Cantata
(Rumours of My Crazy, Useless Life)
Thank you for attending Cantata
Our show Cantata (Rumours of My Crazy, Useless Life) has wrapped up with many sold-out shows.
- Our playwright Clem Martini
- Our director Jason Mehmel
- Our cast (left to right) Brian Jensen, Duval Lang, Valerie Campbell, and Precious Akpoguma
- Our composer and musician Rod Squance
- Our creative team Emily Parkhouse and Calum Maunier
- The team at Sage Theatre
- Our funders and sponsors
- Our box office and usher volunteers
- Our venue cSpace
Media about Cantata
Reviews
Review: Sage Theatre’s Cantata an intimate portrayal of an ailing family
Sage Theatre’s world premiere of Cantata (Rumours of My Crazy, Useless Life) is a master class in writing, directing and acting…
“Cantata (Rumours of my Crazy, Useless Life)” at Sage Theatre
Cantata is a brand new play running at Sage Theatre. The show deals with mental illness, caregiving, healthcare, loss of control, and the sense of overwhelm and guilt when you are in the middle of it all. The show is directed by Sage Theatre’s Artistic Director, Jason Mehmel….
Podcasts
The Homestretch with Jenny Howe – Clem Martini
Calgary author and playwright Clem Martini has a new play premiering this week. Cantata (Rumours Of My Crazy, Useless Life) opens at cSpace King Edward on Thursday night. Martini joins us to talk about the personal story that inspired the play.
The Breakfast Dish #69 – Jason Mehmel
This week, Karen and Griffin chat with Jason Mehmel; the Artistic Director of Sage Theatre and long time D&D buddy of Griffin’s. The trio chat about Sage’s upcoming production of ‘Cantata’, the difference between TED and TEDx, and their theories on debunking hypnotists.
YYC Popcast “All the World’s A Stage,” with Clem Martini
Clem tells us all about his deeply personal play, ‘Cantata, a dramatization and fictionalization of Martini’s experience as a caregiver for a brother with schizophrenia and a mother developing dementia, which is currently playing at Sage Theatre in Calgary…
News
CTV: Calgary playwright transforms family trauma into theatrical drama
Clem Martini was dealt more family trauma than most people, but he turned it into a theatrical drama that made its world premiere Thursday night at cSpace in Calgary…
CALGARY HERALD: Clem Martini turns award-winning book about caregiving for his brother into play
It’s taken two years but Clem Martini will finally get to see his latest play Cantata (Rumours Of My Crazy, Useless Life) receive its Sage Theatre premiere…
UCALGARY: SCPA drama professor’s award-winning play to be performed
Calgary’s Sage Theatre presents Clem Martini’s remarkable play, Cantata (Rumours Of My Crazy, Useless Life) until May 7…
Cast
Clem Martini
PLAYWRIGHT, NOVELIST AND SCREENWRITER
Clem Martini has over thirty plays, and ten books of fiction and nonfiction to his credit, including the Calgary Book Award-winning Bitter Medicine: A Graphic Memoir of Mental Illness and the internationally acclaimed young adult trilogy, The Crow Chronicles. He has served on the boards of numerous writing organizations including the Alberta Playwrights Network (Vice President), the Playwrights Guild of Canada (President), and the Canadian Creative Writers and Writing Programs (founding President).
Duval Lang
MARTIN
“It’s been a long time since I’ve written one of these. The last one I wrote was never read by an audience. Black Radish Theatre was a few short days from opening in March, 2020 when …*$%&!! Alas, poor Mesa.
Now! I am ever so grateful to be back doing what I love to do – working with friends and colleagues to bring a compelling story to a staged life, and sharing that story with a live audience – with you! I have made a career of doing that for over 45 years. Along the way, I had the pleasure and satisfaction to co-found two companies – Quest Theatre (which premiered several Clem Martini plays for young audiences) and Black Radish Theatre, whose production of Waiting for Godot remains a career highlight for me.
I hope there will be plenty more opportunities like Mesa and Godot and Cantata for artists like me, but we need your help. Tell the people you know that you felt safe, that you were nurtured, that you experienced something vital again – live theatre! Tell them to come. Then all of you – go see something else. That’s the only way back to normal.
Brian Jensen
DENNIS
Brian Jensen – Brian has been an actor in film, TV, and stage around Weatern Canada for over 40 years.
Select stage credits include A Christmas Carol and The Crucible (TC), Canadian Badlands Passion Play, Drumheller (6 years) and numerous productions with Lunchbox Theatre, Vertigo Theatre, Geound Zero/Hit & Myth.
Film credits include Passchendaele, Hell on Wheels, Fargo, Dark Angel, The Outer Limits and many more.
Valerie Campbell
IRENE
Valerie Campbell is a performing artist, educator and director with a specialization in movement. She is an Associate Professor Emerita – Drama from the School of Creative and Performing Arts at the University Of Calgary.
Precious Akpoguma
PSYCHIATRIST, COUNSELLOR, BANK MANAGER, NURSE, GROWLING PATIENT
Precious Akpoguma is an emerging Nigerian-Canadian artist based in Calgary, Alberta. She is currently finishing up the last years of her degrees in Drama and Education at the University of Calgary and is very excited and honoured to be a part of Cantata with Sage Theatre. She recently worked with the School of Creative and Performing Arts on the staged reading of Adeline by Julie-Anne Bolduc playing various characters, including the Therapist, and on the devised production of Fairy Queen, also with the SCPA, as an ensemble member. Precious wants to give a shoutout to all her acting instructors at the University for supporting her passions.
Creative Team
Jason Mehmel
DIRECTOR
Jason Mehmel is a writer, producer and director living in Calgary. He is the Artistic Director for Sage Theatre. His directing work includes A Year of Magical Thinking, Legislating Love, King Kirby, A Beautiful View (Sage Theatre). He is also a speaker curator and coach for the TEDxYYC event, and a member of the Panel One organization. He has produced and directed short films, and writes comic books, including the anthology book FIGHT COMICS! (fightcomics.ca) He has written episodes of the indie cartoon Ghost Toast. More details available at jasonmehmel.com
Rod Squance
MUSICIAN, COMPOSER
Rod Thomas Squance is quickly gaining recognition as one of Canada’s most exciting musicians. A stunning soloist, Rod captivates audiences with his perfect blend of compelling musicianship, sparkling technique, and exotic sound. Rod is very active as a soloist and freelance percussionist in chamber, orchestral, jazz and world music settings.
Emily Parkhouse
STAGE MANAGER
Emily is an emerging stage manager, playwright and occasional performer born and (mostly) raised in Calgary, Alberta.
Daughter to two theatre pros, Emily was fortunate enough to be born into an artistic world, fostering a long standing passion for the performing arts. Originally aiming for a life on the stage, Emily found herself head over heels for both the written word and stage management.
She is so grateful to Sage Theatre for this amazing opportunity. Much love to her family and to the incredible A.S.; thank you for believing in me, my love.
Calum Maunier
DESIGNER
Calum Maunier is an energetic, collaborative designer. He has worked on such productions as YOU’RE DRIVING ME CRAZY (Winter 2022) by Stephanie Alexandre and Alison Bloxham for performance in the Alchemy 2022 Festival, and the dance work AFTERMATH, also part of Alchemy.
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