Why an Interview,,,

Over the years we have been able to meet and talk with some very interesting people. They have shared with us their knowledge and have provided us with a great deal of insight as to how and why festivals and events work and why they are so important to our communities and to the Province of Ontario. With this in mind, we decided that we wanted you to meet and hear from some of the wonderful people who work so hard to provide us all with such wonderful Ontario Festivals and Events! We are pleased and proud to present "THE INSIDE SCOOP"!

Tuesday, April 30, 2013

St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival ~ Maid for a Musket ~ Non Propagandist, How?

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright


















THE INSIDE SCOOPis excited continue with the SCOOPfrom the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Prescott, Ontario 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, we continue …
“Non Propagandist” ~ How?
From Lucia Frangione, internationally produced award winning playwright and actor “Biography, I noticed that she been closely associated with Vancouver's Pacific Theatre, whose mandate is “the non-propagandist exploration of Christian issues”. I asked Lucia … “As a “Propagandist”, is a form of communication aimed towards influencing the attitude of the community toward some cause or position by presenting only one side of an argument, we were wondering how you portray and write scripts based from a non-propagandist position. I was wondering if “humor” helped with the transition to non-propagandist explorations of issues.”
Frangione replies … I think it is a playwright’s responsibility to ask questions, not to give answers whether your mandate explores feminism, Christianity, the poverty in the East side, vegetarianism, Canadian history, BGLTQ community, the African Canadian experience…doesn’t matter. If an audience is told what to think or feel, they will be turned off, bored, and it will simply be crappy art. Exciting theatre is debate. It’s a balanced argument. It’s a tug of war of loyalties. It’s surprise. Audiences are engaged with a story when they can’t predict the ending, when they have to figure out for themselves who to root for and why.
Regarding balance, when I write a tragedy I always include a lot of comedy. When I write a comedy I always include tragedy. Maid for a Musket is a complete fun romp of a farce but it’s only funny because each character has a moment of genuine pain. Each has legitimate fear and hope for love. This isn’t a device: this is the truth of life. We laugh at funerals and we cry at weddings. It’s the way it goes. And in real life, like it is in a good play, we can constantly choose how to see things: light or dark.”
Stay tuned for more exciting SCOOPfrom 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!

Tuesday, April 16, 2013

St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival ~ Maid for a Musket ~ Jack of all Trades

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca


Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright

















THE INSIDE SCOOPis excited continue with the SCOOPfrom the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Prescott, Ontario 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, we continue …
“Jack of all Trades” … How to survive as an artist in Canada! …
Ontario Visited came upon this quote about Lucia Frangione “Frangione is considered one of BC's most promising writers. Critic Colin Thomas called Espresso "one of the best scripts ever produced by a Vancouver playwright." Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival was telling me that he worked for some time in Chemainus previously … For our readers today, they might be interest to know from Lucia, how much does a young person today need to be aware of their career path? Do they need to focus on a “core base” or be willing to travel, be adaptable and flexible, or, is it advisable to remain consistent with your path.
Frangione replies … “I believe one has to be a real “jack of all trades” to survive as an artist in Canada, especially in BC: the province with the least funding by a long shot. I write and act for stage mostly and that has been my focus, my first priority. And I established that first as I do have to work in several provinces. But along the way I have also done a bit of screen, anime scripts, industrial writing, audio scripts, radio plays, online magazine articles, voice over work. I teach playwriting and I’m a drama editor for Talon books, a single Mom, I’ve been a producer, an artistic director a board member and to make ends meet I nanny.
My advice to a young person: diversify. What you learn as an actor will inform your writing. If you learn to play guitar it will inform your writing. If you direct a play, it will inform your writing.
Also, there are many programs out there for emerging talent as a writer and actor, take them. There are grants out there specifically designed for emerging talent: apply. You’ll network, you’ll learn, you’ll build community. What theatres are looking for is someone who is talented, yes, but almost more importantly, someone who can be relied on to work hard, to be able to take direction/dramaturgy, and be humble and open in the creative process not precious or lazy. Find a few heroes, watch them, read them, ask them out for lunch (and pay) and then ask them questions about their career and any advice. Most people in theatre are very accommodating and happy to lend an ear or share experiences.
Don’t give people or theatres your scripts, they’ll never get read. Invite them to a reading you put together. And put together a reading with professional actors: they don’t cost much and they’ll make your script sound genius. Volunteer for events, find a theatre that has a mandate you can get behind, see everything you can, get to know the major players. If you care about who they are and what they’re doing, eventually they will start to care about who you are and what you’re doing.”
Stay tuned for more exciting SCOOPfrom 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!

Tuesday, April 9, 2013

St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival ~ Maid for a Musket ~ Comedy is in the Frangione Blood

www.stlawrenceshakespeare.ca

Ian Farthing, Artistic Director, St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival

Lucia Frangione, International Award Winning Playwright


The St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival is gearing up for a full exciting Festival Season. Just recently, Ontario Visited had the pleasure of making the trip to the quaint town of Prescott to experience Yours Ever, Jane.
Today, THE INSIDE SCOOPis excited to share some SCOOPabout 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, I have lots of “SCOOP” to share with you!
“Comedy is in the Frangione blood” … Getting to know you
Ontario Visited would like to introduce our guest Lucia Frangione. I asked what her initial background was and what led her into “Arts”.
The reply … “Comedy is in the Frangione blood: apparently we descended from a court jester. My family came over from Italy in 1956 and settled in Ottawa, starting many prominent businesses, including Preston Hardware and Bemac autobody. We have several teachers in the family as well: a different kind of live performance. I’m the only stage performer in the family, me and my musician sister, but we are certainly not the only jesters around the dinner table. My Dad owned a latino disco on Preston Street called The Roof Garden for several years before he passed away. I’m sure all that karaoke had some influence on me as well. As for my mother, she was English and from Alberta, an avid reader. She instilled in me a love for literature.
I was first drawn to drama as a teenager because I was quite religious at the time and thought perhaps I would be a preacher someday and took drama to get over a slight stammer. I fell in love with theatre the minute I spoke my first line and haven’t looked back since. I published my first poems when I was 16, produced my first play when I was 18 and have since had 25 plays hit the stage, some of them internationally. I grew up in Alberta, but the rest of my family is all here in Ottawa, including my brother, so I’m back regularly to visit. It’s a great thrill for me to be working so close to this side of “home”.
Stay tuned for more exciting SCOOPfrom 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!