McSweeney’s List (12 June 2024)
St. Louis Square is one of my favorite parks in Montreal. Follow the cobblestone road that is Prince Arthur from St. Laurent, and you hit the small city oasis right before St. Denis. That's how I discovered the park in my teens. Ages before Google Maps, and still a ways to go before even MapQuest, wandering was the name of the game. Either someone told you where something was and you went there, or you discovered something cool and told others. St. Louis Square was my discovery, and maybe that's one of the reasons it sticks so fondly in my heart.
I mentioned some of my park memories last spring when I talked about cafés (in fact, the first A.L. Van Houte I ever went to was kitty corner from the park too). A series of recent events has the square back on the tip of my brain these days, so here we are.
As I mentioned, from my perspective St. Louis Square was one of my teenage discoveries, along with Eva B. We wandered into Eva B. out of sheer curiosity. They had the punkest mannequins we'd ever seen in their front window, with plastic cockroaches crawling over them even though it wasn't Halloween. They gave you discount coupons for anything over $10, so most of the stuff in the store was 8 bucks. Plus they'd give you credit for used clothes, creating the coolest buy / sell cycle I've seen to this day. I had my prom dress made there…but I digress.
By the time we trekked up the hill to Prince Arthur, we were ready for a quiet street with gelato and cute shops (RIP Pagliacci, shoutout to Le Coin du Perroquet, still standing, still run by the same dude). And then, we hit the park. It had regulars at the time like a grey bearded dude on a tricycle with a radio. He'd sit on his bike, next to his friends on benches. I once saw two grown ass men scrapping in the afternoon, and one said he'd come back with a pipe. And he did, but obviously everyone was gone. Who leaves a whole fight to run home?
Anyway, I was so proud of my discovery that I told my grandmother, who laughed. See, when her family moved her at the start of the 20th century, they lived on St. Lau, corner of Prince Arthur. They lived above an ice cream shop, and St. Louis Square, well, that was where the kids went to play. I'd rediscovered her park.
A couple of weeks ago I was in St. Louis Square drinking seltzers on a bench with a friend. I wondered what young me would've thought knowing I was still chilling at the park, slightly classier, definitely more expensive. Or what young me would've thought seeing me from a distance…would I want to grow up to be me? Granted, young me aspired to live by the park, but young me didn't understand property value. Still, I've come a long and cool way from the first time I got sunstroke and woke up to my friend pouring a 2L of water onto me in the grass, right over there. Ahem: the con that is bottled water was only starting at the time, and no one had yet thought about reusable bottles, so we refilled soda bottles.
The other day, I stumbled upon some photos. You know, old school hard copies that were never going to come up in my digital memories. They were probably taken on a disposable camera, definitely in 1996. Amid the blurry flower photos and pics of friends, I found photos of Prince Arthur and St. Louis Square. Even with a finite roll of film, I felt the need to commemorate the place. There's nothing poignant in the pictures except what they meant to me at the time, and the memories evoked upon finding them. But it also reminded me that some things don't change, and we don't know what those things are until they are proven by time. We don't know that finding a book about yoga at 14 will start a lifelong journey until we're well on that path. We don't know how fateful the moment we choose to message an old friend about a writing gig until it's more than a decade later, and we're still repping the same spot. And you can't be sure you’ll love the same park until 30 years have passed, and you're still coming back.
Homecumming
Here’s a special entry on the list:
Due to a scheduling conflict, our Forget The Box X FringeMTL 2024 review team were unable to attend a production. In lieu of that, I caught up with the artist, Magalie. For the founder of Artéfakt, a self-tape, acting & film studio in Toronto, Homecumming is her first solo stage production. The play’s synopsis reads, “After losing the ability to orgasm, a woman begins an arduous journey toward self-love...and orgasm!”, which had me filled with questions. Luckily, Magalie was happy to answer, explaining how the play was inspired by her own life.
“I had tumultuous romantic experiences in my 20s and this show is a reflection of how I dealt with it at the time (poorly) and how I healed. "Homecumming" explores themes of self-love, relationships and it is a very sex positive show that explores taboo subjects in a touching, fun and relatable way.”
Considering the subject matter, it's no surprise that the process has been one of personal growth from the start, but the lessons went farther too.
“Since the story is inspired from my life, this project has terrified me from the get go, but I needed to get my story out. I needed to do it for my broken past self, whom I know exists and lives in a lot of people. It was very healing. I also realized I've come a long way since I left this past version of myself (portrayed in the play). Moreover, I learned a lot about theatre, acting, and performing from my director Marie Queenan. She really helped shape the show and guided me through the very emotional task that is to reveal yourself truthfully in a very vulnerable manner to a live audience. I definitely grew as an actor and gained confidence. Also, Montreal Fringe artists, volunteers and employees are super supportive and loving. Couldn't have been picked by a better Fringe to do my show premiere.”
As for what she hopes audiences take away from her show, the message is an important one:
“I hope it raises awareness about self love. Making mistakes and hurting people in the past doesn't make us bad people. Failures and challenges are part of life. It shapes us as humans. I hope people learn to be kinder to themselves and realize we all deserve love and happiness. Change and healing are hard, but necessary for growth and love.”
Homecumming has three shows left in the festival! Get your tickets HERE!
comedy in the park
Watch Stand Up Comedy in NDG/Girouard Park at 8pm!
For the past three years, this event has been a staple of summer evenings in NDG, a Saturday night tradition for NDG residents and visitors alike, providing an opportunity to enjoy the park's natural beauty while being entertained by top-notch comedy. Now, entering its fourth year, the Comedy Gang has some really huge surprises for NDG!
Recently voted “Montreal’s 3rd Best Comedy Night” in CultMTL’s best of 2024.
This free show, supported by generous donations, brings laughter and entertainment to the community. Everyone is encouraged to bring their blankets, drinks, and camping chairs, for a cozy and relaxed night.
The show will take place in the outfield of the baseball diamond.
Corner of Ave Girouard and Chemin de la Cote-Sainte-Antoin
WHAT: Stand Up Comedy in NDG Park
WHERE: Grâce Notre Dame Park, 3500 Av. Girouard, Montréal, QC H4A 1R2
WHEN: Saturdays @ 8PM
METRO: Vendome (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
Music In The Parc
Back for it’s 5th year, Open Mic in Parc Jeanne Mance resumes its Monday evening slots, at the south end of the park near Duluth. Sign-up at 6PM, music until 9PM!
Bring your blanket, some snacks, some drinks, and your friends!
WHAT: Open Mic in Parc Jeanne Mance
WHERE: Park Jeanne Mance, 4422 Esplanade Ave, Montreal, Quebec H2W 2N4
WHEN: Mondays @ 6PM
METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
Play In the Every Day!
LET'S PLAY!
Play is joy! Melissa will guide you on a journey to expand your imagination and find play in the mundane.
This workshop will:
- give a taste of introduction to clown/play work
- teach you how to incorporate clown elements into your performances - whether solo and/or in group
- give tools to heighten play using physicality (within your capacities)
- explore the magic of tapping into the small joys in the everyday!
PRE-REQUISITES: Some improv, clown or sketch comedy performance experience is beneficial but not required.
Suitable for improvisors, stand-ups looking to explore their stage presence, sketch comedians or anyone that wants to add a little more joy into their day-to-day.
WHEN: Tuesday, June 18th from 6-8pm
COST: $20 - LIMITED SPOTS AVAILABLE
****SPECIAL OFFER to folks who have taken this workshop before****
2nd time registration: $15
3rd time registration: $10
4th time registration: $5
Have you come to every single one? THIS ONE IS FREE!
“If money is a barrier, please message me and I'll see what's possible.” - Melissa
WHAT: Play In the Everyday: Expanding The Art Of Play Through Clown Work
WHERE: Centre MAI, 3680 Rue Jeanne-Mance, Montréal, QC H2X 2K5, Canada
WHEN: Tuesday, June 18 @ 6PM
METRO: Sherbrooke (Orange)
DETAILS: Facebook
The Best multi Mic in Town
Reviews are in: On The Boulevard at the legendary Bar Bifteck is one of the best rooms in Montreal right now! Every other Sunday, a group of multidisciplinary artists, and art lovers, gather together on the second floor of Bifteck to enjoy comedy, storytelling, music, poetry, magic, and more! And the best part? By attending, you’re helping support Forget The Box in our endeavour to continue to cover the best ground level, underground, and marginalized art in Montreal!
Hosted by Andrew Jamieson.
Sign up dates are now open for July!
McSweeney’s List drops every Wednesday with the best events, workshops, and more, each week in Montreal!
