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...]
Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre presents A Glass Menagerie February 11th-23rd, 2014.
February 5, 2014 By Leave a Comment
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...]
Cabaret at Langham Court Theatre. A review.
January 21, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Life is a cabaret—or is it? There is plenty to ponder amid the hummable songs and intricate dance numbers of Cabaret currently playing at Langham Court Theatre to sold-out houses (January 15-February 1, 2014). At heart, Cabaret is the classic tale of a young American (Griffin Lea as Cliff Bradshaw) bound for Europe and adventure. Set in Berlin during the heady and decadent between-wars time of the WeimarRepublic, this on-the-surface … [Read more...]
Sci-Fi Double Feature at Winterlab 2014. Q&A with Brian Fidler.
January 15, 2014 By Leave a Comment
I was first introduced to the work of Ramshackle Theatre of Whitehorse when Brian Fidler presented Broken at Intrepid Theatre’s UNO Fest in 2013 (my review is here). Now, Ramshackle returns for Winterlab (January 25th-February 1st, 2014) with Sci-Fi Double Feature—a cardboard puppet show for adults and children alike. I caught up with Brian when he was deeply immersed in a puppet intensive at the BanffSchool of the Arts (co-incidentally … [Read more...]
Home is a Beautiful Word at the Belfry Theatre. A review.
January 12, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Home is a Beautiful Word, currently at the Belfry Theatre (January 7-19th), is proof positive that contemporary theatre is relevant. By turns stark, hard-hitting, sad, brave, uncomfortable and funny, this well-researched verbatim-theatre play challenges assumptions about homelessness by reflecting the points of view of a wide range of Victorians. Playwright and journalist Joel Bernbaum was commissioned by the Belfry Theatre, and has spent … [Read more...]
Chor Leoni presents Cadillac Cathedral Feb 1 in Victoria, Feb 2 in Nanaimo
January 11, 2014 By Leave a Comment
Chor Leoni presents Cadillac Cathedral. No writer better embodies what it is to live on Vancouver Island, for me, than the venerable Jack Hodgins, author and professor emeritus at the University of Victoria. I came late to his work, in the 2000s, and still remember reading passages of The Invention of the World (his first novel, written in 1977) and veritably smelling the tang of the beach at high tide, and hearing the crunch of sand under … [Read more...]
Ignorance by the Old Trout Puppet Workshop. Victoria BC review.
January 10, 2014 By 1 Comment
It’s time to put on your silly hat, leave the judging adult behind and surrender to delight - the Old Trout Puppet Workshop has arrived in Victoria for the first time since 2007 (Famous Puppet Death Scenes) with Ignorance (playing January 7-18th at Blue Bridge at the Roxy as part of the Presenter’s Series). If you believe that puppets are limited to characters like Casey on Mr. Dressup, or the traditional Punch and Judy, prepare to have your … [Read more...]
Christmas on Salt Spring 2013
December 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
So near and yet so far. It’s been simply ages since I’ve headed over to SaltSpringIsland to peruse the market, shop at Mouat’s, stroll through art galleries and craft shops, and head to the top of MountMaxwell. I’ll get a chance at a few of these activities this week thanks to the very generous members of the Salt Spring Island Christmas Committee. I’ve been invited to judge the 3rd Annual Glowtini Contest at Harbour House Hotel on Thursday … [Read more...]
My Gift is for the Trees, an Emily Carr Christmas. A review
December 3, 2013 By Leave a Comment
As a native West Coaster, all my life I have longed for Christmas iconography and tradition that celebrates Christmas and the holiday season as I know it – surrounded by nature, and often with an absence of snow. In creating My Gift is for the Trees: an Emily Carr Christmas, Tim Gosley has tapped into the current fascination with storytelling and trans-media. The performance is an inventive multi-generational “play within a play within a … [Read more...]
Arts Adventures for the Holidays in Victoria BC December 2013
December 2, 2013 By Leave a Comment
Arts Adventures for the Holidays in Victoria BC, December 2013 There is truly something for everyone in Victoria this up-coming holiday season. Whether you enjoy theatre, music or dance, local arts organizations have prepared wonderful holiday-themed events for your consideration. It's Christmas: a sparkling, musical, holiday revue continues Fridays and Saturdays throughout December at the Oak Bay Beach Hotel. A talented cast of singers … [Read more...]
