Where are they now?

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What have they been up to? Follow up with your favourite artists from our 2018/19 season.

The 2018/19 season has come to an end and we’re getting pumped for our 2019/20 season. But before we dive right into it, here is a look back at some of the amazing artists we got to work with this past year. A lot of them have been up to really cool things since we saw them last!

Read to see what they have been up to, and learn where you can find out more about their upcoming projects.

Scroll through, or click on the name of one of the 23 shows, to be taken directly to that part of the post: Kamloopa, Testosterone, A Vancouver Guldasta, A Brief History of Human Extinction, The Ones We Leave Behind, The Believers are but Brothers, Backbone, SmallWar, Three Winters, This Duet That We’ve Already Done (so many times), East Van Panto: Wizard of Oz, Little Dickens, Dakh Daughters, Mrs Krishnan’s Party, Power Ballad, This is the Point, Much Ado About Nothing, Children of God, Hot Brown Honey, Multiple Organism, New Cackle Sisters: Kitchen Chicken, Act of Faith, NASSIM.

KAMLOOPA

What a way to start off our 2018/19 season! We had so much fun having Kim Senklip Harvey‘s powerful and hilarious Kamloopa in our Historic Theatre last fall. It was an honour to have such powerful matriarchs bringing down the house each night! After leaving us, Kamloopa continued its tour, heading to Saskatchewan for a run at Persephone Theatre.

What have they been up to?

If you saw Kamloopa, you will recognize Yolanda Bonnell, who played ‘Indian Friend #1’. Bonnell is a playwright, and was recently announced to be one of 50 international playwrights chosen to be part of Climate Change Theatre Action 2019 – “a worldwide series of readings and performances of short climate change plays presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings.” Follow Climate Change Theatre Action on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.

You may have seen Kamloopa Firestarter (who wrote and directed the ceremony), Kim Senklip Harvey, when she and Pippa Mackie hosted Pitch, Bitch or Ditch, a fun Femme Series event in the vein of ‘Dragons Den’, where audience members brought their ideas for a show to the expert panel.

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BIG EXCITING ANNOUNCEMENT!!! Kim Senklip Harvey (writer/director of Kamloopa) and I have created and are hosting a one night only event at the Cultch Historic theatre titled : Pitch, Bitch or Ditch ! (It’s like the Dragons Den of theatre) This is going to be absolutely insane, wild and surprising! (As part of the Cultch Femme Series) @thecultch Monday January 14th 8pm Only $10 !!!!!!!! This is one of those moments you should buy a ticket in advance. Ticket link in my bio!  What is this? Have you grown bored of theatre? When was the last time a show really excited you? Do you have an idea for a show? Join theatre creators and producers Kim Senklip Harvey and Pippa Mackie for an unforgettable night that puts the power in the hands of the patrons. From anonymous suggestions made by the audience, Kim and Pippa will lead patrons through a lively evening of banter and debate—no idea is off limits, no suggestions taboo or too dangerous—let your imaginations run wild! The bar will be open, and there will be guest appearances, and loads of surprises. PITCH—Bring your ideas—pitches are anonymous, so no judgement! BITCH—Kim and Pippa discuss the pitches, and debate whether they have potential as plays or not! DITCH—The power is in your hands—audience members vote on which pitches are ditched and which ones have promise! “It’s like the Dragon’s Den of Theatre…only without the money…and ideas are anonymous!”—Pippa Mackie

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Kim Senklip Harvey

Keep your eyes out for follow up Pitch, Bitch, or Ditch events in our 2019/20 season.

If you don’t already follow Kim Senklip Harvey’s blog, check it out here. Kim is heading to Victoria to take UVIC’s Masters of Creative Writing program this autumn, and we can hardly wait to see the fruits of her time there.

TESTOSTERONE

We had so much fun having Testosterone – the incredible collaboration between Kit Redstone and Rhum and Clay Theatre Company – in our York Theatre last October.

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Testy in Canada 🇨🇦

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What have they been up to?

Rhum and Clay recently premiered a new work, War of the Worlds, a piece inspired by Orson Wells famous broadcast. They will be taking this show to Edinburgh Fringe Festival this August.

Kit Redstone has been busy with his own projects, including a brand new collaboration with Vancouver’s own Pippa Mackie, The Fucking Garden – A wickedly dark and impishly mischievous reclamation of the Adam and Eve story. That is certainly a collaboration to keep your eyes on!

He too will be bringing a show, called Passengers, to Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer.

Follow Rhum and Clay on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.

Follow Kit Redstone on Twitter, and Instagram.

A VANCOUVER GULDASTA

At the same time as we had Kamloopa in our Historic Theatre, and Testosterone in our York theatre, our Culture Lab was transformed into a Vancouver Special, as we were swept away by Paneet Singh‘s A Vancouver Guldasta – the story of a 1980’s Sikh family confronting the tumultuous events of the invasion of the Golden Temple in Amritsar, Punjab, India.

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Honour to be recognized by Colin Thomas in his "Personal Best of 2018" picks in the latest FRESH SHEET alongside the amazing and inspirational @feistysenklip whose work, I can say unequivocally, moved me more than anything else I've seen this year. We were so honoured to share space at The Cultch with our elder cousins (taike/ਤਾਇਕੇ: localized Punjabi dialect referring to Indigenous peoples) and their revolutionary show, Kamloopa. Thanks to Heather and everyone else at The Cultch who kicked off the season in the best way possible. And of course @elticzon, my homie from the hood, who is on pace to take the world by storm with his incredible talent. Can't put into words how much of a pleasure it is to work with this dude. Thank you to the entire Guldasta family (in which I include @sacha_canada and Diwali in BC – without whose hard work and efforts and vision we wouldn't even have bodies funding our work, getting up on stages, or have audiences coming out)— who I incessantly tag in posts with every chance I get, so I'll spare them today — your efforts and artistic perspectives make this show what it is! #browntakeover #eastburnwhat #dhangurunanak

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Follow SACHA – South Asian Canadian Histories Association – on Instagram and Twitter to be the first to find out about any of their upcoming projects.

A BRIEF HISTORY OF HUMAN EXTINCTION

Who could forget this face?!

Audiences fell in love with Stephanie Elgersma’ s Ommie the otter in Upintheair Theatre‘s dystopian environmental thriller, A Brief History of Human Extinction – a puppet and live-action smashup – created by Jordan Hall and Mind of a Snail Puppet Co.

What have they been up to?

Jordan Hall, the writer of A Brief History of Human Extinction, continues to work in support of environmental issues. Recently she was selected to be one of 50 international playwrights for Climate Change Theatre Action 2019 – “a worldwide series of readings and performances of short climate change plays presented biennially to coincide with the United Nations COP meetings.” Follow Climate Change Theatre Action on Facebook and Instagram to stay up to date.

Meanwhile, Upintheair Theatre’s rEvolver Festival started THIS week (May 22- June 2, 2019)! We always look forward to having this fabulous festival take over our theatres, and this year’s festival is going to be incredible. Take a look here to find out more about the lineup, and follow Upintheair Theatre on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter, for lots of fun content!

Mind of a Snail Puppet Co. joined us again in March, with Multiple Organism. Read below to find out more about what they are up to now.

THE ONES WE LEAVE BEHIND

We always love having VACT – Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre – with us, and last fall’s VACT show, The Ones We Leave Behind, by Loretta Seto, was such a beautiful look at the ways we isolate ourselves from those around us.

Agnes Tong and Alannah Ong in The Ones We Leave Behind. Photo by Ray Shum

What have they been up to?

We are thrilled to have VACT with us again in our 2019/20 season. This coming November, Tetsuro Shigematsu will bring us the premiere of his latest play, Kuroko, the story of a young Japanese recluse (a Hikikomori), who meets a mysterious stranger in virtual reality, and is faced with a challenge that may, or may not, draw her into the real world.

Follow Testsuro Shigematsu on Facebook and Instagram to see up to date updates on Kuroko.

Hopefully you got out to the Arts Club’s production of The Great Leap. If you did, you would have seen Agnes Tong, who played Abby in The Ones We Leave Behind, playing the character Connie. She was also in the Arts Clubs production of Shoplifters – what a busy performer!

Keep an eye on Loretta Seto‘s webpage to stay up to date with her latest projects.

Follow VACT on Facebook, and Twitter, and don’t forget to sign up for their newsletter!

THE BELIEVERS ARE BUT BROTHERS

We kicked off our Ceasefire Series – three shows that explored different aspects of war, to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the armistice of WWI – with The Believers are But Brothers, Javaad Alipoor‘s play about young men and the dark web.

What has he been up to?

After stirring up Vancouver audiences with his revealing interactive show, Javaad Alipoor’s The Believers are But Brothers was adapted for television by the BBC.

This summer Alipoor will be taking two shows to Edinburgh Fringe Festival: The Believers are But Brothers and Rich Kids: A History of Shopping Malls in Tehran. Follow Javaad Alipoor on Twitter, and check out his website here.

BACKBONE

Gravity and Other Myths took over the Vancouver Playhouse last October with their dazzling show Backbone.

What have they been up to?

Gravity and Other Myths have been (and continue to be) VERY busy touring Backbone,and A Simple Space, as well as a brand new show, that they premiered in Adelaide this past February – Out of Chaos.

Follow Gravity and Other Myths on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up to date…AND, for lots of mind-boggling photos and videos!

SMALLWAR

The second show in our Ceasefire Series was SKaGen Theatre‘s haunting marvel from Valentijn Dhaenen. SmallWar utilized verbatim exerts from soldiers diaries, brought to life by memorizing projections, sound, and performance, to give viewers a glimpse into the experience of war. We were honored to have SmallWar in our York Theatre during Remembrance Day, and everyone who had the opportunity to see it will likely not forget it anytime soon.

What have they been up to?

SKaGen has a long list of shows that will be playing in 2019 and 2020, including Valentijn Dhaenen’s UNSUNG, and TIL IT’S OVER – “a cross-disciplinary collaboration between SKaGeN and the American visual artist Richard Jackson on the themes of civil war, tenderness and revenge.”

Follow SKaGen on Facebook, and Instagram to see what they are up to next.

THREE WINTERS

Playwright, Amiel Gladstone revisits the site of his Grandfather’s internment

Amiel Gladstone premiered Three Winters with us in 2018 – our third Ceasefire Series show. An all female cast told the story of a daring escape attempt from POW camp Stalag Luft III, inspired by the real-life experiences of Gladstone’s grandfather.

What has he been up to?

In the 2019/20 Season Gladstone will be directing Tetsuro Shigematsu’s new play, Kuroko – talk about a dream team!

Currently, Amiel Gladstone is hard at work on the recently revived Magnetic North Theatre Festival, of which he is the 2019 Producer, alongside Amy Lynn Strilchuk. For more information, and for the 2019 Magnetic North Theatre Festival lineup check out their website here.

THIS DUET THAT WE’VE ALREADY DONE (SO MANY TIMES)

For five days in late November 2018, we were lucky enough to have the incredible Frédérick Gravel and Brianna Lombardo  in our Historic Theatre with This Duet That We’ve Already Done (so many times).

What have they been up to?

Since then Gravel has been hard at work in his exciting new role as the Artistic Director of Daniel Léveillé Danse. Even more excitingly, Gravel will be premiering a new work, a solo featuring himself, called Fear and Greed, June 1-2-4, 2019, at Festival TransAmériques (Montreal). Check out the trailer for Fear and Greed here:

Follow DLD – Daniel Léveillé Danse – on Facebook, Twitter, and Vimeo, to keep up to date!

EAST VAN PANTO: WIZARD OF OZ

Last years East Van Panto, from Theatre Replacement, was a record-breaking hit!

What have they been up to?

Pippa Mackie as Pinocchio

The good news is that the team that brought East Van Panto: Wizard of Oz to life are teaming up again for East Van Panto: Pinocchio (Nov 20-Jan 5). Along with taking part in Climate Change Theatre Action 2019, and also having It’s a Wonderful Christmas-ish Holiday Miracle playing at the Arts Club in 2019, Marcus Youssef will, once again, take on the role of Panto playwright (busy playwright!), while Stephen Drover will return to the directors chair once again.

East Van Panto: Pinocchio will feature the amazing Pippa Mackie as Pinocchio, and is sure to be as wacky and wonderful as Vancouver audiences have come to expect.

We are doubly lucky this coming season because we will have Theatre Replacement twice! Along with the Panto, they will be bringing Maiko Yamamoto‘s story about mothers, sons, and playing Minecraft. MINE (Mar 18-22) will be “playing” (hehehe) during spring break, and is a great opportunity for parents to bring their video game obsessed children to the theatre!

Follow Theatre Replacement on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for fun updates on both shows!

LITTLE DICKENS

We were so excited to have Ronnie Burkett’s hit, Little Dickens, back in Vancouver this past December. Ronnie is a Canadian treasure, and The Cultch brings together some of his most devoted fans year after year!

What have they been up to?

Currently Ronnie Burkett is hard at work creating his latest show, Forget Me Not, which will play in Vancouver (at a secret location!) February 4-March 1, 2020, after premiering at Luminato this summer.

We highly recommend following Ronnie Burkett on Instagram for a behind the scenes looks at all things wild and wonderfully Ronnie!

DAKH DAUGHTERS

This past January we kicked off our Femme Series with the incredibly theatrical Ukrainian musical act, Dakh Daughters!

What have they been up to?

In April, Dakh Daughters Band released a new album, called Air. Listen to Air on Spotify here.

Follow Dakh Daughters on Facebook, and Instagram for all up to date information on this “freak cabaret.”

MRS KRISHNAN’S PARTY

For three glorious weeks, in January and February 2019, our entire building was filled with the incredible scent of delicious daal. Our Culture Lab was transformed into the back room of Mrs Krishnan’s dairy (convenience store), and one hundred people at a time were invited to the surprise party of the year – Mrs Krishnan’s Party. It is no exaggeration to say that The Cultch staff still misses the leftovers!

What have they been up to?

After leaving us in February, the cast and crew of Mrs Krishnan’s Party continued their tour; bringing joy, laughter, and daal to many!

Follow Indian Ink Theatre Company on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up with their adventures.

POWER BALLAD

Power Ballad, Julia Croft and Nisha Madhan‘s feminist performance piece was an essential part of our Femme Series this year. We had so much fun, laughed so hard, and sung our hearts out! The Feminist Karaoke Party is something we will remember for years to come, and it looks like we aren’t the only ones –

What have they been up to?

After leaving The Cultch, Croft and Madhan premiered a new work,Working on my Night Moves, in New Zealand. They will be taking this new show to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival this summer.

Follow Zanetti Productions on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, and follow Julia Croft on Instagram to keep up to date with this feminist duo!

THIS IS THE POINT

Every year we partner with PuSh International Performing Arts Festival to present some incredible work. This past January we partnered with them to bring in the fabulous This is the Point – a play about Love, Sex, and Disability – from Toronto’s Ahuri Theatre.

What have they been up to?

After leaving The Cultch, in early February, Tony, Dan, and Liz continued their tour, visiting a total of nine Canadian cities. Follow Ahuri Theatre on Facebook and Twitter to stay up to date with their upcoming adventures!

We will be partnering with PuSh International Performing Arts Festival again this coming season, and co-presenting Quelemia Sparrow’s O’wet (Jan 23-Feb 1, 2020), as well as The Chop Theatre’s KISMET: things have changed (Feb 4-8, 2020).

We are looking forward to working with PuSh’s new Artistic Executive Director Franco Boni.

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Big Announcement: Franco Boni appointed as Artistic and Executive Director of PuSh International Performing Arts Festival . Following an extensive succession planning period and national search, the PuSh Festival Board of Directors takes great pleasure in announcing the appointment of Franco Boni as the PuSh Festival’s Artistic and Executive Director — effective June 1, 2019. . Boni is a recognized cultural innovator, facilitator and community builder with a demonstrated track record of artistic credibility and financial acumen. He has served as Artistic Director of The Theatre Centre in Toronto since 2003, and has been a fixture on Canada’s arts and festival scene for more than two decades. . Go to the link in our bio to read more! Headshot by: Chloe Ellingson . . #LIVEPUSH #announcement #new #appointment #aed #artistic #executive #director #pushfestival #pushfest #vancouver #van #arts #yvrarts #news #artsnews #francoboni

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Follow PuSh International Performing Arts Festival on Facebook, Twitter, And Instagram, and be sure to sign up for their newsletter, to hear about all the exciting things to come for the 2020 PuSh International Performing Arts Festival.

MUCH ADO ABOUT NOTHING

In February Classic Chic Productions took over our Historic Theatre with an all-female cast Much Ado About Nothing. Audiences were treated to a performance of this classic from the Bard, unlike any they have seen before.

What have they been up to?

On Mother’s Day (May 12, 2019) a group of hilarious women took over Yuk Yuks Vancouver Comedy Club in support of Classic Chic, in an event called Chicks at the Mic!

Follow Classic Chic on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram , and join their newsletter list, to keep up to date with all their fun and fabulous feminist events and productions!

CHILDREN OF GOD

What an honour it was to have Urban Ink‘s Children of God – Corey Payette‘s heartbreaking and restorative musical about residential schools – back in our York Theatre this February/March.

Photo by Emily Cooper Photography

What have they been up to?

After leaving The Cultch, Children of God toured BC, opening up dialogue about Canada’s residential school system.

We are so excited to have Corey Payette again with us next season. He, and our own Heather Redfern, are co-curating Raven Transforming Cabaret Festival – a brand new festival bringing together Indigenous, and non-Indigenous performers in a multitude of disciplines to all three Cultch stages in early October 2019. Learn more about the festival here.

Corey Payette has also been selected as one of 50 international playwrights to be part of Climate Change Theatre Action 2019.

Follow Urban Ink on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to keep up to date with their latest and greatest.

HOT BROWN HONEY

What a way to kick off spring in Vancouver – Hot Brown Honey returned to us this past March to turn up the heat and bring the noise!

What have they been doing?

After another hit run at our York Theatre, the Honey’s took off to smash the patriarchy in New York City!

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HONEYS BE EVERYWHERE! #HotBrownHoney #wehereyahear #timessquare #manhattan #nyc #LenapeNation . . “The Hot Brown Honeys are fierce and with the music booming and a middle finger raised, they are here to make noise and to re-educate the patriarchal, colonial masses. ★★★★★ The Pantograph Punch NZ . . #WorldPollinationTour #NewYorkCity TWO SHOWS ONLY!!! 19-20 April 2019 NYU SKIRBALL CENTRE @nyuskirball . . #CreativeRevolution #RadicalFierceLove #DecoloniseAndMoisturise #RockTheBoat #FightThePower #FirstNationsFierceness #TheRevolutionCannotHappenWithoutChildcare #FeministTheatre #Intersectionality #ShifttheParadigm #ImaginingAbolition #Stonewall50 #QPoc #Burlesque #HipHop #Revolution #Empowerment #BringIt #decolonize

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You may or may not be aware, but Hot Brown Honey has a male counterpart – Briefs! We are so excited to have Briefs – “a glittery bomb of circus, cabaret, and boy-lesque” – join us at the end of our 2019/20 season (April 19-May 3, 2020). Here are the Honeys and the Briefs together as one big happy family!

Hot Brown Honey is always travelling the world, smashing the patriarchy wherever they go. They are going to be part of the National Art Centre’s Indigenous Theatre‘s inaugural season, May 5-9, 2020.

If you don’t follow these “Fierce Mamas” on social media you are MISSING OUT! Follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram to find out what they are up to next!

MULTIPLE ORGANISM

What fun we had with Mind of a Snail Puppet Co. this past March! Our Cultchivating the Fringe winner, Multiple Organism, sold out show after show.

What have they been up to?

Mind of a Snail artists, Chloé Ziner and Jessica Gabriel, don’t seem to ever sit still! Jessica Gabriel was recently part of the inaugural HUNCH Festival, and the two of them are gearing up for Fringe season once again, and heading to Montreal!

Don’t miss out, keep up to date with this daring duo by following them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram!

Also, check out this amazing card they made us!

NEW CACKLE SISTERS: KITCHEN CHICKEN

New Cackle Sisters: Kitchen Chicken – a wild meal, prepared right before your eyes, by madcap company L’orchestre d’hommes-orchestres , as they highlighted the songs of the famous DeZurik Sisters (also known as the Cackle Sisters) – enchanted audiences at the York this April.

What have they been up to?

Since leaving us, L’orchestre d’hommes-orchestres has been touring around Canada with Kitchen Chicken. They will continue touring it, along with
Tomatoes, in the coming months.

Follow L’orchestre d’hommes-orchestres on Facebook for all the madcap adventures of this daring theatrical musical troupe.

ACT OF FAITH

It was such a pleasure to have Realwheels Theatre in our Historic Theatre this April. The premiere of Janet Munsil‘s newly commissioned play, Act of Faith – inspired by the real-life experiences of a woman in the community (see below) – was a real conversation starter.

What have they been up to?

Since January this year, Realwheels Theatre have been hosting playwriting circles, facilitated by Kim Seary. Every two weeks, participants have been meeting to write, and support each other. On June 8, they will be hosting a cold reading of some of the work created during this circle. Check out the event here.

Follow Realwheels on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram, to keep up to date with their latest events and productions.

NASSIM

What a blast it was having a different Vancouver performer take the stage in the incredible show that Vancouver Presents called a “love letter to the audience, to the performer and at its core, a love letter from Nassim to his mother.” NASSIM was a perfect way to wrap up our 2018/29 season!

What have they been up to?

After leaving The Cultch, Nassim Soleimanpour traveled with his self titled NASSIM to Carrefour international de théâtre de Québec. On May 22 it was announced that NASSIM won an 2019 Off Broadway Alliance Award for Best Unique Theatrical Experience.

Follow Nassim Soleimanpour Productions on Facebook, and Twitter to hear the latest news!

Whoa – what a season hey?! Can you believe the incredible people who come through The Cultch’s doors? There are so many incredible artists (not to mention our patrons and donors!) changing the world!

That’s a wrap! We look forward to seeing you next season. Subscriptions are already on sale – book yours today . We look forward to seeing you at the theatre!

Get to know the performers for NASSIM!

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Get to know the performers for NASSIM!

Coming up May 7-19, 2019 we have an audacious new theatrical experiment
from Iranian playwright Nassim Soleimanpour (White Rabbit, Red Rabbit), NASSIM. Each night a different performer joins the playwright on stage, while the script waits unseen in a sealed box…Touchingly autobiographical yet powerfully universal, it is a striking theatrical demonstration of how language can both divide and unite us.

We are excited to announce the brave Vancouver perfromers who will be taking on the unique challenge: Carmen Aguirre, Adam Grant Warren,  Maiko Yamamoto, Marcus Youssef,  Craig Erickson,  Christine Quintana, Dawn Petten, Pippa Mackie,  Quelemia Sparrow,  Tetsuro Shigematsu, Conor Wylie,  Donna Soares.

Read below for an introduction to these fabulous actors!

ABOUT NASSIM SOLEIMANPOUR:

Nassim Soleimanpour. Photo by: Nima Soleimanpour

Nassim Soleimanpour (Writer and Performer) is from Tehran, Iran. His plays have been translated into more than 30 languages and performed globally in over 50 countries. Best known for his play White Rabbit Red Rabbit, written to travel the world when he couldn’t, his work has been awarded the Dublin Fringe Festival Best New Performance, Summerworks Outstanding New Performance Text Award and The Arches Brick Award (Edinburgh Fringe) as well as picking up nominations for a Total Theatre and Brighton Fringe Pick of Edinburgh Award.

Each night a different performer joins the playwright on stage:

CARMEN AGUIRRE (May 7):

Carmen Aguirre

Carmen is a theatre artist and author, and a core artist of Vancouver’s Electric Company Theatre. She has written and co-written over twenty-five plays, including The Trigger, The Refugee Hotel, and Blue Box. Currently she is writing Anywhere But Here for Electric Company, an adaptation of Euripides’ Medea for Vancouver’s Rumble Theatre, and an adaptation of Moliere’s The Learned Ladies for Toronto’s Factory Theatre. Her one-woman show Broken Tailbone has just completed a cross-Canada tour. Carmen is the author of the #1 national bestseller Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter (winner of CBC Canada Reads in 2012), and its bestselling sequel, Mexican Hooker #1 and My Other Roles Since the Revolution. She is currently starring in the independent feature Bella Ciao!. Carmen has won multiple awards for her work, has over eighty stage, film and television acting credits, and is a graduate of Studio 58. carmenaguirre.ca

ADAM GRANT WARREN (May 8):

Adam Grant Warren

Originally from Newfoundland, Adam is a theatre-maker, writer, dancer, and arts educator whose career in performance spans almost 20 years —and has taken him everywhere from the basement stage of the St. John’s Arts and Culture Centre to the International Pavilion at Walt Disney World. In the theatre, Adam’s west coast performance highlights include productions of his own solo show, Last Train In, Touchstone Theatre’s Kill Me Now, and Real Wheels Theatre’s CREEPS, for which he won a Jessie Award. As an associate artist with All Bodies Dance Project, Adam’s collaborations have featured at festivals including Vancouver’s Art on the Spot, Victoria’s SKAMpede, and Calgary’s Fluid Festival. With the support of the Canada Council for the Arts and the British Columbia Arts Council, his new show, Lights, will be featured in a staged reading as part of Upintheair Theatre’s 2019 rEvolver Festival Updrafts Series. For more about Adam and his work, visit www.adamgrantwarren.com

MAIKO YAMAMOTO (May 9):

Maiko Yamamoto

Since 2003, Maiko Yamamoto has been an Artistic Director of Theatre Replacement, a company she formed with fellow artist James Long. The company’s work has focused on building new, experimental and intercultural performances that react to contemporary existence through a highly evolved and extended process of collaboration, and explores unique and challenging ways of using content and staging material. In addition to her work with T/R, Maiko directs, writes, teaches, mentors and creates contemporary performance for and with a diverse range of companies and institutions, including the National Theatre School, Company 605, the Vancouver Art Gallery and the MAKE Artists Residency in Ireland, among others. She holds a BFA in Theatre from Simon Fraser University’s School for the Contemporary Arts and a MAA in Visual Arts from Emily Carr University of Art + Design

MARCUS YOUSSEF (May 10):


Marcus Yousseff. Photo by: Kari Medig

Marcus’ plays have been produced in dozens of theatres in fifteen countries across North America, Europe and Asia, from Seattle to New York to Reykjavik, London, Hong Kong and Berlin. He is the recipient of Canada’s largest cultural prize, the Siminovitch Prize for Theatre, the Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, the Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award, the Chalmers Canadian Play Award, the Seattle Times Footlight award, the Vancouver Critics’ Innovation award (three times) and the Canada Council Staunch Lynton Award for artistic achievement. Over the years Marcus has also written for a half dozen shows on CBC Radio and Television and a wide variety of Canadian print and web publications. Marcus is Artistic Director of Vancouver’s Neworld Theatre and co-founder of the East Vancouver-based artist-run production studio PL1422. He was the inaugural chair of the city of Vancouver’s Arts and Culture Policy Council, a Canadian Fellow to the International Society for Performing Arts and co-chair of the Vancouver political party COPE. He is currently an Editorial Advisor to Canadian Theatre Review, and a consulting advisor for the National Arts Centre English Theatre. He teaches regularly at the National Theatre School of Canada and Studio 58 Langara College.

CRAIG ERICKSON (May 11):

Craig Erickson

Craig Erickson has been active in Vancouver’s theatre scene for the past 15 years, working with such companies as Electric Company, Neworld, Pi, PT, and Mitch and Murray. Craig has also spent 10 seasons at Canadian classical theatres (Stratford, Shaw, Bard on the Beach). He earned a Jessie nomination for his portrayal of Mormon lawyer Joe Pitt in the acclaimed runs of Angels in America, Parts 1 and 2 (Arts Club Theatre, directed by Kim Collier).

Theatre: White Noize (Savage Society), East Van Panto: The Wizard of Oz (Theatre Replacement), Forget About Tomorrow (Belfry/Arts Club) Angels in America, Parts 1 and 2 (Arts Club), Titus Buffonius (Rumble Theatre), Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf (Arts Club/Blackbird Theatre), Tear the Curtain (Arts Club/Electric Company), The Great Gatsby (Theatre Calgary).  Upcoming: Coriolanus (Bard on the Beach). Film & Television:  The Man in the High Castle, A Series of Unfortunate Events, Lucifer, Backstrom.

CHRISTINE QUINTANA (May 12):

Christine Quintana

Christine is an actor, playwright, and co-Artistic Producer of Delinquent Theatre, based on unceded Coast Salish territory. This season Christine appeared in the East Van Panto: Wizard of Oz (Theatre Replacement/The Cultch) and Yoga Play (Gateway Theatre), Marine Life (Ruby Slippers) and co-wrote and performed in Never The Last for Delinquent Theatre at the Annex Theatre. Christine received the 2017 Siminovitch Protégé Prize for Playwriting, a Dora Mavor Moore Award and Sydney Risk prize for her play Selfie, and is Tarragon Theatre’s Playwright in Residence. Christine has BFA in Acting from UBC, and is a proud member of the Canadian Latinx Theatre Artist Coalition.christinequintana.ca

DAWN PETTEN (May 14):

Dawn Petten

Dawn has performed with Theatre Replacement for 4 of its renditions of East Van Panto wherein she has had the pleasure of being a harp, a Hansel, a Prince, and Gloria Macarenko(among others). Other favourite theatre companies Dawn has trod the boards with include: Electric Company Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Caravan Farm Theatre, the Arts Club, and Touchstone Theatre. Most memorable shows: Tear the Curtain!, A Doll’s House, A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Our Town, Pavilion, Hedda Gabler; Studies in Motion, Unity, 1918, and Butoh on Wreck Beach. Dawn is a glad grad of UBC’s BFA Acting Program, has a bunch of Jessie nominations, and has received some of the hardware/glassware. When not onstage Dawn teaches Shakespeare and sex ed to young people (generally not at the same time).

PIPPA MACKIE (May 15):

Pippa Mackie

Pippa Mackie is an award-winning actor, writer and producer. Since graduating from the National Theatre School of Canada’s Acting Program in 2009, Pippa has worked with: Arts Club, Gateway Theatre, Belfry Theatre, Pi Theatre, Rumble Theatre, Firehall Arts Centre, Delinquent Theatre, Greenthumb theatre and many more. Pippa originated the role of ‘Leap’ in Rumble Theatre’s The Society for the Destitute Presents: Titus Bouffonius written by Colleen Murphy, which earned her and the ensemble a Jessie Richardson award for ‘Outstanding Performance by an Ensemble’. She was also the Vancouver Sun’s, Artslandia Magazine and the Georgia Straight’s ‘Artist to Watch’.

Upcoming: Pippa is co-writing a new show titled JULIET: A Revenge Comedy (with Monster Theatre’s Ryan Gladstone), which will premiere the summer of 2019 and most recently, Pippa teamed up with award-winning UK writer/performer Kit Redstone (Testosterone), as they are developing a show titled The Fucking Garden, a wickedly dark reclamation of the Adam and Eve story. Lastly, she will be playing the title role of Pinocchio in Theatre Replacement’s East Van Panto: Pinocchio this winter. www.pippamackie.com 

QUELEMIA SPARROW (May 16):

Quelemia Sparrow

Quelemia is of Indigenous/English ancestry from the Musqueam Nation. She graduated from Studio 58’s Acting program, and the Langara Film Arts program in Screenwriting. Some of Quelemia’s acting Theatre Credits include: Lysistrata (Bard on the Beach), directed by Lois Anderson,Timon of Athens (Bard on the Beach) directed by Meg Roe, The Bakkai (The Stratford Festival) directed by Jillian Keiley The Snow Queen (Globe Theatre), directed by Rachel Peake, Our Town (Osimous Theatre), directed by Bob Frazer, The Edward Curtis Project (GCTC/NA), directed by Marie Clements, The Penelopiad (Arts Club Theatre), directed by Vanessa Porteous, August: Osage County (Arts Club Theatre) directed by Janet Wright, Ernestine Shuswap Gets Her Trout (Firehall Arts Centre), directed by Lorne Cardinal, and Where the Blood Mixes (Playhouse/WCT) directed by Glynis Leyshon. Various Film and T.V credits include: Clouds of Autumn, Fringe, V, Sanctuary 2, Blackstone, Unnatural and Accidental, Da Vinci’s City Hall, Dead Zone and, Da Vinci’s Inquest for which she won a Leo Award for Best Female Guest Appearance. Some of her writing credits include: A podplay for Neworld Theatre and Raven Spirit Dance called Ashes on the Water, Salmon Girl (Raven Spirit Dance), Papiyek (Full Circle Theatre), The Pipeline Project (Itsazoo and Savage Society), and O’wet (Savage Society).

TETSURO SHIGEMATSU (May 17):

For more than twenty years, Tetsuro Shigematsu has been telling stories across an array of media. He is a playwright, actor, scholar, broadcaster, author, filmmaker, and theatre artist. At the age of 19, he became the youngest playwright to compete in the history of the Quebec Drama Festival. Originally trained in the fine arts, he found a similar creative outlet writing for CBC Television’s This Hour Has 22 Minutes. Then in 2004, he became the first person-of-colour to host a daily national radio program in Canada when he took over The Round up on CBC Radio, where he co-wrote and co-produced nearly a thousand hours of network programming. His most recent theatre work,1 Hour Photo garnered five Jessie nominations, and won for Significant Artistic Achievement. His solo work, Empire of the Son was nominated for six Jessie awards and was described by Colin Thomas as, “One of the best shows ever to come out of Vancouver. Ever.” Empire continues to tour throughout Canada and across the world. Tetsuro’s award-winning body of work in film, television, radio, new media, and theatre is taught in universities as examples of cultural possibility. If you would like to support Tetsuro’s work, visit patreon.com/tetsuro.

CONOR WYLIE (May 18):

Conor Wylie

Conor Wylie is a performer, writer, and director creating experimental theatre. Alongside Nancy Tam and Daniel O’Shea, he co-artistic directs A Wake of Vultures (WOV), a performance company working across sonic, visual, and theatrical disciplines. WOV are currently developing Conor’s new work BODY AND MIND, a mash-up of experimental minimalism and maximalist anime cyberpunk, as well as Nancy Tam’s Walking at Night by Myself. Conor regularly collaborates with Theatre Replacement (T/R), Hong Kong Exile, and many members of Vancouver’s esteemed Progress Lab consortium. He is one of the core artists of T/R’s MINE, and is currently co-creating GIRL RIDES BIKE, an algorithmic multimedia motorcycle chase. Conor received a Vancouver Mayor’s Arts Award for Emerging Theatre Artist in 2017 .As an actor, Conor has performed across the country, at the Belfry Theatre, Arts Club, Theatre Calgary, Citadel Theatre, and most recently at Buddies in Bad Times in The Scavenger’s Daughter, the second instalment of Susanna Fournier and Paradigm Productions’ indie-epic EMPIRE TRILOGY. Outside the work, Conor is a single-speed cyclist, a craft beer stickler, casual gamer, low-tier softball ace, and a pretty good person to call if you have a fever for a secret dance party.

DONNA SOARES (May 19):

Donna performed Nassim’s White Rabbit, Red Rabbit at The Cultch in 2012. She is excited to find out what he has in store for her now. Donna has a long history with Theatre Replacement. She played and toured with them in Cinderella: An East Van Panto, Dress me up in your love, and Bioboxes: Artifacting Human Experience, assistant stage managed and helped cast 100% Vancouver, and sat on their board of directors for six years. Some of Donna’s other credits include: Salmon Girl (Raven Spirit Dance),The Enemy (Firehall),King of the Yees (Gateway, NAC),The Drowning Girls (Vertigo),Half Life (Theatre NorthWest),Green Lake (Solo Collective),Benefit (Downstage), and Cock (Rumble).Donna is a graduate of Studio 58 and holds a double major in Theatre and French from UBC. Now, shall we see what Nassim has planned for us?

NASSIM runs May 7-19 at the Historic Theatre. Book tickets online or by phone by calling The Cultch Box Office at 604.251.1363.

FROM OUR FRIENDS AT RUMBLE THEATRE

Can’t get enough of the work of Nassim Soleimanpour (we don’t blame you!)? You will not want to miss his play BLANK, presented by Rumble Theatre April 29-May 4. Similar to NASSIM in style, during each performance of BLANK, Nassim Soleimanpour’s play full of blanks will be completed by a new performer before a live audience.

Performers include:
April 30, 8pm: Emelia Symington Fedy
May 01, 8pm: Peach Cobblah
May 02, 8pm: Maiko Bae Yamamoto
May 03, 8pm: Allan Morgan
May 04, 2pm: Hazel Venzon
May 04, 8pm: Kim Sənklip Harvey

We know you will want to see both amazing shows from acclaimed playwright, Nassim Soleimanpour!

Behind the scenes of Act of Faith with Caspar Ryan!

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Behind the scenes of Act of Faith with Caspar Ryan!

It is the opening week of Act of Faith (April 11-20 – opening April 12) and Realwheels Theatre have been hard at work getting everything ready!

Caspar Ryan, the Director Mentee and Slide Show Designer for Act of Faith, is here to share the excitement with us, and take us behind the scenes!

The date is April 9. It’s the fourth day of tech week. Pressure is high but the air is filled with magic and optimism. Our set is freshly built and it is grand. 


Set Designer David Roberts and Director Rena Cohen

Tech week is where the production really blossoms. Light and sound can turn everyday moments into theatrical wonders. I cannot get over the experience in the room. Thoughtful designers are bringing to life our director’s vision, which I am so fortunate to have been included in developing. I feel blessed. I am captivated.


Danielle Klaudt, our Actor playing Faith, and Stage Manager, Michael “Brooksie” Brooks

Theatre is alive. It is organic, growing and taking in a new breath each and every night — yet always with the same intentions. We cannot guess how audiences will react to our choices. But we dream big and we are hoping for a beautiful connection.

The props add detail to the world that can bring life to the characters and their interactions. Check out the props table backstage! Each item tells a story and is part of a story. It looks really complicated at a glance, but sharp minds track them all.


Props Table #2 and Props Table #1

Wheelchair movement is also part of Realwheels storytelling. Realwheels Theatre seeks to explore the disability experience in everything they do. In Act of Faith the wheelchair dance bridges a gap between dream and reality.


Directing Mentee, Caspar Ryan, and Dance Captain, Harmanie Taylor

The day ends with Thank you’s all around!

Thank you, from each of us to all of you.

Caspar Ryan is the Director Mentee and Slide Show Designer for Act of Faith. He has been with Realwheels for eight years as a videographer and performer. His media group, Caspar Ryan Film, has carved out a niche creating video for Miss World Canada and non-profit organizations. Act of Faith is his first opportunity to be part of the directing process for a theatrical production.

Act of Faith runs April 11-20 at the Historic Theatre. Book tickets online, or by phone by calling The Cultch Box Office at 604.251.1363.

The 45th Anniversary Gala

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The 45th Anniversary Gala

Last month we celebrated our 45th anniversary at our annual fundraising gala! We had a blast and it was so wonderful to party with our most valued friends and supporters.

I had so much fun and it was hands down the best fundraiser I have ever attended

2019 Gala attendee

Together we raised an incredible $68,000, our highest ever total, to bring live performance to our community right here in East Vancouver.

The gifts made support local youth programs, develop BC artists, and make live performance accessible to everyone in our community. Watch the video below to find out more about the impact of donations to The Cultch.

Children of God is getting all the BUZZ!

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Children of God is getting all the BUZZ! – Must close March 10!

Corey Payette’s powerful musical, from Urban Ink, about the impact of Canadian residential schools has now been witnessed by over 35,000 people on stages across the country. People can not stop raving about this play; over and over we hear, ‘must-see’, ‘essential’, and ‘vital’, being used to describe it. Check out some of the latest reviews:

Photo by Emily Cooper Photography

“Children of God truly is a must-see for all Canadians, as a lesson about the true history of our country.” —VANCOUVER PRESENTS

“A triumph of dramatic ceremony.” —BROKEN LEG REVIEWS

“Powerful, exciting and emotional.” —TWO CENTS & TWO PENCE

“If you haven’t seen Children of God yet, you should go. Yes, partly because every Canadian needs to understand the legacy of residential schools, but also because it’s an excellent script performed by top-notch double-threat actor/singers and, even when the subject matter gets dark, it’s a real treat to see them perform”—ILIVEINEASTVAN

“One of the most vital and powerful new works in Canadian musical theatre.” —MONTREAL THEATRE HUB

Social media has been lighting up with amazing personal reflections and recommendations:

“An outstanding, transformative production.” —Robert Clifton, facebook comment

“Such a powerful and absolutely moving production. A true must see!” —Joy Clifton, facebook comment

“Very powerful and effective. Bring your tissues and stay for the discussion.” —Leanne Roy, facebook comment

“A show that all Canadians should see! It is brilliant!” —Jamie Johnston, facebook comment

Children of God runs until March 10, 2019, at the York Theatre. Book tickets online or by phone by calling The Cultch Box Office at 604.251.1363.

A look at Canada’s residential schools

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Children of God is back in the York Theatre (until March 10, 2019) after a national tour, and its highly successful 2017 world premiere at The Cultch.

Children of God a new musical written and directed by Corey Payette, Production Design by Marshall McMahen, Lighting Design by Jeff Harrison, actors David Keeley, Sarah Carlé, Michelle Bardach, Kaitlyn Yott, Cheyenne Scott, Dillan Chiblow, Aaron M. Wells, Jacob MacInnis, and Michelle St. John. An Urban Ink co-production with Segal Centre (Montreal). Photo by Emily Cooper Photography.

In this powerful musical, by Corey Payette, the children of an Oji-Cree family are sent to a residential school in Northern Ontario. This is a story of redemption: for a mother who was never let past the school’s gate, and her kids, who never knew she came. Children of God offers a thrilling blend of ancient traditions and contemporary realities, celebrating resilience and the power of the Indigenous cultural spirit.

The history of residential schools in Canada is a dark part of this country’s history. This selection from the Children of God study guide is a good starting place for those wanting to inform themselves about Canada’s past and present.

Residential Schools In Canada (Background)

The residential school system in Canada was designed to steal Aboriginal children from their home communities and forcibly turn them into Euro-Christian citizens of Canadian society. As former Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s famous epithet from his 2008 apology to residential school survivors goes, the residential schools were meant “to kill the Indian in the child.”

Set up by the federal government, and primarily run by the church, the residential schools sprawled across the nation throughout the 19th and 20th centuries. The last one did not close until 1996.

The system was rooted in the idea that European civilization was superior to the diverse civilizations of the Indigenous peoples, and that it was thus Canada’s moral, and God-given, responsibility to save Aboriginal children from themselves. By isolating the children from their lands, their languages, their relations, and their traditions; and simultaneously immersing them in European customs, primarily rigid gender roles, Anglo-monolingualism, and industrial vocational training, it was thought that Aboriginal communities would die out, and that a unified Canadian nation would emerge.

Archival photo

Residential schools, at their core, were built to commit what is called ‘cultural genocide’. These schools often became places where children would do menial tasks designed to keep the schools open at low cost, rather than as sites of meaningful education. It is also widely reported that these schools were sites of brutal physical, emotional, and sexual abuse against the children, often as punishment for speaking their traditional language, or trying to escape. Many children died while at these schools.

Residential Schools—Lasting Effects

As Children of God will explore, the horrible legacy of the residential school system is still felt today by many Indigenous peoples.

Many of the youth who attended residential schools not only grew up learning to hate their culture, but also grew up not learning how to raise a family, often in an atmosphere of physical and sexual abuse. This has had disastrous impacts for Indigenous communities. For many, survivors of the schools grew into adulthood lacking parenting skills, fostering another generation of children without a nurturing family environment. In many communities today, rates of domestic abuse, alcoholism, and youth suicide are high, many cases of which observers have traced back to the residential school system and the lack of self-esteem it instilled in the students. This ongoing process of undermining community well-being and cohesion, despite the schools being closed, is often referred to as intergenerational trauma.

Healing from Residential Schools

While understanding the vile history of residential schools and the lingering ramifications of this system, it is also important to pause and recognize that this trauma does not define Indigenous peoples and their communities. Many First Nations communities today are healthy and thriving, have a strong connection to their lands and traditions, and are raising younger generations that are eager and ready to continue this process.

On a national scale, it is becoming more common to talk about the residential schools in an honest way for Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples alike—partly in thanks to the Truth and Reconciliation Commission (see below)—which sought to offer space and a platform for survivors of the schools to talk about their experiences as a means of mending relations between Canada and Indigenous nations. Reconciliation politics is by no means perfect, as many First Nations are waiting for the federal government to deliver on its promise of better futures, but we now have valuable entry points into necessary conversations around what healing can look like.

Many communities that still experience the lingering impact of residential schools are taking matters into their own hands, and are looking to break cycles of intergenerational trauma through their own community-led initiatives, such as education, residential school survivor-oriented societies, and drug and alcohol intervention programs (see below).

The Truth and Reconciliation Commission Findings http://nctr.ca/reports.phph

Resources on Healing and Healing Initiatives

“Healing the Legacy of the Residential Schools.” Where Are The Children http://wherearethechildren.ca/

Aboriginal Healing Foundation http://www.ahf.ca/

The Indian Residential School Survivors Society – http://www.irsss.ca/

Legacy of Hope http://legacyofhope.ca/

For more information about Children of God, and more resources, read the full study guide here.

Children of God runs until March 10, 2019, at the York Theatre. Book tickets online or by phone by calling The Cultch Box Office at 604.251.1363.

A Cultch love letter

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A Cultch love letter

This Valentine’s Day, our staff share their Cultch love stories — how they fell for The Cultch and what gets them out of bed in the morning! Have a love story of your own to share? Let us know!

Members of The Cultch staff with cast and crew from Mrs Krishnan’s Party

Lee Newman, Volunteer Coordinator

I first became interested in the Cultch through online research. I was looking into arts organizations to get involved with. I liked that the ED and Director in the organization were women (a rare treasure even in non-profits and the arts), and I thought the programming looked amazing! Diverse and progressive. I met with Cindy to chat about working in the arts and ended up volunteering…and eventually working here!

The moment that came to mind for when I first “fell” for The Cultch was when my partner attended a Founders’ Lounge music and reading event and me. Ivan Coyote did a reading, accompanied by Veda Hille’s music. I loved the cozy, red, cool vibes of the Founders’ Lounge and I LOVED Ivan Coyote – so hilarious and honest. The music was fun and entertaining and lyrically very local! This made it a very special night for me. With representation of queer folks and musicians, I felt safe here. I thought – this place does what I want to do. Inclusivity is a word that comes to mind as very important here and I am all about that.

Lisa Mennell, Communications Associate

I love The Cultch because…

The Cultch has been a place for me to grow and learn, a place to challenge myself, and a place to belong.

I remember the moment I fell for the Cultch. I had just started at The Cultch as an intern. I was completely overwhelmed—new to the city, new to the industry, new to the theatre scene. I felt out of place and over my head.

I think it was day two. I was familiarizing myself with the upcoming Cultch season and going through the material we had for the shows, and we had a copy of the script for Motherload (created by the amazing Emelia Symington Fedy, Jody-Kay Marklew, Juno Rinaldi,and Sonja Bennett). The script was beautiful; poignant, hilarious…it made me want to call my Mom (I did). I laughed, I cried (it was better than Cats!). I think I will always remember that as the moment I decided this was going to be a good place for me. It is the work that we do, and the people we work with, that constantly inspire me and keep me getting out of bed in the morning. And over the past 2.5 years I have slowly made a place for myself in this incredible company—with an unbelievable group of people that constantly remind me of the human capacity for connection and creativity.

I love you Cultch!

Andrew McCaw, Production Manager

I had been working here a little less than a year when I went to see A Vancouver Guldasta in October. I really enjoyed the show. I felt proud of us for programming a piece that represented the Sikh Community so well. At the talkback, the conversation turned to how the women of colour were portrayed in the piece. The comments were very supportive of the work. The Director, Paneet, then said something to the effect of: “If you liked this, you should see Kamloopa! (The OTHER show being presented that week against Guldasta at the Cultch) In fact, THEY close this week, so tell your friends to see Kamloopa THIS week, and come to Guldasta next week!”

We hadn’t asked Paneet to promote the show, it just came to his mind as another example of a show that was created by people of color that actually REPRESENTED them on a modern Canadian stage.

I thought that night: I love working here!

Yuri Arajs, Gallery Coordinator

I love The Cultch because it is making real progress in making our venues more inclusive and accessible to all people.

Cindy Reid, Managing Director

Why do I love The Cultch? I don’t know. But I do.

Is it the people? The staff, the patrons, the volunteers, the sponsors, the donors, the cleaners? I do love all the people.

Is it the programming? Definitely.

Is it the youth program and Ignite? YEP!

Is it the place, the space? Most definitely. It’s awesome! Even the small York lobby – so sweet.

Is it the culture? Ahhh, yes. We care deeply about what we do and who we do it with. It makes going to work a meaningful experience.

It’s a feeling. The Cultch, where we live, work and play on unceded territory. We should write a song about it!

A conversation with Much Ado About Nothing Director, Rebecca Patterson

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A conversation with Much Ado About Nothing Director, Rebecca Patterson

Previously from New York City, Rebecca Patterson is known for her inventive classical productions featuring all-female casts for The Queen’s Company (NYC) and her advocacy for diversity and gender-blind casting. As Classic Chic Productions prepares to open Much Ado About Nothing this week, we caught up with Rebecca to chat about her work and inspirations.

Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Born in California and raised in Western Canada, I went to Studio 58 as an actor before beginning my ongoing journey as an auteur theatre director. For the past 20 years I have been happily living and making theatre in New York City, I moved back home to Vancouver just over a year ago and am now making theatre here in addition to my work in NYC.

Can you tell us more about your work at The Queen’s Company in NYC?
Founded in 2000, The Queen’s Company is a NYC-based theatre company dedicated to the creation of inventive productions of classical plays featuring all-female casts. My work with the company weds a love of language to a love of life, weaving inspiration from history and world cultures into the fabric of each production, and is known for its exquisite use of language, bold physicality, creative storytelling and artistic playfulness. I have also been a vocal advocate for culture change in casting practices, calling for greater opportunities for classically trained professional female actors through all-female productions and gender-blind casting.

Why is gender-blind casting important?
Because it’s about humanity. It is a true reflection of our current culture where the old divisions between men and women are falling away. It is also about social justice and equal employment opportunity for female actors.

What inspires your work?
Life, and the actors I have the pleasure and privilege to work with.

What makes you most excited about being back in Vancouver?
Vancouver has become the city I went in search of, diverse, engaged, hopeful, curious. The city and the theatre community excites me, though I love the dynamic energy and drive of NYC, I miss my culture and my people, it is wonderful being back and diving into this new experiment.

What does it mean to you to be part of the Femme Series?
It means I am claiming space onstage for women and encouraging other women to do the same. This is important, we need to have our diverse voices heard and seen. It will be the journey of multiple lifetimes to undo the untold generations of female silence, to arrive at a time where equality of expression is the norm, this is why, even as women achieve more overt equality, programs like the Femme Series remain important and relevant.

What should audiences expect from Classic Chic’s Much Ado About Nothing?
Expect to be surprised.

Tell us about a woman who has inspired you.
So many to choose from! Of all the fierce females who make my day, I have to choose the French female director Ariane Mnouchkine, within the artistry of stage direction she is considered one the best, her relentless pursuit of truth and bold theatricality has been deeply inspirational and fueled my passion to create theatre.

Photo by Emily Cooper

Much Ado About Nothing runs Feb 5 to 16 at the Historic Theatre (1895 Venables Street). Book tickets online or by phone by calling The Cultch Box Office at 604.251.1363.

Karaoke favourites from the Cultch staff!

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In preparations for Feminist Karaoke, Cultch staff dish about their karaoke favourites!

Julia Croft wants you to sing along!

Power Ballad, from New Zealand’s Julia Croft and Nisha Madhan (Jan 22-26), is part performance piece, part feminist rant, AND part karaoke party! On Friday, Jan 25, the party will continue after the show, when Julia invites Cultch patrons to join her for Feminist Karaoke — a completely free Femme Series event!

The buzz in the Cultch office is palpable—we are a karaoke loving bunch! Here are a few karaoke favourites—and a couple karaoke memories—from some of the staff, to help you get in the mood for Jan 25.

Chelsea Isenor, Marketing Manager

Favourite Karaoke Song: Total Eclipse of the Heart. I don’t really have the vocal chops to sing it well, but it is so fun to belt out. It’s even better if you have a duet partner, but I have been know to sing both parts!

Kelly Barker, Artistic Associate

Karaoke Memory: I sang “I Love Rock and Roll”, by Joan Jett, at my sister-in-law’s wedding, and it was so terrible that the host of the wedding (it was at a small inn in the Okanagan) told me, the next morning, that it was, “the worst thing he’d ever heard”. My mother-in-law apparently has it on video—and I’ve refused to watch it.

Louise Chapman, Development Associate

Karaoke Memory: It’s not a particularly interesting story, but it’s my only personal karaoke experience!

I do not have a good singing voice, so I have only done karaoke once in my life! I was 19 and travelling in Japan with my friend Mariesha. We went along to a karaoke place and got a little room with some people from out hostel. I drank a lot of plum wine (delicious!) and sang Umbrella by Rihanna. A good memory.

Another time, I was staying in a village on a tiny island in the Philippines, where the local fishermen would gather at night to drink rum and sing karaoke. Their singing filled the tropical night air.

Leslie Dos Remedios, Sales Associate

Favourite Karaoke Song: I actually have a running list of karaoke songs on my phone – like when I’m in a store and hear a song I love, I put it in my phone just so I’m not at a loss in those times I’m flipping through a karaoke binder, not at my full capacity and about to make a questionable adult decision.

Some of my faves to sing are:

I Love Rock and Roll by Joan Jett and The Blackhearts
Wannabe by The Spice Girls
Since You’ve Been Gone by Kelly Clarkson

Very eclectic, I know, but such good guilty pleasures!

We wanna know your karaoke favourites—come sing with us!! Feminist Karaoke with Julia Croft is a FREE Femme Series event on January 25, 2019, at 9PM.

Power Ballad runs until Jan 26 at the Historic Theatre. Book tickets online or call The Cultch Box Office at 604.251.1363.

The Femme Series is generously supported by the Charlotte and Sonya Wall Arts Fund.

Power Ballad Creator’s Notes

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A Note from Julia Croft | Power Ballad Creator/Performer

Power Ballad is a living, breathing, and demonic little show that we are absolutely delighted to be presenting in Canada for the first time.

This work is the second in a trilogy of feminist works that we created. Power Ballad was inspired in part by the misogynistic train wreck that was the 2016 US election and the implicit gendered narratives that were played out in the politics and media of that time and continue to ripple through our lives and our culture. It was also inspired by a lifetime of personally feeling the ways in which language was used against me as a woman and the ways I felt (and still feel) that language can be an impossible bind.

Over the course of making the show, the concept of language began to also stand in for all those other seemingly immovable patriarchal structures we are all trying to live within or against. They seem permanent but they aren’t – things could be different. While making this work I thought often of the famous Ursula Le Guin quote “We live in capitalism. Its power seems inescapable. So did the divine right of kings. Any human power can be resisted and changed by human beings.” This work is about finding the cracks where resistance can begin.

This show started to become a small rally cry – or at least my own attempt to begin to understand what a resistance could look like and my reminding myself of the importance of being hopeful.

Then as we began rehearsals for the show millions of women around the world marched collectively as part of the Womens’ March. And then we had #metoo. And Hannah Gadsby’s Nanette. And a million other acts of resistance both big and small seem to be appearing every day. And I feel in my gut that things are shifting. Maybe the revolution has already started.

Either way, it is my great joy to be in a room with you all while we sing our hearts out.

Julia x

Power Ballad runs Jan 20-26, at the Historic Theatre. Book tickets online or call The Cultch Box Office at 604.251.1363.

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