#yegTheatre

[yegarts]

“I Am YEG Arts” Series: Darrin Hagen

Speak less and listen more. It’s one heck of a resolution, and one Darrin Hagen made decades ago. His reason? You don’t learn much while you’re talking, and Hagen wants to learn. Consequentially, as pandemic fate would have it, he’s had more time than ever to work on that. While some of us were perfecting our sourdough, Hagen spent his hiatus taking comfort in his first love: music. He’s been writing about it, composing it, producing videos, and learning how to share it all digitally with the world. If that isn’t exciting enough, you can also look forward to the two plays he’s bringing to this years’ long-awaited Fringe Festival. Writer, performer, composer, and listener—this week’s “I Am YEG Arts” story belongs to Darrin Hagen.

What keeps you choosing Edmonton as your place to live and work?

I arrived in Edmonton four decades ago and never intended to stay, but good things keep happening to me here. Edmonton has always opened doors to experiences I never could have had anywhere else. It’s also a big anniversary year for me: 40 years living in Edmonton, 35 years since Guys In Disguise made its debut at the Fringe Festival, and 25 years since the publication of The Edmonton Queen.

Tell us about your journey as a storyteller of queer history and where you hope it takes you next.

I never try to predict or anticipate what’s next—and I think that’s the secret to moving forward. I didn’t write The Edmonton Queen 25 years ago to be political or to fulfill an agenda. I just wrote what I had experienced and what I was feeling. We are all the authorities in our own lived experience, and for whatever reason, I’ve lived through some pretty unique circumstances, and that’s given me a distinct outlook on the world around me.

I’m a history nerd and love research, so I’ll just keep digging and expanding my knowledge of what the Queer population of this province has endured. It’s important for the young Queers to understand the struggles of prior generations in order to fully appreciate and protect the privileges we now enjoy. And it’s important for the elder Queers to know that their pain and their efforts were not in vain.

I recently did a Zoom call with the gay seniors group and told stories of the many moments where I was in drag, dealing with the media that not only didn’t understand my gender fluidity, but didn’t even possess the vocabulary to describe it. The session was a blast and made me realize that I have many more stories to tell. I do feel a shift toward creating documentaries, though. Again—that’s not something I ever could have predicted—but it began to happen, and I am very open to it!

What’s your favourite part of the creative process?

I love that moment when you stop trying and just allow the art to happen—the moment where effort becomes effortless. It doesn’t always happen, but it’s so good when it does. After I’ve composed some music, my favourite part of that process is spending a few hours just listening. I also love that moment on stage when you’re in the last seconds of a play, and you can feel that it worked.

What does community mean to you, and where do you find it?

My answer to this has changed many, many times over the years. For a long time, it was in the club scene—the world of Flashback both saved and inspired me. Then it was the world of activism that was my foundation. Then for years it was the theatre scene. But I think through all of that, the people who enjoy my work and honour it by spending time with it are the community that means the most to me. My creative output is a conversation between them and I, and some have been on this journey with me since the days I was spewing Life cereal all over the Flashback stage in the early 80s. They’ve allowed me to grow, and struggle, and sometimes triumph.

The pandemic years have also shown me that my world has gotten very insular as I devote my time to solo creation. I think that’s a natural progression, as I morph into an artist that’s newly intrigued by digital dissemination.

What has surprised you most over the course of your writing career?

I don’t think I was ever really meant to be a writer, so everything I write is still a surprise. I’m surprised by some of the advances around Queer equality—most of the activists I knew couldn’t have predicted how quickly things could progress. I’m also surprised at how quickly language has changed in my lifetime. That kind of change used to take centuries, didn’t it?

It is said that to be an activist is to speak, and to be an advocate is to listen. You’re known for both. How is each reflected in your current work?

I made a New Year’s resolution decades ago to speak less and listen more. Anyone who knows me can tell you what a struggle that can be for someone as verbose as I. But I say it to myself every December 31: One doesn’t learn much while one is talking. I want to learn.

I have also spent decades interviewing people—first for Outlooks Magazine, then for HelpTV, then many, many interviews with Queer elders for the many Queer history projects I have been working on. It’s important to leave room for people to speak. As I get older, I get less and less interested in being the one speaking. When I do, I want it to be measured and thoughtful. That’s why I hate social media.

Metronome at Workshop West, directed by Heather Inglis.

What excites you most about the YEG arts scene right now?

I’m intrigued to see what new art and which new voices will emerge from the darkness of the pandemic. I had a very productive time composing music and learning how to edit video, and am about to start releasing music I made during the hiatus. I’ve already seen and heard some brilliant things. Society experienced something huge. The ripples will never stop.

Tell us about the importance of mentorship throughout your career and what it’s taught you.

Working with other writers makes me a better writer. I had some inspiring and generous minds that gave me early encouragement/advice. I feel a duty to pay that generosity forward.

The Queer community is in a situation now where a lack of mentors has created an impasse, or a gap, between generations. This has resulted in a population unaware of the struggles that came before. We should be building bridges between the present and the past. The more Queer history work I do, the more important that seems.

Describe your perfect day in Edmonton. How do you spend it?

A perfect Edmonton day is spent in my garden with a friend or two.

You visit Edmonton 20 years from now. What do you hope has changed? What do you hope has stayed the same?

In 20 years I will be 78. What I hope to see is a provincial government that has finally stopped fighting Queer equality. I also hope I see seniors’ homes for the Queer elders who changed the world for the rest of us. I hope the river valley is still natural and unspoiled. I hope the Edmonton Arts Council is still helping Edmonton artists contribute to the vibrancy of our city.

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along! 

Visit Darrin Hagen’s Vimeo to discover his digital catalogue of new music and art, and be sure to catch his upcoming Fringe 2022 plays: Crack In the Mirror (Varscona Theatre) and Pansy Cabaret (the Roxy).

About Darrin Hagen

Darrin Hagen is an award-winning playwright, author, composer, and Queer historian whose plays have been produced across Canada, in the US, and Europe. Since The Edmonton Queen (published by Brindle & Glass), he has created art that is a unique window into gender and history. During the pandemic, he turned his attention to creating video art and has done a deep dive into Queer history research, including many hours working with MacEwan’s Edmonton Queer History Project.

He has been Artistic Director of Guys In Disguise since 1987, has received 7 Sterling Awards for his work in Edmonton Theatre, and an AMPIA for his broadcasting work. Other plays include, Tornado Magnet, BitchSlap!, Witch Hunt at the Strand, Buddy, The Empress & The Prime Minister, Metronome, and the upcoming Pansy Cabaret.

Together with his collaborator, Trevor Schmidt, he has created a decade’s worth of hit Fringe comedies, including Flora & Fawna’s Field Trip, Flora & Fawna Have Beaver Fever, Dragula, Psychobabble, Prepare for the Worst, Puck Bunnies, Don’t Frown at the Gown, Klondykes, and the upcoming Fringe hit, Crack In The Mirror.

Hagen has been named one of the 25 Most Influential Alberta Artists in the Past 25 Years, as well as one of 100 Edmontonians of the Century.

[angiesot]

Saw the Dress Rehearsal for Garneau Block last night and that might be it for this production depending on how long this virus business lasts for. There are a lot of artists, small businesses and entertainment industry folks that are about to fall on some hard times. There aren’t a ton of compensation options for many who make their living this way. Let’s all work together to try and get this thing under control as quick as we can so we can all go back to doing what we do best. Set and Lighting Design Narda McCarroll . #urbansketching #yegtheatre #yegarts #inksketch #globalartssketchbook #abartsmatter #yegartist #angiesot https://www.instagram.com/p/B9u9nouA8rK/?igshid=i9pfwwbjbzk9

[heyemilychu]

Another @citadeltheatreyeg 2020/21 production that I’m looking forward to is A Brimful of Asha - Simple, hilarious (and true!) storytelling by mother (Asha) and son (Ravi) about failed attempts at arranging Ravi’s marriage. 😂👌 . . . . . #illustration #yegarts #yegillustrator #yegtheatre #yegmade #digitalillustration #yegevents #canadianillustrator #yeg #edmo #abrimfulofasha #heyemilychu (at Edmonton, Alberta) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8IW8c0gm4D/?igshid=jaz2obn3xayi

[gaycalgary]

THEATRE - “We Will Rock You” Arrives Home: A Look At Alberta Produced Touring Production of Queen Musical http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5794

[bobbysmale]

Picked up the guitar tech track this week, now that the design is up. Had a busy Instrument Maintenance Call today on Ring of Fire @citadeltheatreyeg 6 string swaps, some battery changes and quick once over. Cast of instruments includes 6 acoustic guitars (4@ Martin D28, 2@ Gibson J45), 4 fender telecasters, 2 upright bass, 2 fiddles, 1 banjo, 1 Dobro, a mandolin, an apartment sized Baldwin piano, and I vintage drum kit! I’m in my happy place. #guitartech #guitarporn #guitar #bass #mandolin #fiddle #banjo #uprightbass #dobro #telecaster #theatre #theatresound #theatresounddesign #music #livemusic #musicalinstrument #musicalinstruments #yegtheatre #stringchange (at Citadel Theatre) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0mx7fGgMTS/?igshid=ecyroafz6jt2

[kevinpennyfeather]

‘The Gooseberry’ headlines my NextFest theatre and dance reviews for Vue Weekly Vue Weekly gave me free reign of NextFest last weekend. Here are excerpts from my reviews of…

[paige-on-stage]

Get a mask on and GET OVER TO THE GRINDSTONE July 31 at 7! grindstonetheatre.ca/shows/clubhouse-jul-31 @grindstonetheatre #yegimprov #yegtheatre #yegcomedy #grindstonecomedyensemble #fridaynightclubhouse #arthivefundraiser (at Grindstone Theatre) https://www.instagram.com/p/CDS8zmCAeRP/?igshid=w2r5yk1afdpl

[sacredsocialjustice]

Singing seriously at Key of She during SkirtsAfire. Posted @withregram • @skirtsafire We want to thank @cjsr_fm for their support of SkirtsAfire as Media Sponsor! Music is such an important part of our festival and we're thrilled to partner with such an awesome #yeg radio station. What was your favorite musical performance of the festival? Photo by @april_mac_killins of our Key of She at the The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse event, featuring Paula E. Kirman, Dylan Ella and Jemma Hicken. #yegherstory #yegtheirstory #yegourstory #yeghistory #feeltheheat #internationalwomensday #edmontonart #exploreedmonton #yegfestival #yeg #womeninthearts #yegtheatre #cityoffestivals #yeggers #yegevent #yeg #yegdance #yegmusic #yegpoetry #yegdate #yegdesign #queertheatre #queerart (at The Carrot Community Arts Coffeehouse) https://www.instagram.com/p/B9p6rPbgyjl/?igshid=1qqv596kh49vp

[alexismariechute]

Had a great time with my theatre girls at #thecolorpurple at the Citadel Theatre 🎭 @citadeltheatreyeg ⤵️⤵️ Looking for an unforgettably uplifting way to spend your holiday weekend? Join us for a bittersweet celebration as we say farewell to the magical team behind #ColorPurpleYEG. 💜 A few final tickets are available for the final performances tonight at 7:30 and tomorrow at 1:30 for the final bows before they're off to @MTCWinnipeg. . . Director KIMBERLEY RAMPERSAD Music Director FLOYDD RICKETTS Set Designer BRIAN PERCHALUK Lighting Designer HUGH CONACHER Costume Designer MING WONG Sound Designer PETER McBOYLE Photographer IAN JACKSON The Color Purple is a proud co-production with @mtcwinnipeg. Special thanks to #ColorPurpleYEG Production Sponsor Miller Thomson LLP. #musicaltheatre #theatrekid #yegtheatre #yegevents #canadianthanksgiving (at Citadel Theatre) https://www.instagram.com/p/B3iAOWUApV7/?igshid=rxc0l6iziqov

[keesdenhartigh]

Highly recommended by @paulatics #edmontonfringe #yegtheatre #yegevents (at Fringe Festival Whyte Avenue) https://www.instagram.com/p/B1XEFPRggzO/?igshid=621fybijo0xn

[yegfoodie]

REPOST • @wildflowercafe_yeg As many of you know we @wildflowercafe_yeg and @studio_bloom124 like to support people, charities, and artistic endeavours. And bringing back the Roxy to 124 St is no exception. So for the month of June we have decided to donate a $1 from every scoop of @pinocchioicecream we sell! We are just a couple of blocks north on 124th from the soon to be rebuilt Roxy, so stop by grab a cone to go or a cup to stay and help us help @theatre_network bring back the Roxy Theatre to 124 St. #yegcafe #yegtheatre #yegflowers #yegicecream #shop124street #yegfood #yegfathersday #yegroxytheatre #yegarts https://www.instagram.com/p/ByaU7yegZYV/?igshid=16gmcx6lwexeu

[yegarts]

“I Am YEG Arts” Series: Josh Languedoc

There is an aliveness to theatre—something visceral and empathic about sitting in a space with other people, feeling exactly what the performers and storytellers are feeling. Never thought of it that way? Playwright Josh Languedoc has. Not only are those his words, they’re an inspiration. When it comes to inspiration, Languedoc finds it everywhere: in dreams that are gifts from his ancestors, in mentors who help him move forward, and in the arts community he continues to shape and make stronger. Determined, hopeful, and endlessly curious about the stories we share, this week’s “I Am YEG Arts” story belongs to Josh Languedoc.

Tell us about your connection to Edmonton and how it’s influenced your path.

I grew up in St. Albert but spent a lot of my time in Edmonton. I found I would always be journeying into the city to watch some sort of show, concert, or presentation. Edmonton has always had such a vibrant arts community, and it's only gotten richer as I have grown older. The creative drive and the ability for artists to take risks in a very vibrant community has given me a lot of inspiration to take my own risks and to grow into the community with my own voice.

What is it about plays, in particular, that suit your strengths as a storyteller?

It is the live nature of theatre. There is something visceral and empathic about sitting in a space with other human beings and breathing the same air and feeling the same feelings as the storyteller/performer. There is a real aliveness to theatre. And as someone who is endlessly curious about humanity and the stories we share, theatre and plays have been such a powerful space to unpack my own curiosity and stories into that same aliveness we feel in a performance space.

What is the writing process like for you? Where do you usually begin, and how do you develop an idea?

For me, inspiration for writing comes from so, so many different places. The first are my ancestors. Whether it be in my dreams, moments I have in nature, or visions I have, I often find some sort of inspiration that are gifts from my ancestors. These gifts sometimes take the form of character voices, locations, or just general story ideas. I will also draw inspiration from real-life events—stories that make me angry, excited, sad, and any other emotion you can think of. Once I realize this gift or source of inspiration, I will usually find some time to explore the voices of characters to bring the story to life. Usually this leads to a general idea of where I am going, but often I will improvise with these voices and find the overall story I want to tell. “Content leads to the form,” as a few mentors of mine have taught me.

Tell us about Punctuate! Theatre and the other organizations you work with.

I am currently in the Pemmican Punctuate Playwrighting Circle with four other amazing Indigenous artists. We get together once a month over Zoom, share writing with each other, and help out one another's projects to grow and find its frame. We’ll have public readings of our work later in the year.

I also currently work as the Director of Indigenous Strategic Planning at the Edmonton Fringe, and the Youth Education Outreach Coordinator at Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre. I've also been teaching for about eight years at the Citadel Theatre’s Foote Theatre School.

Tell us about someone who’s been a mentor to you and the role that mentorship continues to play in your life.

Two of my biggest mentors as a playwright have been Vern Thiessen and Kenneth T. Williams. Vern has known me since I was 14 years old and was the one who introduced me to the world of playwrighting. Ken has been incredibly instrumental in helping me trust and grow my voice as an Indigenous playwright and how to create my own practice separate from the dominant western colonial narrative. To me, mentorship is so important because it’s empowering knowing someone has your back and will always be watching out for you. Someone who believes in you in a way you may not believe in yourself. It’s helped me continue to move forward as an artist, and it is something I also try to pass on when I have been given chances to mentor younger artists.

Who’s someone inspiring you right now?

I'm currently working on the production of Bear Grease that was adapted and written by MC RedCloud and Crystle Lightning. These two are also very much inspiring me right now. Not only are they a beautiful and talented power couple, but they have such a strong drive to keep bringing Indigenous people into theatre, film, visual art, and hip-hop. Their drive and pure kindness really inspire me, and I have felt so grateful to be working with them.

Tell us about your studies at the U of A. What’s one thing it’s confirmed about your approach to storytelling, and what’s one thing it’s made you question?

One thing my studies at the U of A have taught me is how much work still needs to be done. The only Indigenous person to graduate from my MFA program was Ken Williams 30 years ago. That gap is absolutely incredible, and it reaffirms to me how overlooked Indigenous people have been in most theatre programs. One thing the program has challenged, in terms of my storytelling capacities, is how much variation there already its. I have been fortunate to read and learn about other incredible Indigenous-led arts-based creation methodologies, such as Story Weaving, Beading, Metissage, Land-Based Positionality, Circle-Based Storytelling, and so many more. I truly have been inspired by how strong of a body of work there already is out there, and it motivates me even more to find my own methodology to add to this body of work.

What are you currently writing or hoping to explore next?

I am writing and exploring a new solo show called Amik Tails. It explores my own journey in connection to my Cree name I was given as a child. I also have three other plays I will be working on at three separate time frames throughout the year—CIVIL BLOOD: A Treaty Story that I am workshopping with Thou Art Here Theatre throughout the year; The Eyes Of Spirits, a play I have been working on for over a decade that I have some grant money to workshop and write a final draft; and IN-COR-RI-GI-BLE: The Legend of Thundervoice, my MFA Thesis play exploring the life of my dad as a first generation 60's Scoop survivor that will premiere at the Blythe Festival within the next two years.

What makes you hopeful these days?

The willingness around the world right now. We still have A LOT of work to do, yet I am hopeful that the world is to a large extent ready to have these difficult conversations connected to the genocide and destruction of Indigenous ways of being. This general acknowledgement helps me realize that healing will start to happen and meaningful relationships can start to be formed.

You visit Edmonton 20 years from now. What do you hope has changed? What do you hope has stayed the same?

I hope the Edmonton Arts Community is still as vibrant and bustling as it is, yet it is populated with incredible Indigenous and BIPOC artists exploring their own stories in their own ways and are completely and unapologetically a part of the definition of theatre and storytelling without being labeled as “other.” One thing that I hope stays the same is the Old Strathcona Farmers’ Market. I mean...it’s pretty AMAZING and absolutely delicious. Would totally miss that if it were gone!

Want more YEG Arts Stories? We’ll be sharing them here all year and on social media using the hashtag #IamYegArts. Follow along! Click here to learn more about Josh Languedoc and here for more info about grants and awards that support artists.

About Josh Languedoc

Josh Languedoc is a proud member of Saugeen First Nation and lives as a guest in Treaty 6 Territory as an Anishinaabe playwright, storyteller, teacher, and producer. Some of Josh’s plays include Rocko and Nakota: Tales From the Land (Theatre Prospero, Banff Centre), Feast (University of Alberta, Fringe 2021), CIVIL BLOOD: A Treaty Story (Thou Art Here Theatre) and The Eyes Of Spirits (Rubaboo Festival, Native Earth Performing Arts, Citadel Theatre). Josh also teaches around the Edmonton area with the Citadel’s Foote Theatre School, Edmonton Public Schools, Artstrek, Northern Alberta YMCA, and Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre. Josh is currently finishing his MFA Theatre Practices at the University of Alberta and works as the Director of Indigenous Strategic Planning at the Edmonton Fringe and the Youth Education Coordinator at Workshop West Playwrights’ Theatre.

[angiesot]

Been awhile since I’ve posted anything prop like. Doing a little in door gardening this week. 🌾 . . #props #theatre #grassland #yegtheatre #inprogress https://www.instagram.com/p/B2M43A2gJQH/?igshid=1bqn3vjahcomf

[heyemilychu]

Next up for @citadeltheatreyeg is 9 to 5, the @dollyparton musical! I had a fun time working on this one 💖 . . . . . . #illustration #yegarts #yegillustrator #yegtheatre #yegmade #digitalillustration #9to5 #musical #dollyparton #yegevents #canadianillustrator #yeg #edmo #80s #retro #clock #working9to5 #heyemilychu (at Edmonton, Alberta) https://www.instagram.com/p/B8FqZ7IgIvF/?igshid=lmzmcpitmrrv

[gaycalgary]

THEATRE - Waitress Doesn’t Dish Deep Enough: New Musical Has Heart But Misses Some Important Issues http://www.gaycalgary.com/a5792

[bobbysmale]

First Preview of Ring of Fire last night. Really great to see the audience reactions. I know I’m biased (like a guitar amp) but we have a great high energy live music show. Can’t wait to get back to work on it today! @citadeltheatreyeg #theatre #musicaltheatre #music #livetheatre #livemusic #sounddesign #theatresounddesign #yegtheatre #livesound (at Citadel Theatre) https://www.instagram.com/p/B0L5I_UgkqX/?igshid=1h4fm0abfhk8