july 26-31 | salt-water moon | featured performers

Julie Casselman is back on the PT stage in the role of Mary in SALT-WATER MOON. Here's a behind the scenes look at Julie's thoughts on the show. 

What do you love most about David French’s, Salt-Water Moon?
Probably the sass I get to explore. The 1920's are a different era - and women were really expected to have this gentle, demure presence all the time. But for Mary, a young woman really trying to choose her own life despite her circumstances, she has to tap into this bold and courageous - and sassy! - side of herself. Oh! And I probably love the eastern Canadian imagery everywhere. It desperately makes me want to hop on a plane and spend the rest of the summer in the maritimes.

Do you relate to your character?
Yes. Probably in her determination. I've chosen an artistic path for my life - which isn't always an easy way to live. But this is what I'm passionate about and am determined to do. I think, too, that she's a bit of a firecracker and trying to determine what of her life has been expected of her - whether it's family history, the aftermath of the war, or being a woman in this time period - and which of these factors she can shed in order to live the life she dreams for herself.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this play? I hope you go home and shower everybody you love with love. When you love people, tell them. And then I hope you go on a youtube trail of listening to eastern Canadian music, and then Irish music, because oh MAN, is it ever silly, beautiful, and fun.

Why do you think this play is suitable for the PT stage? It's a story about love, fear, regret, and questioning reality in front of us versus what we hope for. I think that's all faith, right there. Choosing to believe in bigger things - or desperately struggling to choose to believe in bigger things - when you've been hurt or are just feeling so uncertain. Those are the kind of stories that just ache with humanity. And I think that's what PT strives to do every season, and therefore what PT audiences cling to.

We would also like to welcome Molly MacKinnon and Darcy Stobbe to the PT stage!

Darcy Stobbe is an a graduate from the Vancouver Film School's Acting Program. He has been acting for the past 14 years and moved to Vancouver a couple of years ago to pursue acting for film and television. Recent credits include, A BOY AND HIS PIANO, EVERYTHING I REALLY NEED TO KNOW I LEARNED IN KINDERGARTEN, and THE COUNT OF MONTE CRISTO. Darcy hopes that SALT-WATER MOON will reminded audiences of the importance of finding love during hardships and times of grief.

Molly Mackinnon is a Vancouver based violinist and graduate of the UBC Music Performance Program. Molly joined Plan Z Theatre Company's creative team for this project and will be performing live, original and arranged Newfoundland folk music, arranged by Julie Casselman herself.

july 26-31 | salt-water moon | eleanor felton

Quick! Get your tickets to, SALT-WATER MOON by David French running on the PT stage from July 26-31. Up-and-coming director and past PT apprentice, Eleanor Felton is back with her take on the highly anticipated quirky, love story. Felton is no stranger to the PT stage and was listed on Vancouver Presents as a, "Vancouver artist to keep an eye on". Her past PT credits include, A GOOD MOTHER (director), SUBWAY STATIONS OF THE CROSS (stage manager), THE RAINMAKER (assistant director). Here's what Felton had to say about SALT-WATER MOON:

What do you love most about David French’s, SALT-WATER MOON?
I love the simplicity of this story, the humour, the playfulness. And I love that this play exists in the pull between the past and the future. This play exists immediately in the turning point of Jacob and Mary's lives and it is a beautiful thing to watch them try to sort out what they want and why.

What do you hope audiences will take away from this play?
When we hear that something is a love story, we all want to believe it, but we think we should be smarter than that. We are skeptical of love - we are cynical, especially of young love. SALT-WATER MOON is a simple love story which gently asks us to fight for love for 90 minutes.
I hope that it will inspire our audience to hope and fight for the future, and to leave the past in the past.

Why do you think this play is suitable for the PT stage?
This show opens up the conversation about practicality and feeling - it asks us to examine what is real and what is not. What is superstition, and what is science. This is especially relevant to the PT stage as we try to understand the role of faith in a world of fact. Will you let the facts of the past hold you back from believing in the possibilities of the future?

Director's notes:
I have been thinking about this play for 6 years now and I am thrilled to be doing it at my favourite theatre!

Phil Miguel is designing all the visual elements (set, costumes, props, lights) and he is bringing just the right amount of magic and sense to the production. The multi-talented Julie is collaborating with Molly McKinnon to underscore the show with sea chantys and folk songs on the violin. By the time everything is together in one room we will have a show which rests between the myths of the constellations and the certainty of a fishing boat, tugging between the foundations of the past and the mystery of the future.

july 26 and 29 | munsch upon a time | mack gordon

If you're in the Kamloops area looking to take a trip down memory lane or have a little one in need of some summer entertainment, be sure to check out MUNSCH UPON A TIME directed by our good friend, Mack Gordon. Here's the Shaw TV interview with Mack and what it was like for him working on the project.


Get ready for fairy tales and time travel when Robert Munsch stories come to life on stage with the help of Professor Pim’s Time Machine! You’ll be beamed back into the past and forward into the future with lots of high-octane energy and loads of laughs. Experience three classic stories from Canada’s most beloved children’s author—The Paper Bag Princess, The Fire Station and David’s Father—plus two new favorites—Give Me Back My Dad! and It’s My Room!—all presented with larger-than-life, family-friendly fun for both the young and the young at heart. 

Prince Charles Park in Kamloops
Tuesday, July 26th and Friday, July 29th
7 and 5 pm

july 26-31 | salt-water moon | plan z theatre company

Past PT apprentice and co-founder of Plan Z Theatre Company, Eleanor Felton (director of A GOOD MOTHER) is teaming up with artist Julie Casselman (Susie in WIT) to bring you SALT-WATER MOON, July 26-31.

Newfoundland: 1926. Charming Jacob Mercer has set out to win back his sweetheart. Stubborn and determined, Mary is not about to be won over all that easily. Filled with romance, wit, and original music, this Canadian classic is not to be missed.

Direction: Eleanor Felton
Starring: Julie Casselman and Darcy Stobbe
Stage Management: Candy Wang
Production Design: Phil Miguel
Fiddle: Molly MacKinnon
Original Music and Arrangements: Julie Casselman

July 26-31 @ 8:00
1440 W 12th Avenue
Pacific Theatre

Tickets range from $10-20 and are available at planztheatre.brownpapertickets.com
planztheatre.wix.com/planztheatre

Note: Tickets are not available through Pacific Theatre's box office.**

july 8-16 | any night | about the show

ANY NIGHT is back for it's final week on the PT stage. Here's the 411 on all things you need to know about the show. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Think-It's-Worth after the fact! 

Vancouver, BC – When Anna moves in to the basement suite below Patrick, an unlikely romance ensues. But as she suffers increasingly strange behaviour in her sleep, it sends them both down a dizzying spiral of mistrust and fear. Now, caught together in a shared nightmare, this clashing pair must untangle their demons, sort reality from dream, and learn how to trust – or one of them may never wake up.

Any Night is inspired by the true story of Ken Parks- the first person to get away with murder because of sleepwalking, as well as a recent case of a family man in Alberta who was caught filming his tenant, a young female student. This award-winning play is written by Vancouver playwrights Daniel Arnold and Medina Hahn. “I love that Any Night is getting produced again here in Vancouver!” says Arnold (co-artistic director of Alley Theatre) “this will be a real treat to see how others interpret and re-imagine Any Night! Very excited (and I can tell we're in good hands).”

This project brings together some of Vancouver’s most exciting emerging talent, including Pedro Chamale (rice & beans theatre) on set design, as well as CJ McGillivray (who recently worked on the Jessie nominated “Dot & Ziggy,” and is the composer for “On my Walk” with Carousel Theatre) designing sound, as well as new media design by Matt Horrigan.

“What first drew me to this script was the recognition of my story within it,” says actor and producer Jess Amy Shead. “It is thrilling to get to a work on a piece that expresses the subtleties of modern intimacy I've experienced in such a fascinating and challenging way.” “It’s a great challenge to work in the genre of thriller,” says director/producer Julia Siedlanowska. “The playwrights lead us to examine our own biases through Patrick and Anna’s troubled relationship, and it’s given me a fantastic opportunity to examine my own politics as an artist.”

ANY NIGHT July 8-16 @ 8:00

Artistic Team:
Directed by Julia Siedlanowska
Featuring Jess Amy Shead and Riaan Smit
Set Design by Pedro Chamale
Sound Design by CJ McGillivray.
Lighting Design by Ada-Jane Wolf and Nicole Weismiller
Costume Design by Heather Schmit
New Media by Matthew Horrigan
Assistant Set Design by Shelby Wyminga, Jocelyn Kim, Vanka Salim
Stage Management by Miranda Sandberg

AUDIENCE ADVISORY: Contains strong language, violence, and sexual content. Trigger warning for assault.

kat gauthier | a doll's house | soulpepper

Look what Kat Gauthier is up to! She was Sky in You Still Can't, Goldie Hawn in Godspell (huh? Goldie Hawn was in Godspell?), Abby in 100 Saints You Should Know... And now she's Norah in A Doll's House, at Toronto's Soulpepper Theatre (opening July 18). How's that for the role of a lifetime!

july 8-16 | any night

ANY NIGHT opens tonight @ 8pm! We are so excited to see Jess Amy Shead and Julia Siedlanowska in their final apprentice project. Congratulations on opening, ladies!

When Anna moves in to the basement suite below Patrick, an unlikely romance ensues. But as she suffers increasingly strange behaviour in her sleep, it sends them both down a dizzying spiral of mistrust and fear. Now, caught together in a shared nightmare, these clashing lovers must untangle their demons, sort reality from dream, and learn how to trust – or one of them may never wake up.

July 8-16 at 8pm
Tickets: pay-what-you-think-it's-worth after the show (cash only)

** Subscribers you get free tickets to our apprentice shows! Email tickets@pacifictheatre.org to reserve your free tickets today.

Featuring Jess Amy Shead and Riaan Smit
Director • Julia Siedlanowska
Set Designer • Pedro Chamale
Sound Designer • C.J. McGillivray
Costume Designer • Heather Schmit
Lighting Designers • Ada-Jane Wolf and Nicole Weismiller
New Media Designer • Matt Horrigan
Assistant Set Designers • Vanka Salim, Jocelyn Kim and Shelby Wyminga
Stage Manager • Miranda Sandberg
AUDIENCE ADVISORY: Contains strong language, violence, and sexual content. Trigger warning for assault.

featured apprentice | Jess Amy Shead

Apprentice Jess Amy Shead finished her last box office shift here at PT and is eagerly preparing for her final apprentice project, ANY NIGHT opening this Wednesday, July 8th. Here's what Jess had to say about the apprenticeship and her plans for the summer.

What was your favourite part of the apprenticeship?
My favourite part of the Apprenticeship was having the space to build more creativity into my every day life. I had somewhere to go every day to do what I loved. I have worked on about 8 Artistic projects over the past 10 months! It is amazing to think of how much of my life I have been able to infuse with creativity, and how I will be able to carry that forward beyond this Apprenticeship.

In what ways have you grown artistically/professionally over the past 11 months?
Thinking back to our first project, THE DROWNING GIRLS, I cannot believe how much I have grown. Through that show I learned how to think and talk intelligently about a piece of theatre, and form my own opinions on its relevancy, effectiveness, and politics. All of these things prepared me to wrestle with the issues at hand in ANY NIGHT before deciding, with Julia, to produce it. And now that we're doing it, it feels like a brand new way of looking at theatre and my Art.

What are your plans for the summer?
I am back working as the Artist Services Coordinator at the Vancouver Fringe Festival, my sister is having a baby, and I'm planning to enjoy the sunshine as much as possible!

What are you most excited for now that the apprenticeship is over?
I am excited to work with all of the incredible people I met through this Apprenticeship. It's a really lovely feeling to know I am more connected to the Theatre Community here in Vancouver, and I can't wait to see where that goes.

Do you have a next project in mind?
Right now I'm thinking about the fact that I'll be back here at Christmas to be in HOLY MO! A CHRISTMAS SHOW, and how exciting that is! I also think that once ANY NIGHT has closed, I will be able to dream about exciting projects Julia and I can do and make together! Until then - ANY NIGHT  is all I got on my mind!

Thanks for all your hard work and smiles, Jess. See you soon!

featured apprentice | Julia Siedlanowska

Julia Siedlanowska is finishing up her apprenticeship here at PT, but her work as an artist is far from over. Julia's final apprentice project, ANY NIGHT opens this week on our PT stage. We thought you might like to know what Julia's experience was like over the past 10 months and what's up next for her. 

What was your favourite part of the apprenticeship?
Working with some fabulous people and having the opportunity to work on developing my craft on some really great projects! I'll never forget my experience producing and acting in THE DROWNING GIRLS, as well as all the one on one audience experiences I had in ASK/TELL: THE BOLER PROJECT, and now of course, while still in the thick of it (we go into tech this Sunday!) directing ANY NIGHT (which I am co-producing with fellow apprentice, Jess- from whom I have learned so much, and can't wait to continue working with!) My heart is filled with the love of so many people coming together and working hard for what they love. (Currently- Thank you and huge love to the ANY NIGHT team!!!)

In what ways have you grown over the past 10/11 months (artistically/professionally?)
I've learned a helluva lot about marketing from Andrea Loewen, director of marketing and publicity! That's been something I've wanted to gain experience doing and I'm so grateful for what I've learned from her. I'm also super grateful for Cara, who was directly responsible for the fledgling apprentices. I am inspired by all of PT staff's patience, hard work, and compassion. I've grown to learn and appreciate the work that goes into running a company, and the importance and dedication of the people behind it. (Thank you Ron, for creating opportunity for so many artists, and thank you for allowing me to be a part of it.) I am so grateful for the people I have met, importantly, my fellow apprentices. I have learned so much from them- and I look forward for what's to come for us in the future! As an artist I've learned a lot about what I value, what I want to see more of, and what I want to push myself to further and develop. I've learned to push boundaries firmly with compassion and patience! (Ok...I'm still learning...)

What are your plans for the summer?
Finish directing ANY NIGHT, finish working as an artistic associate at the Semiahmoo Arts Centre for Peninsula Productions, perform my TYA solo show "SHE BEGAN TO CROSS THE SKY," start directing AUX.LA.MORE for the Vancouver Fringe Festival....then hopefully run away into the wilderness never to return....

What are you most excited for now that the apprenticeship is over?
THE GREAT UNKNOWN

Do you have a next project in mind?
Many... but I heard this thing that you're less likely to do something if you've talked about it...so I'll keep my cards close to my chest.

It's been great having you on the team, Julia! See you soon!

year-end campaign | 53.4% complete

This year's Year-End Campaign has officially begun! We have had a truly remarkable 35th Anniversary season, starting with with sold-out productions of Kim's Convenience and The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe and finishing with the artistically challenging and heartbreakingly funny The Cake.  Now we are celebrating this milestone with one last fundraising campaign. Please consider making a donation today.

Our goal is to raise $50,000 by the end of our fiscal year on June 30th. The good news is, we already have a seed gift of $25,000! We would like to see that gift matched, however, and that is up to you! Please donate any amount today to help bring us the rest of the way home.

The story so far:

SEED GIFT: $25,000

MATCHING TALLY:
60 + 25 + 412.31 + 25 + 100 + 237 + 50 + 30 + 100 + 10 + 25 + 50
+  79.75 + 500

 = 1704.06

TOTAL = $26704.06 | 53.4%

Thank you to everyone who has contributed to our past thirty-five years of success! 
Please continue to help us continue to offer Theatre That Matters by donating today.

TO DONATE:

Go online: www.pacifictheatre.org/donate
Call: 604-731-5483
Mail/Visit: 1440 W 12th Ave, Vancouver, BC, V6H 1M8

featured apprentice | kim larson

Kim Larson celebrated her last day as an apprentice here at PT. What's next, you say? I'm glad you asked! Here's a behind the scenes look at life as an apprentice and what's in store for Kim this summer.

What was your favourite part of the apprenticeship?
It was really exciting to learn the ins and outs of producing my own shows. It's a very rewarding process.

In what ways have you grown artistically/professionally over the past 11 months?
I think I came into this apprenticeship with a strong foundation of the technical elements of acting. I knew how to do it, but I wanted to learn why to do it. I wanted to be surrounded by people who had established careers and knew exactly why they love the craft and how they live it out. I feel like I got that. Spending time with Ron, who has such a clear vision of what he thinks good theatre is and how to do it, has been refreshing. I think I have a clearer idea now of how I want to be an actor.

What are your plans for the summer?
I'm going to Armstrong to work on OUR TOWN at Caravan Farm Theatre!

What are you most excited for now that the apprenticeship is over?
Daaayyyyliiiiiggghhhhttt! I'm excited to spend a bit of time out of Vancouver over the summer and camp for the next month and a half straight!

We wish you all the best, Kim! See you soon!

any night | apprentice show

Apprentices Jess Amy Shead and Julia Sidelanowska are getting ready for their year-end show ANY NIGHT.

When Anna moves in to the basement suite below Patrick, an unlikely romance ensues. But as she suffers increasingly strange behaviour in her sleep, it sends them both down a dizzying spiral of mistrust and fear. Now, caught together in a shared nightmare, these clashing lovers must untangle their demons, sort reality from dream, and learn how to trust – or one of them may never wake up.

July 8-16 at 8pm
Tickets: pay-what-you-think-it's-worth after the show (cash only)

** Subscribers you get free tickets to our apprentice shows! Email tickets@pacifictheatre.org to reserve your free tickets today.

Featuring Jess Amy Shead and Riaan Smit
Director • Julia Siedlanowska
Set Designer • Pedro Chamale
Sound Designer • C.J. McGillivray
Costume Designer • Heather Schmit
Lighting Designers • Ada-Jane Wolf and Nicole Weismiller
New Media Designer • Matt Horrigan
Assistant Set Designers • Vanka Salim, Jocelyn Kim and Shelby Wyminga
Stage Manager • Miranda Sandberg
AUDIENCE ADVISORY: Contains strong language, violence, and sexual content. Trigger warning for assault.

your pt-friendly guide to the jessies

The Jessies are just a week away and we are so excited to celebrate with all of you. To kick off the count down to the Jessies, here is a PT-Friendly guide to all our artists who have been nominated for their outstanding work around the community.

Andrew McNee was last seen on our stage in THE SEAFARER, and has been nominated for his work in the Arts Club's ONEGIN and Bard on the Beach's THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. You watched Lori Triolo on our stage in DANNY AND THE DEEP BLUE SEA, and she's been nominated for her performance in THE MOTHERF**KER WITH THE HAT. Kevin McNulty was seen a few years back on the PT stage in THE LAST DAYS OF JUDAS ISCARIOT, and has been nominated for his performance in YOU WILL REMEMBER ME. Stephen Drover, worked on our 2012-2013 production of WITTENBERG and has been nominated for his work in COCK.

Corina Akeson most recent work at PT was for her design in WIT. She was also the assistant director for THE WHIPPING MAN, and is nominated for her performance in A DOLL'S HOUSE. Another familiar face to THE WHIPPING MAN production is Drew Facey, who has been nominated for his set design in ONEGIN. 

Many artists who worked on our production of WIT have also been nominated for their outstanding work in other productions. Julie Casselman, who made her professional debut as Nurse Susie was nominated for her sound design on TENDER NAPALM.  Christopher Gauthier is nominated for his costume design in BRIGHT BLUE FUTURE. John Webber is no stranger around PT. He recently was the head set designer for WIT and has been nominated for his outstanding lighting design in ONEGIN at the Arts Club. Lauchlin Johnston is well known around PT for his outstanding lighting and set design work. This year he has been nominated for his work in GOOD PEOPLE and PETER AND THE STARCATCHER. 

Carolyn Rapanos worked on the production of GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES and is nominated for her work in RIVULETS: 3 SHORT PLAYS ABOUT A FLOOD. Itai Erdal previously worked on JESUS HOPPED THE A TRAIN, and was nominated for her work in THE VALLEY. Wendy Gorling was the movement coach and choreographer for our actress in THE AMISH PROJECT, and is nominated for her work in THE WAITING ROOM. Pam Johnson worked with us on COMMUNION, and is nominated for her work in THE COMEDY OF ERRORS. Last but certainly not least, Benjamin Elliot was seen a few years back in our production of CHRISTMAS ON THE AIR and is nominated for his design work in A BEST LAID PLANS and LOVE'S LABOUR'S LOST. 

There you have it folks! Let's give a round of applause for the nominees! We can't wait to see everyone at the awards next Monday. 

june 15-18 | something sacred | a moment with the artists

SOMETHING SACRED opens tonight @8pm! We are so excited to see Kim and Stephanie back on the PT stage performing their own original work in Kim's final apprentice project. Congratulations on opening, ladies!

Kim Larson in THE DROWNING GIRLS 

How is this performance different from the first time you performed the show? Have you made any changes?

I've actually made quite a few changes since the last time I did the show. The show is autobiographical, so it's been an interesting process for me to go back into something that now feels like it happened a long time ago and shift things around. In some ways, it was really difficult. But I also had the chance to go back and re-visit the person I was and think about the ways I've changed since then. Originally, the show was centered more around the guy - my relationship and the decision to stay or leave. But with a bit of distance, I realized that what I was wrestling with was actually my faith community and the fear of losing my identity. So the new version has more of that.

What inspired you to write the piece? What excites you about the piece?

 I started writing this show because I had to. I knew that if I was writing about my heart, it was going to touch on faith and God in some way, but the only things I could write about that felt true were the questions I had. So I started there. I don't think the piece has any answers to those questions, but it takes some steps towards figuring things out. Maybe. Hopefully.

-Kim Larson

Stephanie Elgersma in MY BEAUTIFUL MONSTER

How is this performance different from the first time you performed the show? Have you made any changes?

The change most notable to me is that I myself am different. The biggest challenge has been to return to a play that I wrote two years ago. It can be strange and sometimes painful to to now put myself back into the emotional demands of this play and what I thought true at the point in my life when I first wrote it. But I guess to be an actor is to face my fears and jump out of my comfort zone every night, and I wouldn’t do it if I didn’t absolutely love it or think it important. Other than that, just blocking has changed -- the play was originally set in a small chapel (the one upstairs from Pacific Theatre actually) so bringing it now to the Pacific Theatre stage is quite the adjustment!

What inspired you to write the piece? What excites you about the piece?

Why Frankenstein? Well it started as a joke originally, but the more I thought about it, the more it seemed like an exciting idea. I love the complicated relationship between Frankenstein and his monster, and all the potential metaphors wrapped up in this ugly, deformed, yet ultimately misunderstood creature and how that could potentially mirror Annie’s relationship with her wild sexual desire and her faith. And I knew that having the story of Frankenstein through out my play would provide me with the anchor I needed to guide my own storytelling.

-Stephanie Elgersma

something sacred | apprentice show

Apprentice Kim Larson is getting ready for her year-end show SOMETHING SACRED.

Two stories.
True(ish) stories.
Questions about what is sacred, Where it breaks,
And what is worth holding on to.

Written and performed by Stephanie Elgersma and Kim Larson.

On June 15-18 at 8pm with 2pm matinee on June 18
Talkback Friday, June 17

Tickets: pay-what-you-think-it's-worth after the show (CASH ONLY)

curtain call | a 2015-2016 retrospective

That's a wrap on our 2015-2016 season! Here's a TakeMeBackTuesday retrospective on our past season.

SMOKE ON THE MOUNTAIN

THE AMISH PROJECT

A CHRISTMAS CAROL: ON THE AIR 

COMMON GRACE

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES

A GOOD MOTHER 

WIT 

wit | closing performance

There are two performances of WIT left- 2pm and 8pm today! Thanks so much to the team for their hard work! Happy closing!