soul food vancouver

Tuesday, February 12, 2019

jesus freak | first read

Yesterday the cast and crew gathered for the first read of JESUS FREAK by Peter Boychuck. Despite the snow, we made it out and were delighted to hear the premiere production of this script begin to take shape! Here are some pics from the reading.

Friday, February 01, 2019

"the best soil" - why pacific theatre grew where it was planted | ron reed

"Espresso" at Pacific Theatre

A few years back I did an interview with Jason Byasee, who was new in town and interviewing some Vancouver Christians whose work caught his interest. I suppose it was a way to get to know the lay of the land in his new city, and to meet people; Jason is a remarkable "connector." In fact, within a couple short years he had built such a remarkable network of relationships here that he ended up on the Pacific Theatre board, as an advocate and "cheer-leader" who is also very smart about leadership and most other things.

I recently heard from a theatre student in Iowa who had read the article and was puzzled about something. Jason summed up some of my meanderings this way: "There are other places where this could have worked, but we’d have been different. I’d have been a different person; I’d have built a different theater. But this place drew me. I’ve often wondered what it would have been like if we’d planted someplace else. But this is the best soil." What did I mean by my cryptic comment about "the best soil"? So this morning in an email I tried to make sense of that.

Here's what I wrote...

"The Seafarer" at Pacific Theatre

There have been a number of professional theatres with Christian mandates. Each company is quite distinctive, reflecting not only the attributes of its founder / artistic director, but also somehow suited to the city or region where it is located. Compared to four other such companies operating at the present time - Rosebud Theatre in rural Alberta, Chemainus Theatre on Vancouver Island, Taproot Theatre in Seattle, and Lamb’s Players in San Diego - Pacific Theatre includes in its repertoire plays which are much more “edgy,” and also tends to produce a higher proportion of plays which deal much more directly with Christian faith. Regarding that latter point, I should be clear that Taproot, Lamb’s, and Rosebud all do include a significant number of explicitly faith-related plays, and PT does produce about one a season without any direct religious element (this season, The Wolves; last season, Ruined and Almost Maine) but the other companies are far more likely to present shows which are simply good quality scripts without religious elements. Plays only Pacific would produce Espresso, Jesus Hopped The ‘A’ Train, The Seafarer, The Woodsman, Cherry Docs, etc. Plays the other companies would produce which PT would be very unlikely to choose: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Christmas Carol (Rosebud), Arsenic and Old Lace (Taproot), Noises Off (Lamb’s), Little Women (Chemainus).

So my point about soil is that each company (plant) grows in a way that’s suited to the soil where it’s planted. Chemainus is a tourist destination; it avoids any edgy or challenging content, and aims for entertainment. Rosebud has that component, but was also founded with a very strong (and relatively conservative) Christian emphasis (more typical to Alberta than to the West Coast) - and it's near a big city allowing for more challenging content, at least on its small second stage. Lamb’s and Taproot are both in American cities, but originated as part of a vastly larger (and distinctively American) Christian/church subculture than you find in Vancouver, and still serve a core audience that originates in that subculture, so they are more likely to produce some plays which are just good old Americana, and perhaps feel less free to do plays which would likely alienate the core audience they have built. Pacific Theatre, on the other hand, is located in the centre of a very urban, very secular city, and in a theatre community which, apart from the two largest companies, is very edgy (and it's no coincidence that PT's founding artistic director - me - was drawn to and feels at home in that sort of theatre community). And even the Christian community here is far less culturally conservative than you would find in Alberta, or in an American city. So the plant that has grown here suits to its soil; we have the freedom to be much more challenging in the work we present, both because of the artistic community and the city we serve, and also because of the distinctives of the Christian subculture that has grown up here.

As I mentioned, it’s also true that because of my basic artistic interest and, I suppose, my CalArts training, I am an artistic director who is much more drawn to controversial material than some others (though the four I have referenced all have varying interest in / tolerance for such work; in some cases, they simply feel more constrained by other factors). I just wouldn’t be interested in running a theatre where I was unable to create quite challenging/edgy work. Also, I am not ambitious to grow a large theatre: I very much prefer smaller, more intimate performance spaces, and my aversion to administration gives me no motivation to create a large company with a large staff which needs larger ticket sales to sustain itself. So as well as each company being shaped by its locale, it is shaped by the values and aspirations of its artistic director.

Also, when I founded PT, Vancouver had no other theatre company producing “Christian positive” plays, though that has shifted significantly over the years. But while "our kind of plays" do show up from time to time on other Vancouver stages now, faith-connected work is still our predominant emphasis in, as I have said, a very secular city. So as much as our faith orientation may limit our audience size (which is okay with me), it also creates a distinctive identity in a city with many other theatre companies. Lamb’s Players, Chemainus and Rosebud are in places with considerably less professional theatre, so they tend to produce varying proportions of work which simply serves an audience that just wants to see a good play. In Vancouver, there are many other options for “good plays” - but our faith mandate is distinctive in our city, and in the past 20 years (though not for our first 15) that uniqueness gives us a great deal of visibility (and affirmation) in the cultural community. In a town with dozens of smaller theatre companies, PT is definitely unique, and that distinct identity has attracted and built a very loyal audience. Clearly, the other companies I've mentioned have also forged highly distinctive identities, and in most cases their faith orientation is a significant part of that identity - but PT's programming is just that much more focused on plays that deal directly with those stories, themes, and characters.

My theatre would not have flourished in Chemainus, Lamb’s Players might not have suited Vancouver so well, etc. I probably said to Jason Byasee that "each community gets the theatre it deserves”, which is my tongue-in-cheek way of saying that the company evolves in ways that suit it to the soil (and cultural ecology) in which it grows.

"Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train" at Pacific Theatre

Tuesday, January 22, 2019

a prayer for owen meany | responses

“An array of distinctive characters are given wonderfully absurd life through Irving’s crackling dialogue, and inspired performances from many of the 17 actors in Ian Farthing’s excellent Ensemble Theatre production. What great fun.”
- Jerry Wasserman, The Vancouver Sun

"Chris Lam steers the role clear of caricature, in a testimonial to both his acting and his vocal chops. Some of his speeches take on an almost operatic eloquence.”
- Lincoln Kaye, Vancouver Observer

“The production comes together like malleable clay, elegantly shaped by a sensitive potter.”
- Christine Pilgrim, Vancouver Presents

"Chris Lam is brilliant as Owen Meany, someone who is out on the edges of convention and prefers to stay there.”
- John Jane, reviewvancouver

Friday, January 18, 2019

a prayer for owen meany | meet the crew

We are just about ready for tonight's opening performance of A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY! Here are the artists who have been working behind the scenes, busy putting the final touches on the production side of things!

Left to right from the top:

Rick Colhoun is one of our apprentices this year and has served as Sound Designer, Composer, and Assistant Director on this production.

Ian Farthing: OWEN MEANY's fearless Director

Liz Gao: Assistant Costume Designer

Sammie Hatch: Stage Manager

Tariq Leslie: Producer, and Ensemble Theatre Company Artistic Director

Glory Kinoshta: Assistant Stage Manager

Patrick Smith: Lighting Designer

Sara Smith: Assistant Lighting Designer

Julie White: Costume Designer

Wednesday, January 16, 2019

a prayer for owen meany | meet the cast part two

We're thrilled to introduce the rest of the cast for A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY! Keep reading below to connect names to the faces of this hardworking, versatile team!

Clockwise from top left:
Adam Beauchesne

Gabriel Carter

Riley Davis

Alysson Hall is overjoyed to be back playing Mary Beth!

Christine Reinfort

Lindsay Nelson: "I'm excited for the chance to bring this much loved novel to life in front of a wider audience."

Paul Herbert: "I’m excited to work with this talented group and to have the chance to perform on the Pacific Theatre Stage."

James Gill: James is delighted to return to ETC's remount of Owen Meany. James has been involved with ETC since its new inception in Vancouver both as an ensemble member and as a company manager.

Clockwise from top left:
Kim Steger: "A Prayer for Owen Meany was a book I read as a young woman. I found it compelling and thought-provoking, and the play does not disappoint in either of these aspects. It challenges one's beliefs and offers a political perspective that is still relevant today."

Kenneth Tynan: "This show, to me, demonstrates how strong faith can be, and that it doesn’t necessarily have to be in God, but by having faith in someone, or something, it can change [an] outcome that was previously determined."

Shelby Wyminga: Shelby is one of our very own PT apprentices! Acting is Shelby's focus for the year, and we are thrilled to see her take the stage with the Ensmeble Theatre team.

Rebecca Walters

Tuesday, January 15, 2019

a prayer for owen meany | meet the cast part one

There is an incredible cast taking the stage for A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY! With some familiar PT faces and a number of new-to-us artists, we are so thrilled to introduce you to the cast! Read below to get a little insight into their personal connections to this powerful, provocative project. And because this show features a massive cast of 17, this is part one of our introduction. Check back tomorrow to meet the rest of the team!

Chris Lam is excited "to have the audience leaving theatre with more questions than answers."

Tariq Leslie: Tariq is Ensemble Theatre Company's Artistic Director and has been hard at work behind the scenes as a producer, as well as playing the role of John Wheelwright.

Alexis Kellum-Creer is intrigued by "the idea that grace is available to us at every moment."

David Wallace: "A long time fan of Pacific Theatre (Ron Reed conducted my first acting workshop), I am very pleased to be part of the season here."

Tanja Dixon-Warren: "Love the chance to work with a large cast ... it is a rare treat to have so many actors on one stage."

Monday, January 14, 2019

a prayer for owen meany | promo photos

Opening night is fast approaching, and we can't wait to share A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY with our audience. Here are some fantastic promo photos from Emily Cooper!

Friday, January 04, 2019

a prayer for owen meany | first read

Yesterday was the first read of A PRAYER FOR OWEN MEANY by Simon Bent! Our theatre was buzzing with the energy of this huge cast - the largest on our stage in years! Here are some pics from the reading.

Thursday, January 03, 2019

christmas campaign | the tally | 120% of the way there!

It's the time of year when we reflect on the past and look forward to the future. When we look back, we cannot help but see that you have been beside us through the victories, lessons, and joys of 2018. We hope you'll partner with us again in 2019 by donating to our Christmas Campaign today.

Our fundraising goal may be lofty, but every single gift is an important step to get there. Here's the tally:

1000 + 200 + 1401.01 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 600 + 192 + 1920 + 100 + 50 + 100 + 20 + 300 + 5000 + 25 + 58.76 + 100 + 500 + 7000 + 15.6 + 250 + 100 + 100 + 14.69 + 19.44 + 50 + 15.75 + 38.35 + 250 + 52.5 + 200 + 250 + 40 + 100 + 7 + 1000 + 50 + 115.05 + 240 + 76.70 + 300 + 250 + 100 + 100 + 20 + 20 + 47 + 25 + 150 + 66.16 + 14.69 + 33.08 + 50 + 100 + 300 + 1000 + 2500 + 150 + 1000 + 1000 + 500 + 100 + 1500 + 10 + 26.25 + 1000 + 11.8 + 300 + 25 + 2000 + 240 + 20 + 38.35 + 200 +200 + 29.38 + 25 + 25 + 200 + 1690 + 500 + 100 + 100 + 1000 + 100 + 400 + 100 + 300 + 500 + 2000 + 100 + 480 + 186.73 + 5000 + 10 + 200 + 1000 + 100 + 76.7 + 50 + 2000 + 500 + 200 + 5 + 250 + 26.83 + 20 + 300 + 500 + 1500 + 600 + 100 + 50 + 50 + 50 + 2500 + 500 + 250 + 100 + 175 + 50 + 96 + 24= $60,160.82

That's 120% of the way to our $50,000 goal!

Donate online here or call 604-731-5483.

Sunday, December 23, 2018

dec 22 | christmas presence in the valley | set list

Wednesday, December 19, 2018

dec 18 | christmas presence | set list

Tuesday, December 18, 2018

dec 17 | christmas presence | set list

Tuesday, December 11, 2018

dec 10 | christmas presence | set list

Sunday, December 09, 2018

dec 9 | christmas presence | set lists

Thursday, December 06, 2018

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe | responses

"Simple magic. This production of The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe creates a wonderful confection from humble ingredients.”
- Kathleen Oliver, The Georgia Straight

"Theatre is a magical playground, but some shows remember that magic better than others. Ron Reed’s The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe runs on magic.”
- Chelsey Stuyt, Vancouver Presents

“A spare but sparkling adaptation of C.S. Lewis’s tale.”
- The Georgia Straight

“A remarkable evening of enchantment. Take the whole family, and all your friends. They will thank you for it.”
- Monika Forberger, Entertainment Vancouver

“Those of us who grew up with Narnia are remembering a story we’ve known since childhood while imagining the world suggested by the stage. The line between memory and imagination blurs, each serving as a doorway to the other as surely as a wardrobe is a doorway to a snowy wood.”
- Steven Gomez, CSG Stories

"Strikingly physical […] images of Narnia are evoked through skillful storytelling and, with the help of an assortment of fur coats, accomplished stagecraft.
- John Jane, reviewvancouver

Thursday, November 29, 2018

the lion, the witch, and the wardrobe | meet the crew

We are just about ready for tonight's preview performance of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE! Here are the artists working behind the scenes, busy putting on the final touches before an audience makes its way into the show.

Sarah Rodgers (Director): A long-time member of the PT family, Sarah last directed THE CHRISTIANS on our stage.

Lauchlin Johnston (Set Designer): This is Lauchlin's third time designing for THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE, previously doing lights for our 2012 tour and then doing sets and lights for the musical version in Rosebud.

Julie Casselman (Sound Designer): Julie works as a sound designer, composer, actor, and writer all over town, and she was nominated for a Jessie Award for her sound design for OUTSIDE MULLINGAR at PT.

Sheila White (Costume Designer): The last time we worked with Sheila was for DRIVING MISS DAISY in the 2007-08 season. Since then she has been busy designing for television as well as theatres all over town.

Dianna Lewis (Props Manager): This is the first time we have worked with Dianna, who manages props for our sister company in Abbotsford, Gallery 7 Theatre.

Linnea Perry (Stage Manager): Linnea is one of this season's apprentices, who has already worked on KIM'S CONVENIENCE and is co-producing the upcoming HARK! A STONE'S THROW CHRISTMAS SHOW.

Shelby Wyminga (Assistant Director): Another of our season apprentices, Shelby has been soaking in whatever she can learn as assistant director. You may have already seen her first apprentice project, a reading of her script A HERO FOR NOW.

John Webber (Lighting Designer): John has been a PT regular for years, and we are always thrilled to have him on board. Last time around, he designed lights for TOLKIEN.

Tuesday, November 27, 2018

dec 10 | breaking borders | mariam barry

One of last season's apprentices, Mariam Barry (THE CHRISTIANS), is producing and co-hosting BREAKING BORDERS: IMMIGRANTS TAKE THE MIC! More info below.

BREAKING BORDERS
Dec 10 at 7pm at Cottage Bistro
Entry By Donation
Event Info Here

Breaking Borders is a story driven performance event where immigrants take the mic!

Newcomers to Canada, working professionally as artists, will step to the stage to showcase their talents and share stories.

A night of rap, music, storytelling, and slam poetry, Breaking Borders is a celebration of our fearless visa holders, immigrants, and refugee theatre artists.

Co-hosted by Mariam Barry and Alexandra Lainfiesta, this gathering comes on the heels of an exciting new initiative - a brand new trust account created to support young theatre artists in our community who are immigrating to Canada.

Both Alexandra Lainfiesta and Mariam Barry have walked through this experience alone, and know intimately how immigration can be a very isolating, arduous and expensive process for young newcomers. The trust account they are creating will therefore provide financial support to any young theatre artists seeking help with covering their lawyer consultation fees, PR application fees, and language exams.

With this Alexandra Lainfiesta and Mariam Barry will foster a new network of support and guidance, connecting those who have walked through the process with the ones about to start on that road.

Performers include Isidro Isi, Ghazal Azarbad, Tunji Taylor-Lewis, Kurai Mubaiwa, Yoro Noukoussi, Jacky Essombé, a surprise rapper from Rwanda and more!

Sunday, November 25, 2018

nov 25 | christmas presence | set list

ACT ONE
charles dickens | scrooge's nephew (from 'a christmas carol')
the kwerks | god rest ye / star of wonder
ron reed | edict (from 'first christmas')
carolyn arends | long way to go
frederick buechner | the innkeeper (from 'the magnificent defeat')
carolyn arends | vacancy
madeleine l'engle | the irrational season
william nicholson | christmas drinks party (from 'shadowlands')
spencer capier | ashokan farewell
c.s. lewis | mr tumnus (from 'the lion, the witch and the wardrobe')
steven garber | always winter
jon ochsendorf | rescue me
c.s. lewis | father christmas (from 'the lion, the witch and the wardrobe')
the kwerks | carry me
carolyn arends | do not be afraid

ACT TWO
carolyn arends | christmas must be tonight
mike mason | three fools (from 'twenty-one candles')
jon ochsendorf | long time coming
anon | southern magi
dowie | three wise men (from 'jesus, my boy')
carolyn arends | my first christmas
tim anderson | ivory in the desert
the kwerks | all that I want
madeleine l'engle | o sapientia
carolyn arends | nothing but the love / o come all ye faithful

FEATURED ARTISTS

Musicians
jon ochsendorf, carolyn arends, the kwerks
stringed things, spencer capier
bass, becca birkner
drums, rick colhoun
hammond organ, chris hawley

Readers
ron reed

links to some of these readings can be found here

Friday, November 23, 2018

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe | meet the cast

The cast of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE is made up of two faces who should be very familiar to regular PT audiences: Rebecca deBoer (OUTSIDE MULLINGAR) and John Voth (THE LONESOME WEST, THE FOREIGNER). We asked them what their personal connection was to this magical story.

The cast of Pacific Theatre's production of The Lion, the Witch, and the Wardrobe, on Christmas 2019!

Rebecca deBoer: I am excited about this show because of the new challenge it presents me as an actor (8 characters!), because of who I get to do it with (Sarah Rodgers! John Voth!), because I get to join the long line of fabulous actors who have done this show before me, and (perhaps most?) because this will be the first show that my daughters can come see me in!

John Voth: I grew up reading Narnia! The Lion the Witch and the Wardrobe was also one of the first plays I acted in high school. It was a musical and I had face paint on.

Thursday, November 22, 2018

christmas presence | the line ups

Our favourite Christmas tradition is back again - CHRISTMAS PRESENCE is always a beautiful and festive evening of songs and stories about the holidays. We have gathered the musicians and the line ups for each night are below.

This season's Christmas Presence line ups! Michael Hart, Corey Janz, The Kwerks, Nelson Boschman, Karen and Katie, Zaac Pick, and more!

December 9 (matinee):
Michael Hart, Corey Janz, Jon Ochsendorf, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier, Chris Hawley, Becca Birkner, Rick Colhoun, Peter Abando.

December 9 (evening):
Michael Hart, Corey Janz, Jon Ochsendorf, Karen and Katie, Karen and the Carolers, Spencer Capier, Chris Hawley, Becca Birkner, Rick Colhoun, Peter Abando.

December 10:
Garth Bowen, Corey Janz, The Kwerks, Ron Marshal, Mark Bender, Rick Colhoun, Brett Ziegler.

December 16:
Garth Bowen, John Ochsendorf, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier, Nelson Boschman, Becca Birkner, Kenton Wiens, Rick Colhoun, Brett Ziegler.

December 17:
Zaac Pick, Jon Ochsendorf, The Kwerks, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier, Nelson Boschman, Mark Bender, Rick Colhoun, Brett Ziegler.

December 18:
Zaac Pick, Jon Ochsendorf, The Kwerks, Karen and Katie, Spencer Capier, Nelson Boschman, Becca Birkner, Rick Colhoun.

December 22 (Valley):
Michael Hart, Jon Ochsendorf, The Kwerks, Nelson Boschman, Chris Hawley, Mark Bender, Rick Colhoun.

Friday, November 16, 2018

pt is hiring | associate manager

As you may have heard, our Associate Manager Andrea is departing after ten wonderful years to pursue a great theatre opportunity. We will miss her, but that means we have the opportunity to find a wonderful new addition to the PT family!

ASSOCIATE MANAGER - Job Description

Interested parties can send resumes and cover letters to Executive Director Alison Chisholm at alison@pacifictheatre.org.

Wednesday, November 14, 2018

the lion, the witch and the wardrobe | first rehearsal

On Monday morning, we all gathered around the table for the first table read of THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE! We had a lot of laughs and a few tears as we journeyed back to Narnia for the first time in many years.

Tuesday, November 13, 2018

announcements | andrea

We are proud to announce that our Associate Manager, Andrea Loewen, has accepted a position as the Managing Director at Presentation House Theatre.

Friends and patrons of PT already know what a gift it has been to have Andrea as a coworker, leader, artist, and friend for the past ten years. She, like many of our staff members, began as an apprentice in our 2008-2009 season and has been a pillar of the office ever since.

Alison Chisholm: “It has been a complete privilege to have had Andrea on our staff for the past decade. Her dedication, hard-work, unabashed hunger for learning and betterment combined with her joyous and compassionate spirit helped define our culture and who we are as an organization.”

We know better than anyone how lucky Presentation House is to have Andrea and how truly missed she will be. If you see her during our Christmas shows, congratulate her! We are all doing the same.

Saturday, November 10, 2018

nov 13 | solitary refinement | dennis hassell

Forty years ago, when I had left theatre for good, I saw Dennis Hassell in a Lamb's Players touring show at, I believe, West Van Baptist. Performing the most un-stageable Tolstoi story imaginable, How Much Land Does A Man Need? ("Pahom can have all the land that he can walk around in a day for one thousand rubles....") We've all learned a great deal since then.

Anyhow, Dennis is still in the game, and his latest show - undoubtedly much more stageworthy - plays at Tenth Church this Tuesday. Directed by Tom Carson, who memorably helmed THE NERD at Pacific Theatre so many years ago. But not so many as forty...

Thursday, November 08, 2018

the wolves | more photos

A final round of photos before THE WOLVES closes up shop this weekend! We are so grateful to have shared this powerful story with you and to have had the opportunity to work with With a Spoon Theatre and Rumble Theatre.

Photos by Ron Reed. Featuring Georgia Beaty, Paige Loiter, Montserrat Videla, Shona Struthers, Danielle Klaudt, Jalen Saip, Amanda Sum, Kim Larson, and Ali Watson. Not pictured: Anjela Magpantay and Tanja Dixon-Warren. Costumes by Chantal Short. Lighting by Nicole Weismiller. Sound by Matthew Macdonald-Bain.