm+card+skimmers

“I just ran around the house like an insane person, like a supervillan”.

Tyrell Crews doesn’t come across insane at all.

If anything, he would be playing the everyman who fumbles into the position of a superhero all the while fussing with his hair and looking flustered.

But we’re talking about first times. His upcoming show, My First Time by Ken Davenport and produced by Ground Zero Theatre and Hit & Myth Cabaret, runs through April 10th in The Studio at Vertigo. It’s a show that tours us through numerous first sexual encounters. The embarrassing, the ethereal, and the excruciating.

Brenda, Tyrell’s mother, adds “He was all for weeks ‘He He Ha Ha Ha!’, and it’s like ‘Yeah, he’s loving this’”

We were not currently talking about his first sexual encounter.

While an attempt will be made to talk about that later, we are talking about the different assorted first times of Tyrell’s acting career. The maniacal laughter was not celebrating a successful first conquest, but practice for a role in Grade 10 as a Pink Panther villan.

Tyrell had wanted to be an actor from a young age. Brenda comments that he would change his mind on a daily basis before grade six, going between fireman and other normal childhood ambitions. But around grade six something clicked and he started with acting. “His teachers started to come up to me and say he’s really got something there”.

And Tyrell has something in Calgary. With successful seasons including playRite’s, main stages for ATP and Theatre Calgary, he is no virgin to the scene here anymore. He remembers his first time of really feeling like he was a part of it, during Lord Arthur at Vertigo. He recounts a feeling of acceptance among other emotions.

“Someone who I respected and admired came to me, wanted to work with me. The scale of the show, how big it was! Just knowing the work that I put in, being in a cast, the youngest dude, but working with people that I had watched for years. Knowing the caliber of work that is in all of their repertoires and to be able to share the stage with them, as a peer, and focus on the work.”

The current show may or may not include a little bit of input from the audience, which made me wonder if Tyrell’s first time would be included, either in the cannon of the show or part of the audience input.

“Mine wasn’t there, but I can relate to the same feeling of awkwardness and being incredibly shy. It’s universal. You’ve had that first time experience, no matter who’s talking, you can relate to that, or you’ve seen that, or you’ve met that person.”

“There’s a million stories that we are telling in this one seventy minute show. And each of them as different as the people walking the street. We all understand that we need to be gentle and silent when the Ryan Luhning (the director) and whoever have a conversation about God Knows What being the most embarrassed you’ve ever been in your life. We get dead serious when we need to be, but we can also throw everything into the air to see what works in that.”

And it seems to be doing well. Previews sold out. Buzz has been good. I’m going to try and catch it this week.

Sitting with Tyrell and Brenda, I had to ask a bit about their first times. Brenda declined comment. Asked if Tyrell had shared his first time with his Brenda, he declined comment. Although tight lipped, they both remembered some conversations about sex when it was time to have them. “You were even younger than eight” Brenda starts “Remember when we rented that movie at the library”.

Tyrell tries. It’s a mix of images. A duck in a bubble bath. The duck’s parents likened sex to “a big shiver”. Then the duck moves more into a trippy series of visuals, or at least Tyrell’s memory paints it that way. “Here’s the mother, the woman, and she has breasts. Then they just start bouncing, and then she’s in the car, and there’s a baby there, breast feeding, and then the baby’s face fades and it’s eyes turn out to be sperm in a pool…”

And that was my first time hearing anyone else’s experience of discussing sex with their parents. It wasn’t anything like mine, but the feelings of awkwardness were universal.

My First Time
By Ken Davenport

A Ground Zero Theatre / Hit&Myth Cabaret
Runs through April 10, 2010
The Studio at Vertigo Theatre Centre

www.gzt.ca

Dine Out Calgary starts this Friday, March 5th and runs until Sunday, March 14th. There’s over 90 restaurants participating this year and that means a lot of great dining choices. To help you with your decision our blog writers have chosen their top picks for the 10 days. First up Wil Knoll

I started to go to the gym before Christmas and had been somewhat committed to my 10k runs, and keeping my weight down around the 160lbs mark. The Scotiabank Calgary Marathon is just months away, and I need to be ready.

Christmas came and I battled it. New Year’s came and I hung out with the whereswalter.ca crew (two young Calgarians enjoying the life in a 31 foot Winnebago named Walter) in Las Vegas… Then High Performance Rodeo came and there was drinking more nights out of the week then not.

So, just as I’m starting to trend back down towards the happy 160lbs that is only 5 measly little pounds away, downtown Calgary puts together Dine Out Calgary.

Obviously, you’ll be seeing more of me at the Y in the coming weeks… Here are a few of my picks for Dine Out Calgary. Since over the next 10 days they will be offering a set menu for Dine Out Calgary, I’m going to just give a taste of some of the locations.

Laurier Lounge

Billed as a fondue joint, Laurier Lounge is in a bit of an interesting spot. I had driven past it countless times headed west on 11th Ave, but never noticed that it was there. After enjoying its atmosphere once, I’ve got to put it on the list. This old house feels intimate and classy. The staff are knowledgeable, and the tight quarters feel cozy, not constraining. Great for an intimate date or an upscale birthday party.

Ironwood Stage and Grill

The Ironwood has become one of my favorite spots for live music in Calgary, as its layout and feel is right for smaller rock and blues shows. When Kris Demeanor did his first production of “Buzz Job”, the Ironwood WAS the last venue that Cal Cavendish played. It has a nice deep long bar where being the guy sitting there drinking alone isn’t a necessarily a bad thing, as the crowd of locals are friendly and inviting. Friendly staff, good tunes, and a quieter side of Calgary. Great for beers away from the rat race after a long day.

Muse Restaurant

The interior of Muse wraps back around itself creating several independent areas that each have a bit of personality. There are little nooks that provide a bit of privacy, and a larger open area around the well stocked bar. A rich buttery light bathes the arches and curves of the space creating a soothing view for the eye to drink in. The music is a complement to the space, never drowning out conversation. Sexy and modern feeling with hints of something exotic, it’s great for first dates and rendezvous.

Don Quijote’s

Don Quijote’s has a beat, a vibe, and a Mediterranean feel to it. During the summer nights, when the windows are open a warm breeze blows through, you can believe that you’re actually thousands of miles away basking in the authentic feel of this place. Dance is a way of life for many of the regulars at Quijote’s, with amazing live tunes complemented by some of the best tango and flamenco I’ve ever seen. But the Spanish smile is ever present and no one is excluded from the dance floor. This is your “something different” date, and nights out with groups that enjoy wearing big smiles.

Please leave a comment if you have a recommendation to add or you want to share your Dine Out experience. You can also fill out the Dine Out Calgary survey for a chance to win a gift certificate to one of the amazing Dine Out Calgary restaurants.

Tyland, by Greg MacArthur, is needed. I have not recently enjoyed something as original as this script. It is written with such a great voice for each of its characters. It shows so much strength in its scenes and pacing. The plot is something wonderful and desolate at the same time. MacArthur’s script begs to be staged and become part of our shared Canadian repertoire.

And ATP has done such a wonderful job in gifting it with its first time out. From end to end this production sings. Writing, direction, performance, stage, sound and lights… it is the show to see at playRites.

I need to start by raving about the design of this show. The sound design stands out as a textbook example of charmed. It really looked to the source material’s setting for inspiration. The sounds are knitted together so well. Aboriginal throat song sinks into the waning drizzle of static from the radio, as the wind whips and scrapes snow across the barren rocks so vividly that you can see it. Sound is used sparingly, but used so well.

The staging is smart. Simple props and set pieces start out as supplies, and end up becoming home. Over time these objects begin to frame the discussions that are the prison or promise to the women encamped there. The lights bound a beautifully dressed deck that is lit from underneath with white light. The white deck creates the sensation of the cold rock, the foundation for the locale. These smart decisions create a feel of claustrophobia while surrounded by the empty expanse.

And these details all support a splendidly directed showcase of the words of the playwright and the performances of the actors. MacArthur has written two deeply realized challenges to the women who step up to fill the roles. These characters arc, reveal, and speak as real people. Each character has their distinct voice, cadence, and phrases. The motivations are natural, and so honestly human. The actions and interactions? Well, that’s where the fun comes from.

The amount of breath that goes into the roles, filled by Jan Alexandra Smith and Celine Stubel, is staggering. Both of them put in a nuanced performance where the audience is allowed into the internal monologues and state of the characters. At times, MacArthur’s words can become heavy with telling the stories of action, sequences that could be acted. But within the confines of the environment, the monologues seeping out in the barren company of someone you don’t know, are apt. Alexandra Smith and Stubel glow with energy, pouring scorn or welcome or fury or love all over the deck.

The two supporting roles, fleshed out by Kevin Corey and Geoffrey Brown, are staccato notes over the flow of the play. Each brings a tight energy that complements the massive foundations and forward momentum that the ladies have created. No performer was out of place or understated.

It’s great theatre. The seasoned patron and the non-theatre crowd looking for something different on a Friday night will both get something out of this show. ATP has done a wonderful job staging a strong play from MacArthur. You can feel the distance from everywhere, and the shoulder tightening closeness of that one person who puts your teeth on edge. The plot twists around boundaries, ownership, and what we can truly call our own.

I’d be proud to call MacArthur’s Tyland Canadian. We are better for it.

Tyland
By Greg MacArthur

Part of ATP’s playRites Festival
Runs through Saturday, 6 March 2010
Martha Cohen Theatre
www.atplive.com