EDMONTON THEATRE: Stuck in the House
If we are to believe the video posted on the Citadel Theatre’s website (above), it was Executive Director Chantell Ghosh’s idea to institute a series of short videos featuring local performers who suddenly found themselves out of work during the COVID-19 lockdown. From at home in her closet – “It’s the only place where I can get any work done” – Ghosh got the inspiration to “keep the art going” and immediately phoned Artistic Director Daryl Cloran, who was sequestered at home practicing his drums.
“Great idea,” Cloran says in the video. “And we should arrange to pay them a fee.”
And so, with support from the Edmonton Community Foundation, and private donations, the “Stuck in the House Series” was launched on March 20 (modelled on the Citadel’s “House Series”). The concept is to keep the videos about 10 minutes long, which the performers have to produce themselves in their homes. You can now catch a diverse company of Edmonton performers putting on shows – on your home screen in your living room. The results are eclectic, wildly entertaining and exhibit the homey side of some very familiar local theatre artists.
The series begins with Oscar Derkx, who found himself out of a job when the Citadel’s As You Like It (The Beatles meets Shakespeare meets pro wrestling) couldn’t finish its run. Along with his cat and his stuffy Pandacorn (“half panda, half unicorn”), Derkx accompanies himself on guitar and sings one of the numbers in the show: Let It Be. It’s a good start for the Citadel’s exercise – the personable actor-singer immediately racked up well over 1,000 hits.
Next up was playwright-actor Belinda Cornish, whose new play The Garneau Block, based on Todd Babiuk’s bestselling novel, had been forced into cancellation (the play will be mounted at a later date). Cloran asked if she could do something – and the results are impressive. Not only do we get to meet her dog, but she enlists the help of her husband Mark Meer – a world-renowned man of a thousand characters. Together they recreate most of the big scenes in the play, including a town-hall meeting. All of the colourful Garneau people are played by the two simply by changing hats and characters in rapid succession. The result is an impressive display of actorly skill, delivered with just enough interplay (and messed up hat changes) to let you know it’s a “work in process.”
“I’m glad you didn’t see all the outtakes,” chuckles Cornish.
The husband and wife team of Sheldon Elter and Kristi Hansen came next. With warm interplay – and the introduction of their dog Rango – we are told how Sheldon’s starring role in the Citadel’s After The Fire was put on hiatus, and Kristi’s performance in the opera Candide will probably never be seen. As Sheldon plays the guitar, Kristi delivers a moving monologue about an elderly woman from a war-torn middle European country who can’t leave her home for fear of the land mines which have been buried around her house. Elter also performs a segment from his show Bears, coming up next year in the Citadel’s season.
Anyone familiar with the Citadel will recognize John Ullyatt – the go-to guy in many memorable performances (who will ever forget his Miss Trunchbull slinging that poor kid around by her pigtales in Matilda?). In the March 23 episode of Stuck in the House, the actor is joined by his wife Annie Dugan in their living room. (Annie is a trained circus performer and founder of Edmonton’s Firefly Circus.) John plays the guitar while Annie demonstrates their dog’s impressive skills. Then the two of them join in a spirited reading of Abbott and Costello’s classic vaudeville routine, “Who’s on First?” The polished production is a demonstration of how a bit of home tech training can help. They shot the whole thing live on a collection of iPhones and iPads spread around the room, and edited them on a MacBook.
Local trombonist Audrey Ochoa and a group of her friends did a concert which included a zoom-like performance in which she became a one-person orchestra accompanying herself. Local actor Gianna Vacirca spoke to us in a broad English accent, with a straight face assuring us that when performing in a British show, she only speaks in the cadences of the production – even at home. Since her run in the Mayfield’s British farce Noises Off was cut short, she performed a scene from the multi-character show in many accents – and at the end gives credit for her impressive feat to the local actors who played the roles originally.
Since the idea was to give some financial assistance to local actors in these troubled times, these highly entertaining little gems mini-shows will continue at various times daily, and can viewed on demand anytime on YouTube. Check the Citadel’s website for links and updates.
