An Un-Official Shotgun Wedding Mixtape

(I’m unearthing this awesome post by my homey Manny… because it’s so awesome. This post was originally written in June 2010.   – Len)

Back in ‘94 during (Catholic School) Confirmation Classes (grade eight) I made a mixtape for a girl from one of the other schools and wrote a stupid letter in the liner notes.  This mixtape didn’t even have music on it.  I gave her a blank tape as an excuse to write to her†.  She’s kept it ever since and though I hardly see her nowadays, she never lets me live it down.  She’s keeping the tape, but she made me a photo-copy for a going away present.

Shotgun Wedding: East meets West Alumni Nights at The Fringe

"Shotgun Wedding" cast members Belinda Corpuz and Jeff Yung

Since ‘Shotgun Wedding’ takes place in the world of suburban Catholic High schools of the early 90s, I thought it might be a good idea to make special invitations to the alumni of some old-school high schools that made up our universe back then:

Wed. July 6 – Opening Night
Thurs. July 7 – St. Jean de Brebeuf / Philip Pocock
Fri. July 8 – Cardinal Carter / Cardinal Newman / Cardinal Leger
Sat. July 9 – Pope John Paul / Father Michael Goetz
Sun. July 10 – Loyola / Mother Teresa
Mon. July 11 – NO SHOW.
Tues. July 12 – Neil McNeil / St. Martin’s
Wed. July 13 – Jean Vanier / St Thomas Aquinas
Thurs. July 14 – Ladies Night! Notre Dame / Holy Name of Mary / St Joe’s Wellesley
Fri. July 15 – Francis Libermann / St. Francis Xavier
Sat. July 16 – Notre Dame / Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Sun. July 17 – Closing Night

Shotgun Wedding: On Dramaturgy

Audrey Dwyer, dramaturge

Before I started down this road, I didn’t know what “dramaturgy” was. What the heck was a “dramaturge” and why did I even need one? The truth is that without dramaturgy, I would have never been able to finish this play.

What’s dramaturgy? From WikiPedia:

“Dramaturgy is the art of dramatic composition and the representation of the main elements of drama on the stage.”

Can Edsel make Veronica fall in love?

#2 **TIE** Can We Talk – Tevin Campbell/Saving Forever For You – Shanice (SHOTGUN WEDDING TOP 10 of ’93)

We’re getting really close to #1 in the Shotgun Wedding Top 10 Countdown! For now…

#2 is a TIE:

‘Can We Talk’ – Tevin Campbell
‘Saving Forever For You’ – Shanice

As teenagers in 1993, we might have wanted sex but what we wanted more was LOVE. We thought about it in class. We wrote about it in our private journals, wrote hints about it in yearbook messages and wrote to express it on 3-hole punched binder paper folded into cute origami and wedged between locker doors during 3rd period spare.

The truth is that in high school, being in love HURT.

Arsenio Hall: Best Late Night Host EVER?

Why Arsenio isn't on late night TV anymore: Things That Make You Go Hmmm..

Not sure what kind of “world” you’re stepping into when you come to see ‘Shotgun Wedding’ at The Fringe?  If you are lucky enough to have old Arsenio Hall episodes on VHS (or beta!), you could watch those to get an idea.

In 1993, Arsenio Hall *ruled* late night.  He may not have been officially the ratings leader but for our generation, our worlds revolved around who was on Arsenio last night and who was coming on the next episode. LET’S GET BUSY!

#3 Flex (Time To Have Sex) – Mad Cobra (Shotgun Wedding’s 1993 TOP TEN Countdown)

LAAAAAWWWD… GYAL FLEX

Dark school gym corners. Red-lit basements. Rented church halls. You remember them. These were the places were teenagers became adults. Well, at least did adult things. Sort of.

In 1993 Mississauga, there was one place in particular where there were no parents, no chaperones and no teachers imposing 1ft restraining orders around our gyrating teenage hips — STREETSVILLE CHURCH.

Director, Catherine Hernandez.

Catherine Hernandez (centre) in 'Future Folk'

By now you already know that the Director of ‘Shotgun Wedding’ is Catherine Hernandez (Toronto-based Theatre Creator, Artistic Director of SULONG THEATRE COMPANY, Storyteller).  Rather than use this space to extoll the layers of her resume, I’m going to get personal.  

#4 Whatta Man – Salt n’ Pepa feat. En Vogue (1993’s Shotgun Wedding TOP TEN Countdown)

“You SO CRAZY….”

If 1993 seemed like it was all about the ladies, well… it probably was, as far as music goes anyway. At our high school, it was all about guys singing to girls, guys asking girls out, guys asking girls to the prom — whatever. That’s a lot of pressure! If you want to know where adult gender role expectations originated, it was probably high school.

You SO CRAZY.... ____(fill in the blank)_____!!!

At least Salt ‘n’ Pepa thought of the GUYS for just a second when they did ‘Whatta Man’.

Shotgun Wedding: The Transformation

I really gotta give it up to the cast for being good sports.

Yo, T-Boz ! Is ya being a boss, Chilli what's up wit' dat sauce?

Going back to the world of ‘Shotgun Wedding’ — the early 1990s — is no easy commitment.  It means donning very unique clothing, having very interesting hairstyles and going very aggressive with the lipstick shade.  And I’m being polite with the description.