Archives for December 2015

My top ten theatrical pleasures of 2015

Hooray for Vancouver theatre makers!

I’m especially pleased to note that my Top Ten list of theatrical experiences from this past year includes a whole bunch of work from emerging artists as well as seasoned pros.

Okay. I’m going to run through my faves in chronological order, starting with the most recent.

 

Billy Marchenski, Radix Theatre, TBD, Tibetan Book of the Dead

Billy Marchenski was one of the spirit guides in Radix Theatre’s TBD.

Radix Theatre’s TBD

Inspired by the Tibetan Book of the Dead, this immersive experience altered my emotional landscape.

Every day for 21 days, the folks from Radix Theatre initiated some kind of interaction with every one of the souls in the 75-member audience, leading us through our own deaths to our rebirths. Sometimes participants would simply get text or audio messages. And sometimes deities would show up in our lives. (Radix tracked us, using an app that we all agreed to install on our cell phones.)

Check out the first two Related posts at the bottom of this entry.
[Read more…]

The best holiday show I’ve seen (so far) this year

Hansel and Gretel: An East Van Panto, The Cultch, The York Theatre, Allan Zinyk

Pink brocade turns Allan Zinyk into an evil stepmother in Hansel and Gretel: An East Van Panto. It does not have the same effect on me. (I’ve checked.)

Hands down, my favourite holiday show (so far) this year is Hansel and Gretel: An East Van Panto.

It’s original, it’s community-minded, it’s a little outrageous, and it’s got kids in it. What’s not to like?  [Read more…]

The coolest thing about the Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre

Bill Millard, Christopher Gaze, Goldcorp Stage, BMO Theatre Centre

Proud papas Bill Millerd and Christopher Gaze pose outside the newly completed BMO Theatre Centre, which houses the Goldcorp Stage

The coolest thing about the Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre is that the stage can be wherever the hell you damn well want it to be.

After the opening of Peter and the Starcatcher, designer Ted Roberts very kindly gave me and my friend Don a tour of the new facilities that the Arts Club and Bard on the Beach are sharing at 162 West 1st.  [Read more…]

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