War of 1812 Celebrations Articles

Tuesday, June 18, 2013

MAID for a MUSKET ~ Career of a Playwright ~ Secrets to Success

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

As part of the War of 1812 Celebrations, Ontario Visited is excited to share some “SCOOP” about their upcoming performance “MAID for a MUSKET”, a brand new comedy by Lucia Frangione, Original music by Melissa Morris. Ian Farthing, Artistic Director of the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival has kindly introduced us to Ms. Lucia Frangione, internationally produced award winning playwright and actor. Together with Ian’s input, we continue …

IMPORTANCE of the ST. LAWRENCE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL … IMPACTING the CAREER of a PLAYWRIGHT …

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, is also an accomplished Director/Actor/Singer/Performer. He is also “witty” “cleaver”, kind, generous and thoughtful! Once again, I called on Ian for his input with the next question for Lucia Frangione. Ian asked … “How does working with a Festival, such as the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, impact the career of a Playwright. Lucia tells us …“Ian has given me to the opportunity to write for a new audience, a large cast (a rare luxury, most theatres tend to produce new Canadian plays with a cast of six or less) and delve into a piece of history I didn’t know much about beforehand. I also had the opportunity to study one of Shakespeare’s lesser known plays, Love’s Labour’s Lost. I am able to write a play that is, in a way, a love letter to the people of Prescott. Not only to honor the people in the town’s past but to celebrate the particular things that make that little corner of the world beautiful and unique: the river, the wild flowers, some of the historical buildings…that sort of thing. The royalties go to a living breathing Canadian writer, a single Mom who really needs the pay cheque, unlike, say, Noel Coward’s estate.”

IMPORTANCE OF VOLUNTEERS … ST. LAWRNECE SHAKESPEARE FESTIVAL SECRETS TO SUCCESS …

For many festivals and events, historical sites, attractions and museums, it is critical to have Volunteers! For this edition of THE INSIDE SCOOP I asked Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival if he could share with us some techniques on managing so many volunteers, performers? Mr. Farthing tells us …“Organization is key! At the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival we hire a full-time outreach coordinator each summer whose job is partly to recruit, train, schedule and retain volunteers. The key to having a successful team of volunteers is to ensure that each person knows that their contribution is valued and vital. And to make it fun! If people are giving their time and talents voluntarily, we want them to enjoy themselves! In a way, it can be very similar when dealing with an ensemble of actors. You'll get the best out of a cast if they feel their contribution is essential to the production.”

Ontario Visited thanks both Lucia Frangione and Ian Farthing, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival! Check out their website for the details (www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca), plan on a fun, and great, memorable time!

Friday, June 14, 2013

Call for Vendors ~ Fort Henry ~ St. Lawrence Parks Commission ~ Will Baird

www.forthenry.com

Will Baird, Manager, Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.parks.on.ca

Ontario Visited interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks continues …

“CALL FOR VENDORS”

New for 2013... Fort Henry is excited to announce The Trade Square. The Trade Square is Kingston's newest shopping district inside the walls of the Fort. Shoppers will enter the Upper Fort free of charge, shop the rooms and outdoor stalls and have lunch or dinner on Kingston's newest outdoor patio which overlooks the beautiful city.

The Trade Square will operate Wednesday - Sunday from June 29th - September 2nd, plus run throughout Fort Fright. Core hours will be 10:00am - 5:00pm, with extended hours occurring on holidays, special events and Sunset Ceremony nights throughout the summer. Vendors will include artists, crafts people, retailers, museums, organizations, and food & beverage providers.

Call for Vendors

“The Trade Square will include indoor spaces and outdoor spaces, seasonal and monthly options. In total there are 7 casements and 20 outdoor spaces. Space will be allotted and booked based on space requirements of vendor. Seasonal rentals will be given preference on booking. Indoor monthly or seasonal spaces can operate as a studio / retail space where artists and vendors are encouraged to work as well as sell. The main season will be June 29 - September 2, which includes the Canada Day Market and Civic Holiday Market as well as other special events during that time period at no extra charge.”

Get in touch with the Fort today to join in the fun! In the meantime, please check out Fort Henry website at (LINK) for the Sunset Ceremony details; Upper Canada Village at (LINK) and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at (LINK).

Tuesday, June 11, 2013

MAID for a MUSKET ~ Greater Opportunities for Our Next Generation

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

Lucia Frangione, continues on telling what she felt was the importance of the performing arts in our society today.

“A Canadian playwright will understand the Canadian experience and it is different from other places in the world. I will speak your language. I will have your sense of humor. I do know the color of your sky. I have tasted the first strawberries in Ontario and picked them with my father. I have been bitten by horseflies. I have walked along the St Lawrence River as the sun sets. I have been so humidly hot in the summer I want to jump into a bath full of ice cubes. I have been in love with a boy who plays lacrosse and have kissed his face, his face with the tiny bit of ice crystal snot around the nose, hoping it doesn’t melt too fast…you might be chuckling or wincing right now reading this, why? Because you’ve done the same thing! I watch you and listen to you and put you up on the stage and share your voice with the rest of the world. You think Beyonce is going to do that? You think Tarantino can? No. They’re great novelties and amazing artists. But we tell each other who we are. We inform each other what we believe in, who we love, what we live for, what we strive to be. That is irreplaceable.”

GREATER OPPORTUNTIES FOR OUR NEXT GENERATION …

As our society changes with technology, I asked Ms. Frangione is she had any suggestions on how to encourage the youth today to participate in such a unique “field” that requires passion, talent, dedication and devotion. Lucia tells us …“I think my generation was the “TV generation” and the fear was that technology would replace all the live arts. I do see the youth today obsessed with their ipads, video games, itunes, etc, sure. But I also see the returned pleasure and value being found in taking dance, music lessons, drama…all the live arts. I think there is greater opportunity for this next generation to share their talent with the world through utube, social networking etc. A teenager now has the technology and networking available to them to shoot their own film, their own music video, their own live poetry reading, their dance routine, their piano concert, get it on line and share it with the world electronically or market a live event. It’s really amazing.”

Stay tuned for more exciting “SCOOP” from Lucia Frangione and Ian Farthing, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival! Check out their website for the details (www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca), plan on a fun, and great, memorable time!

Friday, June 7, 2013

Exciting News from the FORT ~ Fort Henry ~ St. Lawrence Parks Commission ~ Will Baird

www.forthenry.com

Will Baird, Manager, Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

www.parks.on.ca

Ontario Visited interview Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry, St. Lawrence Parks Commission

“EDUTAINMENT”… Looking towards the future … EXCITING NEWS from the “FORT”

Ontario Visited is extremely pleased to be working, this year, with the St. Lawrence Parks Commission, including Upper Canada Village and Fort Henry. For me, this past week was truly enlightening, as I had the privilege of interviewing Mr. Will Baird, Manager of Fort Henry - St. Lawrence Parks Commission. Will shared some “Edutainment” enthusiasm and excitement with us. For those of you who are not familiar with the word “Edutainment”, I believe it is the process of combing “EDUCATION with ENTERTAINMENT”. We will be posting Blog articles over the next few weeks talking with Mr. Will Baird about: “Edutainment”; “Why is history important!”, “Who said History was boring?”; “ The Famous NEW, EXCITING Sunset Ceremony”; “Controversy … Historians, artifacts, accuracy”; “Alive in Five” strategy: “The Trade Square”, “The most exciting Job ever!”, “TOTAL GAME CHANGER” …and more!

We being our Journey … In keeping up with what is relevant in consumer consumption; innovative plans are in place at Fort Henry. The revitalization of the Fort is all part of an “Alive in Five” strategy the St. Lawrence Parks Commission’s mantra to become financially self-sufficient within five years. What that means to you, the visitor, and consumer … “The upper fort now will be free for the public to enter”… “Waiting for new visitors is a wooden deck that spans the inside walls and offers an unparalleled view of Lake Ontario and the Royal Military College. Tables and chairs for more than 100 people will be added where they can sample light dishes and beverages. Some of the rooms that line the upper fort, formerly offices, will be turned over to vendors who will turn each one into a craft room. Tables will also be set up on the upper parade square, now to be called The Trade Square, to hold more items. The market will run from Sunday May 12, through September 14. “At any given time as long as the fort is open, you will be able to walk in there, free of admission charges, and go and browse the shops”. This area will be a permanent little artisan market that includes jewelry, sculpture, paintings, glassware and other crafts made from natural materials.

Don’t worry! …Mr. Baird tells me in part of our interview… It is important to continue to “get the historical message out there” … that it is not necessarily how the message is passed on, but, that it is passed on! Will states … "people can get caught up a lot in their efforts to be 100% accurate". Mr. Baird says that there can be cohesiveness between the reality of interpretation and true history enthusiasts. Fort Henry’s core business is to preserve millions of dollars of artifacts. Will Baird says that it is Fort Henry’s goal to preserve the core, but, they can spread the word, pass on the historical messages by engaging people.

Stay tuned for my upcoming Blogs, Articles and Newsletters. In the meantime, please check out Fort Henry website at (LINK) for the Sunset Ceremony details; Upper Canada Village at (LINK) and the St. Lawrence Parks Commission at (LINK).

Tuesday, June 4, 2013

MAID for a MUSKET ~ Importance of Performing Arts in our Society Today

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

IMPORTANCE OF PERFORMING ARTS in our SOCIETY TODAY! …

This might be one of my favorite questions to ask. Ontario Visited often finds out by asking, “What is the importance of living history”, “What is the importance of Volunteers”, “What is the importance of festivals and event” and; what social and economical impact occurs as a result in our society today! Today I asked Lucia Frangione, what she felt was the importance of the performing arts in our society today. This might be my favorite reply … She shares …

“All of us live and breathe art every single hour of every single day. We just don’t think about it as art necessarily. The colour on our walls. The print on our dress. The CD in our car. The episode on TV. The Christmas pageant our kids are in. When we need a little pick up to our day, we turn on the radio and search out a good song. When we want a little mental break from work, we pick out a good book. When we can’t understand some aspect of our own behavior or the confusing maddening behavior of our lover, our child, our neighbor, our neighboring country…we seek out some kind of story to help understand them better: a film, a novel, a play, an essay, an article, a photograph. Like hospitals, schools, political and spiritual constructs, urban infrastructure, social programs for the disadvantaged…a civilized society has always contributed financially through taxes or tries to keep these charitable organizations available to all people, not just for the rich and powerful. Can you imagine how crappy our art would be if we only created it for those who could pay for it?

Some worry about the future of theatre, that it is outmoded by film and tv. That’s as ridiculous as saying itunes will replace all live concerts or photography will replace sculpture.

There is something about being “live”, tangible, first person, that simply can’t be replaced. Live is harder. It’s immediate; you have to be spot on. There’s no retake. But that’s where the excitement is. That woman is actually singing that beautifully right in front of you. That man is actually dripping beads of sweat in this sword fight, that’s his technique, his footwork, his skill, his athleticism: it’s not animated. Those aren’t manufactured emotions. That’s real pain the actors find and reveal for the sake of bringing a character alive for your entertainment but also for a kind of connection with you.
Sure, I like an imported kiwi once in a while, but I think there is greater value in live, fresh, local art, just as there is more nutrient value in live, fresh local produce.

Tuesday, May 21, 2013

MAID for a MUSKET ~ Planning, Auditions, Concept, Musical Collaboration

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

Auditions, Planning, Concept, MUSICAL Collaboration … MAID for a MUSKET …

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, shares with us that nearly 1000 submissions from actors across the country wanted to audition for the season, which includes Hamlet. I was able to ask Ms. Frangione, how long did it take to come up with the concept and then create and write “Maid for a Musket”? I was surprised by her answer … “I didn’t have a lot of time, actually. A year and a half. I usually like to have two years at least. I had a lot of history to wade through too, but it was all very interesting and fun work.” Ian Farthing goes on to tell us … “As Lucia mentioned, we've done the whole new play creation process in just over 18 months, but in terms of planning the mainstage season, things are usually mapped out 2 years ahead”.

Ontario Visited wondered what Ms Frangione duties/roles are prior to and during a production for “Maid for a Musket?” She tells us …“I really hand over the reigns to the director but I’m around to make any edits and changes to the script that they inevitably discover in rehearsals. In this case, I am around for the first week of rehearsals and the last week right up to opening night.”

Maid for a Musket, at this year’s St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival features Original Music by Melissa Morris. We have had the privilege of watching Melissa Morris over the course of the past 4 years at the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival and enjoyed her roles and performances. Melissa is a drama and music graduate of Queen's University. She is also an actor and singer, music director and composer. I asked Ms. Frangione if she could tell us a little about her experience and collaborations with Melissa pertaining to “Maid for a Musket” creation. Lucia replies … “Our collaboration was long distance so we didn’t get to talk much. She was quick accommodating and super talented. It was easy because she’s utterly capable.”

Tuesday, May 14, 2013

MAID for a MUSKET ~ Forget the History Lesson ~ St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

Forget the History Lesson …

Merging Historical Characters into a Fiction Story …without it being just another “HISTORY LESSON”

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, is also an accomplished Director/Actor/Singer/Performer. He is also “witty” “cleaver”, kind, generous and thoughtful! I was fortunate to have Ian’s input with the next question for Lucia Frangione. Ian asks Ms. Frangione … “How does one tell a story clearly without it becoming a “history lesson?”

Lucia replies …“This is always the danger. I love history and it’s easy to get engrossed in details I find utterly fascinating but they don’t move the plot forward. For instance, the whole history of the Glengarry Light Infantry and the Macdonells…a whole trilogy of plays right there. The trick is to touch on it enough to pay tribute without getting too histrionic. Same with the historical characters. I am writing a fiction, an outrageous fiction, based very loosely on some historic events and people. I want to include the names of people who were around in order to honor them and to give the audience a little historical tidbit of interest. But if I get too precious with them and turn them into saints, that’s a strange sort of disrespect in and of itself. And let’s face it, perfect people are boring. I don’t know the dark side of Red George and Bishop Macdonell. History books don’t like to share that. So, I have lovingly and respectfully rendered them but I’ve invented a little rivalry all in good fun. This way they are human.”