Scorched January 13, 2010

Performers Casey Austin and Cara Yeates tell us why we should see

Scorched

Written by: Wajdi Mouawad Translated by: Linda Gaboriau

Directed by: Graham McDonald and Clayton Jevne

Presented by: Theatre Inconnu & ITSAZOO Productions

Theatre Inconnu and ITSAZOO Productions are pleased to announce the Vancouver premiere of the 2007 Dora Award-winning play Scorched by Wajdi Mouawad, January 19–31, 2010, at the Waterfront Theatre on Granville Island. This production will be a remount of Theatre Inconnu’s critically acclaimed British Columbia premiere, which happened in Victoria in November 2009.

“A remarkable achievement. Anyone who cares about good theatre should not miss it.”
- CBC Radio

“A challenging and significant work… expertly interpreted by a theatre company who doesn’t shy away from  accepting said challenges.”
- Monday Magazine, Victoria BC

Scorched explores themes growing out of the immigrant/refugee experience.  It has proven itself one of the most powerfully engaging dramatic works to be produced in this country during the past three years.  Civil war in the Middle East forms the backdrop for much of the play’s action as Mouawad explores with profound insight the concepts of love, loyalty, and betrayal. The plot revolves around a brother and sister’s quest to unearth the history – and mystery – of their deceased immigrant mother.  As their journey takes them to the Middle East, they enter into a process of coming to terms with their own sense of loss and emptiness, while learning to understand the legacy of suffering left in the wake of conflict.

Runs: January 19- January 31, 2010
Tuesdays – Saturdays, 8pm
Saturdays & Sundays, 2pm

Preview:  Tuesday January 19, 8pm
Opening: Wednesday January 20, 8pm

Admission: $18 reg / $15 students, seniors, and unemployed
Tuesday Jan 19, pay-what-you-can

Tickets:
Online: www.theatreinconnu.com
At the door: one hour before show time

Damen and Herren present “Das Comedy” December 10, 2009

JP McGlynn, Tara Browne & Ryan Haneman tell us why we should see

Created by and starring: Ryan Haneman, Tara Browne, JP McGlynn

Presented by: Damen and Herren (link)

A night of live original sketch comedy and film

Feel like sniggering, chortling, laughing, giggling, chuckling, or tittering? We have the solution: this show promises to be hilarious, uproarious, riotous, mirthful, side-splitting, comical, amusing, entertaining show, a hoot, and a scream. Support your local artists!

WHEN: December 17-22 nightly. Doors open at 7pm, SHOWTIME 8pm

WHERE: Little Mountain Studios 195 Main St @ 26th Ave, Vancouver, BC

HOW: For tickets email damenandherren@gmail.com or call 778.836.3538.
Tickets also available at the door.

Tickets are CHEAP (ahem…I mean inexpensive). Only $15!

Spectral Theatre’s A Christmas Carol December 4, 2009

The Spectral Crew tell us why we should see

Written by: Charles Dickens and adapted by Fiona Revill.

Directed by: Michael Cope.

Starring: Lesli Brownlee, Glenn Crossley, Masae Day, Blake Drezet, Stephanie Dyck, Renee Forrester, Des Hussey, Jessica Lewthwaite, Michael Neale, Emmy O’Leary, John Prowse, Fiona Revill, JC Roy, Crystal Sevigny, Duncan Shields, Andrey Summers, Devan Vancise, Tara Webster and Helen Wrack-Adams.

Presented by: Spectral Theatre (link)

Expect the unexpected when you wander into our winter wonderland of weirdness because this Christmas season we’re giving this classic yarn the ol’ “Spectral spin”.  Utilizing a variety of theatrical styles from masks to puppetry and shadow play, we’ll endeavor to present a grittier, creepier and more engaging interpretation of this oft-told tale.  One way or another, we’ll scare the Dickens out of you.

Jericho Arts Centre, 1675 Discovery Street
December 9th-12th, 14th-19th and 21st-23rd, 2009
Doors at 7:30 pm and show at 8:00 pm.

Doors for the matinées on the 12th and 19th will open at 1:30 pm

Tickets $20 – $15 for students and seniors – $10 for children.  On the 9th and 17th all tickets are $10.

Call 604.224.8007 ext. 3 or click here to purchase tickets.

For information e-mail info@spectraltheatre.com

A Beautiful View November 20, 2009

Writer/Director Daniel MacIvor tells us why we should see

A Beautiful View

Written and Directed by: Daniel MacIvor

Starring: Colleen Wheeler and Diane Brown

Presented by: Ruby Slippers (link)

A Beautiful View is a seriocomic trek across the intangibles of love, and about our affinity for re-writing history in its name. Two women, both camping aficionados, meet while shopping for tents. Their connection informs their choices for the next two decades, culminating in a quiet note of tragicomedy.

“I wrote the play as a response to how we have become so comfortable with labeling ourselves and our relationships, even when those labels are restricting,” says MacIvor. “The star of the play really is the friendship between the two women, that means that beyond everything else, it’s all about what the actors bring to the play.  I’m very excited about working with Diane and Colleen – I’ve been a fan of them both for some time.”

“And I’m also excited about working in Vancouver again – the city has been an inspirational place for me both in terms of my work and my life. I’m always happy to have the chance to breathe in some of that west coast air, it’s like a shot of espresso for the spirit.”

Multi award-winning Ruby Slippers Theatre, who are celebrating their twenty-first year, have earned a reputation for smart social satire that is infectiously entertaining by producing critically heralded productions like The Cat Who Ate Her Husband, The Winners, The Leisure Society, Trout Stanley and most recently Life Savers.

The Western Canadian premiere production of A Beautiful View previews Friday December 4, 2009, opens December 5 at 8 pm, then runs nightly through until December 13 (dark Mondays).

All performances are at Performance Works, 1218 Cartwright St, Granville Island.

Tickets are $20/24, except for the preview, which is pay-what-you-can. There will be $15 shows on December 8th at 8pm, and December 13, at 2 pm.

Tickets are available through VancouverTix.com or by calling 604-629-VTIX.

The Burnaby production runs December 16-19, at the Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, 6450 Deer Lake Ave, Burnaby. Tickets are available at www.shadboltcentre.com, or by calling 604-205-3000.

On Sunday, December 6 at 2pm, Jerry Wasserman hosts Coffee and Conversation with Daniel MacIvor, at Performance Works. This intimate interview is free.

Zong! Booklaunch November 15, 2009

Artistic Director Diane Roberts tell us about

Urban Ink’s Celebrity AGM; Zong! Booklaunch

Featuring: NourbeSe Philip, our 2009-10 Canada Council Playwright in Residence

Written by: M. NourbeSe Philip, (www.nourbese.com)

Presented by: urban ink (link)

Sunday Nov 29, 1pm at Chapel Arts 304 Dunlevy Ave

Zong! is a poetic un-telling of the story of the slaveship Zong and its human cargo -some lost, some destroyed and the subsequent insurance claim trial at the end of the eighteenth century. Philip’s Zong! is a haunting lyrical work from trial transcript to poetry. The Zong! book launch will include readings by the writer and a dramatic interpretive response by a small cast of actors through song, gesture and spoken word. The full piece is being developed as environmental participatory ritual theatre and a performance installation integrating visual art, spoken word, video, song, rhythm, dance and improvisation based in Afrisporic traditions slated for production in 2012.

More information at www.urbanink.ca or info@urbanink.ca

An Indigenous Crossroads Laboratory November 15, 2009

Danielle Smith, Heather Hermant and Diane Roberts tell us about

The Co(Lab) showing: An Indigenous Crossroads laboratory

Presented by: urban ink (link)

November 22, 2009 at 7pm- 112 W. Hastings (W2 Bldg.)

The Arrivals Co(Lab) Exchange (Nov 16-22) is a multidisciplinary performance project exploring root cultural practices, ancestral embodiment and intercultural exchanges. Using urban ink’s Personal Legacy Creation process, led by Diane Roberts, Heather Hermant, Danielle Smith and Rose Georgeson- 18 artists of Aboriginal & diverse backgrounds from across the Country will plant the first seeds for an exciting new cross-disciplinary performance work. The Co(Lab) will culminate in an invitational showing on November 22nd at 7pm. The Co(Lab) performance outcome will explode with contemporary and historic collisions of language, ancestry, and ceremony. – Join in the post-showing talk back session to piece out the Co(Lab) creation-compounds.

More information at www.urbanink.ca or info@urbanink.ca

Romeo and Juliet November 11, 2009

Director Dawn Moore tells us why we should check out

Romeo and Juliet

Written by: William Shakespeare

Directed by: Dawn Moore

Presented by: Exit 22 at Capilano University (link)

In this version of Romeo and Juliet, a young acting company opens rehearsal for the second-most-performed Shakespearean play of all time.  Excitement is high, but questions abound.  Who plays the old guys? I’m not wearing tights! How do we tell this story of two families with an ancient grudge? A younger generation who have forgotten the reason they kill each other?  A love story that becomes deadly? The Exit 22 company answers these questions with a fiercely youthful take for a generation that is more familiar with West Side Story, Baz Luhrmann and Franco Zeffirelli.

“When we decided to do Romeo and Juliet, I asked myself how to approach it, to make it fresh and accessible,” says Dawn Moore, who directs the piece.  “And then I got interested in the question itself.  So I am working on presenting multiple styles to highlight others’ choices and to explore the question of what is the best way to do R+J with a young company in a manner that can be understood by our modern audience.”

Exit 22 is the production company of Capilano University’s theatre department. It allows students in either the Acting for Stage and Screen, Musical Theatre or Technical Theatre programs to put their theory into practice in a professional setting.

Romeo + Juliet previews November 19 and opens November 20 at 8 pm, and runs nightly through until November 21. It also runs November 25 to 28.

There will be four matinees, November 24 and 25 at noon; and November 22 and 28 at 2 pm. All shows take place in the Performing Arts Theatre at Capilano University, which is located in the Birch Building, 2055 Purcell Way, in North Vancouver.

Tickets are $20/$14/$8. For more information or to purchase tickets, please phone 604.990.7810, or email boxoffice@capilanou.ca

The Merry Adventures of Robin Hood November 11, 2009

Director Stephen Drover and performers Lawrence Haegert & Genevieve Fleming tell us why we should see

Based on the classic English legend

Adapted by: Jeff Pitcher

Directed by: Stephen Drover

Starring: Ryan Beil, Ian Butcher, Genevieve Fleming, Lawrence  Haegert, Laura Jaye, Josue Laboucane, Julie McIsaac, Sean Oliver, Joshua Reynolds and Allan Zinyck

Presented by: Carousel Theatre (link)

From the playwright who brought you Carousel Theatre’s hit production Peter Pan, we are proud to present this classic folktale during the holiday season, suitable for the entire family.

Hidden deep within Sherwood Forest, he steals from the rich, gives to the poor, and leads his band of Merry Men in an adventures against the evil Sheriff of Nottingham and his quest for power. Join Robin Hood, Maid Marian, Friar Tuck and Little John as they fight to protect King Richard’s throne!

NOVEMBER 27, 2009 – JANUARY 2, 2010
The Waterfront Theatre
1412 Cartwright Street, on Granville Island

For Ages 4 +
No babes in arms.

Public Performances:
NOVEMBER  27, 2009 – JANUARY 2, 2009

School Matinees:
NOVEMBER  25 – DECEMBER 18, 2009

Click here for ticket info

School Groups- to book tickets NOW call Jessie van Rijn, General Manager, at 604.669.3410

Illustration by Christopher Rawlins. Used with permission from the artist.

Demon Voice November 5, 2009

Director Katrina Dunn and Playwright Shawn Macdonald tell us why we should see

Demon Voice

Written by: Shawn Macdonald

Directed by: Katrina Dunn

Starring: Stephanie Belding, Kevin K James, Patrick Keating, William MacDonald, Katharine Venour, Gwynyth Walsh

Presented by: Touchstone Theatre (link)

A melted woman hovers between life and death trying to remember what happened to her. Anna runs into an ex-con she sentenced harshly five years earlier. Mike meets Rachel for a one night hook-up that turns deep. Pete roams the streets looking for Darryl. Six lives stumble toward personal freedom and connection, entangling souls and exposing hidden damage. Demon Voice is a meditation on the thirst for intimacy and its inescapable consequences.

Multi-award-winning actor and playwright Shawn Macdonald has written plays and collaborated in the creation of new scripts for The Arts Club Theatre, the Vancouver Playhouse, Solo Collective, Ruby Slippers and Touchstone Theatre. He has twice won the Jessie Award for Outstanding Original Script, once for Touchstone’s 2006 hit Prodigal Son, and once for co-writing World’s Greatest Guy. Shawn is the instructor for the LEAP Playwriting Intensive for Teen Writers at the Arts Club Theatre.

WORLD PREMIERE
Performance Works
1218 Cartwright Street

November 19 – 28, 2009
Opens Nov 21
Tuesday – Saturday at 8pm

Free Preview: Thu, Nov19 at 8pm
(Tix at door, first come first served)

2 for 1 Matinee Saturday,
Nov 21 at 2pm – All tickets $13
Director’s Chat Sun, Nov 24 after show
Talkback Tue Nov 24 after show

BUY TICKETS
call: 604-684-2787

The Physicists October 30, 2009

Producers/Performers Kelly Sheridan and Frano Marsic tell us why we should see

The Physicists

Written by: Friederich Dürrenmatt

Directed by: Nicole DesLauriers assisted by Ryan Swanson

Starring: Jordan Bodiguel, Duran Cruickshank, Masae Day, Simon Driver, Uriah Field, Sasha Fonarev, Micaele Johnson, Julia Kosor, Victoria Lyons, Frano Marsic, David Mott, Kathleen Pollard, Kelly Sheridan, Blake Stockford

Presented by: Genus Theatre (link)

Genus Theatre proudly announces the opening of its most thrilling, twist-turning production yet, the
cautionary tale of murder, betrayal, hidden agendas and earth-endangering secrets, Friederich Dürrenmatt’s
The Physicists!

We live in a time of confusion and uncertainty. Our leaders have betrayed us, their motivations and
decisions are suspect, and those we thought could be trusted with our well-being must now be watched with
heavy caution. Science progresses at a lightning pace, from stem cells and nuclear proliferation to
homemade child abducting weather balloons, humanity continues to grapple with questions of scientific
responsibility and ethics. These thoughts are at the forefront of the collective consciousness.
Who can be trusted? What can we do? Should we do it?

The Physicists directly tackles these issues. By presenting Dürrenmatt’s heralded script in the style of a
classic film noir, Genus Theatre invites the audience to return to the treacherous world of the stylish crime
drama and experience a master plot which, though it was written 50 years ago, seems more relevant than
ever.

The Physicists, a 120 min show with intermission, premiers at PAL Theatre this November 13. Tickets
are $18 and may be purchased at the door, or ahead of time at www.brownpapertickets.com.
PAL Theatre
8th Floor – 581 Cardero St, Vancouver
Tickets: http://www.brownpapertickets.com or http://www.genustheatre.com
Thurs. Nov 12, 8:00 PM (Special 2 for 1 preview performance)
Fri. Nov 13, 8:00 PM
Sat. Nov 14, 8:00 PM
Thurs. Nov 19, 8:00 PM
Fri. Nov 20, 8:00 PM
Sat. Nov 21, 2:00 PM
Sat. Nov 21, 8:00 PM