Mouthpiece at Belfry SPARK Festival 2018. A review.

Mouthpiece at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2018. A review. Mouthpiece. Photo: Joel Clifton  Mouthpiece premiered in Toronto in 2015, won several Dora awards, was remounted, travelled to the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 and has toured Canada.  Mouthpiece follows one woman, for one day, as she tries to find her voice. Interweaving a cappella harmony, dissonance, text and physicality, two performers express the inner conflict that … [Read more...]

SPARK Festival 2018 at the Belfry Theatre March 8-25, 2018

SPARK Festival 2018 at the Belfry Theatre March 8-25, 2018 Victoria has an abundance of theatre festivals and the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival is one of my favourites.  It kick-starts the festival season in early spring; there are many FREE events (mini-plays, Belfry 101, play readings, concerts and a Hootenanny); there are opportunities to see vibrant, current work by artists not often seen on Victoria stages; it attracts a different … [Read more...]

ThySelf by Broken Rhythms March 16/17 in Victoria BC. Media release.

ThySelf by Broken Rhythms March 16/17 in Victoria BC. Media release. ThySelf –The newest piece from Victoria’s innovative indie dance company Broken Rhythms explores anxiety, self-sabotage and identity through dance.  ThySelf premieres March 16+17 at the Metro Theatre. ThySelf explores who we are in public, in private and who we strive to be through movement, breath, and rhythm. Dancers explore the fractured self that comes together to … [Read more...]

Victoria Composers Collective Call for Scores for New Music Festival. Media release.

Victoria Composers' Collective Call for Scores for Oak Bay New Music Festival. Media release. Founded in 2015, the collective has staged concerts, toured the province and been a major contributor to the Oak Bay New Music Festival.  Below please find their internal and external calls for scores for the Oak Bay New Music Festival (June 2/3 in Victoria BC). Photo: Aaron Licht Dear Composers, The Victoria Composers Collective and Oak Bay … [Read more...]

Victoria Storytellers Guild March 2018 events

Victoria Storytellers Guild March 2018 events The Victoria Storytellers Guild, founded in 1989, has a long history of "telling" in the community. Join them in March for the following events.   Mar 19 :  WORLD STORYTELLING DAY Myths, Magic and Mirth Doors at 7pm; Stories at 7:30pm $5 / $3 .    Refreshments served Victoria Storyteller's Guild victoriastorytellers.org  250.370.2964 World Storytelling Day is celebrated … [Read more...]

ProArt Victoria announces Regional Arts Award

ProArt Victoria announces Regional Arts Award. (Media Release) Victoria, Canada (February 15, 2018)—The Professional Arts Alliance of Greater Victoria (ProArt) announces the launch of the first Regional Arts Award. ProArt President David MacPherson says, “Arts awards happen in many communities across Canada and are an excellent means of recognizing the achievement and contribution of outstanding artists while raising the profile of … [Read more...]

A Spring of Theatre 2018 in Victoria BC. March-May.

A Spring of Theatre 2018 in Victoria BC. March-May. Spring signifies renewal, rebirth and growth, and nowhere is this more evident than in Victoria's burgeoning theatre ecosystem where the period from March to the end of May will see  more than SIXTY shows, cabarets, fundraisers, play readings and festivals, including the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival and the TD Festival of New Works at the Canadian College of Performing Arts in March, Paper … [Read more...]

Crimes of the Heart at UVic Phoenix Theatre. A review.

Crimes of the Heart at UVic Phoenix Theatre. A review. In 2018, Beth Henley’s southern-based drama Crimes of the Heart (set in small town Mississippi in 1974 and at the University of Victoria Phoenix Theatre February 13-24, 2018) is problematic—on one hand, it’s the story of three sisters bonded through a troubled childhood, on uneasy terms with one another as adults; on the other it’s a fine example of racism so pervasive as to be invisible, … [Read more...]

Neva by Guillermo Calderon at Theatre Inconnu. A review.

Neva by Guillermo Calderon at Theatre Inconnu. A review. Three actors. One stage. Minimal set décor. Costumes, lighting and classical music.  Neva by Guillermon Calderon (at Theatre Inconnu February 13-March 3 2018) as imagined by director Clayton Jevne and his ensemble, is theatre reduced to its essential elements; theatre relying solely on the director’s interpretation and the cast’s ability to carry it through ninety minutes of in-depth … [Read more...]

Pendulum An Indigenous Showcase. Interview with Lindsay Delaronde.

Pendulum An Indigenous Showcase. Interview with Lindsay Delaronde. Lindsay Delaronde was chosen in 2017 as the City of Victoria’s first Indigenous Artist in Residence and over the past year has initiated a number of performances, workshops and talks.  February 23/24 at the Belfry Theatre she presents Pendulum: An Indigenous Showcase. I wanted to learn more about her statement (emphasis mine) “Pendulum brings new life into the context … [Read more...]