Volunteers needed for June 4 Memorial Event

 

 

 

VOLUNTEER PERFORMERS NEEDED

 

To present a poem by me from  ”The Madness of the Square.”

 

Must be available for:

 

REHEARSAL

Weds, June 3, 6:30-9:30 pm

at Cahoots Theatre Projects, 218 Queen St. E. (at Sherbourne), snacks & drinks provided

 

PERFORMANCE

Thurs, June 4, 11 am – 1 pm

at Nathan Philips Square (Queen W. & Bay Streets)

 

***All are welcome!***

 

To sign up as a volunteer performer, email me info@marjoriechan.com.

 

 

photo of Tiananmen Square by Marjorie Chan

 

 

 

 MORE INFO ON THE EVENT:

 

Toronto Association for Democracy in China and Federation for a Democratic China

in cooperation  UNITE-HERE Local 75

present

 

TIANANMEN+20

Madness in the Square

High Noon Bike- and Die-In

 

Thursday, June 4, 2009

12 noon at Nathan Phillips Square (Queen Subway)

 

Protest Chinese government’s violent crackdown and massacre of students and workers in Beijing’s Tiananmen Square on June 4, 1989 and continued authoritarian rule in China

 

With musicians and artists

Amchok Gompo Dhondup, Sheng Xue, Spiritwind,

and an excerpt from Marjorie Chan’s play The Madness of the Square

 

Wear White – Bike-In – Die-In

 

Bike-in: Breakfast at Urbane Cyclist (180 John St) at 10:30 am

Group bicycle ride to Nathan Philips Square at 11:30 am.

 

For more information or to volunteer for the event, e-mail June4Madness@gmail.com

 

On Facebook

Last Performance

Last show today, and a busy day to boot. I’m so thrilled that the show has had an impact on the audiences. A theatre artist remarked to me last night, of her helplessness, and of her paralysis while watching the play. And then after, her anger and the rising emotion that comes with injustice. Often, as a playwright, I am asked, what do you want your audience to leave with after the play is over? In a way, I am getting my answer night after night.

In a way, this is how I like my audiences, to be engaged, to be politicized, to be made more aware after one of my plays.

One of the delights of many during this process, is to watch the increasing awareness of my cast. Most of them were quite young in 1989, and so have little or no memory of the massacre. And yet, I have watched them read, research, learn more, articulate and begin to own the ideas of the play. In particular, one actor who grew up somewhat conflicted with his Chinese culture has found a confidence and a voice that is nothing short of inspiring for me. I share my plays with the intention of moving and engaging my audiences, and yet one of the most powerful transformations was occurring in the cast. It gives me hope.

End of the line

Today is the second-to-last performance.  I won’t pretend that I’m not sad.  It was a very short run, and I’m not sure that we reached as many people as we wanted to reach. At the same time, the audiences have been pretty good, and the impact has been clear.

This week, Kendra Fry, a friend and former general manager of Cahoots Theatre Projects came to the show.  She was general manager when my play was being developed, and Madness was the last show that she programmed with current Artistic Director Jovanni Sy. Jovanni is stepping down in September to pursue his own artistic projects, so dinner all together was a bit nostalgic of our days as a trio in the office.  (I started in 2006.) We tackled some big, big mountains that we had no right to even try and tackle as such a small company, but we did.  We did so, because we didn’t like the word, “no”.  It just didn’t suit our personality.  The magnitude of the wonderfully complex and beautiful technical side of our Madness production is a result of that spirit.  In any case, a fitting culmination from their years as leader of Cahoots.  So, thank you both, Kendra and Jovanni.

 

Marjorie, Kendra and Jovanni, fresh-faced in 2006

New things

 

 

Karl Ang

The show is now well into its run and will end on Sunday. Even though I have seen it more than half a dozen times, there are still things that seem new, or fresh. Moments that still break my heart.  One of these moments that struck me only in this week is when one of the actors don parts of a soldier’s uniform.  In rehearsal, when this actor tried on this costume, I had no particular reaction until the director Ruth Madoc-Jones asked, “Why do the young people go to die for the old?”  After that, I have been unable to get this thought out of my head.  When I see the actor come out in the uniform, in that single moment, I see him, I see his youth (in truth only 5 years younger than me!), I see the other character he plays, I see youthful faces of the square, I see his innocence, I see his confusion –  but worse, when it really gets me is that I see a peer and a friend.  My peer.  My friend.  My friend in a situation where he needs a helmet and has to carry a sidearm.  (Perhaps my reaction is compounded by this actor’s propensity to wear camouflage in real life.  That’s another discussion entirely.) The bottom line is that in some future of ours, yes, even here in Canada, this could be a possibility.  It is possible, that somehow, our political situation could change rapidly, and people called into military service. And who could be drafted? Would this young man be?  Yes.  He is young and he is healthy.  And when I see him in a soldier’s uniform, it breaks my heart a little.

Meet the people!

 

Photo of Karl Ang and Ella Chan by www.johnlauenerphotography.com

We are in our second and last week of the show!  This week we have a couple of special events that will let you inside the development process of a play, both from the artistic and the historical perspective. We hope to see you at the theatre!

 

More information here.

Access (or my one good idea for 2009)

ASL_Painting.jpg, originally uploaded by rbarneydotcom.

A gentleman brought two ASL interpreters to the play this evening so that he could watch the show. At the theatre, we didn’t know they were coming, so we couldn’t give them a bit of light from the lighting plot which they really needed. And, in all likelihood, this deaf gentleman engaged these interpreters on his own coin, so he could watch the play. These seem like a lot of barriers to get through to come to the theatre.

Shouldn’t anyone who wants to watch a play be given the opportunity to do so?

So, here is a promise from me.

On all forthcoming premiere contracts, and remount contracts in major cities, I will insist on a clause that the theatre provide at least one ASL interpreted performance with no additional cost reflected on the ticket price.

originally uploaded by torbakhopper

Young and Old

The young and old and everyone in-between has come to the play.  Today, we are welcoming our first student audience, which I am very excited about, as youth are often the best and most honest audiences.  To christen the first student matinee of 200 young people, I share with you some anecdotes from the day my 70 year old parents came to the show.  (My parents sent me a beautiful bouquet on opening.  The card read, “We’re mad about you.”)

 

The Parents

First this classic conversation at the restaurant on Spadina, as my father suddenly has a revelation.

Dad:  ’The Madness of the Square’?  At Factory?

Me: Yes, that is where we are going.

Dad:  I have seen this show before, at Factory.

Me:  No, it’s new.

Dad:  I have seen this show before. Last year.  Ella was in the show.

Me:  That was ‘a nanking winter’ Dad. Ella was in that one as well.

Dad:  No, for sure, I have seen this show before. ‘The Madness of the Square’ at Factory Theatre.  Ella was in it.  It was last year and the actors did not know their lines.

Me:  Do you mean the workshop reading?

As for my mom, she remarked the following as the audience was coming into the house.

Mom:  If more seats were filled, then the theatre would make more money.

Indeed.  To top off their excursion downtown, during the play’s climactic floodlight scene, my father put on his sunglasses.  They were like a charming show on their own!

(They liked the play.  But they want to know when I will write a comedy.)

Today is Opening!

 

S. Richardson, S. Jung, E. Chan, K.Ang, S. Kook-Chun, J. Ng

Some things in the past week of technical rehearsals and previews that made me involuntarily touch my hand to my heart:

Spontaneous cheering in technical rehearsals as the director, stage manager and design team conquer difficult sequence after difficult sequence.

One actor took a nasty fall during curtain call, landing her on her back. Very quickly, two other of her castmates rolled onto the floor to save her embarrassment. The audience cheered their solidarity.

So many of the actors who contributed to workshops or were considered for roles in the play have attended, or supported the show. They give so with grace, and without bitterness.

The last preview that I saw, I was so involved with the play onstage that for the life of me, I could not remember what happened next.

Tonight we open.

I am excited.

NOW Magazine Spotlight

 

Photo by Catherine Hernandez

Article from NOW Magazine.  

Jon Kaplan usually makes you sound smarter.  This interview is no exception!

Thanks, Jon!

Update: History Page

I added a new page with some historical context prepared by  Assistant Director, Christina Wong.