Goodness, written by Michael Redhill, and performed by Volcano Theatre, currently at the Belfry Theatre’s SPARK Festival, stands as the singular most important piece of theatre I’ve seen to date. Although now an avid theatre-goer, in my 30s and 40s my moral certitude, and belief system, led me to filter the arts through a black and white lens. I judged much to be “unwatchable” or “inappropriate”, searching instead for the “wholesome”; plays … [Read more...]
Rabbit Hole, Langham Court Theatre – a review
March 14, 2012 By 3 Comments
Langham Court Theatre sets the bar very high with their current production, Rabbit Hole, the Pulitzer-prize drama by David Lindsay-Abaire. From the moment I entered the theatre, to the moment I left, I was drawn into a world few of us would intentionally inhabit, even if many of us, unfortunately, do. Long before film, there was theatre. Long before reality TV, there was theatre. Long before the Belfry Theatre, Theatre Inconnu, Intrepid … [Read more...]
Atomic Vaudeville and CCPA present “Digital Sunshine”
March 10, 2012 By 1 Comment
There's a special place in my heart for both the Canadian College of Performing Arts (CCPA) and Atomic Vaudeville (AV). My son , Elliott Loran, graduated from the former, and performed with the latter (mostly recently in the hit musical Ride the Cyclone). Now, Victoria theatre audiences will have a chance to see both CCPA and AV perform together, for the very first time, in AV's Spring Cabaret - Digital Sunshine. … [Read more...]
SPARK Festival 2012 at the Belfry Theatre
March 10, 2012 By 1 Comment
We are so fortunate in Victoria BC to have a plethora of arts events and festivals during the year, including the spring SPARK Festival at the Belfry Theatre. Since 2009 SPARK has grown to two concentrated weeks of theatrical goodness in March (12th – 25th) with five components: big shows, miniplays, new play readings, professional development workshops and one big party right in the middle. There are a total of over 70 shows and events (many … [Read more...]
The Crackwalker at Theatre Inconnu – a review
March 10, 2012 By 4 Comments
Recently I met Monica Prendergast, professor of theatre at UVic, actor, director, reviewer and blogger. Our conversation was wide-ranging. At one point, she recommended a book "The Necessity of Theatre: The Art of Watching and Being Watched" by Paul Woodruff. From the book description: A good audience is emotionally engaged as spectators; their engagement takes a form of empathy that can lead to a special kind of human wisdom. … [Read more...]
15th Annual Victoria French Fest
March 1, 2012 By 2 Comments
Celebrate French culture and heritage March 8-11th in Victoria BC with free events for children, circus workshops, a sugar shack, artisans marketplace, performances and more! Centennial Square is the site of the 15th annual Victoria French Fest. (Complete program guide -in French and English here). Most free events take place noon - 4pm in the Square. People are often amazed at the number of Francophones and Francophiles in the Capital Region … [Read more...]
Kindness Rocks Concerts Victoria BC
February 29, 2012 By Leave a Comment
Kindness Rocks is the brainchild of Jonas Falle and Jeanette O'Keeffe of Mooncoin Productions. Designed to bring the message of kindness - to self, others and the planet - to high school students province-wide, their high-energy productions have reached over 50,000 young people in BC since 2009 with messages of kindness, compassion, forgiveness and social responsibility. image provided by Kindness Rocks In conjunction with Pink Shirt Day … [Read more...]
A Spring of Theatre in Victoria BC 2012
February 28, 2012 By 2 Comments
After an amazing fall and winter season of theatre, we enter spring and an incredible line-up of shows including the Intrepid Theatre 2012 Presenting Series, Theatre Inconnu’s 2012 season opener, the YOU Show, SPARK Festival at the Belfry, the TD Performing Arts Festival with the Canadian College of Performing Arts, UNOFest, and the start of Blue Bridge Theatre’s fourth year. Paper Street Theatre brings improvised “film noir” to the stage, and … [Read more...]
Traditional Indonesian Puppetry Workshop at Merlin’s Sun Home Theatre
February 10, 2012 By Leave a Comment
I've written before about the intimate performance space at Merlin's Sun Theatre in Victoria BC. Timothy Gosley and Petra Kixmoeller have worked hard to create a theatre with a variety of performances and classes, suitable for many ages groups. Tim, a well known puppeteer, has convinced Javanese puppet master Sutrisno Hartano to offer a workshop (Victoria's first) in traditional Indonesian shadow puppetry (Wayang Kulit). … [Read more...]
Urban Arts Productions Announces their Second Season
February 10, 2012 By 1 Comment
We are so incredibly fortunate in Victoria BC to have a vibrant arts culture. Most people are familiar with larger companies like the Belfry Theatre and Intrepid (producers of the Victoria Fringe Festival), but there are many smaller and younger groups that merit our attention too. Urban Arts Productions had a very successful start in 2011, and has just announced their second season. … [Read more...]
