ENTERTAINMENT
Theatre
Spotlight
KELLY REAY
Like so many performing artists
before him, Kelly Reay, festival producer
for One Yellow Rabbit, was obsessed with
storytelling from a young age. He dreamt of
following his passion right to Hollywood’s doorstep and first began
working in Calgary’s theatre scene in hopes that the experience
would make a perfect stepping stone to the silver screen. But an
unexpected lesson made it impossible for him to leave the stage
behind.
“There is a richness and a uniqueness in this medium that you can’t
achieve in any other, in film or TV,” he says. “Theatre is very much
a communal experience—you’re there with this group of strangers,
collecting shared experiences, and that rawness is ultimately one
of the big things that drew me to theatre and made me stay. That
idea of how visceral a live performance is, and sharing that specific
performance, on that night, with whosoever is in the audience.”
During Reay’s travels across the main stages and backstages of many
of Calgary’s finest theatre companies—among them Theatre Calgary,
Vertigo and Sage—he was offered the opportunity to become OYR’s
liaison for storytellers for the High Performance Rodeo, Calgary’s
International Festival of the Arts (page 46).
“I’m the hub,” he says of his role bringing the annual festival to
Calgarians. “A big part of it is having a finger on the pulse of what’s
happening in our city, across the country, internationally, within the
industry.”
In his second year as festival producer, Reay plays a role in curating
the Rodeo and later makes sure that every internationally acclaimed
act that comes to perform in it has everything they need—from props
to stages to hotel bookings—to bring their amazing show to our city’s
audiences.
“The shows at the Rodeo can be totally off the wall and challenging,
The following listings include information on
festivals, family entertainment, sports events,
theatre, dance, and music that the editors judge
worthy of your attention, including advertisers in
Where Calgary. The map coordinates at the end
of each listing (E4, E8 etc.) refer to the city maps
on pages 51 to 52. If you have an observation
regarding any of our listings, please email
[email protected].
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ATTRACTIONS
ACURA TUBE PARK This tube park is the largest of its
kind in Western Canada. On-site food and drink options
and washrooms. WinSport, 88 Canada Olympic Rd SW.
winsport.ca
AXE THROWING CALGARY Challenge your friends to
an axe-throwing competition. Whoever earns the most
points by hitting closest to the centre of the target wins
a spot on the podium, and serious bragging rights for
years to come. 5923 - 3 St SE, 1-844-403-AXES (2937).
www.axethrowingcalgary.ca
but also adventurous and
thrill-seeking, and I think
that’s why something
like HPR has been able
to survive, and thrive, in
Calgary for 32 years,” Reay
says. “Calgarians are really
passionate about it because
there’s an adventurous
spirit, a curiosity about the
world, in our city.”
Which shows in this year’s
High Performance Rodeo
are you most looking
forward to seeing?
Hot Brown Honey (page
48) for sure, and Onegin
(page 48) are favourites
that I’m really excited
about. I’m also looking forward to Empire of the Son (page 48), and
Daughter.
How can our readers get the most out of their HPR experience this
year?
This year we have something called a Flex Pass, where you can
purchase, essentially, four tickets for $120, and those can be used in
a variety of combinations. It’s the most efficient way to see a wide
range of shows at the festival.
As a long time resident of Calgary, what