By |

If you liked the Vagina Monologues, you will LOVE Heroines!
“Heroines discussions about women conforming to the smallness that society expects, for me, hearkens back to the conversations we were having when The Vagina Monologues were presented for the first time in London 10 – 15 years ago. How do we fit? What if we don’t want to? Women have big feelings and big plans yet rather than being encouraged to stretch it is reinforced that small and contained is what is acceptable. Susan’s questions in Heroines are hilarious and touching as her characters beautifully reveal the triumph of the women’s spirit.” – Director/Producer Louise Fagan

The Circle Women’s Centre presents

the Jeanne Adamson Memorial Event of The Sophia Series

http://www.brescia.uwo.ca/thecircle/events/the_sophia_series.html

In Heroines of the Sexual Gothic, critically acclaimed author Susan Swan explores her relationship to some of her most intriguing characters — the giantess Anna Swan, the fiercely independent Asked For Adams and the romantically idealistic Mary “Mouse” Bradford. Woven throughout Swan’s explorations is original music composed by Donna Linklater and performed by The Billie Hollies, Toronto’s popular opera noir quartet. The soulful sound of The Billie Hollies singing passages from Swan’s novels bring these characters to life, allowing the audience to powerfully connect to their own hopes, humour and struggles.

 Heroines of the Sexual Gothic is a theatrical performance that illuminates the body as an ongoing cultural dilemma for women and for men, while exploring how overcoming limiting perceptions of one’s self can lead to brave and daring triumphs. Employing both poignancy and hilarity, Heroines asks these questions: Is this transformation of dark into light a universal quest? Is there room in Western culture for a treatment of the female body that isn’t diminishing, exploitative or threatening? And what does the creation of Swan’s characters tell us about the current cultural situation for women–a time when many young women are reclaiming feminism (yes, they are!) and re-launching, re-visioning and re-inventing initiatives to continue the work started by their mothers’ generation of feminists, only now within their own social context.

Swan’s Heroines struggle with these issues using live music and a backdrop of projections based on the performance by Swan, the author. Drawing from the characters in her bestselling books, along with a study of the culture of being female, the author becomes actor, lecturer, student, and character. This performance has been artfully shaped and directed by London legend Louise Fagan, whose expertise as a creative development producer brings this performance to its fullest creative expression. Join us for this unique evening of performance – Susan Swan, Louise Fagan and The Billie Hollies have created an evening of talk and music you’ll never forget!

Directed/Produced by Louise Fagan; Co-Produced/ Assistant Directed by Mariel Marshall

Thursday 2 May 2013, 8:00 p.m.

A meet & greet reception with the artists will follow the performance.
Brescia Auditorium, BresciaUniversityCollege, London – Free Parking 

Tickets: $20.00; $15.00 for Circle members

Purchase Tickets ONLINE through our secure site: http://www.brescia.uwo.ca/thecircle/events/the_sophia_series.html

To learn more about this multidisciplinary performance visit:

http://www.heroinesofthesexualgothic.com/

By |

Circle poster

“a hilarious, profound and subverting evening of prose and song from among the best!” – Dave Bidini, Bidiniband, the Rheostatics, Author of 11 Books, National Post columnist, and all around great guy!

A catchy title isn’t it? It can conjure various emotions, heavily influenced by our personal experiences. Some of us will focus on ‘heroines’, and others of us the ‘sexual’ – putting ‘sexual gothic’ together is certainly provocative. What we are really exploring is how the female and the idea of the feminine is framed by social context, physical attributes that we are born with or grow into, with an author’s eye to the personal exploration of herself in relation to her characters. Add the phenomenal original scoring of the Billie Hollies and we have a presentation that is rich in discovery, drama, humour and celebration.

In Heroines of the Sexual Gothic, critically acclaimed author Susan Swan explores her relationship to some of her most intriguing characters – the giantess Anna Swan, the fiercely independent Asked For Adams and the romantically idealistic Mary “Mouse” Bradford. In traditional Gothic, the setting is a ruined castle. In Sexual Gothic, the body is the ruined castle, as each of these characters contends with physical challenges or oddities that prevent them from accepting themselves as women. Woven throughout Swan’s explorations is original music composed and performed by The Billie Hollies, Toronto’s popular woman opera noir quartet. The soulful sound of The Billie Hollies singing passages from Swan’s novels bring these characters to life, allowing the audience to powerfully connect to their own hopes and struggles. We had a debut of the idea with a 20 minute sketch at a fundraiser for the Toronto Women’s Bookstore  last June. After a winter of development kindly supported by the Canada Council, we are ready for our first presentation in London, Ontario. Thank you to The Circle, Women’s Centre, Brescia University College, UWO. Join us for this unique evening of performance – Susan Swan and The Billie Hollies have created an evening of talk and music you’ll never forget.

Directed and Produced by Louise Fagan
Assistant producer and director: Mariel Marshall

The Jeanne Adamson Memorial Event of The Sophia Series presented by The Circle Women’s Centre, Brescia University College, University of Western Ontario, London Ontario Canada

Heroines of the Sexual Gothic
Featuring Canadian Author Susan Swan and
the all-woman opera noir quartet, The Billie Hollies

Thursday 2 May 2013, 8:00 p.m.
Meet & Greet Reception with the Artists to follow the performance
Brescia Auditorium, Brescia University College, London
Tickets: $20.00; $15.00 for Circle members
Free Parking

Info & Tickets: www.thecircle.ca or circle@uwo.ca
or 519-432-8353 ext. 28288

Visit our website at http://www.heroinesofthesexualgothic.com for more info about the entire team!

By |

It can start with a phone call ‘Hi, do you have a minute to chat?‘ or an email ‘Hey, not sure how busy you are these days but I have an idea to run by you…‘and I am swept into a story project.

As a Creative Development Producer  I bring an artist’s perspective and producer’s strategic opinion to a project. How can this story be creatively told while keeping the logistics and finances in control. What is the best way to develop the production with this particular artist or company, keeping their unique vision at the core?

With this mindset I have been able to bring a concept from idea to the fullest expression of itself regardless of its scope. Whether the Olympic Torch Relay Celebration held outdoors on Christmas Eve to a crowd of 10,000 and a live to air televised audience, or with a single singer/songwriter in the studio recording a new composition, this approach has remained the same. How can I best tell this story? In what medium will it find its voice – is it film, music, dance, written word, television, stage?

Throw out the templates,  forge the right connections, build on past experiences and trust your instinct. There is little artistic fulfillment in repeating a set pattern of how to stage a show. Why copy someone else’s method of filming when your individual perspective is so compelling? Yes we begin with certain norms, a set of standard practices, then move from there. Not for the sake of being different, but because our voices are unique.  

Finding an audience is the  honest indicator of how effective the process of development was. If the book is read or the show’s ratings are solid then the project connected. And the bottom line is that any project I have worked on has required an audience as an indicator of success – financially and artistically.

Typically when asked what I do, I respond with   ‘I tell stories’. Telling stories that engage, reveal, enlighten and connect us I believe is the thread that runs through the seemingly disparate productions that have filled my life. It’s a fabulous way to spend the day!

By |

Check out my Today’s Big Plans! page for updates and news on some recent productions.

“February 2013 

The projects and productions that have been nurtered and stoked throughout the winter continue to find an audience….”

By |

Life-ology for February 8, 2013

After last week’s Life-ology weather report I think we were all assuming things would settle but the fronts continue to push extreme cold or extreme heat – dependent upon where you live on this planet. This is serious stuff. The weather patterns are indicative of some crazy climate re-wiring taking place – which just adds to the anxiety or pressures we are already feeling the weight of. So what’s a girl to do?

Sometimes there isn’t anything to be done, but just chill. Maybe you can’t do anything to fix this problem today, or maybe your efforts are taking longer than you had hoped. Perhaps you aren’t sure what the heck to do to, after all one soul facing a raging storm can be overwhelmed by the magnitude of it all. I’ve been listening to this song alot lately. It is one of my FAVES!! The blues with smokey male vocals, sparse electric guitar, fantastic female vocal line, and strings –  yes strings! Listen to how they start the piece and the resurface again midsong. Love it!

But the best part of this song is its message – when you become so focussed with your own ideology a self-righteous alienation occurs. Just chill baby, chill.  Here is my Life-ology fortune cookie* for you this week, in the form of a song by the Mighty Sam McClain** ‘Too Much Jesus (Not Enough Whiskey)‘. I wish I’d thought of it!

http://youtu.be/cz8dje4FfHY

* Yes, I realize this isn’t a fortune cookie, but honestly, when was the last time your fortune cookie actually told your fortune!

** Buy his music and read about him here: www.mightysam.com

By |

Life-ology for January 30, 2013

Rain, thunder, lightening, wind and fog sum up the weather of the past few days, unsettling in January. Typically this time of year is one of change, when we have strong urges to renew,  edit and alter. Lots of work to be done in the hibernating months, which makes sense as it is in the dark and quiet that rebirth happens – like in the earth as seeds prepare for spring, in the womb during gestation and even in our times of grief as we move through to happier days. It can feel as if emotionally we are in the midst of a weird unseasonal fogstorm.

To get this weeks Life-ology forecast, I drove through that foggy rain, home just in time for the thunder/lightening show resulting in a torrential downpour. So what does all this mean? Are these eerie weather patterns actually signs that I should be paying attention to? Is fog a metaphor for my need for clarity? Does the sudden appearance of thunder and lightening mean that turmoil is afoot? After much deliberation, mulling over of recent life events, an honest assessment of where I am in my own personal re-edit, I’ve realized that, nope, it doesn’t mean anything. Except it’s a great day to sit in front of the fire. Stuff’s gonna happen and while I really don’t like fog, I actually do quite like thunder/lightening.   Which is good to remember. Perhaps we don’t need to take ourselves quite so seriously. Maybe this week rain is just rain, even if it is in January. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink, smile.

By |

Check out the newest section on this site – Life-ology, an alternative view of your future!

Life-ology for January 21, 2013

Congratulations on your arrival in mid-January! This week will be one of discovery as you find yourself moving forward with your goals with a renewed determination. Where is it that you want you to be? What do you want to be doing with your life? Now is the time to go for it!

This week shows the steps taken earlier in the year, whether they were leaps or baby steps, have moved you closer to your goals than you could have imagined. Where were you 6 months ago? 3 months? 3 weeks?  The options for this week will be to continue to steadfastly walk your path while living fully in THIS moment. How do we reconcile moving forward and standing still at the same time? This uses both the heart and the mind.  It is about being mindful of the life you are living, making the choices in this moment that will create the life you want to live.

The path may not be straight and you may stumble but don’t be hard on yourself. If you are making the best choices you can with what you know, then that is all you can expect of yourself. Whether it is sunny or grey where you are, this week looks bright so shine on!Stars_wallpapers_129 (640x400)

By |

The Bach Festival of Canada has always stated  ”Bach is where our story begins….” which leaves room for all the musicians, genres, modes of expression inspired by Bach and his genius! Our 2011 Season was a testament to this with a range of concerts and masterclasses, and our 2013 Season will continue the building of a Festival whose roots are entrenched in Bach while branching out to see where his music has led musicians since his time. Improvisation especially continues to intrigue classical, jazz, world and contemporary music explorers!

As we are on the cusp of the New Year it is time to shout intentions out to the universe. This includes the hopes and dreams of the Bach Festival. With 2013 considered the luckiest of years!!,  what better year than to begin this tradition. The wish list of artists to be a part of future Festivals will continue for the entire year – this list will surprise you, which is exactly our intention!

So, here is the first on the Bach Music Festival of Canada Wish List for future Festivals: The Red Bull Flying Bach Steps – how Bach has inspired this group is astounding!

 

By |

Ada Byron, Duchess of Lovelace. Daughter of Anne Isabella Byron and Lord Byron. She’s brilliant and imaginative, with an insatiable curiousity for numbers, an ability to phrase equations that is, well, poetic. She’s our kind of girl. And she is finally getting her due on her 197th birthday!

It is thrilling to have joined the phenomenal production team of Composer Kim Sherman, Librettist Margaret Vandeburg, Director Lisa Rothe, Music Director Kim Grigsby to bring this story to life. Music, math, family tragedy, social expectations, inventions and madness all conspire in the telling of this story. Two important workshops have occurred in New York and the intrepid Kim Sherman is busy with re-writes and orchestrations – ADA would be proud! More information will be posted regarding the next phases of development. There are many and they are exciting!

So today on her  197th birthday I am joining GOOGLE in celebrating the Founder of Scientific Computing, ADA LOVELACE!