World of Strings: A Behind the Scenes look at Penny Plain and its Master Puppeteer, Ronnie Burkett
By Jenna Livergant
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Photo by Ian Jackson.
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With his penchant for apocalyptic story lines, politically charged dialogue, and adult-only content, it's no surprise that master puppeteer and playwright, Ronnie Burkett has been called the "bad boy" of puppetry. Equally unsurprising - this former apprentice to The Sound of Music's puppeteer, Bil Baird has been credited with "single-handedly rejuvenating puppetry in North America". Having received critical and public acclaim for his performances across Canada, the U.K., Australia, Germany, Austria, Sweden, and elsewhere, Burkett is recognized today as one of the world's foremost theatre artists.Now, with his latest creation, Penny Plain set to take the stage from November 17th to December 17th here at The Cultch, we wanted to give you a backstage glance at the incredible artistry involved in Penny Plain's nearly 30 distinct puppets - along with some insight into the artist himself.
"I was relentless in writing letters to old puppeteers as a child," he says. "While other kids were learning to smoke and make out in the back of a car, I was doodling knee joints."
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Penny Plain runs November 17 - December 17 at The Cultch. Tickets start at $45 and are available online at tickets.thecultch.com , by phone at 604.251.1363 or in person at 1895 Venables Street.
Connect with local artists in The Spirit of EastVan, an Eastside Cultural Crawl exhibit
The Cultch Gallery is excited to showcase The Spirit of EastVan, a preview exhibition of the Eastside Cultural Crawl 2011! Featuring the diverse works of local East Vancouver artists, the exhibit demonstrates how East Vancouver residents incorporate the geographical area into their personal identity.
The Eastside Cultural Crawl annual event, held on November 18 to 20, attracts over 300 artists and sees audiences of over 10,000. The organization has evolved over the years, and is seen as a pivotal representation of the heart of the East Van creative community.
The Spirit of EastVan explores individual perspective, a historical overview, and community portraiture, capturing the essence of East Vancouver. This intimate collection of works showcases ten exciting artists: Felicity Don, Marta Robertson Smythe, Sonja Kobrehel, M.A. Tateishi, Fred Weiss, Deanna Fogstrom, Ross den Otter, Suzo Hickey, Lori Sokoluk, and Karen Moe.
Join us for the Opening Reception on November 9 from 6 - 9pm! The exhibit will run from November 9 to 27, 2011. For regular gallery hours, visit our website at thecultch.com.
All art displayed in The Cultch gallery is available for sale and may be purchased through The Cultch. If interested, please contact us at gallery@thecultch.com.
The Christmas Carol Project: Western Canada's hippest holiday tradition returns to The Cultch!
December 18 to 20, 2011
We are excited to welcome The Christmas Carol Project, Western Canada's hippest holiday tradition, back to The Cultch! Produced by Brass Monkey Productions and featuring several prominent Canadian-born musicians, this highly acclaimed musical performance brings the magic of the holiday season to our theatre.
This unique and enchanting musical production interprets Charles Dickens' timeless tale, adding eclectic styles of music and a diverse cast for a fresh take on the classic novel. The Christmas Carol Project blends literature and contemporary music for an unforgettable performance - A perfect entertainment option for the whole family!
Celebrate the holiday season at The Cultch on December 18 to 20, 2011. Tickets are from $28 and can be purchased by visiting tickets.thecultch.com or call the Box Office at 604-251-1363.
Neworld Theatre and The Cultch's Youth Program team up to create five new Podplays!
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Participants in The Cultch's Youth PodPlays Workshop with Adrienne Wong (centre).
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On September 20th and 21st, The Cultch's Youth Program launched its 2011/2012 season with a two-day workshop with Neworld Theatre Co-Artistic Producer Adrienne Wong. Adrienne has been spearheading a project at Neworld called PodPlays. She describes the project in the following way:
"A PodPlay is a short, site-specific audio play that takes participants on a walk through the geography of a city and the urban obsessions of its residents. Much like you would listen to an audio guide in a museum, you load PodPlays onto portable media players and are guided on a walk by narration that combines story, music, technology and directional cues."
In the past year, Neworld has produced 11 PodPlays written by different Vancouver artists and charting narrative paths throughout the city. Neworld has also been reaching out to community groups to teach them how to make their own PodPlays. As part of Vancouver's 125th anniversary, Adrienne and her team are trying to amass as many PodPlays as possible. The Cultch's Youth Program was thrilled to have been brought into this process.
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To get involved in The Cultch's Youth Program please contact Youth Program Manager Corbin Murdoch at corbin@thecultch.com.
The Cultch is Hiring!
For nearly four decades, The Cultch has presented unforgettable theatre, dance and music, bringing world-class local, national and international presentations to thousands of patrons each year. Located just off Commercial Drive, The Cultch is also a great place to work. Our team members include people like you - enthusiastic, innovative, passionate, detail-oriented and energetic. We believe you'll find our high-performance culture personally fulfilling, professionally challenging and artistically rewarding. Join our team and share our vision of a future filled with the best that contemporary art has to offer.
Youth Program Manager
The Cultch is currently looking for an outstanding Youth Program Manager. Reporting to the Executive Director, you are responsible for all aspects of The Youth Program including the youth panel, The IGNITE! Youth-Driven Arts Festival, the IGNITE! Mentorship Program, and The Cultch's Summer Camp. You have a positive attitude with great communication skills, are proactive and are full of fresh ideas. You take direction well but also have the confidence to lead projects, set priorities and manage multiple projects at a time.
For more details and info on how to apply, click here.
Deadline: Friday, November 11, 2011
Development and Marketing Administrative Assistant
This critical position will be responsible for assisting in the implementation, coordination and execution of fundraising and marketing activities relating to The Cultch's annual campaign, events, and legacy initiatives. Specifically, the successful candidate will coordinate all gift processing functions; maintain donor database systems; develop and prepare a variety of reports and queries; respond to donor enquiries; and provide a variety of administrative and logistical support functions to the fundraising and marketing team.
For more details and info on how to apply, click here.
Deadline: Friday, November 18, 2011
Exciting Volunteer Opportunities
Ushers
Looking for an opportunity to fill a free evening with some innovative & dynamic entertainment? How about meeting some potential new friends & getting involved in the arts community? Then why not volunteer for The Cultch! The Cultch is always looking for outgoing, reliable & friendly people with an interest in the arts to join our volunteer team as ushers. Our ushers are the first point of contact for guests as they enter the building, they play a crucial role in creating a welcoming atmosphere at The Cultch. No experience is required as we provide you with full training, but previous ushering or customer service experience is always an asset.
For more details and info on how to apply, click here.
Administration/Reception
Looking to gain experience in administration and receptionist duties? Interested in receiving free tickets to upcoming Cultch shows, learning new and transferable skills, meeting new people and receiving recognition for your efforts? The Cultch is currently looking for an outgoing volunteer receptionist with a great sense of humour to assist in a wide range of administrative services. Hours for this position are day time, weekdays. For more details and info on how to apply, please contact Cindy Reid, Managing Director, (cindy@thecultch.com).
Congratulations to Development Director Eleanor Stacey on her new position with the GVPTA!
It's been six years since Eleanor Stacey first stepped into the position of Director of Development here at The Cultch. In those six years she's seen and done it all. From managing a multi-faceted fundraising program to the huge responsibility of organizing the selection process for the Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, Eleanor's dedication and talent have taken us far here at The Cultch. But now it's time for her to move on to a new challenge as the Executive Director of the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance!
While we couldn't be happier for Eleanor, we're sad to see her go. In her new position, Eleanor will be putting her management skills to good use by supporting the theatres and theatre practitioners of the greater Vancouver Area. As the GVPTA is an association of more than 100 theatre companies and individual members, Eleanor has her work cut out for her, but we couldn't think of anyone better for the job!
Eleanor has been a valuable member of our team here at The Cultch but on top of all that, she's lovely to boot. Yes, we will miss her dearly, but we wish her all the best in the future at the GVPTA!
Join us for The Cultch AGM and stay in the know about upcoming events!
Do you want to stay in touch with what's happening at The Cultch? You're in luck! Our Annual General Meeting is on November 21, 2011 at 6pm and will be held on the set of Ronnie Burkett's Penny Plain in the Historic Theatre! Join us to learn more about the exciting future of The Cultch, including plans for the restoration of the York Theatre and information about our upcoming programming. We hope to see you there!
Now accepting applications: Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award - Theatre
Attention BC theatre companies: We are now accepting applications for the $60,000 Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, in the category of Theatre! This award recognizes the achievements of performing arts in BC, fostering creative development for a new production by the chosen company. Deadline for applications: Nov 28, 2011. Click here for more information or download the application form [PDF].
The Future of The Cultch Begins With You
The Cultch just celebrated its 38th anniversary and with our our recent renovations, we're sure that we'll be around for centuries to come. Please consider making a bequest to The Cultch in your will and ensure the preservation of innovative theatre, dance and music for future generations.
For more information, please contact Managing Director Cindy Reid at 604.251.1766 x 112 or cindy@thecultch.com .
Read more on our blog about how The Cultch began with founder Chris Wootten!
Subscribe and save on tickets to Ronnie Burkett
Ronnie Burkett's latest work Penny Plain recently opened in Edmonton to huge critical acclaim. One critic (Vue Weekly) declared the production: "brilliant, beautiful and painful" while another (Edmonton Journal) exclaimed it to be "a profoundly eerie, strange and strangely beautiful experience; theatre at its most startling, moment to moment."Don't miss out on the Vancouver premier of Penny Plain at The Cultch this November. By becoming a subscriber to The Cultch's 11/12 season, you can save up to 20% off single tickets to both Penny Plain and Hunchback. 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. 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 community event, 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. Already a subscriber? 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. Seat sale at The Cultch
Post renovations, The Cultch now has an excess of banks of beautiful red velvet and hardwood theatre seating. Banks of 4 are going for $800 OBO. If you're interested in having a piece of Vancouver's most unique venue in your home,contact us now. Vintage look in nearly new condition, perfect for a home collection or small theatre. Best in banks of 4, but can also be assembled/sold in other configurations.
