lucky enough to be accepted into this group of eager and adventurous performers without question. An enthusiastic smile and a “this is Kristi, she’s cool” from one was enough to let me fly with the flock. Yeehaw!I had been hearing about this event for sometime now and was continually intrigued by the concept and structure. A menu of performances? People can CHOOSE what they want to see? Brilliant! And that it was.
The apparently ‘quieter than normal’ café at the Good Food Emporium provided a very cosy and intimate environment for all involved. My evening began with an intro to the lay of the land, how to take orders and what to do when something actually was ordered. (Thanks to Bonnie… that gal knows how to run a show!) I was feeling warm, fuzzy with a slight hint of butterfly fluttering by here and there when it happened. A SONG WAS ORDERED AND I HAD TO SING IT. A large musical theatre character piece was requested by an intimate table of two. “Oh what do I do now?” the line from Gooch’s Song (fr. the musical Mame) came to me in an instant. I pondered this for all of two seconds and then walked out in character and sang.
In that moment I discovered first hand what it is that makes this café so unique and special:
the unpredictable nature and inability to determine what will happen from one moment to the next. There are no barriers here between the performer and the audience. Everything is in the present; the audience is the scene partner. Once I opened up and allowed myself to explore and accept these given circumstances, new discoveries were made in old, tired pieces and much more fun was had.
Some highlights of the evening included a stunning sock puppet singing Cabaret, an emotional
performance from Einstein’s Gift, comedic scenes from The Importance of Being Earnest (with
and without cross-dressing), poetry in a dark but enchanting bathroom and the ensemble piece from Black Comedy where shenanigans were unleashed after a power outage. My personal favourite was singing German lieder with the aid of a fuzzy, quacking duck sock puppet and candlelight. *sigh* How romantic.
What I loved most about the café was that it brought together so many talented local performers and gave us the chance to explore, play and create together in new and exciting ways. Thanks to DaPoPo for creating this opportunity and thanks to all involved for sharing their many talents. This is an event one won’t want to miss. See you in June!
