Episode Transcript
Speaker 0 00:00:00 Good morning, Fort McMurray, wood, Buffalo, and the rest of the world. You've tuned into the Mac CD morning show. I am your host Elliot Pierre, and we're going to start the show off the same way we start every episode off with a moment of gratitude. I know you could be doing a million other things with your time, and the fact that you surrounded with us truly does mean the world to me. So thank you on that note, Tanner hitting with the intro
Speaker 1 00:00:19 He Simpson here from there, Alto Alta, uh, just quick chat about, uh, the wonderful community we live in here. As you guys know, we support the L Behrens we've joined the drive-in movie theater. We're involved in the marathon here in Fort McMurray and make sure we're taking care of the kids and all the local businesses, all the local charities and all the local foundations guys that's, what's making
Speaker 2 00:00:39 Dave are your two to like homes where you're at or tune in again to the Mexican.
Speaker 0 00:00:48 All right. And we are back. All right. We got a great guest today. Uh, return guest. Um, we've actually been talking for the last hour and we forgot to turn on the camera. So, uh, anyways, welcome to the conversation. As you know, I don't introduce my guests. I let them do that themselves. So on that note, can you please tell everybody at home who you are and what you're about?
Speaker 4 00:01:07 Hey, I'm Brandon Follmer, I'm a bartender Xtrordinair in Fort McMurray, Alberta.
Speaker 0 00:01:12 Okay. There we go.
Speaker 4 00:01:14 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:01:15 So you do much more than bartending. And like, we were jumping around, like I said, there was an hour long before, but we were talking about days off and what you do on your days off. Cause you don't have very many of them. And then you told me something, I didn't know. You said like, oh, I'm rehearsing except for what? Tell everybody at home what you're rehearsing for.
Speaker 4 00:01:31 Well, as you can see, I have a sweater on swamp bread experience. There's a new well it's, I think it's their first production they're coming out with, which is awesome. It's called sweet surrender. Okay. Kiana theater. It's a farce set in the 1940s and I'm really excited.
Speaker 0 00:01:49 Okay. So explain, give me a little, like don't ruin it.
Speaker 4 00:01:53 So, um,
Speaker 0 00:01:54 When is it happening? First and foremost? Once,
Speaker 4 00:01:57 Um, March 10th, 11th and 12th. Okay. And it's um, two famous singers famously notorious for not liking each other, get booked into the same hotel suite of the Palm Springs hotel. And during war time era where they're trying, they're putting on a benefit in the hotel for raising money for the war effort and stuff. And so there's like bellhops and the manager of the hotel, these two singers and their secretaries, there's a reporter who move, which I am playing Laura Del Rio. She's quintessentially gossip reporter. And it's just really fun. It's all around fun. Every rehearsal is just laughter so much fun. So,
Speaker 0 00:02:41 So tell me about this theater group. I've never like, I, I, like we were talking about before. I know that Kiana puts on four plays a year and I try my best to go to them. I used to be a season ticket holder until COVID yada yada, yada,
Speaker 4 00:02:52 But
Speaker 0 00:02:53 There's other, I did not know that there was other companies. So explain that to me.
Speaker 4 00:03:00 Well, there's swamp press. Yeah. And there's a theater just because, right. And there's also, oh geez. Now I'm going to forget
Speaker 0 00:03:08 That. I think there's three or four and this
Speaker 4 00:03:10 Symmetry also. Yeah. Which is
Speaker 0 00:03:13 Yeah. Explain the point of them to me though. I don't understand.
Speaker 4 00:03:17 Oh, just people, um,
Speaker 0 00:03:19 Like in regards to, why do you have more than one? Do you guys just have different visions and plays that you want to bring?
Speaker 4 00:03:26 I think so. Honestly, I'm not, I'm not on like the creative board for any of Companies. I just happened to know some of the people that are really involved in everything or the ones that own them, like Hannah in San. And she's a director of the play that I'm in. Yeah. She is the owner and her and her husband then are the owners of swamp rat experience. So
Speaker 0 00:03:47 Cool
Speaker 5 00:03:48 Theater company is the other one that you were
Speaker 4 00:03:52 The big one, the big one.
Speaker 0 00:03:53 So are you as an actor allowed to go to the different theater companies and like, uh, audition for their plays?
Speaker 4 00:04:02 Absolutely
Speaker 0 00:04:02 Interesting.
Speaker 4 00:04:03 Oh, they're all independent in rent. They work closely with Kiana theater. Like that's the one thing that is really cool about Kiana was that they like, they allow the space for all of these local right companies to come in and rent the space and put on their own productions, through counter theater. And it's really, really cool.
Speaker 0 00:04:19 That is interesting. Yeah. I've never understood like a theater company before.
Speaker 4 00:04:24 Well it's yeah. I never really, I still am learning about what it is. Cause there's a lot of stuff on a laptop that, you know, I will never see. And that's, I'm the one, you know, the director like reviewing the notes. I imagine it's a lot of research, right. A lot of documentation. Right. You have to keep track of and stuff like that. So you know everybody, right.
Speaker 5 00:04:45 Other producers and directors have it easier. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:04:49 Yeah. I like twisted gears studio. That's another one that I know of. That's local.
Speaker 0 00:04:52 Okay. Interesting.
Speaker 4 00:04:53 I don't think their theater company that they do a lot of like stuff like what you guys do
Speaker 4 00:05:00 And stuff. So that's pretty cool.
Speaker 0 00:05:02 Neat. That's interesting. So how, uh, I've never been in a plane. I never will be in one. That's not my thing. I like, I love to on-site Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:05:11 You're a charismatic man. You never know.
Speaker 0 00:05:12 This is true. Never know how much work time effort do you need to put in, like from when you audition to when the play happens, what kind of timeline are you looking at? In most cases,
Speaker 4 00:05:23 Six to eight, eight weeks.
Speaker 0 00:05:25 Eight weeks.
Speaker 4 00:05:26 Sometimes it's up to eight weeks. Yeah. Wow. Well, two months we're looking at two or three days a week.
Speaker 0 00:05:31 That's what I was just going to ask. How many days
Speaker 4 00:05:32 A week days during the week and sometimes two, depending on how large the play, how many people are in it, right. How long the run is going to be, how technical the show actually is itself. Like what are the elements of the show? Do you have things that are coming in on flies or you're flying stuff in across the stage or are you changing right as you're going, like, what elements are you changing throughout? Or we have to work that into the time. Yeah. A lot of it, a lot of players are about an hour and a half hour and a half hour and 45. Right. So, you know, with, or without an intermission now in 45 minutes, like I think this play is going to be around that. I'm not sure actually on the time, one hour and a half or so I'll call me, it'll come out. It'll come out. It'll come up first. Um,
Speaker 0 00:06:10 Yeah. How how'd you get into this?
Speaker 4 00:06:13 I am actually fairly new into the theater. I've only been doing it for 2019. Actually. I was in evil, dead the musical through the theater, just because the, one of the other regular companies that are through here, we did that at, um, the sec for the Suncor energy center for performance by Trinity. That was so much fun. That was the first theater thing that I'd ever done in my life. I mean, I've done Christmas concerts in school and like stuff like that and drama and whatnot, but I'd never really done that. Um, but I started doing drag in 2018 and then, you know, drag is kind of like hyper theater. I was, I've been told many times to personify a character in oneself and then portray that character acting in a sense. So I mean, that's, I use that kind of appliable knowledge and then put that into a character and I've always kind of been crazy over the top personality, so it's just, you know, channel it and I think it's, it's a really fun.
Speaker 0 00:07:11 Okay. So with the characters that you've played so far, do you feel like when you're in these characters, are they like you? And so you're just like, kind of, okay, I'm just putting my flare on this or are they completely different from who you are? How you walk, how you talk and then you really have to act, how has that been for you?
Speaker 4 00:07:29 Well, I, this, this, this play that I'm in right now, I'll be the first one that I have, like actual like lines. The first one that I was in, I was like, uh, it was called evil force. So I had, I had some lines and I was like a demonic tree with a questionable appendage. Okay. Um, cause it was
Speaker 0 00:07:49 That's okay.
Speaker 4 00:07:51 Those who watched the play with a
Speaker 6 00:07:52 Tree with legs.
Speaker 4 00:07:54 Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:07:54 Yeah, yeah, sure.
Speaker 4 00:07:56 That one. Um, so, but I had a lot of costume changes and I had a lot of, um, stage placings where I had to, you know, put a costume under a costume and then take off a costume and come on stage and then like add elements to this. So it was really, you know, learning about what it is. It's a lot of work.
Speaker 0 00:08:10 Yeah. No
Speaker 4 00:08:10 Doubt. And some of those roles, even if I didn't have that many actual verbal lines, right. I had a lot, there was a lot and stuff that it was really humbling. Right. Honestly, I'm like acting like acting. You just got to remember a bunch of lines thing, but no, that's right. When you're in rehearsals and stuff like that, you've got to know your cues for when people are moving, you got to hear them. You're not going to say anything specifically, a door closes, the door opens that's right. Things like that. Like those kinds of elements that you have to really listen for and be attuned to, you never really think about it until you're in this situation
Speaker 0 00:08:39 And the situation. That's neat. Yeah. There's so much that goes behind it. And I know here in Norfolk for memory, when I was here, like there was drama. Like I took drama as well. I really enjoyed it. Um, but now you have like, holy Trinity that has this performing arts, like kids can really immersed in that before they become like an adult and then wanting to try it then. So I was just wondering where you're from. If that was a thing or I am arts, weren't really a big deal. Anyway,
Speaker 4 00:09:07 I just wasn't involved when I was younger. Like before I left, I've been in Fort McMurray since I was like 18. And before that I was, you know, a young teenager, I thought I could rule, I was ruling the world anyway, everything, you know, my time was spent doing things more recreational, not productive. That's right. To my creative that's
Speaker 0 00:09:29 Right. Yeah. Fair enough. You
Speaker 4 00:09:30 Will.
Speaker 0 00:09:31 Well, listen. That's what you're supposed to do in your twenties. So stop fun and figure it out. Yes.
Speaker 4 00:09:36 I had fun
Speaker 0 00:09:37 So recently. And when I say recently it was about a month ago now there was a drag show here in town. It was, that was it. Where was not sorry please.
Speaker 4 00:09:47 Sorry
Speaker 0 00:09:49 Please. I know it
Speaker 4 00:09:49 Doesn't exist anymore. It doesn't
Speaker 0 00:09:51 Exist anymore
Speaker 4 00:09:52 Dealership.
Speaker 0 00:09:53 Oh, it was at sharp place. I thought it was in shell place. I thought it was in Bailey's like in the same, whatever that hotel is. Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:10:00 So, okay. Um, with COVID restrictions that came out after that, we, um, we were going to have like the meet and greet and everything there, but restrictions came out and things had to change. So we actually had a meet and greet at the stone bridge and then drinks at Bailey's.
Speaker 0 00:10:15 Oh,
Speaker 4 00:10:16 Gotcha. 11, because they're showing it around 10 30. So like looked at the hell back over there. People, you know, have a couple of drinks. We look prettier when you drink. Um, and yeah,
Speaker 0 00:10:27 It looked
Speaker 4 00:10:27 Like I had Priyanka down there and met all the people about the VIP tickets. Right. If she was so fun, it was so,
Speaker 0 00:10:33 Oh
Speaker 4 00:10:33 My God. It was like surreal to be, to be. And do that to think like a local Fort McMurray drag performer opening. Well, yeah, like being on stage with a national international drag, like thank you so much oil Royals. I love you. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:10:50 It was a big deal. Like it was all over Facebook. I saw it in stories. People were posting.
Speaker 4 00:10:55 We've been advertising for like two months before and telling everybody about it. And it was really big event. I'm really happy that it was really, really well received. And we also had to like Priyanka was here, but we had two other performers from Calgary come up as well. Some real last performers, bitch Udacity and Carla marks. Yeah. Drag and burlesque extraordinary burlesque. Extraordinary. I don't know about the drag so much. Carla, if you're listening.
Speaker 0 00:11:20 That's hilarious. Yeah. No, I, I, I was very, I don't know what I was doing. I was at another event that night, so I couldn't participate, but I will ask the next one. I would like to, I really would like to come check it out.
Speaker 4 00:11:32 It's a lot of fun. We're drawing a larger and larger crowd with each and every show that we come, that we, that we come that we, that we, that was put on.
Speaker 0 00:11:40 Yeah. I almost had tickets. Um, because I have, I had two friends who were going to it and they both got COVID. Oh. And so that they're just like, Hey, we got some tickets. Do you want one or two for me? And my wife to go. And, uh, anyways, I had something else. I don't know what else I had to go to, but it looked like around.
Speaker 4 00:11:59 It was so fun. I know I was really excited. Um, my mom is really cool and she comes to the majority of all my shows really Sweet. She brings for nurse friends. And sometimes from my family, it was really cool this time. My Nan was actually here with her, a couple of her really big friends and my mom and one of my sisters, my Nan's like almost 60.
Speaker 0 00:12:23 Yeah.
Speaker 4 00:12:24 So I was like, I was really awesome. And she had a great time. She's laughing, loving everything. And I'm like, see, and that's the kind of stuff that we want for McMurry to see when we put on these kinds of shows. It's like, it's not just for the LGBT community that's put on by. Like, everybody want to love everybody. Everybody wants, just wants to love and be creative. So like come
Speaker 0 00:12:43 Out. Yeah. Yeah. That's awesome. And your mom comes, I
Speaker 4 00:12:46 Know, I love it.
Speaker 0 00:12:47 My mom, as a child and still is super supportive, but like in the best and worst way ever, like my mom used to come to sporting events and she would really cheer me on, but she would also trash talk the crap
Speaker 4 00:13:02 Out of me. Oh no,
Speaker 0 00:13:03 Not the other team. Me and there's, there was many games where referees kicked her out of the game
Speaker 4 00:13:11 Because she's like work harder
Speaker 0 00:13:13 Card or what do you do?
Speaker 0 00:13:16 And uh, but it made me better. And I, there's one story that I'll tell and it's a true story. And so she'll probably say it's not, but this is true. She got kicked out of a soccer game at, coreless not cordless at composite field. And so the referee gave her the boot. So she had to go sit in her car and how the field is that comp the field is here. And then there's a hill and a parking lots there. And so she went up and she sat in her van and, and just honked the horn and flash the lights because she couldn't yell from that far. So she's like, oh, I'm going to tell you if you're messing
Speaker 4 00:13:48 Up. You'll know that I'm saying something
Speaker 0 00:13:50 And my buddies and like, I, small town grew up here. So they all know like, Elliot man, your mom's wiling out right now. I'm like, yeah, but I better start playing better. So having supportive, No, she used to show up with like air horns to small gyms and just like amazing people's eardrums. My mom was
Speaker 4 00:14:09 So, I mean, my airborne. Yes.
Speaker 0 00:14:11 Appropriate. Yeah. That's exactly it. So she's a big fan. And I like, I used to get embarrassed, like when I was really young, but then like, I was like, man, my mom, just, my mom just really loves me and she's here to support me. So I started to like really love it. And even though, yeah, even though some things might be a little bit embarrassing. I'm like, who gives a crap? Like this is awesome. Go nuts, small. All of it. So, and I know she'll watch this because she literally watches every single episode. She
Speaker 4 00:14:37 Was just looking out for you.
Speaker 0 00:14:39 She misses episodes sometimes because we put out five weeks. So she's like, Elliot, I just, I just don't have the time. So on certain Friday night she like sits down and on the watch, like six. So she'll flush this Pam Pierre the best. I love my mom, but a Tanner keeps a
Speaker 5 00:14:54 Good Pam's in this, uh, in this environment.
Speaker 0 00:14:56 Yeah. Pam,
Speaker 5 00:14:57 Shout out to all the pans. There
Speaker 0 00:14:59 We go. So, uh, Tanner has a segment. You know what it's all about the minute. But before we get into the Mac city minute, we got to give a shout out Tanner who we shall note
Speaker 5 00:15:09 Denturist
Speaker 0 00:15:10 Oh yeah. McMurry denture clinic,
Speaker 5 00:15:12 Right? Yes.
Speaker 0 00:15:13 That is the company. So we're shouting them out because they are a sponsor of the show. They are sponsoring the Mac CD minute. There's going to be an ad later on in the show. So big shout out to McMurry denture center, not clinic McMurray denture center for, uh, helping support a local show like the Mac city morning show. If anybody else wants to help kick in some cash to keep us going, please. And thank you. We'd love to take your donation so totally
Speaker 4 00:15:38 Worth
Speaker 0 00:15:38 It. Totally worth it. You got,
Speaker 5 00:15:40 You can tell it's authentic. Uh, Elliot's reading off his phone over there.
Speaker 0 00:15:45 I totally forgot. I knew it was center or clinic and I was like, I'm new. I was going to mess it up. So, but now we're talking about a year
Speaker 5 00:15:50 Longer. You nailed it.
Speaker 0 00:15:51 So anyway, so 80 minute brought to you by Mick Murray denture center. Hanner hit him with the Maxine minute.
Speaker 5 00:16:00 Alrighty. Question number one for you today. What would your dream theater role be? Ooh.
Speaker 4 00:16:08 I mean, obviously if I were to get really good at theater Broadway, like somewhere large, like that
Speaker 5 00:16:14 Question number two. What is one thing about embodying a new character that you love the most
Speaker 4 00:16:23 Learning to think differently? Like your character would, or trying to at least like shifting your perspective and being like, oh, these are my shoes now, how would they see this
Speaker 5 00:16:33 Question? Number three. What is something you take from working in the service industry that helps you in your theater journey?
Speaker 4 00:16:43 Uh, being polite saying please. And thank you. Giving people space, ask you permission to be touched.
Speaker 5 00:16:50 Question number four. What is one thing that most people don't know happens behind the curtain?
Speaker 4 00:16:56 Um, um, secrets, obviously.
Speaker 0 00:17:04 There you go. That's your answer.
Speaker 5 00:17:06 Question number five. What is one reason you think anyone would love to see you perform?
Speaker 4 00:17:13 Um, I mean, I'm really funny. I mean, in case you haven't really noticed, my mom always told me that, so yeah. That's what I am really funny. Um, I don't know. I like to have a good show. I like to put on a good show, like people to have fun and laugh and love each other. So that's why
Speaker 0 00:17:31 There you go. There you go. Yeah. You're really funny. And as Tanner says, I'm really humble.
Speaker 7 00:17:38 So I'm, so
Speaker 4 00:17:42 I'm such a nice person, but
Speaker 5 00:17:44 Um, it says I'm the best person in the world and it's because of my modesty.
Speaker 4 00:17:48 Ah,
Speaker 0 00:17:49 Yeah. Hilarious. So Yeah. You were hanging out at that Superbowl party. You were working it. That was
Speaker 4 00:17:57 Crazy.
Speaker 0 00:17:57 That was always a crazy
Speaker 4 00:17:59 English. I know. I was really excited for it
Speaker 0 00:18:00 As it been that busy. It has, I have to assume in a while, like
Speaker 4 00:18:05 Where we're gaining, we're gaining.
Speaker 0 00:18:07 Yeah. And everything was done safe. It was all the rules.
Speaker 4 00:18:10 Yes. They were. We saw the restrictions in place at your table. No, but in between tables. Yates. Yeah. For now. Yeah.
Speaker 0 00:18:16 That's right. But it was great to see that many people are you into football at all?
Speaker 4 00:18:21 I mean every once in a while I'll watch it. But like, while I'm working, I'm not really watching the television.
Speaker 0 00:18:26 That's right.
Speaker 4 00:18:26 Like I'll pay attention to a few here and there. People are scoring. I'm like, yeah. Score point. What would you like? Would you like a beverage cheese on your, you want extra cheese on your nachos cake? Great sidewalk. No onions. No.
Speaker 0 00:18:38 Well, it's kind of like, I talked to Allie ethical barbershop next to the black horse path. Anyways, he, uh, there's always sports going on and I'm like, dude, do you watch sports? Like how knowledgeable are you at sports? Cause they're always on. He's like, man, it's on for everybody else. Yeah. I'll catch things,
Speaker 4 00:18:53 But yeah, the time
Speaker 0 00:18:55 That's right. So I was thinking like at the super bowl, I'm like, you guys are working. Are you watching the halftime show or
Speaker 4 00:19:00 Cool halftime show though? I did watch most of it. I'm not going to lie to you.
Speaker 0 00:19:04 It was epic. If so good. If you're in a certain age demographic, you're just like
Speaker 4 00:19:09 Sit down. I was like, yo.
Speaker 0 00:19:12 Yeah. Very cool. Okay.
Speaker 5 00:19:13 It's an upside down Dre to play in the .
Speaker 0 00:19:19 Yeah. The one thing that blew my mind, which was a total surprise was you had Anderson Pak playing the drums. I was like what? This is. Yeah. It was a great
Speaker 4 00:19:29 Thing for awhile. She
Speaker 0 00:19:30 Did. She did. Yeah. There was a, there is a few women in the audience, like at the bar who were losing their minds about Mary J Blige. Like losing it. I was like, wow. So for us to be recognized
Speaker 4 00:19:52 Fun, y'all 100% sure. She's a legend.
Speaker 0 00:19:55 So listen, man, I got the watch tap from Tanner. So we're at the end of the show. Thank you very much. Thanks for coming in. Really do appreciate it. Please come back again. So always a pleasure man. Always a pleasure. And next time you come back, you might be wearing some different clothing. Well, yeah,
Speaker 4 00:20:11 That's so considerably.
Speaker 0 00:20:13 So hopefully you do.
Speaker 4 00:20:14 Maybe somebody else,
Speaker 0 00:20:15 Maybe, maybe. So.
Speaker 0 00:20:18 Here we go. So listen, everybody at home for watching. Thank you for tuning in want to give a big shout out to our sponsors. Thank you so much. I think everybody saw that opening a neuronal video. You guys heard about the Mac CD minute video, and I know as soon as I'm done talking, you're going to see a clip from somebody else. So thank you for the sponsors for helping us do what we do. It really does mean the world to me, but it also means the world to me that you guys are tuning in every day. So thank you very much. I hope you're having a great day and we'll see you tomorrow base.
Speaker 8 00:20:47 Hey guys, cram here with Rick Barry denture center. A lot of people are surprised to hear this, but I'm born and raised here. So as this company, we're local, just like you come on in, we'll help you out.
Speaker 2 00:20:58 Y daily Wade and another morning show later by us.
Speaker 9 00:21:07 You
Speaker 10 00:21:16 Talk about quenching your ugly thirsty.
