As we all know, the arts is never an easy path to follow in life. Expenses, time, commitment, all these factor into the difficulty artist’s face on a daily basis. It’s not a life for everyone; some people drop out to peruse other things. I almost fell down that path myself. Thinking if it was worth it to follow my dreams of being an actor or producer or to even work in theatre. I’ve thought about doing other things as well, I wanted to be a social worker or a vet. None of those felt right to me. Studying these things I actually had no interest in doing. I fell out of my own mind set for awhile. I started looking at careers that I could make a solid living on, granted these paths would also lead me to helping others. I find theatre can do just that though, it can help others. Being a part of the Advisory Board for Paprika Festival, you get to meet with professionals and find out about how they got to where they are their struggles and challenges along the way. The opportunity to talk to established producers, writers and all the rest gave me new insight into the world of theatre. We all face struggles, we all find ourselves in hard times, and we all question if this path is the right one for us. With theatre, it’s such a community full of support and friendships you can’t do without. This support we all have and give to one and other, this strength we get from our co-workers and fellow lovers of this art makes the journey easier, but it doesn’t get you all the way there. If this is the path you want to do, something you know somewhere in your body it’s the right thing, you have to get through those times in order to reach your dreams. Learning from these established artists, you realize that if you want it, and you dream it, you can get it. You can see the joy in the faces of these artists who just love where they are right now, and that always gives me hope. As for me, ending my first year of Theatre School, I finally realize this. Though I am switching into a different program, my dream is that it will one day lead me back onto the stage or in the office producing new, or old, great works to be performed for the masses. The arts will never be an easy path to follow in life, but when you take that leap and you feel so right with what you’re doing, it brings a whole new definition to the word Love.
Ok, I’m not gonna lie, I’ve sat long and thought hard about what to say about being a playwright in residence at the Paprika Festival. I am tempted to say all of the typical, though not untrue things such as doors of opportunities have been opened and I’ve been blessed by the magical touch of theatrical inspiration during my journey with Paprika (no sarcasm intended), but we all know that experiences vary greatly between individuals- I mean let’s be real here, you may not have doors opened for you, they may already be open, you may not be touched by the divine hand of theatrical inspaghettio and whatnot but there is one thing that will remain constant, if you’re a writer in need for a place to share the madness of trying to create a worthy piece of work, this is certainly the right place to find the right people to do that with. There is so much to learn in a place full of great minds generating original ideas, being a part of this program has pushed me to discover parts of myself that I didn’t even know exist…. much like an astronomer (or more impressively, an astronaut) discovering a brand new planet that has been here in our very solar system this entire time…astonishing!
During this process of discovery I’ve felt joy, happiness, anxiety, blissful nausea and dreadful satisfaction, a rollercoaster of emotions. And who doesn’t like rollercoasters? Ok true, my grandma probably doesn’t like them very much, but you get the point. It’s one helluva ride.
So what are you waiting for, come check us out to see what kind of delicacies are brewing in the minds of our young generation, or jump in with us if you’ve got something brewing yourself!
For being such a taboo subject it seems like the topic of mental health is everywhere. With celebrities like Demi Lovato sharing their struggles with the world and movies like Frozen bringing characters with depression and anxiety into the homes of millions around the world, mental health has become today’s popular hot button issue. Yet despite this exposure it continues to hold the same negative stigma as ever, and it’s this stigma that a number of the plays at this year’s Paprika Festival are tackling head on.
It’s no wonder so many of our plays address mental illness in some way. According to the Canadian Mental Health Association all Canadians will be affected by mental illness indirectly through a friend or family member, while 20% of Canadians will experience it themselves. And even though it’s something we all have experience with, there continues to be a sense of shame surrounding its treatment. Almost half (49%) of those who feel they’ve suffered from depression or anxiety have never gone to see a doctor about it.
It takes courage to openly face the deeply entrenched misconceptions surrounding mental health, yet that is what a number of Paprika’s artists have chosen to do. Each with a unique take on the subject, these artists are using every tool in their arsenal to combat these stereotypes.
In Laurel Brady’s one-woman show, Surfacing, we gain a glimpse inside the mind of a young woman battling depression and suicide. Her poetic performance offers us the opportunity to experience her struggles as she tries to explain to her mother why and how she feels the way she does.
Though very different in style, both Stigma by Sabah Haque and Collective and Ties of Blood: The Brontës by Caty Quinn use music and movement to tell stories of how our childhood struggles stay with us as we grow up and continue to affect us as adults.
Even the wacky absurdist comedy, Caught in a Bad Romance by Ioana Luchian and Angelo Dallen provides a lighthearted and comical take on one girl’s battle to overcome her inner daemons. Daemons that take the form of a puppet bird…or rat…or bat maybe? The species is unclear. But the message is crystal, learning to love yourself is the hardest and most rewarding battle you can fight.
We’ve come to a point where, as a society, we are slowly shaking off the stigma and bringing mental illnesses out from the shadows. And though it is becoming more and more present in our culture, mental health continues to carry a taboo that prevents so many sufferers from seeking help. In Canada, only 1 in 5 children who need mental health services receive them. Fortunately, our brave Paprika artists have chosen to use their creativity to remind us all that none of us are alone in this crazy wacky world we live in.
For more info on mental health in Canada, check out: www.cmha.ca/media/fast-facts-about-mental-illness
Then don’t miss A Paprika Gala:
Hello fellow Paprikans,
I hope your spirits are keeping high over this incredibly long and harrowing “spring time” that seems to have fallen on Toronto again, but fear not! The Festival will happen before you know it and fill you back up with happiness and warmth and color (seriously, it’s gonna happen, and I know you’re all severely missing some/all of those things right now). Keep on trucking!!! THERE IS ALWAYS A PARTY! Remember that
For those of you who are turning 21 and are dreading thinking about the end of Paprika this year, don’t fret! There are some pretty nifty options out there, and probably the coolest of them all is Advisory Board! And speaking of parties, that’s pretty much what we do on AB.
Besides hanging out and eating food and playing some games, the AB is actually responsible for all of the pre- and post-show events during the Festival. If this is your first Paprika, think of fun dressup-themed tea parties before the matinees and country-style craft nights! We have even had open-mic nights and spa days!
We might make it look super easy (yeah, right) but there’s quite a lot of planning and scheduling involved, plus setting up and taking down.
Another big thing we do is to help run the training days. This can be as simple as participating in games and challenges, or as complicated as planning and helping to run activities throughout the day. Occasionally we even get to give our input to Dan and tell him what we thought of an activity or event!
But when we’re not running around taping, gluing and yelling, you can find us on certain Sunday evenings having grown-up conversations with important theatre personnel and picking their brains to gain the vastest knowledge. It sounds like I’m kidding but I swear we behave ourselves.
Does any of this sound like fun to you?
If so, keep it in mind when you’re applying back next year. It’s also a great option if you love Paprika, but are finding it really hard to balance school, multiple jobs and LIFE! We meet usually twice a month, plus training days and the week of the Festival.
Look at me, I liked the AB so much last year, I came back again!!
The after party (themed PROM<3) we planned last year was waaay too much fun, I had to.
Well, that’s it for me, better get back to my Netfli— homework…
Thanks for reading,
Tess
PS. SEE YOU AT THE AFTER PARTY!!!! WE’RE GOING TO TOP LAST YEAR’S
Now more than ever we need your support. Learn about our 2014 Community Campaign.
Dear Toronto:
Our current General Manager, Katherine Devlin Rosenfeld, has to leave us after two amazing years. She is going to become the mother of her first child this year so that means we’ll be in need of someone to take up the reigns of this very important role at Paprika.
All the details on the position can be found here:
WORK IN CULTURE
If you think you’re the right fit for this organization then we want to hear from you. Deadline to apply is March 11th and the first round of interviews are scheduled for March 15th.
IT’S CRUNCH TIME!!!
I warned you there would be cliche(s). But it truly is crunch time, and there is no better way to say it in my exhausted state other than “It feels as though I am in a marathon with time, and I am lost in its dust”… which doesn’t properly convey what I mean, and is somewhat long and irrelevant.
Moving on the more relevant, we have 3 days till our tech rehearsal!!
No, you did read that correctly. we really only have 3 days until tech and 1 week and 1 day until our first show!!!! (Which I am excited to see you all at!!)
