Birdtown and Swanville

We Are Presenting an Early Version of our Buddies Residence Play at the 2012 Rhubarb Festival. It's called Settlers.

2012-01-13T15:37:00.000-08:00

When I (A) was very little, I used to have recurring nightmares that monsters would come down through the closet in my parents bedroom. They were called DeeckaWalkas and they looked like the monsters in the muppet show. If they caught you, they would erase your face, and you would eventually degenerate into a Mennonite doll.

Puritan Girls

2012-01-03T14:11:00.000-08:00

Our friends entertain lots of butter-churn fantasies; flushed cheeks, a bit of lace rustling around the shoes, facing down a bear if you had to. See how great Cara and Nika look in their outfits at Nuit Blanche Deveraux? Allison took this picture, and Sean made then their bristol board bonnets.

My (Aurora's) boyfriend asked me if I wanted a puritan dress for Christmas. He was referring to these, because they are everywhere on all kinds of women. And of course they look great, and of course I would want one. I would belong to a secret convent with you and who ever else. Everyone looks like a class act in a high neckline. It sets off the chin.

Enduring fashions that keep coming back and back again, like our belief in the Devil and God.

Suspicious Man

2012-01-02T12:27:00.000-08:00

Cotton Mather believed in witches.

"That these Witches have driven a Trade of Commissioning their Confederate Spirits, to do all sorts of Mischiefs to the Neighbours, whereupon there have ensued such Mischievous consequences upon the Bodies and Estates of the Neighbourhood, as could not otherwise be accounted for."
-Cotton Mather

Here he is encountering Tituba, the woman accused of bringing witchcraft to Salem, their leader, Head Witch. Note that he is standing up straight and she is hunched over. Note that his face is calm and unlined and that she is having a fit. What do you think she is going to do with those leaves?

Tituba used to crack a raw egg into a glass of water and use it to predict the identity of a young woman's future husband. The yolks and whites would make up the face of the man a girl would marry. I did it just an hour ago and guess who I saw?

In Residency at Buddies in Bad Times

2011-11-27T20:36:00.000-08:00

We are more than just a little bit thrilled to be in residency at Buddies, where we are currently hatching plans for a new play.

Witches, Wendigos, Bears with blood on their teeth and the occasional Woolly Mammoth are our current obsessions...

More news to come soon.

A big SummerWorks Thank you!

2011-08-22T15:23:00.000-07:00

We just wanted to send out a big thank-you to everyone involved in our SummerWorks show, The Physical Ramifications of Attempted global Domination. Thanks to the festival, our amazing audiences and our brilliant cast and crew. We are very proud to have received NNNN's in NOW and to have made their BEST OF THE FEST list for outstanding production, set design and ensemble!!! We feel very lucky.

http://www.nowtoronto.com/stage/story.cfm?content=182177

http://www.nowtoronto.com/stage/story.cfm?content=182235

xoxo

Birds and Swans

SummerWorks!

2011-07-12T13:05:00.000-07:00

Hi Friends,

We are really excited that we have a show called The Physical Ramifications of Attempted Global Domination that we will be performing at the SummerWorks Festival in August. Here are some details:

Hitler foamed at the mouth, Napoleon suffered from extreme eczema and every so often, Pol Pot would go blind. In exploring the mysterious and bountiful medical ailments suffered by many of history's most aggressive global dominators, we will get under the skin to probe the pitfalls of political fortitude.

A set made of balloons and filled with party supplies sets the stage for eight dictators to battle it out in competitions of physical strength and fortitude, tests of wit and balloon crushing races. This show continues our exploration of the most power hungry of leaders such as Napoleon, Pol Pot, Idi Amin, Hitler and Chairman Mao that began as part of Harbourfront Centre’s HATCH program in 2010.

Written and directed by Nika Mistruzzi and Aurora Stewart de Peña, with an ensemble cast including Donna Maloney, Cara Gee, Rebecca Applebaum, Meghan Swaby, Lauren Bride, Sheelagh Darling Pletsch and Jessica Salgueiro. With set and Balloon Explosions by Allie Marshall and Hanna Puley, costumes by Erin Alexa Freedman, lighting by Remington North and original music by Matt King of dd/mm/yyyy.

August 5 – 14, 2011

Aug 5 – 5:30pm; Aug 6 – 3:00pm; Aug 9 – 10:30pm, Aug 10 – 5:30pm; Aug 12 – 8:00pm; Aug 14 – 12:30pm

Tickets $15 ($16 in advance)

Box office: 416-504-7529 or artsboxoffice.ca

We had a big long rehearsal for Family Story today.

2011-01-29T21:49:00.000-08:00

This happened. Also, Mark Aikman ate a pulled pork burrito.

We have a new play. It's called

2011-01-06T10:43:00.000-08:00

Family Story.

Nika and I have just started rehearsals for a new play that I (Aurora) wrote. Nika is playing Gentle Rain, a girl who travels back in time 600 years to get to the root of her family's horrible behaviour. We also have Liz Peterson, Sean O’Neill, Cara Gee, Jon McCurley, Lauren Bride, Nika Mistruzzi, Meghan Swaby, Glen Macaulay, as well as many puppets, with designs from Allie Marshall, Erin Alexa Freedman and Bojana Stancic, and new music from composer Alia O’Brien of Blood Ceremony.

Julia Lederer is assistant directing, and she also took this photo of us that you see above. We are at a table. That's Laura McCoy's cat friend Oscar in the middle. Our epic poster was designed by Jack Dylan.

The show will also feature opening acts by the always-amazing choreographer
Jonathan Osborn, who tells us all about his fascination the horror, eroticism and solace
of outer space and science fiction (Feb 1 – 6), and from the enigmatic Kathleen Phillips,
voted NOW Magazine’s best character comedian two years in a row (Feb 8 – 13).

Family Story runs from February 1-13 at Double Double Land. Tickets are $15 each and can be purchased at TOTIX.ca. We will also have a few available at the door.

Birdtown and Swanville presents
Family Story
Feb 1 – 13, 2011
Tickets $15 / Box Office: TOTIX.CA
Double Double Land
209 Augusta Ave, Toronto ON
in the heart of Kensington Market
facebook.com/birdtownandswanville
www.birdtownandswanville.com

The Physical Ramifications of Attempted Global Domination

2010-04-05T08:51:00.000-07:00

Birdtown and Swanville would like to invite you to our exciting new thing: The Physical Ramifications of Attempted Global Domination. This is part of the HATCH emerging performance projects at Harbourfront Centre and we are really excited.

In this line up we have Lauren Bride, Julia Lederer, Liz Peterson, Nicole Stamp, Rebecca Applebaum, Cara Gee, Donna Maloney and Aurora Stewart de Peña.

This play is written by Nika Mistruzzi and Aurora Stewart de Peña!
This play is directed by Nika Mistruzzi!
Costumes by Erin Freedman!
Lighting by Gryphen Colling!
Music by Matt King!
Set by Allie Marshall!
Lighitng by Gryphon Colling
Stage Management by Sofia Bohdanowicz!
Mystery by Sean O'Neil...

OPENING ACT: Chris Locke Chris Locke Chris Locke

The Physical Ramifications of Attempted Global Domination
Birdtown and Swanville
April 17, 8pm & April 18, 2:30pm

Hitler foamed at the mouth, Napoleon suffered from extreme eczema and every so often, Pol Pot would go blind. The Physical Ramifications of Attempted Global Domination explores the mysterious and bountiful medical ailments suffered by many of history's most aggressive dictators.

Featuring balloon animals, clogged intestinal tracts, and power hungry global dominators, this Birdtown and Swanville presentation will get under the skin to probe the pitfalls of supposed strength. Through debate, dance and melodrama, the company will try to understand both the monstrosities and consequential gallstones that the perpetration of mass violence creates.

DEAD WRESTLERS

2010-01-26T12:06:00.000-08:00

This is our play about wrestling. It is in The Rhubarb Festival at Buddies in Bad Times:
Dead Wrestlers charges triumphantly along the path separating two epic Wrestling Dynasties, the Tenderboys and The Von Spikehorns. Taking place sometime in the fog between 1975 and 1982, these two noble families will fight to the death for the title, shining with body grease, resplendent with sound effects and holding a grudge. Six Wrestlers. Three Belts. One Title. Brought to you by Birdtown and Swanville

Featuring:
Gwyneth Tossell, Aurora Stewart de Pena, Julia Lederer, Cara Gee
Jolene Devoe, Donna Maloney, Liz Peterson, Rebecca Applebaum, Nika Mistruzzi and Nicole Stamp

With the Creative Expertise of:
Johanna Edwards, Matt King, Allie Marshall, Remington North, Sofia Bohdanowicz, Jessica Thomas, Martha Burn and Craig Jeffrey

Dead Wrestlers
The Rhubarb Festival
Week 1, Feb. 10- 14, 2010

Buddies In Bad Times Theatre presents
THE 31ST RHUBARB FESTIVAL
Toronto’s annual 3-week convergence of contemporary performance
Feb 10 – 28, 2010
Festival Director Erika Hennebury
Associate Curator Alex Wolfson
Festival Sponsor TD Financial
Media Sponsor NOW Magazine
For more than 30 years, the Rhubarb Festival has offered Toronto audiences fresh live
experiments in contemporary theatre, performance, dance and music. Rhubarb provides a
space for established artists to take new risks and encourages emerging artists to make waves
by challenging theatrical conventions. The result is a unique and exciting festival of new
performance hybrids.
TICKET INFORMATION
Evening Pass $17, Week Pass $25, Festival Pass $60
BUDDIES IN BAD TIMES THEATRE
12 Alexander Street, Toronto, ON, Canada
Box Office: 416-975-8555
www.artsexy.ca
follow us: yyzbuddies.blogspot.com or twitter @ yyzbuddies

http://www.artsexy.ca/festival.cfm?id=9
http:yyzbuddies.blogspot.com

Eating Contest / Keg Party: Chomp Down Puke Off

2009-12-07T08:58:00.000-08:00

At Double Double Land (Jamie's Area).

10 pm. Beer.

$10.00Come drink some beerz and watch your friends compete to eat!Double Double Land, 209 Augusta (above the bakery)
Our Brave and Wonderful Contestants:
Chris Randle Jonathan OsbornVanessa Rieger Gwyneth TossellLuke Mistruzzi Duncan StewartHanna Puley Easton LannamanMike Radojkovich Brent B.Max KayeCara Gee Nicole Stamp Jon Erik LappanoUlysses Castellanos + more to come
If you don't drink beer - we'll have wine tooIf you don't drink - we'll give you a free grilled cheese and a hug.

It's also possible that I (Aurora) will be handcraftng medals for the winners. These will be incredible pieces of jewelry that the winners can keep for their children. Forever.

Um, we need contestants for our Eating Contest.

2009-11-17T08:57:00.000-08:00

On Saturday Dec. 11 we are holding a fundraiser/party/EATING CONTEST to raise money for our show.
Do you want to be a contestant?
Do you want to prove to the world the speed in which you can down a giant plate of pie or corn or spaghetti or double bubble chewing gum?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!?!
This is the one true measure of success!
do it do it do it do it
Also, Do you know anyone else who would want to take part?!The party will be at Double Double Land (new Jamie's Area) It's going to be amazing.

Also, Aurora is giving a Trampoline Hall Lecture.

2009-09-08T10:48:00.000-07:00

About Stairway to Heaven on September 14th. Come! There will be PowerPoint.
(I have never used PowerPoint before. Who knows how this is going to go? Not me. In my lecture fantasies, which are bountiful, I always have PowerPoint and high heels. I think it's an attainable enough fantasy, not like the one where I make my eyes glow red for just a second, intimidating my enemies into frightened submission.)

http://www.trampolinehall.net/

Laundromat Kaleidoscope at Scotiabank Nuit Blanche

2009-09-04T11:58:00.000-07:00

Hello All,

Matt King and I (Nika) have an installation, Laundromat Kaleidoscope, as part of Nuit Blanche this year. We are turning the commercial dryers at Queen St Laundry into kaleidoscopes!

It would be amazing if you came by.

Here is the link to the official site:

http://www.scotiabanknuitblanche.ca/iProjects.aspx?zone=C&rowID=12

And here are the details:

Oct. 3rd, 2009

7pm - 7am

713 Queen St. W

Happy Fall everyone!

2 Extra Shows!!!

2009-07-15T12:40:00.000-07:00

Hi wonderful people!

We have added two new shows to accommodate all of you patient line waiters who didn't get to come see our play. Thank you once again for trying. So nice of you.
Wed. July 15 at midnight
Friday July 17 at 6:30pm

If you want to make a reservation please email us at: birdtownandswanville@gmail.com
Tickets $10
Hope you can come!
xoxo

Some Nice Things that People have Written about us Over the Course of Fringe '09

2009-07-08T07:12:00.000-07:00

You know, we've never done the Fringe before and it has been a really positive experience. We got to be on the cover of EYE Weekly, and David Waldman, who is a favourite photographer of ours took the picture. You can see it here:

http://www.eyeweekly.com/arts/theatre/article/64763

The article by Chandler Levack made me cry a little bit when I read it. Tears of happiness. Nika felt the same way.

EYE Weekly then gave us a 5 Star Review, which was a huge relief, as it would have been super embarrassing to have been on the cover as a preview and then gotten a cruddy review for the actual play. Fortunately, Chris Bilton wrote this:

"Acknowledging, of course, that we’ve already put 36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls on our cover, it’s undeniably one of the best Fringe productions you’ll see. Ambitious and creative, this 13-actress show mines the conflicted/insane/hilarious/obsessive universe of modern women, dealing with the post-traumatic stress of the post-university years. Self-aware and bitingly honest, it skewers everything, from societal expectations to career ambitions, making effective use of the large cast, clever choreography, MIDI-rendered ’90s hits and brilliantly Spartan cardboard props. The closest thing to George Saunders’ absurdist insight to grace a Fringe stage."

And it made us all really happy.

You can see the original, with all of the hype backlash comments included, here:

www.eyeweekly.com/article/63999

The lovely Ms. Megan Mooney, of Mooney on Theatre, also came to review us. She saw our show the first time around at the Tranzac and gave us a fair review, but we must have done something right in between then and now because:

"Birdtown and Swanville’s 36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls is a delight. It’s got a good helping of the surreal, so if you want everything wrapped in a bow this likely won’t be for you.
However, if you like your humour a bit esoteric and your dancing a bit silly then this is the show for you. I really liked it a lot. I loved the props made out of flat cut out cardboard. I loved the over the top feel. I loved the interludes between scenes. So, I guess basically, I loved it.
I kept trying to figure out who, out of the 13 actresses, was my favourite in the show, but the truth is that at various moments in the show each of the several cast members leapt into the spot of ‘my favourite’, which means I loved them all, and each one of them stood out at different points in the show."

Her whole review is posted here:

http://www.mooneyontheatre.com/2009/07/fringe-review-36-little-plays-about-hopeless-girls-birdtown-and-swanville/

We got this from the Varsity:

"References to panel vans and a cad named Ronnie make the rounds in Aurora Stewart de Peña’s 36 Little Plays about Hopeless Girls. Using a snappy episodic format, 36 features portrayals of a handful of different girls (Glissandra, Rotunda, Satine, et al), most of them a little alienated from notions of successful living. Funny, and at times melancholic, they go to baseball games or have measured discussions about “the average bitch.” De Peña cleverly situates the playlets in different Toronto locales, all with a slight fairy tale patina, from English gardens in the Annex to filthy-floored apartments in Parkdale.
Perfectly mannered performances by the whole cast blend the satirical with the earnest. Highlights include the stoic Laura McCoy as Ny’Pha, toilet paper–coveting creature of the night, and intensely choreographed transitions to Canadian Tire versions of Hole. Mega-props to Devon Tyler Dagworthy for putting together a pastel wardrobe that goes along perfectly with each hopeless girl’s specific persona, making them look fabulous in a festival that isn’t usually known for its literal (and figurative) frills."

www.thevarsity.ca/article/19441

They gave us four "V"s! Which I now must ashamedly admit I thought were 2 "W"s, as though that makes any kind of sense.

Rose-Coloured reviews said this:

"This modesty belies how professional the production actually is. *36 Little Plays* is flawlessly rehearsed--everyone hits their marks, gets their props in the right place, and manages their entrances and exits smoothly--important details that are often missed in low-budget theatre. And of course I need to emphasize that the writing is extremely tight, too. Each vignette is smart and well-crafted, but the larger play coheres as well, in some strange and fascinating ways. The subtle interweaving of the characters' narratives brought home the notion that a hopeless girl's greatest ally and greatest weakness in times of trouble is...other hopeless girls. The overpowering sense of community towards the end was really interesting."

Among a slew of other lovely things about us, all viewable here:

http://rebecca-rosenblum.blogspot.com/2009/07/rose-coloured-reviews-36-little-plays.html

Pretty cool.

And last but not least, Justin Haigh of plankmagazine.com wrote this about us:

"Written and directed by Aurora Stewart de Pena, this series of short scenes involving manners-obsessed young women frocked in pastel coloured summer dresses and seemingly on the verge of emotional meltdowns, creates a world unto itself.
Elaborate segues featuring midi-versions of pop songs and plain cardboard cutout props help to create a distinct style that is equal parts David Lynch and Stepford Wives. Some scenes land better laughs than others, but ultimately the magic is in watching the stories (which feature characters with names such as Rotunda and Effervescence)slowly intertwine and build to a head. Strange and delightful stuff."

http://www.plankmagazine.com/review/theatre/toronto-fringe-36-little-plays-about-hopeless-girls

I love both David Lynch and the Stepford Wives, so this pretty much made my day. Seriously, have you seen the first Stepford Wives? It's super creepy, and the clothes are amazing. Depressingly, I feel it's still quite relevant.

So that's what people wrote. We have been really lucky and we're grateful to the reviewers who took the time to come to our show. We've got 5 shows left and we're super excited to perform them. Our cast has been unbelievably top notch and amazing to work and hang with.

All the Love in My Heart,

Aurora (with the endorsement of Nika, who patiently explained for the 57th time today how to log on and make and entry on this Blog thing)

36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls at the Toronto Fringe Festival

2009-06-05T08:53:00.000-07:00

36 Little Plays About Hopeless Girls

Written and Directed by Aurora Stewart de Pena

July 1 – July 12 at Bread and Circus Theatre Bar in Kensington Market, 299 Augusta Ave

A series of one minute plays and dances with interwoven plotlines about baseball, credit card debt, millipedes and Ny’pha, a helpful bathroom tissue collector from the land of We’an.

Featuring: Donna Maloney, Cara Gee, Liz Peterson, Monique Moses,

Aurora Stewart de Peña, Nika Mistruzzi, Sochi Fried, Jolene Devoe, Julia Lederer, Laura McCoy, Lauren Bride, Rebecca Applebaum, and Nicole Stamp.

Stage managed by Sofia Bohdanowicz, Costumes by Devon Tyler Dagworthy, and Set Design by Melissa Neil.

Tickets 10$ (or cheaper!) To order advance tickets, go here.

Show Times:

Wednesday, July 1st 8:15-9:30

Thursday, July 2nd 10:00-11:15

Friday, July 3rd 4:15-5:30

Saturday, July 4th 4:15-5:30

Sunday, July 5th 8:15-9:15

Monday, July 6th 10:00-11:15

Tuesday, July 7th No Show

Wednesday, July 8th 6:15-7:30

Thursday, July 9th 10:00-11:15

Friday, July 10th 10:00-11:15

Saturday, July 11th 8:15-9:30

Sunday, July 12th 8:15-9:30

Spring Screening II: The Snack Pack

2009-05-28T07:41:00.000-07:00

Hello, Hello,

We will be performing a short set on Monday (June 1 at 9pm) as a part of a fundraiser that the ever spectacular Sofia Bohdanowicz is organizing. All of the proceeds go towards the building of a school in Nepal.
Featuring:
Tonka and Puma, Birdtown and Swanville, Spencer Butt, Andrew Johnston, Partytime
http://www.facebook.com/reqs.php#/event.php?eid=94985288640
It's at the Supermarket, 268 Augusta Ave.

Also, we would like to send out a big giant internet hug to everyone who came to our event at Over the Top. The same goes for all of the performers and Eric, the organizer. Digital thanks all round. Literal physical thanks of course too, if we run into you on the street. For now though, we would like to high five you through your flat screen.

xo
Birdtown and Swanville

NEW VENUE!

2009-05-15T07:12:00.000-07:00

Our Show is now at Jamies Area, 193 Augusta!

Friends & Outsiders, A Dance & Three Plays

2009-05-07T08:34:00.000-07:00

Presented by Over the Top Fest and Birdtown and Swanville
Sat. May 23, 2:30pm, 11:00pm (two shows!), $10

Featuring Naeema by Jonathan Osborn, Mandy Panda by Norman Lup-Man Yeung,Theatrum: The Last Part of the Fourth Part of the World by Alex Wolfson, and The Lee Press-On Nail Show by Aurora Stewart de Pena
In Between Music by Matt King

Naeema
The music is by Benjamin Boles and the song title is Naeema
The dancer is Jolene Devoe
The choreographer is Jonathan Osborn
There are Stuffed Tigers

MANDY PANDA
PLAYWRIGHT AND DIRECTOR: Norman Lup-Man Yeung
Mandy worked so so hard on this audition. Why didn't she get the role?
She demands to know why and she'll become a panda while you tell her.
MANDY PANDA is an Absurdist multi-media performance happening involving
subversive slide projections, improvised toy glockenspiel, and bamboo
fungus.
MANDY: Meredith Cheesbrough
MASKED MAN / IMPROVISED TOY GLOCKENSPIEL: Aaron Kopff
COMPANY: Public Radio and Camera Assembly

Theatrum: The Last Part of the Fourth Part of the World
By: Alex Wolfson
A cartographer, attempting to make a map that depicts in full detail, not only every topographical feature of the unknown 'fourth part of the world', but also all knowledge within it, has his journal stolen from him. It is a book that holds all of his knowledge, all of his secrets. He receives an anonymous blackmail message, not for money, but for something he cannot give. As the contents of the book spill out into the world, profound and mystical happenings begin to occur. The fabric of the earth, like the fabric of his maps, begin to unravel and fall apart.

The Lee Press-On Nail Show
A short play featuring the music of Color me Badd, the attitude of Southern Ontario underage drinkers, and a purple glitter Lee Press-On nail. This is a tragic love story featuring the skills of Nika Mistruzzi, Aurora Stewart de Peña, Sean O’Neill, Julia Lederer, Dave Fish, Monique Moses, Donna Maloney and Gwyneth Tossell.

New Site!

2009-05-07T08:30:00.000-07:00

Hi Everyone.

Thanks so much for checking out our new fancy schmancy website! Isn't it lovely? Steve Sidoli designed it for us. We are going to post information about our shows and happenings on here, so check back often.
xo
Nika and Aurora