Women Through the Ages

We are proud to be working with the Council of Women of Winnipeg to present WOMEN THROUGH THE AGES – IN MONOLOGUE in celebration of Women’s History Month on October 28^th 8pm (doors open at 7:30pm) at the Gas Station Arts Centre (445 River Avenue). It has been an exciting process looking at the stories of local historical females as well as some famous women from elsewhere.  It should be a really fun evening, with a bit of something for everyone. For just $25 you get to hear the stories of seven women, plus enjoy a wine and cheese reception.

You can pick up tickets at McNally Robinson, Gas Station Arts Centre or call 589-6449.

The line-up includes a variety of monologues, reflecting the wide array of women’s voices. From the hilarious ruminations of famous historical women to the powerful exploration of issues such as racism.

Quite an Undertaking by Veralyn Warkentin; Performed by Megan Andres
Violet Guymer literally went where no woman had gone before.  The extraordinary story of the first licensed female mortician in Canada.

Anna Jameson (from The Bush-Ladies) by Molly Thom; Performed by Kim Zeglinski
In 1836, Jameson was summoned to Canada by her husband, who had been appointed chief justice of the province of Upper Canada. She kept a travelogue of her journey, Winter Studies and Summer Rambles in Canada, which was published in Britain in 1838.

Suffragettes by Jessy Ardern; Performed by Nan Fewchuk
Mary knows that a revolution that comes too easily will soon be forgotten. A satirical look at the alternative suffragette movement. 

Eleanor Roosevelt by Ginny Collins; Performed by Jane Burpee
Is it true that Eleanor Roosevelt was the only quotable woman before 1950? How would she feel about how her words of wisdom are being shared in the 21^stcentury?

Immigrant Experience by Hope McIntyre; Performed by Elena Anciro
A young Filipino girl deals with her nerves as she prepares to reunite with her mother in Winnipeg after eight years of separation. She just hopes she is Canadian enough to fit in.

A Very Polite Genocide by Melanie J. Murray: Performed by Siigwan Ferland
A young woman’s sense of identity is buried under the scar tissue of the residential school system.

Mrs. Colin Inkster (Invisible Women) by Hope McIntyre; Performed by Alissa Watson
A modern academic has been painstakingly trying to document the lives of invisible women in Winnipeg’s history but now must fight to maintain her own identity.

Call for Submissions FemFest 2012

With FemFest 2011 wrapped up, we are already looking towards next year. We have some exciting plans in the works for the tenth anniversary of FemFest! But we also continue to remain dedicated to showcasing women theatre artists and are doing an open call for submission. So, if you are you a female playwright with a script you’ve been longing to see produced or if you are part of a music or dance troupe that would fit our cabaret or if you know the perfect piece and can encourage the artist to submit it…then keep reading.

FEMFEST 2012: Staging Identity

Winnipeg’s 10^th Annual Festival of Plays by Women for Everyone

Sarasvàti Productions is accepting submission for its 10^th annual FemFest, which will take place in September 2012. We are currently seeking submissions of finished scripts and proposals of work in progress for us to produce at the festival. Subject matter is wide open but our focus this year is work that deals with issues of identity. In particular this year we are seeking short works that can be used as fillers between longer shows, pieces 10-20 minutes in length are ideal for this purpose.  All scripts must be written by a Canadian female playwright and have a running time of no more than one hour. Technical and set requirements must be minimal due to the festival setting. A reading committee will assess submissions for their individual quality and in order to program a balanced festival. Each selected playwright will be paid royalties and works in development will be offered a dramaturg. 

Please include:
1. A cover letter
-with full contact information (mailing address, phone # and e-mail)
-expressing why you feel your project should be a part of FemFest 2011
-detailing any production history
2. A 100 word synopsis of the play.
3. A 100 word bio of the playwright.
4. One copy of the script formatted according to acceptable Canadian play script format or, in the case of a work in progress, a detailed script proposal. 

In addition, we are seeking short performances for our Cabaret evenings.  The Cabarets are interdisciplinary so we welcome submissions by musical groups, comedy troupes, dancers, visual artists, film-makers and multi-media work.  The main creative force must be female. Groups or individuals interested in the Cabarets can simply forward information on the work they would like presented as well as a bio.

All submissions must be received in the office by November 30, 2011.  Submissions should be mailed to:
FemFest 2012
Sarasvàti Productions
242 Cathedral Avenue
Winnipeg,MB
R2W 0X3

E-mail submissions will not be accepted. For more information please contact us at (204) 586-2236 or info@sarasvati.ca. To view details on past FemFests check out our website www.sarasvati.ca.

Please note that the ability to proceed with the festival is dependent on funding.

Hope Shares Her Work!

It was a delight to read from my repertoire of work at the Millennium Library last Friday. It was a chance to go back and look at some of my older work, but also a chance to share my newest writing from Jail Baby. I was pleased to have collaborators Cairn Moore and Nan Fewchuk join me to read from this piece that has really consumed us over the last year. If you missed the workshop presentation at FemFest, don’t worry as we are continuing the development of the piece and hoping for a May 2013 premiere!

Nan Fewchuk, Hope McIntyre and Cairn Moore

It was also great to do this reading as part of Culture Days and to celebrate the 25th Anniversary of the Public Lending Right Commission. Thanks to public lending rights those of us with our work in libraries still see some revenue despite the fact that the books are being borrowed and not sold. This certainly helps us to keep writing!