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Director and playwright Valerie Methot expertly weaves together humour and the struggle of owning one’s identity in a bold and original tale The Identity Bureau, presented by Some Assembly Theatre Company. “The Identity Bureau promotes inclusion, equity, access, respect for oneself and others, kindness and support,” Methot says. “Each person has the right to be who they…
The relatable struggles of youth, to discover one’s true authentic self in order to gain confidence for adulthood, are heightened by gender identity conflict. To mark the International Trans Day of Visibility (Mar 31), the award-winning documentary Krow’s TRANSformation will have its theatrical premiere at Vancouver’s Cineworks Mar 24. “We made this film as a learning tool…
Hiro Kanagawa’s adaptation of Forgiveness invites us to discuss the divisive world we’ve come to live in and why embracing forgiveness is so important. “At this point, in my life and career, I think it is important for me to engage with these stories and tell them from my point of view,” says Kanagawa, actor, writer and…
Vaxxing and masking has brought out the age-old struggle of individualism vs solidarity, and Stiles & Drewe’s The 3 Little Pigs is the best platform for opening children’s imaginations. Described as a cute, fun, and whimsical musical by director Chris Lam, Carousel Youth Theatre’s version delights young and old with this unexpected take on the traditional folk…
A mother pig becomes a sole parent when the progenitors’ father gets taken away by the Big Bad Wolf, and she must encourage them to leave the family’s sty to make their way into the big wide world. Carousel Theatre for Young People (CYTP) presents the Canadian premiere of a classic tale with a musical…
Never in nature does one see different animals come together in a small space with tolerance. Then again, never in nature has anyone seen so many forest fires. JMar Electric’s The Cave explores the effects of climate change through the point of view of animals whose home is being engulfed in flames. Displaced and fearful, some animals…
Realwheels Theatre began as a professional theatre company with a mandate to create and produce performances that deepen understanding of disability, but they didn’t stop there. The company expanded into community engagement work and then again into ancillary projects that address problematic barriers to people with disabilities. Most recently, Realwheels launched an actor training academy…
Antoinette Chinonye Nwandu has created a new and powerful play which merges the brutal realities that many people are living in with the classic play Waiting for Godot by playwrightSamuel Becket. In Pass Over, directed by Omari Newton, two young black men wait for a stranger and experience horrifying violence and other brutal realities on Chicago’s Southside while…
In Yellow Fever, a play written by R.A. Shiomi, central character Sam Shikaze investigates the disappearance of the ‘Cherry Blossom Queen.’ The drama is set in the 1970s on Powell Street and highlights key issues such as racism and police corruption while keeping the audience engaged with comedic relief. Directed by Donna Spencer, the play is…
The importance of valuing young people, by addressing their hidden fears, is an idea Valerie Methot, executive director at Some Assembly Theatre company, supports. Methot, who overcame being an at-risk youth herself, presents the play The Wait List Experiment because she knows even today youth are not being taken seriously. “We’re all unique individuals and we all…
Denise and Stefano live parallel lives as they are forced to sacrifice human qualities to survive in a place that is controlled by the one per cent. The characters in Lampedusa create a friendship with a perceived ‘outsider’ which leads to their salvation in a sense. Lampedusa is a play produced by the Pi Theatre and directed by…
Parenting is like figuring out a puzzle in the play Bad Parents, says performers Raugi Yu and Josette Jorge. Bad Parents reveals the real story of parenting and does not hide behind rose colored glasses like other portrayals in vAct’s presentation at the Cultch Historic Theatre, Apr. 21–May 1. “Always be kind. No matter what is happening or…
The Nonexistent, directed by Yves Simard, is focused on telling a story many people may know all too well: displacement. The story of a young girl forced to forge a new path as she leaves her country reveals the complexity of migration and exile through acrobatics, dance, movement and stunning scenery. The English version of…
