~ reviewed by Madisen Steele

In Khalil Ashanti’s most recent piece, Razor, presented by TheatreWire, he guides you through a significant and challenging time in his life where he’s torn between his craft of acting/entertainment and a world of practicality.  As a one man show Ashanti presents a variety of distinct characters that help him determine his chosen path in life.  Sometimes humorous, and sometimes dark but always very real, he reminds his audience that it’s not always those that should have your back that are the ones that you find the best support and advice from.  I’m not convinced that he goes deep enough with some of the characters although his presentation is on point and entertaining throughout.   I’d be interested to see if the piece evolves through future iterations in his upcoming fringe tour. ​

Razor is playing at Studio 1398 until 9 November 2018.
Tickets at: https://tickets.theatrewire.com/shows/razor/events

~ reviewed by Karen Roller

Ballet BC is my favourite performing arts company in Vancouver by far - their level of excellence and dedication to exploring fresh and innovative ways to express story through movement is impressively consistent. Each program typically consists of three pieces, one world premiere, one Canadian premiere and one revisited favourite. I find this especially satisfying on evenings like tonight where each piece was so different from the others.

Enemy in the Figure - Canadian Premiere - Choreography by William Forsythe
The description in the program is more accurate in describing this piece than I could ever attempt to be. I found it simultaneously fascinating and sinister. The soundscape made me feel like I was in some sort of horror movie - a feeling intensified by the movement of bodies just out of sight, sometimes clambering against the walls on stage. Desperate to enter or to escape? Just one floodlight, manipulated by the dancers, threw shadows and light across the stage, creating interesting shapes in the darkness with sudden reveals as dancers spring into the light and occasionally plunging others into complete darkness. I usually make up stories for pieces like this, my brain creating my own thematic interpretation. For this piece I had only moments, left to wonder at an unnerving mystery.

To this day - World Premiere - Choreography by Emily Molnar
The personification of sound. Set to some gorgeous classic Blues tunes, the dancers embody each guitar riff, twang and drumbeat. A large ensemble dressed in bright colours were all the sensuality, sass and passion that is the Blues. One of the exciting things about Molnar as a choreographer is the way she uses silence. The songs were woven together with mini narratives performed in silence, one of which was possibly the most brilliant physical comedy I have ever seen. It's not often than you hear the entire audience guffaw at the Ballet. For me this piece was the most free, expressive and soulful of the evening.

Petite Cérémonie -  Ballet BC 2011- Choreography by Medhi Walerski
This piece was the most true to what I think of as the "signature style" of Ballet BC's ensemble storytelling. In formal dress the dancers explored the different ways in which we feel boxed in by life - the oppressive expectations of others, the superficiality of small talk, and the dynamics of romantic relationships. The ways in which we can feel isolated from a group, the way we feel the push and pull of a significant other, arguments, and loneliness were all expressed through movement, dialogue and a surprising monologue that made this quite the character piece. 

Ballet BC's runs in Vancouver are very short, but they tour internationally and collaborate with the best of the best in the world. If you've never attended a performance of theirs, do yourself a favour and attend one of their UPCOMING programs. 

Tickets for Ballet BC are available at: https://balletbc.com/

~ reviewed by Danielle Benzon

Words. Videos. Images. Clicked links. Thoughts. Mixed Messages. Smoke And Mirrors. Right Wing Extremism. Hate. Violence. Bring and register your phone. You will interact with Javaad Alipoor as he presents this thought provoking work on Middle East & ISIS Extremist & the power of the internet. Chat rooms and memes connect people who feel disconnected from their actual community on one forum. There they post their extremist views on various topics and share controversial, even racist pictures.

Alipoor, the British performer, writer and co-director relates to the audience the stories of the young males or boys, as he calls them, who don’t feel that they belong. He brings home his points by texting and sending material to the audience. These misfits join extremist chat groups. Here anyone can express his/her views without reprisal. Anything goes. Some also make the trek to become part of Isis and find themselves somewhat unprepared.

~ reviewed by Tara K. Torme

The beautiful promotional images don't even half do this show justice. And while standing ovations can sometimes feel obligatory in the small Vancouver theatre scene, I have never been a part of a more complete, enthusiastic and vocally appreciative standing ovation than the one at the opening night of Backbone at the Playhouse Theatre. The piece is a combination or circus and physical theatre. Not with a narrative per se, but with strong images, themes, and a beautifully sculpted through-line that will leave you feeling not only awe-inspired by the strength, flexibility and daring of the performers in the kaleidoscope of movement that flurries across the stage, but also emotionally and intellectually satisfied.

One of the things I loved most about this production was how much FUN these performers where having!  Melody, my date for the evening, even saw one of the women, as she was flying through the air being thrown from one group on the stage to another, and then another, stick her tongue out mid-air at one of the other performers she was flying by. While these acrobats are obviously dedicated to their craft and while their team work and focus and high level of communication is evident, there's also a deep sense of play, of camaraderie and joyful competition as they tease one another, test one another and explore what they are capable of as individuals and as a group. To have ten bodies moving at top speed on stage rolling, jumping, catching, throwing, being thrown all at once was just mind-boggling to witness. 
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So much was going on, so fast and so unbelievable that I know I'll be rolling these images around in my head for weeks. If you're fascinated by the ability of the well-trained human body, by the beauty of dance, or if you get revved up by high energy ensemble pieces, then Backbone is a must-see. I found it thought provoking, mysterious, fun, silly, beautiful, and an astounding display of talent.

Backbone by Gravity and Other Myths, hosted by the Cultch, is playing at the Vancouver Playhouse until 4 November 2018. Tickets at https://thecultch.com/events/backbone/

~ reviewed by Danielle Benzon

Farndale Avenue… “Christmas Carol” at the Kay Meek Centre in West Vancouver was directed by Angie McLeod. The conceit of this play within a play is upheld comprehensively with even the publicity materials in the lobby displaying the "in world" casting, so as soon as you enter the theatre you are already in the  play!

We have to commend the company for taking on such a difficult task. As the old saying goes, Dying is easy, Comedy is hard! They could have made a dreadful hash of it. The stumbling, bumbling of the Farndale Dramatic Society could lead one to think that they could waltz through without precision. They would be wrong! Comedy requires precise timing while seeming effortless.

The cast has a range of experience, from neophytes to old hands with resumes as long as your arm. It’s nice to see young talent getting an opportunity to perform alongside well-seasoned performers. It truly is an ensemble piece, with each of the actors balancing the dynamic so that no one character steals the show. 

We were surprised that the show didn’t have better attendance. For $22 a seat, this show is a steal! We would recommend it as a must see in this Christmas theatre season.

Farndale Avenue... "Christmas Carol" is playing at the Kay Meek Centre until 10 November 2018.
Tickets at: kaymeek.com/events/farndale-9

Personal aside from Ian regarding the location:
​Linda and I use an evening out at the theatre to have a nice meal as well as a fun time at the theatre. An hour’s drive from Langley (where we live) to West Van wasn’t daunting. I am sure many people who live in Vancouver wouldn’t think of making the trip. For us it was worth it.

Surprisingly, we had a bit of a hunt for a restaurant in that part of West Van. When we did find one, we were seated without a reservation only to be told our seat was booked for a party due a half hour later. We were asked to leave the Amici Restaurant. I was so shocked, I missed the opportunity to use the line, “I will have you know I’ve been thrown out of better places than this!”

~ reviewed by Ian and Linda Harrison

This isn’t the first time writer, Loretta Seto, has had her work featured at The Cultch. In 2016 her play Dirty Old Woman took the stage. As I talked to Seto after opening night, she said The Ones We Leave Behind has a much different tone than the comedic wit of her previous work. She was glad to hear that although it was a more serious story, the comedy of the play (Abby’s mother - played by Alannah Ong - in particular) still landed. The crowd seemed thoroughly entertained.

This was a great technical show, but I feel like it lacked heart in some areas. I had a hard time believing the relationship conflict between Abby and her boyfriend Kyle, (maybe it was surreal to play ‘dating’ when the couple is married in real life!) but the relationship between Abby and her mother had depth and was very convincing. Shoutout to Gerald King and Dorothy Dittrich for excellent lighting and sound design.

For a full list of cast, crew and show times, check out https://thecultch.com/events/the-ones-we-leave-behind/ and plan to catch the Artist Talkback after the performances on the 28th and 30th. For more Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre, check out http://www.vact.ca. 

The Ones We Leave Behind is playing at the Cultch Historic until 3 November 2018.
Tickets at: https://thecultch.com/events/the-ones-we-leave-behind/

~ reviewed by Chantal M. Marie

Going to the theatre is always a chance for us to get a little dressed up and make an occasion of it. We had a meal out and then walked to the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage to see the Pulitzer Prize winning show SWEAT by Lynn Nottage and directed by Valerie Planche. The Arts Club have used the magnificent old building for the past 20 years as one of the venues for their theatre company.

SWEAT is a co-production with Citadel Theatre of Alberta and will be in Edmonton in the New Year with the same sets and actors. Half the Creative team and actors came to us from Citadel Theatre and half from Arts Club. What a wonderful way for the two cities to share talent!
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The show is a cultural snapshot of the industrial heartland of America. It documents the profound changes in American society in the first decade of the 21st Century. Looking back, I am sure there will be many in the audience who can trace modern political trends from their birth in that time. I know as I walked out, there were many discussions about the subject matter of the play and how it reflects on today’s society and politics.

When I went, I expected to hear a polemic of modern capitalism. To my surprise, the author adopted an observer position and didn’t preach or politic but simply permitted the individuals’ perspective be revealed through events and relationships.
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I’ve been a union activist. I’ve been in strikes and seen them tear friendships apart. This play while it accurately reflects those attitudes and stresses also takes a step back to examine other factors. Without reservation I recommend this play to followers of politics and society in North America.

SWEAT will be playing at the Arts Club Stanely Industrial Alliance Stage until 18 November 2018.
Tickets at: https://artsclub.com/shows/2018-2019/sweat

~ reviewed by Ian (and Linda) Harrison

~ reviewed by Karen Roller