the brochure for the 2016 Festival!

FESTIVAL OF INDEPENDENT THEATRE
MAY
11 22
TO
2016
REVOLVERFESTIVAL.CA
THE CULTCH, 1895 VENABLES ST, VANCOUVER | TICKETS.THECULTCH.COM
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Welcome and thank you for choosing the 2016
rEvolver Festival as we roll into our fourth year! This
year’s programming represents the rich diversity of
voices, aesthetics, and styles among Vancouver and
Canadian emerging professional theatre makers.
From immigrant stories as boxing match (Mis Papás)
to a technologically-guided meditation (okay.odd.) to
narrative juggling (The New Conformity), to not one
but two intimate one-woman storytelling experiences
with origami lessons built in (Charisma Furs and I Want
to Tell You Something), 2016 is a high-water mark for
stylistic exploration at rEvolver. And that is before we
get into live classical violin biography of forgotten female
composers (Never the Last), Russian breadline puppetry
(Kolejka), self-help interventions (Happiness™), and a
new partnership with Urban Ink Productions (Silenced).
We hope you will join us in seeing all that this incredible
community of artists has to offer.
Beowulf (Marc Castellini, Vancouver)
11
Booth Connection (The Biting School, Vancouver)
11
See you at the BBQ!
FOUNDERS’ LOUNGE CABARET PERFORMANCES
Daniel Martin and Dave Mott
Co-Artistic Producers
INTRODUCING AIR – UPINTHEAIR’S NEW
AUDIENCE IN RESIDENCE PROGRAM
Upintheair introduces a new year-long audience circle program
that connects you directly to artists and their work. For info on
benefits or to become part of AIR check out our website:
upintheairtheatre.com/air-audience-residence
CULTURE LAB PERFORMANCES
Happiness™ (May Can Theatre, Ottawa)
2
Kolejka (star star theatre, Vancouver)
3
The New Conformity (Cause & Effect Circus, Vancouver)
4
okay.odd. (Hong Kong Exile, Vancouver)
5
HISTORIC THEATRE PERFORMANCES
Mis Papás (rice & beans theatre, Vancouver)
6
Never the Last (Delinquent Theatre, Vancouver)
7
Silenced (Urban Ink Productions, Vancouver)
10
SITE-SPECIFIC PERFORMANCES
Charisma Furs (Katie Sly and Jonathan Seinen, Toronto)
12
I Want to Tell You Something (Sugarworks Theatre, Vancouver)
13
Storytelling: Riel Hahn Presents
14
Demostage
14
Ta Gueule Staged Readings – BoucheWHACKED!
15
Updrafts Reading Series
16
FESTIVAL CALENDAR
ABOUT REVOLVER
ABOUT UPINTHEAIR THEATRE
TICKET AND CONTACT INFORMATION
8/9
17
17
Back
Praise for star star theatre’s
production of Pornography:
CULTURE LAB
“Ambitious and provocative.”
HAPPINESS™
– The Georgia Strait
May Can Theatre (Ottawa)
 – Winnipeg Free Press
CREATED BY
TONY ADAMS, MADELEINE BOYES-MANSEAU, AND CORY THIBERT
PERFORMED BY TONY ADAMS AND CORY THIBERT
DIRECTED BY MADELEINE BOYES-MANSEAU
Happiness™ is the immersive self-help seminar for anyone who’s ever
wanted it all – and is willing to pay for it!
Gather to experience the launch of The Infinity Line™ – HPL™’s answer to
universal unhappiness – hosted by two of the company’s most revered
spokesmen: James ‘when-life-gives-you-a’ Lemon and Peter ‘morefun-than-monkeys-in-a’ Barrel. But before long, a glimpse backstage
threatens to undermine their shiny exteriors: is this what being happy
looks like? Or maybe it’s just about being the least sad person in the room…
Happiness™ looks at our relentless pursuit of just that, and our inability
to admit the opposite; taking a beautiful and twisted premise to tear
open the dark heart of brainwashing scam-schemes and corporate
double speak.
Nominated for four 2015 Prix Rideau
Awards (Outstanding Production,
Direction, Performance, Lighting
Design).
KOLEJKA
star star theatre (Vancouver)
CREATED BY RANDI EDMUNDSON, STEPHANIE ELGERSMA,
ALIYA GRIFFIN, MIKA LAULAINEN AND JARED RASCHKE
Featuring puppeteers trained by the Old Trout Puppet Workshop,
Kolejka combines rod and shadow puppetry, physical theatre, and
rockin’ gypsy punk to create a whimsical and surprising show. Inspired
by a board game of the same name, Kolejka is an exploration of human
ingenuity, a peek into a troubling part of world history, and a magical
story of loneliness and human connection.
Vancouver-based emerging company star star theatre, teaming up
with members of The Troika Collective, is delighted to present a brand
new, grown-up puppet show. Kolejka follows the story of Babushka –
clever, charming, and getting on in years. She’s desperately looking for
something – or someone – and, accompanied by her feisty little dog,
embarks on an adventure through a fantastical version of the Soviet
world to fill that void. Together, Babushka and her companion trick their
way to the front of breadlines, mug people, cat burgle, and more – until
they meet their match.
MAY 18-22
2
CULTURE LAB
60 MINUTES
Presenting
partner
MAY 11-22
CULTURE LAB
50 MINUTES
3
“transcends circus performance”
– Times Colonist Victoria
THE NEW CONFORMITY
Cause & Effect Circus (Vancouver)
CREATED AND PERFORMED BY CHRIS MURDOCH,
RYAN MELLORS, AND YUKI UEDA
The West Coast’s favourite jugglers team up to create an award winning
show that is a theatrical social commentary packed with high level
circus skills. Contemporary circus arts are exploding all over the world
but Canada is largely represented by the eastern provinces, particularly
Quebec. Finally, Vancouver has produced a voice for contemporary
circus arts with Cause & Effect Circus. Breaking apart the audience’s
preconceptions of the juggling arts, The New Conformity uses juggling
as the background of a touching story with engaging silent characters
and laugh out loud humour.
The show brings to light a universal struggle of the modern age: the
comfort of conformity versus the freedom of individuality, all told
through tightly choreographed prop manipulation, martial arts and
physical theatre. Watch as three co-workers struggle to make it
through the day as disagreements over minor details spiral into chaos.
Pick of the Fringe Award, Victoria, 2014
Joanna Murata Award, Vancouver Fringe Festival, 2015
OKAY.ODD.
Hong Kong Exile (Vancouver)
“...one of the hottest new interdisciplinary troupes in
town.” – Georgia Straight
CREATED BY MILTON LIM WITH ARYO KHAKPOUR,
NATALIE TIN YIN GAN, AND REMY SIU
WRITTEN, DIRECTED, AND DESIGNED BY MILTON LIM
PERFORMED BY ARYO KHAKPOUR
Based on the tenets of concentration, mindfulness, and visualization,
okay.odd. is a multimedia meditation session that guides you through
a stream of consciousness. It traverses the space between thought
and perception; knowing and unknowing; real and imagined; proximal
and tangential.
In converging our thinking minds, our unconscious ideas, and our
implicitly held beliefs, you are encouraged to breathe. Don’t think. Part
spiritual retreat and part commentary on our image-inundated affectobsessed society, okay.odd. is an invitation to encounter the version
of you that you feel, but do not know.
MAY 17-22
4
CULTURE LAB
60 MINUTES
Presenting
partner
Presenting
partner
MAY 12-21
CULTURE LAB
50 MINUTES
5
HISTORIC THEATRE
MIS PAPÁS
rice & beans theatre (Vancouver)
“A wonderful account of true life in 15 rounds” – CBC
WRITTEN AND DIRECTED BY PEDRO CHAMALE JR
PERFORMED BY DEREK CHAN, ANJELA MAGPANTAY,
EDWIN PEREZ, AND MANUELA SOSA
Years after immigrating to Canada for a better life, Stella and Pedro
Sr.’s story is rewritten by a life-threatening infection that puts their
happily ever after against the ropes. Mis Papás is a passionate and
personal adaptation of the story of two lovers who also happen to
be playwright-director Pedro Chamale’s parents. Inspired by the
structure of a 15-round boxing match, Mis Papás is a multilingual,
and hard-hitting tale of two immigrants whose “happily ever after”
has an asterisk put on it.
Adapted from interviews with Pedro’s parents, the play explores
the process of emigrating through non-linear narrative and boxing.
Mis Papás is a highly physical piece of theatre combining moments
of choreographed boxing and non-scripted sparring between
performers. Mis Papás represents a story that most immigrants can
relate to but that is often not represented on stage.
In English and Spanish.
NOTE: Ring side seats are available on a first come fist serve basis.
From the company that created the Jessie Award
winning Stationary: A Recession-Era Musical...
NEVER THE LAST
Delinquent Theatre (Vancouver) in association with
Electric Company Theatre
CREATED BY MOLLY MACKINNON AND CHRISTINE QUINTANA
WITH NADEEM PHILLIP
DIRECTED BY LAURA MCLEAN | CHOREOGRAPHED BY KAYLA DUNBAR
MAY 11-15
6
HISTORIC THEATRE
60 MINUTES
Presenting
partner
Berlin 1919: Violin prodigy and composer Sophie Carmen Friedman
meets expressionist painter and war veteran Walter Gramatté. She is
passionate, rude, and gifted; He is witty, emotional and compassionate.
Their love affair spans ten years, four cities, artistic successes and
failures, and tragedy. Nearly 100 years later, the most essential record
of their time together lives in her ten violin compositions. Never the
Last fuses classical music performance, movement and text to tell the
story of two people in love and the space between them. How do you
say what is impossible to say? And what if you run out of time?
Show
sponsor
Presenting
partner
MAY 11-15
HISTORIC THEATRE
75 MINUTES
7
FESTIVAL CALENDAR
= Quick-fire Talkback
MAY
WED
11
THU
12
FRI
13
SAT
14
SUN
15
MON
16
TUE
17
CULTURE LAB
8:15
7:00
HAPPINESS™
7:30
8:15
9:15
9:15
9:30
7:00
9:15
7:00
8:00
WED
18
9:15
KOLEJKA
9:15
THE NEW CONFORMITY
7:00
7:15
7:15
OKAY.ODD.
9:30
2:30
MIS PAPÁS
8:30
NEVER THE LAST
3:15/7:00
THU
19
FRI
20
SAT
21
SUN
22
9:00
9:30
7:00
6:00
3:00
9:15
7:00
7:00
8:00
SITE-SPECIFIC
FOUNDERS’ LOUNGE CABARET
7:00
7:00
9:15
9:30
UPDRAFTS READINGS
8:00
9:30
HISTORIC THEATRE
BEOWULF
8:00
BOOTH CONNECTION
6:00
3:15
6:00
SILENCED
8:00
5:00
= Evening Barbecue
4:30
CHARISMA FURS
2:30
I WANT TO TELL YOU
SOMETHING
7:15
9:00
8:00
8:00
7:10-10:00 4:00-8:00
6:30
9:00
9:00
4:00-8:00
7:00
7:00
STORYTELLING: RIEL HAHN PRESENTS
4:30
6:00/8:30
DEMOSTAGE
TA GUEULE READINGS
3:00
2:30
7:00
Afternoon and evening performances only. All listed times are PM.
All events at The Cultch – 1895 Venables St, Vancouver
8
9
SITE-SPECIFIC
May 12 -21
BEOWULF
Marc Castellini (Vancouver)
WRITTEN BY MARC CASTELLINI
DIRECTED BY KAYLIN METCHIE
Night is approaching. Stories fade into darkness.
In this site-specific work of translation, adaptation, and poetry, five
ancient storytellers struggle to pass on the legend of Beowulf before
night falls and their world is lost. Competing narratives clash, and as
Beowulf triumphs over kings and monsters, those who relate the story
can only hope to triumph over each other. And they can tear things
apart as well as any monster.
What does it take to “win” a story? Can anything lost truly be recovered?
And is a story ever really about anything except the person telling it?
Duguð ellor sceoc. (90 Minutes)
Show
sponsor
SILENCED
Urban Ink Productions (Vancouver)
CREATED BY ELLIOT ALEXIS, SINDY ANGEL, JORDAN CHIN,
TARAN KOOTENHAYOO, DENEH’CHO THOMPSON, ROBERT THOMSON,
GILLIAN THOMSON, CLAIRE LOVE WILSON, AND KIERAN WILSON
PERFORMED BY URBAN INK COLLECTIVE
DIRECTED BY ANITA ROCHON
DRAMATURGY BY RENELTTA ARLUK
Silenced. What happens to society when wealth is redistributed, or
eliminated? Silenced. A future that releases individuals from fulfilling
the standardized role is exciting, or bleak. Silenced. One moment could
shake our prejudiced systems to the ground, or it could enforce the
very structures that oppress. Silenced.
Silenced is an interdisciplinary work that examines lives and stories
silenced within our communities. It explores the choices we make as
friends, neighbours, and witnesses that make us either complicit in
silencing or engaged in demanding and building social equality.
Join Urban Ink in the Founders’ Lounge for a talkback session after
each show.
MAY 12 & 15
10
HISTORIC THEATRE
60 MINUTES
Presenting
partner
May 20-22
BOOTH CONNECTION
The Biting School (Vancouver)
CREATED BY THE BITING SCHOOL AND
CHRISTIAN VISTAN
PERFORMED BY ARYO KHAKPOUR,
CHRISTIAN VISTAN AND ARASH KHAKPOUR
INSPIRED BY VINES ART FESTIVAL
Win a lottery. Get a fortune cookie. Have
your own journey. It won’t be like anybody
else’s. It won’t be long or painful. Just new
and unexpected. You will be comfortable.
Welcome to Booth Connection.
We don’t really know each other. What if there was a place where we
could really meet. You and I. For a really short time. Where we wouldn’t
have to appear to be special, or wouldn’t have to do anything to be
loved. What if there was a place where I could look at you in the eyes
and you could look at me in the eyes. It is normal here; to entertain one
another without trying or lying. What if there was a booth where we
could connect? (Every 15 minutes)
Presenting
partner
SITESPECIFIC
11
FOUNDERS’ LOUNGE CABARET
 “Go prepared to listen and to enjoy someone
else’s stories the way you did as a kid at bedtime. Go
prepared to learn the effectiveness of a single sheet of
paper. You won’t regret it.” – The Skinny UK
I WANT TO TELL YOU
SOMETHING
Sugarworks Theatre (Vancouver)
WRITTEN AND PERFORMED BY CAROLINE SNIATYNSKI
DIRECTION AND DRAMATURGY BY GINA ALLEN AND EMILY PEARLMAN
CHARISMA FURS
Katie Sly and Jonathan Seinen (Toronto)
1/2 “Sly…takes her audience along for an
evocative, episodic ride....eclectic and intimate, brought
out by sheer personality in a shared small space.”
– The Torontoist
A mix of theatre and storytelling, memory and myth. Will there be
paper boats, flashlights, secrets, teapots? Probably. Come prepared
to share in a small show in a small space for a small group. In this
solo performance, writer and performer Caroline Sniatynski weaves
together a retelling of the Greek myth of Iphigenia with a series of
personal anecdotes, an origami lesson, and some gentle audience
participation. Engaging and intimate, I Want to Tell You Something is a
delicate exploration of the stories that make us who we are.
I Want to Tell You Something has previously toured to the Prague Fringe
Festival (where it was shortlisted for the Creative Award in 2012), the
Edinburgh Fringe Festival, and various venues in Grenoble, France.
CREATED BY KATIE SLY AND JONATHAN SEINEN
DIRECTED BY JONATHAN SEINEN
PERFORMED BY KATIE SLY
Shared in a small space with a small audience, Charisma Furs is
an intimate look at self-worth in a life lived with hunger. Episodic,
bizarre, nostalgic, and candid, it is a solo performance that visits
everything from a first time submitting to a dominatrix, a surprise win
in a schoolyard soccer game, a barely-attended poetry reading that
changes everything, and a party that plays Ginuwine’s Pony every hour,
on the hour. It looks at growing up on social assistance in a patriarchal
environment, coming out as queer, and exploring sexual masochism,
with a few poetic pit-stops in between.
Charisma Furs blurs forms, moving from storytelling to dance to standup comedy. The aesthetics are low-fi and the text is raw. Expect adult
language and subject matter, nudity, and origami. Come early and Katie
will teach you how to make something.
MAY 18-22
12
FOUNDERS’ LOUNGE
60 MINUTES
Presenting
partner
MAY 13-22
FOUNDERS’ LOUNGE
70 MINUTES
13
May 13 & 14
STORYTELLING:
RIEL HAHN
PRESENTS
Riel Hahn (Vancouver)
CURATED AND PERFORMED BY
RIEL HAHN AND GUESTS
Vancouver treasure Riel Hahn has been
described as “...delicious”, “...hilarious”,
“...ferocious and filthy mouthed” and as
“A blizzard in the House of Commons”. To
Riel, gathering to swap stories is one of
the most seditious practices we have,
and one that binds us together with the
love and truth required for humanity’s
grand revolution. Revolution too lofty a
goal for you? That’s okay, just come and be entertained. That’s the
beauty of stories, they have a lot of levels, and they make you feel
not lonely! That’s powerful stuff.
This year Riel hosts two evenings showcasing her favourite local
storytellers, and regales you with her own magical, true tales.
Laugh, cry, feel part of the human race. (90 minutes)
Thurs, May 19, 7:00pm
DEMOSTAGE
Taking inspiration from software
development, during Demostage
Vancouver artists share what
they are working on and invite
audiences to ask questions and
provide feedback. The event
encourages collaboration,
problem solving, and bringing
audiences into the creation
process before public presentation. Demostage was first
initiated by Dustin Harvey at Secret Theatre in Halifax.
DEMOSTAGE IS FREE TO ATTEND
14
FOUNDERS’
LOUNGE
UPDRAFTS
READING SERIES
DISSECTION OF A MODERN DAY INDIAN, NATIVE,
INDIGENOUS, ABORIGINAL, FIRST NATIONS, URBAN/REZ,
STATUS/NON STATUS, MÉTIS, MIXED HERITAGE WOMAN
Sun, May 15, 4:30pm
WRITTEN BY NYLA CARPENTER
One woman tries to find out who she is and where her
heritage is pulling her, which part belongs to which
lineage. As told through family stories, poetry, dance
and a bit of song. Unraveling and weaving together her
experiences to figure out what makes her whole and how
to deal with mainstream society. (60 minutes)
FISTS – Sat, May 14, 4:30pm
WRITTEN BY CR PACKER
Rachel, Quinn, Leah, and Bri all have something they
want to break – and they get an opportunity to at
Rachel’s informal boxing class once a week. Whether
it’s sex, themselves, or their fear, these four women
embrace violence and discipline to express what’s
hidden at the centre of themselves. (60 minutes)
TOUCH – Tue, May 17, 6:00pm
WRITTEN BY WALTER PLINGE
At age thirty-something, I responded to a request
from my mother. “Will you please move in with
Grandpa to take care of him?” she asked. Both my
mother and I knew Grandpa to be a horrible man. But even former child
abusers need to be taken care of in their old age, right? A one person
show based on real events. (55 minutes)
THE PRETENDER OF SIBIR’ –Wed, May 11, 6:00pm
WRITTEN BY ANNA RUSSELL
1826. The Russian Tsar is missing and rebellion
threatens the Empire. Four unlikely companions
are forced to pass an uneasy night together on the
Siberian Convict Trail. Each has a quest and each
has a terrible secret they hope to keep through the
night. By morning, which quests will be abandoned
and which secrets will be revealed? (120 minutes)
ALL READINGS ARE PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN
FOUNDERS’
LOUNGE
15
WET – Tues, May 17, 8:30pm
WRITTEN BY DAVID JAMES BROCK
PRODUCED BY ITSAZOO PRODUCTIONS
She goes to war, and he stays home.
When she returns with an injury,
she can’t be touched. She won’t be
touched. If he could just touch her. But
she is dry, and he is wet. Unannounced, Captain Tom Fitzgerald
arrives. Tom once saved her life but now disrupts it. Tom has PTSD.
Tom loves porn. And Tom loves war. (75 minutes)
TA GUEULE TRANSLATION SERIES
BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective (Vancouver)
Come get BoucheWHACKED!
Quebec’s most daring young
playwrights’ English Language
Premieres
ABOUT THE REVOLVER
FESTIVAL
rEvolver presents adventurous, high energy, and sophisticated new
work by emerging companies and artists, bringing audiences the full
range of contemporary theatrical practice, from script-based theatre
to devised and site-specific works, staged readings of works-inprogress, and in-depth discussions with artists.
Expect everything EXCEPT the kitchen sink!
rEvolverfestival.ca
ROBIN ET MARION
Sat, May 21, 3:00pm
ENGLISH LANGUAGE PREMIERE
WRITTEN BY ÉTIENNE LEPAGE
TRANSLATED BY BOBBY THEODORE
In a bucolic, distant and dark universe, while the adults sleep, the
young in the forest chasing each other like beasts. Love, revenge,
confusion. A voyage to the end of night where age-old desires
take hold. This translation was commissioned by Bouche with the
support of Canada Council for the Arts. (90 minutes)
I’M NOT HERE (JE N’Y SUIS PLUS)
Sun, May 22, 2:30pm
WEST COAST ENGLISH LANGUAGE PREMIERE
WRITTEN BY MARIE-CLAUDE VERDIER
TRANSLATED BY ALEXIS DIAMOND
In a torrent of words, a young woman describes her unraveling daily
existence, slipping inevitably towards the brutal unknown. Between
her boss’s cupcake schedule and the distractions of her life as an
urban singleton, she breaks down: a total implosion. Nothing’s ever
over because nothing ever starts. (75 minutes)
ALL READINGS ARE PAY-WHAT-YOU-CAN
16
FOUNDERS’
LOUNGE
ABOUT UPINTHEAIR THEATRE
Our Mission: Upintheair Theatre fosters possible futures: supporting
the next generation of theatre makers, and exploring new ideas
through a unique focus on speculative fiction and formal innovation.
Since 2000, Upintheair has created and produced new plays including
Inside the Seed, Wedgie, 120bpm, and The North Plan. We presented
the Walking Fish Festival from 2003 until 2010. Look for our next
production, an adaptation of China Miéville’s sci-fi-noir-procedural
The City and The City (co-produced with The Only Animal) in early 2017.
upintheairtheatre.com
FESTIVAL STAFF
Co-Artistic Producers: Daniel Martin and David Mott
Guest Curator and Outreach Co-ordinator: Adele Noronha
Technical Director: Jordan Boivin
Assistant Technical Director: Taylor Janzen
Publicist: Zoe Quinn
Front cover: Mis Papás photo by Travis Jeffers, Point Blank Photo
Graphic design: Kristen Johnson
17
TICKETS
SINGLE TICKETS:
Regular: $17/$20 with service charges
Low Income (self-identified): $12/$15 with service charges
3 SHOW PASS:
$36/$40 with service charges – $20 savings on the single ticket price!
TO PURCHASE TICKETS OR FOR MORE INFO:
604.251.1363 or tickets.thecultch.com
LOCATION:
All events at The Cultch
1895 Venables St, Vancouver
CONTACT/FOLLOW
Web: revolverfestival.ca
Email: info@upintheairtheatre.com
Facebook: Facebook.com/UpintheairTheatre
Twitter: twitter.com/UITATheatre
#revolverfest
Donate: Make a donation online through CanadaHelps!
THANK YOU TO OUR FUNDERS, SPONSORS AND INDIVIDUAL
SUPPORTERS. THIS FESTIVAL WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE
WITHOUT YOUR GENEROSITY.
FUNDING BODIES
Funded by the
Government of
Canada
We acknowledge the financial support of the Province of British Columbia
MEDIA
SPONSOR
FESTIVAL LAUNCH
PARTNER
SPECIAL EVENT
PARTNER