La Storia

How do you come home to a place that doesn’t exist anymore?

You’re invited to come aboard a virgin voyage! Set sail on a (sort of) stream of consciousness…part pleasure cruise, part funeral barge- maybe there will be tits! Let’s go fishing in a salvage yard of ephemera! Help yourself to a surreal smorgasbord of (rare) true stories! Reminisce about “back in the day” on a (metaphorical) time travel excursion!

This premiere of an entirely original and diy’ed solo show is a transdisciplinary tapestry, superimposing and blurring crass ‘n tender memoir, handmade puppeteered dreamscapes, with all-original scoring.

La Storia navigates personal stories of isolation, assimilation, migration, and living with existential grief. Featuring memories that celebrate queer liberation and overcoming repression, it’s got retro nostalgia with a punk ethos. An authentic chronicle of a kid coming of age in the street youth scene in Calgary at the turn of the century, La Storia reflects on a personal relationship to land, home, ancestry and origin.

Jamie T shares candid animated intimate experiences - maybe not what you might consider a “traditional” puppet show, but it’s got puppets. Vocalizing about resistance and radicalization, and intergenerational resistance to fascism, La Storia speaks to both historical and contemporary experiences...and there’s also jokes and a bunch of sex talk.

This is an experimental work in progress; a smattering of samples in various stages of development.

This presentation is part of our Incubator Series.

Runtime: 60 minutes

Advisories and accessibility:

This work involves some mature themes, explicit language, and full frontal puppet nudity. Recommended for ages 14 and up.

Navigating the venue:

The venue has an all gender/single toilet washroom with a pedestal standing sink.

Wheelchair access: There are no steps at the entrance off the the parking lot, but during the winter the parking lot may be uneven with snow and ice. The parking lot gate is entered via the alley on the building's east side. There is a wooden door frame 1.5 inches off the cement floor between the Workshop (where the washroom is located) and the Studio space. In the Studio, one half of the room has a stage/black box area that is elevated from the rest of the floor. The event will be oriented so that guests will not be required to step up onto the black box area to view/hear the work. 

Lighting: The venue will have low lighting in several areas

Seating: If folks wish to stand/sit/move around during the presentation, they are welcome to accommodate themselves as there is no assigned seating arrangement. The chairs provided are not fixed to the floor. Cabaret seating prospects include a variety of styles of chairs with backs; not all have armrests.

Sound: Sound/music components are central to the performance and there will be some supplementary visual components to support the text, but subtitles are not provided for the entire duration of the show. There are no sudden loud/surprising sound effects in the design.  

Air: It is possible that folks with sensory sensitivity to dust/smells may be affected, as the performance space is connected to the woodworking shop. Also, the venue is located in an industrial area with unpredictable ambient smells from the neighbourhood. The temperature in the space will be controlled by the building. There is not a sterilizing HVAC filtration system in this venue. Masks are not required, but encouraged for individual comfort.

Neighbourhood: Navigating the streets surrounding the venue, there aren't regular sidewalks and it is not particularly pedestrian-friendly, although on a Sunday the streets surrounding the studio are not high traffic.  

Parking: Free parking in gated lot at BonnyBoom/Old Trouts Studio and on neighbouring streets. There are no specifically labeled parking spots for disabled folks, however there are numerous spots in the lot within a few steps of either doorway. In the event of snow, the venue will do their best to make sure the entrance is shovelled for the safest passage.

Bus: BonnyBoom is transit accessible by several buses (we recommend checking best routes from your origin). The nearest stop is approximately a 6 min walk from the venue, on Ogden Rd @15A St SE. 15A street does not have paved sidewalks/pathways, and there is a set of train tracks to cross over.  This is not a residential area, but there is a fair amount of overhead street lighting for visibility.