By Jason Clevett
One Yellow Rabbit makes January a “must do” month with the 24th annual High Performance Rodeo, a yearly smorgasbord of performing arts.
While this year’s lineup continues with the quality of acts from around the world that you have come to expect, one thing that is missing this year: a distinctively queer show.
Those queer shows have become almost tradition, with shows like Scott Thompson’s Scottastrophe, Bash’d and Annie Sprinkle’s Wedding. So it does feel strange to not have one, even to rodeo creative director Michael Green.
“Programming a festival like this is a bit hunter-gatherer. I make plans years in advance and sometimes they just don’t pan out. It is always a case of having a look at what is actually available out there and making plans to bring that to the festival. Last year it just so happened that Scott Thompson was keen to bring something out. This year there isn’t anything as overtly gay as that. Having gay themed shows will be part of future festivals - it is hugely important to me that the festival reflects the community. Although, Calgary is in many ways a collection of new communities - it is very rich and diverse. It is very important that the High Performance Rodeo reflect the diversity to encourage it.”
That isn’t to say there aren’t shows that won’t be interesting to people in general.
“This year’s festival is just as queer friendly as any other festival has been. We’ve got In Paradisium. James Kudelka is one of Canada’s outstanding choreographers, probably our foremost living choreographer. He has a really mixed program here. One of the pieces is called 15 heterosexual duets and the other one, Soudain, l’hiver demier is pretty steamy. No Exit features an overtly lesbian character. Pig is decidedly queer in content, and Pajama Men has two bachelors in their pajamas. The festival is consciously queer friendly and that hasn’t changed at all.”
Strangely it often isn’t the LGBT community that is seen in the audience for queer shows.
“Calgary’s gay community is not so adventurous as the communities we see in other parts of our country, and I don’t know why that is. Often when I bring in something that is outrageously queer it often isn’t the gay community that comes out to enjoy it. I am not sure what we can do about that but we are doing our part.”
This year features names that are recognizable to theatre lovers in Calgary, such as Rebecca Northan. She stole the show in Evil Dead: The Musical as Annie, with her solo show Blind Date, and Electric Company Theatre whose Studies In Motion was a critical darling last year presenting No Exit.
“It is no secret that I can sell recognizable names much more easily. If a show is coming, it doesn’t matter how brilliant it is if people don’t recognize names attached to it... I don’t program things just because they have recognizable names, people will recognize names because they have exceptional work that I want people to see.”
One Yellow Rabbit has its own contribution as well with Kawasaki Exit.
“It is one of our most beautiful posters for a long time. Blake Brooker has written a script that is performed by the OYR ensemble. It is a mysterious little piece that is very delicate and poetic. The first half is performed entirely in Japanese with English subtitles, it is very moving. Then the piece repeats in reverse in English with Japanese subtitles. It is a puzzlebox, as Blake describes it, and it is a hugely emotional piece. It is gorgeous and not unlike watching a foreign film.”
For those who haven’t experienced it, Green offered his guide on “How to Rodeo”.
“Start by imagining you should be out at least twice a week during the month of January. There is more going on in Calgary in January than anyone can deal with. I think people should plan to see one of the premier highlights per week and one of the unknown pieces per week. If you start there, you are going to be opening yourself up to a kaleidoscope of possibilities. You will probably end up being out more than you expected to be. You should plan to end each evening at the Laycraft Lounge, the pub we open up during the festival that overlooks the Olympic Plaza skating rink. The artists from around the world will be there swapping stories. That is where you will gather clues like little breadcrumb trails to what else you should see.”
Plans are already underway for the 25th anniversary of the Rodeo next year, and beyond.
“I am always working on three at any particular time. Aside from promoting this year’s festival and making sure that the right people come out to see it, I am putting the finishing touches on 2011 which will be our 25th. I dreamt about it all night last night, you wouldn’t believe who I was hanging out with in my dreams last night, I woke up thinking I should call him. I am really putting the finishing touches on 2011, I have an active file on 2012 and a ragged file on 2013. ...Part of it is picking up interesting looking seeds that you plant and, hopefully it turns into something three years from now.”
