Opening this week

• Jordan Tannahill’s Peter Fechter: 59 Minutes, presented by Cardiac Theatre, runs at the PCL Studio Theatre January 10 – 22.
  • Check out my interview with Director Harley Morison, where we talk about the historical context and the specific artistic challenges of this show about one of the most known people who died trying to cross the Berlin Wall.
• Grindstone Theatre and The Malachites have partnered to present Henry V, which features the first casting of a female King Henry V in Canada. The show runs January 12 – 28 at Holy Trinity Anglican Church.

Submissions

• Submit your nomination for The Mayor’s Celebration of the Arts award before January 28!
• Submissions for the 2017 Found Festival, presented by Common Ground Arts Society, are due January 13.

Talkin’ bout theatre

• What It Is Podcast gets the scoop on two upcoming shows on their latest podcast: Star Killing Machine and Peter Fechter: 59 Minutes. 
• Liz Nicholls is back at it with two new articles on her website, 12thnight.ca:
  • A look back at Edmonton theatre in 2016
  • An overview of what we can expect from the second half of this year’s theatre season

Getting excited

Is anyone else getting excited about Catalyst Theatre’s new show, Fortune Falls? Following a run in Calgary, the new musical is coming to Edmonton January 17 – February 5. Check out the trailer:

What else I’m reading/watching/listening to

• I listened to the first Call Your Girlfriend podcast of the year, and at about 35 minutes in, they start having a conversation with an arts consultant, Beth Pickens, who speaks about how her clients – artists in the United States – are dealing with the political climate they’ve found themselves in. The segment (heck, the podcast as a whole!) is definitely worth a listen. And for any Canadian artists asking themselves the question Beth talks about – is making art enough? – Yes! It absolutely is.