Tuesday, November 23, 2010

auditions.. 411 TV: Canadian Girls

A great opportunity with a fast-approaching deadline.. If you want more information on this organization, please go to their website www.whatsthe411.ca ..


411 Casting Call: Female Actress/Playwright

411 is conducting a casting call  for a new production 411 TV: Canadian Girls which is being piloted in March 2011 for national touring in Fall 2011. If you would like to apply please read the below information and apply with a description of your proposed content/script, biography and headshot to connect@whatsthe411.ca . All applications must be received by November 30, 2010.

Tour Dates: March 21-April 1, 2011 (Toronto and Ottawa) *20 presentations
Rehearsals: March 14 –19th, 2011

Role: Female actress with a personal story to share through interview and presentation of a short theatre piece. *Content must related to program objectives.

About the program: 411 has already toured our girls programming to 150 schools across Canada. For 2011 we are creating a new program focused on issues affecting girls here in Canada.  This new program will focus on self esteem, body image, dating violence, integration, and bullying.

Who Can Apply:
-Canadian female  actress with a history of public performance
-knowledge of women and girls rights
- Previous experience working in schools or performing for young audiences is a bonus
-personal connection to program content

Requirements of Artists:
-Take part in all required training sessions (I.e. media and thematic training)
-Participate in school performances and question & answer discussion workshops with young people between the hours of aprox. 8am - 4pm daily
-Participate in media interviews and appearances related to the program
-Take part in all necessary rehearsals

Pay: Paid rehearsal. Per show honorarium. Food buy out and travel/accommodation
Casting Policies: All artists casting is reviewed by our board of directors and management team.
Please email connect@whatsthe411.ca for more information.

Thursday, November 4, 2010

there's work to be done..

..and not just inside the walls of our b current studio! Poets, playwrights, musicians, artists of all shapes and sizes from all over.. we've got some exciting opportunities coming your way..

If you want your work to be showcased at this year's rock.paper.sistahz festival, you've got to get on our website now or follow the link below to get the info on submitting your proposal. This season's festival will be our 10th Anniversary so there's even more reason to shine!

Also, are you an emerging playwright with ideas bursting at the seams, wanting your voice to be heard? You can be working with b current Performing Arts to develop your piece. We are now accepting submissions for the Ontario Arts Council's Theatre Creator's Reserve. Click on the link below or visit our website for more information.  

Better start working on those proposals and submissions everybody! We're looking forward to seeing them!

Tuesday, October 19, 2010

inside Studio 251..

We wrapped up one whirlwind of a show last week- hopefully you all got a chance to see Radiance. We captured some moments from the production (including the celebratory festivities after opening and closing night!) for you b current fans to check out: 

The three sisters reunite after years apart..

After the funeral, the sisters toast their mother's life..

Cressy and Nona share a tender moment

An unfortunate but humourous accident!

Mae and Nona look across the mud flats..

The sisters dance away their troubles..

.. after the show, the crew strikes the dressing room backstage.

The celebrations begin!

artistic director ahdri zhina mandiela cuts the RADIANCE cake

It was a truly beautiful show, and as with any great production, it was bittersweet to see this one end. Everyone at b current was so thrilled to have shared this great work with our happy audiences, who enjoyed themselves so much they stayed to celebrate with us on opening and closing night! For more behind-the-scenes photos and pics from the show itself, check out b current's facebook page!

Wednesday, October 13, 2010

You are invited to... come See/come Say

To celebrate our 20th Anniversary season, b current is hosting an event on the 20th of every month just for you! Come out and check out what b current artists are up to and the work we are producing in the studio.. great laughs, good eats, live performances, and fostering a real sense of community!


 Our first come See/come Say is happening this October 20th, so bring your friends!

Friday, October 8, 2010

inside Studio 251..

Hey all you b current fans! Welcome to our second edition of inside Studio 251.. Today we’re featuring two of the lovely ladies in the graduating rAiz’n Ensemble, who are currently working on our production of Radiance (which you’ve all reserved your tickets for, right?)!

Tanya Pillay, Assistant Director
People call you?
Tanya.. well Meghan(Swaby) calls me T-Pain.

What’s your art?
“Socially-engaged creation and performance”

What has your experience been like working on Radiance so far?
I’m one of two assistant directors on this production. It’s been an interesting experience because I’ve been creating and learning with these women for 3 years and to watch them perform and be on the other side of the table, especially with someone who’s been a mentor throughout the program (ahdri zhina mandiela) can be entertaining and perplexing. As a performer, I can understand their fuddles in rehearsal and then from the other perspective, I can see what’s being asked of them and why. It’s kinda funny and really informative.

This is the rAiz’n ensemble’s graduating year from their 3-year training program. What are 3 words you would choose to sum up your experience in this group the past 3 years?
1) Self-Knowledge
2) Communication
3) Vision. I used to think that vision was a pretentious concept but through rAiz’n I realize now that it’s about unity and having a cohesive goal. Having a vision really brings clarity around personal and ensemble expectations.


Meghan Swaby, Mae
People call you? 
May-Sway, Maygunz, Swaby

What is your role in this production? 
I’m acting in the show, I play Mae. She’s the sister that stayed behind to take care of their mom.

What has your experience been like working on Radiance so far?
It’s nice to start a piece like this in a community where I’m comfortable, especially since it’s a show about sisters. Also, other works we’ve done in rAiz’n have mostly been self-motivated, creating something out of nothing. With Radiance, we’re getting to do scriptwork with a piece that’s already established and be directed by ahdri. From working together so much in the past, the bonds are already established so the process has been easy-going, we laugh all the time.

In this project, members of the ensemble have taken on roles that really cover all aspects of theatre production. What has it been like exploring these new roles with your fellow rAiz’nettes?
It’s interesting because you learn about people. In this industry, its nice to realize “oh we can do other things (besides acting)” because we all want to be doing this for as long as we can. This project is touching on skill-sets I hadn’t really activated until now. And running the City emerging/C conference at the same time- what were we thinking?! But it’s coming together, and it’s happening because as a group we saw a need for this (conference) and reacted. ahdri told us, if we’re not satisfied, do something about it.

What are 3 words you would choose to sum up your experience in the rAiz’n ensemble these past 3 years?
1) Laughter
2) Challenge
3) Surprise. Surprise because didn’t know what I was getting into, what we would accomplish together. We had to start our three years with a lot of sessions talking with ahdri and creating our manifesto. And even though (the members of) the group have changed, it’s so good to have something we agreed upon together and we still look back on that to make sure we’re on track. We’ve all individually taken those ideas into our own work as well. This whole experience has been an adventure and building that manifesto helped us find that trust where we can be like “I don’t know what I’m doing, you don’t know either?  Let’s jump in together!"