PRODUCTIONS
Maurice
Maurice Dancause, a brilliant and hardworking economist, wakes up one morning and collapses. A stroke. He spends nine days in a coma, then four years in rehabilitation. This changes everything: his brain, his tastes, his sensibilities, even his personality. And then, there’s the aphasia, his daily struggle to find words. But however limited his access to speech, his thirst to communicate with the world remains powerful.
Fascinated by his story of reconstruction and resilience, playwright and actress Anne-Marie Olivier slips into the shoes of a man with an incandescent mind and an abundance of words. Every night, he will need an audience member to help him see his story through. Inspired by a remarkable life story, Maurice is a moving dramaturgical experiment that reinvents language to make it its own.
(Studio 16 - 1555, West 7th avenue, Apr. 17 - 20, 7:30 p.m.)
Learning and Forgetting
Join young Eva and her brother as they embark on a heartwarming adventure with their beloved Grandpa, whose memories often take flight like butterflies in the wind. Eva and her brother lift Grandpa’s spirits on moving day as he transitions into a new home. Together they learn to find joy in the moment, play in the present, and create new stories together.
(Presentation House Theatre, 333 Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver, Apr. 27 & 28)
Carousel Theatre for Young People presents The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito
Carousel Theatre for Young People presents The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito, at Granville Island’s Picnic Pavilion (267 Old Bridge Walk), from May 1-5, 2024. An all-ages musical cabaret by Cree playwright and musician Tomson Highway, The Incredible Adventures of Mary Jane Mosquito follows a misfit mosquito without wings trying to find her place in the world. Through her adventures, she finds her voice by sharing her Cree language, her kind heart and her songs with the world. A Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People Production. Tickets and information at carouseltheatre.ca
(Granville Island Picnic Pavilion, May. 1 - 5)
Little Pea
Created and directed by Agnès Limbos from Belgium, Little Pea is a play and an exhibition in one; this ground-breaking TYA show tells the story of a little green pea who escapes a refugee camp and crosses roads, mountains, and villages to be reunited with their peers in their vegetable garden. To make the content accessible for young children, the storyteller, a camp guard and clown, uses Object Theater to create a playful and whimsical world in which children and adults will be immersed.
(Presentation House Theatre, 333 Chesterfield Avenue, North Vancouver, May. 3 & 4)
IGNITE! Youth Arts Festival
IGNITE! is an eclectic festival that celebrates excellence in emerging arts and that is curated entirely by members of the Youth Panel at The Cultch. It features theatre performers, filmmakers, writers, poets, dancers, musicians, visual artists, multidisciplinary artists and more — all aged 13-30 — as well as participants from The Cultch mentorship programs.
(The Cultch Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St, Vancouver, May. 13-18)
The Papa Penguin Play
Carousel Theatre for Young People, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, and Zee Zee Theatre present the world premiere of Vancouver playwright Dave Deveau’s The Papa Penguin Play, at Granville Island’s Waterfront Theatre (1412 Cartwright St), from May 15-June 2, 2024. Inspired by the true story of two male penguins who are gifted an egg at New York’s Central Park Zoo, the playful and imaginative work follows a pair of penguin fathers and their zoo keeper friend as they navigate the delightful chaos of throwing a first birthday party. The colourful play features puppetry, drag performance, and show-stopping musical numbers. A Carousel Theatre for Young People, Vancouver International Children’s Festival, and Zee Zee Theatre Co-Production. Tickets and information at carouseltheatre.ca
(Waterfront Theatre, 1412 Cartwright St, May. 15 - Jun. 2)
Michel(le)
As youngsters, Joey and Michel love putting on shows, performing for family and friends. How else to express their true colors in the working-class Quebec of the 60s and 70s where they grew up? To break free and survive, the two brothers each find their own way. One becomes an actor in Vancouver, the other shines on the Montreal drag scene before becoming the woman she always felt she was. But can one truly blossom when their identity tragically clashes with the roles society imposes upon them?
Joey Lespérance’s first solo show, of autobiographical inspiration, paints a portrait full of contrasts, depicting a brave, marginal and tumultuous journey. By breathing new life into the lost dream of his sibling Michel(le), the Vancouver artist’s unique and vibrant voice carries onward the memory of singular destinies, too often forgotten.
(Studio 16 - 1555, West 7th avenue, May. 29 - Jun. 8, 7:30 p.m.)
Theatre Under the Stars presents CATS and School of Rock: July 5–Aug 24, 2024
Theatre Under the Stars (TUTS) presents its explosive 2024 season, featuring CATS and School of Rock, on stage July 5-August 24, 2024, at Stanley Park’s majestic Malkin Bowl. From one of the longest-running musicals of all time to a feel-good tribute to rock ‘n roll, TUTS invites audiences to dream big, live boldly, and rock out into the night this summer season. A beloved Vancouver tradition since 1940, TUTS’ two-show subscription packs are on sale now through May 17. Single tickets on sale May 23. Presented by REMAX. For tickets and information: tuts.ca or 1-800-514-3849.
(Malkin Bowl, Stanley Park, Jul. 5 - Aug. 24)
TOUCHSTONE THEATRE UNVEILS ITS 2023/24 SEASON AS ROY SURETTE ANNOUNCES HIS RETIREMENT AS ARTISTIC DIRECTOR
Today, Touchstone Theatre revealed its 2023/24 season programming, a dynamic lineup featuring four unforgettable Canadian works including two long-awaited world premieres. The announcement comes with the news that this will be artistic director Roy Surette’s final season with the company, citing his intention to retire as AD but continue his freelance career.
In November 2023, Touchstone’s season begins with the Ruby Slippers Theatre co-production and world premiere of Hurricane Mona,Vancouver playwright Pippa Mackie’s absurdist dark comedy about a middle-class family grappling with their lives at the literal centre of a climate emergency.
In January 2024, Touchstone teams-up with the PuSh Festival and SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs to co-present Christopher Morris’ THE RUNNER, a heartstopping philosophical thriller exploring human goodness in the face of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
World premiering in February 2024 is Father Tartuffe: An Indigenous Misadventure, Herbie Barnes ’ hilarious and provocative adaptation of Molière’s best loved classic set on the rez. A co-production with the Arts Club Theatre, Father Tartuffe is directed by Quelemia Sparrow and Roy Surette.
Finally, in May 2024, the bittersweet chamber musical When We Were Singingby Governor-General award-winning playwright Dorothy Dittrich hits the Jericho Arts Centre stage, closing the season. An in-association presentation with United Players of Vancouver , the tale follows the ups-and-downs of four 30-something urbanites on the precipice of major life changes. Roy Surette directs, a reprise of his role in the play’s 1995 world premiere, and for which Touchstone Theatre garnered numerous Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, including Outstanding Musical Direction and Outstanding Musical Ensemble.
(Various Venues, 2023/2024 Season)
Aiysiniiksin: Keeping the Tradition Alive
Powderface, a film artist-actor, is a Vancouver-based SFU graduate dedicated to making space for Indigenous stories and elevating Indigenous voices. “[The podcast aims to] centre Indigenous stories, experiences, and ways of being, doing, knowing and creating through the embodiment of oral storytelling,” she says. Aiysiniiksin: Keeping the Tradition Alive is part of the Savage Society, an organization founded in 2004 and dedicated to providing a space for Indigenous film and theatre workers to tell their stories. A new podcast focuses on Indigenous stories and storytelling. Powderface herself is of Blackfoot and Nakoda ancestry. Much of the Blackfoot’s histories and stories were, and continue to be, passed down through oral storytelling. Her own personal memories also served as an inspiration. “Growing up, I would go to my grandparent’s house for a visit and they’d just be sitting at the table drinking coffee while talking and sharing stories,” says Powderface. “I don’t think that happens as much anymore and I’d like to bring that back in a contemporary setting.”
(On demand, Available on Spotify & Apple Podcasts)
