Reading Guide: ‘Kids’ — this section is for kids; ‘Grown-ups’–this section is for grown-ups; Blue–words for kids to learn; Orange–words for Grown-ups to learn (definitions are at the bottom of the blog post).
Kids AND Grown-ups, this is a very special announcement because the person we are introducing to you is responsible for searching the entire world to bring you the best grown-up-friendly kids’ entertainment. Please cheer as loud as you can for our new Festival Programmer, Brian Dorscht!
Hi, I’m Brian Dorscht (sounds like ‘borscht’). I’ve been involved in the showbiz world since I was 9 years old. Even though I was a performer as a young kid, I would always find a way to sneak backstage when big touring shows came to our city arena–I hoped someone would come up to me and ask me to go on tour with them. I loved to be at that perfect place where I could watch what was happening backstage and onstage at the same time. I have brought my own daughters to the Festival over the years, and now, I’m a lucky guy to be working with the great team at Kids’ Fest; and in May, I’ll be surrounded by great talent from around the world. One of my favourite things was working with the University’s Keystone Kops. They were entertaining just off the plaza on the first day; it was chilly. We decided to offer passersby, as well as kids, “pretend” hot chocolate or coffee. To my surprise, people took the pretend cup, filled with pretend hot coffee, and drank “nothing”! AND THEN they put their pretend cup in the real recycling bin. Everyone became part of the act. It was beautiful, and a great way to start the festival.
Kids, how old are you? Are you older than nine? Younger than nine? Can you imagine being in theatre when you are nine years old? Brian did! And so can you! Brian has been a singer, an actor and a director of lots of performances. He really likes being a part of big musical shows and theatre that is meant for young audiences, just like you! He keeps telling us that this is his dream job because he gets to have fun every day bringing together artists from all over the world that are going to get you excited and inspired.
Grown-ups, working as the Festival Programmer for the YYCKidsFest truly is Brian’s dream job–he won’t stop telling us. It is also our dream to have him creating the programming for 2013. Few within the international theatre community have the breadth of experience with TYA (Theatre for Young Audiences) that Brian does. As the co-founder of Calgary’s Young People’s Theatre and a fixture of direction and program development with the University of Calgary’s Wagonstage Theatre, Brian has been responsible for sparking the imaginations and evolving the creative education of young audiences for over twenty years. We are ecstatic to have his eye deciphering the myriad performances that are mounted every year in Fringe Festivals, make-shift theatres and storied institutions throughout the world in order to bring the highest level of multi-age entertainment to the Calgary International Children’s Festival; or, what he calls, “the WOW! factor that will rock YYC.”
So very happy to have you on the team, Brian!
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