Alberta
Get your arts fix with ‘I Don’t Get It’
What do you do when something you value isn’t getting much media coverage? For the team behind I Don’t Get It, you make a podcast to fill the gap.
Fawnda Mithrush and Paul Blinov met at Vue Weekly, an alt-weekly arts publication in Edmonton. Dance was getting short shrift in the local media, so in 2013 they started a podcast in which Mithrush, a dance critic, would introduce Blinov, a dance newbie, to the art. With production help from Andrew Paul, I Don’t Get It was born.
In 2017, the podcast expanded to cover theatre and news on the arts community in general. They mostly cover Edmonton, but will take the occasional road trip, such as their excursion to the Badlands Amphitheatre to catch a production of Carmen, or their trip to the Banff Centre to see Orphée+.
Let’s learn a little more about the team behind I Don’t Get It:
Q. Why should people listen to your show?
A. Listeners will learn about what’s happening on Edmonton stages, and also get a taste of theatre and dance history. Through light and fun conversation, we hope to lift the “I don’t get it” veil from contemporary performance for both new and experienced audiences.
Q. What’s the most interesting comment you’ve received from a listener?
A. We often receive comments from the arts community that say, “Thanks for saying that, I thought the same thing,” when we point out problematic aspects of a performance. One such example was a listener who sent that same message after our review of Shakespeare’s R&J, when we discussed whether or not an all-male production of Romeo & Juliet was tone deaf in the post-#MeToo era.
Q. What podcasts do you listen to?
A. We’re media people, so mostly media and storytelling podcasts: On the Media, Longform, New Yorker Radio Hour, Canadaland, Invisibilia.
Q. Do you have any unusual hobbies or talents that may surprise your listeners?
A. All three of us love to cook. Paul is particularly good at bread-making, Andrew is an apprentice butcher, and Fawnda has memorized all seasons of Julia Child’s The French Chef.
Q. Write your own epitaph — what would it say and why?
A. “Wherever there’s magic and make-believe and an audience, there’s Theatre.” It’s a quote from ‘All About Eve’, in a longer speech about democratizing theatre for all audiences (it’s not only for the elite). It’s one of the greatest films to discuss theatre and the challenges of being an artist within it – and also features one of the best critic characters of all time, Addison DeWitt.
Q. What has been your favourite episode so far and why?
A. Season 1 Episode 1 still stands out as a classic example of what we were trying to do with the show, and also why it was important for the growth of arts media in Edmonton. We reviewed one of the city’s most storied dancers and his company, and were terrified. And we nailed it on the first take (for real). Click the link below to listen.
Be sure to connect with I Don’t Get It on Twitter and Facebook.
Over the next several weeks, Todayville will introduce you to members of the Alberta Podcast Network, so you can invite even more Alberta-made podcasts into your ears! You can find I Don’t Get It and dozens of other shows at albertapodcastnetwork.com.
About Alberta Podcast Network
The Alberta Podcast Network, powered by ATB, is on a mission to:
-Help Alberta-based podcasters create podcasts of high quality and reach larger audiences;
-Foster connections among Alberta-based podcasters.
-Provide a powerful marketing opportunity for local businesses and organizations.
Alberta Podcast Network Ltd. is pursuing this mission with funding from ATB Financial and support from other sponsors.
From the YouTube channel of Alberta Premier Danielle Smith
Members of the media join Premier Danielle Smith for a round table on January 21, 2025.
Yakk Stack By Sheldon Yakiwchuk
Prior to Trumps inauguration event and announcement was made that Trump would not be imposing the 25% tariffs…
Which means, Canada seriously dodged a bullet here.
And while the Liberals will most likely frame this as, their success in showing, Bad Orange Man, that they’re tough and ready to burn down what is left of our economy, throwing Alberta under the bus, first…through a nuclear option…
Premier Smith rode this challenge out like the true champion we knew that she would be.
It’s hard to say if this was a legality matter in the grander scheme…or if the 25% tariffs would have truly been as big of an impact on the US…
One thing is clear, however…
Smith was ready to go to the tables with the Trump administration and opt for diplomacy over threats…which should be what we expect from our leaders.
And should these 25% tariffs have gone through…I’m more than sure a Plan B would have been brought out in civil conversations, over screeching rhetoric.
“She’s treasonous”, they screeched.
“She’s supporting her friends in Oil and Gas”, they relent.
“She should put Canada first”, they echo…
And let’s just address these…
Is Walmart beholden to Campbells soup? Fruit of the Loom? Kraft?
Or does Walmart sell products that helps keep their doors open?
Walmart is not beholden to any product…just like Premier Smith isn’t. We have 26% of our GDP – the largest portion – owed to Alberta O&G, something that we have a limited trade partner with, due to the Liberal – Anti-Alberta/Anti-O&G/Anti-Pipeline attitude that wants to spend us further in debt with unreliable and expensive “Renewables”.
What does Alberta get from renewables?
A higher cost for energy, in an affordability crisis, created by the same people who continue to push them…sounds like a terrible deal, for Albertans, and something a true leader would Not Favor.
When Walmart sits down to hash out a deal with Heinz, are they committing treason because they haven’t shown their allegiance to their own, ‘Great Value’ brand Ketchup?
No…other provinces have their own industries and resources, which they are free to continue developing independent of the federal government, as is suitable and supportive of their own economies…Alberta isn’t competing with them, nor Canada as a whole.
Alberta through industry and resource, actually supports Canada through a grand imbalance on “Equalization Payments”…
As do we through paying 50% more into the Canada Pension Plan, than we actually get out of the Canada Pension Plan…to the tune of a $334 Billion Dollars.
And as for this “Team Canada”, horseshit…
The title Premier of Alberta, should hold some clues as to who Premier Smith should be advocating for…as she is the Premier of Alberta and Not the Prime Minister, nor leader in the Liberal Party that has created this fiasco, to begin with.
Rail, as they may…other provinces can’t cast a vote in her support, either way…
None of the other provinces, through Members of Parliament, nor through Premiers, came to support Alberta and our economy through a number of Federal Bills that railed on our provincial resources…
Worse yet…these hypocrites cash cheques from our province, while telling us how to diversify our economy…to which I’d state one thing unequivocally…
If we wanted to be a Have Not Province…like you are…we’ll come and ask you for your advice.
Until then…
I’ll hold my Alberta Flag Higher than my Canadian…
And be proud today, of having the only Premier in the country of Canada, worthy of any praise today!
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