Archive for August, 2009

Villains vs. Heroes
August 16, 2009

Director James MacDonald and Performer Joel Colbourne tell us why we should see

Villains vs. Heroes

Written and Directed by: James MacDonald

The Villains
Luchen– Joel Colbourne
Banshee– Ana Carrizales
Imp– Dillon MacPherson
Sedusha– Rita Kizilos

The Heroes
Liviticus– James Mark
Bastien– Evan Fifield
Laara– Loryn Legear
Gitara– Winny Clarke

Presented by: Rainforest Theatre (link)

You will decide if you are a villain or a hero and join your brethren of evil or good. Plotting or celebrating in your lair, you will be fully immersed in this story and experience an event like no other. There will be much comedy, adventure, action, and fun. You will become legend and tales will be told of your exploits this day.

Join us.

August 28 – September 6, 2009

Friday, Saturday, Sunday at 8pm

Theatre on the Lake

Trout Lake (North end by the pier near Victoria Drive and East 14th)

Directed by James MacDonald

Admission by Donation
($5 suggested)

Bash: Latter-Day Plays
August 15, 2009

Directors Josh McNorton and Dani Bryant tell us why we should see

Bash: Latter-Day Plays

Written by: Neil Labute

Directed by: Dani Bryant, Josh McNorton, Danielle Marleau

Starring: Veronica Campbell, Stafford Perry, Nevada Yates-Robart and Michael Bean

Stage Managed by: Gia Nahmens

Presented by: Xua Xua Productions (link)

From religion to journals (online or otherwise) to reality TV shows, people have always been looking for ways to confess.  In Xua Xua Productions’ presentation of Neil Labute’s bash: latter-day plays, three confessions are drawn out of the basement and into the spotlight.  These three dark one-act plays inspired by Greek mythology, the Bible, and pop culture, feature Labute’s trademark talent for hunting down the sinister underpinnings of the all-American glow and yanking it to the forefront.

“The difference between a perfectly decent person and a monster is just a few thoughts.” –Neil Labute.

Tuesday, August 18 @ 8pm (2-for-1 Preview)
Wednesday, August 19 @ 8pm
Thursday, August 20 @ 8pm
Friday, August 21 @ 8pm
Saturday, August 22 @ 2pm & 8pm

The Carousel Theatre, 1411 Cartwright St. (Granville Island), Vancouver.

Tickets on sale here $12 advance, $15 at the door

Spectral Theatre’s Late Night Double Feature – August
August 6, 2009

The crew are back for one more summer production of

Spectral Theatre’s Late Night Double Feature – August Edition (link)

Well ladies and gentlemen, we come to the end. We hope you will enjoy Spectral Theatre’s final month of horror and suspense. That’s right, all throughout the summer Spectral Theatre’s “Late-Night Double Feature” has presented two spooky scripts lovingly crafted by the freaky, filth mongers of Spectral Theatre and performed live on the stage by some of Vancouver’s most gruesomely gifted up-and-comers; and now at last we come to the final pairing. And what a pairing it is!

From Beyond

from beyond copy

“From Beyond” adapted and directed by Desmond Hussey, co-directed by Reta Koropatnick. Featuring Andrey Summers and Michael Cope.

An adaptation of a short story by the eloquent and incomparable H.P. Lovecraft. A treat for any raving fan of the tentacled beast-master himself!

Giganticle

giganticle lobby card copy

“Giganticle” written by Simon C. Hussey and Seth Little, directed by Simon C. Hussey. Featuring Michael Cope, Stephanie Dyck, Aurora Chan, Andrey Summers, Sarah Stupar, Seth Little, Devan Vancise and Vincent Riel.

A hapless scientist’s attempt to develop a secret weapon in the fight against crime goes horribly awry and he unleashes a terror beyond imagination upon an unsuspecting world. Madness and musical numbers unfold…

Week 1 – August 6th, 7th and 8th
Week 2 – August 13th, 14th and 15th
Week 3 – August 20th, 21st and 22nd
Week 4 – August 27th, 28th and 29th

Spectral Theatre Studio, 350 Powell Street.

Tickets $10.  Doors at 9:30 PM Show at 10:00 PM.

Check out “Threesome Thursdays”! Two of you pay and if you bring a third, they get in for free! What happens after is none of our business ; )

Call 604-569-2013 or e-mail info@spectraltheatre.com

LIMITED SEATING AVAILABLE! WE STRONGLY URGE YOU TO RESERVE YOUR SEATS IN ADVANCE.

Shine: A Burlesque Musical
August 6, 2009

Performer Teddy Smooth and Co-Creator Cass King give us several good reasons to see

Shine: A Burlesque Musical

Written and Created by: Cass King, John Woods and Sam Dulmage

Directed by: Jen Cressey

Choreography by: Lauren Allen (AKA April O’Peel) and Rebecca Franklin (aka Melody Mangler)

Presented by: The Wet Spots/Screaming Chickens Theatre Society co-production (link)

A tassel-twirling original, SHINE: A Burlesque Musical is a full-book musical about an infamous burlesque theatre and the family of talented misfits who try to save it from demolition… or worse, respectability. Featuring the award-winning choreography of Screaming Chicken coupled with the acclaimed songwriting of cabaret duo The Wet Spots, SHINE is racy, intelligent entertainment for adults that will appeal to the same adventurous audiences drawn to productions such as Rocky Horror and Avenue Q.

SHINE celebrates the re-emerging arts of burlesque, cabaret, and variety with catchy songs, campy jokes and plenty of bump and grind. A sneak preview of SHINE (under its working title By the Seat of Our Panties) played to two enthusiastic, over-capacity audiences at the WISE Hall during the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival this past May.

At its heart, SHINE is a love letter to contemporary burlesque, created by those who have lived it. The Wet Spots (Cass King and John Woods) have enjoyed international success with their elegant, comedic songs about sex and have played sold out shows at the Sydney Opera House, Massey Hall (Toronto), Café de Paris (London) and The Public Theatre (NYC). Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society are a driving force in Vancouver’s burlesque community and produce shows inspired from traditional Burlesque, Gran Guignol (Theatre of Terror), Vaudeville, b-movies and pop culture.

August 12-22, Wed-Sat at 8:00 pm

The Waterfront Theatre, 1412 Cartwright Street, Granville Island, Vancouver.

Tickets: $25 available from www.brownpapertickets.com.  For online ticketing info, call 1-800-838-3006.

Not suitable for those under the age of 18. Age restriction strictly enforced.


Limbo Circus Theatre’s MACBETH
August 6, 2009

Actor Rhys Finnick and Director Kevin Bennett tells us why we should check out

Limbo Circus Theatre’s MACBETH

Written by: William Shakespeare

Directed by: Kevin Bennett

Starring: Rachel Aberle, Scott Button, Raes Calvert, Joy Castro, Rhys Finnick, Carly Friesen, Katherine Gauthier, Elizabeth Kirkland, Andrew Lynch, Pandora Morgan, Jenna Reed

Presented by: Limbo Circus Theatre (link)

To what lengths would you go to control your own fate?  This question is explored in a passionate and unconventional telling of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy.

Using diverse design components, this Limbo Circus Co-op unearths the roots of the Bard’s haunting tale of vaulting ambition. From flashlights to traditional theatre lights, recorded music to original compositions, from classical to modern influences, we have created a world that is all our own.

With artists from Studio 58, Capilano University, Douglas College, University of Calgary, University of British Columbia and Trinity Western University, this production boasts an innovative and creative theatre experience for people from all walks of life.

We are interested in finding ways to tell stories, be they new collective works or classic texts, with an approach rooted in physical theatre. Always questioning why we do something, and how we can find the most interesting and fun way to do it!

August 20 – 29, 2009
(No show August 24th)

Little Mountain Studios
195 E.26th @ Main St., Vancouver

Play begins @ 8PM

Tickets: $12 General / $10 Students & Seniors
778.996.2339
limbocircustheatre@gmail.com

*Matinee on August 23rd @ 4:00pm

**Late-Night Shakespeare on August 23rd @ 10:00pm
“When darkness does the face of earth entomb.”

***Pay-What-You-Can Night on August 25th

The Laundromat
August 5, 2009

Producer/Performer Diana Squires and Director Tamara McCarthy tell us why we should check out

The Laundromat

Written by: Marsha Norman

Directed by: Tamara McCarthy

Starring: Brenda Matthews and Diana Squires

Stage Managed by: Christie Maxson

Presented by: Scarlet Satin Productions (link)

Theatre Offers Up Laughter, Tears, and Dirty Laundry

In Scarlet Satin Productions’ The Laundromat, one wash-rinse-dry cycle sends the audience spinning back to the world of 1979 where, for two desperate housewives, nothing is as it seems.  In the intimate setting of a real laundromat, watch two strangers from different worlds stumble in with delicates in hand and reluctantly share their deepest secrets.

With her characteristic humour and realism, playwright Marsha Norman introduces Deedee, who bounces from fidgety to feisty, hitting every hilarious extreme in between; and Alberta, whose restrained propriety masks both tenderness and sardonic wit.

“The themes of loss, loneliness, and the continuous struggle to make sense of our selves and our lives, are as relevant today as when the play was written,” says Tamara McCarthy, whose recent directing work at Carousel Theatre earned rave reviews and a Jessie nomination.  “It’s a delight to be telling this simple, beautiful story in a non-traditional performance space.”

With rolling carts and brightly coloured bubbles, Swan Laundry offers a world ideally suited to the play’s warmth and retro appeal.  Owner Carolyn Currie says, “They told me they wanted to perform the cutest show in town at the cutest laundromat in town…I couldn’t resist!”

The Laundromat marks the debut of Scarlet Satin Productions, an independent theatre company dedicated to creating opportunities for women and forging professional connections for emerging artists while producing unique and thought-provoking theatre.

Plays at 8:30 p.m. August 13-15 & 19-22 with a pay-what-you-can preview August 12.  General admission $12.  Swan Laundry, 1352 Burrard Street.  Seating very limited – reserve tickets through scarletsatin@live.com.

For a chance to win two free tickets to Opening Night, e-mail Scarlet Satin Productions the correct answer to this question:

Which play won Marsha Norman the Pulitzer Prize?

The Road to Canterbury
August 3, 2009

Artistic Directors Sebastien Archibald & Chelsea Haberlin tell us why we should see

The Road to Canterbury

Written by: Sebastien Archibald

Directed by: Chelsea Haberlin

Starring: Peter Carlone, Masae Day, Jason Moldowan, Amitai Mormorstein, Ella Simon, Katie Takefman, and Colby Wilson

Presented by: ITSAZOO Productions (link)

What Adventures Lie On The Road to Canterbury?

ITSAZOO Productions, who brought the sold-out Grimm Tales to Queen Elizabeth Park last year, is pleased to present The Road to Canterbury. A modern-day reimagining of The Canturbury Tales (by Grimm Tales author Sebastien Archibald), The Road To Canterbury, led by a Chaucer enthusiast, takes the audience on a tour of Queen Elizabeth Park, and five of Chaucer’s tales. The Road to Canterbury runs August 7-21, 2009.

Updated for the 21st century, Archibald’s take on The Canterbury Tales features contemporary counterparts of Chaucer’s classic characters telling hilarious, insightful, and often sordid tales of love, power, and religion.  Five tourists, who are (unbeknownst to them) modern versions of The Canterbury Tales’ classic characters, partake in a guided tour themed around Chaucer’s life and times.  The tour is led by a chipper Chaucer enthusiast, who leads the audience through the beautiful landscape of Queen Elizabeth Park.  However, he quickly loses control of the proceedings when various “audience members” take over and begin telling their own stories, complete with re-written modern pop songs. The Knight is now a mercenary.  The Wife of Bath has morphed into a gin-swilling British socialite.  The Miller has transformed into a beatnik. The Road To Canterbury showcases the timelessness of The Canterbury Tales and the themes it explored with three main tools Chaucer would no doubt approve of: wit, satire, and music.

“This a dynamic theatrical event,” says Chelsea Haberlin, General Manager and Director of The Road to Canterbury. “The synthesis of play and audience in an outdoor environment is a oneof-a-kind experience. This show is alive, it’s active and it’s hilarious. Furthermore, many of the social and societal criticisms and insights exemplified in The Canterbury Tales are relevant to today.”

Previews Aug. 5 and 6 (PWYC), then runs through every night until August 21 (no shows Sunday).

Performances start at 7 pm, and there will be 2 pm matinees on Saturdays.

All performances take place at Queen Elizabeth Park (33rd and Cambie St). Meet at the Blodel Conservatory.

Tickets are $10 (Children under 12), $12 (Under 30, students and seniors), $17 adults.

To reserve: 604-221-6604 or http://www.itsazoo.org.

Please note, this show is not suitable for children under 10.