Catalyst by Island Circus Space April 2 & 3 2016 in Victoria BC. Jake West of Island Circus Space is a man with a mission and a vision—to bring a professional-level circus school and performing community to Victoria BC. Since arriving in Victoria, he’s gathered a group of high-level circus performers, among them graduates of l’École Nationale de Cirque and former Cirque de Soleil members, with the express goal of creating this … [Read more...]
21 Ways to Make the World Last Longer. Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2016. A review.
March 24, 2016 By Leave a Comment
21 Ways to Make the World Last Longer. Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2016. A review. Exquisite enchantment and home-spun wisdom couple in 21 Ways to Make the World Last Longer—currently celebrating its world premiere at the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival (March 22-26, 2016). In a series of short vignettes, the personages in Cathy Stubington (Runaway Moon Theatre) and James Tait’s original work come to life with alacrity. Craftsmanship is … [Read more...]
The Gay Heritage Project at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2016. A review.
March 23, 2016 By Leave a Comment
The Gay Heritage Project at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2016. A review. Begin with what you know—or, in the case of Damian Atkins, Paul Dunn and Andrew Kushnir, the uber-creative team responsible for The Gay Heritage Project (currently at the Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival March 22-26, 2016)—what you do not know. In an entertaining, challenging, and at-times-breezy compendium that simultaneously dives deep into intimate details and sweeps the … [Read more...]
Promotions 101 for Fringe Artists
March 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment
This article was originally written for the online Charlebois Post in April 2013. Since this publication ceased operations in January 2015, I asked for permission to re-publish it here. Promotions 101 for Fringe Artists In an ever-evolving media landscape, the prospect of promoting a show on the Fringe circuit, whether in a single city, or across the country, may seem daunting. It needn’t be. From my perspective, as theatre-goer, active … [Read more...]
The Gin Game at Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre March 15-27, 2016. A review.
March 21, 2016 By Leave a Comment
The Gin Game at Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre March 15-27, 2016. A review. The Gin Game by D.L. Coburn currently onstage at Blue Bridge Theatre at the Roxy (March 15-27, 2016) is an apt illustration of the aphorism “how you do one thing is how you do everything”. Weller Martin (Scott Hylands) has a penchant for gin rummy—alone on the porch of a down-at-the-heels nursing home (design—Laurin Kelsey), he attempts to win over the new arrival, … [Read more...]
Huff by Cliff Cardinal at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2016. A review.
March 17, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Huff by Cliff Cardinal at Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival 2016. A review. Huff by Cliff Cardinal balances on the razor’s edge of light and dark, humour and despair, myth and reality. It’s one thing to know the sobering statistics, and another to enter, albeit briefly, the tortured and tormented lives of young isolated First Nations kids involved in solvent abuse. Cliff Cardinal in Huff. Photo: AKIPARI Sparing no grim detail, Cardinal, in a … [Read more...]
Summer and Smoke at the UVic Phoenix Theatre March 8-19 2016. A review.
March 14, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Summer and Smoke at the UVic Phoenix Theatre March 8-19, 2016. A review. Summer and Smoke at the UVic Phoenix Theatre (March 8-19, 2016) is an elegant and rigourous examination of the heart’s deepest desires and perfidies. Set in small town, turn-of-the-century South, with its precise ways of life—where small nuances and inflections in language and manner are carefully scrutinized and everyone knows their place in a rigid hierarchy—Summer … [Read more...]
Belfry Theatre presents SPARK Festival 2016 March 11-26.
March 11, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Belfry Theatre presents SPARK Festival 2016 March 11-26. From March 11 – 26, the Belfry Theatre’s SPARK Festival will feature over 50 performances and events, including a free all-ages dance party (Hootenanny) and an interactive play reading where audience members become the actors in Innocence Lost – a play about Steven Truscott. Full descriptions and details are available at www.sparkfestival.ca. Highlights include: Nicolas … [Read more...]
Theatre Under the Gun March 13 2016. A preview.
March 9, 2016 By Leave a Comment
Intrepid Theatre presents the third annual Theatre Under the Gun (TUG) Sunday March 13th at the Metro Studio (Victoria BC). TUG is deadline-driven, insomnia fuelled creation at its best as six teams made up of Victoria’s ace indie theatre-makers race against the clock to create brand new 10-minute performances in just 48 hours using only their quick wits, raw talent and a mysterious gift-wrapped box of inspiration. The clock starts on Friday … [Read more...]
A Spring of Theatre 2016 in Victoria BC
March 8, 2016 By Leave a Comment
A Spring of Theatre 2016 in Victoria BC. March-May 2016. This post is accurate as of February 29, 2016 and will be updated as required. Spring is a busy time in the local arts calendar. It’s book-ended by two festivals—SPARK in March and UNO Fest in May—and features works by emerging and well-established companies—local, Canadian and international. There’s a chance to experience the classics (Summer and Smoke, Long Day's Journey into … [Read more...]
