Victoria Spoken Word Festival 2014 (VSWF) - interview with Poet of Honour Barbara Adler. Barbara is a poet, spoken word artist, slam champion and musician (accordion). She'll be in Victoria for the festival March 4-9, 2014, and is also offering a workshop (Sunday March 9th) that will be open to the public. Photo: Tony Hoare 2013 You participated in the inaugural Canadian Festival of Spoken Word. How have you seen the “scene” change in the … [Read more...]
Victoria Spoken Word Festival 2014 – Inside Story
February 19, 2014 By 2 Comments
The Victoria Spoken Word Festival - Inside Story, March 4-9, 2014 brings more than 20 artists from across North America to Victoria. I was part of a local group of grass-roots angel investors, the Awesome Shit Club, when spoken word artist Missie Peters pitched her plan to promote the first Victoria Spoken Word Festival in 2011. She’s grown the festival in size and scope every year since, bringing together spoken word artists to create and … [Read more...]
Fabulous French events in Victoria, Feb-Mar 2014.
February 18, 2014 By 1 Comment
Fabulous French events in Victoria, Feb-March 2014. It’s not often that a plethora of francophone events lands in Victoria at the same time. In February and early March local francophones and Francophiles (people who love, appreciate and speak French as a second language) can rejoice. The big event is, of course, the 17th edition of the Festival Francophone de Victoria French Fest (March 6th – 9th)—and I promise a separate blog post with … [Read more...]
Picnic, UVic Phoenix Theatre, Feb 11-22, 2014. A review.
February 17, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Picnic, currently at the Phoenix Theatre (February 11-22, 2014) thrums with hope and yearning. Nothing is as it appears in a small town. In the space of one day, events can change the direction of people’s lives in spectacular, and devastating, fashion—the ripples felt throughout. Picnic may be set in small town Kansas in the early 1950s but there are definite parallels, even to our more sophisticated and inter-connected age. Hal (Jenson … [Read more...]
The Glass Menagerie by Blue Bridge Theatre at the Roxy (Feb 11-23, 2014). A review.
February 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment
The Glass Menagerie, by Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, at The Roxy in Quadra Village (February 11th -23rd, 2014) is a moody and lush theatrical feast, ambitious and true to the playwright’s original vision. Written in 1944, The Glass Menagerie catapulted American playwright Tennessee Williams to success (New York Drama Critics' Circle Award 1945). Staged as a “memory play” it stands alone among his works—mixing realistic moments with mimed … [Read more...]
Victoria’s First Funny Women Festival February 21 & 22, 2014
February 14, 2014 By Leave a Comment
The intrepid Kirsten Van Ritzen is at it again—this time she’s launching Victoria’s first Funny Women Festival February 21st and 22nd (with a networking/hangover brunch on the 23rd). You might know Kirsten for her many roles with SinCity, the live improvised serial, or the searing Langham Court theatre production That Face in January 2013, or her regular stand-up and improv comedy classes. She’s also a novelist, solo performer and executive … [Read more...]
Shakespeare in Love: Scenes of Love from Shakespeare at Craigdarroch Castle, February 7-15,2014
February 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Shakespeare in Love: Scenes of Love from Shakespeare at Craigdarroch Castle, February 7-15, 2014 Valentine’s Day has a special meaning for my husband and me since our anniversary is February 12th. And what better way, as an arts-lover, to celebrate both than to partake in Shakespeare in Love: Scenes of Love from Shakespeare at CraigdarrochCastle. Staged by Giggling Iguana Productions and the Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival (GVSF) … [Read more...]
Proud at the Belfry Theatre February 11-March 9, 2014. A review.
February 10, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Michael Healey’s play Proud, currently at the Belfry Theatre (February 11-March 9, 2014) is an outrageous, provocative, sexy and very funny tale of the behind-the-scenes political machinations of Canada’s prime minister. Proud has been surrounded by controversy since it’s inception. Healey (author of The Drawer Boy—seen at the Belfry in 2000) was the playwright-in-residence at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre; he resigned when Proud was pulled from … [Read more...]
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre presents A Glass Menagerie February 11th-23rd, 2014.
February 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre founding artists Victor Dolhai and Sarah Jane Pelzer portrayed childhood sweethearts in The Fantasticks (2009). Five years later they return as brother and sister in A Glass Menagerie, Tennessee Williams Pulitzer-award-winning memory play (February 11th-23rd, 2014). I caught up with Victor and Sarah for a chat about the play, their careers since 2009 and the importance of Blue Bridge to the local Victoria … [Read more...]
Winterlab 2014. Q and A with Dustin Harvey of Secret Theatre.
January 24, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Do you come from Victoria, or have your moved here from elsewhere? What does “home” mean to you? Dustin Harvey of Secret Theatre will be investigating the notion of place (and home) in two works during Intrepid Theatre’s Winterlab (January 25th – February 1st). We Are Here takes place during the opening Winterlab Fête January 25th and Farewell Victoria closes the festival (January 31st and February 1st). I had the opportunity to ask … [Read more...]
