The Picture of Memories: Edmonton, June 2013
This weekend Brad and Rae Ellen and I had a fantastic time in Edmonton connecting with school chums (oh the stories we shared), family (Auntie Julie and Auntie Jean opened up their homes to us; they are quintessential Prairie women who know how to cook), old friends who live too far from us in Toronto (Jim, Lynnette, Patricia, Michelle, so many of you who came to see us), and making new friends. We met people at the door with our signature Nanaimo Bars and Buttertart Squares, our guests brought along a bottle of whatever they felt like drinking, and they even shared their wine with people who'd forgotten.
It was nice.
Patti's agenda (pierogies and kielbassa) was met and she came home with a suitcase full of sausage. Brad and Rae giggled themselves silly with our host Trevor Schmidt (sartorialist, bon vivant, and artistic director of Northern Lights Theatre. If you're in Edmonton please check out Northern Lights' upcoming season, or just find Trevor. All roads lead to Trevor. Trust me on this.)
The Picture of Happiness shows were in a wonderful "found" space: a flower store called "fabloomosity" in the beautifully restored John B. Mercer - no, not Johnny Mercer - Building in Edmonton. By the way, Liz Nicholls of The Edmonton Journal wrote a great article about our show, encouraging the city to continue to present music and theatre in unusual spaces. You may enjoy hearing what she had to say.
The weekend was "The Picture of Memories": Brad's grandfather "Bill" was one of the men in "the picture of happiness". He died in a homeless shelter in Edmonton in 1972, probably within steps of where Brad was sharing his grandfather's story in words and song on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights.
This weekend we - all of us - were there to remember Bill.
