We pack a lot into the pages of every issue of Kayak, but there’s always more great stuff we just can’t fit in. So join Teeka and Beau, our otter mascots, to find out more about the theme of each issue, or just pick up some random bits of Canadian history.
Just What IS Theatre, Anyway?
We talked about that a lot when we were working on the September, 2012 issue of Kayak. Plays with scripts are the easy ones. But what about First Nations re-enactments of hunting? Yes, we decided, because they involved acting something out. Cirque du Soleil? Sure, it’s a circus, but there’s a theme and an unspoken storyline to each show, so in the end, we said yes to that one, too. One we decided didn’t really fit was mummering or mumming. (It’s also sometimes called jennying or jannying.) It’s a tradition that goes waaay back in Newfoundland’s history — the earliest record of it is 1819. It usually happens around Christmas. Mummers dress up in crazy clothes and masks, and disguise their voices. When they visit a house, they sing and dance or just act silly while their hosts offer food and drinks and try to figure out who the mummers are. Want to see what it looks like? Watch now!
See For Yourself!
All over Canada, there are some great theatre shows just for kids on their way this fall and winter. Here are a few you could check out.
Young People’s Theatre (Toronto)
The Power of Harriet T! tells the amazing story of Harriet Tubman, who led more than 300 slaves to freedom on the Underground Railroad. Feb. 4-22, 2013
Manitoba Theatre for Young People (Winnipeg)
The Big League takes a look at Canada’s favourite sport from a kid’s point of view, with the audience seated on both sides of the rink! Jan. 7-17, 2013
Les Gros Becs (Québec)
Watch for shows that are dreamy, funny and surreal, such as La Scaphandrière and Le grand méchant loup, performed in French.
Loose Moose Theatre for Kids (Calgary)
It’s all about fairy tales at this theatre, with versions of The Ugly Duckling and Rumplestiltskin in the fall. In April and May, it’s The Three Mooseketeers.
Green Thumb Theatre (Vancouver)
This group takes theatre to schools. This year it’s People Like Vince, a play about mental illness, and Night Light, which looks at bullying.
Mermaid Theatre of Nova Scotia (Halifax)
Celebrating its 40th anniversary, Mermaid Theatre is focusing on stories by Eric Carle that you might remember from when you were little, combining them into a show called A Brown Bear, a Moon, and a Caterpillar.
Carousel Players (St. Catharines)
Audiences in Ontario’s Niagara region will have a chance to see a special show about two friends caught in the War of 1812, Water Under the Bridge, on Oct. 13.