Henderson, who put out a call to artists months ago to start the ball rolling, said that finding the right venue was in some cases a challenge – but the city never came up short. For example, Javier Dzul, the Mexican-born and Mayan-speaking founder of Dzul Dance, needed a space where he and his dancers could do 20-foot drops. After showing him a number of buildings, none of which was suitable, Henderson took Dzul to the Andy Murphy Center, located in the former Armory and the venue for boxing matches, which turned out to be just right. “He needed to do some very sophisticated rigging. His act is like a mini Cirque de Soleil,” said Henderson, noting that Dzul Dance will be traveling to Kingston from the famed Edinburgh Festival in Scotland.
Some of the performances will be held in the Spiegeltent, whose fanciful, carnivallike ambience – the portable structure was constructed in Belgium at the turn of the last century – is a destination in itself. Bon Appetit, one of the festival’s highlights – the comic opera by composer Lee Hoilby, with a libretto by Mark Shulgasser, was based on a transcription from an episode of the Julia Child TV show – stars soprano Lisa Jablow as Child, bringing this dramatic, high-art form into the intimate space of the tent and exchanging daggers and swords for cooking utensils. Child sings instructions for baking a cake in a parody of a TV personality that already seemed the stuff of parody.
Between the laughs, you’ll probably begin feeling hungry. No problem: After the day’s second performance, at 5 p.m., a chocolate cake bake-off, featuring confections submitted by local restaurants, will be judged by Mayor Shane Gallo, Jablow and singer Jenny Litt impersonating a famous British TV chef. (One trusts that the cakes will be sliced and distributed to the crowd afterwards.)
Speaking of food, Kingston is gaining quite a reputation as a foodie town. The Taste of Kingston event, run concurrently with the Festival and organized by Gloria Waslyn, will enable participants to make a collective assessment for the price of a $25 ticket. A city trolley will whisk visitors to the 40 eateries, which include Boitson’s, Le Canard Enchainé, Elephant, Jane’s Ice Cream, Frank Guido’s Little Italy and most, if not all, of the restaurants downtown. Keegan Ales will present samples of its brew, while Armadillo will offer free homemade mini-margaritas.
The visual arts will also play a part in the Festival, although the participating galleries won’t limit their offerings to what’s on the walls. The Uptown (a gallery started and run by Henderson on Wall Street) will show the abstract paintings of Fred Duignan and also feature Adrian Frost’s multimedia installation You’re Burnin’ Me up, Baby, performed on a temporary stage (the actor playing Joan of Arc also acts in the play Dear Johnny). Performance artist Clara Diamond will present a piece in which beautiful masks are inscribed with words, so that the viewer literally reads her thoughts.
The Arts Society of Kingston (ASK) will stage a play, Going Public, starring actor Terri Mateer as a six-foot-two blonde ex-football player in confessional mode (the play will soon be performed in New York City as part of the United Solo Festival). A storytelling session will also be presented at ASK, while a dramatic reading of Dutchman, the Obie Award-winning play by Amiri Baraka directed by Bruce Grund, will be held at the Trolley Museum.
The Storefront Gallery, located on lower Broadway, will host its own mini-fest: Conceptual performance artist Linda Montano will offer “art life counseling” – one-on-one interactions with visitors that break down the boundaries of art and life and enhance spiritual awareness – from 1 to 3 p.m., followed by a poetry reading by Regina Marie at 5 p.m. and a performance by the old-timey band Old Double E at 8 p.m. The Gallery will simultaneously display the graphic work of Lynn Herring and feature Gloria Waslyn’s Parrots for Peace. (The family of four blue-and-gold macaws – very striking birds that do bird yoga and other stunts – are the avian companions of Festival curator Waslyn.)
A pass to all events costs $30. Some, including the children’s activities at Forsyth Park, are free, while others cost $10 or $12. You can catch some performances without paying a dime, pay $20 for a play and a concert or experience the entire festival for $30: a very good deal, and essential to the Festival’s success in a city known for its modest incomes. (Taste of Kingston’s $25 ticket is separate.)
Packing a city arts festival into one day is a huge challenge, and Henderson is already looking forward to next year, when the Festival will be extended to 11 days. Nonetheless, “As this progresses I’m gaining energy,” said the native New Zealander. “It feels like quite an achievement. The city has lived up to my expectations and more. It’s just been amazing, starting with Mayor Gallo welcoming me to Kingston. People just seem to want it to happen and succeed.”
“I’ve traveled around the world a lot and seen how festivals revive cities,” he added, noting that he got his start at the Australian Opera in Sydney and has performed throughout Europe and the US. A particular inspiration was the Spoleto Festival in Melbourne. Henderson put together the Festival without the benefit of any outside funds. “We connect to people who really want to do this,” he said, noting that any proceeds are usually split with the artist. “We share in this together. We’re helping to build something. It doesn’t require a lot of money, but a lot of good will and desire to do it.”
Kingston Festival of the Arts, kickoff worldbeat dance party on Friday, August 23, 8 p.m. with the bulk of the Festival events occurring on Saturday, August 24, 10 a.m.- 9 p.m.; www.kingstonfestival.org.
