Toronto-based humans and theatre makers Ian Mackenzie and Simon Rice (both of Praxis Theatre) have started a new blog called The New Optimist.What’s it about? Good question. Check it out and see. The blog’s editorial department also includes Vancouver-based playwright Simon Ogden and Dubai-based photo-journalist Megan Hirons. Apparently, everyone has agreed to swear a lot… Continue reading …and now a word from my new editor:
Author: Simon Ogden
…any questions?
"The revolution in theatre needs to happen at the business end of the stick: an army of Arts Admin rebels so furious with the injustice of the current creaking theatre apparatus that they lead the march to a new model. A model that empowers artists to ask the kinds of questions we need artists to… Continue reading …any questions?
This One Goes to Eleven: TJ Dawe
TJ is probably the hardest working man in Vancouver independent theatre, and undoubtedly one of its most talented. His one-man shows are consistently sold out at the Fringe, both here and internationally. An acclaimed performer, writer, and director (One Man Star Wars Trilogy, among others), he was given the Jessie Richardson award for Best New… Continue reading This One Goes to Eleven: TJ Dawe
This One Goes to Eleven: Galen Olstead
Welcome back gentle reader, it is my distinct pleasure to introduce you to a true Vancouver theatreist, Mr. Galen Olstead. Furthering his life-long commitment to theatre, Galen is the artist relations manager at the gorgeous Kay Meek Center in North Vancouver, a relatively new facility that boasts a 500 seat Main Stage and an intimate… Continue reading This One Goes to Eleven: Galen Olstead
Presenting Our New Feature…
The Next Stage is proud to announce the addition of a new section of the site: Vancouver theatre listings! That's right, for the low cost of nothing at all you can advertise your upcoming production in our listings area, so long as your company is independent and Vancouver-based. To list with us just drop a… Continue reading Presenting Our New Feature…
Douglas Coupland’s jPod Premiers Next Tuesday!
Oh, stoked. Stoked, stoked, stoked.
Theatre is Process
Happy New Year, all y'all. I sincerely hope 2008 brings with it a fulfilling creative boon, and your art is seen by as many people as possible. Oh, and that you make some money at it, too. Not that that's what it's about, but it would be nice, wouldn't it? Just a few more coppers… Continue reading Theatre is Process
Hey Toronto, Need a Laugh?
See that cute couple up there? That's Justin and Kristi; dear, sweet friends of mine. Many, many moons ago they were 2/5ths of my very first theatre company, Face Full of Theatre, a sketch comedy/sketch drama troupe that was poised to take over the world (as are all first theatre companies, aren't they?). We done… Continue reading Hey Toronto, Need a Laugh?
I’ll Go See Your Play if You’ll Come See Mine
This One Goes to Eleven: Ben Ayres
Next up in our jPod special series of interviews is Mr. Benjamin Ayres, a fixture on Vancouver's indie stages in between his burgeoning TV/film career (and, I should mention in respect of full disclosure, a regular collaborator with yours truly). The hardest working man is show business, Ben's theatre hyphenate list stretches the gamut from… Continue reading This One Goes to Eleven: Ben Ayres
Getting the Ball Rolling…
My bogging has been a little blogged down of late, but my excuse is a good one: I'm back in the director's chair workin' on a new piece that I wrote for the company as my contribution to this summer's Write Club. The work my lovely cohorts turned up with was breathtaking (it turns out… Continue reading Getting the Ball Rolling…
This One Goes to Eleven: Torrance Coombs
I first caught Torrance onstage last year in Bard on the Beach's production of Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead which, being one of my all-time favourite plays, I was nervously hoping they weren't going to screw up. They didn't, not by a long shot. They took a difficult play and made it look easy, top… Continue reading This One Goes to Eleven: Torrance Coombs
Must-Read Theatre Blogging…
This is great, great, great...Ian at Theatre is Territory has published a simply wonderful interview with University of Minnesota theatre prof and Broadway alum Charles Nolte, who grandly holds court on the state of theatre, reminisces about the heyday of Broadway, and dishes hilariously on working with the likes of Henry Fonda, Jack Palance, and… Continue reading Must-Read Theatre Blogging…
This One Goes to Eleven: Brad Lepp
"My dear Minerva, It was not the best of times, it was not the worst of times, it was Ottawa." On June 9th of this year, at 7:45 pm, Kristian Bruun as Frank Dickens (son of Charles), launched the first of forty cross-country performances of his play Dickens of the Mounted with this line. Beginning… Continue reading This One Goes to Eleven: Brad Lepp
Sarah Kane is my Kurt Cobain
Up until last week I hated Sarah Kane. Thought she was anathema to the theatre and pretty much civilization in general. Well, as it turns out, I'm an idiot. An idiot who just learned a great big lesson in judging a book by a single chapter, and had his already firm belief in the power… Continue reading Sarah Kane is my Kurt Cobain
Simon Ogden 