Thursday, November 18, 2010
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
nov 21 | diane tucker | jewish book festival
PT poet pal and member of my Artist Advisory at the theatre writes...
I’ll be reading at the event below this coming Sunday afternoon (I know, I’m about as Jewish as Conan O’Brien, but I do fall into the Northwest category). After my poem appeared in Drash, I went to Seattle to read there and it was a great experience. It’ll be a fun event. Hope you can make it!
Diane
Drash: Jewish Writing from the Rainy Cities
Hosts: Claudia Goldman & Wendy Marcus
SUNDAY NOV 21
1:30-3:00PM
Free
At the Jewish Community Centre, corner of 41st Avenue at Oak Street in Vancouver.
Talk about niche! The newest kid on the literary journal block, Drash: Northwest Mosaic, tilts towards Northwest and Jewish themes. Yet its particular bent has intrigued a growing, international audience of readers and submitters, building a community of diverse religions, locations and literary styles. Who starts a literary journal in these perilous publishing times? And is this good for the Jews?
Drash editor and award-winning writer, Wendy Marcus holds forth about the first four years of this literary start-up, and how and why Drash readings are life-affirming experiences, cultivating readers and writers, and connection in these troubled, overly technological times. Marcus is joined by Drash contributors from British Columbia, Claudia Goldman and Diane Tucker; from the Seattle area by Don Kentop, Joan Moritz and Michael Schein; and visual wizard and Drash graphic designer Robin Asher.
Read about the whole Jewish Book Festival here
(Okay, so that's a different Diane Tucker. But I do like to jazz things up now and then with a photo...)
 |
| Diane Tucker Mrs America 2007 Mrs World 2008 |
Hello all,
I’ll be reading at the event below this coming Sunday afternoon (I know, I’m about as Jewish as Conan O’Brien, but I do fall into the Northwest category). After my poem appeared in Drash, I went to Seattle to read there and it was a great experience. It’ll be a fun event. Hope you can make it!
Diane
*
Drash: Jewish Writing from the Rainy Cities
Hosts: Claudia Goldman & Wendy Marcus
SUNDAY NOV 21
1:30-3:00PM
Free
At the Jewish Community Centre, corner of 41st Avenue at Oak Street in Vancouver.
Talk about niche! The newest kid on the literary journal block, Drash: Northwest Mosaic, tilts towards Northwest and Jewish themes. Yet its particular bent has intrigued a growing, international audience of readers and submitters, building a community of diverse religions, locations and literary styles. Who starts a literary journal in these perilous publishing times? And is this good for the Jews?
Drash editor and award-winning writer, Wendy Marcus holds forth about the first four years of this literary start-up, and how and why Drash readings are life-affirming experiences, cultivating readers and writers, and connection in these troubled, overly technological times. Marcus is joined by Drash contributors from British Columbia, Claudia Goldman and Diane Tucker; from the Seattle area by Don Kentop, Joan Moritz and Michael Schein; and visual wizard and Drash graphic designer Robin Asher.
Read about the whole Jewish Book Festival here
(Okay, so that's a different Diane Tucker. But I do like to jazz things up now and then with a photo...)
Monday, November 15, 2010
dan amos, erin pennington | secret millionaires
Cool. Thursday Nov 18 will be the launch of a web series written by PT actor (now moved to L.A.) Dan Amos - This Wonderful Life, The Quarrel, A Bright Particular Star - featuring Dan and his wife Erin - PT apprent, Remnants: A Fable, etc. I saw an early cut of the series when I visited them in October, and really got a kick out of it. Very deft writing, nicely played. Here's a trailer.
Friday, November 12, 2010
playland | about the playwright
A little background information on Athol Fugard, playwright of PLAYLAND, running at PT until November 27th.
A South African playwright, he's been challenging the politics of his country his entire life, with earlier works that often centred directly around the themes of apartheid.
Born to English and Afrikaner parents in Middleburg, South Africa in 1932, Fugard became keenly aware of the injustices of apartheid when he moved to Johannesburg in 1958. There he began a multiracial theatre group, writing, producing, directing, and acting in several plays. This began a long career of politically charged theatre that put him in direct opposition with the national government. To avoid persecution, Fugard later had the majority of his plays produced and published outside South Africa. He didn’t, however, shy away from making a stand in his home county. In 1962 he publicly supported the Anti-Apartheid Movement, an international boycott of South African theatres and their segregated audiences.
In the 1960’s Fugard formed a new theatre group, The Serpent Players. Named after their first venue, an old snake pit at a zoo, The Serpent Players featured a group of black actors performing for poor migrant labourers and residents of “coloured” areas in different venues every night. The work of Bertolt Brecht was a powerful influence on The Serpent Players’ work: they performed an all-black production of his play Caucasian Chalk Circle and made frequent use of Brecht’s techniques of gestic acting, the A-effect, and social critique. Their most Brechtian productions are considered to be Sizwe Bansi is Dead and The Island, plays in which the participants were reported to not only represent social relationships on stage, but to revise their dealings with each other and institutions of apartheid – a possible testament to Brecht’s ideal of abolishing separation between player and audience.
He wrote Playland in 1993, just before the final abolishment of apartheid. It is one of the last of his political plays, as his later work became more personal in nature.
A South African playwright, he's been challenging the politics of his country his entire life, with earlier works that often centred directly around the themes of apartheid.
Born to English and Afrikaner parents in Middleburg, South Africa in 1932, Fugard became keenly aware of the injustices of apartheid when he moved to Johannesburg in 1958. There he began a multiracial theatre group, writing, producing, directing, and acting in several plays. This began a long career of politically charged theatre that put him in direct opposition with the national government. To avoid persecution, Fugard later had the majority of his plays produced and published outside South Africa. He didn’t, however, shy away from making a stand in his home county. In 1962 he publicly supported the Anti-Apartheid Movement, an international boycott of South African theatres and their segregated audiences.
In the 1960’s Fugard formed a new theatre group, The Serpent Players. Named after their first venue, an old snake pit at a zoo, The Serpent Players featured a group of black actors performing for poor migrant labourers and residents of “coloured” areas in different venues every night. The work of Bertolt Brecht was a powerful influence on The Serpent Players’ work: they performed an all-black production of his play Caucasian Chalk Circle and made frequent use of Brecht’s techniques of gestic acting, the A-effect, and social critique. Their most Brechtian productions are considered to be Sizwe Bansi is Dead and The Island, plays in which the participants were reported to not only represent social relationships on stage, but to revise their dealings with each other and institutions of apartheid – a possible testament to Brecht’s ideal of abolishing separation between player and audience.
He wrote Playland in 1993, just before the final abolishment of apartheid. It is one of the last of his political plays, as his later work became more personal in nature.
Wednesday, November 10, 2010
the foreigner | november 23-december 4
It's been six years since THE FOREIGNER took the PT stage, now our friends over at Theatre at TWU are putting it up. Press release below.
Warm-Hearted Comedy Offers Winsome Winter Escape
A holiday in peace and quiet was all Charlie had in mind when he turned up at a small-town fishing lodge posing as an “exotic” visitor. He never dreamed that pretending not to understand English would turn him into the locals’ most trusted confidante. Suddenly saddled with secrets, scandals, and sinister plots, the hapless “foreigner” finds himself in a race against time to save the town from its nasty secrets…without betraying his own.
Larry Shue’s wildly popular farce, The Foreigner, plays November 23 to December 4 at Trinity Western University. From love triangles to remote-detonated explosives, the foreigner’s high-jinks in the heart of the Deep South should make for an entertaining night at the theatre.
Cody Friesen, a bright talent in his first year of a Theatre and Education degree, is loving his role as a sweet-hearted meathead who befriends the foreigner with his clumsy antics. “I’m getting in touch with the redneck inside,” laughs Cody. “Ellard is such a character – he really is easy to love. He takes the foreigner under his wing – explaining, for example, that when ‘fork’ is pronounced by proper Southern folks, it’s a 2-syllable word. But really, the foreigner is teaching Ellard how to believe in himself. He’s proof that when someone gives you a chance to do something amazing, you can surprise everybody. I love that.”
For director Lloyd Arnett, one of the most enchanting parts of the story is its dramatic irony. “The audience is in on a secret that only the foreigner knows,” he explains. “Everybody onstage is fooled, and we’re along for the ride watching the whole situation get funnier and more confusing by the minute.”
The Foreigner offers more than just laughter – it’s also providing a vehicle for mentoring new artistic talent at TWU. Under the direction of Dr. Arnett, SAMC Theatre’s second production of the season will feature the work of both professional and student designers, and performances by senior Theatre students alongside promising newcomers.
“In a story about community, and people from different worlds coming together to bring out the best in each other, we’re very proud to see our cast doing exactly that,” remarks Arnett. “We have an actress from Alabama helping the others perfect their accents, first year students getting the chance to learn from those who are graduating; and the result is theatre magic.”
“You can’t help loving the crazy characters in this town,” Cody agrees. “As ridiculous as they are, they’re familiar enough that you can see yourself in them. There’s a lot of humour, but a lot of heart as well.”
Starring Brandon Bate, Alicia Cerny, Cody Friesen, Gwendolen Groen, Ian Hengeveld, Luke Hull, and David Shoffner. Stage managed by Stephanie Priolo, Rachel Bell, and Brittany Gainer. The set is designed by Jay Havens with costumes by Tracy Wright and lighting by Crystal Dodding.
Performances are Tuesday through Saturday from November 23 to December 4. For more information and tickets, visit www.twu.ca/theatre or email theatre@twu.ca.
Warm-Hearted Comedy Offers Winsome Winter Escape
A holiday in peace and quiet was all Charlie had in mind when he turned up at a small-town fishing lodge posing as an “exotic” visitor. He never dreamed that pretending not to understand English would turn him into the locals’ most trusted confidante. Suddenly saddled with secrets, scandals, and sinister plots, the hapless “foreigner” finds himself in a race against time to save the town from its nasty secrets…without betraying his own.
Larry Shue’s wildly popular farce, The Foreigner, plays November 23 to December 4 at Trinity Western University. From love triangles to remote-detonated explosives, the foreigner’s high-jinks in the heart of the Deep South should make for an entertaining night at the theatre.
Cody Friesen, a bright talent in his first year of a Theatre and Education degree, is loving his role as a sweet-hearted meathead who befriends the foreigner with his clumsy antics. “I’m getting in touch with the redneck inside,” laughs Cody. “Ellard is such a character – he really is easy to love. He takes the foreigner under his wing – explaining, for example, that when ‘fork’ is pronounced by proper Southern folks, it’s a 2-syllable word. But really, the foreigner is teaching Ellard how to believe in himself. He’s proof that when someone gives you a chance to do something amazing, you can surprise everybody. I love that.”
For director Lloyd Arnett, one of the most enchanting parts of the story is its dramatic irony. “The audience is in on a secret that only the foreigner knows,” he explains. “Everybody onstage is fooled, and we’re along for the ride watching the whole situation get funnier and more confusing by the minute.”
The Foreigner offers more than just laughter – it’s also providing a vehicle for mentoring new artistic talent at TWU. Under the direction of Dr. Arnett, SAMC Theatre’s second production of the season will feature the work of both professional and student designers, and performances by senior Theatre students alongside promising newcomers.
“In a story about community, and people from different worlds coming together to bring out the best in each other, we’re very proud to see our cast doing exactly that,” remarks Arnett. “We have an actress from Alabama helping the others perfect their accents, first year students getting the chance to learn from those who are graduating; and the result is theatre magic.”
“You can’t help loving the crazy characters in this town,” Cody agrees. “As ridiculous as they are, they’re familiar enough that you can see yourself in them. There’s a lot of humour, but a lot of heart as well.”
Starring Brandon Bate, Alicia Cerny, Cody Friesen, Gwendolen Groen, Ian Hengeveld, Luke Hull, and David Shoffner. Stage managed by Stephanie Priolo, Rachel Bell, and Brittany Gainer. The set is designed by Jay Havens with costumes by Tracy Wright and lighting by Crystal Dodding.
Performances are Tuesday through Saturday from November 23 to December 4. For more information and tickets, visit www.twu.ca/theatre or email theatre@twu.ca.
'night mother | to nov. 13
Two years ago Christie Maxson was an apprentice here at PT (you saw her onstage in YOU STILL CAN'T). Since then she has been a stage manager, assistant stage manager, and props assistant all over town. Currently she is working with The Good Company Collective in 'NIGHT MOTHER, running now until November 13th at PAL Theatre to amazing reviews. Below is their press release.
'NIGHT, MOTHER: TRAGEDY & TRIUMPH
VANCOUVER, BC: The Good Company Collective is pleased to present 'Night, Mother by Marsha Norman. 'Night, Mother is an intimate portrait of a mother-and-daughter relationship, set in an intense, edge-of-your-seat drama that will keep the audience guessing the outcome to the very last second. It runs October 29-November 13 at the PAL Theatre.
"I'm going to kill myself, Mama", says Jessie, on page 13 of the script. She informs her mother, Thelma, that this will be the last evening of her life, and proceeds to put her affairs in order. What follows is a verbal tug-of-war between these two women as Thelma tries to keep her daughter from carrying out her plan. Set in the living room/kitchen of their small family home, tension rises as time ticks closer to the deadline Jessie has set. Marsha Norman's Pulitzer Prize and Susan Smith Blackburn award-winning play is a lucid and penetrating drama performed by Bronwen Smith and Wendy Morrow Donaldson in one-act over 90 minutes
"I came across 'Night, Mother while I was in theatre school", says Carol Hodge, who directs "Night, Mother brings forth many issues that are rarely talked about, issues that are still considered taboo and shrouded in shame. My hope is that this production will aid in facilitating discussion around some of these issues while at the same time being a first-rate theatre production from an emerging theatre company. I don't believe that 'Night, Mother is a play about suicide but rather a play about tragedy and triumph."
'Night, Mother, by Marsha Norman is produced by The Good Company Collective, which is a Canadian Actors' Equity Association approved Co-op. It previews Thursday, October 28 and opens Friday, October 29 at 8 pm. It then runs through until November 13 (Sunday and Monday nights dark). There will be weekend matinees at 2 pm on both Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $15 & $20, except for the preview, which is Pay-What-You-Can and Tuesdays, which are Two-for-One. Tickets are available through BizBooks.net, or at the door. Reservations can be made by calling 604-365-9445. All performances take place at the Performing Arts Lodge Theatre, 581 Cardero Street.
'NIGHT, MOTHER: TRAGEDY & TRIUMPH
VANCOUVER, BC: The Good Company Collective is pleased to present 'Night, Mother by Marsha Norman. 'Night, Mother is an intimate portrait of a mother-and-daughter relationship, set in an intense, edge-of-your-seat drama that will keep the audience guessing the outcome to the very last second. It runs October 29-November 13 at the PAL Theatre.
"I'm going to kill myself, Mama", says Jessie, on page 13 of the script. She informs her mother, Thelma, that this will be the last evening of her life, and proceeds to put her affairs in order. What follows is a verbal tug-of-war between these two women as Thelma tries to keep her daughter from carrying out her plan. Set in the living room/kitchen of their small family home, tension rises as time ticks closer to the deadline Jessie has set. Marsha Norman's Pulitzer Prize and Susan Smith Blackburn award-winning play is a lucid and penetrating drama performed by Bronwen Smith and Wendy Morrow Donaldson in one-act over 90 minutes
"I came across 'Night, Mother while I was in theatre school", says Carol Hodge, who directs "Night, Mother brings forth many issues that are rarely talked about, issues that are still considered taboo and shrouded in shame. My hope is that this production will aid in facilitating discussion around some of these issues while at the same time being a first-rate theatre production from an emerging theatre company. I don't believe that 'Night, Mother is a play about suicide but rather a play about tragedy and triumph."
'Night, Mother, by Marsha Norman is produced by The Good Company Collective, which is a Canadian Actors' Equity Association approved Co-op. It previews Thursday, October 28 and opens Friday, October 29 at 8 pm. It then runs through until November 13 (Sunday and Monday nights dark). There will be weekend matinees at 2 pm on both Saturdays and Sundays. Tickets are $15 & $20, except for the preview, which is Pay-What-You-Can and Tuesdays, which are Two-for-One. Tickets are available through BizBooks.net, or at the door. Reservations can be made by calling 604-365-9445. All performances take place at the Performing Arts Lodge Theatre, 581 Cardero Street.
Saturday, November 06, 2010
nov 6 + 7 | arends, capier
Ah! Two more Carolyn Arends / Spencer Capier concerts in the lower mainland before they head out on their cross-country tour. Missed these in my earlier post.
November 6 Coquitlam, BC -- Blue Mountain Baptist
November 7 -- Langley, BC -- North Langley Community Church
Deets and tix here.
By the way, Spencer Capier has been described as having "stunning good looks" and being "a really talented musician also." I couldn't have said it better myself.
Thursday, November 04, 2010
playland | province article and video | OPENS NOV. 5
This week we had the treat of hosting Hans Ongsansoy and Gerry Karhmann from The Province. They chatted with Anthony F. Ingram about PLAYLAND and shot some video of the rehearsal. Below is the article that came out today (read it in its original context here), or check out the video here.
Vancouver now has two Playlands.
Of course, one is the amusement park at the PNE you know and love. The other is a play that’s actually set at an amusement park.
But that’s where the similarities between the two end.
Playland the stage production takes place on New Year’s Eve, 1989, in South Africa. It’s still a few weeks before Nelson Mandela’s release and the first steps toward apartheid reform. The country is at the apex of its civil unrest.
Enter actors Tom Pickett as a black carnival worker and Michael Kopsa as a white ex-soldier who somehow keep bumping into each other and you have a recipe for sparks.
Amazingly, however, you also have a recipe for dialogue, greater understanding and, possibly, hope?
“It’s two people who are trying to resolve issues of their past, which are tied into the cultural past of South Africa and the racism that went on,” says director Anthony F. Ingram. “So they’re both guilty of crimes against the other race.
“They’re seeking some kind of personal reconciliation for what they’ve done and also bridge that gap of racism and see the other person as a human being rather than someone of a different colour.”
Ingram credits South African playwright Athol Fugard, and his ability to take political issues and show how they might play out on a personal level, for the story’s underlying positivity.
“Let’s move forward and work on reclaiming what was lost, and we expect you to help us do that, and we want to give you something that is maybe better than what you have — um, I mean that’s utopia, right?” says Ingram. “My rational brain says there’s no way that can happen, but, I think, Fugard somehow says, yes, it can.”
hongsansoy@theprovince.com< twitter.com/hans_ongsansoy
playland | photos
All photos feature Michael Kopsa & Tom Pickett
Playland
by Athol Fugard
runs November 5 to 27
Tickets available online
or at our box office | 604 733-3880
directed by Anthony F. Ingram
Wednesday, November 03, 2010
nov 10-13 | i r l (in real life) | shadows & dreams
PT's publicist Andrea Loewen is an actor too - you might have seen her moving a tremendous amount of furniture in YOU STILL CAN'T, when she was an apprentice with our company - and she's back onstage! She was in the Shadows & Dreams production of TWELFTH NIGHT this summer - directed by PT's Frank Nickel, with PT faces Alison Chisholm, Kerri Norris and Stephen Elcheshen also in the cast - and now the Shadows & Dreams connection continues...
Shadows & Dreams Theatre Company is proud to present the Canadian Premiere of...
irl (in real life)
by Rick Robinson
Nov 10-13 @ 8pm
Havana Theatre
When the four characters in "i r l (in real life)" arrive in Los Angeles for a convention of their favorite online game they are thinking of more than just swords and dragons: longtime friends online, they've decided to use this convention as an excuse to meet for the first time "in real life." What they find at the convention hall is sometimes more and sometimes less than what they'd hoped, and they all must struggle to come to grips with the differences between their idealized online personas and their more complicated real-life selves. A "Critics Pick" at the 2002 Los Angeles Edge of the World FestivalDirector: Stephen Elcheshen. Cast: Nigel Brooke, Michael Chase, Andrea Loewen, Paul Schulz.
“This light but psychologically weighty play,...is a fetching fable for our times.” (Backstage West)
“Writer Rick Robinson has crafted a bittersweet comedy about the lost and lonely addicts of an online role-playing fantasy game.” (Backstage West)
tickets $15 at the door CASH ONLY (Seating is limited)
reservations/ info (604) 515-0704
Shadows & Dreams Theatre Company is proud to present the Canadian Premiere of...
irl (in real life)
by Rick Robinson
Nov 10-13 @ 8pm
Havana Theatre
When the four characters in "i r l (in real life)" arrive in Los Angeles for a convention of their favorite online game they are thinking of more than just swords and dragons: longtime friends online, they've decided to use this convention as an excuse to meet for the first time "in real life." What they find at the convention hall is sometimes more and sometimes less than what they'd hoped, and they all must struggle to come to grips with the differences between their idealized online personas and their more complicated real-life selves. A "Critics Pick" at the 2002 Los Angeles Edge of the World FestivalDirector: Stephen Elcheshen. Cast: Nigel Brooke, Michael Chase, Andrea Loewen, Paul Schulz.
“This light but psychologically weighty play,...is a fetching fable for our times.” (Backstage West)
“Writer Rick Robinson has crafted a bittersweet comedy about the lost and lonely addicts of an online role-playing fantasy game.” (Backstage West)
tickets $15 at the door CASH ONLY (Seating is limited)
reservations/ info (604) 515-0704
nov 3 | zaac pick | federico's
Zaac Pick is playing a solo set at the Tall Poppy Cafe series (Federico's Supper Club, 1728 Commercial Drive) Wednesday night in Vancouver, 8:30PM (though I bet it wouldn't hurt to arrive by eight). Sort of an early first stop on a BC / Alberta tour with Joshua Hyslop.
Nov 3: Vancouver, BC
Nov 19: Kelowna, BC
Nov 20: Creston, BC
Nov 21: Cranbrook, BC
Nov 23: Medicine Hat, AB
Nov 24: Calgary, AB
Nov 26: Edmonton, AB
Nov 27: Lacombe, AB
I first heard Zaac at his Fierce Wind cd release concert, August 2009. I went to hear Jeremy Eisenhauer and Sheree Plett, just back from a summer on the road, stayed to hear Zaac, and was he ever fine. Noticed Rachel Pick taking photos of the gig, it was only later I made the connection.
I played Zaac's disc a lot last year, especially the song Foot Of Pride. This past summer I replaced the stereo in my car (can a stereo with only one working speaker technically be called a "stereo"?), took it on a road trip to Alberta to get better acquainted, and the prairie feel of Fierce Wind made it more or less the theme music for the trip (along with Calexico and the Avett Brothers). It was on endless repeat the day I took pictures of the places my family farmed east of Camrose.
Scout Magazine did a profile on Zaac last week, 10 MINUTES WITH LOCAL MUSICIAN AND EX-LEAGUE BOWLER ZAAC PICK. And you can hear some of his music at zaacpick.com, or now and then on CBC.
Show up at Federico's tonight, I bet you won't be disappointed.
Tuesday, November 02, 2010
playland | director's notes
You've seen Anthony F. Ingram on the PT stage many times, most recently REFUGE OF LIES and THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT. This time around he's sitting in the director's chair and he's sent in some notes on PLAYLAND, opening this Friday, November 5th!
What amazes me about Athol Fugard is his optimism. He’s a man who has watched the injustices around him and refused to accept that they could not be changed. He sees the humanity in those that his society discounted and denigrated. Me, I’m a pessimist. I expect the worst from humanity and I see my expectations confirmed everywhere I look. So, I’m fascinated by Fugard’s dogged optimism and his faith in the possibility of good triumphing in the oddest places.
Playland – set on the New Year’s Eve before the release of Nelson Mandela from prison – anticipated South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation process. And while we in the West seem to think that South Africa is “fixed”, it’s not. The consequences of European subjugation are still playing themselves out in South Africa and throughout the African Continent. And, as a Canadian of European descent, I find myself ashamed of what my ancestors perpetrated not only in Africa but right here in America. When the Canadian government made its apology to the First Nations, I wept – in fact, I still get choked up when I think about it and not because I feel the government had done a good and brave thing, but because of the shame I feel over what has happened wherever and whenever Europeans have pushed other cultures aside. I can’t help but ask, “How can a simple apology, no matter how contrite, possibly make up for the decimation of a way of life, the slaughter of almost an entire population, the dehumanization of people just because they don’t speak our language or wear the same clothes as us?” Really, I get so angry at the arrogance. And because I don’t have an answer, I feel so helpless in the face of the generations of injustice. And then there’s Athol Fugard, who somehow manages to distill what to me is such a massively overwhelming chasm between two peoples, into two men who are guilty of fighting on opposite sides of the race war – both with blood on their hands and hatred in their hearts. He puts them face to face and we get to watch them spar, dance, bleed, weep – and somehow, and I’m still trying to figure out how, Fugard imparts this hope. That’s what pulls me into this play. I’m trying to find Fugard’s hope. Because, he doesn’t give us a couple of nice guys here. These two guys are culturally and politically poles apart. The violence and hatred that they hold toward each other is right on their skin. But Fugard sees hope!
From a professional point of view, I love working with Pacific Theatre and in the magical alley space. Ron Reed and Pacific Theatre have given me so many opportunities to take first steps into various parts of my art. Ron has always been there encouraging me to take risks, and giving me room to make mistakes and explore some the crazier ideas I’ve had – right from the beginning of my career. And the other great thing about Pacific Theatre is that they’re willing to explore uncomfortable ideas. They take their audience to places they can’t or wouldn’t go in “real life”. Pacific Theatre is willing to offend a part of their audience, and then they’re willing to talk to that offended audience in an intelligent way. They stick to their principles. Sure they have a comfy Christmas show – though not all of them are so comfy – and they have a loopy comedy that everyone can enjoy, but Pacific Theatre is going to take you into the heart of a Nazi war criminal and make you examine the ease of some of your convictions. Well, this time we’re taking you to Apartheid Era South Africa and we’re going to drop you right into the middle of a cage match.
-Anthony F. Ingram, Director
What amazes me about Athol Fugard is his optimism. He’s a man who has watched the injustices around him and refused to accept that they could not be changed. He sees the humanity in those that his society discounted and denigrated. Me, I’m a pessimist. I expect the worst from humanity and I see my expectations confirmed everywhere I look. So, I’m fascinated by Fugard’s dogged optimism and his faith in the possibility of good triumphing in the oddest places.
Playland – set on the New Year’s Eve before the release of Nelson Mandela from prison – anticipated South Africa’s Truth and Reconciliation process. And while we in the West seem to think that South Africa is “fixed”, it’s not. The consequences of European subjugation are still playing themselves out in South Africa and throughout the African Continent. And, as a Canadian of European descent, I find myself ashamed of what my ancestors perpetrated not only in Africa but right here in America. When the Canadian government made its apology to the First Nations, I wept – in fact, I still get choked up when I think about it and not because I feel the government had done a good and brave thing, but because of the shame I feel over what has happened wherever and whenever Europeans have pushed other cultures aside. I can’t help but ask, “How can a simple apology, no matter how contrite, possibly make up for the decimation of a way of life, the slaughter of almost an entire population, the dehumanization of people just because they don’t speak our language or wear the same clothes as us?” Really, I get so angry at the arrogance. And because I don’t have an answer, I feel so helpless in the face of the generations of injustice. And then there’s Athol Fugard, who somehow manages to distill what to me is such a massively overwhelming chasm between two peoples, into two men who are guilty of fighting on opposite sides of the race war – both with blood on their hands and hatred in their hearts. He puts them face to face and we get to watch them spar, dance, bleed, weep – and somehow, and I’m still trying to figure out how, Fugard imparts this hope. That’s what pulls me into this play. I’m trying to find Fugard’s hope. Because, he doesn’t give us a couple of nice guys here. These two guys are culturally and politically poles apart. The violence and hatred that they hold toward each other is right on their skin. But Fugard sees hope!
From a professional point of view, I love working with Pacific Theatre and in the magical alley space. Ron Reed and Pacific Theatre have given me so many opportunities to take first steps into various parts of my art. Ron has always been there encouraging me to take risks, and giving me room to make mistakes and explore some the crazier ideas I’ve had – right from the beginning of my career. And the other great thing about Pacific Theatre is that they’re willing to explore uncomfortable ideas. They take their audience to places they can’t or wouldn’t go in “real life”. Pacific Theatre is willing to offend a part of their audience, and then they’re willing to talk to that offended audience in an intelligent way. They stick to their principles. Sure they have a comfy Christmas show – though not all of them are so comfy – and they have a loopy comedy that everyone can enjoy, but Pacific Theatre is going to take you into the heart of a Nazi war criminal and make you examine the ease of some of your convictions. Well, this time we’re taking you to Apartheid Era South Africa and we’re going to drop you right into the middle of a cage match.
-Anthony F. Ingram, Director
nov 5 OPENING! | playland | photos
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| Tom Pickett, Michael Kopsa photo by Tim Matheson |
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| Tom Pickett, Michael Kopsa photo by Tim Matheson |
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| Michael Kopsa, Tom Pickett photo by Tim Matheson |
nov 4 | carolyn arends, spencer capier | love was here first
LOVE WAS HERE FIRST
November 4
Lynn Valley Full Gospel Church
1160 E. 29th Street, North Vancouver | 604-980-0307
featuring Carolyn Arends, Amanda Falk, Spencer Capier and Trevor Dick
doors 7pm, event 7:30
CLICK HERE TO ORDER TICKETS ONLINE NOW
and receive a FREE COMPILATION ALBUM featuring music from all 4 artists!
(Free Album Download exlusive to Online Ticket Sales)
Tickets also available at:
Glenn: 604-825-0746
The Church 604-980-0307
Or email: Glenn@mayiprayforyou.com
All the details about more tour dates here - Nov 5 Victoria, Nov 6 Coquitlam, Nov 7 Langley, then across Canada through November.
Monday, November 01, 2010
Saturday, October 30, 2010
oct 30 | sheree plett + jonathan inc
Cafe Deux Soleils
2096 Commercial drive
Vancouver, BC
Saturday, October 30 · 7:30pm - 11:30pm
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
playland | artistic director's notes
With a handful of exceptions, Athol Fugard’s plays are inspired by specific people, incidents, or images. Some real world event sparks his curiosity, and he explores it by writing a play.
Playland began with a photograph. Two men stand in the back of a truck, lowering a naked body into a pit. In the bottom of the pit, more bodies.
Of course, an avalanche of other, larger events also impelled the writing of this play. In September 1989 – three months before the events of Playland – F.W. de Klerk became president of South Africa, and when parliament opened on February 2, 1990, he announced his intentions to dismantle apartheid. Nine days later, Nelson Mandela was released from prison.
Fugard’s play debuted in Johannesburg in July 1992. In July 1995, after five years of negotiations and violent opposition, the African National Congress was elected as the country’s new government, and President Nelson Mandela initiated the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to investigate gross human rights violations and heal the wounds of apartheid.
In a sense, Playland anticipates the nation’s experience of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. If it were only a history lesson, a snapshot of a moment in history, a response to political events in a distant country, it would not carry the power that it does. But as well as being a response to an historical turning point, Playland is a response to a specific photograph, a hidden and horrific event that plays itself out in two very particular lives.
The more specific a story, the more likely it is to become universal. The movements of history, the story of a nation, may inspire dread or awe, but the movements of the human heart, the stories of individuals, reach us in a more personal place. The story of apartheid’s end may interest us, and should not be forgotten. But the story of Martinus and Gideon has the power to shake us, twenty years later. We see ourselves in their circumstances, and their stories resonate with so terribly many others that continue to happen, over and over again.
Ron Reed,
Artistic Director
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
alternative art & spiritual promise | linda stratford | regent
And before or after the lecture, a person could check out the Lookout Gallery show
DR. LINDA STRATFORD
Alternative Art and Spiritual Promise
Wednesday, October 20, 6:30pm
Regent College
Dr. Stratford received her PhD from the State University of New York, Stony Brook, in History, with emphasis on Art and Society in France. Her life passion is teaching and learning. Before her PhD she completed an undergraduate degree in Art from Vanderbilt University and spent a year studying art history in France. She makes regular research trips to France and is currently teaching art history at Asbury College where she also served as Art Department Chair. In 2005 she was appointed Lilly Scholar at Asbury College, enabling her to pursue research on the theological foundation for calling in the visual arts.
 |
| This is an altogether different Linda Stratford. No relation, as far as I know. But it's a more colourful picture than the one of Dr Stratford. A prime example of alternative art. |
DR. LINDA STRATFORD
Alternative Art and Spiritual Promise
Wednesday, October 20, 6:30pm
Regent College
Dr. Stratford received her PhD from the State University of New York, Stony Brook, in History, with emphasis on Art and Society in France. Her life passion is teaching and learning. Before her PhD she completed an undergraduate degree in Art from Vanderbilt University and spent a year studying art history in France. She makes regular research trips to France and is currently teaching art history at Asbury College where she also served as Art Department Chair. In 2005 she was appointed Lilly Scholar at Asbury College, enabling her to pursue research on the theological foundation for calling in the visual arts.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
thoughts on pacific theatre | melaney lyall
A wonderful piece about Pacific Theatre from Melaney Gleeson-Lyall, director of operations for Gather and Give. We have been partnering with Gather and Give for a few years now to make sure those who could not normally attend the theatre get a chance through their organization.
Pacific Theatre - 12th 'n Hemlock
by Melaney G Lyall on Friday, September 25, 2009
I have returned home to the warmth of my sitting room after an evening at the theatre. This is an amazing smaller homespun theatre that puts on amazing productions. Pacific Theatre has been going for 25 years!
I sat and I listened to an evening of "Presence" - full of instrument, song, prose, and story. I was moved to tears at some points and beamed smiles at others and laughed heartily.
I thought for a moment of the depression era and how the Theatre was a place of refuge.
I participated by being fully present during this evening of beauty and creativity.
I came to realize that creative and performing artists can express themselves from the inside out, while we spend our time keeping our stuff in hiding. Somehow tonight I found common ground in lyrics and in word pictures and in the rhythm of strings and keys and the heartbeat of the drums.
Eleven craftsmen, er craftspeople circled on a stage of about 15 ft. by 15 ft. Blending and producing pieces of artistic expression together. Maybe they had run through the set once - but as they watched and listened to each other such beautiful sounds rang through the auditorium....12 string guitar, acoustic guitars, keys, drums, upright bass, banjo, harmonica, and some hand held shakers...and beautiful harmonies of voices through songs and personal stories and reflections.
I sat and knew the people before me are masters at their trades, all of them gathered together to provide 'entertainment' for others to enjoy - they did it with no paycheque, but because of their passion and the talents that Creator bestowed upon each one...these talents that can no longer be leashed but need outlets to be expressed.
There is something about live music and theatre. There is no cutting and editing. There are no dubs or digital effects or hundreds of different camera angles. You really get a piece of the artist's heart and soul - that they bare to all who come. A transparency of self. They may portray someone else but it is just an endorsement of another's creativity that touches their story and heart on a personal level.
Years and years ago, I brought my friend coffee many a midnight and helped paint canvas' and walls for "Cotton Patch Gospel" and I had a crush on one of the performers!! I then had a room mate who was featured in a play or two. I have had many musician friends participate in the Christmas Presence...and even went to a few Reel Light meetings...something continues to draw me to LIVE PERFORMANCE...
Nothing like it!! Yes. I think you should go to PACIFIC THEATRE and experience it yourself.
oct 19-30 | skin of our teeth | press release
Here's the press release for TWU's latest...
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH SURE TO BE A WILD RIDE
Courage. Catastrophe. Pet Dinosaurs. Trinity Western University’s newly minted SAMC Theatre is pulling out all the stops for season opener The Skin of our Teeth, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy playing October 19 – 30.
By turns absurd and profound, the story places the burden of saving the world – repeatedly – on the shoulders of one family that’s anything but ordinary. Between milking the pet mammoth and inventing the alphabet, the Antrobuses have an odd knack for outwitting global destruction. But when the most shocking disaster of all threatens to tear the family apart, history’s most unlikely heroes must decide: Is humanity worth saving?
“Wilder was a pioneer and his innovation in this show is particularly satisfying,” reflects Jessie-winning director Angela Konrad. “Spanning thousands of years, turning sets upside down…The world of the play is delightfully wacky and unpredictable. And then suddenly its rich and poignant themes sneak up on you when you aren’t looking.”
The play, which TIME Magazine likens to “a philosophy class conducted in a monkey house,” has been a thrilling challenge for Julie Casselman, who was accepted into SAMC’s inaugural BFA class last spring. After playing Celia in last season’s As You Like It, Casselman is getting in touch with her inner femme fatale as Sabina – the family maid with a hidden agenda. “I’ve never played a character quite as fierce and dynamic as Sabina…she’ll do or say anything to get what she wants,” remarks Casselman. “I love keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. And how often does a person get to snuggle up with a prehistoric pet while relaxing in her own cabana? This show is all surprises and no rules, and I love that.”
The production is aptly timed, comments Konrad, who also chairs the Theatre department of TWU’s School of the Arts, Media, and Culture. “This season coincides with the launch of SAMC and a BFA Acting program unlike any other in Canada. With The Skin of our Teeth, we’re bringing to life an epic tale about starting anew. It’s off the wall, it’s larger than life - even the playwright called it his most ambitious piece of work. Altogether, it’s the perfect vehicle for the debut of our BFA class.”
The Skin of our Teeth features Ben Buckingham, Megan Couch, Julie Casselman, Julia Church, Crystal Dodding, Mark Fleming, Karyn Guenther, Jon Hollis, Lyndon Johnson, Cara Lowdermilk, Daniele Neve, Nicola Prigge, Chris Simons, Danielle Spampinato, Jessica Van Elk, and Sarah Weiner. Rounding out the production team are Assistant Director Clare Arney and Stage Managers Becky MacDormand, Ashley MacKenzie, and Thomas Nelson. Costumes are by Barbara Gregusova with set and lighting by Lauchlin Johnston.
Tuesday – Saturday 7:30pm with Saturday Matinees 2pm
For more information and tickets, visit www.twu.ca/theatre or email theatre@twu.ca
THE SKIN OF OUR TEETH SURE TO BE A WILD RIDE
Courage. Catastrophe. Pet Dinosaurs. Trinity Western University’s newly minted SAMC Theatre is pulling out all the stops for season opener The Skin of our Teeth, Thornton Wilder’s Pulitzer Prize-winning comedy playing October 19 – 30.
By turns absurd and profound, the story places the burden of saving the world – repeatedly – on the shoulders of one family that’s anything but ordinary. Between milking the pet mammoth and inventing the alphabet, the Antrobuses have an odd knack for outwitting global destruction. But when the most shocking disaster of all threatens to tear the family apart, history’s most unlikely heroes must decide: Is humanity worth saving?
“Wilder was a pioneer and his innovation in this show is particularly satisfying,” reflects Jessie-winning director Angela Konrad. “Spanning thousands of years, turning sets upside down…The world of the play is delightfully wacky and unpredictable. And then suddenly its rich and poignant themes sneak up on you when you aren’t looking.”
The play, which TIME Magazine likens to “a philosophy class conducted in a monkey house,” has been a thrilling challenge for Julie Casselman, who was accepted into SAMC’s inaugural BFA class last spring. After playing Celia in last season’s As You Like It, Casselman is getting in touch with her inner femme fatale as Sabina – the family maid with a hidden agenda. “I’ve never played a character quite as fierce and dynamic as Sabina…she’ll do or say anything to get what she wants,” remarks Casselman. “I love keeping the audience on the edge of their seats. And how often does a person get to snuggle up with a prehistoric pet while relaxing in her own cabana? This show is all surprises and no rules, and I love that.”
The production is aptly timed, comments Konrad, who also chairs the Theatre department of TWU’s School of the Arts, Media, and Culture. “This season coincides with the launch of SAMC and a BFA Acting program unlike any other in Canada. With The Skin of our Teeth, we’re bringing to life an epic tale about starting anew. It’s off the wall, it’s larger than life - even the playwright called it his most ambitious piece of work. Altogether, it’s the perfect vehicle for the debut of our BFA class.”
The Skin of our Teeth features Ben Buckingham, Megan Couch, Julie Casselman, Julia Church, Crystal Dodding, Mark Fleming, Karyn Guenther, Jon Hollis, Lyndon Johnson, Cara Lowdermilk, Daniele Neve, Nicola Prigge, Chris Simons, Danielle Spampinato, Jessica Van Elk, and Sarah Weiner. Rounding out the production team are Assistant Director Clare Arney and Stage Managers Becky MacDormand, Ashley MacKenzie, and Thomas Nelson. Costumes are by Barbara Gregusova with set and lighting by Lauchlin Johnston.
Tuesday – Saturday 7:30pm with Saturday Matinees 2pm
For more information and tickets, visit www.twu.ca/theatre or email theatre@twu.ca
Saturday, October 16, 2010
mon oct 25 | lucia frangione's life onstage!
Keith Johnstone is the inventor of theatre sports - a U of Calgary prof, who knew? His book "Impro" is the touchstone. And Lucia needs no introduction to Pacific Theatre audiences...
Lucia Frangione: "So, Jeff Gladstone and company have asked to do an improv night about my life story. I find this pretty embarrassing to tell you the truth. But it would be even more embarrassing if nobody showed up. Oh please come and be gracious if you can."
Tickets now on sale for the October 25th showcase of THE LIFE GAME featuring our guest LUCIA FRANGIONE and directed live onstage by KEITH JOHNSTONE!"
Monday, Oct. 25th at 7:30pm
Arts Club Revue Theatre
$20-25
Tickets here!
Lucia Frangione: "So, Jeff Gladstone and company have asked to do an improv night about my life story. I find this pretty embarrassing to tell you the truth. But it would be even more embarrassing if nobody showed up. Oh please come and be gracious if you can."
Tickets now on sale for the October 25th showcase of THE LIFE GAME featuring our guest LUCIA FRANGIONE and directed live onstage by KEITH JOHNSTONE!"
Monday, Oct. 25th at 7:30pm
Arts Club Revue Theatre
$20-25
Tickets here!
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
campbell government: more casinos, less arts funding
Keith Higgins writes...
Governments (both the provincial government and municipalities) used to justify the expansion of for-profit gambling by trotting out the benefits to charities. Then, in 2009, the premier and Rich Coleman, the minister responsible for the Gaming Branch, announced that they did not feel bound to honour commitments made to the people of B.C. that a proportion of casino and bingo revenue had to go to charities.You may also want to check out the Facebook page Organizing Against Campbell's Cuts To The Arts
Now, a massive casino expansion -- big enough that the provincial government ordered up B.C. Place staium's new roof at the request of the casino developer -- is on the books in Vancouver.
Please join the B.C. Association for Charitable Gaming in asking, again, that the government honour commitments made to the people of this province, and restore funds to charities, including charities in the arts and culture. You can also join the BCACG in asking Vancouver's City Council to oppose the expansion of Edgewater Casino. You can do both of these things by attending tomorrow's rally (11 am, Thursday October 14 at Vancouver City Hall) and by signing the BCACG's online petition.
Here are the links.
The rally and press conference
The online petition
And while we're talking politics, I bet you'd never guess who said the following: “Any government which says it has a plan for economic recovery and doesn’t have a plan in place for arts and culture doesn’t have a plan for economic recovery.” Keith Higgins? The NDP Arts and Culture critic? The Georgia Straight? Ron Reed? Nope. Conservative Federal Heritage minister James Moore. And it sounds like he was talking about our provincial "Liberals." Here's the story in the Times Columnist.
P.S.
National average for provincial arts funding?
$26.00 per capita
BC's arts funding, *with* newly restored $7M?
$6.54 per capita
the busy world is hushed | responses
"Directed by Richard Wolfe for one2theatre, this is a taut, absorbing production with excellent ensemble work by Chiarelli, Bergquist and Kroon. Chiarelli strikes just the right note with her smart, somewhat world-weary scholarliness coupled with ferocious love for her son. As a performer, Chiarelli always appears to be a storm about to break. Even when she's relaxed, there's a compelling, restless energy just under the surface." - Jo Ledingham, The Vancouver Courier
"You manage to find so many brilliant shows to produce, but this one was amazing! I was so drawn into the questions of faith and life, and the love story was so honest (if not one I've been terribly familiar with). The commitment each of the actors made to the show - to loving each other without being false. Amazing.
I cried at the pain each was feeling at different times - and the bit at the end . . . just hit home.
Gina is incredible. I remember her from Agnes - what a powerhouse of a performer! And the two guys were so great.
Thank you for being willing to produce a show like that - and one that brought audible gasps of shock from some of your perhaps more conservative audience members. This is the world we live in, and we need to be living in it, not ignoring it.
GREAT! - thank you." Audience member, facebook note
"We saw The Busy World is Hushed on Saturday night. Wow! Very powerful - the play, the acting. Loved the set and the music, too. A night at PT guarantees there will be something to talk about after the theatre." Audience email
"@Pacifictheatre Thank-you for The Busy World is Hushed. Thought provoking and beautiful. I really enjoyed it." -twitter
"Saw the show tonight and loved it. Thank you for putting on honest shows, it helps me have the guts to be honest too." -facebook wall
"Go see "The Busy World is Hushed" at @PacificTheatre. Amazing! Cried so much i thought my face was melting. But in a good way." -twitter
"The Busy World Is Hushed has a generous heart. . . . Under Richard Wolfe’s direction, the cast is tremendous. With his humble posture, stray-dog winsomeness, and the boyish way he sticks his tongue out when amused, Sebastian Kroon goes a long way toward making the elusive Thomas charming. Adam Bergquist intelligently and thoroughly delineates the landscape of Brandt’s shyness, longing, and grief. And nobody is more openhearted on-stage than Gina Chiarelli, who plays Hannah. In the Act 2 crisis, Chiarelli makes us feel as well as understand what it’s like to screw up while behaving with good intentions." - Colin Thomas, The Georgia Straight
"We saw Busy World last night. Wonderful, wonderful, wonderful. Thoughtful script - WELL cast - great acting - amazing set. It made us uncomfortable, made us think, made us celebrate exactly what PT is about. A great start to the season!" Audience email
"The quest for truth reared its sometimes ugly head last night in the Pacific Theatre / one2theatre co-production of The Busy World is Hushed, in a beautiful story of love and loss that touched my heart. ... Chiarelli is almost perfect in her dual role, simultaneously the scholarly priest and loving mother. We can see as her external shell is gradually chipped away as the life she hopes to have with her son begins to once again materialize and just as quickly rebuilt as that reality does not come about. Kroon does an equally good job as the lost boy who reinserts himself with little guilt back into the family dynamic, with a selfishness and an anger that percolates just under the surface.... it doesn't get much better than this." - Mark Robins, gayvancouver.net
"An intelligent and complex play, Keith Bunin’s The Busy World Is Hushed is actually a guest production from one2theatre. And an excellent production it is under Richard Wolfe’s confident direction. ... I was genuinely interested in the characters and the way they might work out their various human dilemmas." - Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Plays
"I don't often recommend shows, but try to catch 'The Busy World Is Hushed' at Pacific theatre now thru' Oct 16. Richard Wolfe directing, Michael Schaldemose, design, and stellar performances by Chiarelli, Bergquist, and Kroon, it raises the bar, folks. Excellent production all around, and a well written, thought- provoking play. I just sat back and enjoyed." - Michael Kopsa, facebook wall
"I laughed, I cried (yes even me.. shut up peanut gallery), and I am going to go back and see it again. So much to take in on several different levels. Thanks for a great evening!" - Maria Denholme, facebook wall
"Gina Chiarelli, who turns in a nuanced, complex performance as the Reverend Hannah, displays both intelligence and vulnerability." - John Jane, Review Vancouver
"Busy World is one of those shows that reminds me why I do theatre. Congratulations. And thank you." - Angela Konrad, facebook wall
feb 22 - mar 12 | she has a name | burnt thicket, alberta
Steve Waldschmidt's Burnt Thicket Theatre produced HOCKEY DAD in the PT space during the Olympics. Their second show premieres February / March 2011 in Alberta.
SHE HAS A NAME
by Andrew Kooman
World Premiere
February 22 - March 5, 2011 in Calgary | Epcor Centre's Motel
March 9-12, 2011 in Red Deer | Scott Block Theatre
Haunted by anguished voices, a lawyer poses as a john to build a legal case against a brothel trafficking girls into Bangkok. Can Jason win the trust of a young prostitute known only as Number 18 and convince her to risk her life for the sake of justice?
SHE HAS A NAME
by Andrew Kooman
World Premiere
February 22 - March 5, 2011 in Calgary | Epcor Centre's Motel
March 9-12, 2011 in Red Deer | Scott Block Theatre
Haunted by anguished voices, a lawyer poses as a john to build a legal case against a brothel trafficking girls into Bangkok. Can Jason win the trust of a young prostitute known only as Number 18 and convince her to risk her life for the sake of justice?
Thursday, October 07, 2010
oct 19-30 | skin of our teeth | twu
julia church is wacky. she was lily tomlin in godspell. and she made this up. yikes.
only the website link is www.twu.ca/theatre. okay, so she can't spell. but she's funny.
only the website link is www.twu.ca/theatre. okay, so she can't spell. but she's funny.
october 16 | sweet soul gospel | alison chisholm
Our lovely administrator Alison Chisholm (remember her from I WAS MEANT FOR THE STAGE?) sings once again in the Sweet Soul Gospel Choir. This time she's joined by Karina Nickel, wife to our production manager and resident improv performer, Frank Nickel. According to their website, they will "active your soul!" - I don't know about you, but I wouldn't want to miss that.
Sweet Soul Gospel Motown - spiritual, inspirational & love songs from Motown
Saturday, October 16th, 2010 - 7:30 pm
St. Andrews Wesley Church
1022 Nelson St. Vancouver (Burrard & Nelson)
Admission by minimum donation:
Adults $15
Seniors & Students $10
Youth 10-15 $5
Kids under 9 FREE
Tickets Available at the Door
Doors open at 6:30 pm
Sweet Soul Gospel Motown - spiritual, inspirational & love songs from Motown
Saturday, October 16th, 2010 - 7:30 pm
St. Andrews Wesley Church
1022 Nelson St. Vancouver (Burrard & Nelson)
Admission by minimum donation:
Adults $15
Seniors & Students $10
Youth 10-15 $5
Kids under 9 FREE
Tickets Available at the Door
Doors open at 6:30 pm
Friday, October 01, 2010
oct 21-30 | joel stephanson, macbeth
Last year's apprentice Joel Stephanson (Dan Rowan in GODSPELL, Peter in the matinee cast of THE LION, THE WITCH & THE WARDROBE, my grandson in TRAVELER IN THE DARK, and you saw him in I WAS MEANT FOR THE STAGE) plays Ross and the Porter...
Alchemist Theatre Guild
MACBETH
Oct 21-30
at the VanCity Culture Lab (at the Cultch)
Love, war, betrayal, magic. These are the ingredients that make up the Alchemists Theatre Guild's production of Macbeth. In a sharp, violent conceptualization of Shakespeare's classic tale, the edges of what one will do for love and the prices paid for those betrayals are explored in a vicious, unforgiving fashion. A perfect story for the Halloween season, filled with horror, violence and the black arts, Macbeth will thrill in a spectacular fashion.
Alchemist Theatre Guild
MACBETH
Oct 21-30
at the VanCity Culture Lab (at the Cultch)
Love, war, betrayal, magic. These are the ingredients that make up the Alchemists Theatre Guild's production of Macbeth. In a sharp, violent conceptualization of Shakespeare's classic tale, the edges of what one will do for love and the prices paid for those betrayals are explored in a vicious, unforgiving fashion. A perfect story for the Halloween season, filled with horror, violence and the black arts, Macbeth will thrill in a spectacular fashion.
Wednesday, September 29, 2010
soul food menu
If you'd like to receive occasional Soul Food emails - news about art around Vancouver with a spiritual flavour - let Andrea Loewen know: andrea@pacifictheatre.org. No spam, nobody gets your email address, and you can opt out any time.
The Busy World Is Hushed continues at Pacific Theatre. Move fast: it's a short run, closing Oct 16, and people are loving it. Everyone talks about the strong performances by Adam Bergquist, Gina Chiarelli (PT regulars) and Sebastian Kroon. The set and lighting are exquisite (Michael Schaldemose), transforming our theatre into the cosy, book-cluttered Upper West Side apartment on a seminary campus. My artistic director notes are on the blog.
The Busy World Is Hushed continues at Pacific Theatre. Move fast: it's a short run, closing Oct 16, and people are loving it. Everyone talks about the strong performances by Adam Bergquist, Gina Chiarelli (PT regulars) and Sebastian Kroon. The set and lighting are exquisite (Michael Schaldemose), transforming our theatre into the cosy, book-cluttered Upper West Side apartment on a seminary campus. My artistic director notes are on the blog.
Miracle In Rwanda, featured in our "fringe of the Fringe" a couple weeks back, is held over at the Arts Club until Oct 10... Craig Erickson and David MacKay are onstage in Tear The Curtain, a tribute to the movies by Vancouver's often-Brilliant Electric Company... Gina Chiarelli's husband Timothy Clayton has a show of his paintings at the Havana Gallery through Oct 16, and the Lookout Gallery at Regent College is showing the multimedia acrylic paintings of James Nesbitt until Oct 29... Nelson Boschman's Mennonite Jazz Committee headlines a LifeBridge benefit concert Oct 2... Richard Osler's hosting a poetry retreat Nov 4-7 And Spencer Capier has a whole new album of Christmas Instrumentals, that'll be ready to go in time for Christmas Presence!
Soul Food Movies is busy as heck these days, with the Vancouver International Film Festival opening Thursday. Don't miss Rejoice And Shout (Friday 2:30, plus two more showings), a history of gospel music featuring The Dixie Hummingbirds, The Soul Stirrers, Mahalia Jackson and The Blind Boys. Or Of Gods And Men (Oct 10, 12, 14), the Cannes Festival Grand Jury Prize winner about Cistercian monks threatened by Islamic extremists during the Algerian Civil War of the 1990's. My other VIFF picks are listed here...
Other films of interest, including a documentary about a staging of Twelve Angry Men in a Lebanese prison
Soul Food Movies has also just launched a new series - "What's In My Queue?" - with a look at the videos Vancouver filmmaker Jason Goode is eager to see... Also noted, a new play at the Havana Theatre by Kenneth Lonergan, screenwriter for such notable films as You Can Count On Me, Analyze This and Gangs Of New York... And don't let VIFF distract you from other Soul Food fare: there's more going on than you might expect in George Clooney's The American, ongoing at the Fifth Avenue and elsewhere.
tear the curtain | craig erickson, david adams
Pacific Theatre regular Craig Erickson and David Adams ("Jesus My Boy") are in the cast of this loving tribute to the movie ghosts that must surely haunt the Stanley Theatre. Created by Electric Company, who've been... well, Brilliant... since their very first production, which was rehearsed in our space, Anthony F. Ingram in the cast. Closes Oct 10.
Tear the Curtain! has been custom built for the Arts Club Stanley Stage and reflects the Stanley's dual identity as both historic cinema and playhouse. Written as a screenplay, this live production slips seamlessly between play and feature film. It's a stylish thriller inspired by the “reel” history of the theatre. It uses and abuses Hollywood film noir archetypes like the mob boss, the femme fatale, the hardboiled detective, and the girl friday. It is an attempt at authentic originality in a world of imitations and stereotypes. It is a story of ultimate compromise. Can the truth be revealed somewhere between the stage and the screen?
Written by Electric Company's Jonathon Young and Kevin Kerr
Directed by and created with Kim Collier
Tickets
Tear the Curtain! has been custom built for the Arts Club Stanley Stage and reflects the Stanley's dual identity as both historic cinema and playhouse. Written as a screenplay, this live production slips seamlessly between play and feature film. It's a stylish thriller inspired by the “reel” history of the theatre. It uses and abuses Hollywood film noir archetypes like the mob boss, the femme fatale, the hardboiled detective, and the girl friday. It is an attempt at authentic originality in a world of imitations and stereotypes. It is a story of ultimate compromise. Can the truth be revealed somewhere between the stage and the screen?
Written by Electric Company's Jonathon Young and Kevin Kerr
Directed by and created with Kim Collier
Tickets
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
sep 24 - oct 16 | the busy world is hushed | artistic director's notes
Welcome to Pacific Theatre's 27th season! With more shows on our stage than in any previous year, we celebrate the artistry and passion of our company members with an extraordinary range of theatrical adventures.
It's fitting that we launch things with The Busy World Is Hushed, a Guest Production that features the kind of initiative and collaboration that make this season what it is.
A couple years back, Richard Wolfe – then newly-appointed Artistic Director of Vancouver's celebrated Pi Theatre – approached me with a project he wanted to see on our stage. The play engages so many of the questions our company loves to wrestle with, and while it didn't quite fit in the season that was then taking shape, I kept it close at hand.
Early this year, as we turned to planning the current season, Adam Bergquist – a one-time PT apprentice you'll remember from Chickens, Last Train To Nibroc, A Man For All Seasons and any number of shows at other theatres in town – proposed a Guest Production of another piece we both became very excited about. When we learned that the rights had already been secured by another Vancouver theatre, I handed Adam a stack of other potential scripts – with Busy World on the top of the pile.
Adam loved the play, loved the actor challenges of the piece and the spiritual questions at the heart of the story. Exhilarated by the idea of working with Richard, and seeing an ideal role for Gina Chiarelli – another core company member, long overdue for a role on our mainstage – Adam made arrangements with Actors Equity, procured the rights, and we had our Season Opener.
This small, carefully drawn portrait of three complex and recognizable human souls is perfectly scaled for our intimate theatre. Chamber music if you will, a nuanced, understated contemplation of subtle and intriguing themes. For close listening.
I love this play. I love the fact that Hannah's theology, her understanding of God, is not my own – but that her God is unmistakably the same. And that her love for God, and for her son, resonate so strongly with the loves in my own life. How different we can be from one another, and yet so much alike.
I trust this play will challenge you, and move you, as much as it has me.
Ron Reed,
Artistic Director
Friday, September 24, 2010
sep 24 | how to watch improv comedy
ARTISAN U. Presents: How to Watch Improv Comedy, The Sequel
A Benefit for More Than a Roof Housing
sponsored by Artisan Vancouver Church
Friday, September 24
Alice MacKay Room, VPL Central Branch
350 West Georgia St
Doors: 7pm. Show: 7:30pm
Featuring the comic stylings of:
Mike deBoer
Vince D.
Cassie Moes
John Voth
and their funny friends
These actors know what they’re doing most of the time. The rest of the time they make stuff up. In the dog-eat-dog world of improv comedy, they have worked with The Panic Squad, Bust A Gut, Pacific Theatre and 11:07 at TWU. They specialize in comedy that is both clean and funny.
PLUS the musical stylings of:
Nelson Boschman - piano
Becca Robertson - double bass
Kenton Wiens - drums
Just like the actors, whenever this exciting jazz ensemble doesn’t know what to play, they're usually able to scrape together a few notes that sound OK. They will be featured before and after the show, during intermission, as well as IN the show itself!
Suitable for ages 8 and up.
Tickets $10 in advance (until 4:30 Sep 24) http://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/125015,
or $15 at the door.
This is a benefit event for More Than a Roof Housing. All net proceeds will go towards MTR’s mission of developing and managing inclusive communities of affordable housing. Give the gift of laughter to your friends and loved ones while serving your community through a great organization seeking to "Bring People Home".
Thursday, September 23, 2010
the busy world is hushed | jeremy tow memorial performance
Our season opener THE BUSY WORLD IS HUSHED (produced by one2theatre) is upon us with a pay-what-you-can preview tonight (Thursday, Sept. 23) and opening tomorrow. That's not all that's happening this weekend, however.
Adam Bergquist (founder of one2theatre) would like to announce that the evening performance this Saturday, September 25th will be dedicated to the memory of our dear friend Jeremy Tow. A long time friend and member of the Pacific Theatre family, Jeremy passed from this life on Tuesday, September 14th. We at Pacific Theatre are deeply saddened by his passing, and are honoured to host a performance dedicated to his memory.
The opening Saturday night of any performance at Pacific Theatre is typically what we like to call our Associated Artist night. It's the night we invite all the artists who have been involved in Pacific Theatre shows over the past two years to come join us at the theatre - it's an opportunity to not only take in our current play, but also to reconnect with our artist community, something that has always been very important to us here at PT. As Jeremy was a vital member of not only our community but the entire local arts community, it seems perfectly fitting to dedicate our Associated Artist night to his memory. Please join us.
Adam Bergquist (founder of one2theatre) would like to announce that the evening performance this Saturday, September 25th will be dedicated to the memory of our dear friend Jeremy Tow. A long time friend and member of the Pacific Theatre family, Jeremy passed from this life on Tuesday, September 14th. We at Pacific Theatre are deeply saddened by his passing, and are honoured to host a performance dedicated to his memory.
The opening Saturday night of any performance at Pacific Theatre is typically what we like to call our Associated Artist night. It's the night we invite all the artists who have been involved in Pacific Theatre shows over the past two years to come join us at the theatre - it's an opportunity to not only take in our current play, but also to reconnect with our artist community, something that has always been very important to us here at PT. As Jeremy was a vital member of not only our community but the entire local arts community, it seems perfectly fitting to dedicate our Associated Artist night to his memory. Please join us.
look who's comin' to town!
Okay, he's already in town, but you get it, right?
Really stoked about this one. And about having Spencer back for CHRISTMAS PRESENCE this year, after having him on the road last Christmas. We'll make sure to feature some of his no-doubt tasty instrumentals each night that he's with us. (And no, we don't know which nights those will be. Almost never do until the last minute. SO DON'T EVEN ASK!! Or I'll tell Santa, and that will be added to your "naughty" tally.)
Wednesday, September 22, 2010
oct 3 - 16 | timothy clayton | havana gallery
Gina Chiarelli opens this Friday in THE BUSY WORLD IS HUSHED on the Pacific Theatre stage. Her husband Timothy Clayton has also been busy, but not necessarily hushed.... (Better judgment: delete that, it's just plain dumb. Final judgment: FEITCTAJ.... Better judgment: DEFINITELY delete that... Final judgment: Nope....)
Rock & Roll (Part 2)
Timothy Clayton
October 3rd to October 16th, 2010
Havana Gallery: 1212 Commercial Drive
Artist Reception: Sunday, October 3rd from 4pm until 8pm
sep 23 - oct 29 | lookout gallery | james nesbitt
Beyond Scene
This Thursday, September 23, from 4:30-7:30pm we invite you to join us in the Lookout Gallery for the opening of Beyond Scene: The Acrylic Multimedia Paintings of James Nesbitt.
James Nesbitt was born in Bangkok, Thailand, but has lived the majority of his life as a West Coaster. His works are often large scale, using non-traditional materials such as machined wood, acrylic gels, holographic papers, stained-glass, sawdust, and various found materials.
“Through art I hope to encourage reflection on life – the potential of love, the destructiveness of hate, the wonder of emotion, the beauty of free will, the infinity that can be sensed in the depths of the eyes. I wish for there to be something about my work that whispers there is purpose in life; that there is an infinitely creative God who put something wonderful of His own being into each of us, and that there is hope because He is on our side and loves us with an everlasting love.”
Monday, September 20, 2010
sep 28 - oct 10 | miracle in rwanda | arts club
The emotionally powerful Miracle In Rwanda, fresh from the Pacific Theatre stage where it was part of our Fringe Festival offerings, will return for a limited engagement September 28 to October 10 at the Arts Club Review Stage.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
nov 4-7 | poetry retreat | richard osler
Poet Richard Osler has another poetry-writing retreat coming up. Check out this link for further details.
TO GO PAST THE EYES
A Poetry Retreat at the Honeymoon Bay Lodge with Richard Osler
Thursday November 4th to Sunday November 7th, 2010
All-in cost: Double Occupancy $380, Single Occupancy $460
TO GO PAST THE EYES
A Poetry Retreat at the Honeymoon Bay Lodge with Richard Osler
Thursday November 4th to Sunday November 7th, 2010
All-in cost: Double Occupancy $380, Single Occupancy $460
Thursday, September 16, 2010
oct 2 | benefit concert | mennonite jazz committee, etc
This just in from Nelson Boschman, PT's jazz piano guy and Godspell musical director...
Dear Concert-Goers!
I am pleased to inform you of an upcoming event that you won’t want to miss.
LifeBridge Ministries is presenting a benefit concert on Saturday October 2nd at 7pm at Level Ground Mennonite Church
Address: 31216 King Road – Abbotsford.
Featured artists are:
Calvin Dyck
Father’s Daughter
Mennonite Jazz Committee
Proceeds will go to LifeBridge Ministries which is a ministry of Christian discipleship, mentoring and leadership training for people in recovery from substance addiction. Please see poster and press release attached for further information.
For more info – please call 604 854 8181 or visit www.lifebridgeministry.com
Tickets are $20 and are available at House of James – Abbotsford.
Sincerely,
Nelson Boschman
Dear Concert-Goers!
I am pleased to inform you of an upcoming event that you won’t want to miss.
LifeBridge Ministries is presenting a benefit concert on Saturday October 2nd at 7pm at Level Ground Mennonite Church
Address: 31216 King Road – Abbotsford.
Featured artists are:
Calvin Dyck
Father’s Daughter
Mennonite Jazz Committee
Proceeds will go to LifeBridge Ministries which is a ministry of Christian discipleship, mentoring and leadership training for people in recovery from substance addiction. Please see poster and press release attached for further information.
For more info – please call 604 854 8181 or visit www.lifebridgeministry.com
Tickets are $20 and are available at House of James – Abbotsford.
Sincerely,
Nelson Boschman
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