Taking Residency: The Transformation of Fish Face from Fringe Show to Cultch Presentation

By Ginette Mohr, Performer and co-creator of Fish Face

(L-R) Fish Face director/co-creator Kate Fenton with co-creator/performer Ginette Mohr.

Fish Face tells the story of a young woman who journeys into a vivid underwater universe to battle a giant sea monster and confront her destiny. A fantastical mystery full of humour and suspense, this solo show incorporates dance, puppetry and music. In September 2009, The Quickening Theatre's Fish Face toured from its home in Toronto to the Vancouver Fringe Festival, where it won the "Cultchivating the Fringe Award" - an award in which The Cultch chooses one show from The Vancouver Fringe Festival to develop in a residency at The Cultch and to be presented in its season. The Cultch offered Fish Face development residency for four weeks and a run in its Culture Lab this coming Dec. 3-5, 2010. Here's what Ginette Mohr, performer and co-creator of Fish Face has to say about the production:

"We at The Quickening Theatre Company believe original work is the lifeblood of this industry. Our residency here at The Cultch is instrumental in the development of both Fish Face and our creation process, as it takes time and space to develop original work.

The Cultch engenders a wonderfully inspired community of artists and celebrates the achievements of dynamic, independent theatre. Executive Director Heather Redfern is a wealth of information and has taken us under her wing, and the staff at The Cultch have been incredibly generous with their time and knowledge. The residency has also afforded us collaboration with a stellar west coast team: Ray Moschuk (lighting design), David Mesiha (sound design and composition), Diana Magallon and Kelsey Peacock (stage management)."  Read more on The Cultch blog.

Twist on a Christmas classic: The Christmas Carol Project

Maria Dunn plays Tiny Tim in The Christmas Carol Project

An enchanting musical version of Dickens' tale is coming to The Cultch. The Christmas Carol Project is a unique and captivating blend of classic literature and contemporary music -- a perfect entertainment option for the whole family. Here is a little background on this aforementioned night of entertainment:

Since its inception in 1996, The Christmas Carol Project has seen more than 60 performances, three tours, a CD and an award-winning television special. The show features an extremely talented cast of Edmonton-based musicians who have created a collection of songs written from the perspectives of their characters. After recruiting the present musical cast and assigning writing projects based on the character that they would portray, the troupe began to meet, jam, share their original songs and create what would become The Christmas Carol Project.

The cast includes Bill Bourne, Kevin Cook, Maria Dunn, Tom Roschkov, Terry Morrison, Al Brant, Dale Ladouceur and Bill Hobson. They have also been joined by narrators Richard Winnick (1996 & 1997 productions) and Kenneth Brown (1998 - 2009 productions) and are pleased to be welcoming a new narrator for 2010: Dave Clarke. Complete with an original score of 14 musical pieces, The Christmas Carol Project chronicles this transformative night in the life of one Ebenezer Scrooge.

As an ensemble, The Christmas Carol Project delivers an engaging mixture of storytelling and songs for all ages. More than just a concert, the hour combines the best elements of a traditional stage show that reflects the novella's timeless lessons of greed, love, loss and redemption. 

Click here to see a video of Bill Bourne singing Grace as Scrooge from The Christmas Carol Project

Tickets to The Christmas Carol Project are available online at https://tickets.the cultch.com, or at The Cultch Box office by phone 604.251.1363 or in person at 1895 Venables Street.