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Vine Arts Festival Happens August 17-20

17 Aug

WebOver 40 artists will be participating in the 2nd Annual Vine Arts Festival starting August 17th. This is a community-driven event which features visual and performing artists along with eco-conscious community leaders, herbalists, musicians, urban farmers and woodcarvers.  The festival is a celebration of the Coast Salish landscape with a focus on re-wilding the city. There are a number of performances and eco-events taking place in 4 East Vancouver parks specifically Maclean Park, Norquay Park, Trout Lake Park and Pandora Park.  At one of the events, Lori Wiedenhammer, author of Victory Garden For Bees will be on hand running workshops as will Lori Snyder, who is a First Nations herbalist and urban foraging expert. An interesting new addition to this year’s festival includes the  Grass-Roots Project. The director, Heather Lamoureux has commissioned three activists to create works focusing on art as a tool for social change. Also, there will be a ‘teaser showcase’ of an upcoming youth project from The Only Animal Theatre Company which will be premiering at the Vancouver Fringe Festival called ‘Generation Hot’.  For a full rundown of what events are happening in which park, we invite you to check out their website which has all the details.  Note, all the events are free and the main event takes place this Saturday, August 20th at Trout Lake/John Hendry Park from Noon to 7:00 pm.  

Vines Art Festival Photo (4)

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Til Death – The Six Wives of Henry VIII At The Rio Theatre September 8–18, 2016

9 Aug

TilDeathSixWivesThe Vancouver Fringe Festival is coming September 8-18, 2016 and will be showcased at various  venues throughout the City.  One show that caught our eye is ‘Til Death’ – The Six Wives of Henry VIII which will take the stage at the Rio Theatre September 8 – 18, 2016. This show was Pick of the Fringe in 2012 and is a fast paced one woman show showcasing the six wines of Henry VIII.  You will meet the Betrayed Wife, The Scheming Wife, The Peacemaker, The Ugly German, The Tarty One and the One In Love with Someone Else.   We understand that the show starts off in the afterlife in a bizarre waiting room of sorts. One by one, the wives of Henry VIII arrive, much to the shock and dismay of each previous wife. What culminates is the heated frenzy of an ex-wives club where these women swap stories, toss Anne Boleyn’s head around, pick on the ugly German one, and, most importantly, fight for the right to be acknowledged as Henry’s true bride and eternal partner. But when Henry arrives, everything changes. This production is brought to you by Monster Theatre and under the direction of Tara Travis who is an actor-writer-puppeteer and artistic producer with a long list of works to her name.

What people are saying about Til Death:

 “Travis’s energetic charm and flashes of emotional depth impress.”
Colin Thomas, Georgia Straight

“Travis puts on a dazzling display of comedy acting.”
Stephen Hunt, Calgary Herald

Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII gets under way at the Rio Theatre on September 8th and runs till September 18th. Tickets are available online at Vancouver Fringe Festival.

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Exhibit Opening Every Day in Every Way At The Cultch Gallery August 4th

3 Aug

Deborah-Leigh-225x300The Gallery at The Cultch invites you to an opening reception this Thursday, August 4th. It is a group exhibition from Kickstart Disability Arts & Culture which features artists living with disabilities.  We are thrilled to see some great artists in this mix including one we’ve featured here at ILiveInEastVan.com, that being L.J. Throstle.  Other artists include Deborah Leigh, whose work is pictured to the left, Dawn Margaret Enman, Take5 and Trish Smith.  All the artists will be on hand for this reception which kicks off at 6:00 pm and runs till 8:00 pm. This is a free event and everyone is welcome to attend.  If you miss the opening reception, the exhibit will run until August 27th. 

Image by Deborah Leigh

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Tremors – Festival Featuring Emerging Talent August 11-20, 2016

28 Jul

Tremors2016In 2007, Rumble Theatre created the Tremors Festival which was originally a two week run of plays created by emerging companies. In 2014, they devised a new model for this festival which focused on providing mentorship to individual emerging artists rather than emerging companies. Tremors is now a vehicle for emerging artists to build networks, receive professional mentorship, develop their craft and work on exciting plays. Each show is directed, designed, stage managed, and performed by a company of emerging artists working with the guidance of professional mentors. Rumble Theatre is thrilled to present their 2016 edition of Tremors. They’ve selected three outstanding scripts specifically Dry Land by Ruby Rae Spiegel, Better Angels: A Parable by Andrea Scott, and Bull by Mike Bartlett along with an assembly of emerging artists to direct, design and perform each show. For two weeks, these three plays will be performed simultaneously in different rooms of the Italian Cultural Centre.  They are saying it’s “like a Cineplex of theatre…with a bar!” and we quite like the sound of that.

Dry Land by Ruby Rae SpiegelAnais West and Shauna Griffin in Dry Land.jpg

Ester is a swimmer trying to stay afloat. Amy is curled up on the locker room floor. Dry Land dives into the lives of two teen girls and explores what happens in one high school locker room after everybody’s left.

Britney Buren in Better Angels.jpgBetter Angels: A Parable by Andrea Scott

Akosua moves from Ghana to Canada for a better life and finds a special kind of hell tailored just for her. Think slavery is over? Think again, as liars get caught in their own webs.

 


Adam Olgui and Lucy McNulty in Bull.JPGBull by Mike Bartlett

Audiences get ringside seats as three coworkers fight to keep their jobs. Brutal and hard-hitting, Bull is an unflinching look at a toxic corporate culture from which no one escapes unscathed

Dry Land begins its evening performance at 7:00 pm/9:15 pm, Better Angels at 7:15 pm/9:00 pm and Bull at 7:30 pm/9:30 pm.   Matinees for each show are Dry Land 1:00 pm, Better Angels at 1:15 pm and Bull at 1:30 pm. Ticket prices are $10 for matinees, $15 for evening shows. Best deal is 2 shows for $25. To purchase your tickets visit ArtsPoints.

Photo Credit: Tim Matheson.

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Accordion Noir Festival September 9 & 10, 2016

27 Jul

AccordionNoir2016A couple of great events lined up for this September at two local venues as part of the 9th Annual Accordion Noir Festival. First up is Love Potion Cabaret on September 9th at the York Theatre.   This is being billed as “an intoxicating elixir of world class artists”.  This is an eccentric multi-lingual cabaret featuring music, visuals and text based on a poem by Edgar Allen Poe.  You can expect a  mix of accordion, vocals, beatboxing, looping and flute add to that some acrobatics, clowning with tex-mex flavoured squeezebox.  Local composer Nathan Shubert premiers a new work for accordion and sheng with Tim Chan.  This event kicks off 8:30 pm on September 9th. Tickets are available in advance for $18 until August 24th. After that, they will be $22 and are available from The Cultch.

Next up is the Move the Mess Around Dance Party being held on September 10th at the Wise Hall.   We hear this is going to be a dance party mixer of epic proportions. Pinata Protest brings shredding lead accordion to a mix of old school punk rock and traditional Latin border music.  On hand will be local squeezebox superstar Jack Garton with his roots roller-coaster band the Demon Squadron as they celebrate the release of their new album “Move the Mess Around”.   You can expect square dance,  accordion, clowning and acrobatics. You are invited to come down and limber up and get cheeky.  Tickets are available in advance for $18 until August 24th. After that they will be $22 and again are available online from The Cultch.

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Artful Sundays Return To Napier Greenway August 7th – September 4th

26 Jul

ArtfulSunday2016

Artful Sundays return to the Britannia Community Centre this summer. This is an outdoor visual arts market that begins Sunday, August 7th, 2016 and will run every consecutive Sunday until September 4th. This event now in its 16th year will feature local artists, special events, artist demonstrations, workshops and more. There will also be lots of live music on hand and we’ve set out below who will be on hand for each Sunday. The event will take place in the Napier Greenway at Napier Street & Commercial Drive from Noon – 5:00 p.m.

 August 7

Workshop: Mixed Media Button Making with Dianne Wood & Helen Spaxman
Live Music with Backspin Noon – 2:30 pm
Live Music with Russell Shumsky & Bud Kurz 2:30 – 5:00 pm

August 14

Workshop: Poetry Scrolls With James Melcher
Live Music with Illiteratty Noon – 2:30 pm
Live Music with Creaking Planks 2:30 – 5:00 pm

August 21

Workshop: Pasta Jewellery with Paula Luther
Live Music with Tim Sars & Wynston Minckler Noon – 2:30 pm
Live Music with Doug Thordarson 2:30 – 5:00 pm

August 28

Workshop: Print Making with Paddi McGrath
Live Music with Cosmic Wink & John Lyon Noon – 2:30 pm
Live Music with Rio Samaya 2:30 – 5:00 pm

September 4

Workshop: Colouring Table with Trish Mitchell
Live Music with the Soda Crackers Noon – 2:30 pm
Live Music with Katheryn Petersen & Squeeze Box Circle Orchestra 2:30 – 5 pm

There is a long line of local artists on hand for this weekly event. If you wish to know which artisan will be on hand on any given day, we invite you check the Facebook page for Artful Sundays. We invite you to come out and support this great community event.

 

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Self-Guided Food & Culture Tour Around Mount Pleasant

21 Jul

MountPleasantWe recently organized a group walking tour in Mount Pleasant which included a bit of food, some libations as well as some local culture. We thought we’d share with you some of the spots we hit and in what order for those that wish to replicate some or all of the spots we hit in whatever order you see fit.  Geographically, we started South on Main Street and worked our way North down the hill.   We have listed out below all of our stops along the way with some alternate suggestions for those that wish to customize the list to their personal preferences. We had a blast on this tour and, of course, the local businesses, loved new faces being introduced to the products/services they offered. MPTourParallel49MPTourLuckys

So enough of the preliminaries, let’s get touring.  Our first stop was at 49th Parallel/Lucky’s Doughnuts at Main Street & 13th Avenue for great coffee and donuts. We were a group of 10, so lots of space on their outdoor patio for a larger group as well as inside.  After coffee, we headed to Bird On A Wire Creations which is packed with so much great stuff by BC artisans and local makers. If you need to find a gift for someone, there’s a good chance you will find something here. If you are at Bird On A Wire on a Saturday, you may find Bouquets by Mary which is a floral pop up within Bird On A Wire Creations. While at Bird On A Wire, we encourage you to pop into another great store literally next door, Much & Little. Much & Little has some very cool items including MPTourSipsclothing and accessories. Our find, coveted pens that write on glass and plates aptly named Wine Glass Writer.  Next stop took us to Sips Cocktail Emporium where one of the owners Darcy is always on hand with advice and suggestions on how to make the prefect cocktail.   Next up we headed for lunch and libations at Chicha Restaurant which features deliciousMPTourChichaPiscoSour Peruvian food and delicious pisco sours which was a perfect spot for a late lunch/brunch before carrying on.  For dessert, we headed over to French Made Baking where you can find an amazing array of macarons, flaky croissants and a variety of sweet treats.  Next stop was Dandelion Emporium which again if you are looking for gifts, this is another spot with unique gift ideas. Then of course, right next door was Pulp Fiction Books which had a great selection of books.  Next up was some stops across the street to check out a couple of the vintage shops on or near Main Street, F as In Frank and Scout Boutique (MOVED) whilst another group stopped into  RX Comics.  After that everyone got thirsty, so we made our way to Brassneck Brewery which was a great spot, but as a larger group, we did have to wait for a bit which we were fine with, but it’s a popular spot for those not wishing to wait.  As many may know, there is quite a hub of craft breweries in this area, so there are a number of other great options including 33 Acres Brewing, Main Street Brewing & R&B Brewing which will soon also be an ale and pizza house.  Our next intended stop was Beta 5 Chocolates which if you didn’t know makes world class chocolates and hosts Ice Cream Socials on the weekends in the summer months. We apparently spent some time hanging out in the brewery, so they were closed by the time we were ready to go. So we carried on to other two sweet spots. Firstly, Cartems Donuts which was literally a few feet from Brassneck Brewery and then down to Earnest Ice Cream at Quebec & 2nd to finish things off.  Of course, if you prefer gelato, Mario’s Gelati isn’t far at 1st and Quebec.    For those trying to figure out timing, we started our day about 11:30 am and finished up about 6:00 pm, but it was a leisurely day of wandering and catching up with friends and introducing them to some of the things I love about East Van. We invite you to do your own self-guided tour and visit as many of the spots noted above, they are all worth stopping in to see. 

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The Best of Everything At The Havana Theatre July 14-16

13 Jul

BestofEverythingA fun new show called the Best of Everything begins a short run at the Havana Theatre starting July 14th.  This play is based on the book by Rona Jaffe and has been adapted by Julie Kramer. It is set in the 1950s and other adaptions have been compared to Mad Men complete with buttoned down men drinking scotch.  We are rather curious to see how this adaption comes together. This production features a line up of local talent including Joanie Beaulieu, Jenna Grossenbacher, Zachary Hayden, Laura Jacobson, Jennifer Kasun, Amy Rathgeber, Jacqueline Welbers and  Charles Lysne. If you wish to catch this show, it runs for 3 nights at Havana Theatre with a 1:30 pm show on July 16th.  Tickets are $15 and available online via Brown Paper Tickets. Note there is a students and seniors rate of $10. Best deal is the matinee on Saturday $5.

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The Fakespeare Festival At The York Theatre August 3-28

29 Jun

Fakespeare 

Shakespeare fans take note.  Awkward Stage Production is bringing The Fakespeare Festival “Like Shakespeare, Only Better” to The York Theatre from August 3rd to August 28th. They will be bringing you two shows that will alternate each night.  First up is TITUS, The Light and Delightful Musical Comedy of Titus Andronicus which was the Pick of the Fringe last year.  The writers of this production, Andrew Wade and Jenny Andersen, are expanding this Fringe hit to a two act musical.   We hear the Vancouver Sun gave this show 5 stars, so we think this just might be something to see.  TITUS kicks off on August 6th. The festival begins on August 3rd with Shakespeare parodies Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet starting things off. Tickets for the shows are available online through The Cultch and prices range from $20 to $35 with $5 on the preview nights which for TITUS is August 5th and for Goodnight Desdemona, Good Morning Juliet is August 3rd.

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SHINE: A Burlesque Musical Is Coming To The Wise Hall July 6-16

28 Jun

SHINEWe have to say first off, we are very excited about this upcoming show at the Wise Hall.  Something spectacular is coming to East Van on July 6th. It’s SHINE: A Burlesque Musical which will be taking place at the Wise Hall from July 6-16.  This show is brought to you by Sam Dulmage, Cass King and John Woods and presented by The Wet Spots and The WISE Hall.  If you have not seen the Wet Spots in action, you are missing out on a lot of fun. The story of SHINE mirrors the plight of the Wise Hall which does put an interesting twist on this production. The Wise Hall is a venue under pressure from gentrification, much like the Aristocrat Theatre which is featured in this show.  It is also an issue that faces many of our local venues like the Waldorf and the Railway Club. 

SHINE features the story of the crumbling but historic Aristocrat theatre, Shine Mionne and her chosen family of sexpots and misfits struggle to save the theatre from imminent gentrification in the guise of smooth-talking money man Richard Suit. Along the way Frankie, the newbie actor from out of town, and Grace, the dimpled graduate student who can’t seem to keep her clothes on, are drawn into the vortex of life at The Aristocrat by a diva named Lulu. As Suit and Shine fight for control of the show, Lulu finds her leading-lady status jeopardized by Suit’s meddling and a series of whirlwind affairs threatens to throw the impending opening into chaos. Tassels and pasties and feathers SHINE tantalizes, teases and excites!  The show features 18 original songs by Cass King & John Woods of The Wet Spots which will run the gamut from cabaret to blues, soul and garage rock and a few things in between. Song of their song titles will give you an idea of what might be in store such as Large and In Charge, In Your Hand and The Perversions of Yesteryear.  SHINE we hear, outside of being smart and sexy, is the Muppet Show for grown-ups.  The show kicks off at 8:00 pm at the Wise Hall,1882 Adanac Street on July 6th and runs till July 16th. Tickets are $35 or you can purchase Cheap Tuesday tickets for $20 on July 12th, or you can go all out for the VIP experience and get front row seats to this show with complimentary champagne for $75. Which ever you choose, tickets are available at Brown Paper Tickets.

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