THEATRE PREVIEW

DECEMBER 2025 | Volume 258

 

ARTS CLUB THEATRE COMPANY Production Of BURNING MOM by Mieko Ouchi

A different kind of road trip –ON TOUR

The Arts Club Theatre Company's production of Burning Mom begins an eight-city tour across the Lower Mainland, followed by a presentation at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton. An inspiring comedy based on real-life events, this is the story of writer-director Mieko Ouchi's mother's journey after the unexpected death of her husband. This one-woman show features award-winning actorSusinn McFarlen (Jessie Richardson Award, Outstanding Performance in a Comedic Lead Role) as Dorothy. 
Dorothy realizes that life is too short to delay her aspirations. After losing her husband, she decides to take their RV on the road trip of his retirement dreams: she's going to Burning Man. After all, it's only a 21-hour drive to a weeklong culture festival and party with no plumbing in the middle of a desert—how hard can it be? Burning Mom is a stirring odyssey of self-discovery and tale of how art, everlasting roads, and human connection propel her along the way. 

"The personal, funny, and heroic story of Mieko's mother grappling with grief and personal identity following the death of her lifelong partner is at the core of this heartwarming comedy," said Ashlie Corcoran, Artistic Director of the Arts Club. "I love art that can be as specific as Mieko's piece. It's a true-life tale of the playwright's mother, captivating audiences through the shared universal experiences of life: love, grief, and personal empowerment." 

You'll laugh and cry as Dorothy's story invites you to take risks and enjoy the small moments in life—come along for the ride!

ABOUT THE PLAYWRIGHT
Mieko Ouchi is an actor, director, and celebrated Canadian playwright based in Edmonton, Alberta. Her plays have been produced across Canada since 2003. Her first full-length play, The Red Priest, was a finalist for the Governor General's Award and later won the Carol Bolt Prize. More recently, her play Consent won a Sterling Award for Outstanding Production of Theatre for Young Audiences. She has worked as Playwright-in-Residence at a number of institutions, acted and directed in theatres across the country, and was the Co-Artistic Director of Concrete Theatre until late 2020. She has also worked in film and television; her award-winning film work has been shown at international film festivals, and on CBC and Bravo. Ouchi's plays have been translated into six languages. She has been a finalist for the City of Edmonton Book Prize and is a recipient of the Enbridge Award for Established Canadian Playwright. 

CAST
Susinn McFarlen (Dorothy)

CREATIVE TEAM
Meiko Ouchi (Director), Patrick Rizzotti (Set Designer), Kirsten McGhie (Costumes Designer), John Webber (Original Lighting Designer), Ted Roberts (Tour Lighting Designer), Ashley Au (Composer & Sound Designer), Kim Clegg (Projection Designer),  Ana Camacho (Assistant Set Designer), Rebecca Mulvihill (Stage Manager), Lyrie Murad (Apprentice Stage Manager, January 8 - February 8), Isabelle Martinez (Apprentice Stage Manager, February 14 - March 8)

TOUR VENUES AND DATES

WEST VANCOUVER	Kay Meek Arts Centre  604.981.6335	January 8 & 9
NEW WESTMINSTER	Anvil Centre  604.521.5050	January 10 & 11
SURREY	Surrey Arts Centre  604.501.5566	January 14–24
BURNABY	Shadbolt Centre for the Arts  604.205.3000	January 25
COQUITLAM	Evergreen Cultural Centre  604.927.6555	January 27–31
MISSION	Clarke Theatre  604.687.1644	February 3
CHILLIWACK	Chilliwack Cultural Centre  604.391.7469	February 4
MAPLE RIDGE	The ACT Arts Centre  604.476.2787	February 7 & 8

  
ABOUT THE ARTS CLUB THEATRE COMPANY
The Arts Club Theatre Company is situated on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territories of the Coast Salish Peoples, in particular the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm, Sḵwx̱wú7mesh, and səlilwətaɬ Nations. We invite you to reflect on your relationship to these lands.

The Arts Club is one of the largest not-for-profit theatre organizations in the country and is the principal gathering place for the theatrical arts in British Columbia. Comprising three unique venues across Vancouver, the Arts Club welcomes more than a quarter million guests annually, tours provincially and nationally, and engages students and artists alike through educational and professional programs.

Above all, the Arts Club is dedicated to the advancement of local artists telling stories from around the globe and, in particular, those of our region. From this, we believe that culture expands, an understanding of differences is nurtured, and art bursts forth. The Arts Club was founded in 1964 and is currently led by Artistic Director Ashlie Corcoran and Executive Director Peter Cathie White.

artsclub.com
facebook.com/theArtsClub
instagram.com/TheArtsClub/
youtube.com/ArtsClubTheatreCompany

 

 

 

get in touch with vancouverplays:

EMAIL US

SUBMIT LISTINGS

 SUBMIT PREVIEW

 ADVERTISE WITH US