christmas presence | artist profile | jordan klassen

The Jordan Klassen Band has spent the summer touring North America and Europe, but they still have time to come play CHRISTMAS PRESENCE with us on Dec 23rd.  Below is the video for their latest single, The Horses are Stuck.

it's a wonderful life radio show | first read

Today was the first read of IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE RADIO SHOW!  It was such fun to hear the actors read this classic story, switching characters and singing jingles, and to see Joel Stephanson work his magic on the sound folley table.  Here are some shots from the read.

christmas presence | artist profile | the tourist company

Last year we had our first visit from The Tourist Company at CHRISTMAS PRESENCE in Richmond, and we are thrilled to launch our PT run of CHRISTMAS PRESENCE with them this year!  Especially considering they just placed third in The Peak Performance Project! Below is a hilarious introduction video they made for the competition, as well as a music video for their single Irrepressible Futures.

it's a wonderful life radio show | photos

Our advance photos for IT'S A WONDERFUL LIFE RADIO SHOW are out!  We love taking classic stories and giving them a new treatment (remember THE LION, THE WITCH, AND THE WARDROBE or A CHRISTMAS CAROL?), so a live radio broadcast of one of our favourite stories is a real treat this Christmas!

nov 18-29 | butterfingers angel | twu

RON ADDS...  I saw Butterfingers Angel last Saturday, and it's thoroughly enjoyable. Intriguing script, strong performances, really nicely directed.  I strongly recommend it.

Christmas Presence fans may remember a pretty funny scene between a bratty Mary and an awkward angelic visitor - it's on Ron's oblations blog. "You must have the wrong Mary." "Oh. I am sorry." "Everybody makes mistakes here." "No, I make too many. They said this time get it right or don't come back." "Your nose is sweating."  Its from a play by William Gibson - not the sci-fi William Gibson, the Pulitzer-winning Miracle Worker Broadway William Gibson who was also a sort of lefty Episcopalian sixties Christian of some sort, and wrote a very strange Christmas show for, if I'm not mistaken, his lefty Episcopalian sixties church, called "The Butterfingers Angel, Mary and Joseph, Herod The Nut, and the Slaughter of 12 Hit Carols in a Pear Tree." The play was called that, not the church.  Anyhow...

Our good friends at Trinity Western have an Artist In Residence this fall, PT alum Paul Muir (Dragons Project, Howard Buys A Motorhome, Saint Joan, etc), and Butterfingers Angel was his directing pick for their fall season. I'm not missing this one.  (says Ron Reed)

the butterfingers angel
nov 18-29
trinity western university Christmas can be a stressful time. Especially if you’re the angel in charge of it all! SAMC Theatre’s follows the witless Gabriel on a wild ride that’s full of surprises. Far from traditional, this fast and funny Nativity is a powerful tale of human struggle wrapped up in the clumsiest, kookiest Christmas pageant imaginable. 

Onstage at Trinity Western University from November 18 – 29, William Gibson’s holiday hit is officially titled The Butterfingers Angel, Mary & Joseph, Herod the Nut, & the Slaughter of 12 Hit Carols in a Pear Tree. This imaginative twist on tradition includes a narcissistic Pear Tree, a sinister tyrant king, and “wise” men who are anything but. Meanwhile, Mary and Joseph are hardly a match made in heaven...or are they? 

“This show captures the heart of the Christmas story, both the light and the darkness,” said Shelby Wyminga, the BFA Acting student who plays a spunky version of Mary. “Instead of stiff stereotypes, we get a glimpse into the way ordinary people handle extraordinary circumstances, from the naive newlyweds to the donkey who hates her job. Beneath the laughter, this story also explores doubt and danger, hopes and fears—it’s sincere and relatable.” 

Paul Muir, a visiting artist from Alberta’s Rosebud Theatre, directs a cast of TWU actors and local children, who guest-star as the cutest collection of talking animals Langley has ever seen. With costumes by Mel Alpe, set by Margaret Toomey, and lighting by Graham Ockley, the visual world of the play is as enchanting as Gibson’s script. 

Sponsored by Great-West Life, Butterfingers Angel stars Uliana Akulenko, Ruby Alstad, MacKenzie Cameron, Charlotte Elgersma, Sage MacPherson, Ashlyn McCarthy, Kiara McCarthy, Favour Onwuka, Esther Owobowale, Teagan Plett, Sam Ravensbergen, Steven Simpson, Geoffrey Webb, and Shelby Wyminga. The show is stage managed by Elizabeth Drummond, Courtney Brice, and Mikayla Wust. 

Playing October 21 – November 1 at 7:30pm Tues-Sat with discounted Saturday matinees at 2:00pm. Come on the second Tuesday for a Q&A talkback with the cast. 

For tickets and information, visit www.twu.ca/theatre or call 604.513.2121 extension 3872.

feb 10 | celebrazione | save the date

We're having a party, and you're invited! Save the date and work on your Italian accent for our Celebrazione!

Save the Date for our Italian-style evening.  This celebration of theatre, music, and food will be hosted by our own Lucia Frangione!

Celebrazione!
Tuesday, Feb 10th at the Italian Cultural Centre
Ticket $125 (includes a $75 tax receipt)

nov 9-29 | speed the plow | craig erickson

PT regular Craig Erickson is performing in David Mamet's SPEED THE PLOW this month!

When a hugely bankable star agrees to appear in a sure-fire commercial hit, film producers Bobby Gould (Craig Erickson) and Charlie Fox (Aaron Craven) are convinced this is the break of a lifetime. That is until Karen (Kayla Deorksen), a temporary secretary, derails the dream. When she persuades Bobby to dump the blockbuster in favour of a story which can only be described as box-office poison, Charlie is forced to resort to desperate measures.


Directed by David Mackay.
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/896340

nov 4 | gerard manley hopkins | regent college

WORLD AS WORD:

The Incarnational Poetry of Gerard Manley Hopkins

Richard Austin, a British actor who has spent much of his life years studying and performing the poetry of Garard Manley Hopkins, will be presenting Hopkins's work in a free public reading at 4:30 in the Regent chapel on Thursday, Dec. 4

"The World is charged with the grandeur of God"

“God's word uttered in himself is Christ the Word; uttered outside himself it is the World.”

[Mary] . . .Gave God's infinity

Dwindled to infancy

Welcome in womb and breast,

Birth, milk, and all the rest. . .

dec 14 | tidings | holy trinity church

Our landlords, Holy Trinity Anglican Church, are hosting a Christmas concert on December 14th in the afternoon.

dec 7 | vancouver bach choir

Looking for a chance to take in some choral hymns this Christmas?  Our friends at the Vancouver Bach Choir will be singing some of our favourites.  Below is a note from them about the event.

There’s nothing like the heartwarming sound of holiday carols to mark the festive season. These classic melodies are a benchmark signalling the anticipated arrival of merriments to come, and evoking fond memories of Christmases past – crisp winter nights joyfully whiled away with friends and family around crackling fires.

In celebration of this warm and cheerful sentiment comes the joyous and inspiring holiday concert Christmas with the Bach Choir from award-winning symphonic choir, Vancouver Bach Choir (VBC). A favourite tradition among loved ones to recognize and rejoice the holidays, Christmas with the Bach Choir offers a spirited afternoon of treasured carols and captivating seasonal works in one of Vancouver’s finest performance venues, The Orpheum.

Running December 7 at 2pm, this exquisite concert will bring together the entire expanse of the acclaimed VBC organization, from the tiny Piccolo Choir (ages 5-7) to the award-winning Adult Choir. These voices – more than 400 combined to comprise one of Canada’s largest choral organizations – will fill the breathtaking Orpheum Theatre with holiday favourites such as Do You Hear What I Hear? and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, among many others.

An anticipated highlight for many is the opportunity for audience members to join in with the choir members through rousing sing-alongs interwoven throughout the performance.

This year also marks the 30th anniversary of the VBC’s Children’s Chorus and Youth Choirs. This special occasion will be recognized by the premiere of a newly commissioned work written by Kathleen Allan and conducted by Bruce Pullan, founding Music Director of this singular, choral education program.

Christmas with the Bach Choir runs Sunday, December 7 at 2pm at The Orpheum. For ticket information, please visit vancouverbachchoir.com/tickets or call 604.696.4290.

subway stations of the cross | seats added

You keep buying tickets to SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS, so we keep finding ways to fit more of you in!  Last week we added a Sunday matinee, and now we have added 13 floor seats to each performance. 

Book your tickets now online or over the phone at 604.731.5518.

subway stations of the cross | benefit performance

We are thrilled to announce that Ins Choi is generously donating all of his proceeds from the Thursday, November 20th performance of SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS to Union Gospel Mission.

SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS
performance to benefit Union Gospel Mission
Thursday, November 20 at 8pm
Buy tickets here.

Learn more about Union Gospel Mission here.

brandon bate video | twu

As you may already know, many of our apprentices come from Trinity Western University's theatre program.  They recently created a Bachelor of Fine Arts program, and our apprentice Brandon Bate is one of its first graduates.  Here's a video they created to promote the program, featuring Brandon who will be on stage tonight in the apprentice production of ALMOST, MAINE!

  Brandon Bate, SAMC Theatre from SAMC on Vimeo.
Brandon will be performing in this season's apprentices first project of the year alongside Kayla Heselwood and Shona Struthers, directed by Eleanor Felton.

subway stations of the cross | photos

Check out a couple of photos of SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS from Ins Choi.

nov 13-26 | tim clayton | beatles

Tim Clayton's wife is Gina Chiarelli, long-time PT actress (Agnes Of God, The Fever) recently celebrated for her performance in Master Class. 

ladies and gentlemen... the beatles!
artist reception | sun nov 16 @ 4-7pm

nov 21-30 | late company | katharine venour, michael kopsa

PT regular (and board member) Katharine Venour and Michael Kopsa will be performing together in Touchstone Theatre's LATE COMPANY later this month.

LATE COMPANY
By Jordan Tannahill

One year after a tragedy, two couples sit down to dinner. Far from finding the closure they seek, the dinner strips bare their good intentions to reveal layers of parental, sexual, and political hypocrisy. A funny and moving exploration of a hot button issue, rendered in dynamic dialogue by an exciting young writer.

November 21– 30, 2014
Vancity Culture Lab (The Cultch)
1895 Venables St.

Tickets: tickets.thecultch.com
604-251-1363

subway stations of the cross | video trailer

See Ins put the show together in this video trailer for SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS.

nov 13 & 14| almost, maine | apprentice production

Our apprentices are putting together their first project of the season, ALMOST, MAINE!

November 13 & 14 at 8pm
Admission by cash donation at door

“We never got around to getting organized, so we’re just… Almost.”

One cold, clear Friday night in the middle of winter, the residents of Almost, Maine try to make sense of this strange thing called love. They tumble in and out of love in in unexpected and often hilarious ways. Knees are bruised. Hearts are broken. Love is local and the world is strange in this midwinter night’s dream.

Featuring: Brandon Bate, Kayla Heselwood, Shona Struthers, Lou Ticzon

oct 29-nov 15 | hunter gatherers | peter carlone

Staircase Theatre presents the Canadian premiere of Peter Sinn Nachtrieb’s wickedly funny play, HUNTER GATHERERS, featuring Peter Carlone (THE FOREIGNER). 

Directed by Vancouver theatre veteran Ryan Gladstone, Hunter Gatherers is a darkly comic evening where the line between the civilized and the primal is blurred and where not everyone will survive long enough to enjoy the brownies for dessert. 

Hunter Gatherers stars Jay Clift, Peter Carlone, Pippa Mackie and Maryanne Renzetti. 
Venue: Havana Theatre & Restaurant, 1212 Commercial Drive 

Hunter Gatherers will be showing from October 29 - November 15. Get tickets and information here.

nov 12-15 | trainspotting | pippa johnstone & kenton klassen

Rumble presents three stories fueled and inspired by youth, in its Tremors Festival. Trainspotting features past apprentices Pippa Johnstone and Kenton Klassen - Lizzie and Noah in THE RAINMAKER, Doug and Kayleen in GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES. 

trainspotting 
nov 12–15 | 8pm + 2pm sat
russian hall | 600 campbell ave, behind the cultch 

Trainspotting brings us to the underground world of a group of twentysomethings in Edinburgh – getting by, getting high and trying to make sense of the shitty world they’ve inherited. It’s a fast-paced, gritty, filthy, poetic and raw look at the underbelly of youthful dreams gone awry. 
Irvine Welsh’s Trainspotting was popularized by Danny Boyle’s 1996 film adaptation with Ewan McGregor. Stage play by Harry Gibson. 

subway stations of the cross | added performance

Great news!  SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS nearly sold out its tickets, so we have added another performance!  There are still some tickets available to other nights (Thursday is your best bet), but now there is one more chance for you to see this show.

SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS
created and performed by Ins Choi
Added performance: Sunday, November 23 at 3pm

subway stations of the cross | vancity buzz preview

Cecilia Lu from Vancity Buzz has released a great preview piece on SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS, based on an earlier interview with Ins Choi.

Here's a brief quote, see the entire piece in context here:

Do you ever look at a rambling man on the street and think, “that would make a great play?” No?

Ins Choi does. It’s part of his four year development process on Subway Stations of the Cross, a non-linear followup to this spring’s more conventional Kim’s Convenience. That the Arts Club would put on a play like Kim’s truly surprised and delighted me, and being introduced to Choi’s keen insight on Korean family relations was a great treat.

I chatted with Choi over the phone to find out more about the Torontoian’s next production to hit the West Coast:

A homeless man stands on a cardboard platform with a sign that reads “PREPARE”; the beginnings of a peculiar message from God. Choi’s unpredictable, mashed up meditation on the sacred and everyday is told through the songs, stories, and poetry of a nameless vagabond.

Choi workshopped the play over four years, performing bits and pieces on unsuspecting church audiences. It gave him a way to test out select bits of rambling and earmark the gems that truly resonated with people.