Catching up with the Prince and Princess of Punk Rock  

Otto (left) and Astrid (right) of Die Roten Punkte in all their lipstick smeared glory.

 

 

  

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

They're crazy, outrageous, incredibly dysfunctional and totally hilarious! Astrid and Otto Rot, the German brother and sister duo behind Die Roten Punkte, have come to rock out at The Cultch until August 13th with their highly anticipated third album Kunst Rock (Art Rock). We caught up with this amusing twosome to get the inside scoop on their unusual songwriting inspirations, pre-show warm-ups and their special love for their Canadian fans.

Can you first start by telling us the story of how Die Roten Punkte came to be?
 
OTTO:  Well, Astrid and I grew up in a small town outside of Berlin called Grunewald. And when we were little, we were on the way to the zoo and our parents were eaten by a lion.
 
ASTRID: It was a train.
 
OTTO:  It was a lion.
 
ASTRD: It was a silver fast train. We moved to the city and lived in a squat and everyone was in a band. It's just what everyone did.
 
You often write songs about unusual topics. Where do you find your inspiration?
 
OTTO: Bananenhaus (Banana House) is inspired by a Vancouver invention, the Banana Guard. Do you know it? It's a plastic container to protect your fruit. When I discovered it I loved it so much that I wrote a song about it. Last year, we met the inventors and we hung out after the show. That was one of the highlights of my career.
 
ASTRID: Second Best Friend is a song I wrote as a tribute to all my second besties out there and they know who they are!

Read the rest of the article on The Cultch blog.




Attention High-School-Aged Youth: The Cultch's Summer Camp begins August 15th  

The Cultch's summer camp teaches youth the skills to be a performer, but the rock star attitude is all their own.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cultch Summer Camp is set to begin inspiring young artists on August 15. The two week camp pairs high-school aged youth with mentors currently working in the arts. The Only Animal, our Company-in-Residence for the 2011 Summer Camp, strives "to make theatre in a way that is sustainable, joyful, treads lightly on the earth, and works with respect in all levels of collaboration."

 

Their partnership with The Cultch is an excellent opportunity for youth to develop the multidisciplinary skills necessary to bring a production to the stage. Through creative exploration of identity and the dynamics of performance, the participants are encouraged to reflect on their own relationship to art.

 

A limited number of spaces are still available for high school-aged artists who are ready to be inspired. For information about enrollment, contact Youth Program Manager Corbin Murdoch at 604-251-1766 x 105 or corbin@thecultch.com. To register, click here.

The Fringe Returns to The Cultch!

 

Theatre artists Lynna Goldhar Smith and Loretta Seto, founders of the Wet Ink Collective, are bringing the Fringe Festival back to The Cultch this September with a line-up of 5 different Bring-Your-Own-Venue shows! The Vancity Culture Lab will host White Girl, The Sinner King, Why Weight?, Night of the B Movie and Sally Lives Here.

Help the Drive come alive by attending the shows at The Cultch, and come out to support the other East Side Shows at the Fringe too.

For tickets, visit the Fringe Festival Box Office at the Fringe website.

Lynna and Loretta's adventures in bringing their shows from the page to the stage, while at the same time organizing a BYOV venue for five separate productions, has been the learning experience of a lifetime. To read more about their crash course in play production, check out their interview here.

Single Tickets to our 11/12 Season Now on Sale 

 

Tickets to all Cultch 2011/12 shows are now on sale! Buy your tickets now to ensure you will get great seats to see Ronnie Burkett Theatre of Marionettes in Penny Plain, Catalyst Theatre's
Hunchback and so many more wonderful presentations from our season.  

  

Behind the Scenes with The Cultch's Jordan Both       

Theatre technicians work tirelessly behind the scenes to make sure all aspects of a production run smoothly. They're the ones who help transform a performance from a piece of art into an experience. So who are these technicians and what exactly do they do?

Jordan Both walks us through a typical day as a theatre technician, through each stage of the production process. A graduate of The Cultch's Youth Week Program- now known as the IGNITE! Youth Festival- Jordan caught the theatre bug early. From a young age, he knew lighting and sound design were what he wanted to do.

Continue reading "Behind the Scenes with The Cultch's Jordan Both" on The Cultch blog.

The Future of The Cultch Begins With You

 

Our building is a century old, and we hope our recent renovations mean that The Cultch will be here for centuries to come.  Please consider making a bequest to The Cultch in your will and ensure the presentation of innovative theatre, dance and music for future generations. For more information, please contact Director of Development Eleanor Stacey at 604.251.1766 x 110 or eleanor@thecultch.com.

Subscriptions are still on sale for the 2011/12 season!

 

Our Build-Your-Own (BYO) 4 and BYO 8 allow you to choose from the diverse roster of performers and artist presented at The Cultch this year. Packages start as low as $50 and guarantee the best seats at the best prices. BYO subscriptions also offer unlimited free tickets exchange and 20% off single tickets for Ronnie Burkett's Penny Plain and Catalyst Theatre's Hunchback. Subscribe online or by calling The Cultch box office at 604.251.1363.

 

Become a Super Subscriber and enjoy even more benefits:

Beyond the benefits of subscribing to the 2011/12 season, you can further enhance your experience at The Cultch by becoming a Super Subscriber. By making a tax-deductible gift of $125 or more to The Cultch with your subscription, you'll receive special invitations to an opening night pre-show reception and a pre-show artist chat, a free pass to a Cultch movie night, and an exclusive backstage tour behind the scenes of a Cultch presentation.  And your donation will help us as we present our season and offer our Youth Program in 2011-12.

 

You can still upgrade to become a Super Subscriber, even if you have already purchased your 2011-12 subscription- simply call our Development Office at 604.251.1766 x 110 to add your gift of $125 or more to your subscription.

 

 

Great Rehearsal Spaces Available!

 

 

 

The Vancity Culture Lab, our black box studio, has a maximum capacity of 110 seats and has been referred to as the best "blackout" room in the city. Rental spaces are available from August 27 to 31, September 3 & 4, and various dates throughout the year. For more information on our Culture Lab, click here.

 

Looking for a more intimate space? The Greenhouse Studio boasts a 55 seat capacity and makes a great rehearsal or recreational studio. Spaces are available on August 20 & 21, from August 27th to September 16th and various dates throughout the year. For more information on our studio, click here.

 

Visit our website or call Jenn Spry to discuss your event: 604-251-1766 x107 or jennifer@thecultch.com.