I had a dream the other night I wish to share.
Normally, when other people start a conversation with that sentence, I excuse myself to take a long walk around the block, so I ask you to indulge me for a bit.
It is summer and I’m in downtown Sydney in a crowd of people. There seems to be some sort of outdoor pop-up theatre festival happening.
It reminds of the outdoor plays the much-missed Cape Breton Stage Company used to do during Action Week, but many of the performers I recognize are too young to have been a part of those shows.
They are doing an audience participation song and have chosen me as their latest victim, er, volunteer. I pick up the tune, which is simple and catchy, and improvise a verse. General hilarity and good feeling.
I wake up trying to remember the catch of the song.
It doesn’t take Sigmund Freud to interpret this dream: I’ve had enough of a) winter, b) social distancing, c) the immense toll the recent COVID-19 crisis has taken on all of the performing arts and public institutions, like libraries, of which I am a patron and frequently write about in this column.
In the local area, every performance venue has shut down. In the case of theatres, this has seen the cancellation of entire productions, like the Savoy Theatre’s much anticipated production of “Cinderella” at its Glace Bay venue.
The Highland Arts Theatre in Sydney has cancelled or postponed all upcoming productions and performances and theatre classes.
In a post on their Facebook page, the HAT made clear the threat they, and their fellow venues along with the performers and crews, are facing:
“As a not-for-profit, charitable organization that receives no operating funding and derives more than 80 per cent of our annual revenue from ticket sales, this is a harrowing reality to be facing, however we applaud the province on their proactive stance in securing the continued safety of our citizens.”
Many venues and their regular patrons are asking ticket holders to “gift” their refunds back to the venues (which are often tax deductible) so their losses won’t be so catastrophic.
Happy to say, many patrons are choosing to support these local venues in this way and other ways.
Musicians who gig in bars don’t have the same fall back. When the bars are forced shut, their income entirely disappears.
Once again, it’s Facebook to the rescue with Music by Capers - Killin’ time during Covid-One Nine.
Again, to quote Facebook: “Some of these musicians perform for a living and have had many or all of their gigs cancelled and are providing live online concerts … some of them may have a PayPal or email listed if you feel so inclined to support an artist by leaving a tip, it would be greatly appreciated.”
Music fans have also suggested to visit a favourite performer's webpage and purchase an album (CD or vinyl) or T-shirt or other merchandise that will put a couple of needed dollars in someone’s pocket.
Now to a local institution dear to my own heart: the Cape Breton Regional Library.
Despite all of its branches being closed, the regional library and its intrepid staff are still offering services specifically designed for these shut-in times.
The Baddeck Library’s head librarian, Kate Burns, is reading stories on the branch’s Facbook page for wee ones — check that page for stories, days and times.
Also on its Facebook page, the library staff is offering a variety of puppet shows each Monday and Wednesday with the first featuring their popular “Grandpa” puppet talking about how to protect families from the COVID-19 virus.
And the staff has also come up with a list of 35 activities for you to do at home with each one earning you points.
The participant with the most points will get a prize. Find the activity list at this link. Email your answers at [email protected].
Summer will come, the dark viral tide will abate and Cape Bretoners will return to live performances in libraries, theatres and street festivals. And so, even if just in our dreams, we all hope.
Ken Chisholm lives in Sydney and has written plays, songs, reviews, magazine articles. He can be reached at [email protected].
