Feb. 17, 2010 - Issue #748: Corb Lund

Prevue

Zodiac acrobats

Firefly Theatre finds inspiration in astrology

Though it's still pretty wintery outside, Edmonton audiences have a chance to see some of the city's best summer festival performers each year—that's thanks to Firefly Theatre's annual Fly By Nights extravaganza.

"A lot of the performances that we do in the show you might see at festivals or corporate galas, but we don't often get to do for the public," explains Firefly's artistic Director Annie Dugan, who's rounded up a cast of local acrobats, magicians, dancers and clowns to perform at La Cité Francophone this weekend.

"In the past what we've done is just assemble an eclectic bunch of circus and variety performers for the show. We decided this year to change it up a bit."

The change, she adds, came about from a game played by Firefly's board at its annual general meeting. Duggan thought the zodiac would be interesting to work around, considering it's not only familiar to most people, it also provides 12 quirky themes for artists to work with.

So, she put the 12 astrological signs into ballots in one hat, and a handful of circus and performance disciplines in another: Taurus was picked as a group silks piece, Gemini went to a pair of contortionists and Scorpio drew a clown. Magician Gia Felicitas pulled Aries—which just so happens to be the sign of both the Great Houdini and David Blaine—so she planned a straight-jacket escape act.

Duggan, who's actually a Capricorn, says that Felicitas will also offer that practical, straight-laced sign a fitting treatment.

"Capricorn seems so boring when you see the adjectives that generally describe it: reliable, hard-working dependable," Duggan sighs. "But Humphrey Bogart was a Capricorn—and so was Jesus Christ, depending on what birthday you're going to believe—so [Felicitas] is doing a bit of a history of astrology and the occult along with that sign, because a true Capricorn would want to give you the full picture."

A self-professed workaholic, Duggan admits she possesses typical Capricorn traits, but adds that horoscopes and astrology are really more of a psychological game than anything to be taken too seriously. When Firefly performs at events as the Data Collectors, they poll audience members about their zodiac sign, and use the same adjective to describe every single answer: stubborn.

"That word works for just about every sign," Duggan laughs. "It's just human." V

Fri, Feb 19, Sat, Feb 20 (8pm)
Fly By Night 2010: The Twelve Signs
La Cité Francophone (8627 - 91 St),
$25 – $30

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