FRANCESCA WOODMAN: SOME PHOTOGRAPHS, SOUNDS, QUESTIONS

Francesca Woodman was an American photographer who lived from 1958 to 1981. This piece enters six of her photographs from 75-79, creates sound scapes from three of her recurring motifs and asks questions about the way we suppress our sexuality and how it traumatizes us as young women. The work will be performed with props, recitation and movements.

Catherine Owen is the author of 15 collections of poetry and prose. She also runs a podcast, performance series and magazine, and has undertaken solo shows such as Sister as well as collaborating with musicians, artists and dancers.

Interview History – Nellie McClung was researched and written by Maureen Rooney and has toured across 3 provinces as well as NWT, performing to audiences of 800 at international conventions, as well as to small-town community halls and even in living-room book-clubs. Despite what we would consider today to be very colonial views, Nellie would be the first to admit that she was an imperfect human who made mistakes, she was a lively, entertaining advocate for women’s rights who has a good story to tell. And we love a good story!

Rooney And Punyi Productions (Using the performing arts to educate and entertain)
Entrepreneurs in educational theatre and recipients of the 2013 Mayor’s Lifetime Achievement in the Arts Award, Maureen Rooney and Paul Punyi are a husband-&-wife team who have acted professionally since 1979 with some of Canada’s finest theatres and in Film & TV (TNT, CBC, NFB, Family Channel, YTV). Rooney and Punyi Productions is an Alberta touring company with a repertoire of over 25 shows specializing in History, as well as Literacy and Environment shows and wonderful performing arts residencies for schools throughout the province. They have been commissioned to research and write many theatre pieces most notably; My Dear Sweet Maye … My Own Darling Sam film and live-theatre piece for the U of A, the Grand Opening of the Royal Alberta Museum for Queen Elizabeth, unveiling events at Rail-town, and City Hall, and Greisbach. Rooney and Punyi created a wonderfully unique historical event that took the audience by bus to a number of streets throughout St. Albert to “meet” the people for whom the street was named; Meet the Street was a highlight of St. Albert’s 150th celebrations. Other commissions include Rutherford & Tory for U of A’s 100th, Interview History – Irene Parlby for Alberta’s Libraries, and John Bosco, Albert Lacombe, Marguerite d’Youville, Marie Madeline for various centennial celebrations and Power-Up for Enmax, Rooney Punyi Tree Show for Arbor Day, Hats and Gloves, for Founder’s Day. Maureen is a member of the St Albert Potter’s Guild and tours festivals with a ladies quartet called Good Vibes. Also, Rooney and Punyi lead the St Albert Ukulele Circle, are members of a ukulele orchestra and they also tour seniors residences with a ukulele sing-along. www.rooneyandpunyi.ca

Photo by Wes Doyle

坐月子 SITTING THE MONTH

THE EPIC OF SASSUI AND PUNHUN
Shumaila Hemani and the Sufi Collective

The Epic of Sassui and Punhun is an adaptation of a romantic tragedy from the Sindh region of Pakistan from a feminist perspective, addressing issues of social ostracization, shame, and trauma in the journey of the female character following her heart and dreams. This is a staged reading told through storytelling and music.

“Staying rooted within traditional forms and honoring those while also bringing in experimentation, Shumaila Hemani sings Sufi epics in South Asian Sufi tradition compellingly,” says Rebecca Bruton from the New Works Calgary. Praised for enriching Edmonton by Edmonton Journal (2015), Hemani is locally celebrated for her “mesmerizing” and “emotionally nerve-striking” music that carries “vocal virtuosity,” expressing “radically different inner existential visions” (Calgary Herald, 2015).