if . . .

About the distance to Paris, Saskatoon, Seoul & Tokyo, whatever else, it is enough to say it's far. And the distance between my love and me measured by snowstorms and oil massages, it is enough to say we're near. We cannot see beyond these worlds, pixels, resolving on flat white screens. And because of our love we have no other thought than to sip this white wine. - See: Personal Poetry Korean :: note :: ... apologies to Twentieth-century Korean poet Pak Chaesam (1933-1997, also transliterated as Pak Jae-Sam) & poem Enough to Say It's Far ... good to have my love at home ...

Social networking is useful, imho, as a way to share links. I use Twitter almost exclusively for sharing. Excellent link-sharing tool. Blogging is my way to explore writing. Before Twitter & FB I did use a blog for sharing links. Rarely now. Most aren't that interested in other people's experiments. Most of the time i don't anticipate misunderstandings and hardly self-edit. Result are comments in FB that are contentious or I misunderstand. So I question linking blog to FB/Twitter. My blog is primarily a halfalogue. - See: Personal :: note :: ... won't link this to social networking ... apologies to dave winer ...

It is 2010, just after the leak. Am I here that I am reduced located inside the backspace & I need your trout mask. You will find me south of the snow drift, where the trees collect hoarfrost especially at night, where wind and cold rub the edges. We burn memories to shape one another; to stay the icefall that it not shatter toe slope wells. We are running out of shamanic time, pitch fork and axe. Rattles stuffed in the willow bowed roof and whistle lies wet with no breath. We should be singing to one another, grease and cedar. We should be fire, rock and steam. We should be still, or at least, bearing pain. Be in the fourth round of thanks. The light invisible except to the elder. We will be whited out. Early tailings of nothing behind the fence. One howls, screams. No, we must first be fire. Be kindling. Be wood Be embers. - See: Writings Poetry :: note :: ... an evening at Wanuskawin ... ramblings, riff raff ...

It was fun eavesdropping on the Temple rehearsals of Luff Actually directed by Curtis Peeteetuce. Simply a wall away I would often catch myself guffawing over the lines. To finally see the wonderful farce in performance was a joy. More joy was watching Lacey Eninew & Aaron Shingoose, actors I had taught as students. Seeing them move on in the theatre world is rewarding. Catch an excerpt on YouTube or read about it in Plenty of laughter and love in 'A Rez Christmas Story ' By Andréa Ledding Sage Writer Saskatoon. ’ Also attended Drew Hayden Taylor's Toronto At Dreamer's Rock produced by 4E Presentations from Saskatoon at Persephone Theatre's Youth Series with my high school students. Again to see students I previously taught was exciting. Lance LaRoque in particular has been forging a sustainable path in the theatre world. In fact all the artists of both productions where graduates of The Saskatoon Native Theatre Company (SNTC). The importance of SNTC is in...

Skit Skit III (if you will) at Persephone Theatre's Backstage Stage December 2 - 5 created intense excitement for their March shows (for me at least) ... " Satire is a sort of glass, wherein beholders do generally discover everybody's face but their own"--Jonathan Swift ... not this company their cup runneth over as they ridicule their own foolishness with a disarming blend of humour, wit, nonsense, criticism, as well as some didactic intentions ... visit Facebook page to view some of the video clips: Mr. Groove, Tanorexia, School of Acting & more ... ... sketch comedy may sometimes be uneven ... not Skit Skit III ... the troupe (Ashton Francis, Tara Schoonbaert, Kristen Holfeuer, Ed Machete Mendez, Ashley Turner, Brent Mhic Pharthalain) tackles material with authority and a confidence that comes from experience and fearlessness ... to take time, endless time crossing the full length of the stage with gums flapping and crutch twitching or the sudden appearanc...

Alison Croggon in her brilliantly informative blog : theatre notes - independent theatre reviews and commentary writes on Four Larks original adaptation of Ibsen's Peer Gynt ... maybe the strongest aspect of this company's theatre is its design..." I was reminded of Greystone Theatre's own adaptation in March '10 ... here are Jim Guedo's directors notes ... This is a contemporary take on the Norwegian classic. Before writing the prose plays for which he would be universally acclaimed as the father of modern drama, Ibsen wrote one of the last great verse epics of the nineteenth century. Based in part on Norwegian folk traditions, Peer Gynt is by turns comic, tragic, lyrical and fantastic. The play has been adapted to speak to contemporary audiences by replacing the 'folk tales' underpinnings [which spoke to audiences of his day] with modern pop culture references, which are ingrained in much the same manner in our minds. The original fluctuated ...

E.D. Feehan drama teacher Raymon Montalbetti loses it all Wednesday while participating in Movember charity festivitiesv Photograph by: Greg Pender, The StarPhoenix, The StarPhoenix; with files from Postmedia News E.D. Feehan High School Grade 11 student Taylor Arcand says she's thankful November is finally over. Arcand sat near the back of the school's auditorium Tuesday laughing and wincing with the rest of the crowd as 14 mustachioed male students and staff paraded onstage. "It's really weird. Guys with moustaches and beards are just ewww!" she said. Fundraisers were held across North America last month, mostly to raise awareness for prostate cancer in a ritual that has become known as Movember. In Saskatoon, events were held at Louis' pub and other locations. The Feehan event was in this spirit, although staff and students chose to raise funds for their year-long campaign for Pakistan flood victims instead. Drama teacher Raymon Montalbetti sported a thick,...

Creative Drama Collective Tale: Opens with the King (Morgan) and Evil Queen (Sonia) fighting, the Evil Queen hands the king a mask. The King takes it and then banishes her from the kingdom and throws the mask after her. End Scene. Next: An old lady (Mary?) is walking along when all of a sudden a monster (Macy) attacks and captures her. While the monsters back is turned the old lady uses her magic to escape and attempts to run away. The monster sees her and a battle of magic begins between the two. The monster pushes the old women to the back of it's lair, when it seems the monster has won the old women grabs her cane and bashes the monster over the head. The monster falls down stunned, the old lady then uses her magic to remove the curse that has fallen on the monster. The monster wakes up and is transformed into a young girl. The old lady beckons the girl to follow her and the two begin their journey to the king by walking on water. Meanwhile: The Evil Queen is bored and is playin...

The Sleeper Awake A Tale from 1001 Nights Adapted by Paul Sills Cast Caliph ….. Sage Chartrand Abu ….. Ashley Zuniga Slave ….. Crissy Tamosiunis Singer ….. Kaitlyn Ledene Mother ..... Larissa St. Onge Sleeper Awake was presented to all our Feeder Schools in the month of October. We thank the Grade 3/4/5/6 classes of St. Edward, St. Goretti, St. John, St. Mary & St. Michael for their wonderful hospitality. - See: Theater , Plays , Teens :: note :: ... presented in Story Theatre style the players narrate their actions and create props by way of shaping & handling the space ... a special group of teens performing a valuable service ... it was our intention to increase awareness of the beautiful Islamic literary tradition ... it seemed to work ...

… how many times does your father have to die in your dreams? … a couple of days ago I awoke in heart beating terror from a night dream … had been the front seat passenger in a car driven by my father … we were in a foreign, futuristic metropolis navigating endless freeways … had stopped at an intersection ... car ahead turning left … we waited till an opening finally came and he turned but we did not move … the light turned red … annoyed and bored I stared out the side window at concrete and cars … the light changed and still we remained motionless … turned to see my father slumped dead face up on the steering wheel … the face last seen in the casket many years ago … … I awoke … … this was not the first time dreamt of his death after his death … … once before years ago … was leaving an Italian restaurant of my early youth when saw my father crossing the street … impossible I thought he's passed away … but it was him ... chased after the figure … he crossed the street into an ...

… a summer bracketed by Shakespeare … in early July attended Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan The Merchant of Venice performed by a seasoned cast of professionals in their large billowing white mainstage tent on the riverbank site … late August, the youthful Abridged City Players presented Romeo and Juliet on the small proscenium stage in the Father O'Donnell Auditorium of St. Thomas More College on the University of Saskatchewan Campus ... … both companies, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan celebrating their 26th season and Abridged City Players with their 3rd annual Shakespeare summer production, first and foremost embrace clear, crisp language to create the scenography sharing these epic tales of the excessive character of love and revenge where interaction is driven by desires that overshadow all logic … both productions had hunger, urgency & were energy based … … the evening in the tent packed with a sold out audience of 282 was occasionally overwhelmed by electrical st...

have you ever gone downstairs to a place where vinyl & plastic steel strings & code surrender to electric feedback storyland soul where a single mosquito buzz thirsty resides skillful & deft heart in his ears listening for blood pulsing warm beat i have & i tell you lifelines are sweet the delight is gentle the bliss & joy bites chord memories ghostly future past am going downstairs before winter snows blind grateful hope restless & old embracing eternal comfort most affectionate friend play again & again & again ……… Louie Louie ……. amen. - See: Writings Personal ::note:: ... each year we meet twice at most ... 25 years ago we met everyday a classroom away ... still the most creative musical educator anyone could meet ... thanks...

no place on earth doomed temple vexing the water stain islands on carpet of green prophesying ruin random flakes drop from the cracked ceiling tracking decay on the right a row of windows frame intimate gold twilight concerning least of all the late night pillar rope pull all seek consolation in this summer repeating words of romeo - See: Writings ::note:: ... summer of perpetual yearning ...

no place on earth doomed temple vexing the water stain islands on carpet of green prophesying ruin random flakes drop from the cracked ceiling tracking decay on the right a row of windows frame intimate gold twilight concerning least of all the late night pillar rope pull all seek consolation in this summer repeating words of romeo

the faceless socialist by stefan montalbetti july'10 Uploaded by raYmon "the faceless socialist' is not faceless the face is not blacked out but whitened out, it is in fact the face which boldly demands attention … a distinctive etched face, ghost-like obliterated, beckons behind the white mask of this agrarian worker behind what? A plough, a gate, a tombstone … holding what in the left hand? A pitchfork, a flag, a spear … a prophet's staff ... are those fences? Flowing fences where the lone figure poses battle-ready protecting the furrowed earth … one-armed, one-eared, one-buttoned, half-rolled sleeve, the half-known icon, not full frontal, not fenced in, angled … resting, watching, waiting, retreating … he … though slightly showing … eyeless, mouthless & legless … sees, speaks & stands in the tradition of brothers and sisters proud, strong & free … there is no balance, no justice, no reparation … no thing can heal the outrage done to … the...

if only i feared death the sky would not darken if i had no word the grass would brown if i had thistles in my mouth the wind blown seeds would land if i had freedom in my heart the great flood would not come if i opened my eyes the sky would darken - See: Writings :: note :: ... nothing to note ...

Korean East Coast Originally uploaded by raYmon The ocean water, one thousand and eight eyed, opens its lids of white foam to axe you, wide and deep sixty years long. fall my heart, from the temple of time fall, you blossoms, from rain drenched branches fall, as tears fall from the widened eye Dark words, harder days are coming where Korea's sky blackens the earth, it's wounded tiger seeks a cave for its hate handing you the monks bowl of rice water. A handful of pain is lost in the sunken ships. Only hope cowers blinded by the flame Where Korea's earth blackens the sky, a hand looks for solace and fills the plaza with yearning. Before winter hears the call through the first sun the unspeakable, said softly, steals over the land. - See: Writings ::note:: ... the first anniversary of my visit to Korea ... an Ingeborg Bachmann In the Storm of Roses mashup ...

"They have given us war and we are going to give them war back." Who doubts a worse world may fall down. Together, not out of cowardice, nor provocation with tears carving the cheek as if a funeral, as if extinguished, whether at protests or among prisoners. The hooded, the convergence and those who lowered their visors, hoisted their shields dare. Isolated islands in the Han river dream leaders and visitors will not return to dream armament. Bear witness, for a moment, fear and force stopped. - See: Writings :: note :: ... attempting to see what cannot be seen ... how can one make any sense of Toronto & g20 ... too much was seen ...

Performance Originally uploaded by raYmon Performance disappears in the moment of its manifestation. It is an expression of the potentiality of the past and of the way the past can shape the creative impulses and imaginative landscape of the present. Performance is a restless visibility of imagination and embodies the invisible intensity for the sudden, epiphanic emergence of the genuinely unplanned unknown. Performance sculpts space creating temporary bursts of ‘now’-ness inside a form constantly vanishing. Performance negotiates action with breath, blood, bone & mind in fields structured by desire, power, gender, identity, narrative and memory in ways consciously deep & with nuanced understanding. Performance dreams wakefulness. - See: Writings Theater :: note :: ... what is performance? ...

Received e-mail this afternoon Dear colleagues: As many of you will have worked with him and many others will know much about him, this is just to let you know the sad news that Zygmunt Molik died last night at 6 pm in Wroclaw hospital. ... checked the The Grotowski Institute ... the words confirmed ... I had been told he had been bed ridden this past while and even last week had dreamt of a passing ... still for a moment time eternal stopped ... why must we suffer losses? "The secret lies in the voice, sound as whole and pure as it’s possible. Its essence is to release and awake the middle part of the body. Different parts of the body are very often separated: the head is separated, the legs… We are blocked. As a result of combining vocal and body excersises we reach the point, where the whole organism is active in speaking and singing." ( Zygmunt Molik ) ... Zygmunt Molik's Voice and Body Work the Leagacy of Jerzy Grotowski was published eight days ago ... thirty fiv...

Saskatoon West Intertribal Powwow “The Gathering of Communities” 9:15am Drum Roll Call Dignitary Line-up Opening Prayer and Drum Song 9:30am Grand Entry Flag Song Victory Song Student Welcome Speeches Introductions Dignitary Shuffle and Round Dance Intertribal Songs (Drum Contest to Begin) 10:30 Tiny Tot (ages up to 5) Exhibition Intertribal Songs 11:00 Elementary School Exhibition Intertribal Songs Noon Giveaway Honor Ceremony Métis Fiddling- Dallas and Phil Boyer Métis Jigging Contest (youth and adult) 1:00 High School Exhibition Intertribal Songs 2:00 Adult Dance Specials Drum Contest Announcements 3:00 Grand Exit Dance Out of Eagle Staff and Flags - Photo Jade Henderson - See: Personal :: note :: ... students danced the day away ... out of respect not a picture of the dancers but a moment during the day of the community ...

Ileana Montalbetti as Elettra in Canadian Opera Company performance of Mozart's Idomeneo . (Photo Michael Cooper) Last night, members of the Canadian Opera Company's Ensemble Studio -- an apprenticeship program for promising young singers and accompanists -- took over the non-chorus cast of the current production of Mozart's Idomeneo. An announcement over the PA system said that last night was the result of 7 weeks of intensive work. It's labour that paid off, because everything on stage appeared to work as smoothly and seamlessly as with the professional cast on opening night two weeks ago. In reality, the Ensemble Studio singers were already heavily involved in the production. Last night, several of them merely exchanged their roles for something more significant. If there were more than one performance with the Ensemble cast, I would have recommended it as highly as the original. Although everyone's singing was fine, there were two particular stars on the stage...

"The festival strives to bring together many divergent groups: artists, social movements, community groups, organized labour and non-unionized workers to work together to support each other’s struggles and issues. We believe in using the arts to do this." ( MayWorks ) - See: Politics :: note :: ... sadly a day full of apathy where i am ...

listen hear the rain see a thousand dead umbrellas frame drowsy past hero inspirations crave the heart of hearts fake ideology retrieve snapshots of blurry nervous love kill a squalling homage to my flawed adult self sing sarcastically the edge of haves and the have not regret the worst kind of emotional mediocre promise bite little everyday paranoia lurking just below turn to extreme dark dirgey lyric mixes negotiate a kind of tribal throbbing mute the sigh to somehow lusher embrace the latest buzz use your discretion resist fragments marginalize - See: Poetry :: note :: ... april is the cruelest month ... Everywhere I go, I find a poet has been there before me. (Sigmund Freud) ...

If I slip now If my tongue is brash If my thoughts betray If my feet numb If I fall If my tongue If the shell cracks If our knees touch If words fail If our eyes meet If my heart softens If the sun If tongue If word If numb If heart skin tongue word embrace Fall I will deny it all (from Slip . Poems by Sina Queyras ) - See: Writers Poetry :: note :: ... reading this while writing previous post ... they were (to me) connected ...

"When someone is following the stream of transformation energy, doing it - performing - with the ancient vibratory songs, the resonators in the body can begin a very complex dialogue with themselves. A dialogue which is not at all guided consciously by the doer but led more by the "inner action" itself." (Thomas Richards Interviewer: Lisa Wolford. The Edge-Point of Performance) Bent Out of Shape Productions' The Drowning Girls recent Saskatoon performances March 24 - April 5 at Backstage Stage Persephone Theater surfaced a thought frenzy that always lays close to the surface. What do I witness in a performance? Daniela Vlaskalic, co-writer, actor and co-producer has stated "... we all ended up writing and creating the play together. That was 1999. " The ten year journey has been mostly lauded throughout as hugely entertaining and visually mesmerizing with positively sparkling comments. "From conception to execution and performance, all the elem...

The beginning of March offered Saskatoon audiences a rare sighting of two productions of plays by Judith Thompson. Recognized by some , “as one of the major playwrights in the English-speaking world ...", her profoundly dark and disturbing visions present challenges to mainstream companies. It is not surprising then both plays were performed by what may be described as outlier ensembles. White Line Productions performed The Crackwalker at The Remai Arts Centre's BackStage Stage and Goat Songs Theatre performed Lion in the Streets at The Refinery Arts and Spirit Centre. Director Kristen Holfeuer assembled her Crackwalker cast from the creative firepower of recent University of Saskatchewan Drama Department graduates while Bethani Jade directed her young, fearless group of high-school and current university students in the fragmented and disruptive narrative Lion in the Streets . Does it really take gender to recognize the common condition of oppression with the will to powe...

Alterati – The Other Culture "This is a statement, not an appeal. Most great art movements, like surrealism, dada, or situationism all started with a manifesto, a statement of position. Here is our position: We are already here. The proscenium has been breached, disbanded and dismantled. Information networks span the globe, and cultures, ideas, and realities are converging and being redefined minute-by-minute. This revolution will not be broadcast, although it may be televised, on demand, portable and configurable — but it will be your choice. Possibly, it will be your creation. Remember the Future of “no future”? Well, this is it. That’s not a statement of doom. It’s an expression of freedom. Kill your clocks, burn your calendars, and hang out. Alterati has built the platform. All you need do is show up." Alterati - See: Manifesto :: note :: ... love a manifesto ...

Passing on to All New Year greetings from Monk Dae Yo Hwa Eom Sa The 19th Branch Temple of Korean Buddhist Chogye Order 눈이 많이 오고 강추위도 잦았던 겨울이 지금도 기성을 부리네요 화엄사 향기님들 모두 평안하시지요 기축년이 어느덧 가고 경인년 신년이 시작이면서 민족 고유의 명절인 설날이 오네요 올해는 연휴가 짧아 고향에 머무시는 시간도 많지 않고 혹여 길이 막히지 않을까 싶은데 느긋한 마음으로 안전운전 하셔서 무사무탈하게 잘 다녀오세요 복 많이 지으시고 평안하시길 바랍니다 ♬까치까치 설날은 ♬ ♬ ♬ Magpie Magpie New Year is ♬ ♬ - See: Temple :: note :: ... received this e-mail greeting ... the Temple Stay this summer was an emotional experience & Monk Dae Yo was an inspiring, generous, kind & benevolent director whose smile attracted compassion within all ...

The sea creature lurked silently at the bottom of the ocean. Mermaids played skipping games making bubbles outside their magic shell. Suddenly a splash sounds above them. Two Haenyo, skilled women divers who are known to be able to hold their breath for more than two minutes and dive to depths of 20 meters start their day foraging the ocean floor for octopus, abalone, sea urchins, sea slugs, cucumber and seaweed. The sea creature curiously approaches the divers. They panic fearing an attack & call for help. A passing fisherman hauls the divers onto his boat and spears the sea creature. Mortally wounded the creature falls to the bottom of the ocean. The mermaids mourn the loss of their companion & protector. They dance over him calling on spirits to bring the creature back to life. Joyously they succeed. Swimming to the boat they summon the divers coaxing them to climb on the creatures back. Together they are carried to the shell kingdom where the mermaids gift the divers with t...

The eternities went for his reveries and deeper The blaze of intention The dream lifeline design Trekking introspection Excavating the gap At the abyss the underly totem runes buried again buried again shock :: note :: ... a response to the night ...

Live the Question Becoming the answer The journey I trace The impulse I follow The loneliness I assume Reveals the way I am In the silence I listen to the forgotten question Remembering to learn my way. - ae ran (Transliteration of Parcours by raymon) :: note :: ... written for an acting course ...

... listening to Ted Harrison interview on The Next Chapter he explains ... simplify the shapes & add more colour ... gradually the colour takes over ... the colour was a discovery ... ... strikes me Gabriel Josipovici follows this aesthetic in his novels I've recently read: conversations in another Room & Everything Passes ... ... in the theatre render the action & deepen concentration ... wonder on the pedagogical application ... - See: ArtistsSpeak :: note :: ... ? ...

66 Events #six_events in 2008 was performed by hundreds in 29 countries across the globe over 6 days #sixty_six_events is over a full 24 hour period and can be performed by anyone, anywhere. #freely interpret and perform any number of the 66 events within the given time #document your actions and send to info@sixtysixevents.com ( Crg Hill's poetry scorecard ) - See: events :: note :: ... missed it ... next year? ...

what theatre really is or princesses of the new moon they form a gentle circle on a darkened stage listening faces so seriously still desiring this ones gift & that ones voice they await the tone which releases them into the wild lights fade, seats empty, doors open as the future slides in. you'd think I'd tire of this endless seasonal come & go experience is brutal, generous & expansive a worthy loss. simply be faithful to the eternal visionary tradition of unovertakeable,tender loss. :: note :: ... end of term ...

I am wary of performance and attend when obligated yet often am aroused to write. I prefer description supported by action. I go looking, searching, asking, questioning, reacting to data, leaping in, constructing notes to [re]act on my responses instead of contemplating on them. I dislike a cursory summary of the narrative action and shy from offering judgemental impressions. I prefer to present details, referencing examples to illustrate an assembling attention. I try to situate the work within the context of the oeuvre of the playwright/director/ensemble or whatever seems appropriate: a close reading of content, form and working procedures, historical and biographical tidbits, the canonical vocabulary of theory, innovation or stated intention. I require an intelligence of feeling and academic rigour parallel with associative linking to create a complexity that blurs serious and playful thinking. My wish is to stimulate questions that encourage a working manifesto for all types of pra...

What are the artistic processes of performance & how to articulate how I witness the uncapturable in performance practice are questions that guide my exploration. I meditate on them from the vantage point of my own self-narrative, as a performance practitioner whose artistry, in many ways, relies on the willingness of others to disclose, to open themselves. I left my home and theatre practices turning twenty to immerse myself in another tradition. After an extensive stay within the Grotowski and Grotowski diaspora I returned home to dwell in the perceived place of my creative center. The work inexplicably led to the vocation of education & specifically playing in the territory education of the imagination. One of the frames through which I construct my research is a focus on the formal in practice: attention to the shapes of narratives, the physical intimacy that changes the time and space of an encounter, the fullness of the movements of touch and density (dancingness & si...

Opens with the King (Morgan) and Evil Queen (Sonia) fighting, the Evil Queen hands the king a mask. The King takes it and then banishes her from the kingdom and throws the mask after her. End Scene. Next: An old lady (Mary?) is walking along when all of a sudden a monster (Macy) attacks and captures her. While the monsters back is turned the old lady uses her magic to escape and attempts to run away. The monster sees her and a battle of magic begins between the two. The monster pushes the old women to the back of it's lair, when it seems the monster has won the old women grabs her cane and bashes the monster over the head. The monster falls down stunned, the old lady then uses her magic to remove the curse that has fallen on the monster. The monster wakes up and is transformed into a young girl. The old lady beckons the girl to follow her and the two begin their journey to the king by walking on water. Meanwhile: The Evil Queen is bored and is playing with her servant, she tosses t...

Bonne annee 2010, ouverte sur le monde, chaleureuse et fraternelle. Ouvrons nos fenetres pour regarder et apprecier la richesse et la diversite de ceux que nous rencontrons. Rejouissons nous de cette lumiere qui vient a nous. :: note :: ... greeting from Cised Paris an international student service for University Paris 8 ...