welcome

OCTOBER 2024 | VOLUME 244

 

OCT 7-20

Drama, Comedy, Heartbreak …

Yes, it’s hockey season again. And we’re entering the heart of theatre season, too. Let’s hope the drama, comedy and heartbreak stay on the stage and off the ice. Let’s go, Canucks! And let’s go see a play or three!

All this excitement might make us forget the BC provincial election and the US federal election if they weren’t so important. Make sure you’re registered and exercise your right to vote! If you care about arts and culture, vote NDP in BC. If you can vote in the US election, get your absentee ballot asap. It’s not too late. If you need help, go to Democrats Abroad Canada (https://www.democratsabroad.org/ca). It’s unthinkable and unbearable that Trump might actually win again. Go, Kamala!

See our On Now page for everything running through October 20. Be sure to look for the BUY TICKETS buttons. Plot your theatregoing through mid-November with the offerings on our Coming Soon page. And check below to see what the new seasons are looking like for all our major theatre companies.

Theatre lovers, theatre students, theatre historians and casual readers are invited to browse our ARCHIVES pages. Read 1000+ reviews of what you may have seen or missed over the past two decades of Vancouver-area theatre.

Important Note: The BUY TICKETS Button on our PREVIEW and REVIEW pages is strictly a convenience for theatregoers. Click on the button and get direct access to the company’s box office for that show. Vancouverplays gets no cut or commission from your ticket purchase. 100% of the money goes directly to the theatre company.

Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre presents Voices for Freedom and Democracy, Oct. 11 at Notional Space, 1523 E. Pender St. Free. Info and tickets at https://vact.ca/voices-for-freedom-and-democracy/.

BC Culture Days celebrates its15th anniversary with events across the province to Oct. 13. https://culturedays.ca/en/bc

Western Gold Theatre, in partnership with Full Circle: First Nations Performance, Talking Stick Festival and Cats Theatre Collective, presents Have a Senior Moment Festival, including readings of new plays by Simon Webb and Olivia Etey, a new work by Margo Kane, a Stanley Park Bus Tour with Squamish Chief Ian Campbell, and a couple of parties. Oct. 17-20, PAL Studio Theatre, 581 Cardero St. Tickets $15/$35 at https://westerngoldtheatre.org/on-stage/#HASM

Neworld Theatre seeks a Permanent Part-Time Producer to start in Dec. Send CV and cover letter to info@neworldtheatre.com. Deadline: Oct. 21. Full job posting at https://neworldtheatre.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/NeworldTheatre_Permanent-Part-Time-Producer-Posting-2024.pdf.

I’m excited to be interviewing Quirks & Quarks science guy Bob McDonald and Booker Prize-winning novelist and playwright Roddy Doyle (The Commitments and much more) at the Vancouver Writers Fest, Oct. 25, 10 am at The Nest, Granville Island, and Oct. 26, 10:30 am, Performance Works. Tickets $27/$24.30 at https://writersfest.bc.ca/festival-event-2024/51 and https://writersfest.bc.ca/festival-event-2024/66.

North Van’s Presentation House Theatre presents Haunted Histories: An Evening with the Vancouver Paranormal Society. Oct. 29, 7:30 pm. $15/$35 at https://www.phtheatre.org/haunted-histories-oct-2024/. 

Vancouver Moving Theatre and its community partners present the 21st annual Downtown Eastside Heart of the City Festival, Oct. 30-Nov. 10. Info and tickets at https://www.heartofthecityfestival.com/.

West Vancouver’s Kay Meek Arts Centre celebrates its 20th anniversary with a Gala cocktail reception, dinner, and concert with Jens Lindemann (trumpet), Ian Parker (piano) and the Trans-Canada Highwaymen, Nov. 23, 6 pm. Cocktails & Concert $195/$225; Dinner & Concert $425. https://kaymeek.com/gala/

Bard on the Beach has announced its 2025 season. No histories, no tragedies, two comedies (Much Ado About Nothing and a 1980s musically-inflected Two Gentlemen of Verona), and two non-Shakespeares (The Complete Works of William Shakespeare (Abridged) (Revised) (Again) and Jessica B. Hill’s The Dark Lady. https://bardonthebeach.org/2025-season-announcement/

Digital Stage is now up and running. Six theatre companies from across the country—including Vancouver’s Urban Ink, The Cultch and Neworld Theatre, have put some of their shows online. Pay what you want. https://digitalstage.ca/.

The Improv Centre is offering classes in improv at all levels. Info HERE.

Richmond’s Gateway Theatre Academy is offering acting and musical theatre classes for kids ages 6-7. https://gatewaytheatre.com/academy

Thanks,

Jerry