Golgi Apparatus, Toronto - Bigfoot
Golgi Apparatus is a new company exploring clown, physical theatre and cheerful absurdity. The company is a collaboration between Sandy Gribbin, Christina Serra and Dan Watson. Sandy is a co-founder and former co-artistic director of celebrated Halifax theatre company Zuppa Circus Theatre, which performed Uncle Oscar’s Experiment at the first Cooking Fire in 2004, and returned in 2006 with Open Theatre Kitchen: all possible futures. Christina is a frequent collaborator with Toronto theatre company Stranger Theatre, and has performed in past Cooking Fire Festival’s in Stranger Theatre’s East of the Sun, West of the Moon, and The World Turned Upside Down. Dan Watson is a co-founder of Paris-based clown troupe Compagnie Houpz, which was formed by students at the Jacques Lecoq School, and went on to create the hit show Splash2o.
The Spee Society, Halifax - Lear's Shadow
The Spee Society is the company of solo performer Kiersten Tough, working in collaboration with John Turner of Mump and Smoot, Kerry MacPherson and John Beale. Kiersten is a Halifax-based performer with a background in clown, physical theatre, and collective creation. She is a long-time collaborator of Zuppa Circus in Halifax, and has trained in clown with Toronto’s Mump and Smoot, and French teacher Philippe Gaulier. With Zuppa Circus, she co-created and performed in The Door in the Wall, Junk Zuppa, Between Wonder and Amusement, Uncle Oscar Was Silent, Uncle Oscar’s Experiment (performed at The Cooking Fire Theatre Festival, 2004), Radium City and Open Theatre Kitchen: All possible futures (performed at The Cooking Fire Theatre Festival, 2006.)
Les Trouvères, Toronto - The Morbid Stranger
Les Trouvères is, of course, the celebrated Victorian touring company. Seen throughout the capitals of Europe, the great ones have now fallen on hard times and are reduced to singing for their supper in Dufferin Grove Park. But never fear, the famous actress Madame, and her sly assistant Doyenne (with poodle) will reprise their roles as audience hosts from last year, as well as offering refined entertainment for the dessert course, with invaluable help from their brave and patient Butler, who may not be what he seems.
Independent Auntie, Toronto - Robber's Daughters
Independent Auntie is a multi-award winning company dedicated to mixing the personal and the political with the poetic and the imagistic. Committed to creating original theatrical work by and about women, the Aunties strive to create surprising, highly entertaining theatre, with equal interplay between word and movement, social critique and cultural satire. The company’s previous shows include Toronto theatre hits Clean Irene and Dirty Maxine and Frances, Matilda and Tea. Founding members Anna Chatterton, Evalyn Parry and Karin Randoja combine their various backgrounds in physical theatre, playwriting, clown, poetry, music and comedy to make their unique brand of stylized, highly physical black comedy. This new project brings them into collaboration with director Brendan Healy, actors Claire Calnan and Alisha Stranges, and designer Sherri Hay.
Rain Machine, Bellingham, Wa & Chicago, Il - How To Tie A Knot
Rain Machine is a long-distance collaboration between performers and puppeteers Rebecca Tennison (from Bellingham, Washington) and Kate Sheehy (from Chicago, Illinois.) Their most recent project, Horseshoe Bend, was seen at the Radicackalacky Radical Puppetry Convergence in North Carolina. Other collaborative works include En Fuego's production of Faustina which premiered at Chicago's International Puppetry Festival and at Bread and Puppet's Radical Cheese Festival. They have also performed together in Chicago at The Junk Show at Links Hall and for Random House Classics in The Attic. Rebecca has been performing and creating original theatre and puppet shows for over twelve years. Her most recent puppet shows have been seen at Blacksheep Puppet Festival In Pittsburgh, PA with Sleepy Sybil, and at The Puppet Uprising in Philadelphia, Pa with her new hand puppet show Spell Launcher. Kate has been making theatre, conducting interdisciplinary residencies in Chicago's schools and communities, and organizing productions with local and visiting artists for the past eight years. Her most recent involvements have been hosting Random House Events, The All-American Anti-War Marching Band, and her upcoming role as Artistic Associate for Links Hall, curating January 2008's program, "Method to Madness".
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