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 SCOOP” is excited continue with the “SCOOP” from 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 “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!

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 SCOOP” is excited continue with the “SCOOP” from 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 “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!

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 SCOOP” 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, 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 “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!

Canadian War Museum ~ Volunteers Repeat History

Canadian War Museum
Ontario Visited ~ Judi McWilliams

Ontario Visited had the privilege of spending some time speaking with Dr. Peter MacLeod, Historian, Pre-Confederation with the Canadian War Museum.  The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions.

“History is Objective” …. “It Does Matter”…

Exceprt from Interview with the Canadian War Museum, featuring Dr. Peter MacLeod, Historian, Pre-Confederation

VOLUNTEERS repeat HISTORY…. A Key to Success!

Volunteers play a key role in our society today. I myself volunteer at a local Pioneer Village and Museum. My role is Volunteer Appreciation Liaison. Here, I can clearly see the critical role Volunteers/Interpreters take in continuing to educate the public’s understanding of our great Canadian History. Volunteers are a vital part of our society in maintaining the ongoing pursuits to provide continued education and awareness. I wondered if the Canadian War Museum – War of 1812 Exhibition had a system to help keep the volunteers organized and could they share some of their “techniques” with us! I also asked if they could share with us some systems on managing so many volunteers! The reply…“Volunteer support is very important for the Canadian War Museum and we are very fortunate to have many veterans and civilian volunteers involved in many areas of the Museum. Canadian history and more specifically in our own case, Canadian military history, is a subject of great significance to many who come to us hoping to share their insights with visitors and Museum colleagues.”  

Canadian War Museum ~ Keys to Success

Canadian War Museum
Ontario Visited ~ Judi McWilliams

Ontario Visited had the privilege of spending some time speaking with Dr. Peter MacLeod, Historian, Pre-Confederation with the Canadian War Museum.  The Canadian War Museum is Canada’s national museum of military history. Its mission is to promote public understanding of Canada’s military history in its personal, national, and international dimensions.

“History is Objective” …. “It Does Matter”…

Exceprt from Interview with the Canadian War Museum, featuring Dr. Peter MacLeod, Historian, Pre-Confederation

FUNDING & SPONSORSHIP … A Key to Success …

With the economic challenges today, it would seem it critical to obtain/maintain Sponsor Funding and Other Sources of funding. I asked the Canadian War Museum how they obtained funding, particularly for the War of 1812 Exhibition. During our interview Dr. Peter MacLeod spoke of the unique relationship with their sponsors in that they hold a similar raison d’être. …“We are very pleased to have TD as a National Presenting Sponsor and Ancestry.ca as the National Supporting Sponsor for 1812. TD is an active corporate community member interested in supporting culture, history and education. Ancestry.ca’s mission involves connecting Canadians to their unique family stories. Sponsoring 1812 allows each organization to further support their mandate and community engagement.

Stay tuned for more with the Canadian War Museum

Jazz & Blues in the Village, Sarnia - "Weekend Warrior" ...

“Weekend Warrior”

THE INSIDE SCOOP is fortunate to obtain interesting SCOOP from Donna Stewart, Jazz & Blues in the Village, Festival Director and the Committee continues …

With the economic challenges today, it would seem it critical to obtain/maintain Sponsor funding and Other Sources of funding. How you go about obtain funding? The Jazz & Blues in the Village Committee tells us … “We have two individuals who work hard at meeting face to face with current and potential sponsors.  They begin the process by presenting a formal sponsorship package to interested parties.” I asked how they kept “Sponsors” interested in supporting your efforts and “keep them happy”? The Committee says …“We offer incentives to our sponsors based on the level of sponsorship.  Incentives may include branded sign in the park and on the video screens, listing on our sponsorship board and in our brochure and poster, free t-shirts, free tickets and a thank you plaque after the event.  Sponsors are also invited to our Sneak Preview held in April to announce the line-up for the upcoming festival in September.”

Over the course of the year, I am collecting some anecdotes to publish. Do you have something you would like to share in our THE INSIDE SCOOP special “anecdote” edition? The final response …“One year we had a performer that was very upset that his shirt was wrinkled.  Our festival director went home got an iron and brought it back to the weekend warrior responsible for the green room. She pressed the shirt, everyone was happy and the show went on.  We always try to keep our performers comfortable and happy...”

Jazz & Blues in the Village, Sarnia - Secrets & Techniques ...

“Secrets & Techniques” …

THE INSIDE SCOOP is fortunate to obtain interesting SCOOP from Donna Stewart, Jazz & Blues in the Village, Festival Director and the Committee continues …

For many festivals and events, it is critical to have volunteers! For this edition of THE INSIDE SCOOP I still have a few questions for you here. Can you share with us some techniques on managing so many volunteers? During the Jazz & Blues in the Village it would seem the organizers would need to maintain their professionalism and composure. Perhaps volunteers/vendors/visitors require your attention at peak moments during an event (problems that need immediate answers).  I wondered if you have a system to help you stay organized and could you share some of your “secrets” with us! The reply …“Secrets and techniques:  We have one person who is responsible for organizing and scheduling all the volunteers.  There is a master list of over 250 volunteers and each year we start by contacting that list to see who is available.  In most cases we have more volunteers than available shifts.  Many of our volunteers have been with us since the first festival, nine years ago.  Our organizational structure has a “weekend warrior” who is responsible for each area in the park.  (For example, there is a “weekend warrior” in charge of main gate; one for the bar; one for bar tickets; one for security; one for park setup; one for popcorn etc. There are at least 12 of these weekend warriors who in turn are responsible for the volunteers for their area.  The weekend warriors are available all weekend to help their volunteers.  This frees up the committee members to deal with any issues that arise and help out.)”

(To Be Continued)