Calgary was probably one of the more memorable stops on the journey. It was fraught with challenges. First off, when we got to Epcor Centre and the Motel, a performance space at the notorious One Yellow Rabbit theatre Company to discover that a heavy metal band had booked the big theatre across the hall for a concert on the same night! We were quite worried that we'd be drowned out, but all told, it wasn't a big problem. As a matter of fact, one of the patrons actually said that they were too engrossed in the plays to notice the noise! The venue manager felt bad about the mix up and did his best to smooth things out. He gave us the night for free and let us add a second performance on Sunday without charging us extra.
Had a great last show at the Northern Light Theatre in Edmonton then decided to go out on the town to celebrate. Roger had already scoped out a blues bar on Whyte Avenue, "Blues on Whyte". As it happened, another Vancouverite, Russell Jackson and his band (which included the legendary Selwyn Cooper - former player for BB King) were playing. Roger introduced Russell to Michelle and she had a chance to get on stage for a couple of numbers! A great time was had by all! Watch the video below:
Despite getting back to the university close to 3am we managed to be on the road to Calgary at a respectable hour.
We had much of the day to acclimatize to Winnipeg and get our bearings. We are very close to the Exchange district, which is similar to Yaletown, but with far more heritage buildings. Once called, the "Chicago of the North", many of the buildings were actually designed by Chicago architects. It is a popular place with film companies because it is easy to find locations that look like you've stepped back in time, no matter where you are. The great thing is that many of them are being used by non-profits and artists because prices are still very reasonable. The picture below shows an example of a huge loft/warehouse space that rents for just $1200 a month and could easily hold a few hundred people. Amazing!
Jay and Michelle had a chance to get onto Winnipeg's CBC radio to do a quick blurb on the show.
Went into the theatre around 5:30pm. We've gotten very efficient at setting up and breaking down. Setting new records every night. After the show some of us were anxious to see some of the Winnipeg nightlife. We'd heard of the Woodbine Hotel (which at one time was the longest bar in North America, but which has been cut in half). It has become a heavy drinking, black eye kind of place. We left after the woman behind the bar got into a knock-down drag-out fight with two other women.
Next stop was the Legion on Kent, where Zi dropped in on a bluegrass jam. Watch the video below.
The legion is over top of a long-defunct bar called the Cave, which really was a cave (more specifically, a tunnel under the street). It was famous for being a popular hangout of employees of the two newspapers the Winnipeg Free Press and the Winnipeg Tribune.
We had a relaxing day in Regina before the show. Everyone took the opportunity to get a bit of private time and prepare for the first show of the tour at the Globe Theatre.
The campus at the U of R was very quiet and peaceful. As a matter of fact, even Regina itself was quiet compared to the hustle and bustle of Vancouver. The quality of light gives everything the look of old Kodachrome shots from the sixties.
Zi's got a brand new bag!! He is a happy camper.
Our first show went off without a hitch. We played to an enthusiastic crowd at the Globe Theatre's Templeton Studio Cabaret. The cast and crew did a wonderful job of setting up and tearing down in record time.
For the cast, a big thrill was to have "To The Queen's" playwright, Larry Trask in attendance and to be able to spend time with him after the show. They grilled him about what he thought of their interpretation and about the evolution of the play itself. Watch the video:
By the way, Larry will be joining us again when we return to Saskatchewan on June 2. A very interesting man.
This video features Roger Howie, Serge Saika and Maria Lakes.
It was directed by Jay Hamburger, written by Patrick Foley, shot and edited by Michael Louw and Heather Smythe. Produced by Theatre In the Raw in cooperation with Steven R. Duncan & Associates.
Vancouver's notorious Theatre In The Rawgoes on the road with three one-acts and singer/songwriter Michelle A. Richard for performances in British Columbia, Alberta, Saskatchewan and Manitoba. May 21 - June 9, 2008
