Augusto Boal: World Theatre Day 2009

The following is Augusto Boal's World Theatre Day Message:

All human societies are “spectacular*” in their daily life and produce “spectacles” at special moments. They are “spectacular” as a form of social organization and produce “spectacles” like the one you have come to see.

Even if one is unaware of it, human relationships are structured in a theatrical way. The use of space, body language, choice of words and voice modulation, the confrontation of ideas and passions, everything that we demonstrate on the stage, we live in our lives. We are theatre!

Weddings and funerals are “spectacles”, but so, also, are daily rituals so familiar that we are not conscious of this. Occasions of pomp and circumstance, but also the morning coffee, the exchanged good-mornings, timid love and storms of passion, a senate session or a diplomatic meeting - all is theatre.

One of the main functions of our art is to make people sensitive to the “spectacles” of daily life in which the actors are their own spectators, performances in which the stage and the stalls coincide. We are all artists. By doing theatre, we learn to see what is obvious but what we usually can’t see because we are only used to looking at it. What is familiar to us becomes unseen: doing theatre throws light on the stage of daily life.

Last September, we were surprised by a theatrical revelation: we, who thought that we were living in a safe world, despite wars, genocide, slaughter and torture which certainly exist, but far from us in remote and wild places. We, who were living in security with our money invested in some respectable bank or in some honest trader’s hands in the stock exchange were told that this money did not exist, that it was virtual, a fictitious invention by some economists who were not fictitious at all and neither reliable nor respectable. Everything was just bad theatre, a dark plot in which a few people won a lot and many people lost all. Some politicians from rich countries held secret meetings in which they found some magic solutions. And we, the victims of their decisions, have remained spectators in the last row of the balcony.

Twenty years ago, I staged Racine’s Phèdre in Rio de Janeiro. The stage setting was poor: cow skins on the ground, bamboos around. Before each presentation, I used to say to my actors: “The fiction we created day by day is over. When you cross those bamboos, none of you will have the right to lie. Theatre is the Hidden Truth”.

When we look beyond appearances, we see oppressors and oppressed people, in all societies, ethnic groups, genders, social classes and casts; we see an unfair and cruel world. We have to create another world because we know it is possible. But it is up to us to build this other world with our hands and by acting on the stage and in our own life.

Participate in the “spectacle” which is about to begin and once you are back home, with your friends act your own plays and look at what you were never able to see: that which is obvious. Theatre is not just an event; it is a way of life!

We are all actors: being a citizen is not living in society, it is changing it.

What "classics" will this moment in history create?

If you have any interest in arts or culture (and I assume that since you're here you do), you should read this post at The Williamsburg Yorktown Daily. It is written to an American public, but I think it has universal appeal. After all, what with Obama-mania hitting Ottawa today (and the White House liveblogging about it), it is our moment here in Canada, too. And throughout much of the world. Change. What will emerge out of this moment in history? And what will each of us contribute to it?

I have been plotting my contributions for some time. I don't have an answer yet. But I feel as if I'm on the verge of something.

News Update.

I am still behind on blogging. I've accepted it. It will be solved when it's solved. And that's all I can do about it for the moment.

That being said, it is frustrating to be behind in the conversation. I've been doing my best to keep up on the news, but I am clearly still missing bits and pieces. Mainly, I mean the conversation on the Canada Prizes for the Arts and Creativity. The conversation gets ever more interesting over at Praxis and MK at One Big Umbrella has alerted me to these two great articles (here and here) in The Globe and Mail. The whole thing grows sketchier by the second--particularly in the way the whole thing appears to have been proposed, using what seems to be false information to make it appear more legitimate (and more embraced by Canadian artists) than it actually is, to date. But Aaron at Tracking Righteousness really seems to get it--that what the Government failed to grasp when throwing all those dollars at the "artistic community" is that we aren't looking for a handout, we're looking for a little respect.

And, completely unrelated to that debate, I find this article to be inspiring--"A Pounding Patriotic Heartbeat and Scent of Gold." About the upcoming Vancouver 2010 Olympics and the impact on our nation. From yesterday's Globe and Mail. Refreshing.

A rant to precipitate change...

I really, really dislike not having an internet connection chez moi. The plan to go web-less was originally conceived as a cost-savings measure and was feasible, given that I surf from 9-5:30 Monday to Friday. But since I've gotten more heavily involved in the online community this plan leaves me feeling very disconnected on the weekends, as if I'm missing some very important appendage. It must be remedied in the coming weeks, time to bite the bullet and succumb to my www(dot)addiction. Because now I have spent the first two hours of my Monday catching up on everything I missed over the weekend and well, that's just silly.

Or maybe I'm just grumpy because I got all the way through the hundreds of posts in my Google Reader before blogTO posted today's Morning Brew. What can I say, it's how I like to start my morning.

There is more to this post, though. This one is about politics. Again before noon, I know. I apologize. But I can't help it. It's in the air. Can you feel it? Like electricity, crackling, igniting...sending shock waves through the populace. It is the eve of an historic event and the world is watching.

As Capitol Hill prepares for the inauguration of the 44th President of the United States of America the national news networks seem unable to report on anything else. Other events of global importance are occurring, to be sure, but there is nothing to top this. It is literally all anyone can talk about. Well, almost. A few people up here in the Great White North seem not to have forgotten that our very own government will be back in the office in the coming week. Whether or not it will be as glamourous, as exciting, as momentous, or even as productive as the political process occuring to the South remains to be seen. I imagine not. Nevertheless, the return of Stephen Harper to his throne office should be of some significance to those of us residing in Canada as, following a deep freeze in government only barely matched by our frigid winter weather, change may be on our door steps, too.

To begin, no one (at least no one in the artistic community) has forgotten Mr. Harper's now infamous comments about "ordinary Canadians" and the arts. While outrage over his statements and budget failed to sway the outcome of the Federal Election in October, the artistic community's passion on the topic has not yet been exhausted. Not even close. Rather, in what has become to many a war for our survival as a culture, we have set about proving him wrong in every way we possibly can. The rise of the Department of Culture has certainly helped in the call to action and now arguments about the reality of living and working as an artist in Canada are just about everywhere.

The latest example is an article in the Toronto Star, part of a series examining the lives of Canadian artists, extolling the virtues of other government's relationships with their artists and proposing some changes to our own troubled association. I realize that in these darkening economic times supporting the arts seems rather indulgent and unessential, but the reality is that culture create jobs. No, they are not automotive or industrial jobs but their value is no less and the product they create is equally as exportable and profitable. How do we decide, really, who deserves a "bailout?" According to the Star, last year arts and culture generated $84.6 billion in economic activity, which is approximately 7.4% of our GDP, and "employed 1.1 million Canadians directly and indirectly." Isn't that worth supporting?

And heading into the battle over the budget is a new leader, arguably a cultural contributor himself. Michael Ignatieff heads to the Hill as the new leader of the Liberals when Parliament at long last resumes later this month. Ignatieff, who could perhaps be placed amongst the "gala-going elite" moreso than most of us humble artists, has one of the most impressive C.V.s in Ottawa. Amongst his many accomplishments are sixteen books, including three novels. One of the most recent, The Lesser Evil: Political Ethics in an Age of Terror, has been dispatched to Mr. Harper as required reading by one Yann Martel, who almost a year ago vowed to send Mr. Harper a new book every two weeks for as long as he is prime minister. While there has been little talk of the Coalition by Mr. Ignatieff in recent days, Mr. Ignatieff writes in his book that "liberal states cannot be protected by herbivores." In light of such, I would encourage him to go for the jugular...

Finally, the political buzz is that the soon to be President Obama will be heading North to see us in the near future. In his attempts to temper expectations amongs the American people, which have soared beyond proportion and reason since the election, Obama has Canadians wondering what his administration might mean for us. While this interdependence is unfortunate in many respects (they could inadvertently make things much worse here, as we could to a lesser extent there), it is what keeps the lines of communication open. It is, I think, what keeps us from killing each other. At any rate, Roy MacGregor at the Globe and Mail has some excellent suggestions for beginning the conversation between the American head of state and ours (oh wait, he isn't really, is he?...scratch that). It is an excellent look at the paradoxes of Canadian politics and of the Canadian character. Certainly an important introduction to any visiting diplomat. At the very least, he'll be familiar with The Hockey Song.

Suffice to say, changes are taking place all over and with greater speed than most of us can wrap our heads around, even in this post-twitter global village we inhabit. The whole thing is, in many ways, a mess. It would almost be laughable if it weren't so serious. But there is something in the wind that suggests we may yet come out on top.

On the one hand, the future is bleak. But on the other hand, maybe it isn't.

Theatre is useful.

"We need a type of theatre which not only releases the feelings, insights, and impulses possible within the particular historical field of human relations in which the action takes place, but employs and encourages those thoughts and feelings which help transform the field itself."

--Bertolt Brecht

Lyn Gardner of The Guardian wrote a post today in her Theatre Blog about theatre's role in world politics and events. I tend to believe all good theatre is "useful," and even some of the not-so-good theatre, regardless of how far-removed it may be from the event to which it speaks. I'm not sure there are any new stories, either on stage or in history. I think, for the most part, we are repeating ourselves. We are not inventing new tales but instead finding new ways of telling them. And we are constantly reflecting, trying to better understand ourselves and each other (or, at least, we should be). Given this, as long as a piece of theatre was once relevant, isn't there a good chance it will be relevant again in the future? There must be a reason Shakespeare is still produced 400 odd years later. I think theatre serves a greater purpose to humanity than we may ever understand...after all, we've been debating the art of theatre since the dawn of time.

Keeping it real, community-style.

This morning’s encounter combined with my daily internet reading list has me thinking about community. Community being a fairly constant theme in my musings, it’s something I have a lot of ideas about—unfortunately more than I currently have time to express. But, suffice to say for now, I think we all have a longing to belong somewhere and I think that part of the key to both surviving and thriving as a starving artist is to feel that you do belong somewhere. The creative community is a powerful place…and the best way to belong is by participating, however you see fit. Here are some suggestions on how to participate from today’s web surf:

Mike Sheerin, a documentary filmmaker in Toronto, set out to make a film about what kids say to Santa Claus. What Mike Sheerin got was a film about the lives of three local Mall Santas. These three men don the red and white suit for the last month and a half of each year and engage the imagination of every wee one to sit on their knee. For them, this is a calling; it is the highlight of their year. And the end comes abruptly each December 25th, bringing a bittersweet break until next year. Chronicling this, Mall Santa, airs tomorrow night, Thursday, December 18, at 8:00 EST on Global. You can also bring joy to your own local Mall Santa by visiting between now and Christmas Eve!

Check out your local independent bookstore! I know, I have a huge love of Indigo, but I am always on the prowl for a good independent specialty bookstore—on which note, does anyone know of a good drama bookstore in Toronto? Chances are that the staff at a local bookstore are doing it because they love it and because they know their stuff, while Indigo can be great, the case may not be the same. And it turns out that the service they can offer is part of what is keeping them in the game—their connection to the community. So if you have a local bookstore, go see what they have to offer!

And finally (for now), there is a great profile on a Toronto singer/songwriter, Simone Fornow. In addition to her accomplishments thus far just being very neat, I appreciate the locality of her songwriting. It’s immediateness to a specific community, as well as her commitment to community. I won’t write more about her here, you have to go to BlogTO to check out their profile/interview. It’s definitely worth it.

Finally, Toronto Plays Itself

Toronto Stories, a film by Aaron Woodley, Sook Yin Lee, Sudz Sutherland, and David Weaver, has finally cast our fair city as itself. There are many films that have shot here in the GTA but rarely, if ever, are they actually set here--Toronto has an impressive resume when it comes to being cast as foreign locales. As a result, very rarely do we see the city we know and love on the big screen. And Toronto Stories is changing that: the film, which is actually a story told through four shorts, is set in some of our most familiar 'hoods. It follows a young boy, new to the city and just arrived at Pearson, through Cabbagetown, into Kensington, onto our streets, and down into our tunnels before finally culminating at Union Station.

The film premiered at TIFF this year, features four of our countries future filmmakers who are just on the cusp, and is a grand debut for our city as we know it. It plays for a week, beginning tomorrow, at the Royal Cinema, 608 College St. West. For more, check out this excellent post on BlogTO. Go see it!

On my own personal note, I think it's great that these directors decided to show Toronto off for itself. Or at least, that they had that aim...I can't speak better to it as I have yet to see the film. But if you adhere to the philosophy that everyone has a story, which I do, Toronto is full of them. What is your Toronto story? And how would you tell it?

Mark Shaiman: Musical Genius

Apparently, the great musical mind behind Proposition 8: The Musical was none other than Mark Shaiman, also the composer of Hairspray and of many songs from South Park: Bigger, Longer, & Uncut. It started when Shaiman emailed basically everyone he knew about the news that Scott Eckern, the musical director of Sacramento’s California Musical Theater, donated money to a Yes-on-Prop 8 campaign. Shaiman was totally outraged (and rightfully so, in my opinion) that someone who works so closely with a community that encompasses many, many gay, lesbian, and transgendered people and who profits by their work could do such a thing. Mr. Eckern has since resigned, for which Shaiman expresses some remorse as that was never his intention.

Proposition 8: The Musical was put together in about a week after Adam McKay, one of the co-founders of Funny or Die, having received Shaiman's email, asked him to write a song about it. Since then, the video has received more than a million hits. Though Shaiman feels it's unfortunate he didn't think of it several weeks earlier, he did say he felt better for having done it. See? Activism makes you feel all warm and fuzzy inside.

For the full interview in the NY Times, click here. Photo AP/Funny or Die

Leonard Cohen: Renaissance Man

The living legend that is Leonard Cohen--Canadian singer-songwriter, novelist, poet, and now visual artist--currently has an exhibition of his drawings in Vancouver. They were previously shown here in Toronto during the Luminato Festival. His son, Adam Cohen, talks about the exhibit and his famous father in this sweet article in The Globe and Mail.

The exhibit is at Linda Lando Fine Art, 2001 W. 41st Ave., Vancouver, from Friday until Dec. 31.
See where diversifying could lead some day?

The Well-Rounded Theatre Person.

J. Kelly Nestruck posted this piece to his blog on The Globe and Mail today. It's about whether or not theatre critics should moonlight in the theatre. An interesting question...

The argument against it is basically that moonlighting impairs objectivity. How can you be objective in your review of someone's play if you might be auditioning for them the next day? It is somewhat of a dilemma...but only if you allow it to be. First of all, I'm not sure "objectivity" really exists anyway, it's more like points on a line--more objective, less objective (or more subjective and less subjective, depending on how you see the cup), etc. I think it is possible to maintain some sense of objectivity regardless of your relationship to whatever it is you're reviewing (and the reality is that even if a critic isn't moonlighting, if he or she has been covering theatre for any length of time, there are bound to be relationships there anyway). It just takes a very specific kind of person to be able to do both and do them well; you need a thick enough skin to not care what the backlash of a scathing review (when deserved) may be on your moonlighting career.

Part of the argument for critics playing other roles in the theatre, whether on stage or behind the scenes, is that it encourages them to "get their hands dirty." This idea is sort of in keeping with my training--that in order to do one thing well in the theatre you have to know how the whole thing works. I learned film crew stuff, tech crew stuff, theatre history, theatre theory, the construction of theatres, the business of theatres, etc. etc. etc., and, you know, it did make me a better actress. So, shouldn't working in a theatre in some capacity make a critic more rather than less capable of writing a review?

We should all hope to have critics who moonlight in theatre reviewing us because at least that means they have some idea of what it is that we do and of what it is we are trying to create. Perhaps this will make them more forgiving, perhaps less so, but what's more important is that it gives them greater knowledge of how theatre works. I guess what I'm saying is, better to be reviewed by the person who auditioned after you than by some pseudo-intellectual critic who has no interest whatsoever in the theatre world. The disclaimer being that there are, of course, critics who don't moonlight but are still good critics. Although, maybe they'd be even better with a little stage time? And maybe some theatre artists out there could moonlight in writing reviews...It's all about diversifying, after all.

Cliff Notes for the Reluctant Theatre-goer

There is quite the witty article in London's Guardian newspaper about Neil LaBute's show In A Dark, Dark House. The column "What to say about..." is a regular feature, I've just never heard of it. But I love the idea! And it looks as if he's covered just about everything currently playing.

Basically, it pieces together all of the reviews of the play to provide you with fodder for a conversation, should someone ask you what you thought of the play. Very useful against the snooty intellectual types.

It's worth a look and laugh. Oh, and the play sounds quite interesting to. If anyone is in London, check it out.

Tina Fey Takes Over the World. Finally.

Above is the cover for the January 2009 issue of Vanity Fair. What could be better? Well, other than the rest of the photos by Annie Leibovitz, there is the article by NY Times writer Maureen Dowd. Check it out here.

Tina Fey is brilliant, in short. She is a woman to watch. Not only is she hilarious, but she is so smart. Incredibly smart. And she's a good person--in the real person sense of that, not in the saintly sense. In a way we can all aspire to and actually achieve, without ever having billions of dollars.

I think she's an excellent role model for younger comediennes and actresses. Not only has she done incredibly well for herself, but it certainly seems that she has done it all without compromising herself in any way. In a nutshell, she is intelligent, hilarious, principled, and someone you can really respect. To say nothing of gorgeous. All in a real person kind of way.

We all need good role models. Add Tina Fey to the list. This is just the beginning!