june 6 | requiem for peace | jubilate vocal ensemble

It was a doctoral thesis, a labour of love and a universal plea to lay down arms. Now for the first time, Requiem for Peace will be presented by Vancouver’s Jubilate Vocal Ensemble under the direction of its composer, Dr. Larry Nickel.

Requiem for Peace 
Saturday, June 6; 8:00 p.m.
Shaughnessy Heights United Church: 1550 West 33rd Ave. Vancouver.
Admission is $25 for adults, $20 for seniors and $15 for students.
Tickets will be available at the door or online at www.jubilate.ca.

The 16-part Requiem for Peace communicates a mixture of grief, terror, loss and hope through poetry and prose of multiple cultures and 13 different languages. But its melodic nature and universal theme of forgiveness and reconciliation can be easily understood and enjoyed even by first-time guests at a choral concert.

Jubilate will be joined by a chamber orchestra and the Oculus Chamber Choir, whose Director Ben Ewert is assistant conductor and bass singer in Jubilate. Soloists are Robyn Driedger Klassen, Grace Chan and John Nickel; pianist is Dr. Betty Suderman.

Click here for the Facebook event.

july 10-11 | regent arts weekend in nyc

Jeff Greenman (President of Regent College) will be hosting a weekend in New York. The focus of the weekend will be touring museums and exhibits, sharing meals together, and promoting discussion about art and theology. Don't miss it!

Dear Soul Food Vancouver,

As arts-loving members of the Regent College community, I want to invite you to a very special event we have ahead this summer.

With the Fujimura Institute, Regent will host an arts weekend in New York City on July 10-11. Imagine a small group discussing art and theology with Mako Fujimura, Phil Long, and myself; shared meals; and a personalized tour with Mako of the "Discovering Japanese Art" exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art.  All for $200! (Includes meals and museum entry.  Accommodation to be arranged on your own.)

There are only 25 spaces available, so register early! A full schedule for the weekend and registration details are available on the College website.

Even if you can't make it, please consider passing the word on to friends you know who might be interested. I hope that you'll be able to join us for this extraordinarily rich weekend of dialogue and learning together!

Warmly,
Jeff Greenman
President, Regent College

Click here for contact information and more details!

june-july | summer courses at regent college

Our friends at Regent College have an excellent line up of summer courses for those who enjoy mixing faith with literature. 

Some highlighted courses are listed below, but check out the full list of courses here.

Dickens and the Divine (INDS 571) – June 1 to June 5

Instructor: Valentine Cunningham,
Professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford University
and Senior Research Fellow at Corpus Christi College, Oxford

Disney may have popularized Charles Dickens’s characters through A Christmas Carol, but the mass appeal of his work—and its Christian application—has been timeless. Immerse yourself in the fiction of Dickens the social critic, reformer, satirist, moralist, realist, and identifier of all kinds of evil and crime (inventor of the detective story for England!) in  Hard Times and Great Expectations.


Coming to Our Senses: Art, Faith, and Embodiment (INDS 565) – July 20 to July 24

Instructor: Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin
Independent Scholar, Cambridge, UK
PhD (Free University, Amsterdam)

Adrienne Dengerink Chaplin is a philosopher of art with a particular interest in materiality and meaning, and the relationship between faith and art. Born in the Netherlands, Adrienne gained her PhD in philosophy from the Free University of Amsterdam. From 1999 until 2007 Adrienne taught philosophical aesthetics at the Institute for Christian Studies in Toronto, during which time she also served as President of the Canadian Society for Aesthetics. She is co-author of 'Art and Soul: Signposts for Christians in the Arts' (IVP) and currently works as a freelance writer and speaker, based in Cambridge, UK.



For information on our summer programs go to http://www.regent-college.edu/summer/courses/summer or email:  summer@regent-college.edu

freud's last session | responses

"Ron Reed [gives a] bravura performance as Freud... Reed gives Freud some lovely twists and turns." • Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Plays

"“Freud’s Last Session,” was stellar. Great acting, set, and music. Very moving. As do all the plays we see at Pacific Theatre, this one caused lots of discussion in our family, afterwards. Still thinking about it. And I love that Pacific Theatre makes me think." • R. Rich, Audience Comment

"Freud’s Last Stand was packed with suspense, wit, angst, passion and every other emotion under the rainbow. Ron Reed was amazing (as he always is) and the other man who played CS Lewis was equally as stellar in his role. I would recommend the play to anyone who enjoys superior theater productions. Pacific Theater continues to be one of those hidden little niches of excellent theater in Vancouver and if you haven’t seen their productions, you are missing out!" • Anita Thompson, Audience Comment

"My wife and I attended "Freud's Last Session" at Pacific Theatre in Vancouver on Saturday (May 2) and was, once again, overtaken by how masterful they are at selecting and producing live stage performances that can simultaneously entertain, educate and provoke one to ponder those deeper questions of life. ... Whether you are a skeptic, an agnostic or a fervent atheist (as was Freud and are other prominent individuals today) or are a Christian believer (as was C. S. Lewis and are many others today) you will find that this play will prod your foundational belief structures and stretch your mind into avenues of contemplation which may be foreign, or even frightening, for you... I am certain of two things: the actors (Evan Frayne and Ron Reed) give you a remarkable insight into the minds of both of these figures and you will not leave the theatre unchallenged." • Bob Quicke, Audience Response

"This Pacific Theatre production, under the direction of Morris Ertman, is intelligent, thought provoking and splendid in every respect – one of the best I’ve seen on this stage... Reed is absolutely outstanding in the role: slightly stooped, his clothes hanging a little loosely, fingers sometimes twitching, Reed is believably eighty-three and so believably in pain it’s gut-wrenching to watch... Evan Frayne, as Lewis, is in every respect equal to Reed’s Freud. As the younger, Oxford and Cambridge scholar who shows little humour (except for his laughter on the subject of flatulence) and even less humility, Frayne turns the moment of Freud’s paralysing attack of bone-wracking pain into one of such compassion, that it might bring tears to your eyes." • Jo Ledingham

"Who would have thought that a 65 minute play about an imagined conversation between Sigmund Freud and C.S. Lewis could be as spell-binding as I found this show to be? I was enthralled." • Gillian Lockitch, Review from the House

"The acting in this production is strong. Evan Frayne makes an earnest Lewis, and Ron Reed a thoughtful, vulnerable Freud." • Colin Thomas, The Georgia Straight

"Pacific Theatre Artistic Director Ron Reed is once again transformed as the seemingly resolute Freud, finding the lows, the highs, and the humour of this intellectual man. Evan Frayne is sweetly openhearted and devout as the young writer." • David C. Jones, Vancouver Presents

"I love Freud and CS Lewis and this play does them both a great service. The set was surreal. The action unbelievably great. The writing was superb. This 'discussion' between giants was something I studied as I learned psychoanalysis a quarter century ago and it goes on today." • William Hay, Facebook Response

"Mark St. Germain doesn’t offer a definitive answer to divinity, or any conclusion to the existence of a hereafter. What the playwright does provide is excellent theatre." • John Jane, Review Vancouver

june 3-6 | here lies henry | brandon bate

It's apprentice showcase season!  Our apprentices are young professionals on the verge of starting careers as actors, directors, writers, stage managers, designers, and more.  Their summer productions provide you one last chance to see them on home turf before they make their marks in the wider theatre community.  First up in this summers Playground Series, showcasing PT's emerging artists, is Brandon Bate in HERE LIES HENRY.

Here Lies Henry by Daniel MacIvor
a Stone's Throw Production (apprentice showcase)
June 3-6 at 8pm

A man enters the room with a mission to tell you something you don't already know. A bizarre, unexpected comedy about love, loss, and the body in the next room

An apprentice showcase production presented as a part of Pacific Theatre's Summer Playground Series.

Advisory: strong language and sexual content.

Featuring Brandon Bate
Directed by Phil Miguel
Sound Design by Julie Casselman
Stage Managed by Sharra Ganzaveld

"Here Lies Henry challenges the conventional relationship between actor and audience and spins it completely on its head in a powerful exploration of purpose and humanity."
-Sometimes Melbourne

"Going in to Here Lies Henry, it can take a while to get your bearings. But if you can manage to grab a hold of the rapid, train-of-thought narrative, you'll quickly be swept up and into the mind of an incredible character."
-CBC Manitoba

"Nothing is obvious; meaning is found in the tiniest things. Everything else is just posturing, lies. We are all the same, Henry says. We are born; we have some experiences; we die."
-Toronto Daily Extra

freud's last session | about c.s. lewis

In FREUD'S LAST SESSION, we meet C.S. Lewis before he was, well, C.S. Lewis.  He was the same man, to be sure, but he had yet to write or publish any of the books that made him famous.  Here's some of what was to come for Lewis.

CS Lewis is known today as one of Christianity’s greatest defenders, as his reputation primarily comes from his non-fiction Christian apologetic literature (Mere Christianity, The Great Divorce, The Problem of Pain) as well as The Chronicles of Narnia, commonly seen as an allegory for the Christian faith.

Lewis was, however, a strong atheist for most of his life. Raised in a religious family, he rejected God and faith at the age of 15. It wasn’t until his adult years that he began to question his resolve, due to a combination of the writings of GK Chesterton and his friendship with JRR Tolkien, a Catholic.

It wasn’t until 1931 that Lewis converted to Christianity. The decision was specifically made while riding in the sidecar of his brother’s motorcycle, on the way to the zoo, before he had published many works.

While none of the philosophies in Lewis’ writing are necessarily new, he popularized several concepts in his fierce attempts to create logical arguments for Christian faith:

Lewis’ Trilemma is the name given to the notion that Jesus cannot simply have been a great human teacher. Due to the claims he made, he must be either a madman, an evil liar, or actually the Son of God.

The concept of a universal morality came up frequently in his writing as well. Both in his fictional stories and non-fiction, he espouses a moral code that everyone knows they should be following. He claimed that there people know what the moral law is and when they break it, as well as the fact that there must be someone or something behind these principles.

Lewis’ view of the afterlife differed from most as well. In works like The Great Divorce he suggests hell to be a place that people can leave at any time – if they are willing to give up the security of isolation and other defenses they have created for themselves.

Since his death, CS Lewis has continued to attract a devoted following, both of his Christian apologetics and fictional stories.

freud's last session | photos (batch three)

More shots of Evan Frayne and Ron Reed in FREUD'S LAST SESSION.  All photos by Damon Calderwood.

jessie nominations 2015

The nominations for the 2015 Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards were announced yesterday and Pacific Theatre received 11 nominations!  Congratulations to the artists, listed below.  We are so grateful to the jury, board, and volunteers of the Jessies for bringing the awards together and for recognizing the work of our astoundingly talented and hardworking artists!  And of course, congratulations to everyone else in this incredible industry for their nominations.  We can't wait to celebrate on June 22 at the awards!

THE WHIPPING MAN

Carl Kennedy - Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Tom Pickett - Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Leading Role
Lauchlin Johnston - Outstanding Lighting Design
Drew Facey - Outstanding Set Design
Amy McDougall - Outstanding Costume Design
Jeff Tymoschuk - Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition
Anthony F. Ingram - Outstanding Direction
Outstanding Production

THE RAINMAKER

Robert Salvador - Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role

ESPRESSO

Robert Salvador - Outstanding Performance by an Actor in a Supporting Role
Jeff Tymoschuk - Outstanding Sound Design or Original Composition

freud's last session | about sigmund freud

As the title character of FREUD'S LAST SESSION, Sigmund Freud is an iconic figure of the 20th century.  An Austrian doctor known as the Father of Psychoanalysis, he was the first to suggest treating mental illness by means of conversation between doctor and patient.  Here is some more background information about Freud and his theories.

Freudian therapy involved the patient lying on a couch (now famous) and speaking freely about their symptoms and thoughts. He developed exercises such as free association to help uncover hidden patterns causing distress.

Notable Theories:

The Subconscious: in the early 1900’s, Freud developed a model for the mind where only a small part of it is known (the conscious mind) and the rest is unconscious, or unaware, using the comparison of an iceberg. From this he developed concepts of the id, ego, and supergo.

Psychosexual Stages: one of his more controversial theories, tracing sexual development of a person from infancy forward, including his famous Oedipus Complex. Sexual pleasure, for Freud, was a broader term meant to include all pleasure. He postulated that people seek pleasure from different objects throughout their lives, and have a variety of behavioural and psychological problems based on where their development was stunted.

Dream Analysis: considering sleep to be a time when the ego’s defenses are lowered, he believed that a person’s unconscious desires and neuroses came through in dreams.

Freud’s theories are considered controversial within the behavioural sciences. Scientifically his methods were suspect as he employed case studies through which he generalized to the population as a whole. His theories as a whole came from study of himself and his patients. However, his theories have permeated culture as a whole, referenced regularly in art and entertainment to this day.

freud's last session: chamberlain is due to make an announcement...

The historical context of Freud's Last Session is fascinating, set at the moment Britain declares war on Nazi Germany. Here's a video montage I put together, featuring a number of films set at precisely the same historical moment: 11:00 AM, Greenwich Mean Time, September 3, 1939. (Be sure and click on the arrow icon between "HD" and "vimeo" to watch it full screen.)

may 12-16 | fool for love | clockwork theatre

Be the first to see Clockwork Theatre make their debut onto the Vancouver scene with FOOL FOR LOVE. Starring PT regular Kaitlin Williams (THE FOREIGNER, DOUBT, GODSPELL, THE LION, THE WITCH AND THE WARDROBE) and produced by Phil Miguel (GREAT DIVORCE and PT Technical Director).

Fool For Love by Sam Shepard
Presented by Clockwork Theatre
May 12th – 16th, 2015 | 8pm Evening Performances, $15


As Eddie tries to convince on-again-off-again lover, May, to abandon the dreary desert motel she has been living in to run away with him, the two “fools” re-enter their vicious cycle of love/hate, struggling to know what’s right and what’s wrong for their forbidden romance.

**WARNING: Language, Violence, and Sexuality**


Featuring: Joel Butler (as Eddie); Patrick Dodd (as Martin); Steve James (as The Old Man); and Kaitlin Williams (as May)

Directed by: Becky MacDormand
Set and Lighting Design by: Phil Miguel

Presented at the Havana Theatre
1212 Commercial Drive, Vancouver, BC, V5L 3X4


*E-mail theatreclockwork@gmail.com to reserve your tickets. Click here for the Facebook event.

freud's last session | photos round two

Some more shots from FREUD'S LAST SESSION, featuring Ron Reed and Evan Frayne.

2015-2016 season brochure

We've been handing out brochures for the 2015-2016 season left, right, and centre, but let's face it: sometimes it's just nice to look at something online.  After all, everyone should see the wonderful artwork created for us by our favourite local artist, Emily Cooper.  Here is the brochure, in all its digital glory!  (And if it inspires you to spend more time with us, you might want to subscribe.)

celebrazione | meet the hostess

CELEBRAZIONE is coming up and so we figure it's about time for you to meet our host: Lucia Frangione!  If you've been around PT for more than a couple years, Lucia is a familiar face.  She has been one of our core artists for years, she was our first-ever apprentice and since has written and performed in (nearly) countless productions on our stage!  Since she'll be performing a bit of entertainment inspired by her most popular show, ESPRESSO, here are some shots from last spring's production with Robert Salvador (who will also be performing at CELEBRAZIONE).

freud's last session | historical context

FREUD'S LAST SESSION is a fictional story firmly set in a historical time.  Here's some of the background.

Freud’s Last Session is set on September 3, 1939, the day that England entered World War II, two days after Germany’s invasion of Poland.

Immediately people began to leave London and other major cities for the country side, especially those with children. Citizens were provided with gas masks and instructed to go underground when air raid sirens sounded. Those who did not have bunkers or basements available would go to the Underground or neighbours’ homes.

A year previous, in 1938, Sigmund Freud fled growing anti-Semitism in Austria for London. He had his Vienna office replicated in London.

At this time, CS Lewis was working as a professor at Oxford University, just outside London. He had recently published his first book, The Pilgrim’s Regress, which satirized Freud.

celebrazione | teaser video

As happenstance would have it, one of our apprentices was in Italy last month, right before our Italian-style benefit, CELEBRAZIONE!  We couldn't resist this golden opportunity to get some genuine Italian images.  Here's the little teaser video she put together for us.

celebrazione | auction catalogue

We are thrilled about the extensive catalogue of items for our silent AND live auctions for CELEBRAZIONE.  Here's a peek at the catalogue.

Writers Package
David Downing Book:
The Most Reluctant Convert
Mike Mason Books:
The Mystery of Marriage
The Blue Umbrella
The Violet Flash
Twenty-one Candles
Champagne for the Soul
Practicing the Presence of People
The Gospel According to Job
Diane Tucker Books (Autographed):
His Sweet Favour
Sandgrain Leaf
Bonsai Love
Bright Scarves of Hours
Vancouver Writers Fest Tickets
Andrea Warner Book:
We Oughta Know

Granville Package
Tickets to the Arts Club Theatre Company's Production of Godspell
Dinner at Ouisi Bistro
JJ Bean Gift Card

Fluevog Package
$350 Gift Certificate to Fluevog Shoes

Downtown Package
A night at the Rosedale on Robson Suite Hotel
Tickets to the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra

Songbird Package
Vancouver Chamber Choir Tickets
Vancouver Opera Tickets

Fringe Package
6 Tickets and Memberships to the Vancouver Fringe Festival
Reserved Seating at Hunger Games: The Musical
Signed Hunger Games: The Musical Poster
JJ Bean Gift Card

Bowen Island Lodge
Bowen Island Lodge Two Night Stay

Island Package
Belfry Theatre Tickets
Cherry Point Estate Wines Tasting

Seattle Package
Taproot Theatre Tickets

Kid’s Adventure Package
Charlee Dee Items
Family Pack to Splashdown Park

Kid’s Theatre Package
Vancouver International Children’s Festival Family Pack
Carousel Theatre for Young People Tickets
Pacific Theatre Kid’s Camp Registration

Home Design Package
Keven Stephens Design Consult
Rossington Renovations

Pacific Theatre Package
Two Everything Passes for 2015/2016
Signed Freud’s Last Session Poster
Dinner at Siena

Relaxation Package
Body Shop Gift Basket
Groggy Frog Thai Massage
Kimberley Dawn Esthetics Manicure

Indie Theatre Package
Dinner at Eight ½ Restaurant
Tickets to The Cultch
Tickets to 20 Something Theatre

Progress Lab Package
Electric Company Theatre Gift Basket:
The Score DVD
Tear the Curtain Script
Studies in Motion Script
Two Electric Company T-Shirts
Rumble Theatre Tickets

Outdoor Theatre Package
Tickets to Theatre Under the Stars
Tickets to Bard on the Beach on Fireworks Night
Dinner at Whitespot

Sports Package
Signed Photo of Kirk Mclean and Trevor Linden
4 Tickets to the July 4th BC Lions Game

Health and Body Package
Yoga with Andrea Loewen
Vega Nutrition Package
Consult with the Kitchen Dietitian

Andrea Armstrong Art Package
Custom Portrait

Artisan Package
Artisan Gift Basket
Gift Basket from Neverland Tea Salon

freud's last session | the question of god

The play FREUD'S LAST SESSION is inspired by a book called The Question of God.

Written by Dr. Armand Nicholi who taught a Harvard class for years based on the opposing arguments of CS Lewis and Sigmund Freud.  He found that the two men both dealt with the same questions (pain, suffering, love, sex, and the meaning of life and death) and both had examined their views as well as alternate options in great detail, and yet both had come to conclusions that couldn't be more opposite.

The course inspired Dr. Nicholi to write the book, which became a PBS miniseries before being adapted into a play by Mark St. Germain.

celebrazione | meet the musician

One thing we can't wait for at CELEBRAZIONE is James Coomber's roving accordion music.  Sadly, we don't have any footage of this to share with you in advance, but James has composed and designed the sound for several PT show.  Most recently, you might remember the amazing, award-nominated music in THE FOREIGNER, that was all thanks to him!

freud's last session | production photos

Some production shots from FREUD'S LAST SESSION!

sideshow | words of wisdom from off key improv

For our final SIDESHOW of the season, Off Key Improv will be performing an improvised musical inspired by FREUD'S LAST SESSION.  To warm up for this intellectual endeavour, they have been posting words of wisdom from the cast on their Facebook page.  Check them out (and then visit them on Facebook for more fun)!