Ed Kowalczyk Discusses New Beginnings Rocker Opens Up About His Solo Career And The Projects That Keep Him Going Meagen Thomas (Photo: Courtesy of the artist) Saskatoon, SK — Face it: when a relationship ends, there's bound to be unresolved issues and hard feelings, particularly when 'it's not you, it's me; I just want a break for a while' enters the conversation. In 2009, Ed Kowalczyk wanted a break from Live, of which he'd been lead singer and primary songwriter for the better part of 20 years. The warm and cordial hiatus announced in June became a frosty, bitter break-up by winter amid a flurry of allegations about Kowalczyk's making alleged side-deals and various contract shenanigans. "So much about it was said on the Internet, I can't even keep track," Kowalczyk says. "I hit an end of chapter moment three years ago; it was time to do something different." "I wanted to rediscover my passion and flame for music," he continues. And so began a solo career with his 2010 solo album Alive. The bleakest months of winter will find Kowalczyk touring Canada in support of the album, but these days it's not uncommon to find the rocker supporting causes and projects that have special meaning for him. It would be unfair to label Kowalczyk a 'cause celeb' even though he's become a prominent proponent for World Vision. Kowalczyk decided to make a difference by publicly hooking up with the humanitarian relief organization in support of their efforts to provide clean water to rural Zambia. "In my new career I'm getting more engaged with things I want to do," he states. "On my first U.S. solo tour [in 2010] and in Australia, World Vision came with the tour and we connected more than 250 kids with new sponsors," Kowalczyk explains. "It was only for a couple of weeks, but the response during the short time was incredible." Kowalczyk made his pitch during his encore where he took the opportunity to explain what the organization was all about. "People dialled into my lyric over the years and it was such a personal moment, he states. "They came running, even World Vision was like, 'Wow, that's amazing.'" In late January, Kowalczyk announced that $5,000 in profits from online and concert sales of an autographed, limited edition of his Grace CD had just been sent to World Vision. He also had his heart on his sleeve during the 2008 presidential campaign, and was among the many high-profile entertainers to perform in support of President Barack Obama. The relationship he holds most dear is the one he shares with his wife and three young daughters, but fans who loved him with Live and still cleave to him in his new solo career hold a special place in his heart, too. "I feel like I'm still introducing myself to people and I'm in the midst of a hodge podge of things, like touring and writing and getting to Canada," Kowalczyk states. "My next release is ongoing, but the goal is to having something this year; there are a lot of plates spinning but that's my plan." Ed Kowalczyk Where: Odeon Events Centre When: Feb. 14 Cost: $25 + Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372. After Presence Explores The Art Of Absence Varied Artists Celebrate Fading Away In New MacKenzie Art Gallery Exhibit Alex J MacPherson (Photos: Clockwise from top left: Liz Major "Table Ashtray"; Shary Boyle "Bat"; Liz Magor "Hudson's Bay Double"; Jack Anderson "On Des Esseintes Retiring to his Country House Near Fontenay Series, Untitled #3" and "On Des Esseintes Retiring to his Country House Near Fontenay Series, Untitled #4") Regina, SK — We live in a world of presence, of concrete objects, of things clamouring for our attention, but a new show at the MacKenzie Art Gallery explores the art in the act of fading away. After Presence examines the relationship between presence and its absence. Our attention is so often commanded by presence, imposing edifices of art, architecture and technology — but it need not be that way. Head curator Timothy Long is interested in the opposite effect, how fading presence compels reflection and self-awareness. "This is artwork in retreat or moving away from the viewer, leaving us not with its presence but with an after presence," explains Long. "Society works on this principle of spectacle and mediated presence and it all seems to be encroaching on our consciousness. To make an artwork that does the opposite is a very interesting gesture." The exhibit includes a diverse collection of work from Jack Anderson, Shary Boyle, David Claerbout and Liz Magor, and features everything from a video installation to delicate monoprints. The thread tying them all together, explains Long, is the exploration of presence. If presence compels attention, its absence demands reflection; After Presence, declares Long, focuses on things that are neither big nor bold nor brash — the vanishing points of our world. "The show comes at an opportune time considering current debates about globalization, about the ninety-nine and the one," he states. "It addresses asymmetries between those who have real power and those who are powerless, and how conditions of visibility affect them both." "There are a lot of artists who are working in complex ways, thinking about our world and our response to it," he continues. "The whole question of presence is so abstract: I really wanted to focus it down on the issue of who is invisible." One of these artists is Jack Anderson, whose work is featured prominently in After Presence. Anderson is interested in the idea of representation and misrepresentation, and his works — two spartan monoprints — address the dichotomy between illusion and reality, depicting aristocratic forms, objects of real beauty and craftsmanship, in the act of vanishing. "The chandelier that I'm drawing seems to be dissembling," Anderson explains. "It could either be a magnificent gold chandelier hanging in the Palace of Versailles or one hanging for sale in the aisles of Walmart." "It's an expression of social differences between upper classes and lower classes," he continues. "We conduct our lives today seeking elite forms, we all [think we] deserve to be in five-star hotels when our lives are much more impoverished." Anderson says our collective yearning for authenticity has been stonewalled by the evolution of industry, the shift in focus from production to reproduction. Reproduction and artifice, he explains, are often easier to enjoy than the legitimate article. "We've been able to reproduce objects and each time we create something we're further and from the real [thing]," he states. "I can buy a $100 plastic chandelier and pretend I'm living the good life. It's gotten to the point where we're making simulations of simulations, so far from the original object we wouldn't know presence if it smacked us in the face." In essence Anderson's work is a protest against fabrication and an ode to authenticity. The true aesthete lives in artifice and knows it, he says; we live in artifice and are blind to it. In Coming of Age at the End of History, Camille de Toledo argues for a new mode of existence. De Toledo's notion of "lucid romanticism," says Anderson, "is not romanticism for simply beauty or some kind of internal experience, but doing [these things] with meaning, looking for substance in our life. "People are feeling that they have no presence in the social [sphere]," he continues. "One has to, in one's own life, create one's own meaning…[that is] what I might be getting at in this work." Anderson and Long agree that the work in After Presence is complex, intellectually and artistically, but both men also recognize that any good work of art requires multiple entry points. Accessibility is fundamental; without it the work can never create a presence. Or for that matter, an after presence. After Presence Where: MacKenzie Art Gallery When: February 4 – April 8 Cost: Free! Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372. Five Qs With Delee DeCap Queen City Painter Talks Past, Present, Future Plans Meagen Thomas "Horse, profile" (24 x 22) & "Horse, walking" (24 x 36) by Delee DeCap (Photo: courtesy of the artist) Delee DeCap has a rare gift of making the intimate accessible and accessible intimate through her unique approach to familiar subject matter. Regina-based artist DeCap took some time to chat with Verb about her upcoming exhibition at Rouge Gallery. Meagen Thomas: What's the theme of your exhibition? Delee DeCap: The title of the show is Equine Series, and I focus on horses. There will be somewhere between 20 and 25 pieces, which I am still working on in the weeks leading up to the show. I typically paint solitary human figures, but I painted a few horses and really enjoyed working with that particular muscular structure. MT: What attracts you to these subjects? DD: I find it difficult to focus on one area — figurative, landscape, abstract. I eventually landed with figurative, but still dabble in others to give myself a break and/or a new perspective. Figurative painting gives me the challenge I need, and I relate to the subjects I paint. MT: How did you become an artist? DD: I grew up in Lafleche, Saskatchewan. As an adult, I lived in many cities across Canada: Vancouver, Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Regina, Toronto, Waterloo and Halifax. Some of the moves were for education, other moves [were] to live in a new city and experience new things. I worked in fine dining as a server and in reforestation as a tree planter. I dabbled a bit in office administration, but quickly found out that office politics were not for me. That played a role in deciding I wanted to work for myself, and after considering many options, knew that if I put the time into developing my skills I might be able to find some success as a painter. MT: Did you train professionally? DD: I went back to school and received a Bachelor of Arts majoring in Fine Arts from the University of Waterloo in 2008, followed with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the Nova Scotia College of Art and Design in 2009. MT: What are you striving for in your work? DD: I want to continue developing, evolving and improving my work over time. For my artwork to be recognizable and to obtain consistent financial reward would be good, but above that, to feel some satisfaction with what I am producing while maintaining a desire to make it better. Delee DeCap Where: Rouge Gallery When: Feb 10–25 Cost: Free! Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372. 5 Qs: DIWC's Romeo & Juliet Director Hillstrom Talks Post-Apocalyptic Shakespeare Alex J MacPherson Do It With Class Young People's Theatre Group practice sparring for stage fighting scenes. (Photo: courtesy of Jeff Hamon) There are countless reasons why Shakespeare's plays are still revered today, chief among them his ability to write universal stories. The Regina-based theatre group Do It With Class Young People's Theatre is staging a new production of Romeo & Juliet to highlight the Bard's universality and the abilities of young actors in Saskatchewan. Verb caught up with director Andorlie Hillstrom to chat about working with young people, Shakespeare's relevance and post-apocalyptic Romeo & Juliet. Alex J MacPherson: First off, tell me a bit about the DIWC group. Andorlie Hillstrom: Do It With Class has existed for several years, we're going into our twentieth season. When we started out initially we had about nine young people involved between eight and 14; that has now become more like 50 young people. We were providing them with a musical theatre opportunity but I dug my heels in and insisted we have a drama component. Now on a yearly basis we add in a Shakespeare piece. AJM: What prompted you to choose Romeo & Juliet? AH: Romeo & Juliet is a perfect choice for young people because they relate, they absolutely relate to this tragic story. It provides them also with a wonderful learning opportunity — how many kids are given the opportunity in high school to work with professionals who are teaching them the basics of stage fighting, choreography, dialogue? It's just an incredible learning opportunity. AJM: Plenty of people struggle with Shakespeare. How difficult is this production to stage? AH: It's probably the most challenging I've done with the kids but they just throw themselves into it. The young people who are in this company, the majority of them have been with us from an early age. They're used to expecting challenges, and we're already developing young people to deal with things in a mature fashion. These kids are incredibly focused. AJM: You changed the setting of this production. Why? AH: I always choose a different premise for my shows. Last year we set A Midsummer Night's Dream in India, and it worked beautifully. So many Shakespearean plays work beautifully if you give them different settings. [This play] is set in a post-apocalyptic society approximately 20 years from now. It has provided us with tons of wonderful fun in putting together the show. It provides a real in with the kids, gets their heads spinning around something they can connect with easily. AJM: What's the appeal of doing Shakespeare for you as a director? AH: It provides connections for teachers and their students who may think that Shakespeare is kind of boring. Seeing young people their age actually performing it, they sit back and think maybe this is something I can understand … and connect with. My kids look forward to this every year. They all want to participate in the Shakespeare [production]. If they're doing that, I've done my job. Romeo & Juliet Where: Conexus Arts Centre When: 7:00pm; 14 – 16 February Cost: $15.50-$27.50 (Conexus Box Office) Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372. Sask. Rocker Shuyler Jansen Bringing Tour To The Bassment Meagen Thomas (Photo: courtesy of the artist) SASKATOON, SK — It's hard to pin down just what and who Shuyler Jansen is. Nothing is as it seems in the musician's poignant, driving, raw and at times devastatingly heartbreaking songs. Jansen's Voice From The Lake is a departure from his former alt-country tag into the farther reaches of his musical personality. "We all know that traditional country music is dead to some degree," Jansen says on his Facebook page. "It's the same with the blues; if you keep doing one kind of music then you're automatically limiting yourself so much." "That's not what I want to do and not where I want to end up," he continues. "I don't want to chase away the roots fans; in some ways I think that being obsessed with one kind of music is admirable, but I'm not one of those people."" Jansen will be taking Voice From The Lake on the road this spring, backed by perennial Saskatoon favourites, Foam Lake. For Jansen, this record marks a new beginning. "Finishing this record has given me a huge sense of both happiness and relief," he states. "I almost feel like I did in my late teens and early twenties in terms of making the kind of music I've always wanted to make." Recorded in Vancouver with John Collins and Dave Carswell, or JC/DC — the city's finest purveyors of pop-rock, and the sonic architects of modern classics by the New Pornographers, Destroyer, Tegan & Sara, and others — Voice From The Lake also features contributions from Neko Case's collaborator and guitarist Paul Rigby, who most recently was part of Jakob Dylan's Three Legs band, along with former Old Reliable drummer Mike Silverman, Vancouver keyboardist Ford Pier and members of The Deep Dark Woods. Shuyler Jansen Where: The Bassment When: Feb 10, 9pm Cost: $12-$15 Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372. Hilarious Play Countries Shaped Like Stars Revisits, Refines Love Alex J MacPherson (Photo: courtesy of Alex Cairncross) Regina, SK — Altogether too often art is framed as an intellectual endeavour, but two actors from Ottawa think theatre should be about pure enjoyment, a chance to reconsider how our eyes see the world. Countries Shaped Like Stars is a two-person play staged by Emily Pearlman and Nicolas Di Gaetano of Ottawa. Tracing the magical romance of Gwendolyn Magnificent and Bartholomew Spectacular, Counties Shaped Like Stars is a living fairy tale, a hilarious and touching romp through a fantastical world. But this is not a play for children: despite the trappings of whimsy and make-believe, the characters are archetypes, their world a stand-in for our own. That's not to say those watching won't be entirely enthralled, though — Pearlman and Di Gaetano cultivate a real relationship with their audiences, largely by including them. "So often theatre people use it like it's a movie," says Pearlman. "They create something onstage that you could often just transfer onto a screen. I think the most important thing for us is that we wanted to create a piece with an integral role for the audience, that they become a part of the storytelling." Pearlman compares Countries Shaped Like Stars to a rock concert. While this might seem somewhat implausible at first, if only because most people regard theatre as high art, Pearlman states that it doesn't have to be that way. "Both Nick and I started talking about why we enjoy going to rock shows more than theatre a lot of the time," she explains. "It's the fact that it was a casual atmosphere. The rules are a lot different — when you go to a rock show you're allowed to chat." Applying this logic to the stage resulted in a relaxed atmosphere that blurred the line dividing audience and performers. Which, states Pearlman, isn't all that easy to create. "We definitely have to draw them into it," she says of the audience. "We try to make it a relationship built rather than imposed right off the bat." The trick, she continues, is to regard the show not as a play but as an exercise in storytelling. "I think the [intimacy] comes from the fact that we talk a lot about how we are performers in this rather than actors," Pearlman declares. "It's not so much that we're acting out the story: we're telling the story. And in storytelling you have to be talking to someone." And while Countries Shaped Like Stars explores universal themes — primarily love — Pearlman hopes the play helps audiences think about common ideas in a different way. "Nick and I talk a lot about the politics of whimsy," she declares. "We think it's really important to provide opportunities for adults to be able to feel the wonder of a child, to be able to feel that moment of discovery." "We're making theatre where everything is important," Pearlman continues. "We don't need tons of flashy things to open up that sense of wonder." Countries Shaped Like Stars Where: Globe Theatre When: February 16-25 Cost: $20 (globetheatrelive.com or Globe Theatre Box Office) Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372. Refinery Hosts Tour De Force Play East Of Berlin Meagen Thomas Saskatoon, SK — The play East of Berlin, which is being staged at The Refinery, is a ghost story of sorts, but not of the supernatural variety. It's one in which echoes from a not too distant past resonate and bring fresh torment and anguish to the lives and psyches of the characters. "All the characters in the play are haunted by the Holocaust and their identities are bound to it," Hannah Moscovitch told Shalom Life. Not that East of Berlin is a Holocaust play per-se. Moscovitch balances horror with humour and levity with gravitas, and critics have praised it as a compelling and complex work. "As I wrote the play I was wracked with anxiety about the jokes, the subject matter, and the pathos," Moscovitch declared. "Offending the audience is sometimes the point but it wasn't what I was aiming for. Honestly, I tend to write dark humour, that's my sensibility as a writer." East of Berlin begins in 1960s Paraguay, where Rudi grows up entirely unaware of the horrific role his father, a Nazi doctor, played during the war. After discovering the devastating truth, he travels to Berlin in an attempt to make amends and start a new life. Written in 1997, East of Berlin was Moscovitch's first full-length play. The 33-year-old playwright has won multiple Dora Mavor Moore Awards, was nominated for the Governor General's Award, the Carol Bolt Award, the Toronto Arts Council Foundation Emerging Artist Award, the K. M. Hunter Artists Award and the international Susan Smith Blackburn Prize. East of Berlin, a Know Tomorrow Theatre production, stars James Aaron, Chris Hapke and Heather Morrison, and is directed by Brian Cochrane, with set and lighting design by Byron Hnatuk and stage management by Liz King. East of Berlin Where: The Refinery When: Feb 2–5, 9–12 Cost: $18.50-$21.50 (653-9151) Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372. Hypnotist Wayne Lee Discusses Altering Reality Alex J MacPherson Hypnotist Wayne Lee on stage at the U of A's Week of Welcome 2011 (Photo: courtesy of Robert Lees-Miller) Regina, SK — The notion that a champion amateur wrestler turned schoolteacher would drop everything to become a hypnotist seems, well, bizarre. Until you meet Wayne Lee, that is. Lee first encountered hypnosis at a nightclub show. He had experienced the trauma of losing a chance to compete at the Olympics and was working as a teacher when he had his "mind blown" that night. After that he began buying books and essays on the subject, immersing himself in the literature of thought and reality. Now he is one of the most widely respected hypnotists in Canada, a popular entertainer and profound speaker. "Ultimately, if you buy into the premise that thoughts really do create our reality, which I do, what you see onstage is a very amplified, very mystical, very entertaining way of delivering that message," declares Lee. Lee's performances are grounded in the principles of entertainment, but informed by a wide range of beliefs and influences, chief among them the notion that the brain puts up roadblocks, unconscious barriers hindering progress. Hypnosis, he muses, is based on the power of suggestion, "being able to release any stress tension or negative noise going on in the head, [and] being more able to accept suggestions." "A lot of people think it's mind control," he continues, admitting that there will always be skeptics. Lee knows this and works hard to demonstrate that hypnosis is neither an invasion of privacy nor anything resembling mind control. "You have to be willing," he explains. "If people aren't willing I'll do my best to influence them, to persuade them, to get them into that state. But it comes down to wanting to do it." When he encounters a willing crowd Lee's show is electrifying. Hypnotized audience members perform for the crowd, doing things most of us would never consider trying in front of anyone, especially not a room full of strangers. "We all have hidden performers in us; the only thing that stops that is fear," states Lee. And while Lee sees himself as an entertainer, he also wants audiences to leave inspired. Convinced that learning need not be boring, he works hard to show people that positivity can lead to radical changes. "It's a personal development tool, teaching people how their thoughts create their reality," he says. "It really transforms them." "You know," he reflects, "I was a skeptic. Now I really believe it." Wayne Lee Where: Casino Regina When: 10 February 2012 Cost: $20-$25, Casino Regina Box Office Feedback? Text it to 306-881-8372.