The fourth annual Live Bait New Works Festival kicks off Wednesday evening in Sackville, with live events on offer at the Sackville United Church, the Music Barn, and online.
Mount A student Paul Brisk Jr. takes the stage with the first event of the festival, a presentation and discussion of a new play in progress called Becoming My Own Native.
Hear Paul Brisk Jr. on Tantramar Report:
Brisk hails from Listiguj, a Mi’kmaq First Nation across the Restigouche River from Campbellton. He says his new play will draw in “bits and pieces from everywhere” to tell a story of becoming oneself.
“I’ve spent a very long time of my life with external and internal forces telling me this thing about being a native is that, and this stereotype is that,” says Brisk. “It affected my life, in every aspect and every avenue, from the type of food I ate, to the language I spoke, to the type of education that I should be achieving.”
His new play is an exercise in self-acceptance, says Brisk. “It’s a whole project of me putting into words the the level of acceptance I’ve come to accept myself with, while also bringing Indigenous circumstance to the forefront of the conversation.”
Brisk started out as a music student at Mount A, and is due to wrap up as a drama student this coming year, where he hopes to continue work on Becoming My Own Native.
Ron Kelly Spurles is the artistic director of Live Bait Theatre. Cynthia Spurles is president of the board and “chief volunteer” with the theatre company. Hear them in conversation about the New Works Festival on Tantramar Report:
Cynthia Spurles says the company is excited to be producing live performances again. “It’s absolutely wonderful. I was so excited when we even started talking about this, to be able to be around other people and to be able to offer this to people in person,” says Cynthia.
But with restrictions still in place, offering live events is not without its challenges, says Kelly Spurles. Masks need to be worn, contact information needs to be collected, and capacities for venues are reduced. “It’s a fair amount of work and organization,” he says, “but it’s fine. We’re happy to be able to do it.”
Kelly Spurles says the New Works Festival offers artists a “low pressure” opportunity to test out new ideas and works. “You get a really different experience from seeing [your work] with an audience or even just seeing it read out loud, which, in the process of creating something, is really important for a lot of artists,” says Kelly Spurles.
All tickets for the New Works Festival are by donation, but booking online is recommended due to limited seating capacities. Spurles says people will be assigned seats with their bubbles. There’s an opportunity to donate online through the Live Bait website, or people can bring case to donate in person, but it’s not required. “As long as you come,” says Spurles. “We want people to come, that’s the main thing.”
The Live Bait New Works Festival schedule is online here, with links to reserve tickets.
Wednesday, July 14
- Becoming my own Native, work in progress by Paul Brisk Jr. at Sackville United Church at 6pm.
- Road Kill, a staged reading of a new play by M. Dallas Edwards at Sackville United Church at 6pm.
Thursday, July 15
- WE ARE LUMINOUS, Solo Chicken Productions, at the Sackville Music Barn, 1pm.
- Pat LePoidevin, in real life, in concert, 8pm at the Sackville United Church.
Friday, July 16
- IF THEY COME FOR ROBBIE BURNS, World premiere of a one act play for digital formats by Natalie Meisner. Streaming on the Live Bait Theatre Facebook page, 8:00 pm.
Saturday, July 17
- Writing Workshop for Young People, presented by the Live Bait Young Company for middle school aged students, starting at 10am at the Sackville United Church.
- Hourglass, a staged reading of a new play by Iris Rhian, at 2pm at the Sackville United Church.
- She’s Called Nova Scotia – A Collection of Remarkable Female Singers, presentation and discussion of a forthcoming book by Charlie Rhindress. Streaming on the Live Bait Theatre Facebook page at 7pm.
- The Good, The Bard and the Ugly – a presentation of a new play with Michelle Daigle, Ron Kelly Spurles, and Don Rigley, 8pm at the Sackville United Church.
Sunday, July 18
- Stringsong, an improvised exploratory communal music and fibre-art workshop project with Erin Bardua, at the Sackville United Church, 2pm.
- Blue Jay, a discussion of the development of a new book with author Jarod Monk, via Zoom at 4pm.
- Gerda’s Magical Journey, a retelling of Hans Christian Andersen’s “The Snow Queen” retold and illustrated by Marilyn Haugen-Strand. 6:30pm at the Sackville United Church.
- “Guilty! The Story of the Great Amherst Mystery” – a presentation by Charlie Rhindress on the 30th Anniversary of the world premiere production of his first play. Streaming on the Live Bait Theatre Facebook page, 8pm.