11 Events to Attend for the Week of June 19, 2017

Among the BC Alliance for Arts + Culture's 420 members are artists, performance groups and cultural workers at museums, theatres, concert venues, community organizations, professional associations and more. Here's what some of them are up to this week.

Image: Pacific Theatre

Between the Sheets
Stone’s Throw Productions presents Canadian playwright Jordi Mand’s searing play about a parent-teacher confrontation. The Globe and Mail called it "Ibsen, Mamet and Strindberg all in one." If you missed Alliance member Pi Theatre's acclaimed presentation of the play in 2014, at an actual school, here's a chance to "be held rapt."
(Vancouver: Pacific Theatre, Jun. 21-24.)

TD Vancouver International Jazz Festival
One of North America’s most prestigious jazz festivals presents more than 300 indoor and outdoor performances. Many of those performers are known stars, like Branford Marsalis, Antibalis and Seu Jorge. To learn about more left-field jazz artists, check out artist director Ken Pickering's last month of Facebook posts, where he eloquently describes his most-anticipated shows — including local guitar/oud maestro Gordon Grdina; Mario Rom's Interzone, from Austria; and BC-bred Brooklynite, the multi-reedist/composer Anna Webber. This weekend's Downtown Jazz is a free, outdoor festival within the festival at Vancouver Art Gallery — where the plaza is still under construction. With just three days to go, its completion will be a close call! (Publicist John Orysik promises "it's all systems go" and "with the predicted good weather — should be a blast!")
(Vancouver: Various venues, Jun. 23-Jul. 2.)

Artist rendering of the Vancouver Art Gallery's new plaza.

Museum After Dark: Surrey Speakeasy
Surrey Museum’s adults-only, speakeasy-themed party features whiskey tasting, live blues and 1920s artifacts.
(Surrey: Surrey Museum, Jun. 22.)

Eat. Drink. Play.
Firehall Arts Centre’s signature fundraiser showcases live performances and food and drinks by such neighbourhood hot spots as The Diamond, Clough Club, Big Rock, Strange Fellows, Odd Society Spirits and many others.
(Vancouver: Firehall Arts Centre, Jun. 22.)

Live at the ‘Bolt: Hummingbird Brigade
Composer/clarinetist James Danderfer and his 16-piece brigade play a big band take on the New Orleans brass band tradition.
(Vancouver: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts, Jun. 22.)

Rumours
Western Gold Theatre — formed 23 years ago by the late Joy Coghill as a way to create roles for senior actors — presents the farce by Neil Simon.
(Vancouver: PAL Studio Theatre, Jun. 23-25.) 

Th’owxiya: The Hungry Feast Dish
Combining traditional First Nations storytelling with a modern twist, this family friendly play receives its world premiere outdoors, and features Axis Theatre Company’s trademark use of masks.
(Vancouver: University of British Columbia Botanical Gardens, Jun. 24-Jul. 2 - free with registration.) 

Naomi Klein in Conversation with Charlie Demers
The Canadian bestseller takes on Trump in her new book, No Is Not Enough. The No Logo author tells CBC that people talk about the Trump phenomenon as though it lacks historical context. "We treat him like this kind of Martian, who came from outer space," Klein says. "And I wanted to make the argument he comes from somewhere. He's very made in the U.S.A." Vancouver Writers Fest presents Klein's sold-out talk. 
(Vancouver: St. Andrew's-Wesley United Church, Jun. 24.)

Image: Museum of Vancouver

Unbelievable
Speaking of Trump, this exhibition is inspired by the rise of fake news. Featuring rarely seen collection items, Unbelievable highlights the role stories play in defining our world – and debunks a few long tales. Get the real scoop behind the Thunderbird totem in Stanley Park, the 2010 Olympic mascot Quatchi (and Quatchi's nemesis, protest anti-mascot Squatchi), and other iconic or quirky artifacts.
(Vancouver: Museum of Vancouver, Jun. 24-Sept. 24.)

WordPlay in the Park
Turning 35 this year, Sunshine Coast Festival of the Written Arts' anniversary gift for the community is a free storytelling celebration with Haida storyteller Kung Jaadee, wacky kids’ entertainer Rick Scott and spoken word duo Ostwelve.
(Sechelt: Rockwood Centre, Jun. 25.) 

Hollenbeck, Nachoff & Houle
One-of-a-kind program presents all new work especially written for these musicians and the Turning Point Ensemble.
(Vancouver: Goldcorp Centre for the Arts, Jun. 27-28.) 

For more member events, check out our Member News page. To see your event on the Alliance website, email your press release to Nancy Lanthier at nancy@allianceforarts.com.