industry news

Rumble Theatre’s Board of Directors has announced that Artistic Director Stephen Drover will be vacating his role to join the Arts Club Theatre Company as its new Associate Artistic Director. Effective May 28, 2018, Drover will work part-time at both Rumble and the Arts Club. His final day at Rumble will be August 31, 2018, following the completion of Rumble’s Tremors festival.

Drover joined Rumble in January 2012 and spearheaded many exciting initiatives during his tenure. He established Rumble’s adaptation program with an eye on creating contemporary Canadian plays based on classical texts. That program has seen great success in its short history, highlighted by Hiro Kanagawa’s Indian Arm winning the 2017 Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama. He also formalized Rumble’s mentorship program, creating the popular Living Room series—a casual community-building event that joins emerging and professional artists in conversations about theatre—and refocusing Tremors, Rumble’s festival of emerging talent, as a training ground for individual artists.

“My six years with Rumble have been an array of milestones and I am immeasurably proud of the work we’ve done,” says Drover. “During my time here we developed a robust program for the mentorship of emerging artists, commissioned remarkable new adaptations, and produced some really fantastic shows. I’ll miss working with this wonderful staff in the best artist-run building in Vancouver. And I can’t wait to see what’s next for the company.”

“Stephen has steered Rumble through a fantastically productive period for Rumble, shepherding successes like Indian Arm, and The Society for the Destitute Presents Titus Bouffonius, reimagining and reinvigorating our Tremors festival, and building our community through our mentorship programs,” says Board President Mat Brechtel. “While we are very sad to see him go, we’ll look forward to continuing to enjoy his positive influence at an only slightly greater distance.”

Rumble Theatre’s Board of Directors will announce plans for a recruitment process this summer.

Join us for a special night with Kim Senklip Harvey, writer of Kamloopa, our exciting Season Opener!

Welcome to the 2nd Community of Practice at the Cultch with Syilx, Tsilhqot'in, Ktunaxa and Dakelh artist Kim Senklip Harvey. 

When: Monday, May 28, 6-8 pm

Where: Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St.

If you engage with theatre then this event is for you!

The intention of the gathering is to hold space for the community to reflect, think and discuss about how we as community members, artists, patrons, designers, administration, critics and artistic leaders engage and impact Indigenous theatre.

Hear about Kim's journey in writing and directing Kamloopa, an Indigenous Matriarch play, and how that intersects with her work in cultural leadership. As well as her Treaty with the Citadel and The Arts Club for her next play, Break Horizons. 

Kim will use her journey as a playwright, director, actor and Indigenous woman to hold conversations around the challenges and opportunities she faces creating space for Indigenous ceremony to exist with the dominant Western Eurocentric theatrical frameworks of the Canada Nation. 

Kim's been all over the world since her last Community of Practice and is excited to do some knowledge sharing about her experiences. The good, the bad and the ugly.

Our Community of Practice is rooted within the value system of the sacred 7 Grandmother teachings: humility, courage, truth, respect, love, wisdom and honesty. These values will be actively held to hold ourselves accountable as we navigate these challenging and necessary conversations.

Bring your questions and curiosity!

RSVP if you can make it!

Or just show up - We would love to see you!

Read more about Carmen Aguirre joining Electric Company here.

We are pleased to announce that we are now accepting nominations for Canada's Volunteer Awards! This is a great opportunity to recognize the important work of volunteers and to acknowledge that our country would not be the same without them.

The call for nominations for Canada's Volunteer Awards is now open until June 15, 2018. You are invited to:

• nominate an individual, a group, a not-for-profit organization or a socially responsible business to receive an award; and
• promote the call for nominations to your stakeholders.

Awards will be presented in the following categories:

• One (1) national award - Thérèse Casgrain Lifelong Achievement Award, for individuals who have volunteered for at least 20 years;
• Five (5) regional awards - Emerging Leader, for young volunteers between the ages of 18 and 30;
• Five (5) regional awards - Community Leader, for individuals or groups of volunteers; 
• Five (5) regional awards - Business Leader, to recognize businesses that demonstrate social responsibility; and 
• Five (5) regional awards - Social Innovator, to recognize the contributions of not-for-profit organizations.

Award recipients will be recognized at a ceremony and will be able to choose a not-for-profit organization to receive a grant of $5,000 (regional awards) or $10,000 (national award).

Help highlight Canada's volunteer culture! Nominate a volunteer, not-for-profit organization or business in your community today!

For more information about the Awards, please visit Canada.ca/volunteer-awards or call 1-877-825-0434.

Follow us on Twitter @SocDevSoc, Facebook @SocialDevelopmentCanada and Instagram @esdc.edsc for all the latest news. Help us spread the news by liking and sharing our content throughout this call!

It’s a new era for the Jessie Awards!  The Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards Society is excited to announce a new look, a new website, and a new venue for the Jessie Awards Nominations Party and Jessie Awards Ceremony. Coinciding with all the changes, a new user-friendly website has been designed. Check out the fresh look; and make note of the new web address www.jessieawards.com

Looking back, previous awards ceremonies were held in theatre venues. The Jessie Committee decided to take the awards back to Vancouver’s Professional Theatre Community and in addition create a model that was sustainable for the future of the Jessie Awards.  With those objectives in mind new venues were selected for the Nominations Party and the 36^th Annual Ceremony.   

The 2018 Jessie Nominations Party will announce the nominees for the theatre awards on Sunday, May 27^th  at the iA Financial Group Atrium at the BMO Theatre Centre, 162 West 1^st Avenue, honouring Vancouver’s vibrant artistic community.  The doors open at 4:00pm and the announcement of the nominees will be at 4:30pm sharp.  You are invited to stay for some drinks after the nominations are announced.

Returning to its theatrical roots, a dynamic theatre venue was selected. The stage will be set for the 36^th annual Jessie Awards at Bard on the Beach on Monday, July 16^th in the BMO Mainstage in Vanier Park, a fitting venue in a magnificent setting. Tickets for the Awards will go on sale Monday, May 28^th at noon.  Please visit www.jessieawards.com for information on how and where to purchase tickets.

This years’ transformations will ensure that the Jessies will continue well into the future honouring one of our pioneers, Jessie Richardson, and our dazzling theatrical community that contributes to the vibrancy of our city.

Gateway Theatre Board Chair John Watson has announced that Artistic Director Jovanni Sy will be stepping down effective February 16, 2019 to pursue new artistic challenges and cultural leadership opportunities.
 
Jovanni was appointed Artistic Director of Gateway Theatre in April 2012 and has since played a key role in elevating Gateway’s national and local profile through inclusive and inspiring plays in both English and Chinese languages. Under Jovanni’s leadership, Gateway Theatre launched the Chinese-language Pacific Festival in 2014 to national acclaim.
 
“Jovanni has been a visionary leader for Gateway, bringing the wider community together and inviting more people to experience professional live theatre. The Board and I are extremely grateful for what he has accomplished,” states Board Chair John Watson. “We need only look at the diverse audiences attending our current production to see evidence of his achievement. Gateway’s invitation to reprise King of the Yees at Ottawa’s National Arts Centre last fall also speaks volumes to the success of his programming.”
 
Not only a stage director, Jovanni is also a noted playwright and actor. This season, his play Nine Dragons was produced in Calgary and Winnipeg before coming to Gateway this month, and his one-man show A Taste of Empire will see its Cantonese premiere in Toronto in May. Jovanni has appeared on stage several times at Gateway including in King of the Yees.
 
“It was tough decision to make – to leave a place I care about so deeply,” says Jovanni. “Yet I know the time has come for me to move on. When I look back at what Gateway has accomplished over the past six years, I’m filled with pride. We produced many memorable plays – shows that delighted and engaged audiences and that went on to garner awards and critical acclaim. I know that whoever follows me will continue to make Gateway a relevant creative hub for Richmond – a place where all voices are heard and where our community comes together for the love of art.”
 
Gateway Theatre’s Board will announce plans for a recruitment process in the coming months.

In his own words:
 A Message from Artistic Director Jovanni Sy

Gdzie diabel nie moze, tam babe posle (Where the Devil can’t go, he’ll send a woman). –Polish proverb

Women and revolution, Polish history and the here and now… Unscripted: Where the Devil Can’t Go is a night of thought-provoking underground entertainment. Whisper the right password on May 3 at an as-yet-undisclosed location in East Vancouver. Connect with your comrades. Explore survival. Share a glass of East Van Vodka. Exchange stories. Witness music from Miss Christie Lee and Vostok, spoken word from Kimmortal and space animation with A Wake of Vultures. Get your secret pass to the world of PTC Associate Veronique West‘s new play-in-progress.

Before the play is the idea. Unscripted is a window into a playwright’s imagination.

May 3, 2018
Secret Location!
Doors at 7:30pm | Experiences until 10:30pm

Tickets: $16 Available through Brown Paper Tickets

*****

PTC has partnered with The Downtown Eastside Women’s Centre, which assists women with their immediate and crisis needs so they can develop stability and access the resources they need to improve health, family, employment and housing situations. The Centre promotes positive change by offering individual long-term support, education, advocacy, peer mentorship and exposure to alternatives. At Unscripted: Where the Devil Can’t Go, we will be accepting personal care items such as unused toiletries cosmetics, and first aid supplies to donate to The DTES Women’s Centre. For more information about the Donation Wishlist please click HERE

More information here.

Nominations are being accepted for two annual awards for local individuals/organizations that have made considerable contributions to the local theatre industry:

• the Patron of the Arts Award which recognizes outstanding contribution to theatre, not as a practitioner but as an integral supporter that advances the ecology through their dedicated support and contribution of expertise or resources. Nominee could be an individual, organization or business, and
• the GVPTA Career Achievement Award which recognizes an individual's exemplary commitment to the theatre and an elevating impact on the industry.

The awards will be presented at the 36th annual Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards.

If you know of a worthy nominee for either of these awards for 2018, please use this online nomination form.

Nomination deadline for both awards is May 22, 2018.

Questions can be directed to GVPTA Executive Director, Kenji Maeda at executivedirector@gvpta.ca.

Hello Theatre Artists!

Electric Company is teaming up with Radix Theatre to present two different workshops with Jeremy James, May 7-13. These workshops are ideal for actors, directors, choreographers, dancers and all students of performance. ECT is excited to offer two full scholarships to these workshops. In addition, today is the last day to sign up at the deeply discounted Early Bird rate! Here are the details...

Body, Space and the Imagination II: The Journey
Building on preliminary exercises introduced in Jeremy's last Vancouver workshops in 2011 and 2016, this workshop deepens research into some of the most fundamental principles of performance and play.
May 7 - 11

Before the Word: Tensions, Tics and Character Traits
Exploring frameworks for improvisation which support research, preparation, and character development in a devising and rehearsal process.
May 11-13

Priority for scholarships will be given to underrepresented* artists, including actors, directors, dancers, and all theatre creators. Click here to read more about the workshops and internationally renowned artist Jeremy James.

To apply for a scholarship:
Please submit a resume and cover letter to shantini@electriccompanytheatre.com. In your cover letter, please specify:

• Which workshop you would like to attend.
• Confirm your availability for all workshop sessions.
• How you identify as underrepresented.
• If you are an artist with a disability that affects your mobility, please specify how we can ensure accessibility.

Deadline to Apply: April 26

*Underrepresented people experience systemic barriers to participation, include, but are not limited to, People of Colour; newcomers, refugees and undocumented people; low-income people; deaf people; people who live with dis/abilities; minority language communities; women and girls; and LGBTQ+ People.

THE JOHN MOFFAT & LARRY LILLO AWARD

is an annual Award, intended to assist mature West Coast theatre artists to further their artistic development, and will take the form of a $1,500 dollar cash award. Applications will be considered for projects, courses or to fulfil your heart’s desire.

Criteria For Application:

• Must be a West Coast resident, or be able to demonstrate a body of work on or related to the West Coast.
  
• Must have a minimum of 10 years professional theatre experience. Applicable experience includes but is not limited to the areas of performance, directing, technical, design or stage management.
  
• Retroactive funding is not available. The Award will not consider projects which have been completed.
  

Applications Must Contain:

1. A project proposal. (A letter describing what you would like to do is fine.)

2. A resume.

3. 2 References. (Names & phone numbers are sufficient; letters of reference are not required.)

Submissions accepted by email ONLY to: johnandlarry@live.ca

Application Deadline: Annually on May 16^th.

Please note: late applications will not be accepted.

Questions? Email johnandlarry@live.ca

For information on making a donation to the award, please call Dawn Brennan at 604-255-6448