Encounter/ Rencontre: Bobby Theodore, Translator

Encounter/ Rencontre: Bobby Theodore, Translator

Encounter/ Rencontre: Bobby Theodore, Translator

Bobby Theodore is a screenwriter, playwright, and translator. Bobby’s worked on several TV series, including Murdoch Mysteries, Flashpoint, and Knuckleheads (an adaptation of the hit Québecois cartoon, Têtes à claques). He’s also written episodes for the acclaimed CBC radio drama, Afghanada. Nominated for a Governor General Award in 1999 for his translation of 15 Seconds by François Archambault, Bobby has now translated over 20 plays from French to English. For the stage, Bobby co-created 300 Tapes (with Ame Henderson), a devised performance that premiered at the Theatre Centre in Toronto and at ATP in Calgary, and he’s currently working on Swallow, a play set in the drama-filled world of minor hockey. His translation of François Archambault’s You Will Remember Me, which premiered at ATP and won a Betty Mitchell Award for Outstanding New Play, will be staged at Tarragon Theatre this spring. Bobby is the resident dramaturg and host of the Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac.

Translation Workshop: I’m Not Here

Translation Workshop: I’m Not Here

Eflyer I'm Not HereBoucheWHAKED! Theatre Collective
In association with PTC, Ruby Slippers Theatre and Upintheair Theatre

MAY 22, 2:30 PM
West Coast English Language Premiere
I’M NOT HERE
By Marie-Claude Verdier | Translated by Alexis Diamond | Directed by Heidi Taylor

Featuring Melissa Oei*

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.

“This play of Marie-Claude Verdier’s…in fact her first attempt on the dramatic writing scene and it is excellent.” – Anne Michaud, Bernier et Cie, Radio-Canada Première Ottawa

Winner of Playwrights’ Workshop Montreal’s Cole Foundation Translation Competition

The Cultch | The Founders’ Lounge | 1895 Venables Street
PAY WHAT YOU CAN AT THE DOOR

Marie-Claude Verdier, Playwright

Marie-Claude Verdier took her first steps in playwriting as a teenager when her tale Paradise.com was selected by Théâtre le Clou for Les nouveaux Zurbains série III in 1999. The text was published in the collection The Zurbains with Dramaturges éditeurs and in Jamais de la Vie by Éditions du Passage. She continued her career by studying at the École Supérieure de Théâtre de L’UQAM in criticism and dramaturgy and she did a master’s degree on the dramaturgy of the museums at the University of Glasgow in Scotland. In the fall of 2013, her first play Je n’y suis plus was presented at the french Theatre of the NAC and at Zones Théâtrales . This production received two Prix Rideau Awards.

Alexis Diamond, Translator

Alexis Diamond is a Montreal-based playwright, opera librettist, musical lyricist and translator. Recently, Alexis won a Glassco Translation Residency in Tadoussac, Quebec, and an Individual Artist residency at the international Saari Residence, Finland. Her award-winning plays, operas and translations for audiences of all ages have been presented across Canada, in the U.S. and in the U.K. She is currently working on Strange Land, a historical epic set in Montreal in 1942, and two musicals. She is co-founder of Composite Theatre Co., a long-standing member of Playwrights’ Workshop Montréal and an active member of Montreal’s Espace Freestanding Room.

 

Heidi Taylor, Dramaturge & Director

Heidi Taylor’s passion for theatre was ignited when she played a robot in a grade six play. Since then, she has moved from acting to dramaturgy as her primary creative activity. Her background in performance creation with cross-disciplinary company Proximity Arts sparked her beginner-mind approach to dramaturgy. She applies principles learned from early mentors DD Kugler and One Yellow Rabbit, and relies on her hands-on experiences with Public Dreams and Leaky Heaven Circus to maintain a sense of passionate liveness in the work. She is interested in the “how” of theatre – how do we create collaborative relationships and processes that inspire artists to make necessary work with transformative power?

Encounter/ Rencontre: Alexis Diamond, Translator

Encounter/ Rencontre: Alexis Diamond, Translator

Encounter/ Rencontre: Alexis Diamond, Translator

Alexis Diamond is a Montreal-based theatre artist and translator. Her award-winning plays, operas and translations for all ages have been presented across Canada and internationally. The 2018-19 season has seen the premiere of the family-oriented piece for orchestra and narrator Making Light, penned with Abigail Richardson (Calgary Philharmonic), and two other translations, for Talisman Theatre and Le Petit Théâtre de Sherbrooke. With composer Stephanie Moore, Alexis is currently creating Zoom-Boum-Boum, an electroacoustic piece for very young audiences (Jeunesses Musicales Canada).  Little Witch and Amaryllis, her translation of Pascal Brullemans’Vipérine (Theatre Direct), will be published by Playwrights Canada Press in 2020.

再见 GOODBYE: A CROSS CULTURAL MUSICAL

再见 GOODBYE: A CROSS CULTURAL MUSICAL

Goldsmiths’ University of London & The Confusius Institute (London, UK)

再见 GOODBYE
A Cross Cultural Musical

Book and Lyrics by T. Michael Vest | Music by Jordan Clarke
Directed by Jack Paterson
Tristan Bates Theatre | 1A Tower Street Covent Garden, London WC2H 9NP

As a couple, she from China and he from England, say goodbye at the airport, they relive their relationship, their joys, their mistakes, their challenges and their love. Told through song, dance and in two languages – English with Mandarin – 再见 Goodbye is a story for all who have faced the trials of international relationships exploring commonalities and differences between cultures, between nations and between lovers.

A biligual new musical in Mandarin and English, this new work fused cross-cultural and cultural exchange practices into bot the creation process and narrative. 

Featuring:
Natalie Yeap, Samuel Haughton and Jiajing Zhang

Choreography by Roman Berry | Set, Costume & Media Design by Sachiko Yabe | Lighting Design by Hooman Shabahang | Co-Directed by Alanna Stone

Mandarin Text Creation by Quinn Lawrence, Audrey Guo, Chun-ju Lin and Jiajing Zhang

 

The Press

“Congratulations on a truly lovely show this evening! Excellent performances and wonderful music.”
Jo Ashe, Audience Memeber

“I had the privilege of watching 再见 Goodbye - stunning. I hope it does get revived at some point and if it does, I implore everyone to see it.”
Thom Sellwood, Audience Memeber

“The simple, elegant staging maximized the use of space and allowed the ensemble’s individual talents shine….some beautifully specific lighting, choreography, music direction and digital projection…Goodbye was a charming surprise.”
Dean Paul Gibson, Audience Member

Sponsors

Main Stage: The List (2016)

Main Stage: The List (2016)

DATES & Times

March 10-19, 2016
The Richmond Gateway Theatre
6500 Gilbert Road
Richmond, BC
www.gatewaytheatre.com

January 27-February 1, 2015
Studio 16
1551 W 7th Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6J 1S2

Website

United Players of Vancouver – Theatre Company

English Language Wold Premiere

Ruby Slippers Theatre
In association with BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective

THE LIST

By Jennifer Tremblay
Translated by Shelley Tepperman
Starring France Perras | Directed by Jack Paterson
Set and Lighting Design by John Webber | Costume Design by Drew Facey | Sound Design by Mishelle Cuttler | Stage Manager Lois Dawson

A woman invites us into her kitchen. Her neighbour is dead. Is she culpable for the death? The woman, who prides herself on never letting anything slip by, has overlooked an item on her list. A riveting tale of everyday to-do lists in which the essential and the ordinary are inextricably entwined.

Gallery

PRESS:
THE RICHMOND GATEWAY THEATRE (2016)

“The List grapples with guilt in a gorgeous production.” – The Georgia Straight

“…the power of words and an actor to conjure a complex, emotional world…elegant, essential and poetic…” – The Vancouver Sun

“…an hour of power…taking us into the soul of a woman punished by guilt…a powerful one-woman play blanketed in loneliness and regret, and served as an ace… leaving us to ponder the moments in this woman’s life that are uncomfortably familiar — and re-examine our own.” – The Richmond News

“The List rhymes off our frailties poignantly…As directed by Jack Paterson, this show works exceedingly well…Perras is quiet, forceful, embracing and compelling. Truth and love flow from her richly…with with grace and subtlety. But most importantly, with believability…the show impacts viscerally…had me wet with tears… Perras is nuanced and subtle and poised and pained as she struggles with her guilt, anger and hurt …This is tender touching theatre.” – brokenlegreviews.blogspot.ca

PRESS: STUDIO 16 (2015)

“Poetically scripted and compellingly executed…A stunning examination of obsession and guilt, love and family, friendship and sacrifice…Evocative set design and dra­matic light­ing com­pli­ment a pow­er­ful per­for­mance by Perras.” – Sad Mag.com

“…slow burning, compelling and rich…a moving evening of theatre to ponder for days after… haunting…” – Vancouverpresents.com

“France Perras’ portrayal of the woman offers blunt insights that hit like a cold knife and shiver around you like the snow that falls over the woman, the closing curtain of the show.” – The Ubyssey

“…brilliant truthful acting, profound emotion and intricately detailed storytelling…”
– OutTV

“The List (directed by Jack Paterson) was unbelievable. It seemed so simple to begin with…It is an honour to be in the room when an actor transcends themselves and takes you with them… I did not want to breathe too hard lest I break the moment.” – Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Association Blog

Translation Workshop: Nous voir nous

Translation Workshop: Nous voir nous

BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective & Ruby Slippers Theatre present
Ta Gueule Translation Workshop & Reading Series
In Association with PTC

West Coast English Language Premiere
NOUS VOIR NOUS
By Guillaume Corbeil
Translated by Jack Paterson
Dramaturged & Directed by Heidi Taylor

Featuring Trisha Li, Sarah Roa, Kacey Rohl, Sean Patrick Sonier & Deneh Thompson

“I’m not who you think I am, I’m just me”

Five young people reveal their lives and relationships though a series of social networking websites. Scene after scene, they shape and reshape their identities, each seeking to prove their own uniqueness.

1h30

WHEN
May 30, 2016
3 PM

TICKETS
Pay What You Can
at the Door

The Team

About The Playwright: Guillaume Corbeil

In 2008, Guillaume Corbeil published a collection of short stories entitled L’art de la fugue (éditions L’Instant Même) that was shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award and recipient of the prix Adrienne-Choquette. In 2009, he published his first novel, Pleurer comme dans les films published by Leméac then in 2010 for Libre Expression, he wrote Brassard, a biography of the famous Director André Brassard. In 2011, he completed his training in playwriting at the National Theatre School of Canada. Since then, he has written for the stage Le Mécanicien, Tu iras la chercher, Unité modèle – which will be presented in 2016 Centre du théâtre d’aujourd’hui. Nous voir nous produced in 2013 by Pap theatre under the title Cinq visages pour Camille Brunelle and presented at Espace Go in Montréal, at the Théâtre de la Manufacture in Avignon and at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa. The play has been awarded le prix de la critique for Outstanding New Text, le prix Michel-Tremblay and the audience award at the Primeurs Festival in Saarbrücken, Germany. In September 2014, it was produced in German, at the Theater der Jungen Welt, Leipzig.

About the Translator: Jack Paterson

Jack is an award winning director, dramaturge, actor and theatre creator whose work and study has taken across Canada and around the world.  His work has ranged from contemporary devising, cross-cultural and multi-disciplinary projects to main stage and classical theatre.  Some favorite credits include the directing the devised projects Wasting Time (Bali, IND) and Odyssey (London, UK), the site specific The Women of Troy (Canadian Stage) and F. Garcia Lorca’s The Love of Don Perlimplin (Shaw Festival). His work has been nominated for over twenty Jessie Richardson Awards including four for Outstanding Direction and two for Outstanding Production.  He is a recipient of The Ray Michal Outstanding Body of Work Award.

About The Dramaturge: Heidi Taylor

Heidi is a Vancouver-based dramaturg, director and performer. She moved into the role of Artistic and Executive Director of PTC (Playwright’s Theatre Centre), after serving as Dramaturg for 7 years. She has dramaturged plays from across the country in the annual PTC Writers Colony, and works closely with the six resident PTC Associates. She also co-created and produced cross-disciplinary projects with Proximity Arts from 2003-2011, including Susan Elliott and Tanya Marquardt’s sited dance piece, Mal de mer, an audio walking PodPlay, and the interactive sound installation antic. Heidi holds an MFA from Simon Fraser University, where she taught intro acting for eleven years.

About The Actors: Trisha Li

Trisha Li is currently a fourth year Theatre Performance student at SFU, and hopes to continue acting after graduation. Her love for the performing arts began at the age of 11, when her mom registered her for drama classes at Carousel Theatre to help bring her out of her shell. Despite the fact that Trisha was always the shy quiet Asian girl in the class, her love for acting grew as it became an avenue of expression and imagination. As a teenager, she was acting both inside and outside of her high school, with Vancouver Youth Theatre and Lindbjerg Academy of Performing Arts. Presently, Trisha is interning at Playwrights Theatre Centre and is working alongside the PTC team in making their Unscripted series come alive.

 

About The Actors: Kacey Rohl

Primarily a film and television actor, Kacey is thrilled to be back in the place where it all began– the theatre! She was quoting Shakespeare at 4 and had a director for a father and a playwright for a mother, so the deck was kind of stacked as they say! A breakout role on AMC’s THE KILLING, working with Catherine Hardwicke’s in RED RIDING HOOD, and a comedic turn in the Canadian/ American co-pro sitcom WORKING THE ENGELS are among the standout roles in Rohl’s young career. She’s currently dividing her time between Los Angeles, Vancouver and Toronto, where she’s shooting season 3 of Bryan Fuller’s series HANNIBAL for NBC. She’s excited to be working with such a stellar group of young actors & would like to thank BoucheWHACKED! and Heidi Taylor for the stellar opportunity. 

About The Actors: Sarah Roa

Sarah Roa is an emerging artist based in Vancouver. She is alumni of the theatre program at both UBC and Douglas College. A few of her past productions include: Mis Papas (Rice & Beans Theatre), Mr. Marmalade (Latchkey Co-op), Ubu Roi (UBC Theatre), Caucasian Chalk Circle (UBC Theatre), and Twelfth Night (Douglas College). To those reading this, thank you for your support. You are all beautiful human beings!

 

About The Actors: Sean Patrick Sonier

Sean Patrick Sonier is a recent Studio 58 graduate who has travelled all the way from New Brunswick to reside in the vibrant city of Vacouver. He did however make a quick stopover in Ontario to receive a B.A. Specialization in Theatre with a minor in Arts Administration at the University of Ottawa. Sean is a recipient of the Lloyd Nicholson Memorial Scholarship and The Jennifer Wade Family Endowed Fund Scholarship. Select past credits include: Elbow Room Café: The Musical Phase 1 (Zee Zee Theatre), Oklahoma, Kosmic Mambo (Studio 58), Cinderella: an East Van Panto (Theatre Replacement), And Treat the Distant People with Kindness (Les Ateliers du Corps), A Report to an Academy (Glassiano Productions), Médée-Matériau (Théâtre la Licorne), Don’t Blame the Bedouins (Drama Guild). 

About The Actors: Deneh’Cho Thompson

Deneh’Cho Thompson (Dene) is an aspiring director, actor and playwright based in Vancouver. In 2009 Deneh co-founded workingclasstheatre, an indie theatre company dedicated to producing new works, providing training opportunities and showcasing the work of emerging artists. workingclasstheatre has had the pleasure of growing up in the emerging artist community alongside Resounding Scream Theatre, rice&beans Theatre, SHIFT Perfoming Arts Society, and others.

 Since 2009 Deneh has been developing an artistic practice that uses devised theatre as it’s principal component. Deneh’s recent directing credits include The Dudes of My Life, a devised piece, and The Governor of the Dew, by Floyd Favel.

 In his final year of the BFA in Theatre Performance program at Simon Fraser University, Deneh’s research is focused primarily on issues of representation and audience in Aboriginal theatre.