Acky-Made: a history
Acky-Made was founded in 2006 by Canadian composer/playwright/actor Alex Eddington, as a blanket company for any self-productions of his own theatre scripts, as well as his self-published musical compositions. Acky-Made is Eddington, along with anyone else involved in collaboration on a project.
The company has produced two one-man shows - WOOL (2006) and The Fugue Code (2007) – and a piece for two actor-musicians: Old Growth (2008). All were written by and starring Alex Eddington and toured on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit. In 2009, Acky-Made presented its first production of a pre-existing script, Tired Clichés by TJ Dawe.
“Acky” is the name of Alex Eddington’s laptop, accordion, Volvo, and imaginary Leopard Gecko.
the Acky-Made MANIFESTO (ackifesto)
Acky-Made aims to find new ways of intersecting music and theatre in which both are equals, with the eventual (idealistic) goal of erasing the distinctions between them.
Acky-Made has noticed that being a composer and being a playwright are not all that different; it is the rehearsal processes that are divergent.
Acky-Made’s work has no stylistic biases. Each project is separate, and arises out of the needs of its particular subject.
Acky-Made’s work is always experimental.
Acky-Made believes that the best experimental work experiments first and foremost with ways of connecting with an audience. A journey only matters if people want to go on it.
Acky-Made loves form, texture, simultaneity, numbers, props, and onstage lighting!
Acky-Made will probably mount some site-specific productions someday soon.
Acky-Made thinks that live theatre is magical, but that actual magic makes it more so.
Acky-Made suspects that a play can be larger on the inside than on the outside.
Acky-Made is certain that a creation is larger than its creator.
Acky-Made disagrees that an artwork must be understood at first viewing – but agrees that the audience should want to come back.
Acky-Made doesn’t think it’s possible to please everyone, and that controversy can be a sign of success.
Acky-Made knows that laughter is a step away from despair.
Acky-Made proposes not only that art can change the world, but that it must.
