The Cultch Presents
Fairview
The Search Party (Vancouver)
In partnership with b current Performing Arts (Toronto)
Written by Jackie Sibblies Drury
Co-Directed by Kwaku Okyere & Mindy Parfitt
27
SEPT
to
08
OCT
about
the performance
“I can’t think in the face of you telling me who you think I am”—Keisha
A radical examination of power, this Pulitzer Prize-winning play confronts notions of theatre, race, and surveillance.
The Frasier family are getting ready for Grandma’s birthday party but things keep going wrong. Beverly wants everything to be perfect, but Jasmine won’t help, Dayton is more interested in the game, Tyrone is MIA, and Keisha—well, Keisha is just a teenager. What starts as a funny suburban comedy about a middle-class black family, a setup straight from a sitcom, escalates into what The New York Times calls “a series of perspective-altering surprises”.
From The Search Party—producer of the critically acclaimed and multi-award winning shows Stupid F*cking Bird, The Father, and Bunny—comes the Western Canadian premiere of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Pulitzer Prize-winning drama.
Recommended for mature audiences
COMMUNITY
PARTNERS
Federation of Black Canadians (FBC)
As a Pan-Canadian body, the FBC seeks to discuss the opportunities, contributions, and challenges that exist for people of African descent nationally. Black communities across Canada are diverse, resilient, creative, and multifaceted. For the first time in Canada’s history, there are over 1,000,000 Black Canadians who call Canada home. With that number projected to double by 2036, the Federation of Black Canadians is working hard to partner with individuals and organizations across Canada to advance the interests of Black Canadians. We want to ensure that as our communities row, we unlock the opportunities that will help build a promising future, building on and celebrating our diverse heritages, histories, cultures, and contributions to Canada.
fbcfcn.ca
BC Community Alliance (BCCA)
The BC Community Alliance (BCCA) is a local Black-led, community-based, organization, formed in 2019 and registered as a non-profit in 2020, dedicated to addressing the structural inequities created by racism, especially anti-Black racism, within education settings in British Columbia. The organization was born out of a crisis in our community, following a racist bomb threat at a Vancouver high school, Lord Byng Secondary, and recognizing the broad harm that occurred not only to Black students in the school but also felt within the broader community, especially other Black community members. Although the ‘Lord Byng incident’ was a foundational moment in the formation of the BC Community Alliance, we are more accurately understood as a response to the racism that is felt by many racialized students.
bccommunityalliance.com
Black Women Connect
Black Women Connect Vancouver is a collective of women who come together to inspire, empower, leverage our strengths and embrace our diverse experiences. It’s a community where Black women in Vancouver can build meaningful relationships, and celebrate the beauty of Black womanhood.
Vancouver has a very small black population that is also unequally dispersed throughout the Lower Mainland. This has made it essential for collectives such as Black Women Connect Vancouver to bridge the gaps that have been created in the local black community, particularly among Black women here.
blackwomenconnectvancouver.com
Hogan's Alley Society
The Hogan’s Alley Society (HAS) is a non-profit organization composed of civil rights activists, business professionals, community organizations, artists, writers and academics committed to daylighting the presence of Black history in Vancouver and throughout British Columbia. HAS adopts a research driven approach to community development that seeks to preserve and promote the historical, cultural, societal and economic contributions made by Black Settlers and their descendants to Vancouver, Greater Vancouver, the Province of British Columbia, the Pacific Northwest and Canada. With this history in the archives, HAS is in process of developing partnerships with local government and business interests to acquire and develop land and operate assets as a community land trust.
The present day Hogan’s Alley Society is predominantly the product of two community lead initiatives: the Hogan’s Alley Memorial Project (HAMP) and the Hogan’s Alley Land Trust (HAT).
SHOW
CREDITS
Playwright
Jackie Sibblies Drury
Co-Directors
Kwaku Okyere &
Mindy Parfitt
Cast
Elizabeth Barrett
Christopher Bautista
Yasmin D’Oshun
Miranda Edwards
Julien Galipeau
Nathan Kay
Lucy McNulty
Angela Moore
Stage Manager
Rebecca Mulvihill
Assistant Stage Manager
Jessica Bournival
Set Design
Amir Ofek
Costume Design
C.S. Fergusson-Vaux
Sound Design
Ruby Singh
Lighting Design
Sophie Tang
Props Supervisor
Heidi Wilkinson
Intimacy Directors
Phay Moores and Ell Rose
Choreographer
Marisa Gold
Dance/Fight Captain
Nathan Kay
Set Builder & Preproduction TD
Jeremy Vreeken
Scenic Carpenter
Jack Mosher
Scenic Painter
Tegan Klancnik
Technical Director
Alistair Wallace
Outreach Coordinator
Monice Peter
Active Listener
Marion Landers
Assistant Sound Designer
Shona Struthers
DIRECTORS'
NOTES
“What are you looking at?!”
Part of the genius of Jackie Sibblies Drury’s Pulitzer Prize winning play Fairview is that within the first five words of the play she manages to encapsulate what the entire piece is about, in a way.
This question can have multiple readings: it can be seen as an affront, as in “Why are you gawking at me?!”, but it can also be posed as a philosophical quandary, as in “What is it that you are perceiving versus what is the reality of what is actually in front of you?”.
One could argue that it is incredibly bold for a playwright to lay their cards on the table so hastily at the outset of their story. But the subversive and somewhat deceptive thing about this play is that once you think you know what it is you’re looking at, the play shapeshifts and alchemizes itself into something completely different, defying expectations and surprising us at every turn.
This question becomes even more pertinent when we apply it to the notion of the white gaze and how oppressive and limiting it can be towards Black and Brown bodies:
How much of our understanding of people who come from different walks of life than us is rooted in truth? Does that truth ring true to those people we view as Other, or is it something that we have imposed on them based on a mix of our assumptions and the fallacies we’ve been fed about Them?
How is the perception of the Other influenced by who is doing the perceiving and their vantage point from the nexus of their own intersections?
Most importantly, how much space do we give the Other to shapeshift and alchemize from what we understand them to be rather than our understanding of them being something that is static, frozen in space and time?
The problematic rhetoric that’s been spouted about Black and Brown bodies has become so pervasive to the point that it is the widely accepted truth of these people for those who do not share their lived experience. This makes the action of Black and Brown bodies being filtered through the lens of the white gaze particularly dangerous, as we have seen the assumptions white people make about Brown bodies destroy their lives and at worst, end them.
These are weighty questions to contend with that don’t yield easy answers, but this play asks us to have these difficult conversations not siloed amongst those who look like we do, but rather as a collective of varied lived experience.
As the character Keisha says in the play we invite you to “sit on the couch, make yourself a plate” and be brave in engaging in this challenging conversation about difference.
About The Search Party
The Search Party is committed to bringing emotionally powerful and aesthetically rigorous productions to Vancouver’s intimate stages. A text-based theatre with a decidedly modern appeal, the company seeks out stories that explore the intricacies and contradictions in our human connections and experiences.
The Search Party debuted in 2019 with Florian Zeller’s The Father. The production was listed as one of the season’s standout shows in numerous publications. The company’s second offering was the world premiere of Canadian playwright Michele Riml’s The Amaryllis, a co-production with The Firehall Arts Centre in November 2020. The Search Party’s third and fourth productions were presented by The Cultch, Hannah Moscovitch’s Bunny, as part of The Cultch 21/22 season and Aaron Posner’s Stupid F*cking Bird which was part of the 22/23 season.
The company has been nominated for 16 Jessie Richardson Awards in the past two years. Their productions have won 10 awards including Best Productions/Direction for both years.
About b current
b current supports and creates culturally-rooted theatre in Toronto. Originally founded as a place for Black artists to create, nurture, and present their new works, the company has grown to support artists from all diasporas. Since its inception, b current has worked towards creating a theatre landscape that reflects the diversity of cultures and lived experiences in Canada – by the community, for the community. This is done by amplifying the voices of historically underrepresented peoples and providing a space where they can stand firm in who they are and where they’re from. b current nurtures artists of colour, primarily from the black and brown diaspora, through training, theatre festivals, community outreach, dramaturgical support, and residencies from the page to the stage, culminating with full-scale productions and presentations.
Thank yous
The Search Party would like to thanks the following organizations and individuals for their support: UBC Department of Theatre and Film, Borja Brown, Refreshed Furniture, Bard on the Beach, b current Performing Arts, The Cultch, Zee Zee Theatre, Jeanette Lambermont-Morey, Kelly Daniels, Phay Moores, Principal Intimacy Professionals, Boom Productions, Cameron Mackenzie, David Deveau, France Perras, Terry Wong, Stephen Drover, Jamie Long, Nav Sahota, and Brian Debeck.
CAST & COMPANY
Bios
Elizabeth Barrett – Suze
Elizabeth is a Vancouver-based actor. Her previous theatre credits include: Clarissa in Teenage D*ck (Arts Club Theatre); Moira in The Code (Green Thumb Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, Tennessee Performing Arts Center); Sawyer in Unexpecting (Zee Zee Theatre and Arts Club Theatre Audio Play); Ensemble in Reframed (Electric Theatre Company); Belle in A Christmas Carol (Western Canada Theatre); Hattie Bomber in Law of the Land (Caravan Farm Theatre) and Ensemble in East Van Panto: Little Red Riding Hood (Theatre Replacement). Elizabeth is a graduate of the acting program at Studio 58 in Vancouver, BC. Big thanks to her partner Anton and her friends and family for their support!
Christopher Bautista – Dayton
Christopher Bautista’s fresh and vibrant talent spans many disciplines. After studying English, theatre and film at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles, Christopher has worked professionally as a writer, actor, and producer for more than a decade. He is the Co-founder and director of UBAS, an organization with the mandate to educate, empower, and represent artists in an ever-changing industry, as well as expose them to the healing power of the arts. He has had a range of leading roles in theatre, film and television. Credits include Fences, Othello, Vieux Carré, the Dora-Nominated production of The Negroes are Congregating, and HBO’s Titans. To reach him or for more information please go to
www.Christopher-Bautista.com
Jessica Bournival – Assistant Stage Manager
Born in Laval, QC and raised in Maple Ridge, Jessica is a graduate of the Bishop’s University’s Drama Program (2020). She’s very excited to join the Fairview team. Her previous credits include: Ceci est une histoire d’amour and Le Soulier (Théâtre la Seizième); Th’owxiya and Quelqu’un t’aime Monsieur Hatch (Axis); Apprentice SM credits: Henry V and Romeo and Juliet (Bard on the Beach); Made in Italy and The Twelve Dates of Christmas (Arts Club).
Yasmin D’Oshun – Keisha
Born and raised in Salvador, Brazil, Yasmin is grateful to be creating art on the lands of the Coast Salish people. Recent credits: The Prom (TUTS), A Tiny Christmas Carol (Chemainus Theatre), Ride The Cyclone (Blue Bridge), and Pop-Up Theatre (Theatre SKAM). As a black-latinx neurodivergent performer, she learned early on that these major parts of her identity would need to be neglected for her presence to be respected and palatable in this industry. She is thankful for the opportunity to now work on a show and with a company that forces her to dismantle those beliefs, and practice radical acceptance. Special thanks to Kwaku and Mindy for their trust, patience and guidance. Yasmin is both excited and curious for the conversations that this challenging/powerful piece will spark in our audiences. And for some creative whiplash, you can catch Yasmin next summer in the Arts Club’s upcoming production of Guys and Dolls.
Miranda Edwards – Jasmine
An actor/storyteller born in Saskatoon, raised in Toronto and of Grenadian descent, Miranda Edwards’ career has taken her to stages throughout North America and on the big and small screen. Some of Miranda’s select credits include:
For Theatre: ‘Da Kink in My Hair (Soulpepper Theatre & Mirvish Productions), The Ridiculous Darkness (Alley Theatre), Who Knew Grannie: a dub aria (Obsidian Theatre), The Madonna Painter, Toronto the Good (Factory Theatre). For Film & TV: Arrow, Snowpiercer, A Million Little Things, Family Law and Virgin River.
Currently, Miranda is writing her first play: A Brown Girl in the Ring. Fairview marks Miranda’s first show with The Search Party.
CS Fergusson-Vaux – Costume Design
CS Fergusson-Vaux (she/they)- is a Theatrical and Visual Artivist with a fervent belief in decolonizing our community, encouraging and aiding in bold cultural endeavours, and constructing an ethical and inclusive artistic legacy. Works include projects with The Arts Club Theatre, Persephone Theatre, & Zee Zee Theatre. Fergie is currently Design Coordinator for The Stratford Festival and former Associate Artistic Director of the SUM Gallery + Queer Arts Festival. She gratefully stands in resolute solidarity with her hosts and stewards of the occupied lands and waters both the Treaty Territories of the Attawandaron, Anishinaabeg, Wendat, and Haudenosaunee Confederacy, and the qiqéyt (QayQayt), xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh Úxwumixw (Squamish), and səl̓ilw̓ətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Julien Galipeau – Mack
Julien is very grateful to be a part of Fairview! This is his first time working with The Search Party, and he’s excited to delve into this important material. Julien has been referring to himself in the 3rd person for theatre bios ever since graduating Studio 58 in 2017. Previous credits include Little Women (Chemainus), Camera Obscura (Frank Theatre), Much Ado About Nothing (Bard on the Beach) and more. Julien would like to thank his family and friends for their ongoing support.
Marisa Gold – Choreographer
Marisa Gold is an intuitive multidisciplinary dance artist with a passion for all things soulful. She has trained in a variety of Modern/Contemporary styles, with a BFA in dance (SFU), certificate of completion from The Ailey school Independent Study program (NYC), and The Graham school(NYC). She is an expressive dancer, poet, vocalist, choreographer, stylist, and actor whose work is embedded in self reflection, a deep love for humanity and reverence for our planet earth.
Nathan Kay – Jimbo
Past Search Party credits: Bunny and Stupid F*cking Bird.
I feel fortunate to be a part of Fairview.
Marion Landers – Active Listener
Marion Landers is a mixed South African/Irish Canadian actor, choreographer and teacher from Vancouver. Former dancer with Zab Maboungou/Compagnie Danse Nyata Nyata, (Montréal/Congo), Balet Brazil, Laura Monteiro (Vancouver/Brazil), Afro-Jazz Drum & Dance Ensemble, Thelma Gibson, (Vancouver) and Umoja! The Spirit of Togetherness, Thembi Nyandani (South Africa). Theatre credits: Welcome Back to Harlem! A Hellfighter’s Story, Diane Roberts/Marsha Regis, Rooted Theatre; James Douglas: an Opera, Obediyah Jones-Darrell, SoundBodyCulture; Welcome to Thebes, Brian Parkinson, Untited Players and Emilia, Lois Anderson, United Players. Choreographer on Once On This Island (Best Choreography Broadwayworld.com 2018), Damon Jang/Mary Littlejohn, Fabulist Theatre; we the same, Sangeeta Wylie, Advanced Works, Ruby Slippers; and choreographic advisor on Mx, Lili Robinson, Vancouver Fringe Festival. A Sessional Instructor at the School for Contemporary Arts, Simon Fraser University, Marion holds a BFA Dance/English, SFU & MA/Theatre UBC. Full-length dancetheatre works: I Live Still, co-produced by National Congress of Black Women Foundation & Vancity Office of Community Engagement, supported by BC Arts Council, and For Coloured Girls Out of the Womb, inspired by Ntozake Shange’s choreopoem and Marion’s heritage from the ‘Coloured’ People of Cape Town, South Africa. Film & TV credits: principal roles opposite Shelley Long on The Wedding Chapel, Tisha Campbell in Simone Biles: Courage to Soar and Jordan Peele’s reboot of The Twilight Zone. Marion is excited to bring her wide range of skills to the role of Active Listener and thanks Mindy Parfitt, Kwaku Okyere and Monice Peter for bringing her on board!
Lucy McNulty – Bets
An actor, writer, director and producer, Lucy has performed across Canada at the the National Arts Centre, the Luminato Festival, the Banff Arts Centre and the PuSh Festival. Select theatre credits: Goodnight Desdemona, (Good Morning Juliet) (Blue Bridge), Our Ghosts (Western Gold), DISSOLVE (Shameless Hussy), Anna Bella Eema (Sol Collective), King Arthur’s Night (Neworld), 4000 Miles (Belfry), Vimy (WCT), Rivulets (Babelle), and Bull (Rumble). Lucy’s short film CHICKEN has screened internationally in Canada, the United States, Europe and Australia and won the Jury’s Choice Award and the DEAI Award for Diversity, Equity, Access and Inclusion at the Thomas Edison Film Festival. Lucy is a graduate of Studio 58 and is the recipient of the Sydney J Risk Foundation Acting Award.
Angela Moore – Bev
Angela Moore has been a professional actress for over 25 years in film, TV and theatre. Notable performances include guest starring in Netflix’ A Series of Unfortunate Events, principal roles in Amazon’s The Stand and Netflix’ Maid, supporting lead in Lifetime’s The Christmas Aunt, recurring on ABC’s The Good Doctor and A Million Little Things, and as Darlene Fowler in the CW’s Nancy Drew. In 2016, she was nominated for a Leo in the Best Supporting Actress category for the web series, CODED. She is currently a series regular as Bakta on the MGM+ series, FROM.
As a wife, mother and devout Buddhist, Angela is continually inspired to create value in her life and in the lives of others. Angela currently serves as an Executive Board Director at UBCP/ACTRA, Chair of the BIPOC Committee, and co-chair of the Women’s Committee.
Rebecca Mulvihill – Stage Manager
Rebecca has previously stage managed Stupid F*cking Bird, Bunny, The Father and The Amaryllis for The Search Party. Recent credits: Henry V, Harlem Duet (Bard on the Beach); As dreams are made (Music On Main); Anywhere But Here (Electric Company Theatre); The Cull, Topdog/Underdog, The Shoplifters (Arts Club); and The Pearl Fishers, La Traviata (Vancouver Opera). Rebecca is a graduate of The University of Victoria.
Amir Ofek – Set Design
Born and raised in Israel. Graduated from Central Saint Martins College of Art & Design and Brandeis University (MFA Theatre Arts). Amir designed productions in Tel-Aviv, London, and the USA. In Vancouver Amir designed for The Vancouver Opera (La Voix Humaine, Orfeo Ed Euridice), Bard on the Beach (Henry V, Midsummer’s Night Dream, and Pericles). He designed numerous productions for the Arts Club Theatre Company (including The Cull, You & Me, and The Valley with Mindy Parfitt). Previously with The Search Party: Set Design for Florian Zeller’s The Father, for which he received a Jessie Award for Outstanding Set Design, Bunny, and Stupid F*cking Bird.
Kwaku Okyere – Co-Director
Kwaku Okyere is a first generation Ghanaian-Canadian actor and director born and raised in Toronto, Ontario where he’s also based. He is so excited to be making his Vancouver directorial debut for The Search Party alongside his friend and intrepid collaborator, co-director Mindy Parfitt! Some of Kwaku’s favourite acting credits include Ali and Others this past summer in a brand new staging of Come From Away directed by Jillian Keiley which played in Gander, Newfoundland where the story actually took place (!!!); Bobby in Canadian Stage’s acclaimed production of Tarell Alvin McCraney’s Choir Boy which will make its way out west to the Arts Club in January 2024; Orestes in the Dora Award nominated Iphigenia and the Furies (on Taurian Land), Oberon in Theatre Rusticle’s acclaimed production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream, and originating the role of Civil Rights activist Bayard Rustin in The Seat Next to the King. Kwaku’s favourite directing credits include associate directing the Toronto premiere of Omari Newton and Amy Lee Lavoie’s provocative and hilarious hit show Redbone Coonhound at Tarragon Theatre, and assisting Jillian Keiley on her hit production of Brad Fraser’s adaptation of Richard II this past season at the Stratford Festival. Fun fact: the day after Come From Away closed, Kwaku hopped on a plane on the opposite coast and flew to Vancouver to start co-directing Fairview the following day. He wouldn’t have had it any other way! Kwaku is so grateful for the love and support of his family, blood and chosen, but he couldn’t do any of this without his incredible partner Cameron! I love you so much baby, we did it!
Mindy Parfitt – Co-Director
Mindy has worked as a director and producer across Canada for over 20 years. She is the founder and Artistic Director of The Search Party and has directed the company’s four acclaimed productions (The Father, The Amaryllis, Bunny and Stupid F*cking Bird). She was born and resides on unceded Coast Salish territory and is a graduate of both Concordia University (BFA) and UBC (MFA). Directing highlights outside of The Search Party; The Cull, You & Me, The Valley and Armstrong’s War at The Arts Club, am a (a collective creation with Amber Funk Barton), This Stays in the Room, Palace of the End, and You are Here (Horseshoes & Hand Grenades). Mindy has had the great fortune of working on a wide variety of theatre productions as a freelance director, theatre creator and mentor. Theatre is a collective art form and this production would be nothing without the incredible dedication, heart and soul of this talented team. A special thanks to my new friend and co-director Kwaku Okyere – it has been an honour.
Monice Peter – Outreach Coordinator & Active Listener
Monice is an accomplished actress with over 15 years of experience. She has played notable roles such as Portia in Julius Caesar and Creusa in The Aeneid at The Stratford Festival, toured in the USA as Queen Gertrude with Why Not Theatre in their production of Prince Hamlet, and spent a season at The Shaw Festival. Monice is now an ensemble member and instructor at Tightrope Theatre, as well as a faculty member with Improv for Work and Wellness at Tightrope. Recently, Monice was the BIPOC Fellow for Assistant Directing with Theatre Under The Stars production of Matilda, and she played Jo in the Arts Club’s production of The Legend of Georgia McBride. Currently, Monice is a student of Sustainable Business Leadership at BCIT. Monice is happy to be a part of this production and build community.
Ruby Singh – Sound Designer/Composer
Ruby Singh is a multi award winning performer, composer and producer residing on the unceded territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səl̓ílwətaʔɬ/Selilwitulh Nations (Vancouver BC.). His work is informed by sound found all around us, from the whirling planets and stars of distant galaxies to percussion of an umbrella under coastal rains, to the perpetual moving birdsong of the dawn chorus, constantly circling the globe. The richly imaginative visual textures to his sound design have found kinship in the theatre, film and dance worlds, where he has been celebrated by multiple Jessie and Leo award nominations. In 2022 he received the Lieutenant Governor’s Jubilee Award for excellence in art and music, and in 2023 was nominated for a Juno award for best Global Music Album of the Year. Singh believes in art’s ability to reimagine futures, to repurpose aesthetic freedoms toward civil and environmental justice.
Shona Struthers – Assistant Sound Designer
Shona is a UBC Acting Graduate, former Pacific Theatre apprentice, Affair of Honor Creative Associate & Company Member, an actor, Intermediate FDC Actor Combatant, Advanced BADC Actor Combatant, sound designer, a water-logged drifter. They have sound designed for Alley Theatre, Pacific Theatre, Presentation House Theatre, Arts Umbrella, Western Gold, Affair of Honor, Stone’s Throw Productions, The Show Must Go Online. Enjoy this show, and let it absorb for a long time.
Sophie Tang – Lighting Designer
Sophie Tang is an award-winning lighting and set designer working in Theatre, Opera and Dance. She has worked with companies including Stratford Festival, Shaw Festival, Electric Company Theatre, Vancouver Opera, Arts Club Theatre, Bard on the Beach, Citadel Theatre, Canadian Stage, Theatre Replacement and so on. Recent credits: The Apple Cart (Shaw Festival), Henry V (Bard on the Beach), Legend of Georgia Mcbride (Arts Club Theatre), Midsummer Night’s Dream (Vancouver Opera), Undeveloped Sound (Electric Company Theatre), Choir Boy (Canadian Stage and ArtsCclub), The Pearl Fishers (Vancouver Opera), Romeo and Juliet (Bard on the Beach), and 9 to 5 (Citadel Theatre). Portfolio website: sophieyufeitang.com)
Jeremy Vreeken – Pre-Production TD/Scenic Carpenter
Jeremy is a scenic carpenter and TD for the Dept. of Theatre and Film at UBC. This marks Jeremy’s fourth production as the pre-production/set TD for The Search Party. Past credits as TD include Stupid F*cking Bird, Bunny, The Amaryllis (Search Party), The Wolves (UBC), and King Arthur’s Night Hong Kong tour (Neworld). As a carpenter and stagehand, Jeremy has worked on many UBC and Arts Club productions, Oh Christmas Tea (James & Jamesy), and Paul Anthony’s Talent Time (Rio Theatre). Jeremy is honoured to be part of this amazing creative team.
Alistair Wallace – Technical Director
Alistair is an Actor, Producer, Comedian, Sound Designer, Technical Director and Production Manager. Originally from Sydney, Australia, Alistair was Technical Director and Artistic Associate of pantsguys productions before moving to Vancouver in 2018 to be Technical Director of the Firehall Arts Centre until 2021. Recently, Alistair has been TD and PM for Carousel Theatre, vAct, The Darlings, Touchstone Theatre and The Frank Theatre.
Join us for one of these three FREE workshops—and one Community Gathering—being offered during the run of Fairview!
The Search Party has organized these workshops for the primary objective of enhancing the play’s underlying themes while offering a nurturing environment for Black and BIPOC artists in Vancouver. The instructors have created these workshops to encourage participants to experiment with their creativity, hone their skills, and establish professional connections within the industry.
OCT 1st | 11am—1pm
For Black Folks
“black like me”
with Marcel Stewart from b current
Learn More
black like me:
how we got here, how we’re doing, and where we want to go
a workshop with Marcel Stewart
Workshop Description
From the moment we began our artistic journeys, as Black artists in Canada, we’ve encountered a multitude of narratives – some bestowed upon us, and others we have courageously reclaimed and reframed. So often we rarely get the chance to unpack and discuss those narratives in a creative space that is predominantly Black.
Marcel Stewart, the Artistic Director of bcurrent, wants to offer a safe, nurturing space where, as a community, we can unravel the complexities of our individual journeys, surrounded by fellow Black artists who understand the nuances of our experiences. Participants will be asked to read an article prior to the workshop that relates to the content being explored during the session. Over the course of two hours through prompts and brief exercises, artists from any discipline will leave with a new narrative of unity, strength, and artistic liberation.
About Marcel Steward
Marcel Stewart
Marcel Stewart is a father, artist, facilitator, and arts administrator who loves cleaning the house while listening to the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack. He is the Artistic Director of bcurrent Performing Arts and as an Artistic Associate for SpiderWebShow Performance. Marcel is a multi-time Dora nominated actor and has performed in numerous Dora award-winning productions. He has worked with Soulpepper, Factory Theatre, Thousand Islands Playhouse, Obsidian Theatre, The Theatre Centre, The Blyth Festival, Festival Players, Studio 180, The Grand Theatre, WhyNot Theatre, Persephone, Theatre Direct, Carousel Players, Theatre SKAM, and Atlas Stage.
For three years, Marcel worked at Suitcase in Point as Outreach Director, co-founding the Nest Artist Residency and Electric Innovations. When Marcel is not creating theatre, he is an arts educator who has facilitated programming for community youth groups, professional actors, and students in university, high school, and elementary. He has taught classes at the National Theatre School, Brock University and Sheridan College. Inspired by the teachings of d’bi young anitafrika, Marcel often returns to the questions: Who am I? How am I? How did I get here? Who have I lost? What is my purpose?
OCT 1 | 4pm—7 pm
Community Gathering with FOOD
OCT 4 | 6—7pm
Pre-show Panel: A Conversation on Black Spaces
Moderator: Palesa Koitsioe
Panel Members: Nataizya Mukwavi (BWCV), Markiel Simpson (BC Community Alliance), Emmanuela Droko (Hogan’s Alley), Mindy Parfitt (The Search Party/Director)
Location: Vancouver Cultural LAb, 1895 Venables St.
OCT 5th | 6—7pm
For BIPOC Folks
“Finding Your Type In Stereotypes” with Ese Atawo
Learn More
Finding Your Type in Stereotypes
A workshop with Ese Atawo
Finding Your Type in Stereotypes is a fun workshop to help players get excited to play tropes or rather archetypes of common characters that are often seen in improv stories. An archetype of a character is a set of behavioural patterns commonly associated within a particular group of people; Moms, Dads, Sisters, Brothers and so forth. We’ll explore those patterns through improv games and exercises to create characters that fit your styles, background, personalities and most importantly, your point of view.
About Ese Atawo
Ese Atawo
Ese Atawo is a Nigerian Canadian actor and comedian. Raised in Toronto, Ese began her love for live performance through local theatre companies and festivals. She enjoyed the diversity of being a part of Canada’s largest ten-minute play festival, InspiraTO Festival, for two consecutive years. She found strength through truthful vulnerability as a cast member of Toronto’s Vagina Monologues production of A Memory, A Monologue, A Rant, and A Prayer as well as Any One of Us; and she embraced the challenge of a German written play in Summerworks production of Kasper and the Sea of Houses. Alongside Ese’s involvement in theatre, she began studying through Second City Toronto, the art of improvisation. With improv being so engaging and spontaneous, Ese completed all six level as well as Second City’s Conservatory program. Ese relocated to Vancouver to expand her training in improv by taking classes through Instant Theatre and eventually became a cast member and frequent player. Her involvement in improv has enabled her to be a part of a successful improv troupe called Your Moms and Nasty Women, as well as being involved in successful comedy events and festivals throughout Vancouver and abroad. In addition, Ese was a part of Vancouver’s Fringe Festival improvised show, Orange Is the New Blank and her latest involvement in Sean’s Reycraft dark comedy, One Good Marriage. Alongside her love of life performance, Ese takes great joy in teaching the new wave of up-and-coming improvisers, as a teacher at Blind Tiger Comedy.
OCT 7 | 11am—12am
For All Folks
“Not That Funny”
with Jesse Lipscombe
Learn More
Not That Funny
A workshop with Jesse Lipscombe
Step into the transformative world of “Not That Funny” tabletop game workshop. Unveil the subtle webs of microaggressions woven within everyday language as you playfully navigate through scenarios designed to illuminate these often overlooked issues. This interactive experience empowers participants to become everyday activists by honing their awareness and response skills. Through thoughtful gameplay, discussions, and role-playing, attendees gain insights into dismantling harmful language patterns while fostering inclusivity. Jesse Lipscombe’s workshop equips individuals with the tools to engage in crucial conversations, fostering a more empathetic and equitable society. Join us to unravel layers of language and embrace the power of change, one word at a time.
@thelipscombe on all socials
www.thelipscombe.com
www.notthatfunny.store
About Jesse Lipscombe
Jesse Lipscombe
Jesse Lipscombe is an actor, former athlete, activist and entrepreneur. The Alberta native began his career as an actor at age 14 in the film, Children of the Dust, starring legendary actor, Sidney Poitier. At 18, Jesse accepted a full athletic scholarship to the prestigious Morehouse College in Atlanta, GA where he was a breakout track star. He won a Rosie Award for Best Performance by an Alberta Actor for his performance in the 2017 film, It’s Not My Fault and I Don’t Care Anyway, and was one of the executive producers of the sketch comedy show Tiny Plastic Men for which he was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Best Comedy Series at the 3rd Canadian Screen Awards. Outside of the arts, Jesse invests in various businesses and runs a consultancy, inspired by the #MakeItAwkward campaign he launched in 2016 to combat racism, misogyny, homophobia and hatred. He works with organizations and leaders to help them understand and address racism.
In 2017, Jesse was the recipient of the Obsidian Award for Top Business Leader in Western Canada. That year, he was also named the Community Man of the Year by Diversity Magazine.
Through it all, Jesse makes it his top priority to give back to his community. Jesse works with various annual charity fundraisers and partnerships in his home-base of Edmonton.
