ARTS EAST

Over the next three nights, Halifax’s Live Art Dance presents Me So You So Me, a comical and colourful production inspired by Japanese manga and the percussive rhythms of Asa Chang. Recently we spoke with the Out Innerspace co-directors David Raymond & Tiffany Tregarthen about what audiences can expect. When and why did you first become interested in dance, and are they the same reasons that you continue to be involved today? The reasons we're involved in dance today? There are so many. For us dancing is the closest thing we have to the language of the imagination. It exists in physical, emotional, spiritual, intellectual, private and public realms. We get to be critical thinkers, problem solvers, social designers and rediscover daily that the human body, mind and spirit are limitless. We are a part of connecting ideas, important issues and people, insisting and inspiring that we are all artists in our own right and that artists ask important questions, make change, ta...

Fredericton, NB, comes alive with creativity this week, as artists, actors and musicians converge for three days of concerts, performances, exhibitions and more at the Flourish festival. Event founder and organizer Jane Blanchard gives us the details. What inspired Flourish? A crew of about 35 artists, musicians and members of the Fredericton arts community gathered for a meeting in February organized by The Shifty Bits Cult to discuss the current state of the arts scene and how we could work to improve it. We shared ideas and resources throughout the evening as we discussed various topics from different points of view. It was evident that people were inspired, invested in the local scene and keen on helping make the Fredericton scenebe the best that it could be. Some issues that arose included a lack of all-ages shows, people not utilizing available resources and a lack of collaboration between the different groups of artists within the community. I thought I would try and ...

Until May 24, Neptune Theatre in Halifax presents the creepy, kooky, mysterious, spooky, weird and wonderful Addams Family! Join Gomez, Morticia, Uncle Fester, Grandma, Wednesday, Pugsley and, of course, Lurch for this hilarious hit musical comedy. Recently we spoke with actress Dayna Tietzen about her role as the delightfully devlish Morticia. What are your own roots? I grew up in Edmonton. I am very fortunate to have parents who allowed me to explore my creativity and dream big. My first passion was ballet, which I pursued avidly for most of my childhood. As a teenager, my interests shifted and I began to explore other forms of creative expression and found my way into singing and theatre classes. It was a natural evolution that found my way to Toronto to train in Musical Theatre. Since then I have been fortunate enough to work on stages all over North America. When and why did you first become interested in theatre? I was one of those...