july 3-7 | [un]box[ed]

How to introduce this one?  A show featuring the words and performances of Mary Jane Eden, Dice Squires, and Kaitlin Williams - these three performed together in GODSPELL, as well as separately in REFUGE OF LIES, DOUBT, and CASINO.  Heck, Kaitlin's on staff!  Oh, and Kat Gauthier (100 SAINTS YOU SHOULD KNOW, YOU STILL CAN'T, and yep, she was in GODSPELL too) is directing.  So yeah - this one's got PT written all over it. Press release below.

Four Women Come “Unboxed” at The Railway Club

Vancouver, BC—From Scarlet Satin Productions, the company behind 2009’s site-specific hit The Laundromat and last summer’s multi-storyline house party experience Party This Weekend, comes another fresh idea – this time showcasing multi-talented theatre artists in the legendary Railway Club.

[un]BOX[ed] premieres four short plays back-to-back, each penned by a local playwright-actress, with the same four women performing in each piece. To bring these stories to life, the Railway Club stage transforms into worlds as diverse as a yoga studio and a prison. The production is also teaming up with Atira Women’s Resource Society to support women in the Downtown Eastside.

A snapshot of each [un]BOX[ed] story

Run To The Mountain: One door, locked. One window, closed. Four strangers find themselves trapped in a mysterious cell where memories fade and no one is who she appears to be.
Four Women Who Work: What possesses a teacher to give her grade one class a lecture on divorce? Or a server to fantasize about peeing on people’s food? When your job sucks the humanity out of you, it may be time for drastic measures.
Boxed: Nothing could be better for Jane’s social life than a fire alarm at 6:30 a.m. She has party games on hand, and will make friends with her neighbours or die trying.
The Rules: Step into the secret, sacred world of the Women’s Washroom. But be warned—there is one thing you must never do. If it does happen, then for God’s sake don’t tell anyone about it.

One of the multi-talented artists involved is Katherine Gauthier, who makes her directing debut on the heels of acclaimed performances in The Honest Fishmongers’ King Lear and Pacific Theatre’s 100 Saints.

“I love the creation aspect of this show; the fact that we are making something out of nothing is magical,” says Katherine, who jumped on board when the scripts of [un]BOX[ed] were still blank pages. “These are refreshing stories—familiar and relevant, yet not often told in traditional theatre—and in order to tell them I wanted to do something completely new with The Railway Club that’s never been done before.”

The venue’s cabaret-like setting provides a social and intimate atmosphere, with some of the action flowing beyond the stage’s transformative set and weaving through the tables. “It’s a very immediate experience—essentially, our audience is the fifth character in each piece,” Katherine explains.

Created and performed by Mary J. Eden, Frances Kitson, Diana Squires, and Kaitlin Williams. Lighting design by Alia Stephen; sound design & original compositions by Julie Casselman.

Playing one week only, July 3-7 at 7:30pm with a 2pm Saturday matinee. The Railway Club, 579 Dunsmuir Street. Tickets are $20 (or 2-for-1 preview) at www.brownpapertickets.com and at the door. For more info, visit scarletsatin.wordpress.com.