Firehall – Firehall Arts Centre

Celebrate Chinese New Year at the Firehall!

Posted: Feb 16 2015

“Chinese New Year is a celebration, and our piece is a celebration too”, says Wen Wei Wang. “A celebration of who we are, and making something together.” – Vancouver Sun

Join us for the long-awaited Vancouver premiere of Wen Wei’s newest dance work on the cusp of the Lunar New Year (Feb 18 – 21). Made In China is a breathtakingly magical feast for the senses that opens a window to another world. This intensely personal interdisciplinary work is a shared biography of the artists’ experiences working amidst the Cultural Revolution. It is created and performed by Wen Wei Wang, Gao Yanjinzi (Beijing Modern Dance Company); Qiu Xia He (Silk Road Music); and video/sound artist Sammy Chien. Plus the Firehall’s own Donna Spencer has been brought on to Dramaturg the piece. The artists premiered the show at the Banff Centre in late January and while they were there created a fascinating behind the scenes short film.

Made in China by Wen Wei Dance explores cultural colours – Vancouver Sun

Wen Wei Dance’s Made in China digs into Chinese pasts – Georgia Straight

Wen Wei Wang and China’s immigrants of today – VancityBuzz

Made In China by Wen Wei Dance runs Feb 18 – 21 at the Firehall Arts Centre. More info.

Meet Meghan Gardiner aka Penelope Pennywise

Posted: Nov 03 2014

Meghan Gardiner is both a performer and a talented playwright. Her one woman show Dissolve continues to tour after eleven years (currently starring Emmelia Gordon), and right now she is writing new plays for both the Solo Collective and Shameless Hussy Productions. In 2012 she won the Sydney Risk Award for emerging playwright at the Jessie Awards. She makes her Firehall debut as Penelope Pennywise, the bathroom gatekeeper.

What is Urinetown?

Urinetown is our punishment for being greedy… But we don’t realize it until it’s too late.

Meghan Gardiner in Urinetown: The Musical. Behind her: Chris Lam, Rosie Simon, Anton Lipovetsky. Image David Cooper.

Tell us about your character

Pennywise has seen better days… She is an employee of Urine Good Company but due to some questionable behaviour, was given the lowest job on the totem pole: the gatekeeper of public amenity number nine. I think Penny is a romantic at heart and had moments of optimism in her life, but times got hard and cash got tight. So now the toilet is definitely half empty…

What is your secret superpower?

Writing blog entries in my sleep. I continually wake up amazed.

When I’m rich and famous I’ll….

Buy empty warehouses, barns etc and turn them into state of the art theatres. Then I’ll charge companies one dollar to rent them for their productions. I’ll also donate as many millions as I can to women’s shelters and organizations that combat cruelty to animals.

What is your favourite expression for going to the toilet?

First let me say that I don’t use this expression, my husband does. And I don’t know if it’s my favourite because it’s kind of… well… gross, but I hear it a lot. And so without further adieu “Drop the kids off at the pool”. Oh and I also hear “see a man about a horse” a lot, and between you and I and the interweb, I don’t really get it.

Capitalism, socialism, totalitarianism, activism, realism, postmodernism. Choose an –ism and tell us why. Well I really want to say VEGANISM, but then I don’t want to get into a debate or sound preachy, so I won’t use VEGANISM, I’ll find something other than VEGANISM to say. Hmm… thinking…

What is the biggest environmental challenge we as Canadians face? I think perhaps acknowledging the fact that we have huge environmental challenges to overcome….

You can find Meghan on twitter @Meghan_Gardiner and on stage at the Firehall from November 1 – 29 in Urinetown: The Musical. Click here for more info and details on tickets.

Meet Anton Lipovetsky, the hero of Urinetown

Posted: Oct 27 2014

Anton Lipovetsky is a busy fellow – when he’s not saving the good people of Urinetown from the corrupt Urine Good Corporation, he’s composing music for shows like the award-winning Broken Sex Doll (winner Jessie Award for Outstanding Composition) and donning Shakespearean garb for Bard on the Beach (Colin Thomas from the Georgia Straight called him ‘bloody well on fire’ in his role in Cymbeline this year) . Firehall audiences may recognise him from My Funny Valentine, Zee Zee Theatre’s show in our 2013/2014 season. We took a moment to talk to him about Urinetown and well, peeing.

Anton Lipovetsky, who plays the hero Bobby Strong in Urinetown

What is Urinetown?

A funny musical!

Tell us about your character

He’s a young man with his head in the clouds who hears in his heart the yearning of universal freedom. He takes action and inspires the oppressed poor to revolt! Then… He kinda makes it up as he goes along. A naive James Dean meets eager man-boy Jean Val Jean meets sometimes-gospel-belting-Evangelist.

What is your secret superpower?

Screwing up clearly written recipes… The secret is out.. We’re ordering in when you come over for dinner.

When I’m rich and famous I’ll….

I’ll give wads of money to strangers and tip 300 percent at brunch. Then I’ll produce little theatrical ventures but spend hundreds of 1000s on publicity so there’s always a line around the street for a little play in a black box theatre. And once in a while I’ll buy a whole night’s worth of seats so I can sit alone in the audience and eat caramel corn.

What is your favourite expression for going to the toilet?

I like when people from the UK say “have a wee.”

“Oy! I’m gonna have a wee”

Capitalism, socialism, totalitarianism, activism, realism, postmodernism. Choose an –ism and tell us why.

I really ding-dong Absurdism because potted plant.

What is the biggest environmental challenge we as Canadians face?

I’m not qualified to answer this! Ask the experts!

You can find Anton on twitter @antonlipovetsky and on stage at the Firehall from November 1 – 29 in Urinetown: The Musical. Click here for more info and details on half price previews Nov 1 – 4.

Hirsch and CBC Drama

Posted: Feb 19 2014

This month at the Firehall, we have the privilege of presenting HIRSCH, a show about Canadian theatre legend John Hirsch (1930 – 1989). This one-man play starring Toronto’s Alon Nashman and directed by Paul Thompson is truly an ode to Canadian theatre and Hungarian refugee Hirsch’s prolific theatrical achievements. In the lead up to the show (runs Feb 25 – Mar 1), we celebrate his legacy, talking to a series of Canadian theatre makers about how they have stood on the shoulders of this theatre giant.

Stuart Aikins on Hirsch

It was the early 70’s and I had returned from Temple University with a brand new Masters in Directing, looking to storm the Canadian theatre scene in Toronto. All I could find was small work at Studio Lab Theatre working on Dionysus in ’69. I had heard about John Hirsch out of Winnipeg taking over the CBC Drama Department so I sent him a note asking for an interview. His right hand at the time, Murielle Sharron, sent me a reply and I talked to both of them. In retrospect, I was a complete unknown and they took a meeting. Must have been the 70’s as that never happens today. John was very gracious and knew everyone I had worked with in the US and was most interested in my experience running Williamstown Summer Theatre School, a summer rep that often acted as a jumping-off point for many off Broadway ventures, run by Nikos Psacharopoulos.

John recognized the need to develop Canadian Artistic Directors in TV drama as much of the work was being brought in from England. Those were the days we did live studio dramas with multiple cameras. He asked me to help develop a training program for those Canadian directors much like National Playwrights Conference at the Eugene O’Neill Theater Center. I suggested we contact Lloyd Richards who ran it and he was happy to come up and help set up such a program in Toronto. John always knew there was plenty of training in the technical side of TV drama but none in the dramatic side so Lloyd and I began our work. John also saw that classic plays done in a studio were not the future of TV drama so he brought in Ralph Thomas to create the then-never-heard-of Movie of the Week. We took local stories from the newspaper and developed them into scripts that aired in a 90 minute slot. I think it changed the landscape of TV drama across North America.

John was always a visionary and brought the richness of his theatre experience into a new visual age and without his expertise and understanding, there would have never been a successful CBC Drama division. Also, I cannot imaging where I would be today after 35 years as a Casting Director, if it wasn’t for John and Murielle taking a chance on a young 23 year old.

Stuart Aikins
Chair, School of Performing Arts
Capilano University

Hirsch is on at the Firehall Arts Centre Feb 25 – Mar 1. Tickets are $15-30 and can be purchased online or by phone (604-689-0926).

Hirsch’s Gift To Future Generations of Directors

Posted: Feb 17 2014

Hirsch’s Gift To Future Generations of Directors

I never met John Hirsch or saw any of his plays. I’m also convinced that the Canadian theatre community does a pretty poor job of chronicling, learning and respecting our own history, even though it is fabulous and full of amazing stories and individuals. So I first found out about John Hirsch when I was a much younger director, though the Canada Council’s John Hirsch Prize. On his death in 1989, John Hirsch left a bequest to the Canada Council for the Arts to assist and encourage Canadian directors. The John Hirsch Prize is a tribute to the extraordinary contribution Mr. Hirsch made to theatre in Canada, most notably as founder of the Manitoba Theatre Centre, head of television drama for the CBC and artistic director of the Stratford Festival. The Prize was created in 1995 to recognize new and developing theatre directors who have demonstrated great potential for future excellence and exciting artistic vision. Two $6,000 prizes are awarded every two years, one for each of the Anglophone and Francophone theatre communities. You can find out more about it here.

The Ontario Arts Council also has a similar program – The John Hirsch Director’s Award.

In 2012 Toronto director Christopher Morris won the Canada Council John Hirsch Prize. Those that saw Touchstone Theatre’s co-presentation of Night at the PuSh Festival will know Morris’ work and his daring investigation of uncharted communities and issues. Finding out about Hirsch through the legacy of this Prize has forever connected his name with the cause of young directors in Canada, and with the many brilliant artists who have been recognized and encouraged by the award.

Katrina Dunn, Touchstone Theatre

Alon Nashman next to the statue of John Hirsch in front of the Manitoba Theatre Centre, image: Winnipeg Free Press

Creator of Hirsch, Alon Nashman, agrees with Katrina that many young directors who are awarded the John Hirsch Prize are unaware of his legacy. He recently told the Winnipeg Free Press: “Unfortunately, in Canada there is an amnesia,” says Nashman, “We don’t acknowledge our heroes. Many people who are up for his award don’t know who he is and what he did.” (read full article here).

Hopefully this play will help change that! Get a sneak peek of Hirsch with Touchstone Theatre’s short preview video below. Hirsch is on at the Firehall Arts Centre Feb 25 – Mar 1. Tickets are $15-30 and can be purchased online or by phone (604-689-0926).

HIRSCH PREVIEW VIDEO

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 24^th 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.

Contemplative Dance Class taught by Denise Fujiwara

Posted: Jan 10 2013

Saturday, January 19
Firehall Arts Centre

10am to 12:30pm

In addition to choreographing and performing next week in No Exit and Lost & Found, Denise Fujiwara will be teaching a Contemplative dance class as well!

Using Japanese Butoh and creative post-modern dance improvisation principles, participants will work towards becoming more present and creative while expanding movement vocabulary and conditioning the body for strength and agility.

This work can be done at many levels and challenges both the beginner and professional dancer. If you can walk, you can do this dance work.

$15/ $10 for CADA members

Space is limited, so call 604.689.0926 to secure your place in the class!

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