The Winnipeg Improv Festival


The 6th annual IF... Winnipeg Improv Festival is coming soon to a theatre near you.

The dates of the festival are Oct 31st to Nov 5th 2005.

The festival will include workshops, shows and parties. The festival will feature professional improv players in the natural habitat, the stage. The festival will culminate in a weekennd of performances at the Gas Station Theatre.

More details will be released soon.

the perils of the bike...

Cars are bigger and stronger then bicylces. Vans are bigger then cars. Trucks are even bigger. Let's not even talk about Buses. Bikes are bigger then people though (most people anyway).
What is the point of all this?

I got hit by a car, more accuratly, a van.

Hold on a secound, I am perfectly fine, as is my bike. But jeez, the adrenaline sure is strong.

So there I was, riding my trusty cycle down the street (Princess to be exact, almost at Notre Dame to be even exacter). I am of course paying attention to traffic around me, when all of a sudden a van to my left decides it wants to occupy the space occupied by me. The row of parked cars had just ended and I guess the driver thought they deserved that lane. Well, that meant that i had to suffer. The van turned right onto my front tire and I quickly jumped off my bike and onto my feet (I can thank improv for my fast reflexes, that and the funny one-liner that popped into my head).

I was totally fine, and to my surprise my bike was fine as well. Even though the tire was under the van's wheel, it was perfectly straight after it was backed up. I was fuming though. I instructed the driver to park and get out, I produced my information and received thier contact info. The driver was really nice though, so nice in fact that I couldn't remain pissed off (I'm to nice).

All I could really say was "Pay attention!"

So I am thankful that nobody was hurt, I am thankful that my bike isn't hurt and I am thankful that everything works out in the end.

The Cabin


The cabin in the woods that I frequent is known as the "Birchwood", though historically I believe that name refers to the old cabin. Now, the whole area is refered to as the "Birchwood".

Now before you start envisioning the Lake of the Woods, and other picturesque locations, let me warn you. This is not that cabin, not by a long shot. This is farm feilds surrounding a dead Salt Lake. This is shack (a number of them). This is gravel road and rural. This is white trash.

Now before you start writing it off as crap, let me also warn you that it is beautiful as well. It is the freedom of no real neighbours (people know to stay away when we go up). It is the freedom to do whatever we want for the time we are there. It is the freedom to stumble into bed and stumble out of bed.

This weekend was one such weekend, one of freedom and cabin fun.

The weekend included:
-Drinking beer
-A full day of roofing (as in putting a new roof on the cabin)
-Shooting a pellet gun (at pop cans)
-Playing cards (poker and Wizard)
-Playing Bocce Ball (Italian style)
-Painting

So yeah, it was a fun weekend of freedom and relaxing and work and more relaxing.

New show a success!


The Park theatre down in South Osborne, is now open for business.
Ron Moore's new improv night, called "Jack'em & Attack'em", has opened and the people love it. It was an honour to be invovled in the historic beginnings. Lee and I took the stage with Ron and Jacked'em and Attacked'em. There were folks from the neighbourhood who showed up, and laughs were had.

The show consisted of Lee and I "Jackin'em" (with the "em" being the audience) for suggestions, which Ron then wrote on a big sheet of paper. The idea being, we then "Attaked'em" (the "em" being the suggestions), hitting all the suggestions throughout the hour of improv show.

Every Tuesday night, never more then 5 bucks, never more then 5 improvisers (well, maybe sometimes) always more then 5 laughs (always). The old (new) Park Theatre.

new improv show

There is a new improv night.

It is called JACK'EM AND ATTACK'EM (as in JACK the audience for a suggestion and ATTACK them with the awesome improv stylinz)

It is at the old (new) Park Theatre in south osborne. The evening is brought to you by Ron Moore (the illustrious).

The show will be every Tuesday night at 8pm and will cost you cheap. The opening night is tonight actually. Tonight it will star Ron Moore, Lee White and Me (Stephen).

See you there (sometime)

Ocean's 12

Hmm, Ocean's 12

Was it a bad movie?
Yes
Is it one that will be made fun of?
Yes

On Friday, after the CRUMBS show at the Gas Station Theatre patio, there will be an improvised over-dub of the film (movie) Ocean's 12 at Cinematheque, performed live by some neat-o Winnipeg improvisers.

Show may or may not contain:
Stephen Sim
Steve McIntyre
Lee White
Ron Moore
Sara Constable
and more...?

Cinematheque is in the Art Space building on Bannatyne and King (or Princess).

Should be fun, or good, or good and fun, maybe even funny.

improv festival

Well, it's that time of year again.

The time of year when I have to pull off an improv festival for next to no money.

The time of year when i have to pull amazing people together to make it happen.

The time of year when i stretch myself between art and economics. When i try and devise ways to sell shows without compromising the shows for the sake of trying to sell them.

Oh well,

pessimists

When pessimists fight
There are no winners

Why are doctors always so serious?

Okay, so I have been bloggin a lot lately about upcoming shows and saving theatres ect.
I think it was time I brought up something that really has been weighing heavy on my mind for a long time.

Doctors, and more specifically, why are they so serious all the time?

Yes, I understand that they are dealing with human life and health and blah blah blah. But c'mon, lighten up. When you are so concerned about my health, it freaks me out. When you take off your glasses for effect, it is stressful. And personally, i think you are causing more harm then good when you put the fear of death into someone.

My solution?

Let's all fuck with Doctor's heads. Let's keep them on their toes. Let's make light where they try and make heavy.

1- When giving a urine sample, make sure you ad a little drop of blood before you hand it in. This will end up looking like something "serious" when it comes back from the lab. Infect any sample of any bodily fluid you hand in (this is hilarious).

2- Complain of severe chest pains and abdominal pains and then tell the doctor you have not had a bowel movement in weeks (make sure you look at his reaction when you tell him this, it is priceless). The hardest part is not lauging.

3- If you are lucky enough to have some surgery, then the fun can truly begin.
First of all, when the anesthetic person (they have a name, but i am too lazy to look up the spelling, let alone pronouncing it) isn't looking, simply take out the line that gives you the knock out drugs. Pretend to to be knocked out.
Secound, when doctors and nurses aren't looking you should try and steal a scalpel or some other instrument (remember that you are fully conscious and when they do in fact "dig in" it will hurt a wee bit). Stealing an instrument will instill panic in the surgeon, he or she will no doubt think that they have left something inside you (funny). In actuality, you will have the instrument inside you, really there aren't that many hiding places on a surgeon's table (funny).
Thirdly, and most importantly, let them off the hook. Wait for the most opportune moment and then grab a nurse or the doctor's hand when they are at the peak of their panic (this will drive everyone nuts).

This is a service that is great demand, doctors are overworked and overstressed. It is important for us to ease this stress by making fun and adding some levity to thier otherwise heavy and sobre existance.

membership drive

No I am not talking about a club where people cruise up and down Portage Ave on a Sunday, though lord knows that would be interesting. I am talking about the memberships to the Gas Station Theatre.

Remember last year when 700 people signed up for memberships to try and save the Gas Station Theatre from being sold? Remember how it was actually saved in the end? Remember how good everyone felt, and how they all patted themselves on the back? Well, it ain't over yet... Saving the theatre is an ongoing process, a never ending journey. You have to go to the theatre to save the theatre.

September 8th at the Gas Station Theatre there is going to be a huge event. Three shows throughout the evening, a patio and several hundred really cool folks to hang out with. The shows will be free to all those who buy a membership to the theatre (let's see if everyone was really serious about saving the place).

The show will include such players as:
CRUMBS
Al Rae
Steve McIntyre
Ross McMillan
Greg McPherson
Fred Penner
Ruth Cansfield Dance
and more (oh so much more)

Come out, bring 5 friends and then bring 5 more.

The GST Patio

So, the Gas Station Theatre has been throwing a patio party anytime the weather cooperates. And when i say the theatre i really mean Steve McIntyre (who is the driving force behind the patio and other such endeavours).

The Blue Umbrella Patio (which is the name given to the patio, blue umbrella = blue sky, get it?) is running on Thursday nights, Friday nights and Sunday evenings. The show usually gets going at around 7pm and ends at 11pm sharp. There is music, good people, good drinks and good times to be had.

The author of this blog (aka me) has been bartending at some of these patio events and i have been having a blast doing so. Being the bartender means working behind the bar, but it also means giving folks their most loved drinks. It also means i do not have to worry and stress about social interaction (which can really tire a sucker out), the social interaction is taken care of because people come to you. I get to have little snippets of conversations with everyone (everyone who is drinking that is). I like it.

So, go to the Gas Station Theatre Patio. Help support the theatre, make it one of the "in" places to hang out. Check out CRUMBS on the patio on Friday, August 19th.

correction

Well it seems that the show with woodhands is a maybe, a big maybe.
Heavy on the big maybe.
It turns out that there is no venue for the show to take place, at least not one we have booked yet.
If I had known this info earlier I could have done something about it.

Oh Woodhands, let's get our shit together next time, shall we.

Shows on the horizon...

Wow, more shows to do...


1- Thursday, August 18th at The Times Change(d) High and Lonesome Club on Main Street. This show is on and it is opening for the band Wood Hands, hailing from Vancouver. The band is connected to the unstoppable Ehren Salazar and the Butcher Shop, which is a gallery space in Vancouver. Ehren Salazar is quite the human.


2- At the Gas Station Theatre Patty-yo! On Friday August 19th at around 8ish, CRUMBS will do a wee little impro set for those who like to lounge on the hot patio in summer. The Patio is open every Thursday, Friday and Sunday (if the weather is nice). It is called the "Blue Umbrella Patio" as the sky streches like a beautiful umbrella.


3- Hecla Island, sorry folks this is one of them top secret private shows for A-list celebs who have hired us to entertain them with comedy skits.

The picture to prove it


Proof that I hung out with Paul Anthony and Devin McCracken.

Phil van Hest

Phil van Hest is from L.A.
He comes over here to Peg City because of the Fringe
He comes over here because of a girl (RobYn)
He comes over here with his smarts (good) and his jokes (bad)
He ocmes over here and makes us all like him
He comes over here and laughs when others don't (he gets it)
He comes over here and then he leaves

If Phil and I were having a Blog contest to see which one of us would add an entry about the other, I would win. But we don't have such a contest.

Happy trails back to the land of the In and Out Burger.

GrewG

In another post i mentioned (and said my goodbye) to Michal Grajewski, the man known to me as GrewG. But I figure he deserved a whole post, so here it is.

GrewG (juice, Grewj, Gre-yef-ski)
You are dedicated
You have a curiosity that don't quit
You have an innocence that makes you feel guilty
You have a drive a strong as a car (insert cool kind of car)
You have talent

Winnipeg will see you soon. Here's hoping Toronto gives you what you want.

biking


Something i have been doing a lot of lately.

And, it has been great.

This picture is not of my bike (but the 2005 version of my bike in red).

Paul Anthony

Paul Anthony was in town.
That is a good thing.
It is always a special and rare occasion that he swoops in, unannounced to most.

Paul and Devin were both at the Toad for the Monday Night Special. They read some stuffs and did a skit on book then read a wee bit more. Will they do a show together at the Fringe someday? Will Hugh Phukovsky do a solo show here?

Paul came into town to see Twisted Sister at "Yee Olden Day Rock Festival" outside of our cosmopolitan city (Grand Beach I believe). He told me that it rocked.

Paul and Devin were going to watch last year's Trouser Idol. Trouser Mouth, a notorious Winnipeg band, had just hosted their version of Canadian Idol called Trouser Idol. Kareoke and booze fuels the evening, hosted by none other then Devin McCracken. Paul Anthony won this year's event, held at the Albert.

I was tired, it was late and I still had some cylcling to do...

The Fringe is over...

Well, at least in Winnipeg its over.

Saskatoon Fringe starts
then Edmonton, Victoria, Vancouver and blah blah blah

but, the fringe is over for me, CRUMBS and the Big Stupid Improv Show. Boy, was it nice. Of course, I didn't see all the shows i needed to see and didn't do all the things i needed to do. But after the dust settled, the beer tent came down and Ron Moore uttered his last hosting breath on the outdoor stage, it was all good and worth it.

---ye-haw---stats------------------------------->

Shows done = 16

Shows seen = 13 (14 if you count the secret cabaret show)

This means of course that i was a couple of shows shy of my formula and i am going to have to go back to the drawing board with it.

number of improvisers who did the Big Stupid improv show = 32 (over 7 shows)

number of people who saw a CRUMBS show = 773

number of people who actually paid = 666 (no joke)

number of people who saw a Big Stupid = 588

number people who have seen CRUMBS at a Winnipeg Fringe show since 2002 = 3079


------so there you have it---stats---------------->

Mondays at the Toad

I feel as though i should update my official position on the improv nights at the Toad. I mentioned before on another entry that the improv night was improv kareoke, and i do. It is more like comedy theatre kareoke though. I feel as though i must mention that i think it is awesome. Anything that enhances the accessability of an artform is a great thing. The stand up there on a stage and open up the show to anyone who wants to try it is such a good thing (and i mean to watch, do or hear about).

And now i must mention that the Monday night at the Toad tonight will serve as a going away party for Michal Grajewski (GrewG, Juice, Grewj). He has been a mainstay at the Toad back in the IMprov Supper Club days when it was held at the Toad on Main, then when it was the Improviser's Studio at Olive Me. He has been a huge part of the Manitoba Improv League and a fabulous performer. He is running away to Toronto where he will find much success and he will then bring success to all those Winnipeggers who love him.

We will miss you GrewG!