Recently tagged arts
Kevin Major on his new novel, and imagined parts of local history
An unusual burial of a child made more than 7,000 years ago provided the inspiration to veteran St. John’s writer Kevin Major, whose 16th book - New Under The Sun, a work of historical fiction for adults - has just been launched.
“That became the starting point,” he said. The novel’s timeline is complex, weaving in stories of the Innu, Inuit, Basques and Norse, and running up to modern times. The novel is tied together through an archeologist named Shannon Carew, whose work with Parks Canada gets the story rolling.
You can listen to Kevin Major’s conversation with Robin Brown, the guest host of the St. John’s Morning Show, by clicking on this link.
Among other things, you’ll hear Major talk about the difficulties he had finding a publisher for the book, before it eventually found a home at Cormorant Books in Toronto.
Meanwhile, you can hear plenty more from the St. John’s Morning Show here, including daily highlights from their podcast menu.
Tags: Kevin Major, St. John's Morning Show, arts
From crime to tea biscuits
Our morning smile today comes from a theatrical promotional poster that always makes me grin.
It’s for The Garden Party, a play performed at Commissariat House in the east end of St. John’s, and available to be seen this summer on Thursdays at 7 and Saturdays and Sundays at 4. Click on the Corner Boys site for the exact details, as well as information about their other summer production, Mutiny.
Tags: Mary Walsh, St. John's, arts, theatre
Blackwood: Watch the NFB's classic portrait of David Blackwood
In 1976, the National Film Board released Blackwood, a 27-minute film about the pride of Wesleyville, visual artist David Blackwood.
Blackwood only turned 35 that year, which is a reminder of just how much he had captured the eye of the Canadian art scene at such a young age.
Click on the player below to see Andy Thomson and Tony Ianzelo’s film. Click here to see more NFB films on the web.
Tags: David Blackwood, NFB, arts
Mount Pearl's new statue
Mount Pearl has some new public art, right in Centennial Square, and it involves the theme of water - a key municipal issue, when you get down to it.
Source is the title of a statue by Luben Boykov, and it features a mother and daughter facing each other, with cupped hands, while water runs through them.
Mayor Randy Simms and others joined Boykov Thursday for the unveiling. The statue is a focal part of the redevelopment of Centennial Park, in the city’s hope of revitalizing the area and drawing more people toward it.
Tags: Mount Pearl, arts
Rick Mercer rocks LSPU Hall benefit
Rick Mercer has come a long way from the days in the 1980s, when he and a bunch of high school friends put on a low-budget comedy show in downtown St. John’s, all thanks to the LSPU Hall agreeing to take a chance on them. The troupe, Corey and Wade’s Playhouse, is remembered to this day by people who had a chance to see them (Mercer’s colleagues were Ashley Billard, Christine Taylor and Andrew Younghusband).
Don’t think for a second Mercer hasn’t forgotten what the LSPU Hall meant for his career. Last night, he played a full house at the Arts & Culture Centre, which raised at least $50,000 for the Resource Centre for the Arts, the nonprofit that owns the Hall and is just clewing up an extensive renovation.
Rick was as funny as always, a little more profane than we tend to see on the Mercer Report and generous with the anecdotes about different moments in his career. He had stories about why Jean Chretien took him up on a burger date for Harvey’s in Ottawa, getting then-Arkansas governor (and potential future Republican presidential nominee) Mike Huckabee to salute the protection of Canada’s legislative igloo, and - movingly - working with troops abroad in Bosnia and Kabul.
He had a story or two about the Hall, too, and why it matters. When they approached the Hall about an early show, the kids were offered an 80-20 split of the door proceeds.
He was new, Rick told the audience, but knew enough to ask for 50-50.
The punchline? The Hall was offering 80 per cent of the gate.
It was a grand night. Canada AM host Seamus O’Regan set up Rick’s routine, and the Eight-Track Favourites opened the show with a set.
Rick was Ramona Dearing’s guest on Radio Noon’s Crosstalk on Wednesday. Click here to hear the archived version of the show.
Click the video below to see David Cochrane’s interview with Rick last night for Here & Now.
Tags: David Cochrane, LSPU Hall, Radio Noon, Ramona Dearing, Rick Mercer, arts
Mr. Pinsent is called to the (Doyle) set
Earlier this year, Gordon Pinsent made a guest appearance on an episode of Republic of Doyle called Hit and Rum. If you saw it, you’ll know that Pinsent played a salty rogue named Maurice Becker, who had set himself up as a bootlegger in St-Pierre-Miquelon.
When we last saw Becker, he was waking up in a compromised situation outdoors in St. John’s, with the Constabulary trotting towards him.
It may not necessarily be the last for the character, and is definitely not the last we’ll see of Pinsent on the show.
Bob Symonds caught this snap on the set of the CBC hit series, which started shooting its second season last week in and around St. John’s.
We’ll have to wait until next winter to see what Pinsent does with this performance.
Meanwhile, Pinsent is making the most of a hectic summer. He just celebrated his 80th birthday, and is marking by debuting his latest play Easy Down, Easy at the Grand Bank Theatre. The play is directed by Mary Walsh. We’ll have more about the play later today on the site.
Tags: Gordon Pinsent, Republic of Doyle, arts
The Tiring House: Using toys for a tale
One of the plays running in Cupids this summer for the 400th anniversary celebrations is called The Tiring House. It’s a gem, written and performed by Chris Driedzic of St. John’s, about how the famous Globe theatre burned to the ground.
Chris uses the simplest objects - you can see them above - to start the one-man show. Kids eat it up.
You can find details about performance dates for the play, and others in the New World Theatre Project, right here.
Thanks to Martha Muzychka for the pic.
