PRODUCTIONS
Wonderful Joe
When Joe and his dog Mister lose their home—and are faced with possible separation—they head into the world for one last grand adventure together. The world seems broken, but Joe sees magic in the mundane, beauty amidst brutality, and life in the lost and lonely. He and Mister encounter Mother Nature, Santa Claus, Jesus and the Tooth Fairy, witness a troupe of homeless players in a cardboard theatre, and show a disenfranchised teen how to jump over the moon in a playground rocket ship. This poignant love letter to imagination and hope is brought together with Burkett’s signature style of puppetry and solo performance, accompanied by a beautiful new score from John Alcorn.
(Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables, Feb. 4 - 23)
À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou
For its 50th season, Théâtre la Seizième invites you to travel through time and rediscover some of its emblematic plays through a series of staged readings. Paying tribute to Quebecois dramaturgy this time again, this landmark text by renowned author Michel Tremblay presents four interpretations of the same tragedy.
Carmen returns to the family home where her sister Manon lives, a young woman who is obsessed with the tragic death of their parents. Ten years earlier, under the same roof, Léopold and Marie-Lou engaged in a merciless verbal battle that sealed the dreadful fate of their loveless marriage. As the two sisters confront their views of the past, their interactions reveal the contours of a nightmarish family universe from which only Carmen has managed to escape.
A family drama both complex and intimate, À toi, pour toujours, ta Marie-Lou pictures an era weighed down by the burdens of religion and unspoken truths.
In French, with English surtitles. Feb 21 -22, 7:30pm.
(Studio 16, 1555 W 7th Ave, Vancouver, Feb. 21 - 22)
The Old Woman Who Lived in a Shoe
Shoes, shoes, shoes! So many shoes! Where did they all come from? Where are they going to? Step into a magical world that blends fairy tales, music, and shoes! Join the Old Woman as she travels around in her oversized old boot, discovering hidden stories within each pair she encounters.
This new theatrical experience invites children to become part of the story. For ages 3-7 and their favourite grown-ups!
(Presentation House Theatre, 333 Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver, Feb. 28 - Mar. 9)
Little Red Warrior & His Lawyer
Little Red Warrior, the last remaining member of the Little Red Warrior First Nation, discovers construction has begun on his ancestral lands. In a fit of rage, he attacks an engineer, gets arrested, thrown in jail, and assigned a court-appointed lawyer, Larry. Much to the dismay of his wife, Larry invites a displaced Little Red Warrior to stay with them. But when you invite a coyote into your coop, he might just walk away with your chickens.
(York Theatre, 639 Commercial Drive, Mar. 6 - 16)
How to Disappear Completely
In September 2000, Vancouver-based lighting designer Itai Erdal received a phone call telling him his mother had nine months to live. He promptly travelled home to spend every moment he could with his dying mother.
During that time, he shot hours of film and hundreds of pictures, documenting the final nine months of her life. In this deeply profound, surprisingly funny, and critically acclaimed work, Erdal demonstrates his approach to theatrical lighting while also reflecting on events that followed his mother asking him to take her life. This piece pairs the power of Erdal’s storytelling with the nuanced potency of stage lighting
(Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables, Mar. 15 - 21)
We Don't Talk About Book Club
4 Friends from college have a monthly book club, but does anyone ever really talk about the book? Perfectionist Stay at Home Mom (SAHM) tries her best to keep her friends together, and discuss new things, all while her family takes her for granted. After their fourth moves away, she works to find someone new; much to the chagrin of her most apathetic friend who never reads the book. The new member is young and very annoying, that is until the SAHM’s best friend arrives…
Drama unfolds, new friends are made and everyone discovers a little more about who they are and who they wish they were.
(Surrey Arts Centre, 13750 88 Ave, Surrey, Mar. 14 - 16)
(Anvil Theatre, 777 Columbia St, New Westminster, Mar. 20 - 23)
Lentement la beauté
For its 50th season, Théâtre la Seizième invites you to travel through time and rediscover some of its emblematic plays through a series of staged readings.
Comfortably settled in his career, his relationship, and his family, an ordinary man accidentally attends his first theatrical performance. The experience leads to a profound and intimate upheaval within him. Awestruck, he gradually transforms his perception of the world and those around him. What if beauty were what makes life worth living?
With part of the original cast reprising their roles, Lentement la beauté is a powerfully evocative dramedy that offers an inspiring reflection on the meaning of daily life and the awakening to art, and a marvelous tribute to the imagination and wonders of the world.
In French, with English surtitles.
(Alliance Française de Vancouver, 6161 Cambie St, Vancouver, Mar. 21, 7:30 p.m)
Children of God
A gorgeous, powerful musical about an Oji-Cree family whose children were taken away to a residential school in Northern Ontario.
The story of Rita, a mother who was never let past the school’s gate, and her kids, Tom and Julia, who never knew she came, pushes toward redemption. Children of God offers a blend of ancient traditions and contemporary realities, celebrating resilience and the power of the Indigenous cultural spirit. Inspired by First Nations music, Corey Payette’s moving score also includes echoes of provocative Broadway masterpieces such as Fun Home and Next to Normal.
(York Theatre, 639 Commercial Drive, Mar. 21 - 29)
Touchstone Theatre presents Behind the Moon by acclaimed playwright and novelist ANOSH IRANI
Touchstone Theatre is thrilled to announce its upcoming production of Behind the Moon , a play by award-winning playwright and novelist Anosh Irani . Recently named the 2023 recipient of The Writers’ Trust Engel Findley Award for his exceptional contributions to Canadian literature, Irani’s newest play promises to captivate audiences with its powerfully moving exploration of human connection, belonging and the immigrant experience.
Set in a Mughlai eatery in Toronto, Behind the Moon delves into the intertwined lives of three South Asian men navigating their migration journeys in Canada. Directed by Touchstone’s Artistic Director Lois Anderson, the play centers on Ayub (Praneet Akilla ), the hardworking and lone employee at Mughlai Moon. Under the watchful eye of the restaurant’s owner, Qadir Bhai (Dhirendra ), Ayub devotes himself to cooking and cleaning while holding onto the hope of reuniting with his family still living in Mumbai. One fateful night, Jalal (Zahf Paroo ), a cab driver, walks into the restaurant, sparking a complicated friendship that disrupts Ayub’s delicate world and the buried truths that lie at its centre.
(Vancity Culture Lab, The CULTCH, 1895 Venables St, Vancouver, previews Mar. 27; Mar. 28 - Apr. 6)
Lapin blanc, lapin rouge
For its 50th season, Théâtre la Seizième invites you to travel through time and rediscover some of its emblematic plays through a series of staged readings.
A performer is standing on stage. They have just opened an envelope. They have never read the play inside and have no idea what is about to unfold. The first page of the text contains a list of instructions written by an Iranian playwright named Nassim. Nassim refused to perform his military service, and as a result, his passport was revoked. Unable to leave his country, he wrote this play to travel the world. Tonight, he speaks to you through the voice and body of a daring performer. Unpredictable and unforgettable, Lapin blanc, lapin rouge is a powerful tribute to the power of words.
In French, with English surtitles. May 23 - 24, 7:30pm.
(Studio 16, 1555 W 7th Ave, Vancouver, May. 23 - 24)
TOUCHSTONE THEATRE UNVEILS ITS 2024/25 SEASON WITH NEWLY APPOINTED ARTISTIC DIRECTOR LOIS ANDERSON AT THE HELM
Today, Touchstone Theatre revealed its 2024/25 season programming, a captivating lineup featuring four works from Canada/Turtle Island that evoke myth and legend across cultural traditions to examine lived experiences of displacement, migration, settlement, home, and identity.
The season announcement comes with the news of Lois Anderson’s recent appointment as Touchstone’s Artistic Director, leading the company as it continues to explore the nature and purpose of theatre that reflects and amplifies stories from Canada/Turtle Island.
(The Cultch, Gateway Mainstage, PuSh Festival, various Vancouver and Richmond venues, 2024/2025 Season)
