Acky-Made: a history
Acky-Made was founded in 2006 by Canadian composer/playwright/performer Alex Eddington. The company produces theatre works that seek out intersections of music, storytelling and drama. Dedicated to collaboration, Eddington has worked with three different directors (Alison Cousins, Laura Anne Harris and Tyler Seguin), all of whom he met as writer/performers on the Canadian Fringe Festival circuit.
Acky-Made has produced a roster of very different shows: two one-man plays - WOOL (2006) and The Fugue Code (2007) – and a piece for two actor-musicians: Old Growth (2008). All were written and performed by Alex Eddington and toured on the Fringe Festival circuit. In 2009 and 2010, Acky-Made presented its first original production of an existing script: Tired Clichés by Canadian monologist TJ Dawe.In summer 2013, the company is producing Yarn (a completely rewritten/re-conceived reboot of the stories from WOOL) on a cross-Canadian tour.
“Acky” is the name of Alex Eddington’s laptop, accordion, tenor ukulele, two previously-loved Volvos, and imaginary Leopard Gecko.
the Acky-Made MANIFESTO (ackifesto)
Acky-Made aims to find ways of intersecting music and theatre in which both are equals.
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 is (almost) 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 disagrees that an artwork must be completely understood at first viewing – but agrees that the audience should want to come back.
Acky-Made likes it when people say things like "Art is a conversation, not a competition" but can't remember who said that.
Acky-Made loves good sound design, magic with everyday objects, and onstage lighting.
Acky-Made has a feeling that the space is as important as the show in it.
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 doesn’t think it’s possible to please everyone, and wonders whether controversy can be a sign of success.
Acky-Made knows that laughter is a step away from despair, and vice versa.
Acky-Made proposes that art can make us feel a little more comfortable with the messy business of being human. Also, that it should.
MOST IMPORTANTLY... Acky-Made posits that manifestos (manifesti?) are living documents. They work best when covered in scribbles and tea stains.
