2019 BOOM X - Play Guide

BOOM X 2018-19 Season

About this Play Guide Theatre Calgary’s Play Guides and Interactive Learning Programs are made possible by the support of our sponsors:

The Basics

Cast & Creative Team

Contents

Written, Directed & Performed by Rick Miller*

The Basics 2

5

11

Cast & Creative Team Explorations

Produced by Kidoons and WYRD Productions, in association with Theatre Calgary and The 20K Collective

The Timeline Continues: BOOM’s Generation X

Executive Producer Jeff Lord

Costume and Props Design Virginie Leclerc

X Marks the Spot: Rick Miller Finds Perspective

Lighting Design Bruno Matte

Multimedia Design Irina Litvinenko

Projection Design Nicolas Dostie

Stage Manager (Jan. 15-18), Dramaturg Craig Francis

Head of Lighting Catharine Crumb

Head Stage Carpenter Scott Morris

Head of Sound Chris Jacko

Head Dresser Rachel Michelle Sheridan

The Play Guide for BOOM X was created by Jamie Tymchuk Learning & Engagement Associate With additional content by Jenna Turk & Zachary Moull This play guide is designed to enhance your experience and delve deeper into BOOM X.

15

Talkin’ Bout My Generation

17

People Try To Put Us Down Just Because We G-G-Get Around

19

Conversation Starters

If you wish to avoid potential spoilers, we recommend enjoying this guide after seeing the production.

20

Terms to Know

Connect with Us

Questions?

22

The Top Movies 1975-1995

Email dsklar@theatrecalgary.com

23

BOOM X Soundtrack

@theatrecalgary

25

Further Reading

@theatrecalgary

27

Which Came First?

29

Sources

Theatre Calgary

Stage Manager (Jan. 19 - Feb. 5) Laurel Oneil

Graphic Design, Multimedia & Marketing Logograph

Set Design, Composer & Sound Design Rick Miller

Music Licensing Lucie Bourgouin (Permission) Michael Perlmutter (Instinct)

Video Bronwyn Bowlby

Conversations

Official site: BOOMshow.ca Outreach site: www.EncyclopediaCanada.com Development of the show was supported by Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity.

The 20K Collective acknowledges the support of the Canada Council for the Arts, which last year invested $153 million to bring the arts to Canadians throughout the country. Nous remercions le Conseil des arts du Canada de son soutien. L’an dernier, le Conseil a investi 153 millions de dollars pour mettre de l’art dans la vie des Canadiennes et des Canadiens de tout le pays.

*Kidoons/WYRD Productions engages under the terms of the Independent Theatre Agreement, professional Artists who are members of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

BOOM X is recommended for ages 14 +

BOOM X runs 120 minutes, including one 20 minute intermission.

220 9 Ave SE Calgary, AB T2G 5C4 403-294-7440 theatrecalgary.com

Front Cover Illustration: Andrea Ucini

1

2

BOOM X is a solo multimedia performance in which Rick Miller gives a voice to over 100 characters, in order to capture the defining moments of 1970 through 1995, in a time known as “Generation X”.

“I want to hear some small moment from your life that proves you’re really alive.”

- Douglas Coupland,

Neil Armstrong walking on the surface of the Moon. July 20, 1969, Wired Magazine

Generation X: Tales for an Accelerated Culture (1991)

3

4

Conversations

The Timeline Continues:

BOOM’s Generation X

1969 1970 1971 1972 1973

1974 1975 1976 1977 1978

NASA’s Apollo 11 mission

FLQ crisis escalates in Quebec “Manson Family” murders occur

Monty Python’s Flying Circus premieres on the BBC

Trudeau invokes the War Measure Act

https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/apollo/missions/apollo11.html

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/p01d8pns/ p01d8p3g

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/October_Crisis

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Trudeau

https://people.howstuffworks.com/manson-family-murders-worked4.htm

Founding of Greenpeace and Médecins Sans Frontières

Gloria Steinem delivers the “Address to the Women of America” speech

https://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/obituaries/ articles/2010/07/09/jim_bohlen_84_his_act_of_protest_began_greenpeace/ https://www.marieclaire.co.uk/entertainment/people/gloria-steinem-life-stories-484276

All in the Family premieres on CBS

The video game, Pong, is introduced

Marlon Brando refuses his Oscar for The Godfather

ABBA debuts on Eurovision Song Contest

Jaws becomes the first summer blockbuster

Roe vs. Wade: US legalizes abortion

Richard Nixon resigns and his successor Gerald Ford grants him full pardon

The fall of Saigon marks the end of the Vietnam War

Watergate Scandal

Punk rock era begins with albums by the Ramones and The Sex Pistols The Rocky Horror Picture Show premieres

Hip hop is born Elvis dies

Star Wars premieres “Son of Sam” terrorizes New York

US Bicentennial

https://tvline.com/2016/12/17/all-in-the-family-reboot-the-jeffersons/ https://www.wired.com/story/inside-story-ofpong-excerpt/ https://politics.theonion.com/a-timeline-of-the-watergate-scandal-1819594149

https://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/ moviesnow/la-et-mn-sacheen-littlefeather-oscars-20160204-htmlstory.html http://www.kunc.org/post/what-would-happen-ourregion-if-roe-v-wade-was-overturned

https://www.thedrinksbusiness.com/2018/09/abbathemed-restaurant-coming-to-london/

https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/great-movie-jaws-1975

http://www.chalkiedavies.com/blog/ehnagcgdy7mgdhg26l7h5n6e3nxfl2

https://www.papermasters.com/watergate-scandal.html

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fall_of_Saigon

https://www.nytimes.com/2015/10/04/movies/ rocky-horror-is-doing-the-time-warp-forever.html http://www.angelfire.com/retro2/lisawebworld/ bicentennial.html

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2994347/ The-birth-hip-hop-Unseen-photographs-offerglimpse-inside-seminal-years-New-York-s-subculture-revolutionized-music-fashion-dance-forever. html https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-news/ flashback-elvis-presleys-aloha-from-hawaii-markshis-final-truly-great-moment-705310/

The Village People play American Bandstand

Iranian Revolution begins Jonestown cult commits mass suicide in Guyana

https://www.nbcnews.com/feature/nbc-out/disco-showdown-original-village-people-frontman-returns-sparking-feud-n794276 https://owlcation.com/humanities/The-Iranian-Revolution-of-1979 https://www.huffingtonpost.com/adst/ the-jonestown-massacre_b_8592338.html

https://mashable.com/2017/05/25/ star-wars-1977-review-roundup/#6A5ZvyJWVSqx\ https://www.rollingstone.com/culture/culture-features/how-son-of-sam-changed-america-118562/

5

6

Conversations

The Timeline Continues:

BOOM’s Generation X

1979 1980 1981 1982 1983

1984 1985 1986 1987 1988

Pac Man video game debuts

“Who Shot J.R.?” episode of Dallas airs

Prince Charles and Lady Diana wed

Margaret Thatcher elected Prime Minister of the UK

Iraq invades Iran, launching 8-year war

Toronto police raid gay bathhouses, arrest 300 people

AIDS epidemic begins Joe Clark elected Canadian PM

Terry Fox dies in Thunder Bay

Muhammad Ali loses his final fight

MTV launches

Michael Jackson releases Thriller

The Doomsday Clock is set to 11:58 The final episode of M*A*S*H airs

Canada patriates the Constitution and enacts the Charter of Rights and Freedoms

“Do They Know It’s Christmas” recording raises money for the famine in Ethiopia

The USSR boycotts the LA Olympics

Live-Aid is watched by over one billion people on TV

The Breakfast Club is released in theatres Rock Hudson admits he has AIDS

Cabbage Patch Kids craze hits

Chernobyl nuclear plant explodes

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Phantom of the Opera premieres

Canada and the US sign the Free Trade Agreement

The Challenger Space Shuttle explodes

The Simpsons debuts on the Tracey Ullman Show

John Lennon is shot and killed

http://pacman.com/en/ https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/ politics/did-margaret-thatcher-really-save-britain-8566596.html https://calgaryherald.com/life/swerve/by-the-numbers-alberta-theatre-projects-1979

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wedding_of_Prince_ Charles_and_Lady_Diana_Spencer

http://logos.wikia.com/wiki/File:Mtv_dancing_1982. png

https://www.thoughtco.com/the-iran-iraqwar-1980-1988-195531

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/bathhouse-raids-toronto-police-gay-community-arrests-apology-1.3645926

https://www.denofgeek.com/us/movies/michael-jackson/275990/michael-jackson-s-thrillerto-screen-in-imax-3d-with-upcoming-movie

http://www.boxingnewsonline.net/on-this-daymuhammad-ali-laces-up-the-gloves-for-the-finaltime-against-trevor-berbick/

https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/ canadian-charter-of-rights-and-freedoms

https://globalnews.ca/news/4454843/edmontonians-brave-unseasonably-cold-weather-for-38th-annual-terry-fox-run/ https://www.pinterest.ca/pin/514254851174570252/

George H.W. Bush named US President

Canadian sprinter Ben Johnson stripped of his gold medal for steroid use Cellular telephones debut in cars

AZT approved to treat HIV/AIDS

https://dfw.cbslocal.com/2010/11/19/who-shot-jr-30-years-later/

https://mashable.com/2016/10/26/aids-epidemic-study/

Oliver Stone’s Wall Street is released in cinemas

https://www.cnn.com/2018/01/25/opinions/doomsday-clock-closer-to-midnight-opinion-johnson/ index.html

https://www.billboard.com/articles/news/6296802/ patton-oswalt-critiques-do-they-know-itschristmas

https://www.newyorker.com/culture/culture-desk/ what-mash-taught-us

http://olympics.time.com/2012/07/02/time-coversthe-olympics/slide/1984-los-angeles-soviets-boycott-the-games/ https://www.bloomberg.com/features/2016-cabbage-patch-kids-battle/

7

http://ultimateclassicrock.com/queen-live-aid/ http://mentalfloss.com/article/55851/22-thingsyou-might-not-know-about-breakfast-club https://variety.com/1985/voices/news/rock-hudsondying-of-aids-exclusive-1201344669/

https://antinuclear.net/2015/10/26/chernobyl-nuclear-reactor-1986/

https://www.businessinsider.com/revisiting-thefashions-of-wall-street-2010-4

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/what-didthat-mean-does-anyone-know/

https://hobbylark.com/performing-arts/TheUltimate-Fate-of-Everyone-from-Phantom-ofthe-Opera

https://timeforhistory1.wordpress.com/2014/06/17/ canada-the-united-states-free-trade-agreement-cusfta/

https://www.thestar.com/news/world/2016/09/25/ ben-johnson-was-fast-justice-was-faster.html

https://www.cbsnews.com/pictures/challenger-shuttle-disaster/

http://simpsons.wikia.com/wiki/Football

https://imgur.com/gallery/FoHHf

https://www.spin.com/featured/aids-and-the-aztscandal-spin-1989-feature-sins-of-omission/

8

Conversations

The Timeline Continues:

1989 1990

The Berlin Wall falls

Bush and Gorbachev announce end of the Cold War

1991

https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/bushand-gorbachev-declare-end-of-cold-war-video https://montrealgazette.com/news/local-news/ from-the-polytechnique-to-dawson-how-policetactics-have-changed

1992

1993

Nelson Mandela released after 27 years in prison

The Rodney King race riots erupt in Los Angeles

The Bosnian War begins

Bill Clinton becomes 42nd US president

Super Nintendo families seek therapy for game addiction

Dissolution of USSR

Johnny Carson retires from The Tonight Show

The internet reaches the mainstream

The École Polytechnique massacre in Montreal

https://www.history.com/topics/cold-war/ berlin-wall

BOOM’s Generation X

https://www.cnn.com/2013/09/18/us/los-angeles-riots-fast-facts/index.html

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ol-EPulXaAwv

http://tns.thenews.com.pk/peek-collapse-ussr-ii/

1995

Kurt Cobain commits suicide

Oklahoma City bombing

O.J. Simpson flees police in a white Ford Bronco

Referendum on Quebec sovereignty ends in a 50.5% vote to stay part of Canada

Rwandan Genocide begins Alanis Morissette releases Jagged Little Pill

Kim Campbell becomes Canada’s 1st female Prime Minister

Prince Charles and Lady Diana announce their separation

http://www.bbc.co.uk/history/events/nelson_mandela_released_from_prison

1994

https://www.iwm.org.uk/history/25-photos-fromthe-bosnian-war-of-1992-1995 https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/tonightshow-starring-johnny-carson-743331v http://www.findingdulcinea.com/news/on-this-day/ December/Charles-and-Diana-Announce-Separation.htm

9

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/First_inauguration_of_Bill_Clinton

https://www.esquire.com/uk/style/news/a6052/kurt-cobain-style-grunge/

https://www.fbi.gov/history/famous-cases/oklahoma-city-bombing

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_o8gerare0

https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nfl/2017/08/10/o-j-simpson-formeragent-try-sell-white-bronco-pawn-stars/555106001/

https://media.timetoast.com/timelines/canada-identity-and-sovereignty

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kim_Campbell

https://media.timetoast.com/timelines/canada-identity-and-sovereignty

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p_e-_cJZeWw

10

Explorations

X Marks the Spot: Rick Miller Finds Perspective

Did you always see it as part of a trilogy?

Yes, from a very early stage, I saw BOOM as a trilogy of shows that would collectively document 75 years of history, as told through the stories of 3 generations: Boomers, GenXers, and Millennials. There was a structural symmetry to the concept that appealed to me: 25 years, 100 minutes, 100 characters for each show. From a personal perspective, I was also able to draw connections between my own experience, and the experiences of my parents and my children.

You will be premiering BOOM X at Theatre Calgary. How long have you been working on this second installment? How is premiering a new work different from performing an established one?

I started conceptualizing BOOM X during the Canadian tour of BOOM in 2015-16.

I had a hunch that if BOOM was mostly expressed through circles, cycles and cylinders, BOOM X would have a harder edge to it: walls, surfaces, planes…

Research began in Banff in March of 2017, right around the time that Stafford Arima commissioned the show to premiere as part of his first season at Theatre Calgary.

That set the gears in motion, and our creative team spent much of 2017 and 2018 developing the play in Toronto, Montreal, Quebec City, Calgary and Banff.

I’ve been developing new work for over 20 years now, and have become quite used to the unique challenges that come with it. My architecture background leads me to think of my shows as ‘buildings’ under construction. You’re not dealing with another author’s words or imagery, so everything is always under question, and no show ever feels truly ‘complete’. That may sound frustrating – it is, at times – but the key for me is channel that frustration into fuel, and keep driving forward.

How does incorporating music help in telling these stories?

Like many of us, I was deeply influenced by the music I listened to in my youth, and those songs carry a lot of emotional weight. Like the time I first heard Queen and David Bowie’s Under Pressure coming out of my clock radio on CHOM-FM - the song still gives me chills! Music was what first drew me into performance, as it reaches beyond words, and taps into the deeper recesses of our brain and our collective experience.

Rick Miller in BOOM (2016_. Photo by Trudie Lee

Where did the concept of BOOM originate?

BOOM started with a desire to tie the evolution of rock and roll to the politics of the 50s and 60s, and to ‘perform’ this history in a multimedia time capsule. I then started collecting stories from my father, who grew up during World War II in Vienna, Austria.

His story of actually having a Nazi flag in his Grade 2 classroom really woke me up to the diversity of lives lived during the baby boom years. This prompted me to gather stories from my mother, and the people who shaped her life as she came of age in Canada. In the end, the documentary format the seemed most compelling way to combine personal stories with the larger stories of politics, culture and music.

Rick Miller in BOOM (2016-17). Photo by Trudie Lee

12 8

In BOOM, I felt it important to capture the music of the time, but also the political, cultural and technological influences behind each song. The same principle applies to BOOM X, but on a more personal level. At a very young age, I was able to imitate popular singers, and found the biggest payoff was to parody them... even though I secretly wanted to be one of them! By the end of BOOM X, just as a generation found its voice through music, I also found a voice of my own.

Was there anything about your personal history that you discovered while researching BOOM or BOOM X? In BOOM, I was able to relive the stories of my parents, and as such, found a great deal of myself in them. No surprise – one of the show’s themes is that history is more cyclical than we think, and we become our parents whether we like it or not!

What are the pros and cons of performing a one-man show?

Pros: no auditions. Cons: no cast parties. ;) When you write, direct, and perform a solo show on tour, solitude is a given. You have to accept it, take advantage of it, and then appreciate the times when you’re back home with your family.

Though many people know me for my solo work, I spend much of my time collaborating on multi-actor shows with my Kidoons creative partner Craig Francis. Each show is an entirely unique experience, but working collaboratively is always a refreshing change from the obsessive introspection of a one-man show.

In BOOM X, it was a bit harder to get perspective, as it was my own generation, and there were so many contrasting expressions within it. That’s why I find the personal stories so important to the show. There’s something universal to every coming-ofage story, no matter where (and when) you come from.

That said, theatre, even a solo theatre piece, is a deeply collaborative art, and there’s always a team around you to help achieve a collective vision.

Ultimately, when the audience experiences the work, it becomes even more collaborative. I don’t know if theatregoers appreciate the role they play in the creative process. It’s a constant exchange of information and energy, especially in shows like BOOM X, where I speak directly to the people in the room.

Personally, I’ve begun to understand the impact of growing up with network television, and the advertising that made it possible. It led to an escapism that at first drove my imagination, but later came crashing down to the harsh reality of a recession, unemployment, and 1990s anxiety. One of the main stories in BOOM X is of a privileged, middleclass white kid waking up to a world of chaos and complexity, and struggling to find his place within it.

Would the BOOM trilogy be better served with a larger cast? I don’t think so; it’s a personal quest to understand history by immersing myself in it, and drawing conclusions from it. If BOOM X had a cast of 12, it would be an entirely different experience, and not nearly as ‘impressive’. I think creating an impression on the audience is crucial to the future of live theatre. If we’re going to draw people away from the terrific content they can get for free on their devices at home, we need to

create an experience that leaves an impression, and that needs to be experienced live in order to fully appreciate it.

How would you describe and introduce BOOM X, especially to those that may have not seen BOOM? The most frequent comment we heard after BOOM was that it was unlike anything people had ever seen before, and I think BOOM X will provoke similar reactions to anyone who comes at it for the first time.

Here’s my best take: BOOM X is a solo multimedia performance in which I give voice to over 100 characters, trying to capture the defining moments of “Generation X”. It moves chronologically through 1970 to 1995, mixing personal stories of several GenX characters with the big stories in music, culture and politics. It’s got amazing musical performances: about 30 songs that cover prog rock, punk, disco, new wave and grunge. It’s got incredible multimedia, mixing high tech and low tech in very playful ways.

It’s funny, it’s moving, and I think you should bring your parents and your kids, and stay for the talkback. I guarantee you’ll understand each other better, and have an explosively good time. BOOM!

What is your favourite era?

Why? BOOM made me very curious about the late 1960s, and how it must have felt to experience that unique explosion of creativity and counter-cultural resistance. But to answer your question, I don’t have a favourite era, although I naturally have a fondness for the 1980s... the era in which I came of age. That’s when I developed an emotional connection to historical

and cultural events, especially to music. I grew up with MuchMusic and MTV, played Pac-Man and Dungeons and Dragons, and was victim to some of the worst fashion trends in modern history!

But I also loved my life, and I look back not with nostalgia or regret (both are pointless, in my opinion), but with an ever-present hope that we can learn from the past to build a better future.

Are there any challenges in trying to tell this story on stage to younger ages when so much is readily available online in this technological age? Or, do you find younger audiences are more familiar with historical facts and musical references?

I believe the challenge is not to bring young people into the theatre, but to get them to keep coming back. Young people derive so much meaning from their screens, that to ask them to find meaning in a stage show can be a hard sell. But if you create an experience that is uniquely theatrical, and that blends creativity, playfulness, humour and intelligence, you can engage audiences of all ages, and make a lasting impression.

Any predictions for future generations?

As I begin to conceive the third show in the trilogy – BOOM Z – it’s tempting (and daunting) to speculate about where we’re heading. Having immersed myself in stories from the last 75 years, I see developing patterns, and alarming trends.

In my opinion, all the major conflicts of the 1950s and 1960s had their roots in World War II. And today’s renewed nationalism and brutal political discourse had seeds planted in the 70s, sprouted in the 80s, and erupted in the 1990s. Everything seems connected, and nothing seems new. That sentiment is both cynical and hopeful. Cynical in that we’ll never break out of vicious cycles, hopeful in that we can transform them into virtuous cycles.

I’m neither a historian nor a futurist. I’m a storyteller, and I humbly hope that our theatrical ‘construction’ can play a role in that transformation. Let’s keep telling stories in darkened rooms, and celebrate what we have in common, instead of dwelling on our divisions

Kids have become increasingly good at making connections, just like the internet that they grew up with. So shows like BOOM and BOOM X, which are all about big picture connections, have a natural appeal to young people.

They also bring generations together. We realize how similar we all are at the core, and how seeing those connections can deepen our relationships, and give us a bigger perspective when we feel lost or cynical – which is a trait common to all generations.

14

Explorations

Talkin’ ‘bout My Generation

By Zachary Moull Categorizing people by age group can be a challenging and problematic proposition, since generational thinking tends to elide the specificity of experience based on gender, class, ethnicity, or geographic location. According to historian Doug Owram, Baby Boomers were unusual in their strong self-identity as a generation, and their legacy has led thinkers to try to define the generations that have come after them. “The very fact that we are continuing to discuss issues along generational lines,” writes Owram, “reflects the powerful hold the Baby Boom had.”

These are the best-known names for the next generations:

Generation X: Originally called “Baby Busters,” Generation X was born as birth rates lowered in the late 1960s and 1970s. They had the economic disadvantage of following the large Boom generation into the workplace, and have been said to have a less optimistic worldview.

The term was popularized by Canadian writer Douglas Coupland, who said that the ‘X’ stood for the generation’s desire not to be defined.

Millennials: First known as “Generation Y,” Millennials were born in the 1980s and `90s, and many are children of Baby Boomers. Growing up during the rise of the internet and the advent of cell phones, they are often characterized as a generation oriented towards technology.

They were hard hit by the economic downturn of the early 21st century and may end up as the first North American generation to be less well off than their parents. Historians Neil Howe and William Strauss coined the term, based on this group being the first to come of age in the new millennium. There’s no consensus yet on what to call those born after the late 1990s, who are still in school today. “Generation Z” and “Post-Millennials” have been used as placeholders, but names that refer to previous generations don’t tend to stick. One frontrunner is the “iGeneration” – a reference to mobile devices, as well as interactivity, interconnectedness, and individuality

https://mymodernmet.com/joseph-szabo-teenage/joseph-szabo-teenage-70s-large/

16

Explorations

People Try to Put us Down Just Because We G-G-Get Around

By Jenna Turk, Artistic Associate The question for those born in the cusp years of Generation X and Millennials is inevitably: Where do I fit?

Fortunately, in 2014 a new label was coined, Xennials: A blending of the names Generation X and Millennials, meant to bridge those caught sandwiched by the disaffected angst-ridden Gen X and the blindly confident optimistic Millennials. A microgeneration of those born between the late 1970s and the early 1980s, Xennials refers to those who had an analog childhood, but a digital adulthood. Growing up, we (full disclosure: I was born in 1984) played Capture the Flag on playgrounds (made out of wood and metal) not Candy Crush on iPads, we know what it was to agonizingly wait for the internet to dial-up (Sshhh-ka-ching-ka-chingeeeeeeeee-wahh-ka-shhhhhhhhhh), and we remember our parents watching Tom Brokaw on the nightly news to stay informed – not refreshing their Twitter feed. Xennials simultaneously appreciate the return of the grunge fashion aesthetic (its original plaid icons being Nirvana’s Kurt Cobain and My So-Called Life’s Jordan Catalano), while recognizing its irony. We live for nostalgia (put on a Raffi LP, grab some mason jars, and let’s can some jam!), but we will also wait in line for the latest iPhone. We acknowledge the tastiness of avocado toast, but hold ourselves above true hipsterdom. Xennials find balance, offer a unique perspective, and nurture harmony between generations: We are Xen.

17

18 8

Explorations

Explorations

Conversation Starters

Terms to Know

What do you notice about your generation in terms of behaviours and actions?

Watergate Scandal Began in June of 1972 when burglars were apprehended breaking in to the Democratic National Committee headquarters.

Then president, Richard M. Nixon, was seeking re-election, and the United Stated was still deeply divided over the Vietnam War. Evidence would show that members of Nixon’s re-election committee had broken in and stolen copies of top-secret documents and placed wiretaps on the office’s phones. It was revealed that Nixon himself was involved, which led to his eventual resignation. Nixon’s abuse of presidential power created an atmosphere of distrust towards politicians among many Americans that continues to this day.

What was the best part of growing up in your generation?

The worst?

Which historical events did you experience? How did your age at the time of the event affect you?

Looking at the past, what similarities do you notice today?

Differences?

Do you think humankind is getting better, worse, or repeating the past?

Boom X features many songs spanning from 1970 – 1995.

Which one stands out for you? Why?

AIDS Identification and Global Epidemic While sporadic cases were documented prior, it was not until September of 1982 that the term AIDS, “Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome” was first used by the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention. Initially, fear and stigma surrounded the disease, and it was thought to only affect the “four-H club”: hemophiliacs, homosexual men, heroin users, and people of Haitian origin. However, researchers were able to study the spread of the disease and in 1984, the National Cancer Institute announced they found the cause of the disease and started education on how to avoid transmission. By the end of 1985, every region in the world had reported at least one case of AIDS, and by 1993, there was an estimated 2.5 million AIDS cases globally.

How does music influence our memories?

19

Live Aid Bob Geldof, signer of the Boomtown Rats, travelled to Ethiopia in 1984 after hearing news reports of a deathly famine that had killed hundreds of thousands of Ethiopians, and threatened many more. To benefit famine relief, Geldof co-wrote a song and with the help of Britain’s and Ireland’s top pop artists, released the to-behit: “Do they know it’s Christmas?”.

With the crisis not only continuing in Ethiopia, but now spreading, Geldof proposed a charitable concert to raise funds and awareness. Over 75 artists signed on, including Queen, Madonna, Bryan Adams, David Bowie, and Elton John, performing not only to a large live crowd, but to more than one billion television viewers in 110 countries. The concert raised $127 million.

MTV Though their popularity has waned, The Music Television network’s debut in August of 1981 marked a huge shift in pop culture advertisement and the recording industry. The first video was famously, “Video Killed the Radio Star” by the then littleknown band, The Buggles. Though the network struggled in the first couple of years, primarily with conservative cable stations, MTV ‘s effect was immediate and proved their value with breaking new talent, introducing new audiences to what a music video was, as well as welcoming the second wave of the British Invasion. They have been cited as making artists like Madonna stars, and introducing the world to reality TV in 1992 with The Real World.

The front page of The New York Times on the day Richard Nixon resigned as President.

The early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic were marked with stigma and confusion.

72,000 people attend the Live Aid concert at Wembley Stadium on July 13, 1985

MTV’s infamous ‘Man on the Moon’ TV spot

20

Conversations

The Top Movies 1970-1995 1

M*A*S*H The staff of an Army hospital find humour in the face of the horrors of the Korean War.

1

1970 | Feature Film | R | 116 min. | Director Robert Altman

4

2

Jaws A monstrous shark terrorizes a resort town. It’s then up to a marine biologist and the town’s police chief to track the predator down.

1975 | Feature Film | PG | 122 min. | Director Steven Spielberg

3

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back Now referred to as episode V, The Empire Strikes Back shows the rebels getting overpowered by the Empire, and Luke Skywalker seeks out Yoda for Jedi training, in order to face Darth Vader.

1980 | Feature Film | PG | 124 min. | Director Irvin Kershner

4

Back to the Future A biopic of Temple Grandin, an autistic woman who has become one of the top scientists in the humane livestock handling industry.

1985 | Feature Film | PG | 116 min. | Director Robert Zemeckis

2 5

5

Pretty Woman A business man, tired of bringing random dates to work events, employs a beautiful prostitute to be his paid escort. Things take a turn when the two fall in love.

1990 | Feature Film | R | 109 min. | Director Garry Marshall

6

Apollo 13 When electrical damage is beyond repair on Apollo flight 13, NASA must work quickly to devise a strategy to bring the crew home safely. Based on a true story.

1995 | Feature Film | PG | 140 min. | Director Ron Howard

3

6

22

Conversations

BOOM X Soundtrack

WHIP IT

by Devo

AMERICAN WOMAN

by The Guess Who

PROUD MARY

by Ike & Tina Turner

HEART OF GOLD

by Neil Young

KUNG FU FIGHTING

by Carl Douglas

STAYIN’ ALIVE

by Bee Gees

UNDER PRESSURE

by Queen & David Bowie

TAKE ON ME

by A-ha

IT’S THE END OF THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT (AND I FEEL FINE)

by R.E.M.

KNOCKIN’ ON HEAVEN’S DOOR

by Guns ‘N Roses

ALL I REALLY WANT

by Alanis Morissette

23

24

Conversations

Further Reading

80s Fashion: From Club to Catwalk

By The Victoria and Albert Museum In 80s Fashion, the Victoria and Alberta Museum in London explores one of the most diverse and exciting periods in fashion history, showcasing the work of some of the decade’s leading designers, including Vivienne Westwood, Fiorucci, Leigh Bowery, Rifat Ozbek and many others.

2013 Non-Fiction

FROM THE CALGARY PUBLIC LIBRARY

The Original 1982

By Lori Carson It’s 1982, and Lisa is a 24-year-old waitress in New York City and an aspiring singer/songwriter. That year, she makes a big decision.

But what if her decision had been different? Alternating between two very different possibilities, The Original 1982 is a novel about how the choices we make affect the people we become.

2013 Fiction

Generation X: Tales for An Accelerated Culture

By Douglas Coupland Canadian author Douglas Coupland wrote the book that named a generation. Protagonists Andy, Claire and Dag, each in their twenties, have quit their “pointless” jobs and have taken a trip to the California desert, in search of drastic changes that will lend meaning to their lives.

1991 Fiction

Ready Player One

Eleanor and Park

By Ernest Cline

By Rainbow Rowell

By the year 2044, scarce fossil fuels have ended America’s era of prosperity. Small-town Americans immerse themselves in a virtual reality known as OASIS for education and escape. The game is designed by an autistic genius obsessed with 1980s pop culture who leaves his entire fortune, including control of OASIS, to whomever can complete a quest he has designed within it.

In this novel set in the 1980s, teenagers Eleanor and Park are outsiders; Eleanor because she’s new to the neighborhood and Park because he’s half Asian. Although initially wary of each other, they quickly bond over their love of comics and 80s alternative music.

2011 Fiction

2013 Fiction

Back to Our Future: How the 1980’s Explain the World We Live in Now - Our Culture, Our Politics, Everything

By David Sirota In this wickedly entertaining book, New York Times journalist David Sirota takes readers on a ride back in time to reveal how so many of our present-day conflicts are rooted in the larger-than-life pop culture of the 1980s – from the “Greed is good” to the “Make my day” foreign policy.

2011 Non-fiction

bonus audiobook

Now We Are 40: Whatever Happened to Generation X?

Click on the book covers to check their availability at your local library!

By Tiffanie Darke | 2017 Author Tiffanie Darke interviews iconic Gen Xers to look at how they live their lives in between the boomers and the millennials, and how it feels to want to burn down the establishment only to realize that now you are the establishment.

25

26

Conversations

Which Came First?

The existential question that is most common with the riddle of the chicken or the egg. For this exercise, test your music knowledge by choosing which song debuted first. Lucky for us, there is only one right answer.

“Hooked on a Feeling” BLUE SWEDE

“My Sharona” THE KNACK

“I Will Survive” GLORIA GAYNOR

“I Wanna Dance with Somebody” WHITNEY HOUSTON

“Don’t Stop Believin’” JOURNEY

“Tainted Love” SOFT CELL

OR

OR

OR

OR

OR

OR

“Silly Love Songs” WINGS

“You’re So Vain” CARLY SIMON

“Play That Funky Music” WILD CHERRY

“Beat It” MICHAEL JACKSON

“Dancing in the Dark” BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN

“Hungry Like the Wolf” DURAN DURAN

You’re So Vain - 1972

Play That Funky Music - 1976

Dancing in the Dark - 1984

Hungry Like the Wolf - 1982

My Sharona - 1979

I Will Survive - 1978

Don’t Stop Believin’ - 1981

Tainted Love - 1981

Beat It - 1982 I Wanna Dance with Somebody - 1987

27

28

Silly Love Songs - 1976 Hooked on a Feeling - 1974

Sources Kalish, Emma Cancian. “Millennials Are the Least Wealthy but Most Optimistic Generation.”

Urban Institute, Apr 22, 2016. www.urban.org/research/publication/millennials-are-least wealthy-most-optimistic-generation Theatre Calgary is a professional nonprofit theatre company and a resident of Arts Commons, operating out of the Max Bell Theatre.

Martel, Laurent, and France-Pascale Ménard. “Generations in Canada.” Statistics Canada, 2012. www12. statcan.gc.ca/census-recensement/2011/as-sa/98-311-x/98-311-x2011003_2-eng.cfm Owram, Doug. Born at the Right Time. Toronto: U of Toronto P, 1996.

It is a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres and operates within the jurisdiction of the Canadian Theatre Agreement. Theatre Calgary employs technicians under a collective agreement with the I.A.T.S.E.

Raphelson, Samantha. “From GIs to Gen Z (or is it iGen?): How Generations Get Nicknames.” NPR, 2014. ] www.npr.org/2014/10/06/349316543/don-t-label-me-origins-of-generational-names-and-why we-use-them

Theatre Calgary 220 9th Ave SE Calgary, AB, Canada T2G 5C4 theatrecalgary.com +1-403-294-7440

29