Saturday, September 28, 2013

artistic director journal | soul food movies, or, the care and feeding of an artistic director


Fall has fallen. Which means two things, here in Vancouver.

Rain. And the Vancouver International Film Festival.

I'll see only a few VIFF pix this year, but already one has made a great impression. Definitely in the Soul Food category, There Will Come A Day is about a privileged thirty year old woman from Italy whose life has come undone with the loss of a child. So she heads out on a boat up the Amazon, working with a veteran Catholic nun. Her patience with the whole missionary endeavour wears thin, as does her confidence in Christian faith, but it's not clear that the film's does.  One more chance to see it, on Monday Oct 7 at 6:15, Centre For Performing Arts (which has been turned into a fine venue for film - lack of snacks notwithstanding).

I guess it's something in the air - all those films being screened so close at hand - but I've spent some time lately shifting some of my more-or-less moth-balled Soul Food Movies project over to an eye-catching format at Letterboxd. (This link takes you to the pretty version, with the posters all laid out in a grid. But if you go there make sure and click the "Read Notes" button you'll find there...


The button will be just above the tiles, on the right. It'll take you to my Soul Food write-ups for the films - or you can cut straight to the chase by clicking here).

It feels good to revisit the project that fueled (or frustrated) me for, what, five or seven years? Digging deep into the sorts of films that would be on the Pacific Theatre stage if they'd been lucky enought to be plays instead of movies. Stories that explore the life of faith, themes that Jesus talked about or lived, movies that - for whatever reason - Christian movie-lovers seem to love. They're not necessarily explicitly religious films, but they somehow resonate with my own faith: I suppose the book is an investigation into why that might be, particularly in the case of films where religion isn't necessarily front and centre. About Schmidt, say, or Waking Ned Devine. Dogville. I Walked With A Zombie. Metropolitan. "Movies with a spiritual flavour." Soul Food Movies.


Eventually it became clear there just wasn't time to make my book and continue to run a theatre company. So the theatre company won out, and the book got set aside. But lately I've begun to wonder if there might be time again to revive the project, at least as a proper website. And Letterboxd turns out to be a quick and fun first step.

These are movies that feed my soul. As a person, as a Christian, as an artist. And the fact is, I headed into this current season at Pacific Theatre resolved to keep my soul fed - especially as an artist. Last season was a great one, exciting, fulfilling in many ways - but also exhausting. For various reasons I neglected to put any art in it - no acting, no playwriting, no directing - and by April or May I was pretty darn restless. By the time summer came, the needle had moved over into something approaching "desperate."

It can be good to be pushed that far. It helps you know you need to make changes. And to stick with them.


So this fall I enter another PT season with a fundamental shift in my approach. I'm thinking of myself primarily as an Artistic Director, and only secondarily as an administrator - as Alison Chisholm reminded me, "You do have an administrative staff: the artistic direction is all you." Indeed, I've even changed the way I think of what it is to be an Artistic Director: for some reason, it gives me a lift to think of myself as "Artist In Residence" at Pacific Theatre.

Frankly, none of these changes probably look all that different on the outside. But there's a tremendous difference in the way it feels inside. Infinitely more energy, motivation, spark. Not only for the work of the company - artistic and administrative - but also for all those creative side projects that keep me fed. Which now feel not so much off to the side. Much closer to the centre. Where, I think, they belong.


Friday, September 27, 2013

the foreigner | talkback night

Tonight is talkback night for THE FOREIGNER!  There was a lot that went into making this crazy comedy work, so this is a great opportunity to chat with the artists and get the inside scoop!


THE FOREIGNER
Artist Talkback Night - Friday, September 27th

Thursday, September 26, 2013

artistic director journal | allen, emily, joy


Circus! I want to join the circus
I want to ride a pony through a circle made of fire
Doggies that ride on little ponies,
chased all around by monkeys.

This morning, a reading of Allen Desnoyers' new play-in-progress about Emily Dickinson. He'll be touring it to schools with his company Canadiana Musical Theatre: today was just a chance to put finishing touches to the portrait of the great BC painter.

This being PT's thirtieth season, I'm often thinking back to people and shows and experiences in our history, so I savoured the chance to sit with Allen in a room and talk theatre. He helped found Pacific Theatre back in 1984, and has been on our stage many times over the years. In fact, we were close friends years before Pacific Theatre began.

Another treat this morning was the presence of Meghan Gardiner, a playwright in her own right, reading the role of Emily (Meghan's husband Todd Thomson is well known to PT audiences). Too, my first chance to meet Joy Coghill, in many ways a founder of Vancouver's professional theatre community. Joy's play Song Of This Place is also about Emily Carr.

One stanza of a circus song in Allen's play reminded me of the Emily Carr statue at Seventh and Granville, so I wandered over and took a few photos. And couldn't help seeing Joy Coghill's face in the artist's rendering of Emily Carr.


the foreigner | theatre club | saturday sept 28

This Saturday, following the matinee of THE FOREIGNER, we will be hosting our first theatre club of the season! Join us in the lobby directly after the show ends as we use the discussion guide to dig into this hilarious show, while enjoying provided refreshments and meeting other audience members. This time we'll be joined by the star of the show, John Voth!

If you can't join us this Saturday, why not start your own theatre club? You can download our discussion guide here and find out how to get started here.

Happy clubbing!

the foreigner | discussion guide

The discussion guide for THE FOREIGNER is available for downloading online!  Warning, it contains spoilers.  Click here to download.



Wednesday, September 25, 2013

josette jorge | actor to watch

Josette Jorge performed two years ago in apprentice Maki Yi's production of NANKING WINTER, and now has been featured in the Straight's Fall Arts Preview as an actor to watch.  How exciting!


sept. 28-oct. 5 | secret service | damon calderwood

You'll remember Damon Calderwood from his long Pacific Theatre history - from The Pacific Salt Company to The Elephant Man, A Man For All Seasons, Christmas On The Air and Spitfire Grill. On the last of those he was joined by his theatrical partner-in-crime, Gord Roberts - who also shared the stage in their production of Billy Bishop Goes To War.


Fugue Theatre presents SECRET SERVICE
Sept. 28- Oct. 5 @ Performance Works in Granville Island (1218 Cartwright St.)

Secret Service is a 90-minute operetta composed by Neil Weisensel (who has composed 6 full length operas) and written by local playwright Kico Gonzalez-Risso.

When knowledge is too much responsibility...

An abandoned warehouse. A group of mannequins. A masked figure. Mysterious agents. The scene is set for the ultimate spy story, which will mix hilarity with eroticism and horror. A high powered figure, with his bodyguard in tow, enters the warehouse to engage in a secret meeting with his mistress. However, we soon discover that not all is what it appears to be as a whip-yielding dominatrix surfaces who brazenly challenges the figure's position of power. Secret Service challenges our ideologies of knowledge and power in a technological society, while posing questions about privacy, choice and responsibility.

Tickets & Info.

oct. 10-23 | dark side of the moon | timothy clayton

Tim Clayton is the husband of long-time PT actress Gina Chiarelli.
The Dark Side of the Moon Exhibition Oct. 10-23
Havana Art Gallery (1212 Commercial Dr.)

Artist Timothy Clayton's exhibition of acrylic abstract paintings inspired by Pink Floyd's 1973 album The Dark Side of the Moon will be running Oct. 10-23rd at the Havana Art Gallery & Restaurant. The series is a tribute to the 40th anniversary of the album, with factoids and stories accompanying each piece. Join in for a special Artist's Reception on Oct. 13th from 4pm - 7pm. The artist recommends: "bring the music with headphones to enjoy the full experience".

***A second Artist Reception has been added on Oct 20th 4-7pm for those who couldn't make the first!

oct 2-12 | inside the seed | carl kennedy + richard wolfe

Carl Kennedy (Jesus Hopped The 'A' Train, Last Days Of Judas Iscariot) is onstage again at the Cultch Oct 2-12 in this one, directed by Richard Wolfe (The Meal, The Busy World Is Hushed).



INSIDE THE SEED Oct. 2-12th
 VanCity Culture Lab (1895 Venables St.)

Upintheair Theatre and the Vancouver East Cultural Centre present Canadian playwright Jason Patrick Rotherty's new play INSIDE THE SEED, directed by Richard Wolfe.

Foster Bryant is a great scientist who makes a startling discovery when he genetically modifies a new kind of rice. Now Foster has the key to saving an overpopulated world on the brink of catastrophe. Or does he? In a reimagining of the Greek morality tale Oedipus Rex, the action is shifted to a giant present-day bio-tech firm where far more than the fate of ancient Athens is on the line. Foster must plunge down the rabbit hole in a desperate bid to uncover the truth that lies inside the seed…

  Tickets and Info.

oct 4 | shari pratt + ezra kwizera | view gallery

Some swell new paintings in the View Gallery at my home church, and a sort of non-opening Opening celebration that I'll be hosting, including music by Ezra Kwizera - I've never heard him, but PT musician Garth Bowen plays with him all the time. Come join us! (Oh, and by the way, the Richmond Review is running a feature on Ezra and this event in its Arts & Culture issue this week. Click on the link, then flip through to page 25.)



Oct. 4th @ 7:30
 View Gallery @ Fraserview Church (11295 Mellis Drive, Richmond)

Fraserview Church's View Gallery will be unveiling a personal new series by contemporary artist Shari Pratt next week, accompanied by Reggae, Soca & East African Bongo music by Ezra Kwizera. Find more about Ezra's music here and Shari's artistic statement below. Admission by donation.

ARTIST STATEMENT: SHARI PRATT
My artistic practice is a fusion of contemporary portraiture mixed with an aesthetic awareness of our complex personal identity. Inspired by the notion that companionship and sense of belonging are vital to human happiness, my work addresses themes of aloneness where I try to find meaning and truth beneath the surface. I begin by building up the surface of the canvas with a contemporary portrait and found objects and then peel back the layers through physical deconstruction by sanding, carving, and detaching. I believe that what lies beneath the surface of the canvas is often the true story of self. My work explores the nature of my personal life within the context of my exposure to photos, material items, and architectural heritage of the early 1900’s. My work is often described as nostalgic, narrative, haunting, and engaging. I have always been attracted to aged and deteriorating items. I choose to include mixed media into my work where appropriate, because I want my paintings to be more profound. I recently began to explore the phenomenology of experience, particularly the relationship of body to consciousness. I strive to create a personal relationship with the figures in my paintings, attempting to connect with my subjects in a mindful way. I want my figures to tell me as much as I insist they say.

Tuesday, September 24, 2013

the foreigner | production photos

Some production shots for THE FOREIGNER.







the foreigner | thursday matinee

This Thursday we're launching our brand new initiative - First Thursday Matinees! The first Thursday of applicable mainstage productions will include a matinee at 2pm. Come join us for THE FOREIGNER!

Monday, September 23, 2013

the foreigner | opening night

What a great opening night for THE FOREIGNER last Friday!  A full house, lots of laughs, and some great conversations after the fact.  Here's some shots of our creative team hobnobbing at the opening night reception.











Friday, September 20, 2013

the foreigner | the final video trailer | john voth

Tonight is opening night of THE FOREIGNER, and so we're releasing the final of our video trailers!  This one features John Voth, who plays our "foreigner", Charlie.

Tuesday, September 17, 2013

the foreigner | subscriber appreciation saturday

Our first Subscriber Appreciation Saturday of the season is upon us!  We can't wait to get together with our subscribers, old and new, and delve into a new year.  The first SAS event is focused on design featuring Lauchlin Johnston.


Subscriber Appreciation Saturday - Saturday, Sept 21st
Focus: DESIGN

Join Ron in discussion with Lauchlin as he gives you a backstage look at what went into the design for THE FOREIGNER as well as past PT shows.

Lauchlin has created set and lighting designs for many PT shows, including HOW TO WRITE A NEW BOOK FOR THE BIBLE, LEAVE OF ABSENCE, THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE, and A CHRISTMAS CAROL, and has received seven Jessie Award nominations for his work (five for shows at PT!)

Subscribers will also be treated to southern style refreshments inspired by the play.

We can’t wait to see you all again. Looking forward to having a heckuva time!

When: Sat Sept 21st
Approx: 4:15pm-5:15pm (right after the matinee ends)
Please RSVP to Kaitlin at Kaitlin@pacifictheatre.org

Sponsored by Cafe Crema.

Thursday, September 12, 2013

throwback thursday | the nerd

As an homage to our upcoming production of Larry Shue's THE FOREIGNER, this week's Throwback Thursday is our 1998 production of Larry Shue's "other" play - THE NERD.


"As long as you are alive, you will have somebody on earth who will do anything for you" - words written by a soldier to the man who saved him from certain death on the battlefield. Years later, the hero shows up unexpectedly to collect - a hopeless, bumbling oaf with no social sense, little intelligence and less tact - and overstays his welcome to the point wehre his host is seriously considering the terms of his vow - "As long as you are alive..."

Featuring Dirk van Stralen, Kerry van der Griend, Lisa Benner, Ron Reed, Francis Boyle, Donna Lea Ford, Katie Reed, and Sasha Brayley. Directed by Tom Carson. Dirk was nominated for a Jessie Award for his performance in this one!

For an extra throwback, check out this review I was able to dig up for the original production - who knew people were even posting reviews online yet at that point!

the foreigner | culture vulture

We had a visit from the Culture Vulture (also known as David C. Jones, local comedian and improvisor who you may have seen in SIDESHOW), chatting with Evan and John about THE FOREIGNER.

Wednesday, September 11, 2013

christmas presence | write us something! win fabulous prizes!


Last season's batch of CHRISTMAS PRESENCE performances was delicious for me. Partly because the year before I'd missed out altogether - with a full slate of CHRISTMAS CAROL performances, I handed over CP duty to Kaitlin Williams and others, and for the first time in maybe 20 years I didn't get my annual fix.

Also this: for all the requisite chaos and scramble that's part and Christmas parcel of throwing together a new show on the fly every night, with set lists sometimes not even finished by our 8:00 curtain, this time around there wasn't a single night where that wildness crossed over into real stress.  Honestly, there have been nights when pressure and fear kicked things over from exhilaration into stress, and while good stuff always happened, that's not where I'd rather live.  In 2012, it never even got close. Some change in me? A new semi-organizational strategy that actually worked? Dumb luck, or Providence?  I don't know.  But beginning to end, it was a pleasure. Maybe that's why we're having a dozen of the darn things this year!

But what I did notice was this. I had a whole pile of new discoveries to read, Christmas pieces brash or sentimental or wry or theological or provocative or just plain funny. But none of them were about that first Christmas we really, at the essence, were celebrating.

Oh, I've got a treasure house of those. Loren Wilkinson's monologue about an aged and bitter Simeon. Poetry and monologues and stories of shepherds, kings, Romans, Jews - by Luci Shaw and Madeleine L'Engle, David Kossoff, Paul Flucke, many others.  But you know what?  Very few new additions to that list in the last several seasons.

So that's where you come in. I'm soliciting new writing for CHRISTMAS PRESENCE - scenes or monologues or stories or reflections or poetry specifically about the events of Jesus' birth.  And yes, there's a prize: if we decide to use what you've written, you'll win a pair of tickets to the show, on the night when your piece gets premiered.

Length?  It kind of doesn't matter.  I've read four-sentence poems: I've read 50-minute stories (though the latter are pretty rare).  I guess the sweet spot is between two and six or seven minutes, but honestly - write it the length it ought to be.  (I will reserve the right to edit the pieces somewhat for reading purposes, particularly for length, though not adding anything: sometimes there's a key paragraph that's the perfect fit between two other pieces, or the perfect match with a particular song, and in the moment we just plain cut to the chase. You get the idea. It's that kind of show.)

You know Pacific Theatre, and you know CHRISTMAS PRESENCE.  There's no need to play it safe.  But don't feel obliged to be all edgy and provocative and arty, either: sweet, simple things are just as much a part of the mix as the wilder excursions.

Send your submissions to our Literary Manager, Kaitlin Williams: kaitlin at pacifictheatre dot org  (Well, not spelled out that way, but you know what I mean) with CHRISTMAS PRESENCE SUBMISSION in the Subject line.  

(And hey, it occurs to me that you may know of some great piece that you could recommend that you know of, but didn't actually write. Send it along! I can't promise we can offer the same prize benefits as we do for new writing, but hey...  We'll see.)

CHRISTMAS PRESENCE runs December 11-21 this year on the PT mainstage,
with added performances on the North Shore and in the Valley Dec 15 and 22

the foreigner | advance photos

Check out some advance shots for THE FOREIGNER.  We had a lot of fun at this shoot!




fringe | fat mama network + jack the ripper + jake's gift

I haven't spotted any straight up Soul Food in this year's Fringe Festival, but in addition to the show Julia Mackey recommended (I saw it, it's lovely) there are a couple with PT artists involved.  And then right AFTER the Fringe, Julia will be performing the beloved JAKE'S GIFT, which started its life in a PT mask intensive workshop, and played on our stage a couple seasons back.



FAT MAMA NETWORK

Depression. Apartheid. The Thai sex trade. These are just a few examples of topics we will not be exploring in this lighthearted comedy. Instead, think about the crazy lady who lives on your block and screams into her telephone-shoe. What if she was suddenly given enough power to run her own national TV network?

Julia Church (GODSPELL), Holly Pillsbury (THE GREAT DIVORCE), Chris Nash (GODSPELL). Sort of directed by Giovanni Mocibob (DOUBT, MY NAME IS ASHER LEV)

Firehall

Wednesday Sep 11 @ 9:30 PM
Friday Sep 13 @ 8:30 PM
Saturday Sep 14 @ 9:30 PM
Sunday Sep 15 @ 6:00 PM


JACK THE RIPPER

Jack the Ripper stalked London's East End in 1888. He was never caught but his name has become synonymous with evil. This is a factual look at one of the most notorious series of unsolved murders in the history of crime. A fascinating look at an enduring mystery. A dark ride back through the cobbled streets of Victorian London. Written by a renowned Ripperologist and author of the critically acclaimed book, The First Jack the Ripper Victim Photographs. [content warning]

Mary Eden (GODSPELL, REFUGE OF LIES, HE ROARS)

Cultch

Friday Sep 13 @ 10:25 PM
Sunday Sep 15 @ 6:30 PM


JAKE'S GIFT

Jake's Gift is a funny and moving drama that tells the story of a Canadian WW2 veteran's reluctant return to Normandy, France, for the 60th anniversary of D-Day. At its heart, Jake's Gift is about the legacy of remembrance, and personalizes the story behind one soldier's grave. Jake's Gift has been touring the country since 2007 and has played in over 180 communities.

Julia Mackey. Directed by Dirk Van Stralen.

"One of the most theatrically pure shows I have ever seen...Julia Mackey delivers a stunning performance." Katie Nicholson, CBC
"I am a veteran of the 2nd world war, and this play and its performance made a greater impact on me than all the memorial services I have ever attended." Antony Holland, World War II Veteran, Actor, Founder of Studio 58 at Langara College

Fei & Milton Wong Theatre

Thursday Sep 26 @ 1:00 PM
Friday Sep 27 @ 1:00 PM
Saturday Sep 28 @ 6:00 PM
Sunday Sep 29 @ 8:00 PM

Tuesday, September 10, 2013

artistic director journal | top ten thousand music : vancouver magazine


Vancouver Magazine:

First, I am wondering how the list of the "top ten thousand" songs was generated, and exactly how many songs are actually on the list. (How many are mentioned in the play?) Second, are many songs played throughout the performance? Just trying to get a sense of the role of music in the play. Third, how do the songs fit into the story/theme of the play?

Me:

The show is pretty much wall-to-wall music. It's entirely set inside a broadcast studio - though, admittedly, a kind of eccentric, do-it-yourself broadcast studio. The script moves back and forth between the DJ's on-air talk about the music (and whatever else comes to his mind), and his off-air conversations and reminiscences while the songs are actually playing.

Over the course of the evening we hear about 25 of the songs in the Top Ten Thousand countdown, starting around number 6,397. And I'll admit, not only have I not created the entire list of 10,000 songs, but neither has the DJ - while he does have a list, he freely departs from it whenever he feels like it. If a song comes to mind, he plays it, and rearranges the rest of the playlist accordingly. He's that kind of DJ. It's that kind of radio station.

Which begins to answer your question about how the songs fit with the themes and narrative of the play. While it's true that some of the songs are just there because the DJ likes them, most of the time he's choosing them - consciously or unconsciously - because they connect with the events that are going on, or whatever is on his mind. In many instances the connection is explicit: in others, the song selections are almost like a puzzle for the audience, providing hints about what's going on under the surface of the story. Because in fact, the play is built around a mystery - who is this guy, and what kind of radio station is this? What's going on here?

It's also fair to say this: on my own personal Top Ten Thousand, a lot of the songs in the show would be in the top, say, 250. And one in particular is definitely in my Top Ten. But no, I'm afraid I can't tell you which one….

the poster image above was created by Dirk Van Stralen
for Top Ten Thousand touring performances in the mid-nineties

november 2013 remount celebrates thirtieth season at PT 

Monday, September 09, 2013

artistic director journal | viff

One of the great pleasures of September - compensating in part for summer's end and the return to work - is the Vancouver International Film Festival. Combing through the titles, making lists, adjusting schedules. I'm always watching for possible Soul Food movies - films with a spiritual flavour. If they were plays, we might stage them at Pacific Theatre. That sort of thing. Here are a couple I (and friends) have spotted so far.


There Will Come a Day ("Un giorno devi andare" Italy/France, 2012, 110 min)
Sep 27 12:00 pm | Centre for Performing Arts
Oct 07 06:15 pm | Centre for Performing Arts

The Amazon is a major character in Giorgio Diritti’s heartfelt, piercingly beautiful There Will Come a Day, a superbly made and very affecting film about a young woman searching for herself while working as a missionary in Brazil. Her spiritual and physical journey leaves her—and the audience—profoundly changed.

 “Giorgio Diritti has no fear of the astounding image; the opening shot is of a night sky with a half-moon, against which is superimposed the sonogram of a fetus. The baby will not survive. A woman is heard crying. Augusta, a thoughtful, intense young woman [with a face worthy of Botticelli], is traveling by boat along the Amazon in Brazil, ministering to the “Indios” along with Sister Franca, an Italian nun of the old-line Catholic stamp. Why does Franca care, Augusta asks, whether or not the Indios perform the sacraments of the Church, when they don’t understand what they’re doing? It is a bond with God, Franca says; understanding is irrelevant. They are an odd couple, not destined to last. But what is, Augusta wonders. She has been abandoned by her husband because she cannot have children, and has left Italy for missionary work in search of answers… Diritti addresses a number of topical issues, including the rise of Third World evangelism, the displacement of poor Brazilians (in preparation for the World Cup and Olympics), the ecological disasters brewing in the Amazon and the widening disparity between rich and poor. Technical credits are first-rate, especially the work of d.p. Roberto Cimatti, who captures in his camera a suggestion of divinity.”—John Anderson, Variety


A Place in Heaven ("Makom be-Gan Eden" Israel, 2013, 117 min)
Sep 27 04:30 pm | Vancity Theatre
Oct 03 01:40 pm | International Village #10
Oct 06 06:45 pm | International Village #10

When a retired general lies on his deathbed, bitter and alone, his estranged son, an ultra-orthodox Jew, tries to save his soul from hell. This quasi-Biblical, epic drama spans the history of Israel through 40 years and three wars, yet, like director Yossi Madmony’s previous film Restoration, it is, at its heart, about father-son relationships.

The meaning of the title emerges as a tale within a tale that begins shortly after the founding of modern Israel. When a brave, much admired officer, dubbed Bambi (Alon Aboutboul), returns to base after a daring mission, the cook’s assistant, a young rabbi, tells him enviously that he has earned a place in heaven for endangering his life on behalf of his Jewish brethren. As a secular Zionist, Bambi scoffs at this notion and notes that he would gladly give up that place in exchange for his favorite spicy omelet. Since religious law permits the trade of such an abstract concept, the cook draws up a contract. Such impulsive behavior, typical of the arrogant, young Bambi, proves to have long-term consequences…

Like the flawed heroes of the Old Testament, Bambi registers as achingly human, no more so than in his relationship with son Nimrod, who rejects his expectations and turns to other father figures in order to forge a life of his own as a religious Jew. In the end, this probing fictional biography provides an intimate portrait of an obstinate man whose principles come before everything else. And just the right hint of Madmony’s characteristic mystical overtones adds to its allusive weight.

*

The Dostoevsky source for With You, Without You may signal Soul Food content: who knows.  The Priest's Children looks like a Soul Food long-shot, but hey....

*   *   *

The Missing Picture

Other films have caught my eye, if not necessarily on the Soul Food portion of the menu. Last year some cinema pals and I watched Mark Cousins' 17-hour The Story Of Film: An Odyssey in a two-day marathon: this year we'll reconvene at his latest, A Story Of Children And Film, which surveys everything from The 400 Blows, Kes, ET and Fanny and Alexander to selections from Finland, Iran, Japan and elsewhere. The aesthetic strategy of The Missing Picture reminds me of Kamp, a memorable Holocaust theatre piece I saw in the PuSh Festival a couple years ago, and The Act Of Killing which screens at the VanCity prior to the film festival, on Sep 16, 18 and 19. Also at the fest, the deadpan quirk of Matterhorn appeals, as does Finding Vivian Maier, a portrait of the celebrated street photographer whose work was unknown in her lifetime. And Time Goes By Like A Roaring Lion clicks with certain of my own fascinations (should that be "chronophobia" or "chronophilia"?). 

Most Telling Blurb: "With its culture of intimidation, the playground has always resembled a prison yard." German film? Yup.

the foreigner | the costumes

Check out costume designer Sydney Cavanagh's drawings for THE FOREIGNER.








Friday, September 06, 2013

the foreigner | open rehearsal

Tomorrow we are opening up the rehearsal hall!  Come see how the funny is being crafted in THE FOREIGNER.



THE FOREIGNER - open rehearsal
Saturday, September 7th from 11am-1pm

Drop-in anytime for a behind-the-scenes gander at this hilarious cast!