content

The Electric Company

Aiyyana Maracle

rumble gang news

what we do

acknowledgements

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editorial

Launching the inaugural issue of Rumble Theatre Productions' newsletter has been a rather unassuming business compared to the hoopla of other public beginnings. We haven't had to dress for the occasion, there are no politely applauding spectators, no ribbon to cut, and certainly no champagne-although there may be a flat beer in the back of the fridge. Nevertheless we still feel like we are on the verge of something new. Perhaps it's millennium fever-that general sense of urgency and anticipation that seems to pervade our culture as we inch closer to the end of this century. A day doesn't go by when we are not assaulted or inspired by theories regarding this profound turning point in human history. Scenarios shimmering with possibilities - The Technology! or fearsome apocalypses - The Technology! What we are wondering is, what about the art?

Aiyyana Maracle's eloquent speech at the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres' (PACT) conference in June, which we have featured here, refers to a quote from Louis Riel which continues to inspire her: "My people will sleep for a hundred years; when they awake, it will be to the call of our artists". It seems to us, these words are astonishing in their timeliness, and although Riel was speaking very specifically to and of his people, we hope we can be allowed to find in these words inspiration for all artists. Aiyyana Maracle's speech is about potential and possibilities. It resonates with confidence in the role artists have as representatives of communities and communicators of ideas - a vision Rumble wholeheartedly embraces.

Our other feature is an interview with The Electric Company. The innovative young theatre artists who brought the hugely successful Brilliant! to the Fringe last year have inspired us as well. The visual imagery and stunning physicality of their work, their use of multi-media, their incredible energy and commitment, supports our belief that the stage is a place where things can happen-serious things, fun things; it can be a meeting point where different disciplines converge, invigorate and renew each other.

With transmissions, we hope to act as a forum, to provoke dialogue, and to give a profile to those artists with whom we share a sense of relevancy, and a spirit of collaboration, of risk-taking, of possibilities.

Heather & Adrienne

Letters to the editor - email: transmissions@rumble.org