You may have bumped into an epistle that’s been floating around the bar-o-sphere with a bit of a tailwind of late entitled “Buh-Bye Hipster: Why the Friendly Bartender is Making a Comeback,” offered by the business section of an American news website. It opens with the proclamation that “the trend of the hipster bartender is… Continue reading Hold On to Your Ego: Character Development for Bartenders
Author: Simon Ogden
The Other Side of Silence
Christian Kluxen is recomposing Victoria Symphony's audience Christian Kluxen knows he can be intimidating. Now in his seventh season as Victoria Symphony’s Music Director and Principal Conductor, he often meets Victorians who, upon being introduced to an actual maestro, respond with a measure of discomfort: “When I say what it is I do, they’ll say,… Continue reading The Other Side of Silence
Almost Healthy: The Patient Ambition of Victoria Theatre
Examining the constitution of our dauntless stage companies The theatre arts are a tough sell to contemporary audiences. For Victoria’s long-serving stage companies, the past two years have jeopardized revenue from even their most loyal supporters. But live performances are finally back, as are audiences, both bare-faced and masked, and the industry returns its attention… Continue reading Almost Healthy: The Patient Ambition of Victoria Theatre
A City in Harmony
Communion at the Victoria Conservatory of Music The commanding stone structure on the southeast corner of Pandora and Quadra is not what it seems. At first it appears to be another member of Victoria’s congregation of grandiose heritage churches, each vying to outdo the others in scale and piety. The building itself appears heavy, both… Continue reading A City in Harmony
What’s Old is New Again
Revitalizing the pre-classical genre with the Early Music Society of the Islands The theorbo, at first sight, is an impossible instrument. It looks like a kind of otherworldly sitar—large-bodied with an extraordinarily long neck and 14 strings—playable only by a ten-foot space creature with tentacles for hands. Introduced in 1580 to be the “perfect accompaniment… Continue reading What’s Old is New Again
Where There’s Tea, There’s Hope
Daniela Cubelic of Silk Road Tea is weathering the storm in our teacups Victoria is an attractive city, in more ways than one: she’s a looker, of course. But on a deeper level, she entices people who value authenticity, creativity, and nature. Perhaps no local business better serves these appetites than Silk Road Tea.Its company… Continue reading Where There’s Tea, There’s Hope
We’re Going to Need a Bigger Canvas
BC property developer and Victoria’s visual arts spaces forge unlikely alliance Before his introduction to BC developer Reliance Properties, Logan Ford had no reason to trust landlords. He arrived in Victoria from Calgary in 2007 as an HVAC tradesman by vocation and an oil/acrylic painter by avocation, just in time for the 2008 recession to… Continue reading We’re Going to Need a Bigger Canvas
The Next Half: Writing at the edge of 50
I was once a playwright. Without any pragmatism, deliberation, or vanity, this is, apparently, according to my subconscious anyway, the defining phrase of my life to date. It bubbled up after but a moment's idle consideration recently, with no forethought or restrictions, a gut reaction. I don't know why this happened. I had simply begun… Continue reading The Next Half: Writing at the edge of 50
Vic Fringe Bump – The Big Smoke
Jeremy Banks tells us why we should see his Fringe show ARBUTUS PRODUCTIONS • NANAIMO, BC By Ron Fromstein Comedic Monologue • 65 minutes PG 14+ • Adult Themes Door: $11 regular /$9 student & senior • Advance $13/11 Official Fringe Page The Big Smoke tells the tale of Tommy, as he moves from his… Continue reading Vic Fringe Bump – The Big Smoke
Vic Fringe Bump – Ginger Ninjas
The Ginger Ninjas want you to see their show SNAFU DANCE THEATRE & BLACK BELT PROD • CANADA Created & Performed by Elliott Loran & Ingrid Hansen, Directed by Britt Small Physical Theatre • 60 minutes Tween and Up All Seats/Door $11 • Advance $13 Official Fringe Page SNAFU ★★★★ 1/2 Pick-of-The-Fringe “Most Innovative Show”,… Continue reading Vic Fringe Bump – Ginger Ninjas
Vic Fringe Bump – Public Confessions of a Public Servant
A quick note to all the companies that have been sending me press releases for their upcoming Vancouver Fringe Shows: With regrets I am unable to offer the free Video Listings promotional section of the site to you this year as I have recently moved from Vancouver to Victoria. However, if you send me a… Continue reading Vic Fringe Bump – Public Confessions of a Public Servant
Audition Notice – Glass City Theatre
Jesus Hopped the ‘A’ Train "How many sons of god you know drive a Lexus?" Written by Stephen Adly Guirgis Directed by Angela Konrad Produced by Glass City Theatre Presented by Pacific Theatre Auditions will be held on Monday, August 16th from 10:00am – 5:00pm at Pacific Theatre (12th Ave and Hemlock St, Vancouver, BC)… Continue reading Audition Notice – Glass City Theatre
Neanderthal Arts Festival premiers next week
A HUGE up to the brains behind Left Right Minds and Upintheair Theatre for taking the mammoth by the horns and kick-starting a brand new indie theatre festival in Vancouver. Taking its cues from Toronto's Summerworks, Neanderthal is a juried fest that includes both local and national works, 6 in total. I'll admit I wasn't… Continue reading Neanderthal Arts Festival premiers next week
Moving on – Chapter 1: Art-iculation
Greetings gentle reader, deepest apologies for the extended radio silence over here at TNS. We've started work on a new chapter that's begun by pulling up stakes and moving from Vancouver to Victoria, home of the legislature, a pervasive air of polite and - of course - some killer independent theatre. (Hello Victoria! Come see… Continue reading Moving on – Chapter 1: Art-iculation
For Babz
At peace at last. But her work continues...
Simon Ogden 