Category: History

The Fringe is here!

Posted: Sep 04 2013

vancouver-fringe-festival

This week, an explosion of performance artists from around the world will take over the Firehall and other downtown theatre venues for Vancouver’s biggest theatre festival. It’s Fringe time! There are six Fringe shows on at the Firehall from September 5 to 15 – read more about them here.

The Fringe is always a wonderfully serendipitous theatre-going experience, as all artists are selected by lottery and often you won’t have the slightest idea who many of them are (all part of the fun!). This does make it somewhat baffling negotiating the program guide and choosing what to see from the theatrical smorgasbord of 90 different shows on offer.

To help you get into intrepid Fringing mode, we asked some artists who will be performing in our season and are well versed in the ways of the Fringe what their top tips are for getting the most out of the festival and what shows they are looking forward to.

AssassinatingThomson_enewsBruce Horak, who you may recall from his brilliant show This is CANCER!, a few years back, has been selling out shows across the Canadian Fringe circuit this summer with Assassinating Thomson and will be performing the show here in October.

Top Fringing tip:

Get out and see shows! Chat with people in line and make personal connections with potential audiences. Word of mouth is essential and having a personal connection goes a long way to drawing people in to your show.

What shows am I looking forward to most at this year’s Fringe:

Tara Travis’ show “Searching for Dick”

Ryan Gladstone and Jon Paterson in “Hockey Night at the Puck and Pickle Pub”

Zeb West in “Innocent When You Dream”

 

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Fringe legend and master monologist TJ Dawe has toured Fringe festivals across North America for many years and is returning to the Firehall this season with his hit show Medicine.

Top Fringing tip:

Talk to people in whatever line-up you’re standing in. Let the word of mouth spread. When performers come to flyer you for their show, ask them questions. See how interesting or funny their responses are. If they catch your interest, give ’em a chance. See their show. Being surprised by someone whose work you don’t know is a great pleasure.

What show am I looking forward to most at this year’s Fringe:

Wolf Trek: Alone in the Woods, written and performed by Kevin Kennedy. How do I know this show’s going to be good? Because I dramaturged it. Kevin’s got a fascinating story to tell, about a three week solo hike he did in the NWT. He’s also a relative newcomer to the fringe circuit, so his work will be a surprise to a lot of people. Which, as I mentioned, is a particularly enjoyable part of fringing.

 

The Vancouver International Fringe Festival runs September 5-15. Check out vancouverfringe.com for full details on shows. You can also see the lineup of fantastic shows gracing the Firehall stage here.

VANCOUVER AUDIENCES LOVE MUSICALS!

Posted: Aug 08 2013

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A talented team of young creators on a whim set out to create a new all-Canadian musical that uses an all-American comic book as its genesis. In a conversation with Stewart Yu, who co-wrote, RIVERVIEW HIGH (now playing at the Firehall) with Angela Wong and Mike MacKenzie, Firehall Artistic Producer Donna Spencer asks him why they did it?  She thought they would be musical theatre addicts and that this passion had spilled over into a need to create something of their own, but it turns out that a casual conversation between friends who like to dream crazy dreams led to a commitment to create a new Canadian musical.

Donna Spencer:  Whose idea was it to do this?

Stewart:  Angela and I came up with the concept together in April, 2011.   We weren’t very serious about it at first, but thought “Wouldn’t it be fun if there was an Archie musical”?   But I had never written any music before and Angela didn’t have any experience in theatre so we didn’t think the idea would ever go anywhere.    We’re the type of friends who love talking about ideas so when we would get together we would talk and laugh about the potential show off and on and eventually we found ourselves with a basic plot outline for the musical.   And that’s when we realized we were actually getting serious about doing this and if she was on board, so was I.

DS:  So you followed that dream!   I think that is one of the reasons people love musicals.  In a musical anything seems possible and usually the good guy gets the girl. Or in this case, maybe the good girl gets the guy?   Why this story?

Stewart:  Although we both loved Archie Comics, we soon realized that some of the things that happened in them did not make a lot of sense to us now.  How could two girls be okay with sharing this boy?  It didn’t make sense from a 21st century perspective so even though the characters were inspired by the comics, RIVERVIEW HIGH, is not the story of the Archie Comics.

DS:  Okay so what is it about then?  Teenage angst?

Stewart:    Yes, but in a fun teenage angst way.  It is a story about a clueless teenage boy who is forced to grow up whether he is ready to or not when he is given the ultimatum by the two girls he has been dating – sweet blonde Cathy and sexy brunette Erica.  It is a story about love and whether or not you should follow your heart or your head.

DS:   What can audiences expect?

Stewart:  It is a ninety minute show that will make people laugh, perhaps, they will even recognize themselves from their teenage years and they will see some of their favorite Archie characters in a whole new light.  With a cast of twenty-three of some of Vancouver’s best young musical theatre performers and a band of four talented musicians playing the show nightly, people are going to tap their toes and hopefully go out of the theatre humming a few of the twenty musical numbers in the show.

Group Shot 2 (2)DS:   After having this great idea, how difficult was it to actually write the musical?

Stewart:   We worked on the show on and off for just over two years as we had jobs and school and life so finding the time was difficult and there were many months when nothing happened.   And even though we had a plot-line it was difficult to write.  After getting my feet wet by writing some of my first-ever songs for the show, I got to the point where I just couldn’t get words onto the page.  At that point, we invited Mike Mackenzie to get involved and lend a hand.  Mike is the director but he, also, has written lyrics for the show and given us insight into producing musical theatre.    We applied to the Firehall in 2012 to produce the work as part of the Fringe Bring Your Own Venue program and when we were accepted were terrified as we hadn’t finished the show yet.   And the rest is history!

DS:  Yes, audiences loved the show during the Fringe and it sold out every performance at the Firehall and at the Pick of the Fringe.  And you won an Outstanding Production Award at the Ovation Awards!    Have you made any changes since then or will those audiences who saw it at the Fringe see the same show?

Stewart:   That’s one of the great things about getting to do the show again. The show is essentially the same but since the Fringe we have continued to develop and strengthen the work.  There are some changes to the script along with a couple of new songs which I think help clarify a few of the story arcs.

DS:  Testing new works in front of audiences is so important, isn’t it?  And having an opportunity to go back into a work after you have experienced the audiences’ response to an initial production is so important.   I know that creating a new musical is not an easy task – there are so many components that most people don’t even think about.   Thanks Stewart for your time.  Welcome back RIVERVIEW HIGH and thanks for following through on that original crazy conversation!

RIVERVIEW HIGH opens tonight and runs through til August 24. Tickets ($18-$20) are sold out for tonight, but still available for the rest of the run. Click here for more information or to buy tickets.

INK returns to Vancouver with Inside Creation

Posted: Jul 18 2013

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A beautiful work of dance that debuted at the Firehall Arts Centre a decade ago is being revisited once again, this time at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.

From the creators:

In 2003 choreographer Andrea Nann collaborated with pottery artist and Chinese ink painter Wayne Ngan (Hornby Island) and contemporary dance artists Alison Denham (Vancouver) and Kate Holden (Toronto) to create INK, a 40 minute dance performance inspired by Wayne Ngan’s holistic and embodied creative process of ‘making the invisible visible’.  The piece was conceived on the beaches of Hornby Island, but has always been presented in theatrical venues.  Now, 10 years later, the artists re-open the creation process during a 5-day artistic residency at the Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden.  Here they will explore the deeper connections to nature and culture that are embedded in the work, excavating intersections where dance, visual art, classical landscapes and contemporary culture can interconnect and transform. 

On July 25th, Dreamwalker Dance will dive deeper into INK, featuring the work of Wayne Ngan, Kate Holden, and Alison Denham.

Tickets for this event are $25.00, and can be purchased either by phone (604-662-3207 ext. 200 or 206 ) or online (click here).
Admission is free for Dreamwalker Dance members who renew their memberships, and for new members.

You can learn more about this piece on the Dreamwalker Dance website: www.dreamwalkerdance.com

Firehall Arts Centre & Red Cedar Theatre present Theatre Camp for First Nations/Aboriginal Youth

Posted: Jul 12 2013

The Telus Community Foundation recently awarded the Firehall Theatre Society/Firehall Arts Centre $20000 to host a Theatre Camp for First Nations/Aboriginal youth between the ages of 16 and 26.  Announced at the opening of the premiere production of Drew Hayden Taylor’s GOD AND THE INDIAN,  the grant will also fund a mentorship program for camp participants upon completion.

The camp will be held at the Firehall Arts Centre from August 12th to 23rd and teachers will include recognized First Nations artists Columpa Bobb, Russell Wallace and Michelle Olson as well as Firehall Artistic Producer, Donna Spencer.  Participants will explore both traditional First Nations dance and music alongside work on contemporary First Nations scripts and voice and movement skills.

Space is limited to twelve individuals and those interested can apply by downloading the application (click here) and forwarding it to the Firehall Arts Centre.  All applicants will be contacted to discuss their application.

Applications can be forwarded either by standard mail, or by filling out the PDF electronically and sending it to firehall@firehallartscentre.ca.

Mailed applications can be addressed to:

Firehall Arts Centre
Attn: Theatre Camp
280 East Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC
V6A 1L3

Theatre is alive and entertaining audiences across Canada

Posted: May 28 2013

 

Having just returned from the annual Professional Association of Canadian Theatres conference held in Victoria last week, I am pleased and encouraged that theatre is still  high on the list of many Canadians when making their choices about what to do with their diminishing spare time and much in demand disposable income.   Is any income really “disposable” and can time really “diminish”?  But not to get off track here – one hundred and sixty plus theatre professionals representing theatres of all shapes and sizes producing work for Canadians from a broad range of demographics convened to discuss topics as far ranging as getting your head in the clouds (Cloud computing) to connecting the dots with our audiences and community partners; from working sustainably to recognizing the early warning signs of when your organization is in trouble to discussions on labour agreements and human resources.   It was great to share with colleagues the successes and challenges of the Firehall’s past season and to speak proudly about what a great audience we have here, about what talented and passionate artists we have had the privilege to work with and about how our generous  donors and volunteers help make it all happen.   We were, also,  pretty excited to tell them about the Firehall’s  2013-2014 season when we will bring back some favorites from last season and introduce some works to Vancouver.   Early Bird Passes for the season will go on sale on June 3rd.   We hope you will join us – going to the theatre is a great way to use your “disposable income” and your “diminishing spare time”!!

-Donna Spencer,  Artistic Producer

Contemplation on Land-Research | Donna Spencer

Posted: Apr 26 2013

 

If you are a consumer of world news, you will be familiar with how much we hear about the conflict within Israel between the Palestinians and the Jewish people over the rights to land and to a lesser degree about the conflicts within different factions within these communities around beliefs and the changing world.   But seldom do we hear about the impact of this conflict or tension on the inner lives of the individuals who live in this starkly beautiful country.  Nor do we consider how it impacts their connection to land, their connections to each other and their isolation within themselves serving to feed eventually into the big picture conflict.   After watching audiences at the Firehall respond to Israeli choreographer, Arkadi Zaides’ Land-Research and seeing how moved they were by his integration of the individual experiences of his dancers; by the sound score created by their voices in front of a landscape created by the powerful photography of Yuval Tebol and the video design of Daniel Landau, it reminded me the arts plays such an important role in helping us understand each other. How do we know what is going on within each other if not through our individual physical or creative actions?  And how do we connect with each other if not through those same actions whether it be through conversations, playing sports, dancing, singing or simply telling a story?   Mr. Zaides has created a powerful work that resonates visually and emotionally with audiences and the stillness within the work asks them to consider the next breath, the next possibility.    This work opens the window for viewers from outside Israel to gain a better understanding – a more meaningful connection with the individuals who live there.  The work has only two more performances in Vancouver, April 26 & 27, before the company returns to Israel and for those of you who ponder the challenges of achieving a more peaceful world Land-Research asks you to consider the sociology of those impacted by political and religious tensions and divisions.

Check this out!

Posted: Apr 23 2013

Check this out!  If you are into seeing what is going on the world stage, you won’t want to miss Arkadi Zaides ground-breaking work, Land-Research opening April 24th at the Firehall.  Through highly physical movement, projected images, overlays of texts and music and different styles of performance , five performers from different cultural backgrounds explore how their  inner landscapes are affected by and affect the outer landscape surrounding them and how the current realities in Israel  impact society.

Featuring Palestinian artist and actress Raida Adon; dancer Yuli Kovabasnyan, who immigrated alone as a young girl from Russian to Israel; Ofir Yudilevitch, a dancer with an extensive background in acrobatics and Capoeira; performer and video artist Sva Li-Levy and dancer/acrobatics practitioner, Asaf Aharonson, Land-Research gives voice to each of the artist’s personal relationship to land and landscape – internal, external, conceptual, symbolic, historical, textual and emotional.

What drew the Firehall to Arkadi Zaides work as a choreographer was the high quality of his work and his belief that art is meant to challenge and inspire viewers and to reach out and bring different communities and different sectors of society together.  His commitment to working in diverse communities, including the Arab sector in Israel was illustrated in the highly successful Quiet, which played at the 2011 Dancing on the Edge Festival and is again shown in Land-Research.

“ Zaides excellent performers provide an original dance interpretation of the lyrical idea “ I have no other country” or the saying “ man is born in the mold of his country”  Zvi Goren/ Habama

“Land-Research is a fine work with an experimental nature: it’s potent in its directness, with a monastic finery of taste. The distress projected by the body is simultaneously global and domestic.  The performance demands intense observation, and is suitable for those who are looking for a different type of performance that is beyond the comfort of the pleasantly familiar.”  Ruth Eshel/ Haaretz

Arkadi Zaides was born in the Soviet Union and immigrated to Israel in 1990.  He danced in the Batsheva Dance Company and the Yasmeen Godder Dance group and since 2004 has been working as a free-lance choreographer.  In 2008 and 2009, he was awarded the Israeli Ministry of Culture Prize for young artist in the field of dance and in 2010 received the prestigious Kurt Jooss award for his choreography, Solo Colores.

Push the envelope and join us in welcoming this powerful work to Vancouver.

Now accepting submissions for the Firehall Arts Centre’s Training Program

Posted: Feb 05 2013

The Firehall Arts Centre is looking for four individuals to join us for a five month internship learning the ins-and-outs of working in a theatre.

Click here to download the application

 

Individuals will receive the unique opportunity to work and experience the different jobs that are integral to getting a show up and running.  Outside of the performers on the stage, it takes marketers, lighting and set designers, customer service staff, administration support, and much more to make sure that performance is just right.  Those participating in the internship will gain the opportunity to see the inner workings of the live performing arts and get firsthand experience working in the Arts & Culture Industry.

The Firehall Arts Centre, now in its 30th season, produces and presents contemporary dance and theatre that is committed to representing the cultural pluralism of Canada.  Located in the heart of the Downtown Eastside, the Firehall is a thriving community member and an active facility that runs its own theatre, gallery space, bar, studio facility, and much more.  It produces and presents eight productions per season, is home to the BC Buds Spring Art Fair and the main venue for the Dancing on the Edge Festival of Contemporary Dance.

Learn the skills to work as: Front of House/Bartending
Box Office
Audience Outreach Assistant
Production/Technical Assistant

 

During the internship, you will gain new employable skills and certificates, including:

  • Occupational Health & Safety First Aid Level One
  • Serving It Right Certification
  • FoodSafe Certification
  • Introductions to production, theatre administration, customer services, publicity and marketing and day-to-day arts management
  • Customer Service Skills
  • Experience handling cash and working with cash registers
  • Experience working in a professional environment
  • Job experience working with artists, technicians, administrators, and the community

 

Applicants must have the following requirements to be eligible for the training program:

  • Between 19 – 30 years of age
  • Currently unemployed or underemployed
  • Not attending post secondary school and do not have a degree from a post secondary school
  • Canadian Citizen or Permanent Resident/Landed Immigrant
  • A desire to increase your employment skills and gain great experience
  • Willing to explore your potential and learn new things
  • ENTHUSIASM and a desire to learn more about the Arts & Culture Industry

 

The Training Program prioritizes applicants facing barriers to employment including: homelessness/shelter, substance abuse, emotional and/or physical health, single parents, literacy/numeracy issues, and those with a criminal record.  The internship will run over a period of approximately 20 weeks and provide training and pay for four (4) participants to obtain and increase their employment skills for entry-level positions in and around the arts.  The training program will focus on key areas as front-line customer service, administration and production of a thriving theatre organization.  Participants will be selected to train in the following departments:  Box Office/Database Management, Customer Service Management including Front of House and Bar, Technical Production, and Marketing/Outreach.

 

Those interested should submit an application form (and resume, if possible) to:
Firehall Arts Centre
Attn: Caitlin McKee
280 East Cordova Street
Vancouver, BC  V6A 1L3
Fax: 604-684-5841 | cmckee@firehallartscentre.ca
Questions?  Phone: 604-689-0691

Please submit applications by Tuesday February 19, 2013 by 5pm

Click here to download the application

We gratefully acknowledge the financial support of ACCESS and British Columbia through the Ministry of Advanced Education and labour market Development as provided by the Canada-B.C. Labour Market Agreement.