MARGO HARPER’S MEMORIES OF HOSTING A TABLE AT CLUB PUSH
December 17, 2013
It’s the time of year when thoughts turn not only to Santa and home for the holidays but beyond to January and the question of how to manage our Festival schedules. For those of us who care deeply about the PuSh Fest (and we are a small army) the question of how to best show off its programming, impress friends and contacts and make lasting impressions is worthy of some serious consideration.
This is my fourth Festival as either a member of the Leaders Council or the Board, and I have found that the best way to win new PuSh friends is —hands down—by booking a corporate table at Club PuSh. As we know, there is no bad PuSh Festival experience. I have introduced my friends, colleagues and contacts to the Festival at intimate fundraising events, splashy galas, electrifying dramatic surprises and stylish after-parties at joints like John Fluevog Shoes. But there’s nothing quite like an evening with friends at Club PuSh on Granville Island to show off the Festival to maximum effect.
Two years ago I brought a group of colleagues from the CTV newsroom to the closing night of Taylor Mac at the Club. We had sushi first and the evening began perfectly when PuSh Development Manager Jocelyn Macdougall, resplendent in feather boa and cocktail dress, greeted us like old friends in the lineup. We had table service and complimentary wine and cheese. We sang along. And we had what remains one of the most thrilling theatrical events of my life. My colleagues were delighted by the audacious, uber-talented Mac and all commented on the intimate, edgy vibe at the Club. It was the perfect venue for introducing them to the Festival and I remember feeling so proud that I could give them a ringside seat to the best of what we are.
Last year I decided to do it all over again with another group of colleagues and the Hawksley Workman show, The God That Comes. We got to see the show before it formally opened in Calgary and I remember the dizzying sense of being in the hands of a dramatic and musical master. And I got to be the “hostess with the most-est” in connecting friends with memorable work in what may be the coolest of PuSh venues (Performance Works on Granville Island transforms into Club PuSh each year).
This week, I’m putting together a table of women lawyers and contemplating whether to go for Gender Failure or maybe Ryeberg Live. Half the fun is matching people to the right show. I trust, with a little advice, I will get it right. So, with great anticipation, see you all at Club PuSh!
Margo Harper
PuSh Festival Board Member
HOST A TABLE AT CLUB PUSH
Get star treatment for you and five friends. Experience Club PuSh in style at the best table in the house. A bottle of wine and hors d’oeuvres await you, along with dedicated table service all night. Host a table for $500 (includes a $300 tax receipt).
For more information or to host a table, contact Development Manager Jocelyn Macdougall at 604.605.8284 ext 202 or jocelyn@pushfestival.ca.