Theatre of the absurd, here we come! Karen Hines' Mump and Smoot in Anything mixes horror, comedy, sentiment, and a few genres in between. Sounds like a show to see, if you ask me. “In verbal absurdities and physical slapstick, the show is bonkers—but also fascinating. The performance is like the game Cards Against Humanity; fishing for amusement amongst the nonsense.
Read MoreIt's that time of year again, folks! The stellar DOXA Documentary Film Festival is back with another finely curated line up—a cinematic smorgasbord, if you will. The fest doesn't officially start until May 4, but we've got a few previews in the works, to prime you all for what's to come. If you're at a loss for film picks, look no further! Our first two suggestions are here!
Read More“Refuge does the important work of highlighting the uncertainty and suffering that comes with certain types of global circumstance and mobility. The piece was humorous and touching, entertaining in it's own right, but it also solicited from its audience a deeper empathy than perhaps many of us are comfortable getting in touch with. It is vulnerable to open oneself to the hardships that others cannot avoid, to become invested in outcomes over which we have little overall control—but it is worthwhile.”
Read More“There is trauma and pain, there are memories of imprisonment and unimaginable torture; but there is laughter and dancing, there is family and love. The characters cope in whichever ways they can. The Refugee Hotel is poignant, heavy with pain and history, but it is at many times expertly funny and captures the dark humour that resonates best in the hardest of times.
Read MoreThe search for an entirely unique theatrical experience is a worthy one, and we just may have found it in Ronnie Burkett's The Daisy Theatre, marionette masterpiece and musical delight. “The true value of any performance comes after the audience has been convinced to buy a ticket and show up; it’s how they feel in the moments after the lights fill the stage. I know instantly that I’m in good hands—literally—with Burkett.”
Read MoreTwitter, Facebook and Grindr conspire to build and break relationships in this collection. The hand of technology is ever-present, mirroring the ghostly specters of relationship baggage and dead loved ones, but Zomparelli’s take on modern love is far from cheesy.
Read MoreIf you've ever been to Vancouver's iconic Elbow Room Café, you're already familiar with Dave Deveau and Anton Lipovetsky's Elbow Room Café: The Musical. Vivacious and engaging in its presence on stage, Elbow Room tells the story of one of this city's most recognizable fixtures, and speaks to the contemporary issues surrounding it with a clear voice.
Read MoreWriter Paloma Pacheco speaks with the inimitable Barbara Chirinos, programmer of the Black History Month film series at Vancity Theatre, and touches on the vitality of film as story-telling medium and the importance of diverse experience in art. “What I try to do with all Black History events is to promote them in the broader community. It is very important for the black community to show up because we need to be reminded of what we’ve accomplished, to recognize all of the people that have made contributions, to see people who look like us and to be reminded: We are worthy, we are fantastic, and we contribute to society.”
Read More
