Eight Men - contemporary productions

Wed Jun 2 13:04:55 EDT 2010

Hi everyone,

First, my thanks to everyone who responded to me. I also promised I`d share the
information I got with the whole listserv.

The 1983 production was produced by Popular Projects Society and directed by
Rose Adams.

At the 2009 Fringe,Praxis Theatre, a group that Aislinn is active in did an
adaptation of the play that led to the current Section 98 project. In her
words:

"We created a show called Tim Buck 2 for last year's Fringe
Festival, which used the Eight Men Speak script as performed by the members
of the Progressive Arts Club (some of our actors played actual historical
PAC members, others were fictionalised) and the script was intertwined with
scenes from other moments in Canadian history where the issue of civil
rights was brought into question.  Our work was then picked up to be part of
Harbourfront Centre's HATCH season this year, and it became Section 98.  We
still used a portion of Eight Men Speak, and the story of Tim Buck, but the
full script played less of a role in the show, as we also created sections
about the FLQ crisis in the 70s and a number of sections about the modern
era.`
A review of Tim Buck 2 and audience response to it can be found at:

Quoting Aislinn Rose <aislinnrose at GMAIL.COM>:

> Hi Everyone,
>
> I wanted to send the below information along to you, not necessarily as an
> invitation to the Workshop Presentation (unless of course, you're
> interested), but more as an invitation to look in on our process.  We have
> been experimenting with an idea we're calling "Open Source Theatre", whereby
> we have been posting our research methodologies and our materials online as
> they have developed.  Most recently, we offered our readers a piece by
> Vancouver Poet Laureate, Brad Cran, and asked them to submit artistic works
> based on that piece for possible inclusion in our presentation... in true
> open source fashion.
>
> Given that *Section 98* looks at the history of Civil Rights issues in
> Canada, and is experimenting with a whole new way of creating theatre, I
> thought it might be of particular interest to those of you on this list.
>
> Here's what some educators have said:
>
> "As a writer, actor, and supply teacher (hoping to have my own class soon!),
> I think this process is extraordinarily valuable, with respect to the arts,
> cultural and political communities, and students of all ages. I would love
> to integrate this process and blog into my future high school history
> classesor drama classes. The cross-curricular potential is limitless."
>
> " Just keep me in the loop because I find this process fascinating &
> informative."
>
> Here <http://praxistheatre.com/upcoming-shows/> is a link to our Open Source
> page for *Section 98 *with links to all of our Open Source postings.
>
>
Here<http://praxistheatre.com/2010/03/section-98-open-source-entry-5-i-believe-in-the-power-of-you-and-i/>is
> a link to our most recent post featuring Brad Cran's "2010 Handbook
> for
> Entering Canada.
>
> I look forward to questions, and/or comments of all kinds.  I can be reached
> at aislinnrose at gmail.com, or (please) feel free to comment on the Open
> Source entries themselves as we want to encourage as much dialogue as
> possible.
>
> More about *Section 98* itself can be found in the invitation below.
>
> Warm Regards to you all,
>
> Aislinn Rose,
> Open Source Project Leader &
> Script Supervisor
>
> ---------- Forwarded message ----------
> From: Praxis Theatre <michaelwheeler at praxistheatre.com>
> Date: Wed, Mar 3, 2010 at 2:42 PM
> Subject: Section 98 - 1-Night Only Workshop Presentation - March 13th @
> Harbourfront
> To: Aislinn <aislinnrose at gmail.com>
>
>
>
>     [image: Prax_logo_and_section_98_banner]
>
<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/ea3d5d5914c725a743b0b3544ce90811?pa=753221905>
>
> A work-in-progress presentation of Section 98 will occur at Harbourfront's
> Studio Theatre on Saturday March 13 @ 8pm as part of HATCH
> *You're Invited!!* *TO A SPECIAL WORK IN PROGRESS PRESENTATION OF* *Section
> 98*
>
> Part of Harbourfront Centre's HATCH: emerging performance projects.
>
> *Praxis Theatre presents an open-sourced, interactive,
> work-in-progress*that uses performance and technology to explore and
> debate individual and
> civil rights in Canada. The production invites you to participate with your
> cell phone or PDA during the presentation, and online before or after the
> performance at praxistheatre.com.
>
> *Section 98 seeks an immediate relationship with the here and now* by
> drawing inspiration from forms of political theatre of the past and
> juxtaposing them with the present day. The production focuses on 1930s
> Communist theatre artists in Toronto, 1970s FLQ activists in Montreal, and
> reserves a portion of the performance to concern contemporary civil rights
> issues.
>
> In this workshop Praxis Theatre will be exploring the testimony given to the
> *Special Committee on the Canadian Mission in Afghanistan* November 25th,
> 2010 as well as civil rights issues that come to light following the
> exhaustion of a billion dollar security budget for the *2010 Olympic
> Games*in Vancouver.
>
<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/7fedab00124d8aa690b5ea605e5ace20?pa=753221905>
>
> Buy Tickets
>
> *Click on the ticket to buy a ticket* (Or call 416-973-4000)
>
<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/ea3d5d5914c725a743b0b3544ce90811?pa=753221905>
>
> Engage with the show
>
> *Click the PDA to explore and engage with Open Source Theatre*
>
<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/0ed62c39f7c2fee20d6c582372f2a45a?pa=753221905>
>
> Learn about HATCH
>
> *Click the HATCH logo to learn more about the HATCH program, participants,
> and what's going on this season*
>
<http://go.madmimi.com/redirects/0643ce7004c5930fe7f41a5d014ff635?pa=753221905>
>
> Read the press release
>
> *Click the Harbourfont Logo to read the Press Release for Section 98*
>    ©2010 Praxis Theatre | 264 Seaton Street Apt 205
>
> This email was sent to aislinnrose at gmail.com. To ensure that you continue
> receiving our emails, please add us to your address book or safe list. View
> this email on the web here <http://mim.io/5f692?fe=1&pact=753221905>. You
> can also forward to a
> friend<http://go.madmimi.com/forward/753221905?amx=90572660>.
>
> Unsubscribe <http://go.madmimi.com/opt_out?fe=1&pact=753221905&amx=90572660>
>
> Powered by Mad
>
Mimi<http://madmimi.com/?fe=1&pact=753221905&utm_source=Praxis+Theatre&utm_medium=customer+promotion&utm_campaign=Section+98+-+1+Night+Only+-+March+13th+%40+Harbourfront>
> ®
>