Hamlet by Harry Venning - 1989, Week 36
Author: Simon Ogden
The Wrecking Ball rolls across Canada
Toronto political theatre series The Wrecking Ball has just announced a country-wide series of brand new political theatre to support the efforts of The Department of Culture. Running all on the same day - October 6 - across Canadian cities coast to coast, the series will be comprised of staged readings of new works by… Continue reading The Wrecking Ball rolls across Canada
On the passing of a legend…
...and a personal hero of mine, since I began studying the craft as a young man. This is the picture that was taped to my fridge for inspiration for years as I was becoming an actor. Thank you for that, for your courage, your generosity and, most of all, thank you for the work. Rest… Continue reading On the passing of a legend…
Vancouver theatre blog watch
I have a dream. It's a particularly geeky dream, but nevertheless... I dream of a future where there is an open network of theatrists exchanging ideas, debating and supporting each other throughout the Greater Vancouver area, and doing it through the rather convenient medium of the internet. A sort of focusing of the existing theatre… Continue reading Vancouver theatre blog watch
This one goes to eleven: Diane Brown
Ruby Slippers Theatre illuminates social hypocrisy and sexual stereotypes through humour and theatrical innovation. Smart social satire is our forte, and we are leaders of this genre in our community. As Ruby Slippers heads into it's 20 anniversary season, we check in with Artistic Director Diane Brown, a long-time visionary in the Vancouver theatre community.… Continue reading This one goes to eleven: Diane Brown
You are cordially invited to come party your face off with us
Stand-up! Sketch! DJ dance floor till the wee hours! The legend continues...
New listing service alert!
Further to yesterday's post on us indie theatrists making full use of the publicity resources available to us (on which I was quite rightly called out for my chastising tone, but honestly, I just get frustrated with the state of the union sometimes. And I'm one of the soft-spoken bloggers on the theatroshpere.), comes this… Continue reading New listing service alert!
On listing with VancouverPlays.com
Dear Vancouver theatre companies with upcoming productions: Being a regular independent theatre-goer, I was just skimming the coming soon section of Jerry Wasserman's essential theatre guide on VancouverPlays.com, and I'd like to make an observation that I hope may be of some benefit to those of you who are wisely choosing to use this service.… Continue reading On listing with VancouverPlays.com
Vancouver premiere of Doubt opens tonight
It's no secret amongst her students who Michèle Lonsdale Smith's all-time favourite playwright is. Well, okay, in truth it's probably a tie between John Patrick Shanley and Chekhov, but it's Shanley that she hands out more of in class. Michèle heads up the Lyric School of Acting here in Vancouver, and is also the artistic… Continue reading Vancouver premiere of Doubt opens tonight
Fringe wrap-up: Is everybody satisfied?
And so, with the announcement of the 2008 Pick of the Fringe, the curtains fall on yet another Fringe season, and the overarching humor in the air seems to indicate a general feeling of success amongst its perpetrators. Just how successful was it? How do we measure the success of this festival in today's theatrical… Continue reading Fringe wrap-up: Is everybody satisfied?
New on the V-list: Gabrielle Rose on Doubt
Click here for full details on this production
Everyone’s a critic
As we roll into the last weekend of the Van Fringe, I'm proud to say that the Plank review team managed to tuck 60 reviews under our belts, which is actually way better than I'd hoped for. Congratulations gang, you done good, reviewed from the gut, and did it all for the sheer love of… Continue reading Everyone’s a critic
Canadian playwright’s letter to P.M. scorches
Governor General award-winning Lebanese-Québécois playwright Wajdi Mouawad, whose Dora-award winning play Scorched is on tour now, has written an eloquent and scathing open letter to Stephen Harper in opposition to his government's crippling of public arts funding. It's a veritable clinic in oppositional letter writing, and the most galvanizing argument that I've read to date.… Continue reading Canadian playwright’s letter to P.M. scorches
Hamlet
Hamlet by Harry Venning
Sweet news! Cactus returns for one night only!
This is entirely too awesome. Melbourne Fringe entertainer Jonno Katz, who's in town performing his new not-to-be-missed piece The Spy (Click here for the gushiest review I've ever written), has announced that he will perform his 2004 pick of the Fringe winner Cactus - the Seduction... for a special one-off fund raiser for the Fringe… Continue reading Sweet news! Cactus returns for one night only!
Simon Ogden 