WRITE OR FLIGHT/WRITE OR FLIGHT RESPONSE

At midnight on Friday, November 16, these brave playwrights were taken to disturbing locations to write a disturbing 10-minute play in 24 hours. Isolated. Haunted. Creepy. Uneasy. Frightening. Paddy wants me to do this …. Gulp. Maybe someday….

Write of Flight Response

Katharine Mills from Unhinged

KATHARINE MILLS is an actor, designer, writer and visual artist. She has appeared in multiple roles in KW’s annual site-specific urban theatre production, Asphalt Jungle Shorts. She is a partner in local experimental theatre company What!sInThere?! Productions; she performed in their productions of Copy Protection and Children’s Crusade, and acted as facilitator and stage manager for their recent Fringe production of Psy Co.’s Cross. Other recent appearances include JM Drama’s Tales of the Grimm, and Galt Little Theatre’s Queen Milli of Galt and, A Clean Breast, in UnHinged 12.

Paddy Gillard Bentley Artistic Director of Flush Ink Productions

PADDY GILLARD-BENTLEY- playwright,director, producer & poet has had over 60 of her plays produced in USA, Canada, England & Ireland. Two of her plays are published. PGB is the founder and Artistic Director of Flush Ink Productions, past President of The International Centre for Women Playwrights and the Chair of The Coalition of Performing Artists (COPA).Paddy has also worked with MT Space, KW Youth Theatre & The Studio Players. PGB has been involved in theatre one way or another since her mother performed in Time Out for Ginger when four months pregnant with Paddy.

 For more (if you dare) – http://www.flushink.net/index.html

Kitchener • Centre in the Square • November 2012

Director: David Atkins
Music Director: Michael Brown
Choreographer: Janet Kubik

itchener Waterloo Musical Productionswas founded in 1948 as the Twin City Operatic Society. The early productions were performed in the auditorium at The Church of the Good Shepherd. As the performances grew and a larger space was needed, the stages at KCI and WCI fit the bill. In 1968, the group found a permanent home for rehearsing, set building and storage at its current location on Shaftsbury Drive and became Kitchener Waterloo Musical Productions.

Since then the group has been performing on stages around the Region.The highlight of each year is hitting the stage at Kitchener’s 2,200-seat, state-of-the-art theatre – the Centre in the Square. While many people in the region enjoy the shows presented at the theatre, KWMP is the only non-professional theatre company that provides performers the opportunity to “strut their stuff” on this glorious stage year after year. Behind the scenes, our Board of Directors – made up of dedicated multi-talented volunteers – is committed to our organization and the excellent productions that we give our community.

I had lots of fun chatting with Hairspray cast members Amber, Michela, and Reuben from the show. Brava you three.

Kive our community.

Jeese Webber and Jack Drysdale Pender have become regulars on Coral FM – and we like to have Wild and Crazy Excellent Musical Adventures from Ja ck and Jesse Unplugged to playing all of our fave songs.

Jesse Webber and Jack Drysdale Pender dropped by the Sound FM studio to play some Pink Floyd Unplugged.

The Crazy Diamonds are a sparkling nine piece ensemble who (in addition to their eclectic choice of funkadelic, sweet soul song renditions and original works) also do The Pink Floyd Songbook proud every single time they have ventured to The Dark Side.

Special Thanx to J and J for Super Big Fun on the show this week. 
Shine on Boyos! – Coral FM.        

And the Crazy Diamonds are playing Elements Friday Aug 22. Jack and Jesse will be here once again Aug 20 for another Excellent Adventure.  Here is the complete series of interviews with my pals Jack and Jeese.

Sassy Ray of Sassy Ray Burlesque

Burlesque performer, vocalist, comedian, teacher, motivational speaker,producer, hostess, bombshell.

Founder of Sassy Ray Burlesque and Cabaret (Kitchener) and affliate of Great Canadian Burlesque (Toronto), Miss Ray has been bringing Burlesque Revival to the masses since 2006.  Known as “The Voice That Makes Ya Moist”, Sassy Ray emerged on the Toronto scene in early 2011 and her brand of music, comedy and tease quickly became a crowd favorite. She has been featured in The Record, Spin, The Spoke and Burlesque Beat publications, and was recently viewed nation wide on Global TV News Toronto.  She has been fortunate enough to share the stage with such burlesque legends as Roxi D’Lite (Miss Exotic World 2010), Minnie Tonka (NYC Royalty), Burlesque Hall of Fame members Tanya Cheex and Mitzy Cream, Burlesque legends Tiffany Carter and Tempest Storm, and Toronto’s own international super star Coco Framboise.

With a lifelong passion for theatrical performance and strong 25+ year dance background under her belt, Miss Ray now focuses her creative energies on teaching and performing Classic  Revival Burlesque, honoring and authentically recreating the lost Art of Tease so popular in the 1930s-through the end of the 1960s. 

This chat was …  very VO DEE OH DOH….. OO!  – Coral FM

This is an older chat but Rachel has taken the concept of Kaufman Arts Studio to the next level through the Kaufman Arts Initiative. 

We have decided to take a ‘leap of faith,’ shifting our focus from a physical studio space to an incentive and vision beyond four walls. 

The Kaufman Arts Studio will now be the Kaufman Arts Initiative; an incentive to promote and support both Professional and Emerging Artists. One of the fundamental principles for the Initiative will be working within the community, acting as a bridge between corporate, academic and artistic enterprises. We wish to mentor, support and fund artists, with a strong emphasis on training and development.
This will be an ever-evolving Project, as we still stand by our mandate to support this Community wholeheartedly with creative collaboration, support and yes- FUNDING! We want to hear your ideas for new, innovative study and creation, and will support all Artists and members of the Community who seek to become part of projects within a healthy, happy and creative spirit.
I would be happy to hear from you about collaboration or any ideas you have that would benefit our Community as we move forward with this amazing Project. Our Facebook page and Twitter address have not changed, so please follow us for all the exciting news!  – Rachel.

On the show rachel speaks about the Robertson Davies play that the collective did as well.

Steel Rail Sessions is Waterloo Region’s annual art party on a train. 

Featuring local artists, musicians, art installations, interactive activities, great local food and craft beer on a historical train as it travels from Uptown Waterloo to Elmira and back. Each year we surprise our guest with a new and exciting experience that will entertain and push limits, all aboard the beautiful and rustic Waterloo Central Railway.
I have done this and it was a lot of fun. Hilary drops by to chat about KW’s coolest Party in Motion. – Coral FM

Listen, Leslie

Director: Trisha Villanueva

A show from the entire ensemble, Listen, Leslie is anybody’s story. 

Anybody who has ever struggled with control over their life.

Anybody who has ever doubted their fate.

Anybody who has ever forgotten to have fun.

Anybody who has ever been afraid to live.

Leslie, a young, strong-willed woman who has got her entire life planned out for her fails to realize that sometimes life is not that simple. Fate interferes with Leslie’s well planned life as she unravels into a maddening journey of acceptance and self-discovery.

Cast members Steph, Hailey, and Steve of Listen Leslie spoke about this collaborative theatre piece on Coral FM.

Asphalt Jungle Shorts Players

Asphalt Jungle Shorts is defined as The Intersection of Theatre and Reality. AND beginning tonight!! actors will lead the unsuspecting audience on an intriguing sojourn through the streets of downtown Kitchener – both physically and literally.
Flush Ink Productions Artistic Director Paddy Gillard Bentley speaks about Asphalt Jungle Shorts VIII, and its evolution. This includes the recent inaugural staging of AJS in Waterloo as the troupe performed through the nooks and cool little crannies, restos and pubs of the Uptown core. Paddy also spoke about Flush Ink’s Urban Theatre Festival Unhinged and intoxicating new novel The Unexploded Boer written by Erich Rautenbach.
For more info on AJS VIII and other Flush Ink shows including Unhinged, and She Speaks, go to Flush Ink.  And because Flush Ink is “Theatre That Thinks Outside the Theater” I think it’s rather apropos that this chat was recorded live in the studio from my Edirol recorder’s digital mic, hence the edgier sound quality. So pump up the volume! – Cheers Coral FM

www.flushink.net

People along Kitchener’s Iron Horse Trail for a number of Arts Events and Activites

The Iron Horse Trail, which connects UW with downtown Kitchener, will be the site of much conviviality with the Animate the Trailfestival Sunday, May 27 1-5 p.m. At either end of the Iron Horse Trail are two large, beautiful parks. Waterloo Park, located in between the city’s two universities, just south of University Ave. features sports field, picnic tables, a splash park, a duck pond, and a small zoo with llamas and peacocks and stuff. See that antique train? Yep, that’s where you catch it to go to the market. See that futuristic black building? Yes, that’s the Perimeter Institute. Sometimes, Stephen Hawking hangs out there. Cool, huh? Kitchener’s corresponding park is Victoria Park, a lovely expanse of gardens, water and bridges, with a really, really good playground (just in case you have a small philosopher with you). It’s yer classic Commonwealth park, complete with statue of Queen Victoria and cannons to play on.

I spoke with Waterloo Region Record columnist Martin De Groot about this new event.