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8/21/2013

Edmonton Fringe-It's the most wonderful time of the year!

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The 2013 Edmonton Fringe is underway and it has seemed to bring with it an energetic, bigger vibe compared to prior years. I can't put my finger on what exactly is different: More people? Happier people? Bigger shows? Am I just in a good mood? I've had a number of people comment on the different feeling they've been getting this year. They've felt more buzz, more media coverage and more people showing up on grounds and best of all, in theatres. What I've always loved about the Edmonton Fringe is how the whole city seems to stop and pay attention to the 10 day festival that closes down streets and creates a temporary theatre district in the heart of the city. I've been to a few other cities during Fringe time, and I can definitely say that we are very lucky to have the festival we do.

This year, I am helping to produce Candice's one-woman show, "Anatolia Speaks", and I couldn't be more proud to not only be a part of an inspiring Kenneth Brown show, but to see Candice play the role with such honesty and heart... (not to mention all the awesome reviews she's been getting). I am also a part of Grindstone Theatre's "The 11 O'Clock Number!", a fully improvised musical. I am in love with this show. Something about improvisation really gets to me... and oddly enough, a lot of us feel even more comfortable improvising songs than scenes. I love the shared passion all of us have, and the growing relationships with all the new friends I have made. There's a huge sense of trust that is earned over time between actors working together, especially when improv is involved, and you need that trust in order to make big decisions and take risks and know that your peers will catch you... and rhyme with you... and dance with you.

I love Fringe. And you should, too. Get out there and take in the food, outdoor shows, and pick a play, a musical, or dance piece to go see. It only comes once a year.

-B

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7/14/2013

A Weekend To Remember

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Last weekend, the four Poiema Gals and one Poiema Gal Sister took a road trip to celebrate the upcoming marriage of Melissa Heagy and Mark Blackwood. Poiema Gals have been known to love a good surprise, and the stagette weekend was no different. We had the entire weekend away planned and Mel had no idea where we were taking her or what we would be doing. Our trip took us to Fernie, Lake Kookanusa, and Cranbrook. Each day we gave Melissa clues in a vintage photo album about what was to come. A fujifilm instant camera was the perfect accompaniment, allowing her to document the trip and fill the album as we went. What I loved most about the weekend, was the spontaneous, unplanned fun we had. Yes, our plans were brilliant (Japanese dinner, dancing all night, lounging by a lake) but it was the random games of grounders, the abrupt stops to go jump in a new lake, the fully-committed improvisation of songs, the impromptu heart to hearts detailing what each of us love most about the rest- these are the things I will remember. For Monday, we had planned a 2 hour bike ride from Cranbrook to Kimberley on a beautiful trail, but awoke to thunderstorms. No problem. We played cards, swam in the pool playing Marco Polo and having jumping competitions, watched a movie, went to a café, and finally played the scariest game of Sardines I've ever experienced. (Candice, your parents have a terrifyingly dark and eerie yard when the sun goes down.) The rain didn't make us skip a beat. "Ah well," we thought, "just an opportunity to do something else exciting." These trips remind me how lucky I am to have the friends I do. It makes me pause to appreciate the moments I share with them, and how important these relationships are in my life. It was brought up on the trip how people, girls included, view women as dramatic, catty, or selfish, and how saddening this is. Girls are great. I hope that everyone can be surrounded by women just like the ones I have who they can laugh with, share with, and lean on. Congratulations, Melissa! Thank you for letting us be a part of your day!

-B

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6/8/2013

LONDON (Ontario) FRINGE!

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Candice and I arrived last Sunday in London, Ontario for our first Fringe Festival of the year. We didn't tour our show, "Middleton: a folk musical", last year and we were itching to be back on tour. This is also the first time either of us have been to this beautiful city.

Poiema Productions is producing Candice's one-woman show, "Anatolia Speaks", written and directed by Kenneth Brown. We had a preview the day before we left Edmonton, and it was the first time I had seen the play.

What a beautiful piece of theatre. The writing is brilliant and Candice completely becomes Anatolia, an immigrant from Bosnia living in Edmonton and working at Superstore. She shares heart-wrenching stories of the life she has left behind, as well as touching hopes and dreams of the life she has started and will continue to build. The play puts an immigrant’s life into perspective- especially the things that happen to them before they immigrate. We are extremely lucky to be living in Canada, free to do as we please with a surplus of food and water to fuel us as we go. Anatolia doesn't take anything for granted and celebrates the life she has now without throwing away her past. She has every right to be an angry, cold, dark person after going through life in war-torn Bosnia and her difficult travels to get here, but instead she is uplifted, joyful, and hopeful of what is to come. Her personality and outlook is a breath of fresh air and will capture anyone she shares her story with.

We opened the show last night and it went great! Our audience was responsive and Candice received a standing ovation, well deserved I might add. We were in a wonderful article about Ken Brown (and the 5 shows he's involved in here) and put in the list of the top 10 buzzed about shows in the London Free Press so I'd say we are off to a great start here in London! It doesn't hurt that the show is written by Ken Brown, not only our teacher and mentor, but also the man who has taken part in the Fringe Festival since the year after it's creation. He has written or co-written over 30 produced plays! It is a huge honour to produce one of his shows.

London has been so good to us and we are sure it will continue to show its love throughout the Fringe. Break legs everyone!

-B

---Other shows to check out at the London Fringe: "Minding Dad", "Grumpus Gets Revenge", "Be A Man", & "Danny and the Deep Blue Sea"

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6/1/2013

Sasquatch!

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Two Thursdays ago, I started my long 1206 km journey to the Sasquatch Music Festival in the Gorge Amphitheatre, Washington. Packed into the Toyota Matrix along side me was my wonderful boyfriend, a tent, some clothes, and a bunch of disposable cameras, ready for a weekend celebrating music with other like-minded people. This was my first camping festival I had ever been to and I wasn't sure what to expect. I pictured lying on the grass on a blanket in the warm sun in front of a gigantic stage soaking in all my favorite songs. I wasn't too far off. Other than being relatively unprepared for the camping portion- forgetting rain gear, cooking tools, warm clothing, and games/books to keep me occupied during the day- it was a magical weekend.

The campsite is a short trek away from the festival grounds and so when Friday arrived, we joined the herd of people excitedly walking the marked trail. As we entered the gates, I could see we had arrived; we had made it to Sasquatch! But it wasn't until we stood at the top of the hill that it really hit me, looking down on the lawn, the stage, and behind it- the Gorge. Tears came to my eyes at the beauty of it all. The grass plunged down the hill to the huge stage and the view was breathtaking. The Gorge had beautiful walls of rock surrounding waters that were calm and still except for the occasional boat or sea-doo carving the glass.

Music. Here are some of the bands I got to see: Vampire Weekend, Bloc Party, The Tallest Man on Earth, The Dropkick Murphys, Postal Service, The XX, The Lumineers, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetic Zeros, Elvis Costello, and best of all... MUMFORD & SONS! I had caught their Rexall Place show the day before I left Edmonton, and seeing them only made me more excited to watch them again at Sasquatch. We started making our way to the front about three hours before they were scheduled to take the stage. Luckily, we were surrounded by very friendly people we could chat, laugh, and rap with. That's one thing about Sasquatch: you meet tons of great people. Mumford & Sons did not disappoint. Seeing them up close was amazing. I love seeing a band enjoying themselves on stage. I like to know that they are having as much fun as the audience is. I sang the words to every song and jumped and clapped along with the whole mass of people who have been touched by their music. It was one of the best experiences of my life.

So yes, the port-a-potties (their brand of choice was Honey Buckets) and the rain and the chilly weather was no expense when it came to the once-in-a-lifetime experience I had. I'd like to give a special thank you to my boyfriend, David Dempsey, for going out of his way to get me to the front for Mumford & Sons, and for making sure I had one of the best weekends of my life.

-B

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5/12/2013

What A Night - The First Annual Fashion For Freedom

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Brittany Paige Photography

It's all over. Our first annual Fashion For Freedom event is done and what an event it was. Thank you to all our attending guests, sponsors, designers, models, volunteers, and donors. With your help, we were able to raise $7473.60 that goes straight to The A21 Campaign: an organization that aims to abolish human trafficking in the 21st century. Thank you to everyone who made the night such a success. If you couldn't make it out, let me tell you a bit about the evening's activities and make sure you check out the full gallery of photos here, all taken by Brittany Paige Photography.

//Guests were greeted in the lobby by strange looking hosts in pale skin and black lipstick, where they could grab a drink and some appetizers as they mingled with other guests, shopped at the merchandise booths, and bid on an array of silent auction items. Car parts hung from the ceiling and mannequins dressed in anything-but-fabric adorned the room. Then it was show time. People took a seat in the theatre and the lights went down. A video began that highlighted the topic of discussion for the evening. "Human trafficking is a modern day holocaust" were the first words on the screen, sending chills down your arms, arousing a sense of unrest, and a passion for change. The video played on to inform that there are more slaves in the world today than at any other point in human history, with an estimated 27 million in bondage across the globe.

As the screen started to play a music video, the lights faded up and dancers appeared with a moving performance of loss, grief, fight, and hope. Then the beautiful and magnetic Candice Fiorentino, who emceed the evening, appeared on stage to kick off the main event - the fashion show. Music played by DJ Derrick Johnson began as the models fiercely walked the runway in innovative designs made with coffee filters, silk flowers, mylar, and confetti. Nothing was conventional.

Jessica Corbeil took to the stage, to fulfill the true intent of this event, and enlightened the room about The A21 Campaign and the many victims of human trafficking. She talked about the horrors that most of us have never heard about, and also the power we all have in us to help. Jeremy Blackwood sang an original song, "She's Loved," that he wrote specifically for Fashion For Freedom. The song was melodically beautiful, yet the content was heavy with a victim's dark story of abuse, loss, and terror. The presentations came to a close and it was time for door prizes and to announce the winning designer. Tessa Stamp won a flight for 2 anywhere in North America for her incredible hat and coat design made from Atlas pages. Congratulations, Tessa! And so the event ended, and the support and donations received far surpassed our expectations, truly conveying the eagerness of the community to congregate around a worthy cause. We can’t wait to do it again next year.//

Please visit our FFF 2013 page on our website for all the information on our first annual event, as well as our FFF 2014 page for updates on next year's Fashion For Freedom. There is a full gallery of the night's activities, as well as all the designs. We'd like to give a special thank you to J Crew who provided all the jewelry and accessories for each model, Volume Salons for providing hair styling, MC College for providing Make-Up artistry, City Life for the perfect venue, and Kosmos Restaurant and Lounge for the delicious food. Below are just a taste of the photos from the event. All photos by Brittany Paige Photography.

-B

FFF Artistic Director and Emcee, Candice Fiorentino, with our beautiful models in some of the innovative designs. (Brittany Paige Photography)

The night's winning design by Tessa Stamp, modelled here by Mark Blackwood. The piece was made with Atlas Pages. (Brittany Paige Photography)

Designed by Paola Cantal using cotton mop strings, a table cloth, car sunshade foil, plastic bags, and nuts & bolts, modelled here by Jaryn Weir. Hair by Volume Salon. Make-up by MC College. (Brittany Paige Photography)

Designed by Christa Joy Hoefling using mylar, modelled here by Shanelle Roline. Hair by Volume Salon. Make-up by MC College. (Brittany Paige Photography)

Designed by Kyla Porter using reused coffee filters, modelled here by Andrea Klassen. Hair by Volume Salon. Make-up by MC College. (Brittany Paige Photography)

Designed and modelled by Gage Boettcher using coffee filters. Hair by Volume Salon. Make-up by MC College. (Brittany Paige Photography)

Our guest speaker, Jessica Corbeil, talking about The A21 Campaign. (Brittany Paige Photography)

Jeremy Blackwood singing "She's Loved", a song he wrote specially for the event. (Brittany Paige Photography)

The evening's winning designer, Tessa Stamp, with Emcee, Candice Fiorentino, holding the big giant invisible cheque representing a flight for two anywhere in North America. (Brittany Paige Photography)

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4/21/2013

Fashion For Freedom - 1 Week Away!

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We are one week away from our much anticipated event, Fashion For Freedom! The girls and I have accomplished many different tasks while planning this event: hiring a caterer, finding entertainment, volunteers, a venue, media coverage, equipment rental... this list goes on and on. The evening will be filled with tons of great people, delicious food, fun beverages, silent auction items, merchandise for sale, and the main event: the fashion show! If you don't already know, we've asked 20 local Edmonton and area artists to create two pieces of raw couture each using anything-but-fabric. (I.E. paper, plastic, metal, tape...) We are expecting some very creative pieces and, from the few we've seen so far, the audience will not be disappointed. To add to the fashion show fun there will be dancers, singers, speakers, and a beautiful short film. (Check out a teaser of the film made by Joses Martin on our Facebook Page.)

The most important part of this night is that all proceeds go to The A21 Campaign, an organization that exists to abolish injustice in the 21st Century. They help rescue and provide the victims of human trafficking with a safe and comforting environment, with access to medical and psychological care, vocational training, secondary education assistance, counseling and access to legal assistance.

What is so heart-warming is how many people have come forward with generous offers to help, donate and volunteer. We've received emails from strangers who, having planned similar events, offer us advice. We've had companies donate exciting silent auction prizes such as an iPad, Chanel Sunglasses, Handmade Jewelry, and a flight for two anywhere in North America. I'd like to give a special shout out to Poiema Gal, Candice Fiorentino, who is the heart and soul of this project. She has been planning to throw an event of this grandeur for years now and it has finally come to fruition. She has worked extremely hard in every aspect of planning this event and I believe she is a big part of why so many people want to be involved.

Fashion For Freedom will take place Saturday, April 27th. Doors open at 6:30pm. Check out www.fashionforfreedom.ca for more information and how you can get tickets. We hope to see you there!

-B

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4/8/2013

Where in the World

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Good day! I have returned home from my extended and wonderful trip to Australia and Hong Kong. Ah, the perks of having family all over the world. Traveling has become an accidental hobby of mine, a passion I happened to fall into. From year long backpacking trips with friends, to family visits 26 hours away, I've got to experience many different parts of the world.

When I travel somewhere new, I try to live life like the locals: taking off my tourist shoes and discovering a local bar, a secret waterfall, or getting short-term jobs that most visitors don't get to experience. I think the desire to find these things stems from our innate passion to fit in, to belong and feel like we're part of something. I was talking to my sister about the importance of traveling and she stressed the fact that so many people don't do it. Yes, many don't have family they can visit in exotic places, but some just don't want to either. I hope that everyone has a time in their life when their curiosity brings them to a new place, out of their comfort zone, across the language barrier, and to a place overflowing with a new culture. It teaches you humility, modesty, and respect. Most of all, the experiences stay with you and become a part of who you are.

Happy traveling!

-B

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3/17/2013

Welcome to Hong Kong

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I write this post from the big, smoggy, happening city of Hong Kong, where I have been vacationing/working/enjoying myself for the past month. My father being from here, I expected to visit maybe once or twice in my lifetime, but this is now my 6th time here. My sisters both live here now, as do my adorable niece and nephew. It is a wonderful place full of busy, ambitious and motivated people whose creativity is embraced and welcomed with open arms. Everyone I meet here believes my 'vacation' will never end; that I will decide to stay here as they had when they were expecting to leave. I can see why the've stayed. It's an infectious city with millions of things happening at all times of the day and night and many friendly faces you seem to run into daily. Most of the people I have met have moved here for an occupation or big opportunity and ended up loving it so much, they stayed.

Traveling around the world has been a big part of my life for the past 5 years and I am very aware how lucky I am to say that. Seeing different countries and their cultures for extended periods of time has shown me alternate ways of life. I try to take the things I appreciate from every place I visit and remember to use them in my own life, no matter where I am. Hong Kong has taught me to be driven, Perth-friendly, Laos-outgoing, Fox Glacier-brave, Rome-strong... and Paris has taught me that I love pastries.

I am thankful for every experience, good and bad, that I have because I know they are building me into the person I will become. My flight is booked to come home April 4th. Even though I'm not moving to Hong Kong as of now, I promise to take this slice of Chinese life with me when I go.

-B

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Edmonton Fringe-It's the most wonderful time of the year!

A Weekend To Remember

LONDON (Ontario) FRINGE!

Sasquatch!

What A Night - The First Annual Fashion For Freedom

Fashion For Freedom - 1 Week Away!

Where in the World

Welcome to Hong Kong

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