UPRISING
A Festival of New Political Theatre
Nov 19-20 & 23-27, 2010
See schedule below for complete showtimes
Motel - EPCOR CENTRE
Tickets $15-$25, call (403) 294-9494 to order
Online tickets coming soon...
Downstage is proud to support the development of contemporary political theatre through the second annual Uprising festival.
Featuring three new works by Canadian theatre artists exploring themes as diverse as restorative justice, the rise of white nationalism in Alberta, and the best parts of our lives, Uprising offers artists and audiences a place to congregate and share vital discussion on some of the urgent issues facing our society.
Expect challenging ideas, provocative topics and cutting-edge theatricality by artists from Calgary and beyond.
In addition to the three mainstage performances detailed below, Uprising will also feature a staged reading of the winner of the Uprising National Playwriting Competition on Tuesday, November 23rd. See the calendar below for full schedule information.
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Potentilla by Meg Braem
Potentilla is the story of Casey, a young actress with a family victimized by crime and Scott, a convicted murderer. The two meet while working on a play at the prison where Scott is incarcerated. The tensions of their growing intimacy, revealed through conversations, memories and movements, help to free them of their respective forms of imprisonment and raise questions of boundaries and recovery. Inspired by the playwright's experience working on a play with inmates at William Head, Potentilla has won the Intrepid Theatre Petri Dish New Play Award, as well as the Pick of the Fringe for Best Drama and a Victoria Critic's Choice Award for its original production.
"Potentilla, a play named for the flower that thrives when it is baked and starved, is fluid and emotionally nourishing despite its namesake... a dramatic delight." -Saskatoon Star-Phoenix
The Earpiece Collective presents
whiteNOISE by Devon Dubnyk
How is our perception of the world distorted by the way we choose to interpret it? Do we really hear the world around us and re-act to it accordingly? Or do we cater our view of the world to suit our circumstance? Meet Nathan; and watch as he is drawn into and chooses to become a part of a world of anger, hatred, and ignorance. The world of the Calgary Aryan Guard. An earlier version of whiteNOISE had its premiere at Sage Theatre's IGNITE! 2010, with an integral sound design by Andrew Oberhofer created under the mentorship of Peter Moller. A highly theatrical and experimental investigation into the rise of white nationalism in Alberta.
Verb Theatre and The PBC present
The Opposite of Dismal: A show and tell
Homeless Calgarians present photos of all the best things past, present, and future. Theatre artists Col Cseke and Aviva Zimmerman work with members of the homeless community to explore the question "what is the best part about...?" From the artists who helped created Oedipus Evolving, an adaptation of the classic Greek tragedy which sold out its one-week run in Motel - so be sure to book ahead! Click here to read an in-depth article about the Oedipus projcet in the Calgary Herald.
“To be honest is original enough.” - Keith Johnstone