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LETTER FROM HEATHER
There are several great things about this month that I want to share with you. First, we are thrilled to announce that our online ticketing system is up and running! You can now buy your tickets to any show at The Cultch 24/7. We just want say thank you for your patience as we worked out some of our technological kinks - it feels good to be back in the 21st century.
This month at The Cultch we play host to the incredible cast and crew from Artistic Fraud of Newfoundland and their production Fear of Flight. You may remember Artistic Fraud from 2000 when they performed their critically acclaimed show Under Wraps at The Cultch.
Fear of Flight is an ambitious production that features 14 actors on stage for the entire performance. Playing nervous passengers on a turbulent transcontinental flight these performers combining monologues, choral text, movement, and an ensemble of singing travelers, Fear of Flight is a one hour and fifteen minute journey through the cause-and-effects of fear. Check out this video to get a taste of this show's display of major talent!
Some of Canada's best playwrights contributed to the show, including Daniel MacIvor, Judith Thompson, Denise Clarke and local playwright Marie Clements (The Edward Curtis Project). And the production is developed by the very talented duo Jillian Keilley and Robert Chafe. Jillian is the Artistic Director of Artistic Fraud and is one of the most decorated directors in Canada. She is the winner of the Canada Council's John Hirsch Prize, the NLAC Emerging Artist Award, a Betty Mitchell Award and the Siminovitch Prize for theatre. We are very excited to bring such top notch talent to The Cultch and hope you'll have the chance to see the show. It is only on for 6 performances next week.
There is an abundance of great art in Vancouver at this time. To keep you up-to-date and in touch with what's happening at The Cultch, we have included is this e-zine a conversation with creator Robert Chafe about Fear of Flight, along with a special offer for our Micro-Theatre Series, an article about BASH'd - A Gay Rap Opera, our cafe & wine bar opening and exciting info on our next Curators-in-Residence presentation.
Hope to see you at The Cultch soon,
Heather Redfern
Executive Director
The Cultch |
COMING UP AT THE CULTCH FOR FEBRUARY & MARCH:
Jan 29 - Feb 6: The Cultch, Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad, and PuSh present Best Before
Feb 1 - 6: The Cultch presents a Micro-Theatre Series
Feb 9 - 14: The Cultch & Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad present Fear of Flight
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$5 TICKET SALE ON OUR MICRO THEATRE SERIES!
That's right! You heard correctly! We are offering you a very special price for a very special series. Now you only have to pay $5/show (or $15 for all 3 shows). With only three evenings of performances left (this series must close February 6th), call our box office now to book your tickets. Click here for more info.
A CONVERSATION WITH ROBERT CHAFE, ARTISTIC ASSOCIATE OF ARTISTIC FRAUD, PLAYWRIGHT & CO-CREATOR FOR FEAR OF FLIGHT
Q. In your own words, what happens in this show?
A. Fourteen singing passengers endure turbulence, paranoia, their fear of flying and their fear of what's waiting on the ground, during a bumpy transcontinental flight. There's Joyce on her way to her sister's lesbian wedding, and the invariable familial grilling of her continued singledom. There's Blandy, the tough-as-nails fourteen year old, flying to say goodbye to her dying mother in Florida. There's Glynis, the naïve ball of optimism, flying to Vancouver because Jesus asked her to.
Q. How did Fear of Flight come to be?
A. It all started many years ago when Director Jillian Keiley and friend and actor Torquil Colbo created a five-minute movement piece to explore their shared fear of flying. They concocted the play on the lawn of the Sir Wilfred Grenfell College Fine Arts Building. Flash forward ten years and Jill and playwright Robert Chafe are back at the college in residency and asked to create a show utilizing the 30 second and third-year students. Fear of Flight was born. Since that time the original student production played at the 2006 Magnetic North Festival in St. John's, before a pared down (14 person), ramped up (new a cappella score) professional production debuted in 2008. That production travelled to the Magnetic North Festival and Toronto's Factory Theatre last spring, and now comes to the Cultural Olympiad.
Q. This production was written by some of the nation's most prominent playwrights: How did you get so many talented and well-known writers to participate?
A. We asked them nicely. It's one of the most amazing things about the Canadian theatre community; it's great and diverse and inclusive and relatively small. Over the years of working and travelling to festivals, (Magnetic North deserves a big tip of the hat here) we had the great pleasure of meeting many of our country's theatrical luminaries. When we had the idea of getting different writers to script some character sketches for us, we simply sat down, did up a list of who we would like to ask, and sent off some emails. We were thrilled that most said yes. The writers have been amazing through this process. They delivered some great stuff to work with, and were incredibly generous with allowing us to sculpt their characters into the larger narrative. It has been a big gift to work with these folks.
"Absolutely hilarious is how director Keiley includes the minutiae of airplane ritual. The show is not to be missed." Paula Citron, classical963fm.com
Q. What do you love most about this production?
A. Personally, I love that the production marks the intersection of work by many many artists, diverse in practice and geography. It's truly a trans-Canadian affair. But I'm also extremely proud of how a project that started as a vague idea has developed with time and patience into a solid piece of theatre, a solid story told in a unique and eye-catching way. I also love each of the actors in this piece. They make it look very easy. But think about it, above and beyond their duties as actors, they are singing a full 80-minute vocal score without accompaniment or a conductor. They can't even really look at each other for cues. Anyone who has ever sung in a choir can appreciate the difficulty of what they are doing every night, but yet they make it look so easy.
"Make no mistake; this is a play worth the price of admission thanks to its uniquely delectable set design resembling the interior of a passenger jet accented by absorbing choral text and stunning synchronized movement. And for that creators Jillian Keiley, Robert Chafe, and Jonathan Monro are deserving of high praise for their bold cultural supplement." Jonathan O'Neill, Torontostage.com
Q. Can you describe some of the themes that arose beyond the initial idea of the fear of flying?
A. As I said, courage was a big theme in most of the original monologues. What it is, how we can foster it in ourselves. The story of the show really ends up being about control, our insatiable need to have it over all aspects of our lives, and the freedom and courage that comes with sometimes relinquishing it.
Fear of Flight plays at the Historic Theatre at The Cultch from February 9 - 14th. For more information, visit The Cultch's web site.
BASH'D - FINALLY A SHOW FOR HOMOS & HOMIES
Coming to The Cultch mid-February, BASH'd is a high-energy, entertaining musical told entirely through rap, spoken word, and poetry by two gay hip-hop artists, Feminem and T-Bag. Chronicling the lives and romance of Jack and Dillon through sharp, comical, and often crass lyrics, BASH'd examines gay culture, gay marriage, and the inevitably tragic outcome of violence and bigotry.
The story unfolds as Jack (a stylish, charming young man from the big city and the adopted son of two gay men) meets Dillon (who is recently out, from a small town, and new to Edmonton). Jack and Dillon fall in love and get married. But just they are living out their idyllic Romeo and Romeo romance, one gets ruthlessly bashed, prompting the men to seek revenge - an act that ultimately seals their fate.
"BASH'd is a triumph....relentless... in all senses, a deeply moving shout-out." - Village Voice
BASH'd made its New York City Off-Broadway debut June 22, 2008, and ran for over two months. It was one of the best reviewed Off-Broadway shows in the last ten years, and received the 2007 GLAAD (Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation) Media Award. It also won the Sterling Award for Outstanding Independent Production in Edmonton, and Outstanding Musical at the 2007 NYC Fringe Festival. The production is directed by Ron Jenkins and features music by Aaron Macri.
"More amusing than anything else in musical theater's avant-garde." - New York Magazine
Edmonton-based actors Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow began working on a slightly different version of the project in early 2000, but it finally took its shape as BASH'd in the fall-out of the 2005 Civil Marriage Act. The duo was appalled by Alberta Premier Ralph Klein's outspoken, militant homophobia and disapproval of the Marriage Act, and believes his hatred spurred violence against the gay community. When several of their friends were bashed, Craddock and Cuckow were inspired to form BASH'd into a gay rap opera with a political message written into its humorous lyrics.
"Gays get a good rap! The story is not only moving but also hilarious." - New York Post
Recognizing hip-hop's reputation of hyper-masculinity and homophobia, Craddock and Cuckow seek to go beyond a parody of the genre, taking hip-hop back to its roots when it was used as a catalyst of social change, justice and a way to give voice to the oppressed.
BASH'd - A Gay Rap Opera is part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. It runs at The Cultch from February 16 - 20, 2010 at 8pm (plus a matinee on Feb 20 at 2pm). Click here for full details.
BRENDAN MCLEOD PENS NEW PLAY FOR HIS RESIDENCY AT THE CULTCH
TJ Dawe and Cara Yeates help him bring his new work to the stage Feb 28th
 The Cultch's Curators in Residence Program is a new initiative that offers space in the newly-built VanCity Culture Lab to young, emerging professional artists in Vancouver for creation, experimentation and performance. Spoken-word artist, novelist and musician Brendan McLeod is the Curator in Residence for January, February and March 2010.
McLeod is a former Canadian Slam poetry champion, and is a member of the acclaimed music group, The Fugitives. His first novel, The Convictions of Leonard McKinley, was nominated for the 2008 Re:Lit Award. As part of his residency, the ambitious McLeod will present the premiere performance of his new one-act, one-woman play, Sam and Ben and the Big Oops.
The collaborative team for this project was born shortly after actress Cara Yeates (Some Reckless Abandon, Bye Bye Bombay) won the inaugural Joanna Maratta Award for outstanding contribution to the Vancouver theatre community. The prize was a mentorship with local writer/performer/director and Jessie nominee TJ Dawe (The SlipKnot, Totem Figures).Yeates chose Brendan's new work to fulfill the award and Dawe is currently directing her in Sam and Ben.
Sam and Ben and the Big Oops is an original one- woman one-act play centred on upcoming children's entertainer Sammi Sam, who lives to please and inspire everyone around her: the children she entertains, her long-term boyfriend Ben and his affluent parents. When she accidentally becomes pregnant, she and Ben must choose whether or not to have a child during a financially and socially unstable time of their lives. The decision forces them to re-evaluate their life goals and their relationship to both their families and each other. Part naive children's show, part interpersonal drama, Sam and Ben and the Big Oops takes on contemporary social mores with abnormal humour and pathos. The play also features original music by McLeod.
The play will premiere on Sunday, February 28 at 8pm at The Cultch, as part of McLeod's residency, followed by performances at various summer festivals, including the Edmonton and Winnipeg fringe festivals. Tickets are $15 and available through The Cultch's Box Office (604-251-1363).
CHEESE & CHARCUTERIE AT THE CAFE & WINE BAR AT THE CULTCH
The Café & Wine Bar at The Cultch offers an extraordinary selection of wines, specialty beers, espresso beverages made from farm-direct, family-traded Mogiana Coffee and organic milk, as well as teas, light gourmet meals, and desserts.
The cafe features sumptuous cheese and charcuterie platters, which you select from a delicious variety of artisinal cheeses from les amis du FROMAGE and charcuterie sourced from small East Vancouver producers. The platter is served with an organic wheat baguette, olives, and preserves from Vista D'oro Farms.
The Cultch is thrilled to have had the outstanding Sebastien Le Goff create the wine list, menu, and act as advisor in the development stages of the cafe. Le Goff was named Sommelier of the Year by Vancouver Magazine in 2001, and Sommelier of the Year by BCRFA/ISG in 2006.
Originally from France, Le Goff moved to Toronto in 2001 where he worked for the esteemed Oliver Bonacinni Group of restaurants while obtaining his Sommelier Certification from Humber College. After moving to the west coast, Le Goff worked in upper management for several award-winning Vancouver restaurants, including CinCin Ristorante, and Lumière. He is currently the head of operations for Uva Wine Bar and Cibo Trattoria in the Moda Hotel located in downtown Vancouver.
Come check out this fabulous new space, open Tuesday to Saturday, 5pm to late! And don't forget that for the ultimate convenience, food and drinks can be pre-ordered for intermissions during shows to make sure that your items are ready and waiting for you when you come out of the theatre. Click here for more info. |
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SINGLE TICKETS NOW ON SALE FOR Underneath the Lintel
"An arresting performance that's easily one of the finest of this year's Fringe."
- EYE WEEKLY, Toronto
The Cultch's co-presentation with the Chutzpah! Festival brings you a "cosmic puzzle that makes 'The Da Vinci Code' seem like a game of hide and seek" (Variety). A book initially checked out 113 years ago is anonymously returned, launching a librarian's quest to find the borrower. Funny, touching and surprising, the adventure of Underneath the Lintel is storytelling at its best. For more info, click here.
 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
PHONE: 604-251-1363.
There are no online ticket sales at this time.
Box Office Hours:
Monday - Friday: 12pm - 6pm
Saturday: 12 - 4pm
Sunday: Closed
Our box office will always be open 1 hour prior to any performance. Normal box office hours will resume Monday, January 18th, 2010
For 24/7 access to our box office, visit tickets.thecultch.com!
GETTING TO THE CULTCH DURING THE WINTER 2010 GAMES
Worried about getting to a show on time during the Winter 2010 Games? Be sure to check out the following websites and plan ahead for your trip!
http://www.translink.ca/
http://www.thecultch.com
THE MOST IMPORTANT PART OF OUR SEASON IS YOU
When you make a donation to The Cultch, you directly impact our ability
to keep ticket prices low, and enable us to continue to bring
unforgettable performances by local, national and international artists
and companies to East Vancouver. Considering that only 40% of our
budget is covered by ticket sales, rentals and concessions, your
support makes an extraordinary difference.
Becoming a supporter of The Cultch is easy. Just click here.
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