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Concrete Cabaret usually performs three times annually,

with occasional special events and collaborative performances.

Check here for any upcoming performances

and mark your calendars to attend or see our call for proposals to perform!

Concrete Cabaret Sidewalk Sideshows

Last three weeks of August 2020

Dear Experimental Puppet Creators of Toronto,

Concrete Cabaret has always had a mission to support, develop, and showcase experimental puppetry and we have always - until recently - done this live! The pandemic made our in-person cabarets impossible for a time and while we have enjoyed experimenting with virtual offerings, we are still committed to the irreplaceability of live performance - especially during this isolating time.

Concrete Cabaret is creating an in-person, radically small set of traveling shows this August, all designed to function safely within the constraints of physical distancing guidelines. We are looking for experimental puppet performers with existing shows that are between 5-12 minutes in length and are (or can be easily modified to be) highly mobile. Selected participants will perform on designated dates between August 13-30th on front lawns within the Westend neighbourhoods of Toronto.

The shows consist of two solo performers, performing a solo act each (duos for an act will only be considered if the two performers are in isolation together and they must split the show fee). Each solo artist will perform a short original experimental puppet show as well as a short intro/outro blurb and *hopefully* a song/poem or two. If you are a puppeteer who can also sing, carry a tune, play an instrument, whistle, or rock a spoken word poem, we would love to hear from you!

Audiences will be able to “order” a mini Cabaret for a minimum amount and can invite as many friends and family as can safely fit on their porch(es) or front lawn(s). Cash tips after the shows are encouraged and will be collected by a “distant hat pass”.

Details:

The show runs between August 13th-30th, Thurs-Sun (you do not have to be available all of these days)
Shows (a mini cabaret of two solo performers) run approx 25-30 min in length and are scheduled at 6pm, 7pm, and/or 8pm, with a minimum of two show performances per evening.
Shows consist of two solo performers, performing solo acts with a distance buffer of 8 feet, on either side of a designated front lawn/porch
Please note there will be NO electrical capabilities, shows must be acoustic and require no tech/amplification
The renumeration is approximately $50 for each performer, per evening (approx $25 per performer, per show, as there is a minimum of two shows per evening). This does not include tips! We plan to arm you with a “distant” hat for passing at the end of the shows.

To Apply:

Please send us a short email describing your show and a bit about you and why you’d like to be apart of this live-distant-performance project. You MUST attached a video of your full performance (even if it is rough and recreated for the application in your own home) as we are looking to curate pairs of performers to work the three weeks together.

Please also tell us how mobile you and your show are (do you have a car or is your show bikeable?) and what dates/times you are available between August 13-30th.

Proposals due Monday July 20th

Tell us anything else we need to know!

concretecabarettoronto@gmail.com