November 10, 8:00 p.m., 1994 Two of Gwendolyn MacEwen's finest works: The Nine Arcana of the Kings and Terror and Erebus, are performed with music by the multi-disciplinary collective, Resonance. The company for this performance is: Carolyn Guillet, actor; William Beauvais, guitar; Julian Knight, viola; Eugene Martynec, synthesizer. The Nine Arcana of the Kings is an epic tale of incest, murder, greed and the search for eternal life in ancient Egypt during the reign of King Akhenaton. Sensual, lyrical, and mysterious, this text melds with music to evoke a ritualistic tone. Terror and Erebus tells of the famous Franklin expedition of 1846 that has captured the imagination of Canadians everywhere. Originally a radio play, and Gwendolyn's personal favourite poem, this piece weaves a commentary on the power of nature, writing and the imagination through the voice of the later explorer Rasmussen. Haunting and provocative, this text conjures images of the blinding light and expanse of snow that is the North. William Beauvais: From the outset of his career, William Beauvais has brought sparkle and warmth to his readings of Canadian music. He records regularly and his projects have appeared on Centaur Records, Musica Viva and most recently a record, Bridges, with Brian Katz, on his own label, Winter Longing Records. Carolyn Guillet: Carolyn Guillet has performed in numerous Toronto theatres specializing in classical roles such as Clytemnestra in The Greeks, Lady MacBeth in Shakespearean Characters, and new works such as Cinderella in Bedtime Stories and Joan of Arc in The Trials. Her creative pursuits encompass writing, direction, music and movement. Julian Knight: Julian Knight is a freelance violist, playing in a variety of venues and ensembles in and around Toronto. His interest in improvised music arose during younger associations with jazz. Eugene Martynec produced Bruce Cockburn's first 12 albums, as well as albums for Edward Bear, Murray McLaughlan, Doug & the Slugs, among others. He currently performs experimental electronic music, and is exploring the use of a computer and mouse as musical instrument. RW
	June 23, 8:00 p.m., 1994
	Dramuse (actor Carolyn Guillet and guitarist William Beauvais) perform Gwendolyn McEwen's last work, Afterworlds. Followed by Cafe Improv, with violist Julian Knight. Carolyn Guillet wrote this about Afterworlds: Gwen MacEwen's 17 brief poems, entitled After-thoughts, are deeply personal, almost autobiographical in nature. The shape of her own life comes to light as she tells the stories of the people and places she loves most in the world - a world which she is about to leave. They are one of the last gifts of a woman who is about to die, and a delightful celebration of life. To call this "poetry" belies the immediacy and accessibility of the work. To call it otherwise would deny its marvelous truth and beauty. To me, ultimately, these stories are a courageous act of love through the medium of words. To do justice to my part I feel I must perform this text with an equal measure of bold love, mixed with tremendous humour and pathos, passion and rage, and a terrible, terrible vulnerability. It gives me great pleasure to bring body and soul to words so alive on the page, and to recreate for a brief moment the undying spirit of a great poet. This is for you, Gwendolyn. Carolyn William Beauvais: From the outset of his career, William Beauvais has brought sparkle and warmth to his readings of Canadian music. He records regularly and his projects have appeared on Centaur Records, Musica Viva and most recently a record, Bridges, with Brian Katz, on his own label, Winter Longing Records. Carolyn Guillet: Carolyn Guillet has performed in numerous Toronto theatres specializing in classical roles such as Clytemnestra in The Greeks, Lady MacBeth in Shakespearean Characters, and new works such as Cinderella in Bedtime Stories and Joan of Arc in The Trials. Her creative pursuits encompass writing, direction, music and movement. Julian Knight: Julian Knight is a freelance violist, playing in a variety of venues and ensembles in and around Toronto. His interest in improvised music arose during younger associations with jazz. RW