Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Toronto, ON – Live from the Annex’s November 3 line up includes IF THE POET (Performance Poetry), Silvi Santoso (Comic), Avro (Music), Plum Thunder (Sketch), Sasha Wentges (MC) and Green Majority (CSI Company Profile). In addition, the show features Brunswick Stew (Improv). The ‘Live from the Annex’ show runs the first Tuesday of every month in 2015, 8 p.m. – 10 p.m., and takes place in ‘The Garage,’ at the Centre for Social Innovation - Annex location, 720 Bathurst Street, Toronto. Beer, wine and refreshments are offered for sale before, during and after intermission at the CSI Coffee Pub. $15 tickets are available on a first-come, first-serve basis http://www.eventbrite.ca/e/live-from-the-annex-comedy-music-cabaret-series-tickets-18486127505 and livefromtheannex.com. Follow on Twitter #LFTAnnex and Facebook and email to livefromtheannex@gmail.com. The comedy and music show is broadcast live to the world-wide web via Dailymotion.com/YouAndMedia. For ‘Live from the Annex’ video, see bit.ly/LFTAnnex_FILM and a series promo at http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x2zoqnv_live-from-the-annex-promo-video_fun.
Plum Thunder is Troy Martin, Bryan Paccagnella and Erin Crouse. This sketch/web video collective from Toronto is thrilled to be in LFTAnnex on November 3 and wants to leave the audience equal parts amazed and aroused. “Like being frisked by a street magician,” says Paccagnella, “We are all big fans of the show, and can't wait to strut our stuff!” (youtube.com/ThePlumThunder)
Performing on November 3 is ‘IF,’ a.k.a. Ian French, a performance poet, musician and filmmaker. “My poems channel the wisdom of Spirit, the rage of the wounded and the yearning that resides in every human heart,” he says, “Every poem, I write is a ‘shout out’ to the sacredness of our days, a three chord party jam, and a tribute to the triumph of love over fear. My poetry is about the art of personal transformation and a celebration of life.” IF is a member of the 2013 National Championship, Toronto Slam Poetry Team, winner of 2013 Buffalo International Slam and the 2015 Canadian Individual Slam Poetry Champion. On November 12 at 9 p.m., CBC will be airing the documentary IF THE POET, chronicling IF’s poetic journey, from his embarrassing Slam debut at age 50, and culminating in his attempt to win the World Cup of Slam Poetry, in Paris France, at age 55. (https://twitter.com/ifthepoet)
Ignite News calls her a Renaissance woman, referring to Silvi Santoso’s work as a mother of three, a food inspector and an editor. And that she studied in three different countries with a background in science and in theatre. And that she sings, dances and also paints. Also a comedian, she travels across Canada and the United States to deliver her stand-up. LFTAnnex is thrilled she is performing in its November 3rd show. For a link to see Santoso in a recorded performance, visit https://youtu.be/uh7olRGBAYc.
Avro is an all-Canadian alternative cover band. On November 3rd, the band members will include Tamara Williamson, Patty Ewaschum and Tania Joy, playing songs they think people would love to hear live and that people should hear live. Avro covers songs by bands such as Elliot Brood, Metric, City in Colour, Sarah Harmer, Arcade Fire and many more. On behalf of the band, musician/songwriter/producer Tamara Williamson, says “The Annex Cabaret show is awesome fun and makes me happy… happiness is good for the environment!” Williamson, herself a recording artist, has released six CDs in Canada and has toured Europe and America. (www.myspace.com/tamarawilliamson)
This month’s Annex Improv Brunswick Stew features is a performance ensemble under the direction of Brian G. Smith, with Lee Cohen on keyboards: Timna Ben-Ari, Tom King, Tony Lee, Steve Lyon, Laurie Murphy, David Perlman and guest improviser Karen Parker. (http://www.anneximprov.com/sign-up.html)
Sasha Wentges is a ‘Live from the Annex’ co-producer and is this month’s show MC. She is a producer, director and award-winning actress. With Mea Culpa, she co-produced/facilitated over a decade of lively cabarets in the Montreal scene. She has also directed/produced many theatrical creations, including The Factory Project with Studio 303 and OUT productions in Montreal as well as Collected Stories at the Tarragon Theatre, in Toronto. She is currently finishing her graduate studies at the European Graduate School in Saas-fee Switzerland, utilizing the expressive arts in peace building and conflict transformation fields. In the world of comedy, she has directed Sheldon Inkol’s run-away hit: Uninvited, which showcased at the New Ideas Festival and the SummerWorks Festival. She also had a stint directing the sketch comedy troupe: Boiled Wieners, in Yellow Robot and the Table of Terror at the Poor Alex and is a founding member of Brunswick Stew.
The CSI member profiled this month is The Green Majority, a CSI-based company producing free environmental media since 2006 through our internationally syndicated radio program, video projects, and conferences. “We believe that education remains the most critical portion of the environmental movement, and our work reflects these values, says Director Daryn Caister. Previous collaborations have included work with Toronto350, Earth Day Canada, Alternatives Journal and Tim Nash (the sustainable investor). “We’re currently fundraising for our most recent project, Climate Cartoons, which uses simple language and hand drawn animation to talk through the big ‘need to know’ climate change and energy issues, so we can hurry up and do something about it.” (http://socialinnovation.ca/community/organizations/green-majority-media).
The final ‘Live from the Annex’ show in 2015 takes place on Tuesday, December 1. The holiday cabaret gala with Toronto’s top comedy and music acts and celebrity guest improvisers will be a celebration of the cabaret’s first year in production. Doors open at 7:30 p.m., with curtain at 8 p.m. Beer, wine and refreshments are offered for sale before, during and after intermission at the CSI Coffee Pub. Hummus and chips are provided gratis.
The series is produced by Sasha Wentges (Mea Culpa), Laurie Murphy (MARRAM) and Brian G. Smith (Annex Improv) with support from sponsors and partners including Dailymotion, Centre for Social Innovation and Analytical Engine Interactive.
Photo: Brunswick Stew Improv Group. ©2015.
2015-10-20
Toronto: "Live from the Annex" announces its November 3 line-up