SPARK Festival 2012 at the Belfry Theatre

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 (12^th – 25^th) 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 of them free) from local, national and international artists.

Highlights include:

• Volcano’s critically acclaimed production of Goodness;
• A new performance piece, When I Was A Kid, from spoken word artist and Olympic sensation, Shane Koyczan;
• The world premiere of Kitt & Jane from Victoria’s SNAFU Dance Theatre;
• Anita Majumdar’s Bollywood comedy, Fish Eyes.

Goodness by Volcano. Photo: John Lauener, used with permission

SPARK marks the return of free miniplays at the Belfry; this year features new work from Dave Morris, Missie Peters, Justin Carter, Krystal Cook, Mercedes Bátiz-Benét and Judd Palmer (from Calgary’s Old Trout Puppet Workshop).

Ten-year-old actors, Similkameen O’Rourke and Rayn Cook-Thomas, will be starring in two separate miniplays, Jimmy 1977 and The Lesson.

The Lesson. Photo: Peter Pokorny used with permission

Starting each week of the festival there will be free readings of new plays: The Book of Eve (March 12), and My Memory’s Not So Good, a new piece from Theatre SKAM (March 19).

Home is a Beautiful Word, a new play by Joel Bernbaum that the Belfry has commissioned, will have free public readings on March 20 and 24 at the Belfry.

On March 23 at 2 pm, there is a free public reading of Home is a Beautiful Word at Our Place, 919 Pandora Avenue. Talkback sessions with the show’s creators will follow each reading.

Students enrolled in the Belfry’s high school program, Belfry 101, will write, rehearse and create a new show during the second week of SPARK and perform it, one time only, the final night of the festival.

Belfry 101 Live. Photo: Peter Pokorny used with permission

The Belfry is offering a number of workshops including lighting design, play creation and a special Bollywood dance class led by Anita Majumdar. Space in the workshops is very limited and participants must register in advance at 250-385-6815.

Bollywood and Beyond Workshop (Anita Majumdar). Image provided.

Tickets for SPARK’s Mainstage and Studio shows are $20 (Adults), $15 (University and College Students) and $10 (High School Students) and can be booked online at www.belfry.bc.ca/tickets or 250-385-6815.

You can also purchase a SPARK Pass for $72 (four vouchers that can be used in any combination for the Mainstage and Studio shows). Passes are available at 250-385-6815.

I’ve got my SPARK Festival choices all mapped out and my schedule carefully planned. What about you?