Café DaPoPo

Happy Birthday, Café DaPoPo

2012-01-25T12:05:00.008-04:00

Café DaPoPo, Touring Cast 2011 (Potsdam): Zach Faye, Kristi Anderson,

Andrew Chandler, Garry Williams, Matthew Peach, Kim Parkhill, Ann Doyle,

Eric Benson, Amy Reitsma and Keelin Jack. Photo: Ann Noël

Five years ago, January 28, 2007, the last Thursday of the month, seven of the artists associated with DaPoPo Theatre – Eric Benson, Stephen Bourque, Sarah "Pip" Bradley, Andrea Dymond, Mike Chandler, Kim Parkhill and Garry Williams – made a bit of local theatre history when they concocted an evening of performances tailored to taste called Café DaPoPo.

Since then, Café DaPoPo has surprised and delighted audiences at over a dozen venues including Mollyz Diner, Menz Bar, Good Food Emporium, Just Us Café, Ouro Preto, the Delta Barrington Hotel, the Casino Hotel, the Ward Room, Ducky's On the Waterfront, Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, the Grad House, the TNS Living Room, Restaurant La Crepule, museum FLUXUS + and Freies Museum Berlin.

Over the years, we have teamed up with Halifax Pride, Crêperie Mobile, Queer Acts, The Diocese of Nova Scotia and Prince Edward Island, and the MayWorks Festivals to bring Café DaPoPo to new and larger audiences.

Scores of Nova Scotia artists have sung, acted, played instruments, danced, improvised, recited poetry and performed at Café DaPoPo over the years to hundreds of patrons. They have performed works by Canadian playwrights and songwriters, as well as excerpts from classic works of world theatre.

Most recently, we owe our gratitude to the tax-payers of Nova Scotia and the Industry Growth Program of Nova Scotia Communities, Culture & Heritage for assisting us in the promotion Café DaPoPo to European presenters, where we continue to develop a supportive and expanding audience base.

Thank you all on behalf of DaPoPo Theatre, – performers, patrons, presenters, tax-payers – for celebrating theatre, music and Café DaPoPo.

GaRRy Williams

Artistic Director

DaPoPo Theatre

Nova Scotia's DaPoPo Theatre in Berlin

2011-11-30T16:51:00.013-04:00

Kim Parkhill (at right with blue balloon) invites the audience to pop balloons

while she declares her love for the German language

and performance art in 'Sprache und Ballons'

"Meine Freunde waren begeistert!"

– Vanessa Liman

Ann Doyle and Garry Williams perform a scene from 'Uncle Vanya'

for a table of rapt Chekhov enthusiasts

"Ihr habt tolle neue Richtungen eingenommen mit der Truppe, eine schöne Entwicklung zusammen gefunden und viele super Momente erzeugt. Es ist ein enormer Luxus. Wo bekomme ich sonst so Intimes serviert, so einen nahen Einblick in den Menschen gegenüber?"
– Chris O'Connor

DaPoPo Theatre veterans Eric Benson, Andrew Chandler, Keelin Jack

and Kristi Anderson perform the 'Homosexual Fugue' for patrons

after a three-course meal at the pop-up restaurant at the Freies Museum Berlin

Stick Figures

2011-11-14T06:38:00.003-04:00

The DaPoPo Theatre collective, and cast of Café DaPoPo. (Photo by Zach Faye)

museum FLUXUS +

2011-11-13T10:38:00.002-04:00

Café DaPoPo

Bereits zum dritten Mal ist am 25. November 2011 ab 19 Uhrdas DaPoPo-Theatre im museum FLUXUS+ zu Gast. Das kanadische Künstlerensemble hat erneut ein abwechslungsreiches Theater-Menu zusammengestellt und verwöhnt Augen und Ohren mit klassischen oder zeitgenössischen Gedichten, Liedern, kurzen Theaterstücken, Monologen und Dialogen.

Die einzelnen Stücke werden wie im Café oder Restaurant bestellt und von den Künstlern direkt am Tisch des Gastes serviert. Mal setzen sie sich mit an den Tisch ihres Publikums und philosophieren über die Liebe, ein anderes Mal steigen sie auf Stühle und Bänke und singen aus voller Seele. Der Gast bezahlt nur das, was er auch bestellt hat, aber beim Nachbartisch gucken ist natürlich erlaubt und vielleicht wird das ein oder andere „Gericht“ sogar eine raumfüllende Performance für jedermann.

“DaPoPo Theatre” ist eine unabhängige Theatergruppe. Sie erstellt und präsentiert herausfordernd ein alternatives Theatererlebnis fürs Publikum und für die Künstler. Gearbeitet wird in allen theatralen Disziplinen.

Im museum FLUXUS+ performen an diesem Abend Kristi Anderson, Eric Benson, Andrew Chandler, Ann Doyle, Zach Faye, Keelin Jack, Kim Parkhill, Amy Reitsma, Garry Williams und als Gast: Matthew Peach.

Garry Williams, geboren in Halifax, Hauptstadt der Provinz Nova Scotia in Kanada, aufgewachsen in Berlin, wurde 2004 der “Artistic Director of DaPoPo Theatre”, als sich das Ensemble gründete. Die Idee, auf Bestellung zu spielen, wurde aus der Not heraus geboren; der kanadischen Theatergruppe wurde einst als Aufführungsort ein Restaurant angeboten.

Aufgrund des begrenzten Platzangebots ist eine rechtzeitige Tischreservierung empfohlen!

info@fluxus-plus.de oder 0331 – 60 10 890

Die Spielsprache ist englisch.

Selbstverständlich hält das museumscafé auch für das leibliche Wohl eine kleine Speisekarte bereit.

Die Dauerausstellung des Museums schließt an diesem Freitag wie gewohnt um 18 Uhr.

Freies Museum Berlin

2011-11-13T10:36:00.000-04:00

Café DaPoPo - Performance auf Bestellung

im Pop-Up Restaurant des Freien Museum Berlin

18. – 20. November

(Generalprobe) 17. November im Restaurant La Crapule

Täglich ab 19 Uhr

Auf der Karte im Freien Museum Berlin:

Vorspeisen ab 3,- Euro

Menü 14,50 Euro

Performances ab 2 Euro

Reservierung unter: Betreff: Cafe Dapopo

+49 (0) 30 34 72 18 14

+ 49 (0) 176 625 30 722 oder

office@freies-museum.com

Im Freien Museum Berlin eröffnet vom 18. bis 20. November ein temporäres von Künstlern geführtes Restaurant, das die Kulisse für das kanadische Performance- und Theaterensemble Café DaPoPo ist.

Serviert wird jeden Abend ab 19 Uhr ein von französischen Künstlern kreiertes Vier-Gänge-Menü zu dem man a la carte Shakespeare-Sonette, Monologe, Dialoge, Arien, improvisiertes Situationstheater und Puppentheaterklassiker von der Performance-Karte an den Tisch ordern kann. Aber stets gilt: Man bezahlt nur für das, was man auch bestellt hat.

Café DaPoPo, das sind Kristi Anderson, Eric Benson, Andrew Chandler, Ann Doyle, Zach Faye, Keelin Jack, Kim Parkhill, Amy Reitsma, Garry Williams ein Schauspielensemble aus Halifax und als Gast der in Berlin lebende Kanadier Matthew Peach. Sie performen seit vielen Jahren in ihrer Heimatstadt auf persönliche Wünsche zugeschnittene Dialoge, Monologe und singen mit vollem Stimmvolumen an unkonventionellen Spielorten. Auf ihrem Menü steht beispielsweise das Max Frisch Stück “Biographie: Ein Spiel” oder das “Drinking Game”, ein Stück, das aus mehreren Fragebögen besteht, die von zwei aus dem Publikum erwählten Spielern spontan beantwortet werden.

Gegründet wurde das verspielte Ensemble in Halifax, Nova Scotia im Jahr 2004, durch den Ex-Berliner Garry Williams und ist an vier Abenden in Berlin zu Gast. Am Donnerstag in Restaurant La Crapule in Kreuzberg mit einer Generalprobe und drei Abende im Pop-Up Restaurant im zweiten Stock des Freien Museum Berlin.

Restaurant und Café DaPoPo Adressen:

Restaurant La Crapule, Skalitzer Straße 68, 10999 Berlin – Kreuzberg

Freies Museum Berlin, Potsdamer Straße 91, 10785 Berlin - Tiergarten

Café DaPoPo at the Live-In

2011-10-20T23:49:00.006-04:00

Keelin J. and Kim P. perform an excerpt from 'The Drinking Game', created by Garry Williams.

Notice the whiskey and the amaretto. Behind them, their audience looks on,

while they literally try to grasp the meaning of faith Faith. (Photo by Zach Faye.)

Innovative Canadian Theatre Reaches Out To European Audiences

2011-08-12T16:06:00.006-04:00

This November, DaPoPo Theatre will take its popular, innovative performance event Café DaPoPo to Germany to expand its European market. See theatre that only happens if you order it. Performances happen directly at your table.

Performances:

Berlin: Friday, Nov. 18th; Sat., Nov. 19th; and Sun., Nov. 20th, 2011, Freies Museum

Postdam: Fri., Nov. 25th, 2011, museum FLUXUS+

The immersive cabaret-style evening started in 2006 in Halifax's North End at Mollyz Diner. Since then, DaPoPo Theatre has presented Café DaPoPo at nearly a dozen Halifax venues to rave reviews, as well as internationally.

We gratefully acknowledge the support of the Industry Growth Program of Nova Scotia Communities, Culture and Heritage.

DaPride Café

2011-06-11T10:33:00.024-04:00

"I want to thank you for such a great night at DaPride yesterday. Such a solid cast and fantastic performances!"

Thursday July 21st, Halifax's lively DaPoPo Theatre breaks moulds and offers up their original theatre event Café DaPoPo, starting 7:30pm at Menz Bar. More than that: this one's for Halifax Pride 2011!

In our 5th annual DaPride Café – our first one was in July 2006 at the old Mollyz Diner –, queer specials abound! We celebrate the rich culture and creative contributions queer artists have made, living and working outside of traditional, often restrictive, social norms. We support sexual diversity and everyone's right to freedom, passion and pleasure.

At Café DaPoPo, you can order poems, songs, monologues, rants, scenes, improvisations, bed-time stories and more. We cater to your taste from the available menu selections. Ask for Canadian content, cross-dressing, comedic/or serious, contemporary/or classic or our very popular Sock Puppets.

Mouth-watering menu selections include uproarious from DaPoPo Theatre's original musical So… What About Love?; works by local songwriters and playwrights; cheeky bossa nova "Do You Take It…" (by special permission from the pleasure-positive comedy duo The Wet Spots); sensual monologues; dance; DaPoPo's improvised SexTangles; and our DaPride staples The Fruit Bowl, DaBawdy Politck and St. Sebastian's Secretz!

Guest performers Jessica Barry, John Han, Matthew Peach, Gina Thornhill and Holly Winter join DaPoPo regulars Kim Parkhill, Emily Shute and Garry Williams for a fun, sexy and unforgettable evening of at-your-table performances, tailored to your taste. Menu items range from $3.- to $17.-!

Hello, Sailor!

2011-05-06T19:53:00.015-04:00

DaPoPo Theatre prepares for our queer, maritime-themed Café DaPoPo, offering a fabulous selection of scenes, songs, monologues, happenings, poems and more at the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic, scheduled for Friday, June 10th. Individually-priced performances can be ordered at your table. Cover will be $5.-. The performance accompanies the exhibition "Hello, Sailor!", the immediate focus: gay life at sea from the 1950s through the 1980s. We have started to research and create material, drawing from popular culture pre-1950s, as well as original scenes, performances and monologues.

Thanks to our brave and talented performers Kristi Anderson, Andrew Chandler, John Han, Keelin Jack, Matt Peach – his first Café DaPoPo! – and Ali Richardson, as well as our volunteer bar tenders Ryan Brown and Terry Joyce, and our dolly mistress-of-ceremonies Kim Parkhill. Thanks, also, to Sarah Schwarz and the Crêperie Mobile, as well as the Museum staff.

Follow this hyper-link to see some more of Timothy Richard's photos from the event.

Preparing for MayWorks

2011-04-18T09:29:00.009-04:00

An hour rehearsing with Kim Parkhill, reprising Brutus' "Give me your hands, all o'er, one by one…" speech from Julius Caesar, and rehearsing the Brecht/Eisler Einheitsfrontlied, performed with dominoes. Positioning: under a table for Shakespeare, the other actors conspiratorially huddled as stand-in audience; on a table-top for the Song of the United Front. Lighting by flashlights. In the former, Brutus pleads in favour of political action against an oppressive leader; in the latter, workers are rallied to action to change an oppressive class system. (Photos by Zach Faye.)

For one patron's impressions, follow this link.

Some Shakespeare With Your Carrot Cake?

2011-03-28T07:22:00.010-04:00

DaPoPo Theatre began a new 5-month series of its signature event Café DaPoPo on Tuesday, March 29 at 7:30pm at the Grad House. We played to a full house, and were excited to present Café DaPoPo in a new venue.

Originally conceived as a fundraiser in 2007, Café DaPoPo has become a performance event in its own right. Performing in diners, restaurants and bars, the cast take orders from the patrons, and practice their craft at individual tables. This month's cast included many of the core collective members: Kristi Anderson, Andrew Chandler, Zach Faye, Keelin Jack, Kim Parkhill, Garry Williams and our fantastic accompanist Emily Shute. We also welcomed Griffin McInnis and Liz Johnstone as guest performers from the KTS. Scenes, songs, monologues, conversation pieces, rants, puppets, poetry – all of these staple ingredients are on the theatrical menu.

(Depicted here at right are Kristi Anderson, Zach Faye and the carrot cake.)

2011 - Transformations

2011-02-05T10:08:00.007-04:00

On Sunday Jan 23, most of the 2011 DaPoPo Collective met at the new Casa DaPoPo on Kaye Street to discuss the immediate future of Café DaPoPo.

How can we write the inherently unpredictable performance elements of Café DaPoPo more profoundly into the event? Unlike a traditional performance, there is no illusion of a repeatable Café performance. Every time a certain scene or song is ordered, the set necessarily changes. Often the costumes change. Props reveal themselves in performance: a beer glass; a patron's hat; a butter knife. Often the parameters shift: add a sock puppet; make it 'saucy', make it 'queer'; sing your Hamlet. By donning a pair of sun-glasses last-minute, the performer experiences a total transformation.

How can we devise more original material for Café performances without the monthly task becoming an overwhelming one? Each performer becomes a writer, a director and a dramaturge, if they choose. How do you use a picture frame, a shower cap and a rubber duckie effectively, in what is essentially an open rehearsal, performing a two-person song? In fact, the audience, who is at times almost indistinguishable from the actors, influences the performance, unknowingly. They laugh. They turn their heads away. The lean forward in their chair. These immediate cues bring about another total transformation in the performer. The entire theatrical moment disrobes and becomes naked, intimate dialogue.

What do you do with a theatrical form like Café DaPoPo, which relies heavily on audience interaction, non-traditional locations and an ever-changing cast (and therefore available performances); a form that doesn't fit into the conventional theatre model in terms of finding audiences, choosing venues and generating revenue? Again, the performer can find Café transformative. The reason for performing in Café DaPoPo is not the pay check. In fact, there usually in no pay check. It is to experience the performance, the audience and the impulse for art with an immediacy that is too often lost in the big theatres.

Our plans to perform once monthly from March through July (including performances at the MayWorks Festival, the Maritime Museum of the Atlantic's Flagship Fridays series, as well as Halifax Pride) gave us an excuse to refocus our interests, and possibly effect a few transformations.

Café DaPoPo Bounces Back

2010-11-30T16:34:00.005-04:00

We moved into the comfortable back seating area at Menz Bar – including the new Music Room – for this November Café. This was a change from the main bar space: more private and more like Mollyz Diner, our original Café venue in 2007.

Our Berlin cast (Kristi Anderson, Zach Faye, Keelin Jack, Andrew "Droodles" Chandler, Amy Reitsma, Kim Parkhill and Garry Williams) was reunited, and reprised performances from the past three months, adding some new ones, and rediscovering some old ones.

A highlight for me was declaiming Shakespeare's "Let me not to the marriage of true minds/Admit impediments…" for a rapt table of six, dressed in my Pride '08 T-shirt, a pink tie and a rainbow triangle pin. The words had such weight, as well they should, in this unexpected new context. "Love is not love/That alters when it alteration finds,/Or bends with the remover to remove…"

That is why I love Café: the joy of play, the constantly unfolding possibilities.

Café DaPoPo Returns to Potsdam

2010-11-14T06:22:00.003-04:00

Café DaPoPo at Potsdam's museum FLUXUS+, Friday Nov. 12, 2010, was a beautiful evening. The museum extended a warm welcome to us again, and our audience was incredibly responsive, moving about the room to catch all of the performances. We saw several returning audience members, as well as some first-timers.

The 10 DaPoPo performers (Kristi Anderson, Clara Bullock, Andrew Chandler, Zach Faye, Jackie Hanlin, Keelin Jack*, Kim Parkhill*, Matthew Power, Amy Reitsma* and Garry Williams) sang, improvised, and performed scenes and monologues at patrons' tables.

(Photos will follow.)

* Courtesy of the Canadian Actors' Equity

From Our Ducky's Café Menu

2010-10-18T17:48:00.002-04:00

Prologues

Prologues are available for the table, shared, or intimate.

Shakespeare's Sonnets $3

Ye olde verse, performed with your choice of Duck Puppets, pretentious or plain.

Delicious Ditty $3

A monthly variety of simple unaccompanied songs, performed right at your table.

Duck of the Draw $3

A surprise pick performed by our talented Duck Puppets!

One free Prologue per table! Choose from a variety of sonnets, ducks and ditties.

Songs

Suitable for sharing, comes with accompaniment available with Duck Puppetz.

Chanson du Jour $4

Ask your server about this month's featured song.

Pretentious Song $5

Heady, songs in exotic tongues, accompanied with a generous touch of passion, melodrama and Sturm & Drang.

For Translations add $1

Broadway Belter $5

Catchy tunes, sharp lyrics and a wide range of emotions, your choice of comedy or torch song.

DaBIG Ensemble Number

A generous performance of melody with enjoyable lyrics, performed with pizazz by the ensemble for the entire room. No extra cost!

Speeches

Ye Olde Monologue $4

Seasoned prose or verse with hints of character, situation & emotion.

Modern/Contemporary Monologue $4

Strong, modern characters with mixed intentions, rich subtexts & a hint of urbane and universal themes.

Canuck's Corner $5

Teary or cheery Canadian Content with worlds of meaning, a variety of local flavours and hints of maple.

DaPoPo Rant $3

Home-made rants and local beefs, performed with outrage and genuine disbelief, and a side of social commentary.

Enjoy any three menu items at a special table rate for only $12! Extra charges may apply for groups of five or more patrons.

Entr'actes

Conversation Piece $4

Outrageous characters, improvisation and fresh humour, shtick & moxie.

Happening $4

Performance art stylings with more than a hint of the avant-garde.

Sextangle $5

Improvised musical fun with a harmonious blend of melody, counterpoint, theme & variation.

DaPoetry $4

Carefully crafted text, declaimed with finesse.

Scenes

Selections will be performed for the entire table.

Ye Olde Scene $6

A medley of emotions, conflict, aged language, poetic inflection and a monthly variety of humours. Ask about our world-famous Shakespeare selections.

Slice of Life $5

Modern or contemporary scene with fresh, relatable themes and subjects, your choice of comedic or dramatic.

DaBIG Ensemble Scene

A blend of characters in juicy conflict, for the room, varies monthly – this one's on the house!

Epilogues

Bed-Time Story $4

Variety of tuck-me-in fare read at your table with pictures, narrative and loveable, huggable friends!

Please pay for your performances with cash. Remember to tip your food server separately.

DaPoPo Descends On Dartmouth!

2010-08-25T07:31:00.010-04:00

Starting this September, DaPoPo Theatre will be bringing their signature performance event to Ducky's On the Waterfront on the second last Thursday of the month! We'll be serving up our unique blend of high and low brow fun right at your table: songs, sonnets, scenes, soliloquies, rants, lectures, bed-time stories… you name it! Look out for Duck Puppets and the singing actors' dulcet tones, as the popular troupe descends on Dartmouth, singing and acting their way into your hearts.

The menu will include delectable sonnets, monologues, scenes, rants, sextangles, bed-time stories and songs, but also excerpts from our up-coming play The Halifax Hearings, as well as DaPoPo Theatre Oldies from Julius Caesar, R.U.R., our original musical revue So… What About Love? and Amanada Jernigan's Drinking Song.

DaPride 2010

2010-07-21T18:51:00.008-04:00

"WOW! Last night was amazing. Congratulations to you and the entire cast. The pieces I ordered/had the fortune of enjoying last night were superb."

– Aaron Andreino

"What an exceptionally good time we had last night at Café DaPoPo – you guys are really dynamic and original and you continue to blow me away."

– Holly Arsenault

"My large table of friends had a great great time! I am sure that many more will be attending the next Café DaPoPo."

– Brendan Sangster

"The crêpes [courtesy of Crêperie Mobile]… yum!"

– Anonymous

"Café allowed me to play in a way that I never had before. I did all that I could, maybe more than I should, and now oh, how I want to do more."

– Ira Henderson

"I really enjoyed being able to share an incredibly personal performance with friends and enthusiastic strangers. It was the most energetic audience I've ever had. And I loved the ensemble numbers!"

– Zach Faye

"The performances I cherish are the unpredictable ones. Filling an order for a 'song by Cole Porter with vocal harmonies', unrehearsed, I found myself improvising a sextangular homage to Cole Porter with Keelin and Eric."

– GaRRy Williams

"As someone who has been involved with Cafe for three years, it was amazing for me to see a house jam-packed with so many new patrons… I enjoyed experiencing the Cafe through them and re-appreciating it's novelty, quirkiness and fundamental awesomeness. Also great were the decidedly communal moments in the otherwise buzz of individual table talk and performance - the shared laughter over the surprise reveal of Ira in drag or the princes in Faux Disney, the implicit agreement in the room to be quiet during singing performances and the erupting and enthusiastic applause after the ensemble pieces. My favorite performances of my own were a boisterous Miss Congeniality improv with a crowd of eight and, in stark contrast, a quiet recitation of Pam Calabrese McLean's poem 'Dragons' for Hugo at the bar."

– Kim Parkhill

The Sex Play: Actor and Politician scene. Ira and I were able to perform the double seduction of the actor and the politician at the small bar at the back of Menz. The audience all stood behind, almost like bartenders, while we performed the scene. It was very intimate – quiet flirtation for the audience/voyeurs. A very strange experience, and an interesting one for all.

– Eric Benson

Queer Actz/DaPride Café

2010-05-22T05:25:00.012-04:00

In preparation for DaPride Café on July 19th, 2010, I luxuriated in the pages of Orton's celebrated, irreverent farce Loot again last night ("I'd like to get married. It's the one thing I haven't tried.") immensely, and dipped into Bryden MacDonald's deliciously stark While Riding Weather for the first time with the great joy of discovery, like finding a hundred dollar note in the pocket of your old jeans (which has never happened to me). Letting my lips and tongue once again roll over the Bard's words: "A woman's face, with Nature's own hand painted/Hast thou, the master-mistress of my soul…". Letting them heat up in the mental slow cooker.

As always, we are seeking ingredients for an eclectic menu of scenes, songs, speeches, monologues, poetry and improvisation to be plated and delivered to culture-hungry patrons at Halifax's Menz Bar. This will be the first time we will be included in the official Halifax Pride events line-up as part of Queer Acts. Replete with song & dance, strip-tease and whipped cream and excerpts from the classics, DaPride Café menu has been one of our most outrageous, quirky and exuberant ones, seasoned with wit, camp, titillation and served with great abandon.

Canada supports a rich and integrated queer arts culture – where would theatre be without the innumerable homosexual men and women who spend their lives creating, designing and presenting plays? –, including staples of the thespian diet such as Daniel McIvor, Michel Tremblay and Timothy Findlay, but also such stark sides as Marie-Claire Blais, Tomson Highway, Brad Fraser, Sky Gilbert, Don Hannah and Ronnie Burkett. As Lana puts it so eloquently in Sky Gilbert's play Drag Queens on Trial: "Why do you think so many homosexuals have become famous writers, artists, crusaders–because a passion to dare to be different, to live dangerously is the most enthralling disease in the world. And it's catching."

Mayworks Café x 2

2010-05-11T12:26:00.005-04:00

For our two back-to-back, ostensibly labour-themed Cafés, we had prepared a variety of carefully chosen material, tailored to taste, including Political Speeches, DaBIG Ensemble Happeningz, Monologuez, Scenez and Songz. On the night, we performed by request two DaSexTangles – musical improvisations on The Rocky Mountains and Indecision, respectively –, a "Songologue", and an Improvised Scene & Song on polyamoury. (Coincidentally, we have actually written a song about polyamoury for our musical revue 'So… what About Love?', but we were missing performers.)

The sock puppetz came out en masse at Menz Bar. Hamlet's grave diggers returned to ponder the injustices of "great folk" verses "their even Christians". My favourite: a large ensemble rendition of The Log Driver's Waltz. We premiered "The Worker's Chorus of Dissent", an interactive piece during which members of the audience must make noise when they disagree with statements about work, art and wages.

Attendees were boisterously appreciative. Performing for a politically-minded audience – and our friends from the PPTP – was thrilling. We all felt a sense of solidarity from the deliberate applause, the hoots and the politically sensitive responses to controversial and topical issues. Too often art is reduced to a form of entertainment, devoid of any sense of positive social change. The Mayworks Café at JustUs on Spring Garden and its reprise at Menz Bar put back in mind the power of the word, and a living culture.

SPECIAL ENCORE PRESENTATION!! Café DaPoPo returns to Menz Bar!

2010-04-30T07:48:00.007-04:00

After a rather long hiatus (and a much-needed rest and re-charge period) Café DaPoPo is returning to our most regular venue, the most supportive and endearing Menz Bar on Gottingen Street.

Come check out our encore presentation of labour-themed Mayworks material on MONDAY MAY 10TH, 7PM. Or even better, come to both events, since you never know what will happen and who will order what!

Also, check out mayworkshalifax.ca for more info on the awesome Mayworks Festival.

MAYWORKS Café

2010-03-27T07:18:00.011-04:00

Café DaPoPo: the next endeavour. Creating a tailor-made menu for Mayworks 2010 Halifax, preparing our favourite political performance scripts, poems, songs, rants and shtick about workers and workers' rights. I recall the Justice Camp Café in the Ward Room at Kings last summer, that was interrupted by a fire drill, and our collection of poverty-themed material.

Theatrical performance and social issues, always married, are always vying for singular attention. As Boal puts it, 'all theatre is political.' Often the actual political content is invisible, in camouflage. Our job for Mayworks is to unpack that content, reveal it.

Romain Roland suggests "joy, energy and intelligence" as necessary ingredients for a true People's Theatre. DaPoPo's interest, in Café especially, has been to pursue these qualities in our work. Or, as W. B. Yeats describes his work towards a Popular Theatre: it is "the making articulate of all the dumb classes each with its own knowledge of the world, its own dignity… with the objectivity of the office and the workshop, of the newspaper and the street, or mechanism and politics."

3rd Year Anniversary Café

2010-01-23T20:47:00.012-04:00

We're back, friends, after a brief hiatus, with a special Café DaPoPo celebrating our 3rd anniversary: Saturday, February 13, 2010, 7:30pm, at the Sound Market Studio Café on Quinpool. We will be featuring selections from past DaPoPo productions, some special guests and our favourite selections from past Cafés. Plus: warm and delicious crêpes courtesy of Sarah Schwarz and the Crêperie Mobile!

Here's what The Coast's Tara Thorne had to say in January, 2007: "Always-innovative local troupe DaPoPo Theatre begins a cool new venture this week with the launch of Café DaPoPo, a new monthly peformance series… You will be able to order specially priced performances, ranging from poems to songs to scenes to improv, to your own table for a private show. (Not like that.) ... 'Like much of DaPoPo's work, Café DaPoPo explores ways of bringing theatre to its audience, eliminating the fourth wall and redefining the relationship between performer and spectator,' says Williams."

Now, three years later, we're still exploring and redefining. It all began in 2007, when Doug Melanson offered we use the now defunct Mollyz Diner space for a fundraiser. Accepting the limitations of the space, we cooked up the idea of a Theatre Menu with individually priced performances you could order to your table. Intimate Shakespeare. Sock puppet Schumann. Bed-time stories. DaPoPo classics. Reinvented to confront, embrace and involve the audience.

While patrons eat and drink, our theatre-baristas serve songs, sonnets, monologues, rants, lectures, bed-times stories, striptease, happenings, improv, Big Ensemble numbers and pretty much anything else we can think of. For special events, we spice up our menu with queer, local and political material. We continually vary our flavour with an ever-changing cast, and special guests.

Enthusiastic audiences have played along at the Good Food Emporium; Just Us! Café; Alderney Landing Farmer's Market; Menz Bar; museum FLUXUS+ in Potsdam; as well as Halifax Pride; Queer Comedy Night; OutBid!; and, most recently, Halifax' inaugural MayWorks Festival. More than 50 performers have performed at Café DaPoPo to approximately 1,000 patrons.

Poverty Justice Café

2009-08-15T14:56:00.004-04:00

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

2009-07-26T09:53:00.008-04:00

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

2009-06-28T08:39:00.003-04:00

"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

2009-06-02T16:45:00.009-04:00

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!

2009-06-02T16:42:00.003-04:00

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

2009-05-11T16:29:00.006-04:00

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

2009-05-07T13:11:00.031-04:00

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

2009-04-02T12:18:00.004-04:00

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

2009-03-01T08:38:00.006-04:00

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

2009-02-28T10:32:00.001-04:00

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

2009-02-03T13:52:00.005-04:00

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

2009-01-30T11:05:00.004-04:00

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!

2009-01-16T14:11:00.002-04:00

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)

Some December Café Pictures

2008-12-30T00:45:00.008-04:00

Blake, our Musical Theatre trained bartender and photographer, provided us with these pictures to wish you a Happy New Year!

Thanks to everyone who's supported us through the year/s: especially Bonnie (who's never missed a Café yet), Doug (we need to get us more menz like dat) and to all of our patrons.

December 18/08 Café

2008-12-19T09:42:00.004-04:00

a free association block of jan29 café inspired words and phrases
sock puppets finger puppets hand puppets the new and awesome sparkled green grouchy tiny fisted bonnie-made-this-for-garry-from-an-old-slipper puppet singing singing singing carols of christmas and consumerism tintinabulating rounds bosom buddies darryll dishing drinks good show tonight you guys improvized german song with bells for birthday girl droodles makes a monologue a dialogue shtick for everyone what is shtick oh shtick shtick shtick they have to leave at nine thirty ten ten thirty time now now now annie andrea chris meghan sher keelin cast in audience galore plus old friends new friends pptp-ing friends the people-met-on-set friends the director who-cast-you-in-your-first-show-when-you -returned-to-acting friends shakespeare at the disco and in the garden incubating scenes gun song previewings la cages and julius thanks brutus blake takes photos photos photos cast photo now cast past cast all cast casting shadows of a christmas tree in the wake of a masked santa claus morality play garbled gargoyles of the god of the sun and he saw anyone for a ticket on an ipod? secrets juicy secrets hugs and a partridge in the menz tree

November 27/08 Café

2008-11-28T20:30:00.017-04:00

November Café: wow. Menz was packed, some curious newcomers and some glowing familiar faces. Mark Wolf joined us as a performer (with his FaceBook Song hit) making our 4th Mt. A alumnus with Nathan, Kristi and GaRRy rounding out the Mt. A quartet. Plus: Steven, Eric and Kim. Amanda Jernigan's "Mad Tea-Party" and Matthew Trafford's "The People and the Stones", both created for DaPoPo's 2006 show "13 Ways of Looking at a Madman" by Allisonian graduates, were performed this Café. Depicted below: 1) a packed Menz Bar on Café Thursday during a scene from "Rhinoceros"; 2) GaRRy and Kristi rehearsing; and 3) Eric, Nathan, Kristi, GaRRy and Shtev rehearsing a scene from "R.U.R."

Oct. 30/08: Café

2008-11-01T12:21:00.009-04:00

yay! a café that felt like home. veteran café cast members (garry, eric, sher, amy, nathan, bonnie et moi) that had rehearsed together consistently. menz completely tricked out for h'ween so the atmosphere was so appropo. even the tv got turned off (and those of you who know, know 'zackly what i mean). cozy, candle-lit tables peppering the dance floor. patrons of the fan, friend, family and unfamiliar forms. thank you so much to all. so appreciative of having an audience.
k

special notes... jenny m. and mary v. who dropped in to finally check out this café-thing during our "happy hour." igor who got our café card during one of our nocturne bus performances and actually bothered to make his way to gottingen street. he got a special four-part harmonic rendition of auld lang syne - on the house - when we discovered he was scottish. raymond who brought a friend who found inspiration for a documentary in one of the rants. amy macA who fought the call of her bed to come and see what the café was all about... subsequently inspiring the idea to have a mt. a reunion at a café!

performances... so many things to talk about! amazing eerie rendition of garry's arrangment of "full fathom five" with an impromptu 'father' finger puppet drowning and drifting in the waves of light from an upturned flashlight. taking one for the team in a dead-fall gone-wrong from a stool when a shoe heel caught on the rung. incubating 'erl king' with vocal vs. instrumental accompaniament. spontaneous laughter and clapping with the emergence of each "man" for the big ensemble number "menz" - biggest laugh for eric's literal interpretation of the line "who always tops the list to us."

darrell having a busy busy (read: great) night serving at the bar. keeping focus at the table in a quiet, dramatic, real monologue despite nearby showtune belting. rants about mice, herpes and halloween. keelin already busting a gut on the first line of daBig ensemble scene. running out of time with orders left to fill for latercomers, the dj graciously waiting to set up for his dance party. a new patron drinking it all in and reflecting that sometimes he couldn't tell who was acting and who wasn't - in a good way.

an eclectic, eccentric, exceptional experience for one and all.

Oct 18/08: A Nocturne-al Café

2008-10-23T14:44:00.003-04:00

Theatre in a diner, then a coffee shop, now a bar... how do you follow that up? On a bus, of course!

A bus? Yes, folks, it can be done! We had the great pleasure of participating in Halifax's first Nocturne festival (http://www.nocturnehalifax.ca/). Nocturne: Art at Night was planned to showcase and celebrate the arts scene in this city. There was an awesome program guide with maps highlighting all sorts of galleries, exhibitions and special performances. And there was a free bus from 6 pm to midnight that took people along a route dotted with the galleries and exhibitions. The people on the bus - besides going up and down - were also entertained by a roster of performers that changed hourly.

Which is where we came in. Danielle, the coordinator for the bus performers, contacted Garry about performing and then Garry passed along the invitation for the DaPoPoli to jump on board.

As it turned out, Garry did a loop himself (Nocturne Bus 2, Trip 4) digging into his purple bag of wonderfulness for - among many things - finger puppets to do sonnets, his Canadian maple leaf politician tie to deliver Steve Cloutier's satirical anti-arts speech, his pipe to do an existential monologue from "Biography: A Game" as Hannes. He had an involved audience who asked questions and responded so well to the performances. He says it was incredibly joyful to do.

Sher and Kim teamed up for still a different time slot (Nocturne Bus 1, Trip 4) and entertained both themselves and their ever-changing ridership with a massive cross-section of typical Café fare, passing out cards with Café dates and talking up DaPoPo to boot. There was a wonderful reading of a one-act play staged in the seats amidst the passengers. The play had the "audience" in stitches and even kept some people on the bus past their stop. We also had the opportunity to dig out some children's items... Creepy Crawly Caterpillar and James and the Giant Peach, when we two young art lovers joined us. Kim's waitresses made their appearances and at the request "...do something from My Fair Lady!" there was an impromptu, unrehearsed rendition of "Wouldn't It Be Loverly" - with choreography! Lamb puppets whispering in people's ears. Dinosaurs separated by the chasm of an aisle snorting and singing "I Get Along Without You Very Well" Brutus and Cassius soliloquizing and being interrupted by a bit of an argument at one of the stops. Clutching at seat backs and overhead poles to avoid being tossed to the ground during an exuberant excerpt from Good Night Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet. Good times!

Eric was on still another trip. He got on one of the last buses with merely a music stand and Shakespeare's sonnets. He read them in sequence with the encouragement of the four final riders and got all the way up into the 60's before the bus returned to the origin at the Saint Mary's University Art Gallery.

Ah... merrily we rolled along, and in such different ways. I wish I had pictures, but I was too busy enjoying the moments to take out the camera. It should always be like that!

If you missed Nocturne this year, fear not. They were already talking about next year's festival at the after-party that same night! So keep an ear to the ground and as always, read the arts and entertainment listings in the papers, wherever you can online and stay tuned to the radio. And pass the word along...

September 25/08 Café

2008-10-23T11:04:00.005-04:00

If you're visiting for the first time and you want a good sampler introduction of the Café experience, check out our video in the July 30, 2008 post: A Café Appetizer. Otherwise, read on...

I don't like blogging for Cafés I didn't attend. But I will give it a go because we are now almost at the next Café and... well, there is a hole in our blog wall!

The late September Café ended up being an all-girl cast with Bonnie Archibald-Awalt (hostess and poetry goddess) Joanna Caplan (café debut)Keelin Jack (DaPoPo/café veteran)Amy Reitsma (DaPoPo/café veteran)Ariel Sinclair-Chin (operatic diva - in a good way)Gina Thornhill (patron-turned-performer) Annie Valentina (café veteran)Lynette Whalstrom (ivory-tinkler).

This particular cast faced several of the challenges which have been dogging the Café recently: how to adapt the usual intimate performances to the larger bar space in Menz; how to get adequate rehearsal time together considering everyone's busy schedules; sourcing ideas, approaches and material to make it fresh and interesting for everyone; dealing with a high rate of cast turnover from month-to-month; and handling a growing ennui and burn-out.

Nonetheless, the performers showed up. Alas, our audience did not. With the exception of a large posse of Joanna's friends who dropped in and out through the evening to see her performing in a new way, our Café patrons just didn't come. Another challenge. When you do something on a monthly basis, it seems the tendency is for people to let the dates go by in anticipation of catching it some other time.

Well, folks, that time is now. We have had a serious rethink of the Café - has it run its course, can we continue to innovate and keep both performers and patrons enthusiastic, excited and eager? Or is it time to close the show, move on to something else?

Happily, we are regrouping and the October Café is just a week away, with a veteran cast a recapturing of oldies but goodies from the original menu, plus and lots of new items and a new energy. We just need our patrons. It is going to be fun!

September 6/08: Go North! Festival Café Buffet

2008-10-23T09:09:00.003-04:00

As part of the Go North! Festival celebrating the North End and the amazing community of artists and small businesses there, DaPoPo put on an all-day Café buffet at The Good Food Emporium.

We seemed to work in bursts. A few tables scattered throughout the day but then larger groups arriving with the organized festival tours and only staying for about 10 minutes. This was a challenge to get orders and fill them for the quick turnaround, but we hit our stride soon enough.

One particular tour was greeted with the beautiful chorus of "Sunday" from our production of "Sunday in the Park with George" Then a rapid fire sonnet, a monologue from "Apocalypse 2006" and a scene from our adaptation of "RUR" and they were out the door to the next stop on the tour.

Lynette was on hand with amazing accompaniament and Ariel sang even when no one was there. Keelin answered a special song request from a patron who had been at one of the very first Cafés in the original Mollyz.

Eric, as Harry, demonstrated the perfect artificial skin of the robot Sulla, played by Kristi. Mike had a go at the keyboard for a few singalong popular songs. Meg dropped by on her way to the last performance of her show "Honey & Jupiter" but we couldn't entice her to perform. Bonnie organized us all and jumped into the fray when the big groups came.

A lovely conversation with some people who stayed for a bit... they wanted to know more about the company, if we ever did the Cafe for special events... oh! My kingdom for a business card! And yes, we certainly could and probably would.

June 26 (DaPride x 2) and July 31, 2008

2008-08-06T20:39:00.086-04:00

Wow. Apologies our blog fell into such neglect. Our main blog demon, Kim, is in Latvia; Eric (far more a technophile than I) was performing in the Toronto Fringe; and I have been involved in putting together a Mother Goose Show for Alderney Landing and directing "Le nozze di Figaro" for HSOW.

Farewell, Good Food Emporium!

We will miss this fine, quirky venue. We look forward

to being back at the Emporium for an all-day Café on

Sat, Sept 6th for the GO North! festival.

DaPride Café

Back "home" at Mollyz Diner...or rather Menz Bar: remodelled with a traditional stage, a bar and a dance floor with tables set out cabaret-style...

...welcoming three guest performers from the Halifax Summer Opera Workshop -- Ariel Sinclair Chin, Meaghan Zantingh and William Lewans --

-- as well as a drag act danced and lip-synched by our very own Schtev and drag king Oliver Hugh.

At the end of the busy evening, Eric and Amy performed a beautiful, heart-breaking DaBroadway duet for a few tables. We then reprised St. Sebastian'z Secretz, during which we read aloud or burned patrons' secretz, depending on which form of release they chose.

Queer Comedy Night

Amy, Keelin, Schtev, Chris, Eric and I regrouped on Sunday to perform a 20-minute guerilla version of the Café for Queer Comedy Night, hosted by April SHowers, during which we each prepared to perform our funniest sonnetz,

monologuez, and songz.

Catered theatre events...how do you let people "order" a performance on the spot? And how can you be sure they want a performance at all? What kind of performance can you "give away" as snack food?

July Café

We welcomed Rhys Bevan-John as a guest who offered Physical Theatre Antipasta.

The rather small audience allowed us to try out some new material -- Kate & Petruchio as finger puppets in a large wooden frame; Stand-Up Comedy/Sit-Down Tragedy; and a chilling scene from Edward II left over from Pride.

As always, much rehearsed material was not ordered or performed.

A slow night for DaPoPo, and a quiet, pleasant (if slightly anticlimactic) evening of performance after DaPride with only a few friends and regulars in the audience.

- GaRRy

Video: A Café Appetizer

2008-07-30T16:13:00.003-04:00

May 29, 2008

2008-06-17T21:44:00.009-04:00

Daring, popular, poetic, political, etc. indeed. This event by DaPoPo Theatre certainly completes the task of fulfilling all of the above and more! Freshly out of theatre school, I was 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!

April 24, 2008

2008-04-30T21:17:00.021-04:00

It was an encore performance for Café DaPoPo a la Bob and Lori's on Thursday evening, and what an evening it was. With many of our Café stalwarts tied up (gloriously) with Biography (great show, go see it), it was a brand new sort of Café experience. Steven Bourque, Andrea Dymond, Chris Ferrilll and myself (Keelin Jack) returned after hiatus of various lengths, teaming up with newcomers Andre Dumont, Meghan Hubley and Annie Valentina to create a pretty successful night of theatrical treats, if I do say so myself.

Continuing the success of last month's rehearsal process, we focused on the scenes, and the rehearsal and feedback needed to present them effectively.

With no carry over of scenes between last month's and this month's Café, a lot of new material was learned, some was reviewed from months long gone, and some familiar material shown with a different cast. Although the list of material to be learned seemed daunting after the first meeting, almost all was accomplished. Many thanks to the brilliant and dedicated cast.

Also many thanks to Ann Denny, Nathan Pilon and Garry Williams, who came to the Café as audience, but helped us out with Pretentious and Popular songs.

The night started off at a pretty easy pace...delicious pizzas floating by from the kitchen, some intimate monologues, a only slightly skewed version of the Icarus/Daedalus scene from Apocalypse 2006... the only slight stress of an unexpected demand for Leonard Cohen songs (with puppet!) which I was luckily able to dig out of my bag and fake...with the help of Hubley, as singing, playing piano, turning pages and puppeting requires more hands than one person possesses.

After that, I may not be the best person to comment on the overall feel of the Café, as I was running back to back scenes and monologues from this point onward. I can say, however, that everyone seemed lively, happy and entertained. There was a steady flow of orders, and a lot of new faces... great to see.

Highlights include: the interruption of a highbrow Shaw scene by a random off the street looking for the bathroom (it was oddly appropriate... thanks to the ladies who ordered it, for their sense of humour); the Big Ensemble Scene, Everyman, and the audience members participating with their interesting interpretation of "penance"... a.k.a. what to do when you are handed a scourge; a new Happening "3 Monkeys" from returning Master of the Happening - Steven Bourque; delicious food provider and Bob and Loris proprietor Paul Rogers stepping in to provide us with a lovely rendition of "Ich grolle nicht"; and the ever in-the-wings Bonnie making her Café debut as an actor, complete with knitting and Southern accent, in a scene from Crimes of the Heart.

--- Keelin Jack

March 27, 2008 Café

2008-04-01T09:37:00.009-04:00

And another new venue, Bob & Lori's Food Emporium, plays temporary host to the Café as the Mollyz re-opening date stretches us to edge-of-seat anticipation. Paul Rogers, one of the new Bob & Lori's co-owners hooked us up with this wonderfully cozy location. It was a relatively slow night comparatively, but such a delicate ambiance for patrons with soft yellow lighting diffused over intimate booths and an eclectic arrangement of chairs and tables.

Mike C. presided over the hot cider pot and the Bob & Lori's guys slung out sammies and yummies in the early evening. Our lusty legion of performers carried on valiantly, despite complications of illness running rampant through the cast. Steven Heisler joined us for the first time, jumping headlong into the fray with vigor and amazingly good spirit. Ann Doyle, awesomely, was back again for the second time along with a handful of old-timers and new-timers.

We had given more attention to rehearsal this month, with specific matching up of work with observers and a push on scenes. The new venue gave an extra incentive to pull performances into small spaces, a fun thing for DaBig Scene. This was a remounting of the L'il Caezr Teazr from last month, but with 7 cast members for the 10 roles. Ann Denny, the original Cassius, had to leave early, so when the order came in, Mike Chandler grabbed a script, tied a scarf around his waist, armed himself with a plastic sword and took on the role. This last-minute substitution in itself added to the hilarity of our honestly-acted but decidedly camped-up version of Act V. Unanticipated "mere flesh wounds," missing counterparts for dialogue, huge stage whispers and CPR on the dowel horse... you get the idea.

Highlights: Garry's voice student Najet came with a group of friends; chorale Auld Lang Syne caressing the hushed room; the comment "Now I want to see the play!" after a reading of a section of Biography; Nathan plays an intimate Bowie, amp and all for his folks; Ann Doyle dons the tin-foil cap THREE times; Sher in her hockey helmet and pink sunglasses as Young Cato... there are more.

February 28/08 Café

2008-03-07T07:52:00.008-04:00

Then you've got to find a space to rehearse and present your productions,
Or the love is all you've got! What?"

Hours of rehearsals at Kim's house: songs in the dining room, sonnets in the kitchen, scenes in the living room and sax in the hallway. And a peeing puppy underneath. The last Ouro Preto Cafe in all probability: busy from really early on, lots of new faces, a new rhythym in simultaneous performance delivery and the best for last (!) L'il Caezr Teazr with a stellar example of "TROUBLE!" call-answer ensemble support.

More ruminations and photos below from Ann Noël (Garry's mum), who attended her first Café during a visit from Berlin...

This was a new, but temporary venue for the monthly „theatre à la carte“ event staged by this talented and innovative group of actors, vocalists and musicians. I was not at any of the previous evenings at Mollyz Diner, but friends told me that this modern-looking coffee shop is a larger and less intimate space. Nevertheless one was well aware of what was going on at the tables in the vicinity of one’s own and the pace at which orders were being filled was quite extraordinary. Once it a while I was curious enough to get up to go and see what was being served up to the customers in other parts of the room and to take photographs of the interaction between the actors and their audience. People seemed to be enjoying themselves immensely.

Some of the things I observed were the following. A tired and dispirited waitress dressed in pink came and sat down at table next to mine to complain about her lot in life.

A guy in a black wig and dark glasses, strumming a guitar and accompanied by a saxophone player, did an Elvis impersonation.

A heartrending ballad was performed by a lanky youth wearing a scarlet sheath dress and a black leather necklace with spikes.

A quintet erected music stands and performed a classic Fluxus score by Emmett Williams, “A Four-Directional Song of Doubt”.

On my way back from visiting the washroom I saw a man hiding behind a tree, with a hand puppet emerging from the leaves, singing an operatic aria.

At one end of the counter a couple were carrying on a dialogue while manoeuvring a Playmobil princess and a prince across a tiny stage.

Another pair, accompanied by a keyboard sang a number from a musical by Stephen Sondheim.

A bearded bard softly recited Shakespeare’s 30th sonnet into my ear.

There were popular song solos, rants and raves, one-act plays, bedtime stories with cuddly toys and lots more to choose from on the menu. In another unforgettable scene involving cross-dressing, a hairy Katherine was wooed with considerable verve and ardour by a smooth-faced Petrucchio. I should have like to have seen and heard everything on the menu that night, but that is why one should attend Café DaPoPo evenings more than one time – it’s constantly changing. I have a bit farther to travel than some, but I’ll certainly try.

Ann Noël, Berlin, Germany

January 31/08 Café

2008-02-05T10:47:00.003-04:00

Anniversaries. Milestones. Growth. A mad dash from commitment to execution. Two weeks of intense preparation, figuring out the new space, organizing the bar, licensing, rehearsing for hours with vast amounts of veggie chili (!!), bringing in a new accompanist (yay Tara "Lady Ninja" Scott), making donation receptacles (Bonnie to the rescue) and in the end, a special time to commemorate our start then and again, now. New Year, new...

Michael and Verna, two patrons from the very first Café were back for the anniversary special and enjoyed as we presented some of our favorites from the past. Our biggest fans, Megan and Gina, crossed over to the dark side and joined in the fun of performing, even doing an impromptu group rendition of "Pave Paradise" with Mike C. on guitar at one point. Ann gave freely of her Icelandic folksongs. Ivan and Mike managed to do a bit of improv, Garry and Eric did "A Little Priest" with loud acoustic gratitude following.

Excerpts from Four Actors, The Modern World and 13 Ways and we miss Shtev though Kim tries as the creepy german kid. A nod to Pip and Shtev as we open with a performance of "Pi."

An anniversary wouldn't be complete without sock puppets and Elvis (and those seem to be the only pictures we have from the night), but there was also the complete set of Urban Mysteriez - with joyously fun changes... Jill hides under the table but look, it has a glass top!... Suzanne stalks off to the bathroom and finds a sandwich at her place on her return... Jill and Helen have to improvise a horridly long time because Suzanne can't hear a blessed thing including her cue... the narrators duke it out for lordship (or ladyship).

An ensemble number to start it off and to almost end it seemed appropriate, though we must try not to stand in a line like that again (!) and the finale a first-draft-special-for-the-cafe Bedtime Story, "Juliard Hears the Call of the Jungle," penned and read by Kim. Augmented by Keelin's sublime inspiration to lead remaining patrons to a carpeted area to sit on the floor with their respective stuffed animals.

And of course, the lot of us out to Freeman's for drinks and eats and both happily and sadly, required two huge tables for our growing numbers. Café rocks on...

January 21st, 2008

2008-01-21T16:34:00.000-04:00

Entry contributed by Kim Parkhill

To sum up the past few months....

Garry and Eric hosted a Café DaPoPo party mid-December before everyone scattered to their various points of origin for the holidays. This was the first mass gathering for us outside rehearsal, performance or Freemans.

Although we were missing several of our peeps, it was a marvellous time to be social and relax.

I left early, but I hear there was a late-night/early a.m. Biomechanics -Meyerhold dowel-tossing session in the park.

We had put Café DaPoPo on a planned Christmas hiatus, with the intention to start up again in January. However, we knew that Mollyz Diner, our loyal venue, was to be moving "somewhere toward the end of January."

Fast forward to early January when it became clear that Mollyz would be closed for the January Café and probably the February one as well. The diner and Menz Bar are moving to new digs and they are closed for the transition. Which left us wondering what we would do.

Would we also take the time off and let our performers prepare new material? Or would we try to find another venue.... wait! Paul Graham at Ouro Preto café on University Avenue approached us about having the Café there while Mollyz was unavailable.

Ok, so new question: do we do the Café in a new venue?

There were several other questions associated with both of these options. Garry, in his great wisdom, suggested that we take it to our Café DaPoPovians for debate and decision. After all, one of the "Po's" in "DaPoPo" is popular... you know, of the people.

So, on January 22nd, the Café folk were amassed at Freeman's for debate and decision. Oh, Freeman's. We can squish 12 people around one of their long tables. We had 12 people and we were missing a couple of folks. Freeman's hear this: DaPoPo needs a bigger table!

As with the best debates, there were differences of opinion, with some on the side of going for it, others on the side against and still others pointing out the issues or problems with one side or the other. What was clear was that everyone is still invested in this idea and certainly energetic about keeping it going. Yay for us!

Ultimately, the group decided that yes, we would go ahead (with Mollyz' blessing) to have the Café on our regularly scheduled night - in just two weeks, mind you - at Ouro Preto. But it was also decided that we wanted to do it in a way that let us try out the new venue, since it is very different from Mollyz and get some feedback from our regulars and friends.

AND SO.... drum roll please... we're having a party for the first anniversary of the Café. No prices on the menu. Donations always welcome, of course. Performances from the past year and all the performers who have ever done a Café and are available on the roster. Old material, some new stuff. Checking out the acoustics and the layout. Sharing our theatrical treats and having guests share too, if they want.

Today I applied for a liquor license. Probably one of the most bureaucratic things we've ever done, outside of grant applications. Of course, we're late but cross your fingers. If we get it, we'll have a cash bar for wine and beer and quite possibly a singing barmaid. If not, Paul will still offer Ouro Preto's awesome European coffees and teas and he's keeping the kitchen open til 9 pm. Yummy food - healthy sandwiches and soups with vegetarian options. And, he gives students a discount. Cool, hey?

Pass the word and if you're coming, let us know. That limited seating thing, right?

(all photos on this post are from our night of shenanigans, pre-Christmas)

November 29/07 Café

2008-01-06T14:11:00.000-04:00

Comments pending from Eric Benson...

The Café is on hiatus until the New Year. Mollyz is moving so stay tuned for updates on performance dates and location. Happy Festive season!

October 26/07 Café

2007-10-28T09:53:00.000-04:00

Musings contributed by Garry Williams

The October Café – the DaSpookFest specials –... and a return to a more anarchic, chaotic and celebratory Café style. Friends, family, colleagues, strangers (to us), regulars: our audience, as diverse as the spectrum of material they ordered. Tables watching other tables watching; performers witnessing peer performances; content married with form emerged as discussion this month. Rehearsals at Menz Bar helped us focus and prepare (with a special preview of some material for chef Jason).

Another flash: in the Café, the audience is your scene partner. The stage doesn't exist, or perhaps it is everywhere. You sing a Cole Porter song into the neck of an actress at the bar; you encourage your audience to wear costumes; you shake the hands of people at two tables while decrying the hypocrisies of recent Canadian history in an excerpt from Cloutier's The Modern World; you lead the audience into another space; using the outdoors: a urine-drenched barrel for Macbeth's weird sisters; the street side glass window as a frame for a silent film rendition of the closing scene from Wedekinds' Lulu.

I feel a continuum, spanning the ten Café nights since January. The vocabulary we've sought is in place: orders came in for a "happy poem"; an "up-beat Broadway song by Paul"; "can we add art to that?"; 'intimate' versus 'concert style'; a classical scene 'with cross-dressing'; "one DaPoorMan's combo, please." A stylistic plurality reigned, allowing Sondheim's "A Little Priest" to follow Marlowe's Dr. Faustus. Simultaneity of performances, overlapping. The bizarre rendition of "Auld Lang Syne" in four-part harmony with fangs in our mouths, Pete's dinner music (which we affectionately call Ninja Jam) at the keyboard, and Bonnie's new and improved Sock-Puppetz singing Schumann, Weill...

Glad to be involved with this one. Thursday was a long day for me, coming from PPTP in the morning, rehearsal for OneLight's The Veil (http://www.onelighttheatre.com/) the afternoon and Musical Theatre class in the evening. I was fully rejuvenated by midnight when we reached Freeman's – sans Sher –, where I shared a bottle of red with Eric and delightful conversation with Keelin, Chris and Ivan. Planning began for November's Anti-Christ-Mas Café.

September 27/07 Café

2007-09-28T18:00:00.000-04:00

September 27 Back-to-School Specialz!
Performers: Sher Clain, Andrea Dymond, Chris Ferrill, Pete Gorman, Ira Henderson (Café debut!) , Sharleen Kalayil, Amy Reitsma (Café debut!) & Garry Williams

Blog entry contributed by Chris Ferrill:

The September Café opened with a bang, a squeak, and a number of funny voices. Six academics swooped down on a crowded corner of the Café and ordered the entire room to rise for the national anthem...to which they promptly forgot the words. Headmaster Garry, quite disgusted by this, began to speechify with what seemed to be a most persistent head-cold, about what was on offer for this month and then led everyone in a rousing rendition of the Muppet Theme...I mean DaPoPpet Theme.

After this, the night was as eclectic as ever with Sher Clain in sparkling evening wear singing a wonderfully pretentious piece from Cosi fan tutte... to Andrea Dymond and Ira Henderson leading a rousing interpretation of the Four Directional Song of Doubt which inspired some interesting art from Christopher Ferrill.

This month there were two newcomers to the Café: Ira and Amy Reitsma. Amy, who can't exactly be called a "newbie" considering her extensive past with DaPoPo, sang "The Ballad of Sandy Keith" along with a number of other performers, and apparently it was the best rendition they had ever done. She felt that the Café was a "valuable experience" and admitted to being "scared; but, once you're thrown into it, it's great."

Ira on the other hand "hated every living moment." It's a good thing he's a masochist.

Absent Café alums Kim Parkhill and Eric Benson weren't quite so absent considering that they were there and ordering with as much appetite as anybody. When when the entire group came out to sing "Sunday" from DaPoPo's most recent production, Sunday in the Park with George, Eric (director of the show) began to cry and sing along, while the stage manager, Jody Reeves just beamed happily.

Perhaps the most rewarding moment of the Café was when Garry Williams found out that one of our patrons was an English teacher who had been trying to teach his students Shakespeare and show them how even centuries-old words could be brought to life with the right eye or, more importantly, intonation. Indeed, he seemed to enjoy the DaPoPovians' renditions so much that he asked Garry whether or not DaPoPo visted schools and performed. Garry's answer: "Maybe."

So, who knows what's in store for next month's Café, or what's in store for DaPoPo as an educational tool? All we know is everyone seemed to have a lovely time (except maybe the servers. Sorry, guys, we will try to get out of there earlier next time) and that Andrea must order a Raspberry Passion, next time we all descend on Freeman's.

Well, that's that. Good night all.

C PBH Ferrill

August 30/07 Café

2007-09-02T20:33:00.000-04:00

Aug. 30

Contributed by Andrea Dymond:

I don't believe there are any pics to illustrate this night's cafe.... so we'll have to make do with words alone.

This month's theme was HOT HOT HOT.... with hot topic issues, a revised specials list, including a section about burned books, renovations to Mollyz Diner itself (there is now an actual working fire in the fireplace (a fire in August?? It WAS hot!)) and a new rookie to try out some treats for herself.

The renovations at Mollyz have expanded the back room and look awesome... although we may have to do a little reconfiguring of our backstage space. For the first time ever, we had more people in the back room (next to our backstage area) than the front room which meant we had less of a backlog of orders and things moved speedily along.

Although a new section of the every popular Urban Mysteriez was ready (barely!) no one ordered it; ah well, that'll have to remain a treat for next month. Along with some white hot rantz (thank you Eric!) we had lots of new songs featuring heat and fever. A new addition to our bedtime story was Lady Chatterly's Lover, a option to get erotica read to patrons instead of a children's story.

Our newest member, Sharleen, eased into her first evening with some singing and lots of improv and had so much fun she agreed without hesitation to come back next month!However, we do need numbers back on the tables... no numbers of tables... how does one figure out which table ordered what? I know I performed at least one thing to the wrong table.... oops!

All in all it was a rather relaxing evening.... hmmmm.... cafe? Relaxing? Weird. At the end of the evening, the question that comes to mind: is it becoming easier or are we just getting better and better at this?

Thanks for posting this for me.... hmmm... maybe in my tutorial session with Eric he can teach me about blogs too.

Cheers,
A:)

July 26/07 Café

2007-07-27T08:18:00.000-04:00

July 26

After our performance tonight, we went to Freeman's again. To cool down and refresh. I solicited comments from all of DaPeeps and a couple of DaPatrons who were present. Here are the results...

Please leave a thought/comment about tonight's Café for the blog:

Andrea and Eric's Shakespeare, The Taming of the Shrew, after being prepared for five months was finally performed! Also, for a final hurrah, too late to make a difference, Kim tried to teach Chris what a boilermaker is - Eric

Kim just made an awesome speech about how wonderful the past seven months (of the Café) have been and how much she'll miss us when she's away for the next few months. What is she talking about? We'll miss her - who's going to do all the DaPoPo scene content?!? Keelin and Chris have been assimilated well and I was my usual busy self ordering people willy nilly! Oh, and Keelin and I remounted a scene from a Fringe show (Lear's Daughters) we did last September and I finally got all my lines right (sorry McPhee!) - Andrea

Andrea got her lines right - Keelin however didn't. Some day we'll both get it right and then the world will end. I had a great time belting my lungs out, particularly while getting my frustrated actor demons released with "Broadway Baby." Loved the crazy busyness - although poor Patio Table 1 ended up getting me for all but one of their orders. I did my best to bring variety - the beauty of the Café - being eight people at once at the drop of a hat. Going to miss these next two months, playing only one role in one show, with lines that I have to actually get right, is going to be odd. - Keelin

What can one say about a Café in which you have Elvis, sex behind a curtain and spaghetti eaten off a beautiful woman's arm? That it rocked, basically. That's about all. - Chris

What a rush! This was a great Café. Lots of monologues, scenes, music and an exclusive cult happening of Pasta Bolero. Kate and Petrucchio by Andrea and Eric was dynamic. I loved reciting love poetry to Ivan and thanks to Meghan and Gina for bringing a wonderful group to perform for! - Sher

I loved watching what my fellow improvisers did with the "I am Canadian" monologue from Four Actors in Search of a Nation: Kim did a funny interpretation as an immigrant waitress using the Canadian flag prop as an apron; Sher was a spellbinding magician making things apear or disappear with the flag; and then Eric switched gears completely, wrapping the flag around Sher's head and barking the lines at her as a torturer - it was chilling and brilliant. - Mike

We believe that intimate theatre captures the patrons' attention, like when we were brought sonnets and happenings and a scene from The Sex Play. The personalized feel of the order is appreciated . On that note, the big musical numbers are also immensely enjoyed. Highlights of the night for us: Very intimate "Farewell to NS"...awww! as well as the Geographic happening (Fugue aus der Geografie). Thanks for another awesome evening! - signed with a drawing of balloon, heart and shooting star - Meghan and Gina (Third-time DaPatrons)

Note from Kim to Garry on sheet of paper: "Garry (If you don't do it now, you won't!!)"

Garry would not be pushed to write his thoughts at the time. He was enjoying the social time with the people around him. As well he should. That was the moment we were in. The Café was past. And so am I. For a little while anyway.

I spent a good deal of time in the back room doing performances for multiple tables who had ordered the same item. I thoroughly enjoyed opening the whole Café with a robust rendition of DaBig Ensemble number "Molly Mollyz." Other yummies: giving some very intimate monologues, silliness with James and the Giant Peach (with sensory stimulation), and an extraordinarily sloppy and salivacious Pasta Bolero. This was a great night to end my run at Café DaPoPo, or perhaps I should actually call it starting my hiatus. It is other engagements that will keep me away, nothing else. These monthly performances have been like a ride at the carnival: novel, thrilling and exciting. Sometimes scary and nauseating but only for that brief moment as you hover at the top of the drop. And after the drop? Possibilities. Always and many. And now it's time for a slightly different attraction. I hope I don't vomit. - Kim

July 19/07 DaPride Café

2007-07-21T13:33:00.000-04:00

It was a sizzling time at Mollyz Diner on July 19 as the gang - a mix of Café veterans and newbies - threw down a new menu in celebration of Halifax Pride week. Keelin Jack and Chris Ferrill joined Garry, Sher, Eric, Andrea Mike & Kim in the Café kitchen to cook up a GLBT (Gay/Lesbian/Bi/Transgendered) Feast.

All this while Garry, Eric & Keelin were involved in rehearsing and performing The Pirate Show for Tall Ships Festival; Andrea, Sher & Kim were cottaging; Mike was at the mercy of work schedules; and Kim was also in rehearsal for Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet with Metamorphic.Earlier in the month, we managed to all gather for a vocal workshop. Unfortunately, the guest instructor was unable to make it but it did give us a chance to brainstorm for DaPride Café, play around with music and have some social time together over food and wine.

Keelin & Kim respond to something witty out of frame. See wine glasses foreground.

Eric and Bonnie give the food a good going over.

Andrea and Sher pretend to work. Note the wine.

Garry trades his pirate sword for a fork

Mike's all business.

From there, there were lots of good ideas floated and Garry morphed those and some of his own into an ingenuous menu. The Tuesday before the Café we discussed the draft menu and drilled down to the final version. More work to be done between then and show time as each performer had the task of researching their own GLBT issues for discussion for "DaBawdy Politic," continuing to prepare selections that were either GLBT-themed or created as well as having a bit of information on all the GLBT creators (composers, writers, poets, etc) that originated the material.

The night of, we had a mostly-hetero but still-appreciative crowd, and a fantastic showing by all our peeps. Chris stepped up with a repertoire of at least a hundred (ok, maybe 6) songs in drag... all with different outfits.

Chris (in a dress) serenades Bob

In fact, Garry and Chris spent the better part of the evening in drag. Guys in a dress. Gets 'em every time. Keelin threw in some Drag King into the "Hot-Crossed Songz" department with a very hot duet of Nowadays with Garry.

Keelin and Garry (in a dress and a wig that got around) performing Nowadays

And she likewise found many ways to use her bank of drama-school pieces and her insane library of Broadway tunes. She belted like crazy!

Garry's bona fide "da po-po" was the most popular body part ordered from DaBawdy Politic and he found airing his cheek (the right one) on the sidewalk patio of Mollyz somewhat... interesting, especially during Pride Week ... though the accompanying discussion of the history and implications of the pink triangle were quite satisfying.

Sher coralled many more secrets in the last dash to fill St. Sebastian's Secretz jar and one of the coolest moments for patrons and performers alike was when we were all gathered on the sidewalk at the end of the night to burn the "shame" secrets and read aloud the "pride" secrets. One slightly drunken patron slurred to Kim after the ceremony: "That was awesome!"

Surprisingly, no one ordered any erotic bedtime stories in negligees. Though Kim did have fun reading a GLBT-themed kids story about two penguin boys who become a family and hatch an adopted egg (true story).

Prepping the door for the Come Out of the Closet photos

Sher's idea to take pictures of people coming out of the closet garnered few requests However, all of us had a go:

The Mollyz servers were run off their feet and had to shoo us out by the end of the night, at which point we all made a direct dash to Freeman's for beer (and wine!), pizza, laughs, a bit of a debrief and plans for next week's regular Café.

June 28/07 Café

2007-07-21T12:02:00.001-04:00

June 28

This was Shtev's last café before he moved to France. Our rehearsals beforehand were a great way to spend time together. Shtev and I (KP) worked out the choreography for Mike's cafe version of "The Charleston" and had some hilarious moments doing that. Hot times in the summer trying to rehearse it with the gang at the house Andrea was sitting.

DaBig Ensemble number flambéed a la table

Garry suggested we play with ways to deliver our performances using the table top as the stage vs. us full-bodied actors. To somehow really bring the size of the stage down to the table top: Imagine a scene from "Taming of the Shrew" between a salt shaker and a knife.

Mike serves up a serious monologue mode

The Café itself was a really nice evening. And I mean nice in every sense of the word. Some good friends showed up, along with new faces and although it wasn't packed like last month, it was a great giving/intereacting, not-too-crazy pace (though we do like that as well!).

Sher and Kim finish serenading Keeling with "Well Did You Evah?"

We all had moments of busy-ness along with lulls, but the best thing was that Shtev got to do a wonderful cross-section of the performances he has on the menu. Extra-special because his mum was able to finally make it to a Café.

Paul and Steph enjoy Shtev as Gustav

Shtev had people laughing their pants off as Gustav, thrilled with his newly created Happening, numbers reprised his lyrical piece Stopping, Not Ending from DaPoPo's "Apocalypse 2006" and accompanied so many of us for musical numbers

Shtev, Garry and friend present a DaPretentious Song

Shtev is living and loving in France as I write this and we do miss him.

Kim and Shtev perform an excerpt from Apocalypse 2006

During the whole thing, Andrea - who was more lulled than the rest of us - slid into backstage wrangler mode and kept us on track with orders in and out and priorities. What a huge help!

Bedtime story for patrons Lee, Meghan, Gina, Michael & Elizabeth (+friends)

And a professional photographer, Rob Fournier, was in attendance and took some fantastic candid shots throughout the evening. All of the photos on this post are to his credit. Thanks Rob!

Garry leads the monologue series from "Four Actors in Search of a Nation"

We've been asked by our main man at Mollyz, Doug Melanson, to put on an extra cafe next month for Halifax Pride Week. DaPride Café it is! July 19...

May 31/07 Café

2007-07-21T11:46:00.000-04:00

May 31

A busy Café this month. Sher was finishing her run of Blood Wedding, Pip is still doing follow-spot on Beauty and the Beast and Steven is working evenings to save money for his summer in France. So Ivan Frisken (from DaPoPo's The Modern World, The Sex Play) came on board to swell the ranks with Garry, Eric, Andrea, Mike and Kim. We had a new Queerified Combo on the menu and a special "Carolin's Combo" for our friend Carolin Anthes who was at her last Café before travelling and moving back to Germany.

We had a large attendance again, which is encouraging. Logistics still are a challenge, especially regarding getting all orders satisfied in a timely manner, seating and reservations, "back stage" shuffling. All in good time, my dears. As long as people still are having a good time, having a good experience... all in good time.

Ivan and Garry as Juliet and Nurse

Some thoughts about the night from the cast:

Mike: It was great to see both returning regulars and new faces at the May 31 show. The highlights for me were the enthusiastic response to our new Big Ensemble Number, which we had put a lot of work into; somehow pulling off the Fuge Aus Der Geographie without getting off track as we usually did in rehearsals; and doing "Famous Blue Raincoat" as a special request for Kevin and Annie. I felt bad for the people who had to wait a long time for their order because it was so busy, but overall it was a good night.

Kim: Eric and I finally had stuff ordered that we've had prepped for months: scenes from All's Well That Ends Well and The Sex Play. It's very satisfying to be able to do the things you're ready to do. On the other hand, it's a bit freaky to do the things you aren't quite as ready for! Case in point: I learned Shtev's part in "The Mad Tea Party" in a matter of days. It's almost entirely in German. I do not speak German. I was, frankly, stressed, but our lovely patrons were forgiving of my horrendous accent and miraculously, without actually rehearsing with the others, we did a good scene. And - drumroll please - I sang a non-character song solo. That's huge for me. Right before I started, I had the feeling of being on the edge of a cliff about to jump off. That's the Cafe thing. It's so great for a performer... There's a push to "do." The opportunity to try. Possibly fail. Try again... fail better (an idea unabashedly adapted from Samuel Beckett). Or to just enjoy the enjoyment of the souls around you for those wonderfully chaotic 3 or 4 hours.

April 26/07 Café

2007-07-21T11:36:00.000-04:00

April 26 (posted by Garry)

Sadly, this was my (Garry's) first full café experience since January, having missed February's (to attend my father's funeral in Berlin) and most of March's (to perform in Metamorphic Theatre's "Creatures of the Moment"). I had learned more about the goings-on at Mollyz through Kim's blog entries than on the floor. I missed the formative runs with the current DaPoPo troupe: Kim, Andrea, Eric, Mike, Shtev and our new 'chef' Sher.

Garry muses at the Shakespeare workout

Most wonderful was my discussion with Robin Metcalfe about Shakespeare sonnets; the intimacy of slow and intimate Show Tunes for two corner tables; and this month's reprise of Pasta Bolero with Kim, splattering our unsuspecting audience with mustard and pasta goo.

Aforementioned goo

Prior to the performance, Lee J. Campbell led us through a rigirous and honest look at our Shakespeare sonnets, monologues and scenes. I've always wanted a core group to evolve and train, improve their craft, and here it was. Also, most wonderful!

Kate and Petrucchio kick it at the Shakespeare workout

Lee J. Campbell shares Shake's secrets

We welcomed our first guest artist, our 'Special of the Month': Alex Derry with "Ululation Installation -- or: U and I" (reading of texts using exclusively one vowel... ah, that's as hard as a bad bat whack, and always as bad-ass). Another debut was Dustin Harvey's one-act "The Canon" which Kim performed for the first time at the writer's table.

I missed Pip (although she joined us as a patron mid-evening).

Sher and Mike have some improv fun

The challenges remain: how to quickly follow performance with performance, how to track seven performers and two score patrons; how to 'serve up' performances in often close, cramped settings; how to rehearse the unrehearsable.

We have said -- sometimes with excitement, sometimes in despair -- our work often places us in previously untried theatrical situations. This could be be said of the audience, too, I suppose. The Café, then, continues in good DaPoPo tradition: much to be savoured, much to be learned.

March 29/07 Café

2007-07-21T11:23:00.000-04:00

March 29

A quiet night on the audience front at the Café. It's interesting, we always hear that people want to come or they are going to come, and then we don't see them. Anyway, lesson learned. More publicity, more strongarming, etc.

Sher Clain joined us for her inaugural Café. She's been studying in the PreProfessional Training Program at Neptune Theatre School (Garry's one of the instructors) since the fall and she was the only one of her class who jumped at the offer to join our merry band of players when Garry said we were looking for a few warm bodies.

Sher takes notes as Eric explains the ropes

Okay, he didn't put it that way. But we were hurting this month, because Pip got a job (in her field, yay! Pip!) as ass't stage manager - or some other title don't quote me - for a production at Neptune; Andrea is in London temporarily - mainly to research for a play she's writing but probably she's also having some fun times too; and Garry couldn't come 'til late because he was doing another show called "Creatures of the Moment" with Metamorphic Theatre (http://www.metamorphic.ca/). Not that Shtev, Eric, Mike and I are not EXTREMELY capable, but ... you know.

Eric, Sher, Shtev and Kim working Da Big Ensemble number in rehearsal

Vanessa Furlong also hopped on board some time around Monday. She works at Grafton Street Dinner Theatre right now, and they didn't have a show this Thursday. Steven knows here from Bishop's days. She has a vast repertoire of Broadway tunes, does a kick-ass musical improvisation thing and also paints, so the "Add Art to any order" was extremely do-able this month.

Pushkin interrupts our musical rehearsal

In retrospect, it seems Eric and I scrambled a lot to get new things on the menu, make sure a lot of old things were still fresh and in the end, hardly anything was called for. However, I can't complain. There was a really good vibe in the diner for the first few hours when it was only half full ... I think all the performances that went out there were seen, heard, absorbed, enjoyed by everyone. Like they were all there together, but separate. Ah. My powers of description elude me. ANYWAY...

Best things of the night:

*Performing Emmett Williams' "Four-Directional Song of Doubt" for Garry Kennedy and Cathy Busby. We used the sounds: Da The Po Ter Po and Em Love with Mett for in their rendition which was mingled with another performance for an adjacent table involving plastic noisemakers for one direction and farm sounds for the other. So, at least from my side of the metronome, it was a great sequence of utter sincerity and playfulness. LOTS of laughs during the noisemakers' iteration as Eric had an uncooperative kazoo that refused to make any noise other than a miserable drone. We were entirely concentrated on the tables that had ordered the piece, but there was an incredible hush in the café for the whole performance. See above note about the vibe of diner-wide intimacy.

*Carolin and Paul coming AGAIN. I think they get the award for biggest (or most consistently attending) fans. They wanted the next installment of Urban Mysteriez, which was cool, but of course, half of the cast wasn't with us, so... next month guys!

*Doing sonnets and Apocalypse for part of the cast of Creatures who came after their show. A couple of us are going to see them perform tomorrow night, so it felt like sharing good things with people who get to share back another time.

*Vanessa's improvised song.... crazy beautiful.

*Pasta Bolero! Garry tossed out a couple of performances after he arrived and we were called upon for Pasta Bolero. So it has finally had it's Halifax debut. There's a lot of opportunity for this piece to be different every time, so there's life left. Can't wait to do it again! With relish - and I possibly mean this in the condimentary sense.

*Sher discovering that doing a sonnet through a puppet is strangely grounding.

*Eric's rant about sock puppets, actually using a sock puppet for part of it. Inspired!

*Thea's friends remarking as they left "I hope you're still going to do this in the fall. We're not here all summer but we'll be back!" and then hearing from Thea later that they in Thea's words "were loving it" and said "we can't get anything like this in Toronto." **KP licks finger and makes imaginary mark on imaginary wall**

Another night behind us, hopefully many more before. Who knows what the next one brings? I wish for even more people and more unexpected stellar moments. Twenty-nine days and counting...

Feb 22/07 Café

2007-07-21T11:19:00.000-04:00

February 22

Holy mother of "The Show Must Go On!" Our second Café night was coming on smoothly. We had been meeting once or twice a week to bash out new material, rehearse and plan. Then a week before the Café, we learn that Garry can't be with us.

Crap. Er, I mean, no problem. Some valiant cries of "I could probably do that thing..." (maybe doesn't sound so valiant in print, but when you're less than a week to show and people are deciding to pick up even more material... yup) and we had the menu pretty much covered.

So, it's 7 pm on Café night, we start actor service in an hour and we're meeting at Pip and Shtev's to make one last attempt to get the choreography down for the new DaBig Ensemble Number. Oh. And by the way, Shtev just called and he's not going to make it. At all. See he's doing the lighting for the Cirque Siana show and the day has gone to utter hell and he cannot leave.

Uh. Wha'?

Moments to let it sink in. Then, WHAM! Mike is at the keyboard bashing out music Shtev was to play. Andrea is going to replace him in Schroedinger's Cat. We already have MacBeth and Apocalypse doubly covered. Kim still has one improv character. We have enough songs and poetry as well and ... oh crap. The beatnik bongo accompaniament to Eric's pretentious song... Mike again! woo hoo! We have to drop the new ensemble number, but other than that...

Oh. Right. 13 Ways. Ok. Kim knows the ballad and can do it if necessary. Maybe, she thinks. OH! What about the verse that was Steven's. She and Pip can't even think of the first ... wait "Keith with his nose in the air." And then it flows (more or less) and...

..And we're off. It's a busier night at the Café. We absolutely fill the front room and spill over to the back. Some actors are so busy dishing out performances they can barely get back to the tables they're supposed to be "waiting on." (sorry about that Paul!) We get backed up at times but people are generally laid back and happy to go along for the ride.

Shtev's "Happening" happening without him courtesy of Andrea, Pip (oc) & Eric adds art

Our lovely couple from last month has returned and brought friends. They order lots. And they are so fun. More friends of DaPoPo and cast plus some newbies are there. We love our friends! We love newbies! Our 'family' is growing!

Four Actors, Improv and Sock Puppets, oh my! Elvis makes a grand total of four appearances. Why is Elvis so Popular!?

Recent Elvis sighting at Mollyz Diner

And blue smurfs under the Eiffel tower as an improv? ok... More sonnets ordered this month than last but hardly any Shakespeare. Kim presents more last-minute work than stuff she had actually prepared. Pip and Eric jump in for the "add art" feature. Bonnie keeps tabs on everything and encourages us to pick up the pace. OMG!

We go very late again this time. Pip has to pool the last three orders for a bedtime story or we'll never let Micky and Bruce get home (yay! Micky and Bruce!). Midnight and we're on the sidewalk outside Mollyz arranging to meet at 11 am on Monday to debrief and start plotting March's Café.

January 25 2007 First Café DaPoPo

2007-07-21T11:16:00.000-04:00

January 25

Our first Café DaPoPo! It was so much fun for everyone. Our inaugural actor complement included the original seven: Steven, Pip, Andrea, Mike, Eric, Garry and Kim. We almost filled the main room at Mollyz and had a bit of turnover of some of the tables. We had originally expected a full house but a reservation of 20 didn't show.

We had certain challenges such as squeezing by each other in the teeny hallway that held our costumes, negotiating what performances should be prioritized and how to avoid utterly destroying a sonnet recitation with a raucous rendition of "Return to Sender."

Many of the people who came were known to us, but we also had several accidentals and a couple that showed because they read about it in the paper. They were absolutely lovely and really were into the whole thing ... enjoying both their own selections as well as the voyeuristic experience of other tables' performances. That's what it's all about.

A sock puppet toys with the hearts of patrons

Bruce and Micky worked the diner and thankfully everything worked out on the restaurant end. We ran over time but everyone was in high spirits and finished at midnight with thoughts of the next Café already in mind.

Café Dates and Important Info

2007-02-13T10:02:00.000-04:00

Café DaPoPo happens the last Thursday of every month:

January 25, 2007 - Boy! it was fun!
February 22, 2007 - Phew! Crazy times!
March 29, 2007 - Good stuff, small crowd.
April 26, 2007 - Full house! thank you thank you thank you!
May 31, 2007 - New people, old people, challenges, good times.
June 28, 2007 - A lovely evening for Shtev's last Café
July 19, 2007 - A raucous time for all for Pride
July 26, 2007 - NEXT ONE!!
August 30, 2007

Seating from 8 pm. Actor service begins at 8:30 pm.

Mollyz Diner food and drink menu available from 7 am to 9 pm most days but extended to 10 or 11 pm on Café days.

No cover. You pay only for what you order from the menu. Please note: DaPoPo accepts cash only.

Patrons are advised to reserve a seat in advance.
Phone: 420-1395 or email: reservations@dapopo.org

Publicity

2007-02-13T09:17:00.000-04:00

January 25, 2007

Theatre a la carte: DaPoPo serves up songs, sonnets, drama at Mollyz Diner

Would you like a poem with that? DaPoPo Theatre gives new meaning to the term dinner theatre with its new performance series, Café DaPoPo, on the last Thursday of every month starting tonight, 8:30 to 11 p.m., at Mollyz Diner, 2104 Gottingen St.

When diners go to Mollyz they will get a theatre menu along with the food menu. From the theatre menu they can order a song, a sonnet or a soliloquy. The cheapest item on the extensive menu is a whispered nothing for $1, the most expensive a one-act play for $15.

The idea was "born of necessity," says DaPoPo’s artistic director Garry Williams, when Mollyz director of operations Doug Melanson offered his diner as a venue to the two-year-old Halifax independent theatre company. "We had the free venue and we wanted to make use of it."
After DaPoPo’s two professional engagements in Berlin last year, the company has run up a small debt. "We have two tickets outstanding to be paid. We were thinking of a fundraiser that would be fun for us and the public," he said. "We are mandated to not repeat ourselves. We’re trying something that we don’t know if it’ll work or not."

DaPoPo’s name is taken from Dadaism and the recurring po- in poetic, political and popular, which is the kind of theatre the company wants to produce. DaPoPo likes to redefine the relationship between performer and spectator.

In this case, spectators dictate what they will see, whether it’s an excerpt from DaPoPo’s previous productions including Karel Capek’s R.U.R., Arthur Schnitzler’s The Sex Play and the original 13 Ways of Looking at a Madman or a DaPotPourri combo of songs, sonnets and poetry sprinkled with sweet nothings.

"People can specify — ‘I’d like this sonnet for my friend Emily,’ " says Williams. "Or you can get something for the table — ‘We’d like this scene from the Importance of Being Earnest.’ "
Prices are aimed at an audience that can’t afford big ticket prices. "We’ve always mandated to be affordable. We’re catering to the North End community and the student audience pool who are two of our main groups who come see our plays."

Performing a la carte are DaPoPo regulars Eric Benson, Steven Bourque, Mike Chandler, Kim Parkhill and Williams joined by Sarah "Pip" Bradford and Andrea Dymond. Today coincides with Robbie Burns Day so "we have some special Robbie Burns offerings as our monthly special," says Williams. For reservations call 420-1395.
( ebarnard@herald.ca)

January 18, 2007
THE DOPE SHOW

Tara Thorne has news about art both on the web and off.

Da cafe

Always-innovative local troupe DaPoPo Theatre begins a cool new venture this week with the launch of Café DaPoPo, a new monthly performance series held at Mollyz Diner (2104 Gottingen). You will be able to order specially priced performances, ranging from poems to songs to scenes to improv, to your own table for a private show. (Not like that.)Participating performers include DaPoPo's artistic director Garry Williams, regulars Eric Benson, Steven Bourque, Mike Chandler and Kim Parkhill plus Sarah Bradford and Andrea Dymond."Like much of DaPoPo's work, Café DaPoPo explores ways of bringing theatre to its audience, eliminating the fourth wall and redefining the relationship between performer and spectator," says Williams.Café DaPoPo takes place on the last Thursday of every month, starting January 25. Reserve a table by calling 420-1395.

What kind of side dish would you order with your poem? Email: tarat@thecoast.ca

In the Beginning

2007-02-13T08:27:00.000-04:00

L-R Back: Mike, Pip, Garry, Eric

Front: Kim, Andrea, Shtev

Café DaPoPo was initially conceived by Garry Williams, Artistic Director of DaPoPo, an independent theatre company based in Halifax, Nova Scotia. The company toured two shows to Berlin in 2006 without financial support from granting agencies and was left with a small debt. But what do you do when you can't afford to pay for a venue to perform? Fortunately, Garry was offered the regular use of Mollyz Diner, a restaurant/bar in Halifax. So, once a month we had access to a free venue, but how to use it?

Garry saw the opportunity to have a performance night that was menu-based. Patrons would come in, peruse a menu offering our talents and order what they wanted to see. Performances would be tailored, as much as possible, for presentation only to the individual or table that had ordered it. And there would be no overall charge, just a bill for what they had ordered from the menu.

From this original concept, the idea took off and the net was cast wider to include the creativity and talents of several DaPoPo regulars and alums including: Steve Cloutier, Steven Bourque (known affectionately to us as Shtev), Pip Bradford, Mike Chandler and Eric Benson. Andrea Dymond was invited on board and Bonnie Archibald-Awalt offered her support services.

And we were off. Planning meetings, rehearsals, collecting and creating material, brushing off old stuff we all had in our portfolios, getting the word out ... it was a flurry of activity leading up to the premiere on January 25th, 2007.