The Haliburton Highlands Museum & Razzamataz Kids’ Show is proud to present the Professor Wick’s School of Magic & Illusion on Saturday January 14th at 3:30pm. See the flyer below for more details.

Thank you to everyone who made the 2015-16 Razzamataz season such a success!

Click here to download the registration form!

Please help Razzamataz Kids’ Shows! to bring high quality live performing arts to families in Haliburton County.

Razzamataz Kids’ Shows is looking for volunteers to program the organization’s annual Family Entertainment Series, to design and manage print advertising, and to write funding proposals. We are also looking for a person to liase with schools and other organizations in our efforts to bring performing arts to the community.

Free webinars for professional development on a wide range of topics relating to presenting are available to members of Razzamataz Kids’ Shows! through Ontario Presents.

We are looking for:

An Artistic Director who should

• have great interpersonal skills
• research recent developments in family entertainment
• attend 1 to 2 events showcasing the exciting works of artists performing for a family audience
• liaise with a network of children’s presenters of Northern Ontario
• Participate in conference calls with the network of children’s presenters to select performances to be included in Razzamataz Kids’ Shows! Family Entertainment Series
• manage the contracting of artists
• book the venue for each show
• use the online file sharing service SamePage to maintain a list of recommended artists and performances and to upload letters of agreement, contracts and promotional materials
• gather promotional materials from the artists and make these and other relevant materials are accessible to other committee members
• Work closely with the committee’s treasurer and the person writing funding proposals

A Graphic Designer who should

• Design annual brochure
• Design print advertising (posters, newspaper ads, poster board,…)
• Ensure timely delivery of print advertising

A Grant Proposal Writer who should

• Have good writing skills
• Communicate with representative of funding agencies
• Write two funding proposals each year (OAC, Department of Canadian Heritage)
• Work together with the Artistic Director and Treasurer to inform the grant proposal.
• Collect all media which showcase or advertise Razzamataz for use in report writing
• Write two annual reports (OAC, Department of Canadian Heritage)
• Archive funding proposals and written communications on paper and using the online file sharing service SamePage.

A Liaison person who should

• have good verbal skills
• work closely with the artistic director in planning community outreach programs and cooperative efforts with other organizations.

If you’re interested or have any questions, please contact Dawn Hurd at 705-854-0728.

 

The Baobab tree was one of the most interactive shows I’ve ever seen in Razzmatazz. They told and showed us a story (at the same time) about a boy searching for water and the sun’s heart. The show itself was amazing and fun! It was an engaging show that all of the kids (I think) loved! They had amazing art work as well! They had many different costumes and fun ideas that I personally loved! The thing I think most of the kids loved was, the Baboon suit, that actress did amazing pretending to be a monkey.

I thought it was fun, interactive, interesting and just something amazing people come up with!

 

Well as you see in the photo over there – I`m in a mask!

This mask was used in the show on Sunday, Feb 22nd presented by Razzamataz Kids` Shows! But as you can also see from the title, I’m not talking about the show, I will be talking about a workshop my class and I got to do.

On Monday, Feb 23rd Rob Faust brought in some of his masks (he made them himself in 40 hours+- per mask). He also told us about how he made some of the masks. One of the masks was made out of leather, another of plastic, another of plaster and others of wood. Most were made from wood. He also told us that he had based one of them on Eleanor Roosevelt!

Anyway we got to try on some of the masks and act as the masks character.  I thought it was awesome! He asked if we thought it was harder or easier than we thought I said, “I think it was harder cause you’re trying not to be yourself.” I think that most people thought the same way. My classmate responded, “I think it was easy because I chose a mask that basically is me.”  That response was the one that I thought most about because this was an interesting way to approach choosing a mask.

Anyway, I think it was totally worth it!

If you hear his name, Rob Faust or Faustwork Mask Theatre you should go and see him.

I loved it!   

Razzamataz Kids’ Shows! presents the hilarious Faustwork production of ‘The Mask Messenger’ this Sunday February 22. The show starts at 2pm at the Northern Lights Performing Arts Pavilion in Haliburton.

This outstanding performance is the third Razzamataz show of this season, and isn’t a story or ritual but an improv show about masks and recognizable characters.

Creator Rob Faust, says he brings a variety of around 25 masks to every show. Some are worn on the face, some masks are worn on the back of the head and a few a worn on top of the head. While many masks are brought, Faust only ends up using between 18-20 masks depending on the audience. And since every audience is different, every show isn’t always the same.

“Masks have a universal appeal. They have been used by almost every cultural, “says Faust. “They help to explain the forces of evil, to connect us with our ancestors, they protect us, and they delight us. So because of that appeal and the power of transformation, I think masks will always fascinate people. It happens right in front of your eyes – with no tricks or editing. You turn around, your back to the audience to put on a mask and then turn to face the audience with a new character, there is just this feeling of ‘where did that guy go and look who’s here now’”.

Faust, a New Orleans native, grew up with the whole carnival Mardi Gras atmosphere.

“I grew up wearing masks every year on the streets at Mardi Gras parties, until I saw how much fun they were. When I was studying performing arts, I took a class where we were using masks as training tools and I saw their power of instant transformation and that’s what got me.”

The message in ‘The Mask Messenger’ is simple, we all have many masks inside of us.

“I want people to feel free to express many sides of themselves to many different people,” says Faust. “We are all interested in transformation – we want to change and yet we resist change. I want people to come away from the show a little bit more relaxed and feel like they can stretch into different roles and reveal not just their happy side or their sad side – but to get out there, talk about, express it, move through it. So when they see me doing this, literally embodying this message by changing my body, changing characters, I want people to think ‘yeah, I can do this in my life.”

Faust isn’t new to the Haliburton Highlands. He has taught mask making and mask movement at Fleming College a couple of years ago, and has relaxed as a cottager as well.

Monday following the performance, some students at JDH will be attending a mask making course where they will learn body awareness exercises and attempt to bring masks to life by using their bodies. Faust says he finds some kids gain confidence while wearing masks.

“That’s the nature of the mask- you feel safe behind it and with that safety you have confidence to be more expressive because then you can be like ‘hey it wasn’t me it was the mask.”

Tickets to ‘The Mask Messenger’ are available at the door – $8 for adults, $6 for kids and those under two are free. Tickets are also available online at www.razzamataz.ca

 

Razzamataz Kids’ Shows! is a local non-profit volunteer group that has been bringing high quality live children’s entertainment to Haliburton County for close to 30 years.

Thanks to everyone who stopped by our booth at the Trash & Treasure show.

Courtesy of Cathy. Click to enlarge.