#9108 - Dec 1991

Digital Archiving Completed by the Ethnography Lab, A University of Toronto Anthropology Initiative
and Produced in Collaboration with David Perlman/Wholenote Media Inc between July-December 2015.
a
Page eighteen, Kensington Market Drum
KCAS new play "m.ayhem and laughs"
Offbeat winter· offering worth going to see
by Nina Ewing
The lights dimmed. The audience
is holding candles which
the director rushes around lighting.
It looks as if a seance is
about to begin. Then the actors
take their places on stage. Mayhem
ensues. It is the opening
night of the Beggars' Nativity, a
modem rendering of the biblical
story of the birth of Christ,
staged by the Kensington ,Carnival
Arts Society. The play is
running until December 21, at
KYTES, 169A Augusta ~treet in
Kensington Market.
Billed as "A contemporary
miracle play", the story is about
a colony of homeless misfits
who are trying their best around
Christmas time to keep warm
and look out for each other's
wellbeing, when they find a
baby discarded in the garbage.
They decide that the baby · has
been sent to them, the miracle,
you see, but the authorities are
called in and they decide that a
baby needs a roof over its head
and three square meals a: day.
something the beggars couldn't
provide so they have to give it
up.
Is this their saviour, the one
who will change the world so
that they and others like them
wouldn't have to continue living
from garbage ~ans while others
have more than they can con~
sume? This seems to be a safe
assumption. Incidentally the
miracle child is a girl.
The play is neither serious
drama, comedy nor musical but
Tidings of fun: KCAS Beggars Nativity, at
Valerie Buhagiar as Morag/fllar~', with Dozer/Joseph, played
- by Murray Furrow; above, Olivier L'Ecuyer as the Angel
a combination of all three. The
comic parts work best. The
serious parts do not always
work. Try to imagine a policewoman
waxing poetic. But this
is what happened when she tried
to convince an unwilling Morag
to. give up the baby. Valerie
Buhagiar as Morag and Murray
Furrow as her good friend
Dozer gave outstanding perform-
~ances. They also provided the
most chuckleS.
AL CROMWELL AT TIFFAN.Y'S
by Drum Staff
A1 Cromwell is one of the Market's
favourite musicians. For
many months last winter he
hosted an open stage at The
Greeks as well as performing
solo. He has deservedly developed
a strong core of fans in
Kensmgt9n. He is a fine blues
player.
A1 is back in the heart of the
Market. He does solo . sets on
Wednesdays and Thursdays and
once again hosts an open stage
on Friday and Saturday evenings.
There is no cover charge
for Al's shows.
Heaven and Nature Sing
made by Don Ross and Kelly McGowan
Good music.
It's a Christmas tape, guitar and voice.
It's wonderful to me and I really really like
it take it from me. It's great.
by
Sophia
Perlman
f··· ·····;o~~=· ·=~--~~:::·:;·:~:~:::~··· -~
• ~EH'PEAC:E'
is currently hiring dediCated
activist for our door to door canvass. Must be
committed to social change and available full time
· from 2:PM till lO:PM,
For details call Lisa S. 351.,043Q
. . is an equal opportunity
.:..........·. ··~··· · · · ·7·.. ·~··~··.-·~ · ·--·--.. ·~· · ·..........................................................................·.·;~· ····. · ·~ ·· .···........:
To bring this to a close, that
is a pretty good little play. It is
only an hour long so you . can
take it in before a dinner reservation
or see it after an · early
dinner. It will be well worth
, your while especially if you are
a fan of alternative theatre. ·
Oh! Kensington Carnival
. would like you to bring a donation.of
non-perishable food for
the Daily Food Bank.
*******************
******************
Advert
*******************
*******************
**
This is an
invitation to those
of antiauthoritarian
persuasion
from the
new black nation
to queer nation
and the pagan
congregation.
Come share
in this creation,
our Solstice
celebration.
saturday night
21st December.
Centre 276.
276 Augusta.
Men leave your
sexism at home.
Homophobes will be
uncomfortable and
racists fuck off.
For further
information
535-5731.
"\ST Ito
l't:;& ~
: ~~,~
··········~······
~~p
Steve Hall and Imagine at The
Greeks - 197 112 Baldwin -
every Sunday in December.
Siyakha - at the Bamboo, 312
Queen St. W., 593-5771 -Dec.
19, 20, 21
Centre 276 - 276 Augusta,
Open stage, every Fri., dance to
the South African/Kensington
fusion of Diliza
Buchofuckingoofs - CD release
in January -feature article in the
near future.
AI Cromwell - at Tiffany's 256
Augusta, 961-3696- every Wed.
Thurs., open stage Fri., Sat.
Rick Fielding- Acoustic Workshop-
Mon., llpm CIUT 89.5-
FM
I
December 1 2 1991
Music Notes
Silver Dollar - every Mon. -
Ron Sexsmith, 6-8pm. - every
Wed. Revelation - every Sat.
Norm Hacking hosts an open
stage, 4-8pm.
Anne Lederman - High Park
Library -Sat. Dec 14, 2 pm.
John T Davis & Jim Heineman
- The Greeks - every Thursday
Sara Craig - Ultrasound - 296
Queen St. W. 593-0540- Wed.
Dec. 10
John Gorka - Ultrasound - 296
Queen St. W. 593-0540 - Sat.
Jan. 18
Bob Wiseman and Michael
Snow - The Music Gallery -
Queen and Dovercourt - Sat.
Dec. 14
Boho a Blast
(if you can find it)
by Colin Puffer
The name Bohemian Embassy
may not mean much to anyone
under the age of thirty. But to
those a bit longer in the tooth
the name definitely conjures up
images of the sixties: coffee
houses, Yorkville, incense, and
generally groovy stuff.
The original Boho opened in
tp61 and was a real focal point
of Toronto's burgeoning "alternative
culture". Don Cullen (a
Bohemian Embassy founder) and
partners reestablished diplomatic
relations with rest of the world
last spring. The first night was a
bit of · a strange affair for a
Queen St. club opening. The
only black leather sported was
worn by the kids dragged in by
the parents who came to compare
hairlines, waists, wrinkles
and memories with other first
peoples.·
The New Wave
Today's Bohemian Embassy has
tried to recreate some of the feel
of the original. And is trying to
do so with what seems to be, at
first glance, a suicidal policy of
no smoking and no alcohol! You
don't go to the Embassy to party
in the "did I have a good time
last night?" sense of the word.
And you don't go there to hear
a state of the art sound system
or for the laser show. You go
there to listen to music. Novel
concept, eh?
The Bohemian Embassy books
a varied range of acts. Two
weeks ago I went there expecting
to hear Moxy Fruvous and
instead stumbled on to Colleen
Peterson's birthday party. Accompanying
Colleen were Shirley
Eikhard, Sylvia Tyson, Caitlin
Hanford and Danny Greenspoon.
Not a bad lineup by anyone's
'standards. Recently, the Bohemian
featured the dulcet tones of
Mendelson Joe in a special ~no
smoke, lawyers pay double"
Find the drum coupon
and do what it says,
and a DRUM BRICK
up to 35 words
·. is yours in the Jan. 30
. DRUM
performance. Last ·Friday there
was a Mariposa/Bohemian
Embassy co-presentation with
Scotland's Brian McNiell. If
your tastes run more toward
tangos, and string quartet versions
of Danny Boy, you might
want to check out Quartetto
Gelato. And when was the last
time you saw Perth County
Conspiracy?
The Future
Bruce Cockburn didn't sell out
Massy Hall. Tom Cochrane
(with a best selling album) isn't
filling halls. Mike Jackson is
doing OK, but he doesn't really
count. It is a very difficult time
for promoters, bands and club
owners alike. At present the
Bohemian Embassy just isn't
drawing the crowds to make it
viable for too much longer. It
would be a shame to lose a
venue like this. The cover
charge is always reasonable, the
coffee is very good and think of
all the money you'll save by not
buying alcohol. If you hunger
for a smoke-free (environment
where you can hear good music,
then have a look into the Bohemian
Embassy. If you can find
it. (Management please note:
Your sign sucks - all sorts of
potential patrons never even fmd
the place).
Employment
Opportunities
The Toronto
Disarmament Network
is currently hiring
individuals for its door
to door fundraising and
public outreach·
campaign. Full and parttime
work available;
4:30-9:30p.m.
$8.00 per hr. to start.
Call Allan . or Scott,
535-8005
11 a.m.- 3 p.m.
WOIUt P'OR PBACB