ArtSmarts Monday Magazine October 2016

ArtSmarts Monday Magazine October 2016. Spooky theatre among October events. This content was first published in the October 2016 print edition of Monday Magazine and I have been given permission to re-publish it online. For theatre enthusiast in Victoria, October represents one of the year’s busiest months with chances to experience shows in every genre in a wide variety of venues—including a scene shop and a federal institution. Whether … [Read more...]

A Fall of Theatre 2016 in Victoria BC

A Fall of Theatre 2016 in Victoria BC Fall, with its abundance of theatre performances, is once again here--I count an astonishing forty performances in the period September-December 2016 (and am sure there will be more announced! This article will be updated regularly as I become aware of them.) The Belfry Theatre celebrates a 41st season that is "Contemporary.Canadian." with an emphasis on plays by women, about women, directed by … [Read more...]

Sin City Season Six: Vegas!

Sin City: Season Six: Vegas! Kirsten Van Ritzen and Ian Ferguson of Broad Theatrics arrived in Victoria in 2010 and immediately set about shaking up the local theatre, improv and comedy culture. One of their first projects was to re-create a version of the extremely successful weekly improvised serial they had originated in Edmonton (Die Nasty–now in its 25th year), then taken to Toronto and Los Angeles. Seasons in Victoria have included: … [Read more...]

A Spring of Theatre 2016 in Victoria BC

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...]

A Winter of Theatre 2016 in Victoria BC. January and February.

A Winter of Theatre in Victoria BC 2016. January and February. Over the past few years, the normally staid months of January and February have been a hive of activity as local theatre groups launch new projects and regular seasons and series. This year is no exception with 23 productions in January and February (and I'm sure more will be added as I  become aware of them).  I most apologize for the late posting of this article. The beginning of … [Read more...]

A Spring of Theatre 2015 in Victoria BC. March-May.

A Spring of Theatre 2015 in Victoria BC. March-May. 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 (Waiting for Godot, Hedda Gabler), Shakespeare (Macbeth), musicals (Chorus Line Cabaret, Bye Bye Birdie, The Mystery of Edwin Drood, … [Read more...]

A Winter of Theatre 2015 in Victoria BC. January and February.

A Winter of Theatre in Victoria BC. January and February. Do you remember in The Wizard of Oz, when Dorothy says “Toto, we aren’t in Kansas anymore?” That’s the way I feel about the Victoria theatre scene in January and February.  It was only a few short years ago that my theatre viewing consisted of TWO shows.  Last year there were a possible 25 if my memory serves me correctly (I saw 13), and this year is not going to be very different.  … [Read more...]

Broad Theatrics announces their 2014-2015 season. Victoria BC.

Broad Theatrics announces their 2014-2015 season. Victoria BC. Since moving to Victoria in 2010, Kirsten Van Ritzen, artistic producer of Broad Theatrics, has been one of the busiest people in the local entertainment and arts communities, producing four seasons of the improvised serial Sin City, the Funny Women Festival, She Kills Me (for APTN) and two Fringe shows, while teaching comedy, improv and acting classes, writing a book, and acting … [Read more...]

Victoria Arts Adventures March 2014

Victoria Arts Adventures March 2014. When I started writing about the arts, some of my first posts were an attempt to capture what was happening on a seasonal basis in the theatre community in Victoria BC.  It provided a place to get all the theatre listings in one place—I figured if I was having trouble keeping it straight most people would have the same problem.  Since 2011 the number of offerings has increased exponentially, and I've also … [Read more...]

A Fall of Theatre in Victoria BC 2013

A Fall of Theatre in Victoria BC 2013. November 26, 2013. Click for  late November December shows. Fall has arrived, and one of the busiest theatre seasons in my recent memory begins. There are 17 shows (at last count) running in October alone.  Rather than keep you waiting, I've decided to publish this post in preliminary fashion with dates up to the end of October. I'll add November and December shortly. We barely had a chance to … [Read more...]