Oct 2 – Oct 5 | Firehall Theatre

EMPTY-HANDED

Running Time: 75mins - no intermission

Presented by Firehall Arts Centre
Co-Produced by The Biting School and battery opera

We are sitting in the madness of the human experience.
Forgetting we are the guests that the daffodils invited in a long time ago.
We are sitting in stillness and finding the trails.
The trails that will eventually take us home.

Empty-Handed is a contemporary dance piece that explores the journeys of five cosmic characters through themes of darkness, deception, and greed.
Through expressive movement, choreography and storytelling, the dancers create a world that transcends time and culture. Each character guides the viewer through an emotional arc that honours the essence of their personal revolution.

The Firehall Arts Centre presents The Biting School in their premiere production of EMPTY-HANDED. In this new work, choreographer Arash Khakpour and his company conjure up images of everyday life that transcend cultural and historical boundaries.

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Event Details

You are excrement. You can change yourself into gold.
— Alejandro Jodorowsky, from the film The Holy Mountain (1973)

Showtimes

Wednesday to Saturday –  7:30PM

Special Performances

Postshow Talkbacks

Thursday Oct 3

Friday Oct 4

Ticket Prices

Dance Supporter $100

Dance Attendee $35

Accessible Ticket $25

Student / Seniors $30

Credits

Presented by Firehall Arts Centre

Co-Produced by The Biting School and battery opera

 

Choreographer and Producer: Arash Khakpour

Performers: Marisa Gold, Hayley Gawthrop, Arash Khakpour, Juolin Lee and Antonio Somera Jr.

Voiceover / Video Actor: m̓iƛaa (mi-tlaa) meesh touchie

Costume Designer: elika mojtabaei

Video Projection Designer: Candelario Andrade

Composer and Musician: Alex Mah

Props and Set Designer: Hamidreza Jadid

Lighting Designer and Technical Director: Dan O’Shea

Head Sculpture Artist: T.J. Felix

Stage and Production Manager: Kayleigh Sandomirsky

Creative Consultants: Heather Lamoureux and Heidi Nagtegaal

Dramaturg: Raïna von Waldenburg

Outside Eye (Early Phases): Anne Cooper

Assistant Stage Manager: Agnes Hui

Rehearsal Assistants / Dancers: Sophia Wolfe and danielle mackenzie long

Set Construction: Ali Jaf

Publicity Photographer and Videographer: Luciana Freire D’Anunciação

Co-Producer: Aryo Khakpour

Produced by The Biting School

 

Photo by Luciana Freire D’Anunciação

Content & Sensory Warnings

This performance contains depictions of physical and emotional abuse (including sexual abuse), references to child abuse, pedophilia, as well as the use of strobe lights and loud noises.

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EMPTY-HANDED

Oct 2 – Oct 5 | Firehall Theatre
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Our Place in the World
The Firehall is where my family’s stories began to be told again.
Rosemary Georgeson
Sahtu Dene & Coast Salish Artist, Writer, Storyteller

We’re Grateful to Be Here.

The Firehall Arts Centre is located on the unceded and traditional territories of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations where they lived and gathered together for thousands of years. Acknowledging their connections to these lands is a significant part of what the Firehall considers when choosing the productions and presentations we undertake and how that work shapes and impacts those around us. We ask our community to reflect on what being present here means to you and those around you.