Poverty Justice Café

We were invited to participate in Poverty Justice Camp 2009 by Katie Puxley by presenting a special poverty themed Café (as well as presenting a Theatre of the Opressed Workshop for participants the next day). Our venue for the Café was the Ward Room at King's College.

The cast for this one included Courtney Siebring, Sebastien Labelle, Steve Cloutier, Emily Shute, Kristi Anderson, Eric Benson and Garry Williams. The performance was interrupted by a fire alarm/drill, during which some of us delivered songs, sonnets and monologues to the evacuated audience outdoors.

July 23/09

Happy DaPride, Halifax!

While the Halifax Pride theatre festival Queer Acts closed at the Bus Stop across the street, DaPoPo's Steven Bourque, Kristi Anderson, Kim Parkhill, Eric Benson, Rémi Lefebvre, Garry Williams and guests performed for our 3rd DaPride Café.

Menu itemz included Queer Scenez, Hot Crossed Songz, Da Bawdy Politick, St. Sebastian'z Secretz, DaBIG Ensemble Number, the Fruit Bowl and DaPrideFest Combo.

We paid tribute, in memoriam, to our friend and colleague, the versatile and extraordinary theatre artist Bill Forbes: "You're the top!".

June 25/09

"Where can you see DaPoPo at play?/Menz!" Sher Clain, Nathan Pilon, Garry Williams, Eric Benson, Steven Bourque, Kim Parkhill (and Keelin Jack at the keyboard) ham it up for Menz Bar in the DaBIG Ensemble Number.

May Café

For Amanda Campbell's blog-servations about her Café experience in "A Little Art for Your Pallet (sic)", visit:

http://mt-champion.livejournal.com/45945.html (PS - Amanda now has a new site for her blog, so this article can also be found at The Way I See It Theaatre Blog

OUT Bid!

Café DaPoPo made a whole lot of new friends at Halifax Pride's annual auction OUT BId! IV. Most of this audience was new to the Café's mode of operation, but I think it's safe to say they were won over. Sonnets, monologues, scenes and adult bedtime stories of all of a "queer bent" were received with applause. DaPoPo's signature group numbers, "No Flies, No Set!", the "Four-Directional Song of Doubt" and "Fuge aus die Homosexuellen" brought the house down.

"It was a real treat for us to have DaPoPo supporting us at this fundraiser," said Pride Chair Hugo Dann. "It's a thrill to expose the LGBT community to artists they may not have been aware of. The Café is definitely something our comunity can take Pride in!

(Eric Benson, Keelin Jack and Nathan Pilon lounge in the back room at Menz Bar during a rehearsal break.)

Our April Accompanist

For Rémi's first Café experience as collaborative pianist, visit his website at http://www.rle5music.com/

(Other notable Café accompanists have been Lynette Wahlstrom, Tara Scott and Pete Gorman. We have come to refer to them as ninjas for their vast skill and talent. We depend on these awe-inspiring artists to assist us with DaPretentious Songz and DaBroadway Show Tunez, in particular.) 

April 30/09

So, now well into its 3rd year, the question arises: has Café become an institution, an independent and strict form, a definitive structure, or does it remain – arguably like DaPoPo itself – an idea, or a verb, as Eric Benson, who has frequently performed at the Café, likes to put it? Are we limited by its locale, tied to Café traditions, or are discovery and departure innate? 

The question is perhaps encapsulated in the ever popular menu item Pretentious-Song-with-a-Sock-Puppet. A rendition of, let's say, Schubert's definitive Lied Der Doppelgänger, as performed by a furry green monster (a beautifully recycled slipper) is either a concession to a theatrical conceit – high art in the cloak of children's popular entertainment –, or a licence to realize the composition in this most specific of settings, or a delightfully strange hybrid. 

Is the readiness to improvise a song in costume, as a so-called Conversation Piece, a professional burden, or an opportunity? When we ask an actor to sing, or a singer to act, or an actor to switch from Webster's Malfi to 80s concept rock opera, or from Chekhov's Seagull to tequila shots with wild saxophone accompaniment, is it a stylistic mess, necessarily a-jumble, or can it produce a beautifully eclectic mix, an exceptional versatility, an epicurean variety otherwise unavailble in theatre? 

I believe that Café is a burst of freshness in an often stale and foul-smelling artistic milieu, governed by hype, type and cont(r)acts. 

I believe that Café affords performers and audience alike a chance to take an active role in shaping an experience so often controlled from the moments the house lights dim to the

moment you find yourself expelled back onto the street after the show. It is constant rehearsal. It is always a draft. It is a model for expecting a more vital and vibrant kind of art. 

The ability to sit down at someone's table and discuss Canadian theatre practice as an iteration of godlessness (that actually happened – long story), the framework for marrying scene work on classical Greek tragedy, a Jacobean revenge play and Evan Brown's scene from 13 Ways of Looking at a Madman, is a juicy opportunity the Café grants its actors, and by extension, an invitation to its audience to consider performance in its many possible, and otherwise impossible, iterations. 

This dichotomy stretches to rehearsal, too: can you block a Café scene? Can you rehearse as if you were going to perform on a stage? Can you assume normal audience behaviour? Or must you develop a new set of guidelines, an untested relationship to your material? When you cannot see your scene partners, since you're crammed under a table; when you must pick up and move the keyboard while you are playing on it; and when the straight text is ordered as queer – does that ever become old hat? 

I believe not. It can not, and must not. Just as a good role continues to unpack its complexities in an extended run, so does the dynamic of what we have come to call, simply, 'Café' teach us more every month. And just as Nietzsche's chaos gives birth to a dancing star, so does the confusion of Café engender a wild and wonderful ray of theatrical light.   

March 26/09 Cafe

Thanks to Andrew Chandler, a Cafe performer from January and February who relaxed on the other side of the table this month, for his following reflections on March's Cafe:

Cafe DaPoPo is an opportunity. The open format of patrons selecting theatrical treats to suit their tastes has incredible potential for a dazzling variety of performances - songs, scenes, schtick... all tailored to taste. This opportunity was capitalized on in March's installment. Despite some unusual challenges, including a number of new cafe performers and the sudden unexpected appropriation of half of Menz Bar's chairs, Cafe Impresaria Bonnie Archibald-Awalt kept the evening flowing smoothly and seamlessly, so the large crowd of Cafe patrons consumed their delicacies worry-free.

And what a variety of delicacies there were! The Cafe's unspoken promise of "A theatrical treat for EVERY palate" was upheld in style. If you've been to a Cafe before, you know the joy in discovering the wild variety of things going on around you, and this was never so clear to me as in this month's Cafe. As Keelin Jack and Ann Denny wrapped up a musical improvisation with a patron, every eye in the room caught the lumbering figure of a bespectacled Wolf in a suit, who sat down near us and proceeded to explain how he'd been a victim of three very inconsiderate and selfish little pigs. Minutes later, Steven Bourque and John Han, clad in short shorts and exercise gear came bounding through the room, drawing all eyes to Nutritional Diva Sher Clain's lessons on Trans Fats! As she and her backup dancers wrapped up their lesson, Steven Heisler (the Wolf of a few minutes ago), glided through the room to grace one lucky table with a delicate and heartbreaking scene from Michel Tremblay's "Hosanna".

Musical appetizers came to us in Holly Winter's rendition of Stephen Sondheim's tasty "Take me to the World", and John Han's new recipes for Shakespearean sonnets performed in the pop music idiom. These were bold experiments from two of Cafe's newest participants, and both show promise of even greater things to come. Ann Denny surprised and delighted us all with a song by a "part-time model". Whatever debt Ann owed to "Flight of the Conchords"' dubious-quality siren was brushed aside in this epic and hilarious saga of love and food-sharing.

For me, the most tantalizing treat of this month's cafe came in the big ensemble scene, a preview of DaPoPo's prospective future production: "Julius Caesar". While Keelin Jack's Marc Antony, lit only by flashlights, honoured the murdered Caesar with a cold mischievous fury burning in her eyes, the shadows of the citizens of Rome passed before us, caught only in sweeping flashlight beams, seizing upon words from Antony's incendiary speech, slapping, smacking, and bashing tables and chairs to lash out their growing fury. The senseless tragedy of Steve Bourque's Cinna, an innocent poet carried off by the faceless mob, was terrifying in its brutality.

Cafe Dapopo is an opportunity. For joy. For the unexpected. For art. For talented performers to share work they love with patrons who love succulent surprises.

Here's looking forward to the next opportunity to enjoy Cafe DaPoPo!

February 28/Café Away

This month, the Berlin posse – Annie, Kim, Eric, Holly, Ali, Aaron, Sophie and Garry – performed a Café in the museum FLUXUS + in Potsdam: our first Café away from home. Scenez, Sonnetz and Improv went out to total strangers, fellow artists and some old friends.

February 26th/09 Café

As always, Café DaPoPo this month was a unique experience - a busy blast of performance preparation, rehearsals, organization, and work shopping.... and it all culminated in a very smooth, high caliber, performance night. A few highlights from my perspective were the big ensemble song (Nine People's Favorite Thing) that Andrew (Droodles) re-wrote and taught us - a huge hit -, Shakespeare pouring from every corner with Amy, Keelin, and Nathan falling head over heels for each other in As You Like It, Andrea and I getting to revive our Children's Hour scene for an appreciative audience, and Nathan and Droodles' rendition of Agony - complete with cravats and Andrew chasing Cinderella through the bar! Bonnie kept us on track and focused throughout the night as always - thank you!! - and we had a truly impressive surprise when John Han (who initially billed himself as a 'chord playing' piano accompanist) turned out to be 'ninja-in-training' on the keyboard!! Here's what John had to say about his first Café experience:

When I was asked to join the February cast of Café for piano accompaniment, I was
overwhelmed by the thought of a higher caliber of work than I am used to. But
that didn't last as the thought of all the music, Shakespeare, and monologues to
be consumed that night excited me. I tried to do my best to learn the Sondheim
songs (for me, Sondheim at Café Dapopo is like getting a whole cheese cake to
myself at a real café), and even tried to tackle some classical pieces.

On Café night, we performed to a smaller crowd than I am used to from my previous Café attendances. However, this allowed me to take my time and gave me a chance to take a closer look at the other cast members and observe their Café experiences. THESE ACTORS ARE BRAVE!! I have seen Nathan turn from a Prince (Agony) to George (Sunday in the Park with George), then to Silvius (As You Like It) within matter of minutes. Keelin wowed the audience with her rendition of Cabaret then, within seconds, she was taking shots of tequila with the audience (yes, you can order that.. and you should!). The audience members are so lucky to have such talented actors to put out their 100+%. I was even luckier to get a chance to work with them.

I brought some friends to Café who weren't too familiar with theatre or the Café
scene. They were surprised, delighted, rowdy and thought it was a great way to
spend your evening outing. So... why don't you make the last Thursday of each
month a Dapopo-Thursday?? Drama is more fun when there's more people to share it with.. just sayin!!

p.s. did you check out that new ensemble number? sweet stuff... John

So, off we go to rehearse for March's Café (see side bar). Hmmmm.... I wonder what we'll have on the menu this month?? ......Sher

Some Reflections On Two Years of Café Madness

The Café with its cabaret style à la carte performances has now become somewhat of an institution with its own peculiar history. The Café is no longer a mere fundraiser for DaPoPo. It has grown into a strangely poetic, undeniably popular monthly event for Halifax. Patrons are no longer surprised – have in fact come to expect – classical Shakespeare recitations, German art songs and dramatic monologues to happen side by side. The Café has found a home in Menz, at least for the present, and has come of age. 

Poverty, the Poor Theatre, has proven to be an agent for artistic discovery. Our financial restrictions have proven liberating, allowing us to connect with the community and our audience in a personal, entirely non-traditional way. The Café is a form of People's Theatre: exposing audiences to work they might not otherwise have known about without unnecessary didacticism; whetting theatrical appetites and thickening the bisque of artistic passion; remaining energetic, humble and generous to the max. The poetry, or craft, of what we do reveals itself within the restrictions of the Café environment. 

We have performed in four different venues: the old pre-eviction Mollyz Diner, Ouro Preto, The Good Food Emporium and Menz Bar. Over 40 performers have worked with us at the Café – including three Stev/phe(n)s and three Ann/ies – as well as four designated accompanists. Pieces have been written especially for the Café by more than one writer, including Andrea Dymond and Steve Cloutier. We've seen staff turn-over at Mollyz/Menz, witnessed crowds protesting Harper's cultural slur against the acting community, and watched US elections finally ousting George W. Bush from the White House. 

Perhaps most strikingly, the work for Café is always training, the product always process in an indisputable sense. As we madly mix and stir the creative juices, we've developed recipes (or at least cooking tips), rehearsal techniques for the Café. Our sock puppets function like masks, freeing and sometimes possessing us as we let a Shakespeare sonnet speak through us, or a Mozart duet sing through us. The art of the intimate performance focuses our attention to detail: light, sound, touch, smell, even taste. Café performers learn a mind-boggling amount of material in diverse styles and flavours, exploding and exposing our habits, while forcing us to push the limits of our skill. 

And where do we go from here? In anticipation of our Potsdam Café at the museum FLUXUS+, we have received dozens of submissions by local writers. We now boast a menu bursting with Canadian content including pieces by Jackie Torrens, Natasha MacLellan, Pam Calabrese Maclean, Colleen Wagner, Josh Macdonald, Jenny Munday, Bev Brett, Michael Melski, Marshall Button, Steve Cloutier, Amanda Jernigan, Steph Berntson, Jim Betts and Allen Cole. We have introduced our Academy DaPoPo members Aaron Andreino, Sophie Fong, Ali Richardson and Holly Winter to the Café format at our old haunt the Good Food Emporium. 

We are welcoming new performers, not least of all our wonderful Berlin bound quartet, and attracting new audience members. We are perfecting our technique, tailoring rehearsals and performances to suit the Café set-up. Looking forward to this July, our third DaPride Café promises to be more integrated with Halifax Pride. Could we sustain (as we did this month) two Cafés each month, find host venues in other Canadian cities, provinces and outside the country, find funding to employ a steady Café cast? These are questions that make me dizzy and giddy, with some trepidation, but most of all make me excited for another year of Café madness.  

Jan 29/09: Second Anniversary Café

A massive turnout at Menz Bar last night as DaPoPo celebrated the second anniversary of Café! Thanks to everyone for being there, your good-naturedness waiting for seating or orders and just going with the flow of the evening.

The Pinter combo; original poems by local writers; Steve Cloutier, Natasha MacLellan and Michael Melski in the house to witness the performances of their respective contributions (scenes); Michael's birthday sextangle; Garry's improvized opera; a sneak peak of a "Four Actors" scene; Nathan's new puppet discovering Brutus; DaBig Ensemble number medley frantic, fun and fabulous; so many new faces in the audience too. Wonderfulness.

The winner of the iPod raffle was Sarah McCarthy. Hats off to our Sher Clain for organizing the fundraiser and to all our ticket sellers, especially Holly Winter who far surpassed everyone else in number of tickets sold.

And now - we get ready for Monday! The Berlin-bound ensemble is doing another Café to preview the menu we're getting ready for the Café DaPoPo international premiere in Potsdam, Germany on Feb, 28.

Second Anniversary & TWO Cafés!

There are TWO Café DaPoPos coming up:

January 29th @ Menz Bar
2182 Gottingen Street
7:30 pm - 11 pm
Second anniversary spectacular - as per the side bar over on the left of this page

PLUS

February 2nd* @ The Good Food Emporium
2179 Gottingen Street
3 pm - 6 pm

A special Café for fans, friends and family of our youth ensemble - and anyone else who wants to come . We'll preview the theatrical menu we'll be offering for the international premiere of Café DaPoPo at museum FLUXUS+ in Potsdam, Germany! A mix of Café favorites and featuring the work of Canadian playwrights, poets and musicians.

Join DaPoPo veterans (Eric Benson, Kim Parkhill, Annie Valentina & Garry Williams) along with the DaPoPo Academy ensemble (Aaron Andreino, Sophie Fong, Ali Richardson & Holly Winter) as we dish up theatre the way you like it. Order supper or treats from Good Food's amazing kitchen (until 5 pm) and taste some performances DaPoPo-style. First come, first seated.

(* February 1st as was inaccurately mentioned by none other than me in the CBC-TV announcement. *sigh)