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ANUSREE ROY IS AN ARTIST YOU SHOULD GET TO KNOW
I'd like to introduce you to someone - which is generally the reason I'll bring an artist to The Cultch - but really, Anusree Roy is an extraordinary woman... one that you should get to know. If you're looking to do something out of the ordinary this week, I'd recommend checking out Letters to my Grandma & Pyaasa. Playwright and performer Anusree Roy recently arrived from Toronto for this week's performances, bringing you two separate but complementary pieces about the experiences of South Asian women, in Canada and in India.
I saw Pyaasa for the first time last fall at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto and Letters to My Grandma at the most recent Magnetic North Theatre Festival. Both shows moved me to tears.
Letters to my Grandma is an unforgettable one-woman show that weaves together the journeys of a grandmother and her granddaughter. On the day of her wedding, Malobee reads back through her grandmother's letters, revealing her fight to survive in Second World War India. To her surprise, she finds she can relate to her grandmother as a new immigrant struggling to create a life in present-day Toronto. And Pyaasa (the Hindi word for thirst) tells the story of "Chaya" an 11
year old girl who learns the realities of an "Untochable's" life. Pyaasa won two Dora awards for Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Performance.
We really hope you have a chance to check these shows out. A special thanks to the folks at South Asian Arts for all of your support in spreading the word about this show.
And of course, there is much more to check out this month, with the world premiere of Tara Cheyenne Performance's Goggles, Justin Rutledge & Melissa McClelland and The Books to name a few!
See you at The Cultch,
Heather Redfern
Executive Director
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Q & A WITH ANUSREE ROY AND TIM PYLYPIUK (THE CULTCH)
Click on the photo to see an interview with Anusree Roy about winning
the 2009 RBC Emerging Artist Award
In your own words, can you tell us about Letters To My Grandmother and why you chose to write it? Letters to my Grandma for me is a play that explores the stories of war survivors and how their experiences affect their family. I wanted to dig deep into themes of love, hatred and forgiveness.
And what about Pyassa? Pyaasa is a story of an eleven year old girl and her life story in ten days. I wanted to tell the truth with this play: The truth about the caste system in India, the truth about survival and ultimately hope.
Of all the characters you've developed in these two productions, which is your favourite and why? My most favourite character is Chaya from Pyaasa. I love her because she is so full of love, she has a desire to explore and is constantly curious about life. Chaya has a lot of hope. Also, she is one of the most challenging characters to play as it requires an incredible amount of energy to play her every night.
Are there any events from these pieces that really hit close to home for you?
The caste system hits really close to home. My family in India still partakes in this now abolished system. We still have someone who comes and cleans the toilet back home - no one touches him and his footprints are wiped off to make sure they don't "contaminate" anything. If educated people behave like this, then there needs to be a change in the system!
How did it feel coming to a country with no caste system? Well, Canada has a "class system" that most people partake in. So, in many ways it's not really coming away from a problem, both countries have their issues, just in a different way.
And how do you view life under a "class system" compared to the now abolished "caste system"? See, I was never oppressed under the now abolished caste system. I came from a very privileged background - but moving to Canada opened my eyes. The class system here is very subtle. My family and I had to struggle a lot as new immigrants and find a place in the system. It's challenging - but if people don't stand up to it, we continue to feed the system.
Any other cultural differences that opened your eyes? I remember being shocked by the amount of waste in this county. We have such a large population in India and so many people go without food on a daily basis, so when I moved here, I was amazed and disappointed to realize how much food was being trashed.
I read in your bio that when you were 17 years old as a new immigrant to Canada, that your suitcase containing passports and landed immigrant papers was stolen. How did you cope with this? With hope. My family and I had a lot of hope. We believed that we would survive and build a strong future for ourselves. We were very supportive of each other and continue to be very close. Hope was what got us through.
Is losing and regaining one's identity also a prominent theme in your pieces?
Yes, absolutely. Strange how that works out. It is such a strong part of all my plays. I never really noticed it until someone pointed it out. I guess we write from what we know best.
What do you want your audiences to walk away with after seeing Letters to my Grandma and Pyaasa? I would like them to challenge their surroundings, to question the norm and to call their Grandmother.
Letters to my Grandma & Pyaasa runs at The Cultch until November 7. To purchase tickets, call our box office at 604-251-1363.
JUSTIN RUTLEDGE & MELISSA MCCLELLAND AT THE CULTCH
Click on the photo to see Justin Rutledge discussing his
new
CD "Man Descending"
Click on the photo to see Melissa McClelland's music
video for "Passenger 24" from her album "Thumbelina's
One Night Stand"
The Cultch pairs Justin Rutledge with Melissa McClelland for a one-two singer-songwriter punch this coming November 11, 2009. Both artists share a talent for turning words into worlds of images and emotions. These modern-day troubadours are bringing full backup bands to stage for this one-night musical extravaganza, where both heart AND guitar strings will be pulled. MORE>>
TARA CHEYENNE FRIEDENBERG LOVES CSI MIAMI!
SHE ASKS WHY WITH HER NEW SHOW GOGGLES.
Click on the photo to see Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg
talk about her newest work Goggles.
Half actor, half stand-up comic, and 100% dancer, Tara is nothing less than a phenomenon. Her satirical character-driven solos are garnering raves across the country. Goggles, which premieres at The Cultch from November 17-21, is no exception.
Crime. Drama. Murder. We watch the deaths of others again and again either as entertainment, media news fodder or as a collective nightmare. What is it that attracts us so strongly to these ceaseless depictions of untimely demise and bloody crime?
Obsession, bone chilling fear and black comedy translate into disturbingly compelling physicality and the sometimes heartbreaking, sometimes hilarious voice of Goggles. As Tara puts it: "Goggles is a troubled child". MORE>>
THE BOOKS OFFER A SNEAK PEEK AT NEW UNRELEASED MATERIAL
Click on the photo to see The Books' official music video for their
song "Take Time"
The Books, who are performing at The Cultch on November 25 as part of a two-week tour of the U.S and Canada, are set to show off about a half dozen new compositions from the group's unreleased fourth album. For this upcoming presentation, each new composition is paired with exacting, synchronized videos that are often as impressive as the music itself. MORE>>
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COMING UP AT THE CULTCH FOR OCTOBER & NOVEMBER:
Nov 3 - 7: The Cultch presents Letters to my Grandma / Pyaasa
Nov 5: Ed Henderson INTIMATE CD Release
Nov 7: Barking Sphinx Performance Society presents Talking Pictures with Robin Holcomb & Wayne Horvitz
Nov 9: Zinc Hair Academy presents London Calling
Nov 11: The Cultch presents Justin Rutledge & Melissa McClelland
Nov 14: The Cultch presents Garden of Earthly Delights Grand Opening Gala
Nov 17 - 21: The Cultch presents Goggles
Nov 24 & 26: Here to Go
Nov 25: The Cultch presents The Books
Nov 27: Potluck Cafe Society presents Grand Cariboo Opry with Barney Bentall & Guests
Dec 4 & 5: The Cultch presents John Mann
Dec 10, 12 & 13: The Cultch presents Duplex!
Dec 11 & 12: The Cultch presents Veda Hille
Dec 27 - Jan 16: Blackbird Theatre Society presents Edward Albee's Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf
Click here for our full calendar of events!
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ASSISTIVE LISTENING DEVICES
The Cultch is pleased to announce
that we now offer Assistive Listening Devices! These new headsets offer volume
control and are a vital part of our accessibility to patrons in need of hearing
assistance. Please check in with the House Manager upon arrival to sign one
out.
FACEBOOK TIP
 Sign up as a fan of The Cultch on
Facebook and become eligible for our exclusive Facebook ticket giveaways and
last minute deals!
THE CULTCH BOX OFFICE
Want to buy tickets to shows happening at The Cultch? Call our box office at 604-251-1363 to book now (Mon to Sat from 10 am - 5 pm (closed Sunday). There are no online ticket sales at this time. BUT SOON, IT'S COMING SOON!
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