Farewell to The Year Past

2015 was a MARATHON year for these two clown sisters. We grew in ways we never thought truly possible. Like actually, we are both an inch bigger but in different part of our body (one up and one across). Here are our mind-blowing, possibility-exploding accomplishments of 2015:
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We filmed a Pilot - We wrote and produced a pilot for us to use to pitch a TV show. With the help of FilmCoop (Laura Nordin and Emily Andrews), and an amazing team of super talented crew, and a super fantastic cast, we made a 20 minute pilot. We can’t tell you much more about it yet. It’s top secret! But we're pretty darn happy with it...

Anything Goes at Rhubarb  - We transformed the offices at Buddies in Bad Times into a magical den of mystery and invited friends, old and new, to come and play with us and create an interaction that was specifically unique to them. We laughed, we cried (literally), we had sing alongs, we were performed for, we had duels (and sometimes died and then performed funerals), we told stories, we drew pictures, we gazed at the stars. It was beautiful. 

Morro and Jasp: 9-5 at Factory Theatre - This show was our biggest challenge yet. We were unsure in ways we’ve never been unsure before. Jasp even puked because she was so nervous. We panicked and we toiled and we worked overtime (but not secretly at factory against Equity rules). And that’s what made the show work in the end. We also got to work with an incredible team of designers and technicians who were amazing collaborators and made our dreams come true in ways we could not even have imagined. And then the audience came and played and filled in the final piece of the puzzle, creating an experience that was so much greater than the sum of its parts.

Clown Fest - We produced a two night Red Nose District cabaret that featured some of the best clowns we know.  The clowns played, experimented and learned with us from one night to the next and it was certainly a barrel of laughs.

Greeting people at the Doras Red Carpet styles - Everyone was in their best attire (including Jasp in her taffeta tutu and Morro in her bow tie) which is good because it made up for the weather. We took approximately eight hundred ‘usies’ (in front of our very own stand and repeat) with famous people from around Toronto and posted them online. That makes us famous by association, right?

The Birth of a Video Game - We began working with David Fono, game designer extraordinaire to create the world's most exciting interactive gaming experience. There are images, there are stories… many many stories… there is Morro and Jasp. The game is set to be released in Spring 2016.

Puberty at TO Fringe - It was so exciting to go back to our first adult show after so many years. We played to sold out houses and won Patron’s Pick but mostly had so much fun playing with our amazing audiences who came ready to rock. After all, who doesn't want to see Jasp hump Mr. Peabody (spoiler alert)? Oh! Then we got to take the show to Best of Fringe and perform it at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. How cool is that!?

Teen Party at the Tent - It was just one night but it was basically a time machine that brought everyone back to days of Dream Phone, chips and swamp-water, make-overs (some of which were by Morro) and spin the bottle. Thanks to everyone who was there to play.

Indiegogo - With the help of countless generous people who donated and helped us spread the word we raised $35,000. But actually. There are so many ways we can say thank you. Here are some of them: Danke, Merci, obrigado, obrigada, mulţumesc, спасибо, xвала, hvala, Ďakujem, gracias, tack, nandri, kop khun, teşekkür ederim, Дякую, diolch, a dank, ngiyabonga, ευχαριστώ, mahalo, תודה / todah, dhanyavād / shukriya, köszönöm, takk, terima kasih, grazie, arigatô, 감사합니다, paldies, choukrane, ačiū, Благодарам / blagodaram, terima kasih, grazzi, Xièxiè, Баярлалаа, dziękuję, dankie, faleminderit, shukran, Շնորհակալություն / chnorakaloutioun, благодаря / blagodaria, gràcies, M̀h’gōi, děkuji, tak, dank u, tänan, kiitos, Thank you!

Puberty at the Edinburgh Fringe - We performed at the biggest arts festival in the world for an entire month, only had one day off, and sold out our show amongst 3300 others. We had a disappearing technician, a space that was - oh - just a bit too small for the show, and we had to work the streets like nobody's business, getting heckled every day, but we did it and learned how to play the bagpipe (sort of). And only cried a few times. We also got to perform at a bunch of cabarets and hung out with some of the most exciting performers in the world including the Boy with Tape on His Face, The Pajama Men, and Ed Byrne.

Collective Memory at Nuit Blanche - We invited people to come and help us create a collective memory of our childhood (which we cannot remember) by providing a tent full of images, sounds, smells, things to play with and look through, textures and tastes to call up the past. Then they helped us fill out and put together a giant puzzle of beautiful and wonderful stories. Thank you all for sharing everything from our times in school, to molasses on toast, from trips to the candy store, to dancing to MJ in our PJs.  

Live from the Annex - We performed a piece expressing our feelings on the stereotyping of clowns. It’s a very serious issue, although people in the audience laughed a lot. We also got to dance to the giggly beats of The Boxcar Boys.

We survived and thrived in Vienna - Our master problem solving skills were tested but we made it through the traumatizing experience of being separated by an ocean (literally) and endured thanks to several doctors, skype, our cousin June, and the help of everyone at the Clownin Festival (which is one of the best festivals ever in the whole world).

New beginnings - We established partnerships with two production companies to begin work on two new and exciting projects for the new year. They are big and mind blowingly exciting. More to come on these.

In the media - The Torontoist named Morro and Jasp do Puberty at the Fringe one of the Top Ten Comedy Shows of 2015. We also received rave reviews in 2015 both locally and internationally from The List, Broadway Baby, The Mumble, Arts Award Voice, Fringe Review, Feminist Fest, Bouquets and Brickbats, The Globe and Mail, The Toronto Star, NOW Magazine, Stage Door, Canadian Jewish News, Mooney on Theatre, Crew Magazine, My Gay Toronto, ArtsVox, My Entertainment World, Theatre Isn’t Dead, TorontoStage.com, TWISI, Dart Critics, The Theatre Reader, BroadwayWorld.com, The Extra Mile, Sprockets and Greasepaint, and Life With More Cowbell. We were also interviewed on CBC’s Metro Morning, Global News, Falter in Vienna, Waffle TV, Fresh Fringe Radio, and Back of the House Podcast.

​Thank you to each and every one of you who have helped us this year and who have been reading our blog and who have been part of our adventures. We seriously couldn't do it all without you. There would be no point it doing it without you. Thank you and Happy New Year!