Theatre SKAM presents SKAMPede July 10-12, 2015. The festival formerly known as Bike Ride has become even more inclusive. Scheduled in 2015 for one weekend only on a section of the Galloping Goose accessed at Cecelia Ravine Park (below the Burnside-Gorge Community Centre or via the lane close to the BCSPCA on Burnside), the event which, for six past seasons has seen groups of cyclists depart The Hub on a theatrical-viewing adventure, now includes pedestrians, scooters (the push-kind), mobility devices, skateboards and rollerblades.
As I’ve written repeatedly, Bike Ride is one of my favourite outdoor festivals, and was largely responsible for my re-discovery of the sheer joy of biking. Now that the festival has opened up to more modalities of transportation, it’s sure to be an even bigger hit with the audiences.
Fifteen shows by local, national and international companies and artists will offer a wide variety of theatre, comedy, opera, storytelling, drama, improv, music and more.
“We wanted to make the event more accessible to our audience and make the experience available to people who may not be comfortable on a bicycle or prefer other modes of transport,” says Matthew Payne, Theatre SKAM’s Artistic Producer. “We are structuring the event to be more enjoyable for people who have mobility difficulties as well. People with varying mobility challenges will be able to join the SKAMpede crowd and take in the shows.”
Other changes include reducing the festival to one weekend but lengthening performance days to enable attendees to more easily see all of the shows presented along the trail as well as the entertainment at The Hub.
Performances run 11 AM to 6 PM on Saturday July 11 and the Sunday July 12. For the first time, Theatre SKAM is presenting a long table dinner event on Friday, July 10 featuring an opening night performance of each of the shows followed by an al fresco dinner at The Hub.
SKAMpede shows cover a range of topics. Each show is an original work and the show is designed to integrate into the trail setting chosen for that performance. Many of the performances are interactive, drawing audience participants into roles or assigning tasks that facilitate the story. Entertainment will be presented continuously throughout the day at The Hub’s Cecelia Ravine Park. Other Hub activities include a transportation decoration station hosted by The Makehouse, a food concession, SKAMpede box office and merchandise tent.
All performances are family-friendly.
Theatre SKAM presents SKAMPede
July 10-12, 2015 at Cecelia Ravine Park (Galloping Goose Regional Trail) Victoria BC
July 10 Friday Feast Long Table Dinner and performances. $44
July 11/12 11am-6pm
Advance tickets $15 available at ticketrocket.co or by phone at 250-590-6291.
Tickets in person $20. Age 12 and under are admitted free.
SKAMpede 2015 Companies and Shows
2 Dope Boys in a Cadillac present Maimyard of the Pacific – (Victoria)
The Inner Harbour/Galloping Goose region has never been a stranger to wipeouts. From its location in the Pacific Northwest coastal region known as the Graveyard of the Pacific to the Galloping Goose Trail, wreckage has always been commonplace. Maimyard of the Pacific interplays shipwreck histories with personal bikewreck anecdotes, treading the fine balance between maintaining a forward trajectory and going over life’s handlebars.
The After Party Girls present The Tiebreaker – (Vancouver)
Jules and Sam come from opposite ends of the high school popularity scale. When they are picked last for their Grad Retreat Three Legged Scavenger Hunt race, the unpopular Jules thinks being tied together in the wilderness is the perfect opportunity to form an impenetrable friendship bond with popular Sam. All Sam wants to do is get back to camp before the bus leaves at 3- except- they’re lost, and it’s 2:45.
Astral Jazz Theatre presents Re-Gretta – (Victoria)
Gretta, a frantic elderly woman, uses a time machine to visit her younger self in an attempt to erase a wounding event. Join them in a poignant and comical journey of seeking what matters most.
Ben, Dave, Steve presents If I Had A Horse – (Edmonton)
Lyle is a cowboy. Lyle’s father was a cowboy. Now, Lyle’s father is dead, and to make peace with his passing Lyle must take his late father’s horse to the ocean. Lyle has run into a few problems: his father’s horse has broken its leg; Lyle isn’t really a cowboy; the horse isn’t really a horse. A play about expectation, loss and dreams.
The Click presents The Oldest Trick in the Book – (Victoria)
Twelve-year old Sandy has had enough – of her mother, of her sister, and of every adult she ever meets telling her exactly what she should be doing and how she’s already doing it wrong. Come hang out with this verbose preteen as she lets off steam and shares her unique perspective on life, love and liberty in her little hiding place.
Determined Illusions presents The Return of Space Cadet – (Vancouver)
Three cartoon characters from a hit sixties cartoon “Space Cadet” break into the real world to try and stop “The Writer” who is making a gritty modern reboot of their show and threatening their very existence! Space Cadet explores gender roles and tropes in media through the whimsical and absurd world of the cartoon.
Fear No Opera presents Don Faust’s Magic Butterfly Marriage of Doom – (Victoria)
A Choose Your Own Opera Adventure! You guide the good guys and bad guys through opera’s best story lines, set to opera’s most popular melodies. Join the Lord and the Lady as they try to crush the love of Peasant Girl and Peasant Boy through their schemes and lies – all the while singing of course!
Go Go Go Productions presents Wait – (Toronto)
Wait is a celebration of anticipation. When Patricia receives an email forewarning her of a forthcoming letter, she slips into an ecstatic state and waits.
Gotta Getta Gimmick presents Harvey & Quinn – (Victoria)
Harvey returns to the trail to detail some of the many environmental challenges facing the Gorge Waterway – when you have industrial waste, abandoned boats full of squatters and Keurig coffee pods, the endangered eel grass doesn’t stand a chance. But when Harvey and Antonia’s friend Quinn pulls up in a boat instead of their new tour van, the sparks begin to fly.
Juniper Tree presents The Tree of Tales – (Victoria)
A small town has closed its one library and sold the building to a fast food franchise. What’s a bookish teenage loner to do? Our hero’s only hope lies in the gift of a nut from a mysterious stranger, which may sprout into his very own Tree of Tales. This show may require the audience to sing along, or to whisper their own stories to a small sapling.
Scrumpy Productions presents The Rope Seer: The Legend of Knockan Hill – (Victoria)
A bold and imaginative take on this little known ancient, local (Lekwungen) legend is a reminder of the eternal mystery of this island.
Zopyra Theatre presents Scope – (Victoria)
Scope is a feast for the eyes. Audiences will satisfy their inner spy by gazing at the action through the focused eye of a periscope. Playing with distance, vision, and maritime mystery, Scope offers an intimate glimpse into another world, where things are not always what they seem.
HUB Shows
Levity Stilt Co presents Geraldine’s Big Blind Date
Geraldine is on a blind date. She’s a little more nervous than most…Something sets her apart. Will her date accept her as she is or will her ‘difference’ be a deal-breaker? A whimsical exploration of otherness, identity and romance.
Jo Leslie presents Gazoo Reveals Its True Nature
An gremlin-like 2 headed creature enchants, entertains and enlightens humans
Saturday, July 11 only
PROTEST! Created By Kate Rubin Theatre and Drama Students
In the week leading up to SKAMpede, students at Kate Rubin Theatre and Drama studio will plan and build the most bizarre protest ever seen! EVER! This one-week-play-creation-challenge will result in a travelling protest spectacle in the HUB at Cecilia Ravine Park. Led by teachers Kathleen Greenfield and Erica Petty, Kathleen protests global warming and blended soups, Erica protests whale captivity and early mornings.
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