I love art, and remember well growing up on the West Coast at a time when many artists were escaping the city. Moving to Europe in my early 20s, I spent endless hours wandering the corridors of museums and galleries, frantically sketching (poorly) my impressions. When I returned to Victoria I knew art had to remain in my life. Remembering an early comment by Robert Amos about the value of purchasing local, original art, we began. Our budget … [Read more...]
Announcing Uno Fest 2012 – 15th anniversary
April 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I wonder if the arts administrators at Intrepid Theatre knew in 1997 that they were in the process of creating what has become the longest running solo performance festival in North America– Uno Fest, Canada’s Singular Live Theatre Event. This year Uno Fest runs May 24th – June 3rd inVictoria, BC. … [Read more...]
The Government Inspector – May 2 – 6th – Kate Rubin Theatre and Drama Studio
April 7, 2012 By 2 Comments
Graft, corruption, bribery and human perfidy – these are heady topics for a group of teens to address, but the Advanced Performance Group from Kate Rubin’s Theatre and Drama Studio is ready for the challenge when they perform Gogol’s The Government Inspector for Victoria audiences May 2 -6th. Since the beginning of the school year they have been honing their craft during regular studio sessions and rehearsals, and will be involved in every … [Read more...]
Nicola Cavendish IS Shirley Valentine, an interview. Appearing May 15-20 in Victoria.
April 7, 2012 By 4 Comments
Celebrated Canadian actor Nicola Cavendish has played Shirley Valentine more than 600 times, but the upcoming shows in Victoria May 15th – 20th may be her last in this role. After recent triumphant runs in Winnipeg and Calgary, she generously made time out of a full schedule to talk to me about the significance of the role and play (25 years after its creation by Willy Russell) not only for the audience, but to her personally. In particular I … [Read more...]
Footloose and TD Performing Arts Festival by Canadian College of Performing Arts
April 6, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In just one week, the young students of the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA) take the stage at the MacPherson Playhouse for Footloose , adapted and directed by Darold Roles, college Artistic Director, with music direction by Dr Marvin Regier. Footloose, the film, defined the 1980s for most people and featured such tunes as the eponymous "Footloose", "Hurts So Good" and "Let's Here it for the Boy". The musical debuted on Broadway in … [Read more...]
Jeremy Loveday, performance poet and community organizer
April 6, 2012 By 2 Comments
Social media has opened many new worlds to me – among them the world of slam poetry and spoken word. In January 2011 I had the opportunity to attend a Tongues of Fire-hosted Victoria performance by the celebrated slam poet, Buddy Wakefield, and heard local performance poet Jeremy Loveday. … [Read more...]
4-Play, a Fundraiser in Support of Intrepid Theatre
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
In April there are two excellent fundraisers for Intrepid Theatre, the producers of UnoFest, Victoria Fringe Festival, the You Show, the Metro Studio and Intrepid Theatre Club - Light on Our Feet 4, produced by Holly Vivian, (April 6th and 7th) and 4-Play (April 22nd). Take Victoria’s finest theatre artists and push them beyond their limits to create and perform four short plays during an intensive 14 hour period and what do you … [Read more...]
Uncork Your Palate, fundraiser for the Victoria Conservatory of Music, April 26th
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Every foodie and oenophile in Victoria will be thrilled at the announcement of the Victoria Conservatory of Music’s première fundraiser Uncork Your Palate, (a very special evening of wine, food and music Thursday April 26th) in partnership with Naramata Bench Wineries. Meet the winemakers and be the first to taste the Naramata Bench Wineries Spring Release wines, paired with delectable morsels fromVictoria’s finest eateries and accompanied by … [Read more...]
Victoria Shakespeare 2012 – Live Outdoor Summer Theatre
March 26, 2012 By Leave a Comment
A few years ago, I had the pleasure of volunteering for the Victoria Shakespeare Society during their summer season. It was so much fun, I've become a regular. Although the society has been a vital part of summer arts programming in the capital region since 2003 (in this incarnation), it wasn't until the summer of 2009, when a friend of my son’s was in Julius Caesar, that we wandered up the hill to the grounds of Camosun College. You can read … [Read more...]
Victorious Voices, 3rd Annual High School Slam Poetry Championship
March 26, 2012 By 1 Comment
What would it have been like to hear Moe Clark, Buddy Wakefield or Shane Koyczan perform their poetry as teenagers? To sit in the audience and realize the power of their words, and realize it could only get better over time. Next week, April 2nd and 4th, you have the opportunity to support young talent as 40 high school students from across Victoria compete in the third Victorious Voices, Victoria High School Youth Slam Championship. “The … [Read more...]
