UpStage
OCTOBER / NOVEMBER 2015 BOOKS / I’M YOUR MAN THEATRE / WHY THIS PLAY? ONLINE / TOWER TALK
THE BELFRY THEATRE · AN INSIDER’S GUIDE
BELFRY.BC.CA
LADIES AND GENTLEMEN,
Mr. Leonard Cohen.
VOLUME 2 / ISSUE 2
Hello!
Centre in Vancouver, where audiences can’t get
Lover. Monk. Singer. Poet.
enough of this beautiful piece. The show has been
Leonard Cohen is the epitome of cool. In this stylish
Welcome to the Belfry and Chelsea Hotel – The Songs of Leonard Cohen, the second production in our 40th Anniversary Season. Chelsea Hotel comes to us from the Firehall Arts
reprised there three times and is now on its second national tour.
musical you’ll check into New York’s infamous hotel and
Leonard Cohen’s work has been interpreted in
be transported into a world of music, mystery and desire.
hundreds of ways; whether through song, dance
With extraordinary new arrangements, six performers play
or theatre, his words and music continue to inspire new artists and new audiences.
17 instruments in this inventive tribute to Cohen’s most
Tracey Power, who conceived and directed
transcendent songs. Sexy and captivating, this eclectic
Chelsea Hotel, and Steven Charles, who created the new arrangements, have brought a fresh, new perspective to Cohen’s masterful songs.
cabaret celebrates loves lost and won. A Firehall Arts Centre production, Vancouver.
The entire cast - Rachel Aberle, Lauren Bowler, Steven Charles, Benjamin Elliott, Marlene Ginader and Jonathan Gould - are all making their Belfry
Who We Are
debuts in Chelsea Hotel. Tickets are on sale now at 250-385-6815 or at www.belfry.bc.ca. Thanks for being part of the Belfry and we look
Upstage is the Belfry
forward to seeing you soon. Chelsea Hotel is generously supported by
B4Play
Theatre’s in-house magazine. Our goal is to give you a leisurely,
SATURDAY, OCTOBER 24 AT 11AM
deeper look into our
Belfry Theatre, Studio A
productions. With your
1291 Gladstone Avenue
tablet or computer you
Join us in Studio A for a live talk show hosted by
digital version of Upstage
CBC Radio’s Gregor Craigie, featuring Tracey Power (Creator / Director / Choreographer) and Benjamin
can view an expanded on our website or at issuu.com/belfry-theatre.
Elliott (Actor / Musician) from Chelsea Hotel, together with Victoria’s Poet Laureate Yvonne Blomer, and poet, critic, and scholar Stephen Scobie (author of Leonard Cohen and Intricate Preparations: Writing Leonard Cohen). Free Event
Upstage is supported by
Welcome to you who read me today BY S T E P H E N S CO B I E
I have attended many fine concerts by Leonard
vehicle for passion; formality intensifies the
L to R: Francisco Trujillo, Ann Warn Pegg,
Cohen, but none more memorable than a show in
power of the emotion. He is a thoroughly
Karin Konoval, Cliff LeJeune and Camille
Toronto, during his “comeback-after-financial-ruin”
conscious, and conscientious, craftsman –
tour in 2008. Never have I been at a concert where
known for making multiple revisions of his
the audience’s love for the singer was so thick,
work. He has also cultivated his own image
so palpable. In a rare moment of quiet between
as a tortured, romantic poet, sitting in bare
songs, a woman’s voice rang out: “I love you,
bedrooms and lonely hotel rooms (preferably
Leonard!” Cohen paused just a moment, then took
the Chelsea), wringing out of himself the
off his fedora, held it to his breast, bowed, and said,
gracenotes of despair. When critics dubbed his
“I’m rather fond of you myself.”
work “music to slit your wrists by,” he responded
Sincerely, A Friend, based on the
by placing a small black silhouette of a razor
music and lyrics of Leonard Cohen,
blade at the head of every poem in his next
was performed at the Belfry in
That moment has become iconic for me: it is emblematic of Cohen’s status in Canadian culture, and of the intensity of his relationship with his
book.
Miller in Sincerely, A Friend (Conceived by Bryden MacDonald)1997.
Story Highlights
November 1997. Leonard Cohen wrote the musical,
audience. It has a note of formality to it – the
The darkness is there; there is no denying
I Am a Hotel, in 1983. First broadcast
outdated hat, the old-fashioned courtesy of the
it. Cohen is never far from the horrors of the
in 1984 it starred skater Toller
gesture – yet it also has a note of self-mockery, the
Holocaust past or from the apocalyptic visions
Cranston and Celia Franca, founder
anachronistic gesture ever so deftly exaggerated,
of The Future. Yet this is only one aspect of
to the edge of parody.
Cohen. He is also very funny – even the little
None of which, of course, is to suggest that he doesn’t mean it. For Cohen, courtesy can be the
black razor blades may be seen as a self-directed joke. It is almost a reliable index of Cohen that the funnier he is, the more serious he is.
of the National Ballet of Canada. Cohen’s song Hallelujah, first released in 1984, has been covered by almost 200 artists. You’re probably humming it now.
belfry.bc.ca
And not only humour: also glory. He once said of Sartre: “I know he’s
of their designers. They have created their own vision of the
never going to say ‘and then the room turned to gold.’ He’ll say, ‘The
Chelsea Hotel, inhabited by a struggling young writer. Through
room turned to shit.’ But the room sometimes does turn to gold and
Tracey’s choice of songs and the order in which they are sung,
unless you mention that, your philosophy is incomplete.”
and through Steven’s surprising new arrangements, I felt that I
So return to his response to that woman in Toronto. He is treating her with respect and generosity. He is telling her, albeit in an understated manner, that he loves her, as he loves all his audience. He is telling her that the room turns gold. He is addressing her as he addressed his readers almost fifty years ago, in the final paragraph of Beautiful Losers:
I have come through the fire of family and love. I smoke
with my darling, I sleep with my friend. We talk of the
poor men, broken and fled. Alone with my radio I lift up
my hands. Welcome to you who read me today. Welcome
to you who put my heart down. Welcome to you, darling
and friend, who miss me forever in your trip to the end.
was not so much being told a story, as I was being taken on an emotional journey. Cohen’s music in this creative setting makes for an irresistible event. MICHAEL SHAMATA,
Artistic Director
Cast
Rachel Aberle
Lauren Bowler
Benjamin Elliott
Marlene Ginader
Steven Charles
Poet, critic, and scholar Stephen Scobie is the author of Leonard Cohen and Intricate Preparations: Writing Leonard Cohen.
Why I Chose This Play “Like a bird on the wire, Like a drunk in a midnight choir I have tried in my way to be free.” Born in Montreal in 1933, he recorded his first album, Songs of
Jonathan Gould
& Creatives
Leonard Cohen, at the age of 34. On September 22, 2014, one day after his 80th birthday, Cohen released his 13th studio album, Popular Problems. I am writing this on September 21, 2015, 30 minutes after talking to Shelley Ambrose of Walrus Magazine. Sitting in the courtyard outside the Belfry she told me, “I talked to Leonard today to wish him a happy birthday.” I must confess –
Tracey Power
Steven Charles
given this one degree of separation – I was more than a little bit
CONCEPT / DIRECTOR / CHOREOGRAPHER
MUSICAL DIRECTOR / ARRANGER
Barbara Clayden
Ted Roberts
COSTUME DESIGNER
LIGHTING DESIGNER
star-struck. (I’m a bit star-struck around Shelley too).
Marshall McMahen SET DESIGNER
Leonard Cohen’s words and music have been a part of my life for as long as I can remember, and I’ll wager that most of our Belfry audience would say the same. Is there anyone in this country who doesn’t have at least one Leonard Cohen song that holds a special resonance for them? He is the poet laureate of our generation. Like all great artists, he invites – and survives – reinterpretation. I realized while watching Chelsea Hotel in Vancouver that, with a career that has spanned four decades, he is now being reinterpreted by artists who were born around the time he first recorded “Hallelujah” – one of the most haunting and oftperformed songs in musical history. Tracey Power and Steven Charles have crafted a show that is more than a tribute to Leonard Cohen. It is a piece of theatre. I love the world they have conjured onstage, together with the stylish work
James MacDonald DRAMATURGE
Donna Spencer ARTISTIC DIRECTION
Xavier Berbudeau SOUND DESIGNER
Get Engaged B4Play Podcasts
Afterplay
If you can’t make B4Play in person (see page two for details), you can
Following every evening performance of Chelsea Hotel (except
hear the full interviews on our website (the respective show page)
Opening Night and Talkbalk Thursday), we’ll host Afterplay - this
and our soundcloud page – soundcloud.com/belfrytheatre.
facilitated discussion series offers patrons the opportunity to share
Select segments from B4Play will air (usually during our opening week) on CBC Radio’s On The Island.
Tower Talks
their thoughts with fellow audience members after the show.
Talkback Thursday Thursday, October 29
Catch an in-depth conversation with an artist from each Mainstage
On the second Thursday performance of each show, we bring the
production in our new video series, Tower Talks. We post these to our
backstage experience onstage. After the curtain call, some of the
website and YouTube channel.
actors return to the stage to answer your questions and offer insight
Free Childcare Performance Sunday, November 1 Take advantage of free, professional childcare (ages 3–10) at the Springridge Early Childhood Centre at 1222 Gladstone Avenue, just a block from the Belfry (free parking is available right across the street in the Victoria High School parking lot). We only have a limited number of spots available. To book your tickets and a spot for your kids, please call our box office at 250-385-6815.
Get Social Follow us on Facebook or Twitter to learn more during the run of Chelsea Hotel
into the play you have just experienced. These Q & A sessions last 15 – 20 minutes.
Mustard Seed Donations During our run of A Christmas Carol (December 1 - 20), we encourage patrons to bring a non-perishable food item to put under the Christmas tree for the Mustard Seed Food Bank.
Vocal Eye Sunday, November 8 Trained Audio Describers provide descriptions of the visual elements of the show, allowing people with low vision to enjoy the theatrical experience without missing any of the details.
Belfry Librarian The Greater Victoria Public Library Librarians have compiled a list of books to help you get even more out of our production of Chelsea Hotel. List compiled by Jennifer Rowan, GVPL Book of Longing BY LEONARD COHEN (2006)
Can’t Forget: a Souvenir of the Grand Tour BY LEONARD COHEN [CD] (2015)
Famous Blue Raincoat BY JENNIFER WARNES [CD] (1986)
Let Us Compare Mythologies BY LEONARD COHEN (1956, 2006) So Long, Marianne: A Love Story BY KARI HESTHAMAR (2014) This Ain’t No Holiday Inn: Down and Out at the Chelsea Hotel, 1980-1995: An Oral History BY JAMES LOUGH (2013) Zen Confidential: Confessions of a Wayward Monk BY SHOZAN JACK HAUBNER (2013)
I’m Your Man: the Life of Leonard Cohen BY SYLVIE SIMONS (2012)
Various Positions: A Life of Leonard Cohen BY IRA NADEL (2007)
Inside the Dream Palace: the Life and Times of New York’s Legendary Chelsea Hotel BY SHERRILL TIPPINS (2013)
Leonard Cohen BY STEPHEN SCOBIE (1978)
belfry.bc.ca
Parts
&
Labour
I think it’s fair to say that most everyone who attends the Belfry is aware of the exceptional talent onstage. Watching the cast of Speed-thePlow working their magic was an incredible joy. But what you see onstage is only a portion of what actors undertake when they work at the Belfry! We
Kirk Northcott looks back on 40 years at the Belfry
ask all sorts of favours of them, and they inevitably respond with generosity. Belfry 101, our education program, provides high school students with a window into professional Beate and Kirk Northcott with granddaughters Breanne and Emma Northcott
theatre, while nurturing their self-confidence and social awareness. The actors in each production meet the students prior to the performance, and
Longtime Belfry patron Kirk Northcott first got the theatre bug by acting in community theatre productions in other cities. He appeared in The Mousetrap in Kitchener, and performed in the chorus of South Pacific at Rainbow Stage in Winnipeg. Kirk and his wife Beate have been attending the Belfry since the 1970s when they relocated to Victoria. Some of the memorable actors they recall seeing over the decades include Rod Beattie in The Wingfield Series, Thea Gill and Nicholas Campbell in Proof, and the plays Sylvia, Homechild, 2 Pianos 4 Hands (twice), Number 14 (twice), and last season’s The Rez Sisters. Kirk points out that actors such as Beattie and Brian Linds - who has played a role in many productions - have helped make the Belfry what it is. Kirk, who has used a wheelchair for the past twenty years, says he has found the theatre to be very accessible. He observes that “the Belfry is supported by so many people around town because it provides Canadian talent with an outlet. Beate and I became annual donors not only because of our love of theatre, but because the Belfry brings a very professional type of theatre to Victoria, and features Canadian talent. We have been so moved over the years by Belfry productions, whether to laughter or to tears.” Asked if there is anything he would like to see more of, or done differently in the future at the Belfry, Kirk has one simple answer: “No.” He commends the Belfry for creating so many different outreach programs such as B4Play, as well as studio and youth programs (e.g. Belfry 101 and the Belfry Leadership Training Program) to attract more people to the theatre. Thank you Kirk and Beate, for all your enthusiastic support over four decades! For more information about the many ways to support the Belfry, including becoming a monthly donor, please contact Development Manager Susan Stevenson at 250-385-6835 ext. 229 or development@belfry.bc.ca.
hold a private question-and-answer session with them afterwards. Often one actor from each cast will conduct a masterclass in a specific theatre skill. The actors graciously take part in B4Play, our live talk show hosted by CBC Radio’s Gregor Craigie, and Talkback Thursday, our post-show question-and-answer session between the actors and the audience. Check page five for details on these events. Earlier this year we introduced The Director’s Circle, a new opportunity for donors, and people like you, to get closer to the backstage world of the Belfry. Our first event, at the beautiful Villa Marco Polo Inn, featured Brian, Celine and Vincent from Speed-thePlow, talking about the play, and “life and art.” The feedback was enthusiastically positive – thanks in large part to the goodwill of our actors. The next Director’s Circle event will include a “Fezziwig Shop Party,” to coincide with our remount of A Christmas Carol. We love to watch them onstage. We love to interact with them offstage. I know actors love this theatre, and love performing on our sweet stage for our wonderful audiences. So often they go above-andbeyond – and I sincerely thank them all. MICHAEL SHAMATA
Set Dressing
Calendar
Our new column features the world of the Belfry in numbers and facts. In anticipation of our upcoming production of A Christmas Carol we thought we’d give you some insight into what it takes to create and run the show:
PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
Production people to put the show together. That
23
includes carpenters, painters, technicians, cutters, seamstresses, stage managers, wranglers, a wig mistress and a coach.
fifty 8 Loads of laundry each week.
Electrical motors
3
will power different parts of the set.
30
Chelsea Hotel
Production people to run the show. That includes stage managers, technicians, dressers and wranglers.
15 0 0 Costume pieces in the show.
Meters of handmade garlands.
Five Hundred Meters of cable.
October 20 – November 15 · Tuesdays – Thursdays at 7:30 pm · Wednesday Matinees at 1 pm ( October 28 / November 4, 11 ) · Fridays + Saturdays at 8 pm · Saturday Matinees at 4 pm · Sunday Matinees at 2 pm Audience Engagement Schedule B4PLAY · Saturday, October 24 at 11 am TALKBACK THURSDAY · October 29 CHILDCARE MATINEE · November 1 at 2 pm AFTERPLAY following evening performances VOCALEYE described performance · Nov. 8
A Christmas Carol PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE
How to buy tickets By telephone 250 385 6815
Please have your credit card ready, as well as the date and time of the performance you wish to attend.
Online
Visit belfry.bc.ca/tickets and buy your tickets online, anytime.
In person
Drop by our Box Office. We accept Visa, Mastercard, American Express,
December 1 – 20 · Tuesdays – Thursdays at 7:30 pm · Wednesday Matinee at 1 pm ( December 9 only – s o l d o u t ) · Fridays + Saturdays at 8 pm · Saturday Matinees at 4 pm · Sunday Matinees at 2 pm · Sunday Evening at 7:30 pm ( December 20 only )
debit card, cheques, and, of course, cash.
belfry.bc.ca
Up Next
A Christmas Carol
BY
Charles Dickens
ADAPTED BY MICHAEL SHAMATA
“Couldn’t possibly be better… the best holiday show I know…” TORONTO STAR
2015
TIC K ETS ON SALE NOW
250 385 6815 / belfr y.bc.ca 1291 Gladstone at Fernwood, Victoria
40TH ANNIVERSARY SEASON SPONSORS
PUBLIC FUNDERS
Belfry Theatre 1291 GLADSTONE AVENUE VICTORIA, BC
V8T 1G5