This one goes out to all the supporters! Everyone who comes out to watch us perform, shows up to a fundraiser, gives us a word of encouragement – This one's for you.

I’ve been doing a lot of solo performing lately - Candice also, in her one woman show "Anatolia Speaks" (soon to be performed at the Edmonton fringe) - and the both of us have had a similar experience – It gets lonely. When on stage alone, in a city where you know few people, or no people at all, even performing to a sold out crowd, you feel alone when you leave the performance by yourself.

I never realized how much having even just one friend in the audience means more than having hundreds of audience members. To me, having someone in the audience who knows me and cares about me regardless of how my performance was, is very comforting.

On a slight side tangent, this experience goes to affirm that fame will never be the measure or delight of our successes as artists. It is the individuals we meet, connect with, learn from, and maybe even are blessed enough to grow with, that really enriches our lives, brings joy, and instills a deep sense of accomplishment.

How timely that I should be having this experience just around the time that Poiema had it’s fundraiser in Edmonton. To everyone who came out, know that regardless of what $ value you contributed to the evening, what has exponential value to us as a company is your support, your belief in us as young women hoping to create meaningful theatre and bring about a change.  We really are blessed to have you in our lives; it touches our hearts all the time.


-S

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"

A few months ago, a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to be a part of a new improvised musical workshop. I was honored and terrified. As usual, my instinct was to say no, but, against my natural reflex, I said yes. In some unspoken way, I made a choice for myself a few years ago that I would always say yes to a good opportunity, especially the scary ones. Since that choice, I have skydived Fox Glacier, scuba dived the Great Barrier Reef, jumped from worn ropes into unknown murky waters in Laos, walked through the haunted house at Universal Studios (I regret that one), stage managed shows with no experience, and treaded ice cold water in the Rocky Mountains… nude.

Improvisation may not seem as scary as these things, but my mind was filled with doubts and the heightened expectations I’d be under. I pictured an audience of people, watching me as they waited for a full solo number that was funny and impressive. But I said yes already. I had to go. 

My assumptions couldn’t have been more wrong. I showed up to the Varscona Theatre and was met by my friends and peers, all with the same excitement and slight fear in their eyes. My friend, Byron Martin, who put it all together calmed our worries right away. No expectations. No judgments. Improv shouldn’t be scary and he was right. We just began to play, something I haven’t done in a very long time. We played games, laughed A LOT, and even tried singing some songs accompanied by the extremely talented Erik Mortimer on the keys. And that is what we’ve been doing every week for the past few months. I’ve met amazing new people, surprised myself with what lyrics come out of my mouth when my brain has no time to prepare, but most of all I’ve had fun. I always leave with a smile on my face that has been stuck there for the past 2 hours of rehearsal. I am in awe of the local artists that come to rehearsal and blow me away with their talent and quick wit. I am proud to be on stage with these people. And as far as the ‘rules’ of improv go, my practice of always saying yes has come to good use. 

So come and see the “11 O'Clock Number” at the Varscona Theatre. Our first show is this Friday, January 11th at 11pm. We will perform a fully improvised, two-act musical on the spot based on suggestions from the audience. Produced by Grindstone Theatre, directed by Byron Martin, with pianist Erik Mortimer, and starring tons of local Edmonton artists. The show gives you a chance to get out on a Friday night and laugh, or cry, or be angry… because who knows what show we’ll come up with. 

-B

Find the event on Facebook here.
Buy tickets now here!

"The 11 O'Clock Number" plays every second Friday evening at 11pm at the Varscona Theatre starting January 11th until April 20th.