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Farpoint Films’ John Barnard admits his latest project, The Book of Vaudeville, is a story that has been almost a century in the making.

Barnard’s documentary, produced by MTS Winnipeg On Demand, has its roots in a scrapbook that is more than 90 years old, was hidden in the walls of the Orpheum Theatre and survived a demolition of the building.

Now, Barnard is taking to the stage of The Pantages Playhouse Theatre on April 14 to recreate the book live with a free show that will be included in his film.

He’ll be doing it with the help of some of the city’s most talented performers including: Dean Gunnarson, Ross McMillan, Sarah Constible, Onalee Ames, Jacqueline Lowen, Stephen Eric McIntyre with special guests The Owen Clark Jazz Band.

Barnard recently chatted with On Screen Manitoba’s Trevor Suffield to talk about recreating history and bringing it to life, how this documentary is changing his directing style and if this could possibly be the downfall of the acclaimed director.

Q: How did you first hear about the Book of Vaudeville?

A: It begins in the early 20’s when a guy named Manny Finkleman, a vaudeville dancer, began cutting articles from the Winnipeg Free Press and Tribune and pasting them in a scrapbook in the Orpheum Theatre which he, or someone, hid in the walls of the theatre.

It basically stayed in the walls of the theatre until 1950 when the theatre was demolished and this book literally survived a dynamite blast and went down with the rubble of the theatre.

On that day in 1950 a Winnipeg guy named Gene Shelly, who had an interest in vaudeville and magic, was walking by the rubble, saw something poking up, climbed the fence and pulled this gigantic scrapbook from the pile of bricks that was there, stole it and brought it home to his house and forgot about it for 50 years.

He died and the book got donated to the City of Winnipeg Archives where we found it.

Q: How did you go about creating a documentary about this book?

A: We’re taking a bunch of Winnipeg performers and bringing them to the Archives to look at the book, pick an act from it and recreate a contemporary version of that act. We have Dean Gunnarson who actually knows how to do this stuff and he’s going to do an escape based on Harry Houdini and his brother Hardeen, who both came to Winnipeg at one time.

Q: How is filming this different from your other projects?

A: The documentary is so many things, it’s comedy, it’s history, it’s reality TV and it’s a freak show because these people have picked the weirdest acts to do. It may be a smash success or it may be a total disaster!

Q: Are you taking a different approach to filming this?

A: I’m doing this as a proper POV documentary where I’m with my camera following them around as an observer. And I actually am physically operating the camera and running along beside them so it’s a little unusual for me, I’m doing it a little bit differently than I normally do. And I’m trying not to interfere as much as I normally would – normally, to the point of everyone’s irritation, I control everything really carefully but this time I’m trying not to do that and let them figure stuff out on their own.

Q: Why should people come and watch The Book of Vaudeville?

A: Come and watch the potential final fiery downfall of Barnard, live and to be taped! Seriously, this is no stuffy history lesson, this should be weird and strange and unusual.

Q: Finally, if you were performing on this vaudeville night what would be your name and what would be your specialty?

A: I’ve never thought of that and no one has given me a vaudeville nickname. I would never do this. I wouldn’t touch this with a ten-foot-pole. I’m not an on stage person and don’t want to be seen that way and I can’t imagine doing such a thing.

But I have no problem throwing other people into a perilous position!

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The Book of Vaudeville live FREE show is on April 14^th at 6:30 p.m. For tickets and more information visit www.farpointfilms.com.

The film is set to premiere on MTS Winnipeg On Demand before the end of 2011.

If you are an On Screen Manitoba member and would like to be featured please email info@onscreenmanitoba.com.

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