The Greatest Cities in the World

From the Program: For the last few years, we have been delving deeper into the words of interviewed individuals to create our work. We do this for a number of reasons: our interest in the immediate, our fascination with unique experiences that could never be imagined, and our desire to avoid the loneliness of sitting in front of a computer trying to create "true" voices. We also do it to make things more difficult for ourselves. In our experience we find it very easy to become quickly reliant on the plot-driven elements we swing towards- relationship, stakes and conflict. Utilizing it forces us and our collaborators to decode the material and present a structure that relies on interest and rhythm shifts rather than plot twists, as we search for some king of accumulation. This process results in fractured narrative arcs and meandering character transformations, but allows the piece to emerge as a spacious collection of anecdotes, observations and conversations that flirt with traditional storytelling rather than rely on it. For this exploration we headed to the Deep South. our encounter with these small towns in Tennessee held many things, but they all proved to be entirely unpredictable-as unpredictable as any encounter with complete strangers can be. With The Greatest Cities in the World, we attempt to create an evening that honours the complexity of both the people whose words we draw upon, and the audiences we hope to entertain and inspire.

Official CCA Jury Most Memorable Moments:

Chloe: "When they took out the big sword. I like when they did the funny dancing."

Mike: "The knight pulled a gigantic sword for fighting."

Max: "The little truck, the big sword and the houses."

Elephant Wake

From the Program: On a very personal level, Elephant Wake is my coming of age story. It grew out of a moment when I realized I ws no longer a boy and that myself and the place I grew up in was rapidly evolving into something different. This self-reflective epiphany, where I balanced precariously between the future and the past, was very profound for me, as it was a complex moment of beauty, fear, sadness, and joy. It is precisely the essence of this moment that spawned the character of Jean Claude. With his child-like simplicity, he is able to live forever in a space where the past, the present and the future are one and the same. He has not grown up. So despite the incredible amount of loss and solitude that defines his world, he is still able to defy despair by populating his community with wonderful old memories and cling to an unbreakable sense of hope. This quality becomes both an admirable feat of innocence and a sorrowful tragic flaw.

Official CCA Jury Memorable Moments:

Ayden: "When he first came out on stage."

Jade: " The props were made of papier mache. I liked all the bright and colourful lights, there were some lanterns that were like stars. I liked the ground because it was made of shredded paper."

Cali: "When his parents died, when he had a party, when his grand parents died, when he made a zoo out of paper, when he was dancing with family and friends."

Giovanni: "I liked the songs. The lights were cool. It looked like a farm. The character had a cool accent and I liked the comedy."

Tough!

Working the Red Carpet, CCA Jury styles

Tough!

The Jury's Favorite actor who played 'Bobby' in Tough!







Workin' the Red Carpet
















From the Program: Though! is part of George F. Walker's celebrated East End Plays, a series that includes such works as Love and Anger, Better Living, and Escape from Happiness. These plays are peopled with the working class and otherwise marginalized characters: idiosyncratic idividuals who often battle with urban forces much larger than themselves. Cutting, funny and ultimately poignant, Tough! takes a hard look at youth on the brink of adulthood forced to make difficult decisions about personal responsibility amid the many confusions of life. Ken Grass has adapted this three-character work to incorporate a multi-racial ensemble of twelve actors to present a compelling perspective on urban youth in the city of today. This version of the play was first presented at the Factory Theatre in 2007, as part of the Luminato Festival.

My Adventures in Canadian Television: An Evening with Rick Mercer

Schmoozin' at the VIP reception




Struttin' it on the Red Carpet

From the program: Rick Mercer chronicles, satirizes, and ultimately celebrates all that is great and irreverent about this country. Known as "Canada's Unofficial Opposition", Mercer is our most popular comic, a political satirist who knows exactly what matters to regular Canadians and what makes them laugh. My Adventures in Canadian Television draws on the best moments from his award-winning show, taking you behind the scenes of classic Canadian moments, including his Talking to Americans specials, and much more. On full display is his understanding of what delights and occasionally enrages us about our politicians, our media, our neighbours to the south, our unique pop culture, and our place in the world.

Official CCA Jury Memorable Moments:

Alex: "Rick Mercer jumping in the lake naked."

Greg: "When the soldiers sang the song."

Jade: "Rick Mercer jumped in a lake naked. This old man kept on hitting him in the nuts. He was just funny."

Giovanni: "The films were hilarious, I liked his jokes. I liked how he made fun of politicians."