The Rowdyman

Our Evening With Gordon Pinsent was a hit, a sold-out show followed by a nice reception (and we raised a bit of money for the Youth Centre 2000 in Grand Falls, too). Part of the performance included Mr. Pinsent reading from The Rowdyman, in my opinion the most under-rated feature film in Canadian cinema. The section Mr. Pinsent read had to do with Will Cole's feelings for Roy, a romantically ursurping mainlander, which boded Roy no good whatsoever. It was a great moment of theatre.

(Image: mun.ca.)

For the next two days we'll be at the D. F. Cook Recital Hall, rehearsing for our lovely event on Thursday, "An Evening With Gordon Pinsent." As ever, we strive to match standards set by the classics, and for a beautifully executed and precisely timed performance there's no better example then this scene from Singing In The Rain. See you back here on Friday!

(Image: musicweb.com.)

Four Quartets

The 19th Festival of New Dance that just wrapped yesterday evening was packed with good stuff. A real favourite was Deborah Dunn's Four Quartets, inspired by T. S. Eliot's poems. If you have a friend (or a husband) that balks at going to a dance performance because 'they don't get it', this is a good piece to take them to. You don't sit there wondering, what? is she supposed to be marine biologist? are they moths? You know what Four Quartets is about: it's about the poetry.
Dance set against dialogue, as opposed to music or a soundscape, is rather novel, and Dunn is mezmerizing.

(Image: manhattanrarebooks.)

We're flat out here now finessing the details for our "Evening With Gordon Pinsent" next Thursday (still a very few tickets left! call now so you won't be disappointed!). And fun as it all is, it's also a little tiring, and also leaves no time for that epitome of summer activity, the movie matinee. Still, showtime will eventually come, and to help arrange our viewing choices we're checking out these Top 10 Summer 2009 trailers.

(Above: a shot from District 9, ranked the best trailer of the season. Image: mannistrash.com.)

Being Erica

Have you caught this

series? I recommend it. You can check it out yourself, anytime. Even at your desk or whatever.

(That's lead actress Erin Karpluk, right. Doesn't she look like she'd be fun to hang out with?)

The theme of our fall issue is Cuisine. As food is such a great subject for still life, and, arguably, portraiture, we're anticipating no shortage of lovely illustrations. Maybe we'll even have something like this:

one of the prettiest desserts in the world.

(Image: seriousseats.com.)

Pining for pirouettes? Aching for arabesques? Craving some contact improv? Then you need a spot of new dance. Fortunately, the 19th Annual Festival of New Dance opens tonight, with lots of great work in a bunch of venues. Here's the schedule and other info - incidentally we hear that Deborah Dunn's Four Quartets (July 24, 25, 6pm, 163 Water Street) is not to be missed.

(Image: ladansesurlesroutes.com.)