(Also, how is it March already? We're three months into 2009? Geesh.)
Here's a taste of what's keeping me occupied in the next several weeks:
- flywheel reading series
- 'We Should Know Each Other' - Silver Jubilee!
- Sexual Outlaws
- Loony Winter Carnival
- Gross Indecency
- Highway 63: The Fort Mac Show
- Spark a Revolution
Thursday, March 5, 7:30 pm
Pages Books on Kensington
1135 Kensington Rd NW
For a couple of years, I was the curator of filling Station magazine's flywheel reading series, which takes place on the first Thursday of each month. Now, I'm coming back as a performer!
flywheel puts the spotlight on local writers, and always features an eclectic mix of poetry, prose and... well, in my case, "miscellaneous". Hosted by ryan fitzpatrick (on his birthday!), the March edition of flywheel will feature readings by Patrick Horner, Stuart Ian McKay, Brent Schaus... and me! My performance will involve cake and wackiness. You don't want to miss out on cake and wackiness, let me tell you.
'We Should Know Each Other' - Silver Jubilee!
Sunday, March 8, 7:00-11:00 pm
Chez Mark
In February 2008, I started hosting 'We Should Know Each Other' parties at my apartment. Now, a year later, we have reached WSKEO #25! Twenty-five freakin' parties... that's a lot.
I'm going to be in a celebratory mood, so if you've been meaning to attend a WSKEO but just haven't gotten around to it, maybe this is your moment! And if you don't know what the hell I'm talking about, but you're intrigued, drop me a line and I'll give you more details.
Networking and hummus! Hooray!
Sexual Outlaws
Wow! Swallow-a-Bicycle has a brand-new website! How great is that?
*ahem*
It's been a while since the Swallow-a-Bicycle crew last got our party on, and we're due. Join us for an evening of eroticism, debauchery and dancing! The evening has a killer line-up - Kris Demeanor, The Firm Handshake, Seven Story Redhead and DJ GoodWord - not to mention some other surprise performances, sexy hosting by AJ Demers, body painting by Reia Lance and Aga Bona, and a prize raffle for sex toy packages ("His", "Hers" and "Couples").
We're going to rock the Palomino in sensual Swallow-a-Bicycle style. Hope you can be there!
Loony Winter Carnival
Saturday, March 14
Palomino Smokehouse
109 7th Ave SW
Doors at 9:00 pm, Show at 9:30 pm
Tickets $12 in advance, $15 at the door
Wow! Swallow-a-Bicycle has a brand-new website! How great is that?
*ahem*
It's been a while since the Swallow-a-Bicycle crew last got our party on, and we're due. Join us for an evening of eroticism, debauchery and dancing! The evening has a killer line-up - Kris Demeanor, The Firm Handshake, Seven Story Redhead and DJ GoodWord - not to mention some other surprise performances, sexy hosting by AJ Demers, body painting by Reia Lance and Aga Bona, and a prize raffle for sex toy packages ("His", "Hers" and "Couples").
We're going to rock the Palomino in sensual Swallow-a-Bicycle style. Hope you can be there!
Loony Winter Carnival
Sunday, March 15, 11:00 am-6:00 pm
Tuxedo Park Community Hall
202 29th Ave NE
$20 per family, or $5 per head
In April, the final show in the 2008-09 Motel Series is Honesty, a new script by Calgary's acclaimed playwright, Neil Fleming, co-presented by his new comedy company, Two Sheds Theatre. Because he's fabulous, Neil wants to pay his actors; hence the Loony Winter Carnival, an afternoon of fundraising and good, clean fun!
There will be games, prizes, face-painting, hot dogs, hot chocolate, and a special reading of Neil's play, Gnomes, performed by Trevor Reuger, Karen Johnston-Diamond and Andy Curtis. And if you really want to get into the spirit, you can gather a team of four and compete in a series of games for the legendary Golden Finklebottom Trophy! The entry fee for a team is only $50, and there are some fantastic prizes to be won.
For more info, you can contact Neil at foilcup@telusplanet.net. It'll be good fun for a good cause!
Gross Indecency
Sunday, March 15 @ 6:00 pm and Monday, March 16 @ 7:30 pm
Theatre Calgary Rehearsal Hall
EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts
Pay-What-You-Can
Mark Hopkins? Performing in a script-based play? Shocking!
Okay, so it's actually a staged reading, but I'm pretty psyched to try out my "actor" hat for a while. This month (March 3-22), Theatre Calgary is producing The Ideal Husband by Oscar Wilde. As a bonus for Wilde fans, they invited Maple Salsa to perform a reading of Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde by Moises Kaufman. The play interweaves actual courtroom testimonies with excerpts of Wilde's writing (notably his letters and parts of The Picture of Dorian Gray) and the words of his contemporaries. Sodomy, poetry and Victorian rivalries - what more could you want?
I'm thrilled and intimidated to be working with a kick-ass cast of local gentlemen: Peter Aitchison, Mathew Glessing, Braden Griffiths, Kevin MacDonnell, Derek Paulich, Michael Rogers, Brad Simon and Geoff Woods, under the direction of Javier Vilalta. It's a really interesting script, I'm quite proud of the work we're doing in rehearsal, and all the proceeds benefit Maple Salsa's next show. Winning combination!
To reserve seats, call 403-294-7440 ext. 1344 or email jkinch@theatrecalgary.com.
Highway 63: The Fort Mac Show
March 24-28 @ 8:00 pm
Thursday, March 26 @ 11:00 pm
Saturday, March 28 @ 2:00 pm
Motel (across from the Big Secret Theatre)
EPCOR CENTRE for the Performing Arts
Tickets $12
www.downstage.ca
The third instalment in the 2008-09 Motel Series! Highway 63 delves into life in Fort McMurray, the heart of the oilsands and a centre for global controversy. Six theatre artists (of a rather all-star variety: Georgina Beaty, Layne Coleman, Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman, Greg Gale, John Popkin and Jonathan Seinan) have spent three weeks living in Fort Mac, meeting its residents and soaking in the reality of Northern Alberta. Based on this experience, they will perform an original creation that spotlights the people of Fort McMurray, from waitresses to riggers, social workers to labour leaders.
I'm tremendously excited about this highly topical show from a group of incredibly talented artists. It's a one-week run with a limited capacity, so make sure to snag your tickets early! To reserve, call Downstage at 403.294.7459.
Spark a Revolution
Saturday, March 28 @ 7:00 pm
Westbury Theatre, TransAlta Arts Barn
10330 84 Avenue
Edmonton, Alberta
$100
Fringe Theatre Adventures, the fine folks behind the Edmonton Fringe Festival, have put together a high-energy performance party/fundraising event, celebrating revolutionary creativity! There will be raffle prizes, live auctions and a wide diversity of theatre, music, dance and film performances.
Swallow-a-Bicycle has been invited to create an original performance for the event - our Edmonton debut! If you're going to be up in E-Town, this promises to be an utterly rockin' party. And hey, you can get a tax receipt for part of the ticket price. Bonus!
You can get tickets here or by calling 780-409-1910
- - -
Even aside from all the stuff I'm personally involved in, March is simply crammed with awesomeness. There's Factory Party 5, Blitz Weekend at the playRites Festival, the premiere of Watchmen, Ayla Stephen's one-woman show Tree Hugger, the $100 Film Fest, the Improv Brier, a Francophone Poetry SLAM, Burlesque Fest, and the Curvilicious fundraiser, just to name a few. There's certainly no excuse for boredom!
Then, coming up in April, I've got Honesty with the Motel Series and Shhhh! with Swallow-a-Bicycle... ah, but those are topics for another newsletter.
Have a great March!
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