EQUITY QUARTERLY spring 2010

40th Anniversary of the NAC The harsh reality of censorship EQ Can we speak freely in Canada? By continuing to create performances that help people see the world from different points of view — we can ensure artistic expression thrives here in Canada, and around the world. EQUITY QUARTERLY Spring 2010 EQ volume 4 number 1

NAC’s resident 2 President’s message 6 3 notes FROM ARDEN RYSHPAN acting company 4 letterS to the editor 10 Artistic freedom 5 eq moves in Canada 8 eQ&A 9 Backstage 15 The worldwide 18 fondly remembered struggle facing 20 eq classifieds artists 21 eq flashback

Equity members are encouraged to submit ideas for articles, memorial notices and letters to the editor Coming issue: Summer 2010 via email ([email protected]) or on disk with accompanying hard copy. The copy deadline for submissions is Subscriptions are available at an annual rate of $35, including GST. EQ Monday, May 3, 2010. EQ reserves the right to edit for length, style and content. Publications Mail Agreement No. 40038615 Spring 2010 – Volume 4, Number 1 EQ Equity Quarterly (ISSN 1913-2190) is a forum to communicate to Equity members the activities of EQ is published four times a year by Canadian Actors’ Equity Association. Executive editor Lynn McQueen the Association and issues of concern to the Association. With the exception of the editorial staff, the National Office views expressed in solicited or unsolicited articles are not necessarily the views of the Association. 44 Victoria Street, 12th Floor, , ON M5C 3C4 editor Barb Farwell Tel: 416-867-9165 | Fax: 416-867-9246 | Toll-free: 1-800-387-1856 (members only) Canadian Actors’ Equity Association (Equity) is the voice of professional artists working in live [email protected] | www.caea.com DEsign & Layout Chris Simeon, performance in English Canada. We represent more than 5,500 performers, directors, choreographers, September Creative Western Office fight directors and stage managers working in theatre, opera and dance, and support their creative efforts 736 Granville Street, Suite 510, Vancouver, BC V6Z 1G3 by seeking to improve their working conditions and opportunities by negotiating and administering Tel: 604-682-6173 | 604-682-6174 | Toll free: 1-877-682-6173 (members only) collective agreements, providing benefit plans, information and support and acting as an advocate. [email protected]

Cover: Thanks to Equity member Tara Nicodemo for letting us censor her with mannequin arms representing the faceless opponents of freedom of expression President’s message

One of the great challenges in writing this column is the early editorial deadline relative to the date it finally lands in your mailbox or inbox. As I write this, the Olympics are still in full swing. The urge to say “Hey! Guess what we just did!” is always tempered by the knowledge that, by the time you read it, it won’t be “just” anything anymore. Enter the blog! In the last issue, I mentioned that it would be up and running soon, and now it is. I used the first few postings for a basic introduction to Council. Now that my inner teacher is (mostly) satisfied, I have moved on to more timely announcements. You can find the blog at councilconnection.blogspot.com. New posts come out roughly every other week at the moment. Swing by on a regular basis, but if you like, we’ll come to you. You can sign up for an RSS feed to receive a short preview of each new post. If the topic is of interest to you, you can jump right from the preview to the full post. The link to enable subscription appears at the bottom of the blog page. And you can write back, which is the other bonus of the blog format. Don’t be shy. If you are of a generation (not so far removed from mine) for whom the word “blog” suggests an affliction you really ought to call the plumber about, never fear: Important topics will continue to appear in this column and in the Council Link – just not quite so fresh off the presses. Council held its first all-business meeting of the term in late February, where the agenda included reintroduction to most of the major topics carried over from last term, and some new ones as well. Current major issues include a review of the process for joining Equity, insurance benefits, and inde- pendent or member-initiated production. Add to those a constant stream of the many mid-size and smaller topics that help keep the organization running smoothly, and it is always a very full agenda. Fourteen hours of meetings, more than 20 significant topics, plus administrative items – boy do we know how to have a good time! Before I sign off, let me make the annual pitch for honours nominations. Every year, Equity Council presents Life Membership, Honorary Membership and the Larry McCance Award to candidates proposed by you, the members. It is our opportunity to recognize excellence within, and outside, the membership. The last honours presentation was held at the Gladstone Hotel in Toronto and it was a fantastic evening. This year the presentation will be held in Calgary in late October, and it promises to be just as good. (Hint to Calgary…) Somewhere, among the membership and the greater live performance community, are this year’s honourees, but we don’t know who they are yet. You may. Take five minutes, consider who among your colleagues deserve special recognition and let us know. There are many mini-communities in this business, and we will never know of some of the most deserving candidates unless you tell us. Application details are on the home page of EQUITYONLINE (www.caea.com) or available by calling either of Equity’s offices. Here’s hoping spring has sprung wherever you are.

Allan Teichman President

2 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 Notes from Arden Ryshpan

It is astonishing the things that some people find objectionable. I remember many years ago when the police attempted to close down an exhibition by an extraordinary Canadian sculptor named Mark Prent on the grounds of obscenity. No, his work was not about sex, but did contain human body parts displayed in an admittedly disturbing way. They weren’t real body parts, just for the record, only exceptionally life-like ones. Twenty odd years later, someone paid British artist Damien Hirst $12 million for real animal parts displayed in much the same way as Prent’s not real human parts. My, how our perception of what is appropriate (and what has value) has changed. Theatre, partially because of its immediacy, has always been a platform for the exploration of difficult subjects and therefore (also because of its immediacy), has been subject to its fair share of controversy and censorship. However, given what is now available over the Internet (porn to propaganda) one has to wonder if there are still new boundaries to challenge, at least in the Western world. Are there actually any taboos anymore; could there be anything so far out on the edge that it would bring down the wrath of Big Brother, or big government? Well, apparently, there is. We were all surprised to read about the clause in the contract that VANOC insisted that artists par- ticipating in the recent Cultural Olympiad sign. The clause basically said that the participants couldn’t say anything bad about either the Olympics or any of the many corporate sponsors. While many (most? all?) of the works didn’t even contemplate taking on that subject matter (as most of the work wasn’t even about the darned things in the first place), a number of people refused to sign. They stated that it had an inappropriately chilling effect on free expression and therefore declined the opportunity to participate. Furthermore, it was quickly revealed that no such statement was required for the partici- pants of at least the previous two Winter Games’ Cultural Olympiads. (I should add a note here – the copyright restrictions on the use of a long list of words during the Olympics were so specific that I am not entirely sure as I write this that I am not in violation by stringing that particular sequence of words together. I guess we’ll have to wait and see if the powers that be bother to come after me.) We had talked about doing an issue of EQ on censorship and this controversy during the Olympics was all the encouragement we needed. We waited until the games were over as we would not have wanted to deliberately or inadvertently put any of our members or their work at risk as a result of anything published in this magazine. But what happened in Vancouver is ample , if any was needed, that the right to free artistic expression is never guaranteed. Artists choose their subjects for all sorts of reasons, including the desire to see issues and concerns that normally reside in the dimly lit recesses of our minds or of our society get dragged into the light and thrashed out. Theatre, with its visceral power, its in-your-face presentation, its “you can’t turn me off and leave the room” urgency, is the ideal place for this stuff – this dark stuff – to find its voice and speak to whoever will listen. We must all be vigilant in order to ensure that those voices don’t get silenced.

Arden R. Ryshpan Executive Director

spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 3 Letters to the editor

To Douglas Campbell’s friends it comes to funding. We have seen sporting Letters on subjects of concern to Equity members will be considered for publication. Letters must I have been so grateful for the letters, emails, organizations standing side-by-side with the- be signed, but names will be withheld on request for those letters that may affect members’ employment. phone calls, and visits from Douglas Camp- atre companies and art galleries to protest the Letters that include artistic criticism of Equity members or letters that are antagonistic or accusatory, either implied bell’s beloved theatre friends. I am hoping changes being made to the money distrib- or expressed, may be withheld or edited at the discretion of the editor. Opinions expressed in Letters to the Editor to respond to all eventually, but it may take uted through the B.C. Gaming Commission. are not necessarily those of the Association. me some time. Meanwhile, know that you And while our current government seems PHOTO AND PRODUCTION CREDITS Cover, inside front cover, contents page and various have all helped to heal my sad heart – and to be turning a blind eye toward the arts censorship images throughout: Chris Blanchenot. Page 5: Photo: Scott Munn. No Great Mischief (2009) those of all Douglas’s family. And very many when it comes to funding, we are seeing by David S. Young, adapted from the novel by Alistair MacLeod, produced by Neptune Theatre. Directed by Richard thanks to all who came to the memorial cel- support from elsewhere. The Metro Van- Rose. Cast: John Francis Dunsworth, Duncan Fraser, Stephen Guy-McGrath, Martha Irving, Shannon Lynch, Billy MacLellan, ebrations and to those who so movingly couver Board wrote not one, but two let- David Mcllwraith and Scott Owen. Stage managed by Donna took part. Also to the Segal Centre (Mon- ters demanding that the government listen MacMillan assisted by Shani Hamilton Greenlaw. Page 6: Photo: Andrée Lanthier. Mother Courage and treal), Christ Church (Vancouver) and the to its own Standing Committee on Finance’s her Children (2010) by Bertolt Brecht co-produced by the National Arts Centre English Theatre Company and Stratford Festival for their extraordinary unanimous recommendation to restore the the Manitoba Theatre Centre. Directed by Peter Hinton. Cast: Nisha Ahuja (apprentice), Michael Blake, Richard generosity in welcoming our celebrations funding to the 2008/2009 levels. In the Donat, Randi Helmers, Tanja Jacobs, Geordie Johnson, Kris Joseph, Ron Kennell, John Koensgen, Jani Lauzon, – Douglas would have loved them, as he December issue of Business in Vancouver, Julie Tamiko Manning, Alex McCooeye (apprentice), Niall Patrick McNeil (apprentice), Matt Miwa (apprentice), loved all of you. the paper’s owner commented on the bad Jeremiah M. Sparks, Waneta Storms and Matthew Tapscott. Production stage managed by Michael Hart Moira Wylie, Wife of Douglas Campbell business of the planned cuts, calling the arts assisted by Joan Vanstone Osborn and rehearsal stage managers Stéfanie Séguin and Samira Rose. “the infrastructure to a creative economy” Page 7: Top left photo: Andrée Lanthier. The Ecstasy of Rita Joe (2009) by George Ryga co-produced by the B.C. arts funding crisis but also recognizing that the economic case National Arts Centre English Theatre Company and the Western Canada Theatre. Directed by Yvette Nolan. Cast: Thank you very much for the article for what artists do is “a sideshow to the real Pierre Brault, Layne Coleman, Ryan Cunningham, Todd Duckworth, Telly James, Darcey Johnson, Falen Johnson, regarding the drastic cuts planned for arts contribution arts make.” The Vancouver Kevin Loring, Renae Morriseau, Jeremy Proulx, Michelle St. John, Lisa Ravensbergen and August Schellenberg. Stage and culture funding in B.C. Foundation recently announced plans to managed by Kelly Manson assisted by Samira Rose. Top right photo: Andrée Lanthier. A Christmas Carol (2009) As you know, the recent budget tabled by double its funding to the arts sector this year; by Charles Dickens produced by the National Arts Centre English Theatre Company. Directed by Peter Hinton. Cast: the current B.C. Government didn’t include and we continue to have strong supporters, Nisha Ahuja (apprentice), Michael Blake, Richard Donat, Randi Helmers, Tanja Jacobs, Geordie Johnson, Kris Joseph, the 90% cuts that we feared, nor was fund- like MLA Spencer Herbert, who will ensure Ron Kennell, John Koensgen, Jani Lauzon, Julie Tamiko Manning, Alex McCooeye (apprentice), Niall Patrick McNeil ing restored to the 2008/2009 levels as we that we will not go down quietly! Thank you (apprentice), Matt Miwa (apprentice), Stephen Ouimette, Jeremiah M. Sparks, Waneta Storms, and Matthew Tapscott. had hoped. The numbers fell somewhere again for the coverage given to the “fight” Production stage managed by Jane Vanstone Osborn assisted by Stéfanie Séguin. Bottom photo: Photo Features in between, but overall it appears that the out here…the struggle continues. Ltd. Mother Courage and her Children (1979/80) by Bertolt Brecht produced by the National Arts Centre. Directed by funding has been reduced by what the Kerry Davidson, John Woods with the performers and stage management of the inaugural resident ensemble at the NAC. Alliance for Arts and Culture sees as about Proud Equity member in B.C. Page 8: Photo of Judith Thompson by David Laurence. Bottom photo: Cylla von Tiedemann. White Biting Dog 32%, with the funding to B.C. Arts Coun- (1994) by Judith Thompson produced by Tarragon Theatre as part of the du Maurier World Stage. Directed cil being cut by 53% from the 2008/2009 by Morris Panych. Cast: Patricia Collins, Maria Lamont, Daniel MacIvor, Peter MacNeill and David Storch. Stage levels and the B.C. Gaming Commission managed by Cheryl Francis. contribution to arts cut by 58%. Already Page 10: I Love You, Baby Blue published script cover courtesy of Theatre Passe Muraille and Archival and Special strapped organizations are wondering how, Collections, University of Guelph Library. Newspaper headline from The Sunday Sun (April 20, 1975) courtesy of Archival and indeed, if, they will manage to survive. and Special Collections, University of Guelph Library. Page 12: Photo from I Love You, Baby Blue published script We have already seen one local dance com- courtesy of Theatre Passe Muraille and Archival and Special Collections, University of Guelph Library. pany relocate to Europe for at least the next Page 14: Photo: James May. My Name is Rachel Corrie (2007) taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie, edited two years, one theatre company announce by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner produced by Sage Theatre. Directed by Ian Prinsloo. Cast: Adrienne Smook. that future programming is “on-hold,” and Production managed by Heather Crossan and stage TYA companies cancelling school tours. managed by Rachel Parris. Page 15: Photo of Zarganar courtesy of the International If anything positive has come about as a The names of the artists were inadvertently Committee for Artists’ Freedom. Page 16: Photo courtesy of Christopher Morris. result of the blows being delivered by these reversed in this photograph in the Winter 2010 Page 18: Photo of Goldie Semple by David Cooper courtesy cuts, it is the way in which it has brought Equity Quarterly. This is (left to right) Mary of the Shaw Festival. Page 19: Photo of Joan Orenstein courtesy of Centaur Theatre. Ellen Mahoney, Louise Pitre and Gabrielle Jones organizations together that have histori- Page 21: News release courtesy of Archival and Special in the Toronto production of Mamma Mia! Collections, University of Guelph Library. cally been pitted against one another when

4 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 EQ Moves Onward and upward with the arts

The following Order of Canada announcements were made in December 2009: National Arts Centre English Theatre Artistic Director Peter Hinton, O.C., was made an Officer of the Order of Canada for his contributions as a champion of Canadian theatre, and as a director, playwright, teacher and theatre administrator. Actor , C.M., was made a Member of the Order of Canada in recognition of her contributions to the growth and development of Aboriginal perform- ing arts in Canada and as a founding member of the Saskatchewan Native Theatre Company. Toronto’s Wayne Strongman, C.M., was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his innovative contributions as the founding artistic director of Tapestry New Opera Works and as the long-time volunteer choral direc- tor for the Regent Park School of Music. Bob White, C.M., from Calgary, was made a Member of the Order of Canada for his contributions as a dramaturge in the creation, development and production of hundreds of new Canadian plays, and for his role in the promotion of arts and culture in Alberta.

Henry Woolf, Equity Life Member was honoured this January in Saskatoon for his contributions to the theatre world. Henry, who just turned 80, got his start in 1957 touring Ireland and performing in eight different Shakespeare plays a week. He taught at the Duncan Fraser received a Best Actor Robert Merritt Award for his work in Neptune University of Saskatchewan, and ran the Shakespeare Theatre’s production of No Great Mischief. (L to R) David McIlwraith, Duncan Fraser and Shannon Lynch on the Saskatchewan Festival for a decade. Kendra Fry is the new General Manager of Toronto’s Theatre Theatre directors Beatriz Pizano of Toronto and Christian Lapointe Passe Muraille. of City are the winners of the John Hirsch Prizes adminis- tered by the Canada Council for the Arts. The two $6,000 prizes Robin Phillips was named a 2010 recipient of a Governor Gen- are awarded every second year to emerging professional theatre eral’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime Artistic Achievement. directors – one working in English and one working in French. This prestigious honour is bestowed to artists who have made an Candidates must have no more than 10 years of experience as a enduring contribution to culture in Canada. professional director as well as have demonstrated great potential Jessica Wadsworth began work as the new Administrative Assistant in and an exciting artistic vision. Equity’s Western Office in early April, replacing Mario Montera. She Theatre actor, director, teacher and mentor John Koensgen was comes to the Association with an arts background as a writer, fund- named a finalist for the Victor Tolgesy Arts Award, awarded by the raiser, tour manager, project coordinator and general manager. Council for the Arts in in recognition of the accomplish- Theatre ’s 2010 Robert Merritt Awards were ments of a resident who has contributed substantially to enriching given out at Alderney Landing Theatre in Halifax on cultural life in the city. In addition, theatre director Patrick Gauthier March 29. Visit EQUITYONLINE at www.caea.com for a has been named a finalist for the RBC Emerging Artist Award. link to the Merritt Awards, the Rideau Awards (April 18 Ronda Kellington is the new Executive Director of the Playwrights in Ottawa, Ontario) and other award ceremonies across Guild of Canada. Canada in 2010. spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 5 A reflection of Canada’s many cultural perspectives

The NAC celebrates 40 years with the creation of a resident acting company

By Barb Farwell

Creating a resident acting company was a dream For example, when the cast was rehearsing A Christmas Carol it of Peter Hinton’s ever since he was appointed Artistic Director of was remarked that Ebenezer Scrooge’s experience of being sent the National Arts Centre (NAC) English theatre in 2005. away to boarding school in 1840s England had the same overtones “It is the mark of any great national theatre to have an ensem- of family dislocation that Aboriginal children sent to Residential ble of playwrights, directors and actors,” says Hinton. Schools in Canada had a century later. So, in recognition of its 40th anniversary, the NAC formed an “Never, in a million years would I have connected A Christmas English Theatre Company made up of 18 artists selected from Carol to Residential Schools,” says Hinton. across the country. The group has already appeared in two pro- This is not the first time the NAC has had a resident acting ductions, Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, and Bertolt Brecht’s company. When it was founded in 1969 it had a bilingual resident Mother Courage and her Children. Mother Courage went on to company that performed in plays in both French and English. play at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in February. Hinton says the resident company is here to stay, but it will To make the company as inclusive as possible, Hinton trav- continue to evolve. “It’s important to keep an open casting net elled with company dramaturg Paula Danckert to see productions over the next three years.” across the country. “Although the actor’s life is a gypsy’s life, Some Canadian productions are in the works, as well as adding some artists manage to stay in one area,” says Hinton. Therefore some Theatre for Young Audiences into the repertory. it was important to travel to places like Manitoba, Saskatchewan But the acting company is only part of the celebrations and Newfoundland to see local actors in action. surrounding the NAC’s 40th anniversary. The celebrations kicked The result is an ensemble that reinforces multiple perspectives, off last April with a performance of George Ryga’s The Ecstasy of says Hinton, which sometimes shines through in surprising ways. Rita Joe, which was the NAC’s first production 40 years ago. The

6 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 A reflection of Canada’s many cultural perspectives

opposite page: (L to R) Waneta Storms, Tanja Jacobs, Matthew Tapscott and Richard Donat in Bertolt Brecht’s Mother Courage and her Children, one of the first productions featuring the NAC’s new English Theatre Company

Top left: (L to R) Kevin Loring, August Schellenberg and Lisa Ravensbergen in last year’s production of The Ecstasy of Rita Joe by George Ryga. This was the NAC’s first production 40 years ago and kicked off the anniversary celebrations

Top Right: Members of the resident acting company (L to R) Waneta Storms, Stephen Ouimette, Julie Tamiko Manning, Michael Blake, Kris Joseph and Tanja Jacobs in A Christmas Carol. This was the first time the play had ever been performed at the NAC

Bottom: (L to R) Charles Fletcher, Benedict Campbell, Nicky Guadagni and the late Joan Orenstein in the 1979/80 NAC production of Mother Courage. Joan is Fondly Remembered on page 19

NAC will end the year-long celebration with Where the Blood In this very exciting and historic season, it is interesting that Hinton Mixes, by B.C. writer and actor Kevin Loring, which deals with seems most proud of bringing A Christmas Carol to the NAC in some of the same issues as Rita Joe, except 40 years later. Ottawa, where it has never played before. It turns out seasonal family “It’s a great picture of where we’ve travelled in 40 years. It theatre is what got Hinton hooked on theatre as a young child. bookends our 40th year,” says Hinton. “It fills the heart with joy to see young people coming to the Other productions during the anniversary celebrations included theatre for the first time,” he says. “This was our gift to the audi- The Drowsy Chaperone, the Canadian musical that was a smash ences in Ottawa.” on Broadway, and Night, by Christopher Morris, which was pre- For a complete list of the members of the NAC English Resident sented in Inuktitut and English and featured the theatre debut of Acting Company, you can go to http://www.nac-cna.ca/en/ young Nunavut actor Abbie Ootova. news/viewnews.cfm?ID=2007&cat=catET

spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 7 EQ&A Confronting our lives through theatre An EQ&A with playwright Judith Thompson

One of Canada’s most celebrated playwrights, Judith Thompson has not shied away from writing about controversial topics. Her debut play The Crackwalker, dealt with marginalized characters and ends with an infanticide. Other plays include I Am Yours, about class warfare and the struggle for possession of a newborn baby, and Lion in the Streets, about a murdered girl stalking her killer. She has twice won the Governor General’s Award for White Biting Dog and the anthology The Other Side of the Dark.

EQ: How can artists and creators avoid theatre, the voice of the playwright is the self-censorship when knowing that tack- voice of the play, with the director and ling sensitive topics may keep their work actors as interpreters. In the premiere pro- from being produced? duction the playwright is usually present at JT: They need to be trained from an early rehearsals, collaborating with the director. age to trust their own instincts, and tell EQ: Is it easier to write about sensitive the truth as they see it... on the other topics nowadays, or is it getting harder? hand, there is no need for gratuitous and EQ: What are some of the controversial graphic violence or sexuality – especially if JT: It is easy for me to write about sen- topics you have dealt with in your plays? it obscures the story you are trying to tell. sitive topics... people expect it from me And if it is exploitative, it is dangerous and now! And audiences very much want to JT: My plays have dealt with poverty, should not be allowed. engage with serious theatre. Entertain- infanticide, mental illness, suicide, class war, ment is fine, we all need distractions, but baby theft, child murder, disability, divorce, EQ: Is there a big difference in writing for my theatre has never been about enter- immigration, memory, epilepsy, NIMBYism film as opposed to theatre? tainment – which to me, means distraction (Not In My Back Yard), homelessness, war JT: Yes, a big difference. In film, one is from our lives, whereas theatre is about and torture. writing, ultimately, for the director. In the confronting our lives. EQ: Has a play of yours ever been cen- sored?

JT: No, but they are rarely done in large commercial houses.

EQ: How do negative reactions affect you as a creator?

JT: They don’t. There is such positive reac- tion to the truth that any negative reaction is irrelevant.

EQ: How to you work with artists in the rehearsal process to understand and feel true to challenging material?

JT: I try to tell stories and coax them to tell stories that relate to the material. I create a comfortable and non-judgmental atmo- sphere in the room so that the actors can (L to R) David Storch, Patricia Collins, Maria Lamont and Daniel MacIvor in Judith Thompson’s play White Biting Dog, which won the Governor General’s Award for Drama in 1985 draw on their own interior lives.

8 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 Make sure the new self-employed EQ Backstage EI benefits are right for you “While At the end of 2009 the Fairness for the Self-Employed Act was finally passed. This extends EI benefits Employment Insurance (EI) special benefits to people who are self-employed. These are voluntary benefits – which means you can decide whether or not you want to opt in are worth for the benefits. If you want to – you must register with the government, and start contributing a portion of your insurable earnings – just like you would if you had a full-time job. considering, The contribution rate is 1.73% of your insurable earnings – with the maximum insurable earnings allowed being $43,200. At the maximum you would pay $747.36 a year. How much you receive you’ll want in benefits depends on how much you have paid into the program. For example, if you have paid the maximum you would receive $457 a week. to do so in But this is different from the kind of employment insurance you receive when you have been working full-time and lose your job. The self-employed benefits do not provide you with income if the context of you are not working. This program only covers the following special benefits: • Maternity benefits (15 weeks maximum) are available to birth mothers your financial • Parental/adoptive benefits (35 weeks maximum) may be taken by either parent or shared between them situation...” • Sickness benefits (15 weeks maximum) are available to a person who is unable to work because of sickness or injury • Compassionate care benefits (six weeks maximum) paid to a person who is away from work providing care to a gravely ill family member To receive benefits you need to opt into the program at least one year prior to making a claim. That means if you register on April 1, 2010, you can make a claim on April 1, 2011. The other condition is that you must have earned a minimum of $6,000 in self-employed earnings over the preceding calendar year. One other important fact to keep in mind is that if you opt into the program, and end up claim- ing benefits – you must continue to contribute to EI as long as you are self-employed. You cannot opt out of the program some years down the road. But if you haven’t claimed any benefits, you can opt out at the end of any tax year. Ask yourself some important questions before registering for the program: 1. Are you thinking of having children in the next few years? The maternity and parental benefits could be a great benefit. You can combine maternity and parental benefits up to a maximum of 50 weeks. 2. Do you have any other accident or sickness insurance? Know what insurance you currently have and how it works together with the EI benefits. Equity members have insurance through the Association. Some members buy additional disability and critical illness insurance. 3. Are the compassionate care benefits worth the yearly contribution? If you have elderly parents with health problems this benefit may look attractive – but it is only provided for a maximum of six weeks. It may make more sense for you to use your savings to cover yourself during a family member’s illness. “While EI benefits are worth considering, you’ll want to do so in the context of your financial situation,” says James Simon of Proteus Planning Management, which administers the Equity Group RSP plan. “First you want to ensure that what you bring in exceeds what’s going out, then you can consider your options – including EI benefits – in the context of your financial plan. A solid financial plan is a must – especially for the self-employed.” Visit http://www.servicecanada.gc.ca/eng/sc/ei/self_employed_workers.shtml to learn more. For questions about the benefits or financial planning, contact James Simon at [email protected]. For questions about Equity’s insurance coverage, please contact ACE at 1-877-772-7797, ext. 2864.

spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 9 DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER Censorship rears its ugly head on Canadian Artistic freedom in Canada

By Matthew Hays

For many theatre artists, the spectre of cen- sorship is largely something that’s relegated to the past. The idea of police officers entering a theatre and actually shutting down a show seems pretty strange. For director Paul Thompson, the memory is a vivid one. As he describes it, the 1970s was an extremely exciting time in the evolution of Canadian theatre – but it was also a time when art- ists faced very real threats around censorship, especially when it applied to sexual content. As artistic director of Toronto’s The- atre Passe Muraille from 1970-82, some of these battles involved Thompson very directly. “In 1974, Toronto really bust out as a sexual place,” says Thompson. “It was as if the city had decided it had invented sex. There were strip clubs popping up everywhere. There were blue movies broadcast on Citytv every Friday night. We decided to put on a show that reflected these changes in the nature of the city.” The result was the collective creation I Love You, Baby Blue, which premiered in 1975 in a huge church. While exploring Toronto’s newly discovered sexual passions, it became a hit, sell- ing out for weeks. Given this new sense of sexual freedom and awakening, Thompson was surprised to find members of Toron- to’s vice squad arriving on the venue’s doorstep. “They asked to sit through it, so I said fine,” Thompson recalls. “Some of the things they took issue with were just ridiculous. They seemed to have less of a problem with depictions of sexual- ity than with women characters who were speaking frankly about sex. For example, there was one woman who said the words The idea of police officers entering a theatre and threatening to shut down a play ‘blow job’ seven times. They said that was too many. I asked them seems pretty strange by today’s standards, but that is what happened in 1975 to what we should change the words to, and they said that ‘giving the Toronto production of I Love You, Baby Blue at Theatre Passe Muraille head’ would be less offensive.”

CENSORED10 Equity Quarterly CENSORED CENSOREDspring 2010 CENSORED CENSORED DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER stages Artistic freedom in Canada

Busted by the police “And that’s getting harder for them to control, given new tech- Twelve weeks into the run of Baby Blue, and the police busted nology like the Internet.” the show. “They told us that it had become a lot raunchier dur- But, he warns, there’s a great big reason to keep our guard up. ing the run, but there were other reasons. The premier was up Kelly argues that even when legislators have the best of inten- for re-election and he had declared he was going to ‘clean up’ tions, laws surrounding what can and can’t be represented are Yonge Street. It was ridiculous, really because we were about used to silence artists. And he points to an example from the to close – we only had three performances left. We went ahead visual-arts milieu as an indicator of how the letter of the law can and performed the show anyway. A number of people joined us be twisted. In 1993, the -born artist Eli Langer had an onstage, and we invited the cameras in.” exhibition of paintings and drawings at Toronto’s Mercer Union In effect, this show of support by the public let the police know Gallery that explored issues surrounding childhood sexuality. In a that if they did try to shut Baby Blue down, they would have had case that made headlines in the national press, the Toronto police a lot of bad publicity to reckon with. shut down the exhibition, citing the Canadian government’s new And the fallout for Theatre Passe Muraille? It further enhanced child pornography legislation. the company’s reputation for creating edgy, envelope-pushing art, And Kelly says therein lies a huge lesson for all artists and writ- elevated their profile, and also supplied a very happy ending. ers. As he points out, when the government brought in that leg-

“I asked everyone involved in the show to donate 1% of their islation, they made it clear that it would never be used against income to a fund to buy a permanent venue for Theatre Passe artists. But within a year of that promise, it had been. Muraille,” recalls Thompson. “The show was a huge hit so we Kelly points to Part 5, Section 163, of Canada’s Criminal Code, were making good money. At the end of the run the fund had which states that “Every one commits an offence who … makes, $30,000. We used that money to buy the venue that remains the prints, publishes, distributes, circulates, or has in his possession for the home of Theatre Passe Muraille today.” purpose of publication, distribution or circulation any obscene matter, picture, model, phonograph record or other thing whatever…” We need to keep our guard up The wording is so vague that Kelly suggests a government or Cultural policy expert Keith Kelly says he suspects most Canadians police force giving in to “a right-wing moment” could begin using think of censorship as something that happens elsewhere, and for the law to shut down free expression. Kelly insists that “this is a the most part, they would be correct. very serious situation,” and that as long as the possibility exists, “We see censorship in all the totalitarian countries,” he says. “it’s something people need to be aware of.” CENSORED CENSORED CENSOREDspring 2010 CENSORED CENSOREDEquity Quarterly 11 DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER DANGER Censorship rears its ugly head on Canadian

Restricted by sponsors Sometimes, censorship can take on much less direct, and more insidious forms. Michael Dobbin says artistic directors across the country often feel restricted by the possibility that sponsors might not want to have their names associated with controversial material. He found this out firsthand when, as artistic director of Calgary’s Alberta Theatre Projects, he programmed both parts of Angels in America to be performed as part of the 1996-97 season. Dobbin says he knew that taking on the show presented “quite a financial risk,” given the play’s often racy subject matter. But even though the play had already won a Pulitzer and several Tonys, local conservative media took umbrage with the show. One Calgary Herald columnist described the play as “offering all the benefits of left-wing enlightenment provided by wobbly bare male bottoms, simulated homosexual copulation, and language that would sear the ears of a sailor’s parrot.” Not to be outdone, The Calgary Sun promptly joined in the mob dog pile, calling Tony Kushner’s work “a seven-hour gay epic including sex scenes between men, frequent partial nudity and plenty of swearing.” The Sun’s editorial writers wrote that “Due to cutbacks, hospitals are closing and nurses are losing their jobs, teachers have been laid off, schools are overcrowded, and the elderly are caught in a vice… Yet taxpayers are still having to hand over hundreds of thousands of dollars to a company that stages a self-indulgent production many feel is abhorrent.” “Two MLAs said we should have our funding cut,” Dobbin recalls. “I did a lot of media at that point. I asked one basic ques- tion over and over again: Should people who have never seen or read this tell Albertans whether or not they can see it?” A strange irony emerged in all of this. The Calgary Herald, the very paper that had led the charge against the play, was also the official sponsor of the show. And Dobbin says the publicity around (L to R) Joanna McIntyre, Howard Cooper and Terry Schonbium bare it all for those who argued the show should be shut down backfired, with I Love You, Baby Blue. A strong show of public support helped stop the show the runs of both parts 1 and 2 being completely sold out. from getting shut down and also raised money to buy a permanent home for More recent cases of censorship have involved politically sensitive Theatre Passe Muraille subjects. Many of the people interviewed for this story said that

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Even when legislators have the best of intentions,“ laws surrounding what can and can’t be represented are used to silence artists. unrest in the Middle East – in particular the Israeli-Palestinian conflict Actor and director Ian Prinsloo found similar resistance” when he – always gets a rise out of subscriber bases and possible sponsors. set about to direct a production of My Name is Rachel Corrie at Calgary’s Sage Theatre in the same year. “When word got out that Unrest in the Middle East When Vancouver actor and producer Adrienne Wong first read My Name is Rachel Corrie, she knew imme- diately that she wanted to play the central role in the one-woman show. The play recounts the life of Cor- Gay play triggers uproar rie, a young American woman who protested Israeli — Angels in America attacked in Calgary actions in the Palestinian territories, and was ultimately killed when an Israeli bulldozer rolled over her. Wong played the role in a celebrated co-production by Mon- treal’s Teesri Duniya and Vancouver’s Neworld theatre companies, Anger running in 2007-08. “We received a phone call right after announc- rises ing that we were going to do the show,” Wong recalls. “Someone warned us that an MP planned to raise the question in the House over of Commons: How is it that government funds were going towards gay play anti-Israeli propaganda?” (The play was already something of a hot – MLA wants fund potato, as a number of theatres – including Toronto’s CanStage – had dropped plans to produce it.) tied to public tasitnge Wong says Neworld Theatre received one anonymous email prior to the show going up. “Due to the spelling, I suspected it was coming from the U.S. It warned us that there would be picketers protesting the show. I was very careful to make sure that I contacted the activist community before the show opened. Top: Headline from The Globe and Mail (September 26, 1996) I worked really hard to talk to both people on the pro-Israel and pro-Palestinian sides. I worked at opening dialogue, hosting panel Bottom: Reaction to Alberta Theatre Projects’ Angels in America, discussions after performances.” The Calgary Sun (September 13, 1996)

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The Insert Olympic Rings here* sport of censorship While much was made of the great publicity Canada would gain by hosting the 2010 Winter Olympics, it seems the organizing committee didn’t want anyone getting the idea they were in a country that championed free speech. A number of artists charged that the Vancouver Olympic Organizing Committee (VANOC) was muzzling them when they insisted all those participating sign what amounted to Adrienne Smook in the Calgary Sage Theatre production of My Name is a vow of silence. Rachel Corrie, directed by Ian Prinsloo The specific clause in the contract stated: “The art- ist shall at all times refrain from making any negative or derogatory remarks respecting VANOC, the 2010 Olympic we would be doing the show in Calgary, we received an invitation to and Paralympic Games, the Olympic movement generally, meet with members of the city’s Jewish community. They expressed Bell and/or other sponsors associated with VANOC.” concerns about the ways the issues would be portrayed. They never In protest of what he saw as a trampling over freedom said the play shouldn’t be done. What was happening was much of speech, Vancouver’s poet laureate, Brad Cran, declined to more subtle and difficult to navigate. By questioning the facts of the contribute to the cultural festivities that were part of Vancou- play, by questioning whether or not Rachel was informed or just ver’s 2010 games. “(The contract) says that artists who are naïve, that in effect called our voice into question.” participating are not allowed to criticize VANOC, the Olym- The show did well and sold out, but Prinsloo says if he’d been in pics or any sponsors,” he told the CBC. “And this is something his old job – he used to be the artistic director of the larger Theatre that, for instance, wasn’t in the Cultural Olympiad in Salt Lake Calgary – selling the Rachel Corrie play “would have been much, City. It’s all sort of added up to the fact that there was a per- much harder.” fect storm of things that wouldn’t allow my participation.” Sex and politics aside, Dobbin, who is now a freelance actor and “That clause was indeed problematic for artists,” says director, and artistic director of The Creative City Consultancy in Amiel Gladstone, producer of HIVE 3, which was featured Vancouver, says the biggest challenge the Canadian theatre faces at the Olympiad. “We had many discussions as a group is the very real prospect of self-censorship. of companies as to how we felt and there were many dif- Dobbin charges that Canadian artistic directors are so afraid of ferent opinions about what kind of stand we would need upsetting their subscriber base, putting off sponsors, or angering con- to take in order to create the art that we needed to create. servative politicians, that they’re serving up the least offensive works We were in a different position than many artists in the they can think of. “I think that self-censorship is endemic among Olympics as we hadn’t created what we were going to perform yet. Our contract with VANOC is confidential (in artistic directors in Canada. It’s a wrongly perceived economics around fact they were the ones that released the clause in question the theatre. Look at how safe 90% of programming is at all of the to the media) but suffice to say we reached an agreement established Canadian theatres. It’s very conservative programming. in the language of our contract that we felt comfortable “I think the biggest risk we face is boring our audiences to with and reassurances that we could do exactly the art that death.” we needed to do without any outside interference.” Matthew Hays is a Montreal-based journalist whose work has appeared in The Globe and Mail, The Daily Beast, The New York Times, The Guardian, CBC Arts Online and The Canadian Theatre Review. He teaches courses in film studies and * EQ wanted to use a reproduction of the Olympic Rings but they are protected by journalism at Concordia University. copyright. We’re not even sure if we can print the words “Olympic Rings.” CENSORED14 Equity Quarterly CENSORED CENSspring 2010 Artists and performers risk their lives for art The brutal reality of censorship around the world By Cynthia Macdonald

Death threats

“A writer who There was this Her husband’s family considered is linked to his times,” said her livelihood to be immoral. the controversial Italian play- lucky Burmese chap “When his brothers came from wright Dario Fo, “should put who managed to the provinces to our home as his hands into the awful things get a passport and guests, we didn’t put on the TV of life. You have to plunge into because I was always on ads,” the muck.” travel to India. He Mushthal said in an interview Fo has built a long career on visited a dentist for with the BBC last year. “I was plunging into the muck, and treatment. “Why scared that they would see it, so has paid a high price for it. His theatre in Milan was bombed, not wait until you’re I would just put on a DVD and and he has been repeatedly home agan and visit show them that.” censored and spied on. Worst “I know that she would get a your dentist there?” he was asked. “Don’t of all, his wife and colleague, lot of death threats on her cell actor Franca Rame, was you have dentists in Burma?” phone, and people would leave kidnapped, tortured and raped “Sure,” said the Burmese visitor. “But letters,” says Toronto actor and by a fascist group opposed to director Christopher Morris, who we can’t open our mouths.” the couples’ work. met Mushthal in October 2008 It is shocking that the act of – Burmese comedian Zarganar when he was in Kabul research- staging a play should give rise ing and casting Petawawa, a play to such violence; unfortunately, across the world today, many he is currently creating about the playwrights and performers have learned the hard way that their conflict in Afghanistan. “She was walking down the street and a man profession is inherently dangerous. Many languish in prisons, and cycled by and punched her in the back of her head.” some are in hiding. Others have been victims of terrible violence, Mushthal kept working nonetheless, planning, amid other proj- but choose to carry on anyway. “I have the utmost respect for ects, to work with Morris upon his return to Afghanistan. The two people like this, because when they speak out they can be certain bade each other goodbye. Two months later, Morris received an the government is going to come down on their heads,” says urgent long-distance call from her, which he had trouble under- Amnesty International’s Michael Craig. “But they feel compelled standing. “She doesn’t speak English, and I don’t speak Dari,” he to tell the truth.” says. “I didn’t know what she wanted. I thought maybe she got One such person is Afghan actor Parwin Mushthal. Over the another job and couldn’t do the show.” years, the 42-year-old mother of two has enjoyed an extremely Morris eventually learned the truth, with the help of a colleague successful career. But her work has cost her dearly. A sitcom regu- who spoke Dari: Mushthal’s husband had just been shot to death lar in her native Kabul, Mushthal has also appeared in television by unknown assailants in Kabul. She herself was in hiding, wearing commercials, as well as dozens of films and more than 20 theatre a much-hated burqa “because it was too dangerous not to.” productions. It seemed like she lived a charmed life, but that was Mushthal ultimately fled with her children to Pakistan, where not the case. she sought and received refugee status; on March 4 of this year, spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 15 Artists and performers risk their lives for art she and her two children were able to make their way to Toronto. actor told him, for example, that she couldn’t appear in his play, There, she hopes to start anew, with the help of Christopher Mor- lest she be killed for being seen as a prostitute. “It hurts a society ris and her newfound Canadian theatre community. “She’s been when they target women – women who are doing something,” saying over and over again that she loves Canada and Toronto Morris theorizes. “It unnerves people more.” and is so happy to be here,” says Morris. “She’s had quite an incredible journey.” Sexual immorality Morris might seem an unlikely rescuer. He describes himself as Indeed, in many other countries sexual immorality is frequently cited an international, rather than political artist. He always felt “drawn as a reason to punish performers; a sentence of 74 lashes was recently to creating work that explores the human condition when it’s meted out to an Iranian female actor who kissed a man onstage. And in January of this year, a French-Algerian playwright named Rayahana placed in its most extreme scenarios and environments,” he says, was doused in gasoline and almost set afire in the streets of Paris, after little knowing that life would soon imitate art. the premiere of a play she wrote that contained unflattering views of Morris’s fascination with the theatre of other cultures developed Muslim men. She has now been placed under police protection. while he was on a student exchange in Ireland in the 1990s. In time Sometimes, the problem is not one of morality, but visibility. he founded Human Cargo, a company that specializes in collabora- “Actors embody the human experience,” says Morris. “They give tions between Canadian actors and those from abroad. Petawawa is tangible power to [a message] because it’s in human form. What a prime example. The collective work “shows how the war affects the they do is very powerful.” families of soldiers who are fighting in the Afghan conflict, from the In conjunction with other human rights groups, Amnesty Inter- perspectives of Canadian, Pakistani, Afghan and Taliban families.” national and the U.K.-based International Committee for Artists’ Researching Petawawa, Morris met with numerous Afghan Freedom (ICAF) are currently monitoring the plight of a Burmese actors, including Mushthal, and was happily surprised. “I thought comedian who calls himself Zarganar (the word translates as there wouldn’t be female actors, but there were, and there’s “tweezers”.) The 49-year-old has serious health problems, and theatre. It’s a very advanced, developed culture there.” is currently serving a staggering 35-year sentence for criticizing But there were problems. Without imagining what was in store the government’s relief efforts in the wake of Cyclone Nargis. His for Mushthal, he did hear stories that chilled him. One younger reputation as a popular satirist is thought to have cursed him.

Above: Afghan actor Parwin Mushtahel (second from right) arrives safely in Toronto with her two children, Shugofa and Ahmad, thanks to the help of Christopher Morris and Gillian Gallow Previous page: Comedian Zarganar and one of the jokes that incensed the Burmese government

16 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 Zarganar’s career (he is also a poet, filmmaker, and dental sur- with the government, the government wins every time.” There is geon) has repeatedly landed him in trouble, says Louise McMul- evidence of theatrical censorship in China, but it goes unreported lan of the ICAF. “After the 1998 pro-democracy demonstrations in the media (not to mention that China’s Internet censorship is he was arrested and sent to Insein Prison,” where famed opposi- extremely extensive.) Sometimes, measures such as information tion leader Aung San Suu Kyi has also been repeatedly held, says control make it very difficult to assess the extent of artistic repres- McMullan. “He was arrested again in 1990, while cracking jokes sion in a given country. at a political rally... he spent five years in solitary confinement.” When theatrical artists are killed, imprisoned, or harmed in any The ICAF is one other way, the ques- of very few groups tion can also be raised: around the world Sexual immorality is frequently Was it their work or devoted to freedom their activism that led of expression for per- cited“ as a reason to punish performers – them into danger? formers. In the past The political com- year alone, it has acted especially female performers. mentary of Zarganar, on behalf of threat- for example, was no ened individuals or groups in Pakistan, Iraq, Argentina, Bosnia/ doubt controversial, but” it was his comments to journalists that Herzegovina and Gaza. ostensibly landed him in jail. Amnesty International is currently Another Burmese troupe that has benefited from ICAF’s assis- campaigning on behalf of many other artists – though “art” is tance is a satirical trio called the Mustache Brothers. To foreign- rarely cited as an infraction. Rather, the detainees are being held ers, the Brothers’ blend of vaudeville and slapstick may seem like unlawfully on vague charges such as theft or assault. harmless fun; to the government of Burma/Myanmar, it is anything Some observers feel that those who work in the theatre are imper- but. Because of their constant political mockery, the Brothers have illed on an international scale as never before. Politically-inclined endured numerous jail sentences. Two of them were forced at one British playwright David Edgar has written that the punitive censor’s point to break rocks in a labour camp while their feet were bound by main battleground used to be books, but has, over the last 25 years, iron bars. Currently, they are allowed to perform (for tourists only) shifted to the performing arts. He believes this has to do with the in the front room of their house. “I want to speak my gut!” Brother increasing inability of people to understand the difference between Lu Maw shouts exuberantly, in a video available on the Internet. “I what happens onstage and in real life. “It is more necessary than want to give hot tip! Tourists come, I tell them everything.” ever to protect fiction’s power not just to explain, but to empathize, Private homes have been a frequent refuge for actors who to imagine and indeed inspire,” he writes. are prevented from working in public. Perhaps the most famous In spite of the terrifying drama that has accompanied its creation, example is the “living-room ” performed by blacklisted Morris insists that Petawawa will go on. “All this has happened, celebrities in communist Czechoslovakia. In it, Malcolm’s speech and it’s getting wilder in Afghanistan,” he says; consequently, even was spoken by five actors instead of one, to indicate that only a though another fact-finding trip was planned, “I don’t know how group, not an individual, can defeat corruption. or if I want to go back. But whatever we do, we’re going to get the information.” It appears that raw courage – as well as art – are Shakespeare used as code commodities that easily transcend borders. Even today, Shakespeare – long-dead, and as such seemingly Cynthia Macdonald is a freelance journalist and novelist in Toronto, who regularly “safe” – is still used as a code to transmit messages that might writes on the relationship between art and social justice. otherwise be controversial. Christopher Morris recalls seeing in the Georgian Republic several years ago: “It was before Visit these websites to find out more their Rose Revolution, when Shevardnadze was still in power. The about censorship around the world: audience got a different message from it than I did – they were hearing things that I didn’t get.” The International Committee for Artists’ Evidently, censorship can take both public and private forms. Freedom (ICAF) But public, or government-sanctioned repression, may be the www.artistsfreedom.org hardest to work under, since it affords no recourse for the artist. Amnesty International And such repression can be subtle, says Michael Craig of Amnesty www.amnesty.ca International. Speaking of the situation in China, he says that International PEN “many artists are represented on paper, but not in fact. The coun- www.internationalpen.org.uk try respects free speech, but when that speech comes in conflict spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 17 Fondly Remembered

Marigold Ann Semple Kennedy – “Goldie” 1952 - 2009

By Marian Bannerman

Gold is the most malleable of all Peter Pan to The Shadow Box; per- metals; a single gram can be beaten forming writers from William Con- into a sheet of one square metre, or greve to Caryl Churchill to Anton an ounce into 300 square feet. While Chekhov; inhabiting characters from much was made throughout her life Lizzie Borden to Patient Griselda. of the apt symbolism of Goldie’s Goldie’s considerable talents name, it was usually in association extended to mentoring the next with light and glitter and things of generation, through her teaching great value – and quite right, too. and workshops with young actors These are all fair descriptives of her and students. Her love of words in all personal and professional life. But forms led her to compose and per- the surprising, unique, natural qual- form gem-like programs of readings ity of gold – the ability of this strong and music with Foolscap in Stratford, substance to stretch so exponentially and Voices at the Museum in Niag- with no loss of essence or shine – ara-on-the-Lake. Her professional gets at something more fundamen- life continually broadened – direct- tal in Goldie’s gifts. ing readings, holding seminars, and The surprising truth about some- more – but never seemed to thin or thing beautiful was always more lose its luster for all its range. interesting to Goldie, the complex The true scope of Goldie’s life is heart of what seems valuable and better measured in people, however. light. We are fortunate that when Her friendships were many, often her work and talent and curiosity and long, and always cherished. She intelligence led her to find that truth Goldie Semple as The Honorable Clare Wedderburn in Brief had beauty, and intelligence, and and complexity, she shared her finds Encounters at the Shaw Festival wit, but there was nothing ethereal so freely with us. about her. She could cook, she could Goldie was a graduate of the University of British Columbia, eat, she could sew. She knew about nature, and science; loved and also trained at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the U.K. to walk; and read books – excellent and pulpy. She could keep a During her more than 30-year career in theatre, she played at most confidence. She made great jam, and taught others to, too. She points in between. Performing at the Arts Club Theatre, Vancou- had opinions, clear and big ones. She liked people, of every age, ver Playhouse, Manitoba Theatre Centre, Alberta Theatre Projects, who could make her laugh, and she liked being teased. She loved Canadian Stage, Tarragon Theatre, and Neptune Theatre, among games and surprises. She was a true, smart, fun, compassionate others across the country, Goldie also spent nine seasons at Strat- friend, and the circle of those who loved her stretched so far it ford, and 17 at the Shaw Festival. was almost translucent. At the centre of that circle, and of her A few of her many notable roles include: Cleopatra in Anthony world, were her husband of 33 years, actor Lorne Kennedy, and and Cleopatra, Lady Macbeth in Macbeth, Katherine in The their beloved daughter, Madeline. Taming of the Shrew, Mrs. Warren in Mrs. Warren’s Profession, Although eight years of living with breast cancer (she hated the Desiree in A Little Night Music, Larita in Easy Virtue, Marie Dup- term “battle,” just as she did “victim,” in relation to the disease) lessis in Camille, and Rosemary in Picnic. But Goldie stretched stretched Goldie and her family, it never broke her. She was strong, further than leading parts: She was also outstanding in plays from and ductile, and died peacefully at home, very much herself.

18 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 In Memoriam 2009

Joseph Bird

Irene Blum

Douglas Campbell

Brenda Devine

Norris Domingue

James B. Douglas

Bill Forbes

Barbara Franklin

Patricia Gage

Lorena Gale

William B. Hart Joan Orenstein in La Sagouine at the Centaur Theatre Doreen M. Ibsen Joan Orenstein 1923 – 2009 Shirley Knight Sylvia Lennick By Laurie A. Champagne Paul MacLeod

Ellen Monague The word convenient was not in Joan Orenstein’s lexicon. Nor was the word indifferent. Passion was. Intensity was. Joan cared. About her husband, Henry, and five beautiful Neil Munro daughters, about the state of the world, about the characters she brought to life, and about the state of the people she touched with her generosity. Lloyd Nicholson I first saw Joan in Back to Beulah at the National Arts Centre. She was one of the Joan Orenstein treasures John Wood brought with him from Halifax to start the National Arts Centre’s English Theatre Company. I was an assistant stage manager starting my career and I Gloria Perks was amazed at the power emanating from this woman – the power that over her career would bring to life Mother Courage, Emily Carr and Mrs. Warren. Ann Purdon As I came to know Joan I also came to bask in her warmth. Over the next decades we toured the Arctic together, we rehearsed the garden scene from Mrs. Warren in my Henry Ramer Niagara-on-the-Lake backyard, and she welcomed me to her cottage in Nova Scotia. David Ross She was always passionately interested in social justice and the responsibility of the artist to those outside the theatre as well as those within. Joan surmounted the loss of Jan Rubes an eye mid-career with a ferocious determination – she had never been an ingénue and as she aged she embraced the series of strong women she was born to play. She was a Goldie Semple strong woman herself – there were no excuses or playing down of her intellect and she Shirley Sutherland expected the women around her to do the same. In her presence we felt challenged and rewarded. In her absence we remember her and are grateful. spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 19 EQ Classifieds

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20 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 EQ Flashback Equity fights back against censorship

In April 1975, the Toronto police raided the Theatre Passe Muraille production of I Love You, Baby Blue. There was nudity and strong lan- guage in the show and a Detective Sergeant from the Morality Squad recommended cuts and changes to the production. Eleven weeks after that, another two Detective Sergeants appeared unannounced and told the cast they would be summoned and charged with “taking part in an immoral the- atrical performance.” The cast decided to carry on and gave three more performances. Passe Muraille management then decided to recruit some audience members, other art- ists and high profile Toron- tonians and signed them to Equity contracts. These new “members” all appeared on stage at the end of each performance as part of the acting company. If the cast were arrested, the police would have to arrest everybody. No further police action was taken after that. In support of its members the Canadian Executive Committee of Equity sent out this press release to make a strong statement against censorship of any kind in the theatre.

spring 2010 Equity Quarterly 21 EQUITY QUARTERLY

2010 Honours Awards Nomination deadline is May 1st

Life Membership in Equity is awarded to a member who has made EQ an outstanding contribution to the performing arts and to Equity. What to find at Honorary Membership is awarded to a person who is not a member of Equity but who has assisted in promoting the values of the Association and made our Association and membership Equityonline stronger, and/or made an outstanding contribution to the per- www.caea.com forming arts in Canada. The Larry McCance Award is awarded to a member of Equity • 2010 award ceremony links or Equity’s staff who has made an outstanding contribution to the • Councillor, CPAG and Committee Association and its members. contact information • Online events calendar Nomination forms are available at EQUITYONLINE at www.caea com • Personalized Privacy settings or call 1-800-387-1856 (416-867-9165 in Toronto). • Member Only zone (update contact information online) Members Advantage Programme • “e-search,” our online digital search Equity offers members in good standing a comprehensive benefits package tool for the opera, ballet and theatre entitling them to discounts and benefits on a range of national and local agreements services. See our online “MAP” brochure for further information.

Equity has gone... News concerning the administration and governance of the Association (e.g. notice of upcoming meetings and information on membership benefits) is now only electronically distributed to the membership.

Members who do not have access to the Internet must call the National Office at 1-800-387-1856 (416-867-9165 in Toronto) to make alterna- tive arrangements.

Publications Mail Agreement #40038615 Return undeliverable Canadian addresses to: EQ Canadian Actors’ Equity Association 44 Victoria Street, 12th Floor Toronto, ON M5C 3C4 [email protected]

22 Equity Quarterly spring 2010 EQ is shipped in a biodegradable polybag