ARTS EAST

New Brunswick-based musician Curtis Basque might be Atlantic Canada’s best-kept musical secret. In this exclusive interview, the singer-songwriter opens up about his creative process and his self-titled debut recording. When and why did you start playing music? The first time I held a guitar I was probably 5 or 6 years old.  I fell in love with playing music instantly. I used to stand on a plastic bucket and perform for my mom. Are they the same reasons you do it today? Yes and no. Today I am a producer and composer - I am more interested in the creative process than the entertainment side of it. How have you evolved as a performer over that time? My confidence is more grounded now. It also depends on who you surround yourself with as musicians. Trust is a big issue and connecting with brilliant musicians will only make you better. What have been some career highlights? Opening for the band from Montreal, Voivod, in the 1990's was probably a highligh...

Even with 13 novels to his name, New Brunswick author Raymond Fraser is content to keep creating. Recently AE spoke with the renowned Bard of the Miramichi. What are your own roots? Scottish-Irish as far back as I know, with the exception of a Dickens thrown in (whether a descendant of the well-known Charles is not entirely clear; my Dickens relatives claim it's so). My father's parents were a Fraser and a Buckley, my mother's a Graham (father) and a McCarthy (mother). The first ancestor of mine to settle in Canada was Donald Fraser, a schoolmaster who came over from Scotland around 1800. He received a grant of land in Bay du Vin, New Brunswick, and his descendants took up farming and working in the woods as lumbermen. My father did the same until the 1920s when he moved up the Miramichi River to the town of Chatham (now part of Miramichi City), where I was born and grew up. Why are those roots important to you? People like to know where their ancestors cam...

Starting June 18, Halifax’s Theatre Arts Guild tickles the funny bone with S he Stoops to Conquer,   the story of a wealthy English countryman who arranges for his daughter to meet the son of a wealthy Londoner, hoping the pair will marry. Director Jolene Pattison gives us the details. How did you get involved with this production? I got involved in this production though a series of happy accidents.  I was approached by TAG to direct a different show but circumstances made the rights to that show unavailable. When we started exploring alternatives, I kept coming back to She Stoops to Conquer – it is funny, it is a classic, it is a relatable story for all ages.  The TAG board agreed it was a good choice and we were “off to the races”. Why the choice do do this particular piece? As a director, She Stoops to Conquer is an exciting mix of new and familiar territory. The basic story is about young lovers (two sets of them!) finding each other; most of my direct...