The Firehall Arts Centre is one of many venues for this year’s Vancouver Fringe Festival running from September 10th to the 20th. Another great production happening during the festival is Oh the Humanity (and other good intentions) brought to you by Staircase Theatre. Oh the Humanity is a witty show that examines the nature of human misery through a filter of jet black comedy. It is a series of 5 short plays about people trying to cope with the basic trial of being human among other humans and honestly, when haven’t we all struggled with that every now and again. In this show, two actors craft four characters each, including a coach who calls a press conference to explain why his team has lost every game in the season, a video dating service promoting two people that have nothing better to recommend than the fact that they are not visibly bleeding, a pair of photographers attempting to re-shoot a graphic war time photo without the original source material, a couple attempting to attend a funeral, or possibly a christening, no, a funeral, with poor results, an airline representative explaining to the families of crash victims what happened to the best of her abilities – despite the fact she lucked, or rather unlucked, her way into the job. Oh the Humanity runs at the Firehall Arts Centre from September 11th to 16th. Tickets for the show are available at Vancouver Fringe Festival.
Oh The Humanity Runs At The Firehall Arts Centre September 11 – 16
11 Sep
Mrs. Singh & Me Kicks Off At The Cultch September 11th
9 Sep
The Vancouver Fringe Festival is back and runs from September 10th to 20th at various venues around the Lower Mainland. The Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, is one of the venues in which performances will be held. One show that caught our eye is Mrs. Singh & Me which runs from September 11-13, 15, 18 and the 20th which is being presented by the South Asian Arts Society. What’s with this story and why is it unique? Well imagine if Romeo had kidnapped Juliet’s mother. What do you think would have happened next? In this dark comedy by playwright Munish Sharma explores that idea. In Mrs. Singh & Me, love is truly is in the air, but Mrs. Kuldeep Singh is having none of it. Her instincts could be right or she could be missing out on the best son-in-law she could ever ask for namely Raj, whose methods are as extreme as his heart is sure. Mrs. Singh & Me confronts cultural traditions and tackles generational differences along with a generous helping of chai and cookies. Tickets are available online at Vancouver Fringe or in person from September 8-20 at the Fringe Box Office located at 1398 Cartwright Street on Granville Island.
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Dance Dance Dance Party At Mount Pleasant Community Centre Tuesday Nights
8 Sep
Ladies, do you love to dance? Well then this one is for you. You are invited to come out to Dance Dance Dance Party at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre, 1 Kingsway, on Tuesday, September 8th. What is it exactly? Dance Dance Dance Party happens at 8:15 pm on Tuesday evenings for one hour. It is billed as “a fun-focused female only free form dance class”. So there is no instructor to keep up with and best of all no judgment, just fun. To add to the fun of the evening, funny lady Sara Bynoe is back as ‘den mother’ for the September classes to help you get your groove on. She might just tickle your funny bone as well, inadvertently, of course. Sara Bynoe if you don’t know her, is the woman behind Say Wha? Deliciously Rotten Readings as well as Teen Angst. So all around, we expect it will be a fun evening. Cost is $7.00 for a drop in, or you can purchase for the 4 sessions in advance at the Mount Pleasant Community Centre. Dancing mandatory, leg warmers optional.
Photo Credit: Sefton Billington
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Album Release & CD Release Party for Nat Jay Rickshaw Theatre September 12th
7 Sep
Singer, songwriter, and recording artist Nat Jay is excited to announce the release of her acoustic EP, Quiet Dreams, on iTunes Tuesday, September 8. This release marks one year since the release of her highly acclaimed debut full-length, All I Think When I Wake Up, which is up for Pop Album of the Year at the 2015 Western Canadian Music Awards the following week. To celebrate Nat Jay will host an album release party on Saturday, September 12 at the Rickshaw Theatre, 254 East Hastings Street at 8:00 pm. Nat Jay will perform two sets at this unique show – one acoustic set with guitar and strings, and one full band set. The opener for the evening will be local buzz artist Jasper Sloan Yip, who is fresh off appearances at the Vancouver Folk Festival, Arts Wells and the Tiny Lights Festival. Since the release of her debut EP Lights Across the Sky in 2008, Nat Jay has shared the stage with Canada’s own two-time JUNO Award winner Dan Mangan, Matthew Barber, Oh Susanna, and Justin Rutledge, as well as New York City’s Jay Brannan and Australia’s folk-blues group, Angus & Julia Stone. Advance tickets are now available online at Rickshaw Theatre for $10 or at the door for $15 the night of the performance. Ticket prices are $10 in advance and $15 at the door. Tickets are also available at Redcat, Highlife and Neptoon Records.
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East Van’s What It Is! At The Cottage Bistro September 6th
5 Sep
You are invited to the Cottage Bistro, 4470 Main Street, on Sunday, September 6th to listen to What It Is! This is a group of four amazing East Van ladies, being Mebrat “Mimi” Beyene, Cass King, Patti Powell and Carol Wiedemann. Together they are a powerhouse of a cappella soul. Their sound is steeped in the soulful sounds of such greats as Aretha Franklin, Ray Charles and Etta James. They are without a doubt engaging performers and will be sure to have you singing and clapping along with them. These ladies bring heart to their East Van Soul. If you get the chance, be sure to stop by the Cottage Bistro and give them a listen. They take the stage at 7:00 p.m. and the event is pay what you can.
Photo Credit: What It Is!
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June Hunter Hosts Summer End’s Studio Sale September 12 & 13
4 Sep
East Van artist June Hunter is having a Summer End’s Studio Sale September 12th & 13th. For those that aren’t familiar with June’s work, she has a way with nature that shows in all her pieces. Her work has been featured in Style at Home House and Home and Where Vancouver as well as on CBC’s Living Vancouver.
At next week’s Summer End’s Studio Sale, you can expect to find sale prices on art, jewellery, tiles, magnets and one of a kind mixed media miniatures. June will be featuring some new jewellery including her hummingbird series as well as some new bold colourful pieces. If you happen to follow June on Twitter or Instagram, you will have become very familiar with her cat, Edgar, and a visiting crow she’s named Eric. Edgar and Eric now have their own calendars which will be available at her Studio Sale. And from what we’ve heard, the calendars are flying off the shelves heading across the globe. June Hunter’s Studio is located at 2785 Parker Street (one block west of Renfrew – between Hastings St. and First Avenue). The Studio Sale runs from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm on Saturday, September 12th and Sunday, September 13th.
If you are not able to make the Studio Sale, you can also visit her Shop Online or find some of her work at Doctor Vigari Gallery, 1816 Commercial Drive.
Photos Courtesy of June Hunter Images
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East Van Kitchen Choir Kicks Off September 10th
2 Sep
Do you love music and love to sing? Do you enjoy meeting others who have a love of music? Well Shera Kelly is looking for you. Shera Kelly is a singer and songwriter that is starting a community choir. Shera is a graduate of the Selkirk College of Music in Nelson. She teaches guitar and voice lessons in her East Van studio. Her aim is to feature the local music scene so think The Be Good Tanyas, Mother Mother and Hannah Georgas. The inspiration for this choir came from one of her students who simply stated that they wished to be in a choir, but one that is ‘hip and urban’. Shera hopes that the music will inspire, connect and create community. The East Van Kitchen Choir gets under way Thursday, September 10th at 1549 Kitchener Street (at Commercial Drive). No experience? No problem, you are invited to come check things out. There is a small fee of $5 per session with the first session being free. To register or for more information, you can contact Shera Kelly at sherakelly@hotmail.com or 604.600.9783.
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