Tag Archives: The Cultch

Vancouver Fringe Festival September 7-17, 2017 – East Van Picks

6 Sep

VFF

The Vancouver Fringe Festival is an annual event that kicks off September 7th and runs till September 17th at various venues in the Lower Mainland.  East Van is hosting quite a few of the productions this year namely The Cultch, Firehall Arts Centre, Havana Theatre and Ocean and Crow Yoga. This year over 700 performances will be featured by over 90 artists over the 11 day festival.  Ticket prices are $14 for each show with a $3 processing fee after payment of your Annual Fringe Theatre Society Membership of $5.00.  We invite you to check out some of the amazing local talent and have set out a few of the productions that caught our eye happening in East Van.  

OBIT At The Cultch Historic Theatre

OBIT is a dark comedy written by first time playwrights, Cathy Collins and Simon Roberts, takes you on a morbid look through the obituary notices. In three wryly funny, character rich scenes, Collis and Roberts peel back the public face of the tributes to soccer coach and divorcing dad Derek, suburban Mom Shirley and pillar-of-society businessman Richard now battling Alzheimer’s, to reveal their real lives and their sometimes buried pasts. OBIT opens Saturday, September 9th at 7:35 pm. You can also catch it September 12th at 7:45 pm, September 14th at 5:00 pm, September 16th at Noon and September 17th at 8:30 pm.  Tickets available at Vancouver Fringe Festival.

Cry Baby At The Firehall Arts Centre

Cry Baby The Musical is Romeo and Juliet meets The Outsiders with everyone’s tongues planted firmly in cheek. The show features  1950s Baltimore, the conservative squares face off against the leather-clad delinquents in a rockabilly musical based on John Waters’ cult film. The show is filled with such great songs, we hear you will want to dance your heart out. Cry Baby The Musical features a cast of 16 emerging new artists who will kick off their run on September 7th at 6:45 pm.   You can also catch the show on September 9th at 9:30 pm,  September 10th at 1:45 pm, September 11th at 6:00 pm (1/2 price show), September 13th at 6:00 pm, September 16th at 3:15 pm and September 17th at 2:00 and 7:15 pm.   To get your tickets, visit Vancouver Fringe Festival.

Bombay Black At The Vancity Culture Lab

2017 Jessie Award and multiple Fringe Award recipient Rohit Chokhani delves into a blind man’s world as he reimagines Anosh Irani’s Bombay Black. Bombay Black is a searing play set in the bitter reality of present-day India. The iron-willed Padma takes money from men who watch her daughter, Apsara perform an erotic dance. When a mysterious blind man named Kamal arrives for an appointment, his secret threatens to change each of their lives forever.  The show features a culturally diverse cast which takes the audience members on a journey into a blind man’s world. Note, the audience is  initially blind-folded as they come into the theatre. Bombay Black kicks off on Thursday, September 7th at 8:50 pm. You can also catch it September 9th at 6:45 pm, September 10th at 1:55 pm, September 11th at 7:00 pm, September 13th at 8:50 pm and September 16th at 7:05 pm. To get your tickets, visit Vancouver Fringe Festival.

Photo Credit: Zahida Rahemtulla

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What’s On East Van: June 2, 2017

2 Jun

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There are so many great events happening in East Van, we are adding a new feature What’s On summarizing weekly or bi-weekly some upcoming events and general happenings in East Van.  Most events featured here will be for the upcoming week or a bit beyond.  To see beyond that, we invite you to check out our Event Listing which is updated daily and lists events for the month and beyond.   

National Doughnut Day – June 2, 2017

June 2nd is National Day and well we think it’s a great day to show some locals like Cartems Donuts, Duffin’s Donuts and Lucky’s Doughnuts some East Van love. If you are looking for gluten free doughnuts, we suggest you try the Gluten Free Epicurean in Mount Pleasant.

Vancouver Craft Beer Festival – June 3-4, 2017

This weekend the PNE Fairgrounds plays host to the 8th Annual Vancouver Craft Beer Week Festival June 3-4, 2017. This year’s festival, outside of great craft beer, includes a long line up of local musical talent including Alex Maher, Mark Woodyard, Railtown Prophets as well as DJs spinning tunes. Tickets for the event are $39.00 and include 2 drink tokens along with a 4 oz souvenir taster mug. Note, more drink tickets can be purchased on site.  

Farmer Markets – June 3 & 4, 2017

This weekend you have the benefit of 3 farmer markets. Saturday you have Vancouver Farmers Market which hosts a one of the larger markets at Trout Lake from 9:00 am – 2:00 pm. Another option is the River District Farmers Market from 10:00 am – 3:00 pm located on the Fraser River at the foot of Kerr Street (at East Kent Avenue).  If Sunday’s a better day for you, stop by the Mount Pleasant Farmers Market at Dude Chilling Park which happens from 10:00 am – 2:00 pm.

15th Annual Heritage House Tour (Strathcona) – June 4, 2017

The Vancouver Heritage Foundation hosts the 15th Annual Heritage House Tour on Sunday, June 4th. This year, they will be visiting homes in Strathcona to see the completed renovation of Places That Matter site which is the Walter and Mary Chan House.  It is significant for its connection to SPOTA and a fight to save Strathcona from freeway development in the 1960s.  This is just one of many homes on the tour.  Tickets are $40 or $30 for students and are available online.

Entertainment: Arts, Theatre, Comedy & Live Music

This weekend, lots happening at The Cultch. June 3rd is your last opportunity to catch the powerful show Children of God.  rEvolver Festival continues through to June 4th with a number of great shows at The Cultch including Vampires in Barcelona and Spawn.  rEvovler Festival is also showcasing a new kind of game show All The Way at the Russian Hall.  If it’s comedy you are after, Instant Theatre hosts sketch comedy at the theatre in Havana Restaurant Friday and Saturday nights at 10:30 pm.

Emergency Preparedness Workshop – June 6, 2017

The City of Vancouver hosts a free Emergency Preparedness Workshop at Britannia Community Centre from 7:00 – 8:30 pm. There are currently 23 spots open. We’d like to see this fill up. We recently attended one of these workshops and highly recommend them. Great information, it’s free and it is only 1 hour and 30 minutes of your time. Well worth the time investment for you, your family and pets. To reserve your space visit City of Vancouver.  (POSTPONED)                       

Live Music With Les Is More – June 7, 2017 

Local R&B, funk and blues band, Lesismore will be bringing their sound to Federico’s Supper Club on June 7th.  Stop by for a great evening of live music, dinner and dancing.

Grandview-Woodland Plaza Exploration – Thursday, June 8, 2017

 “The City of Vancouver has been approached by the development team about a potential redevelopment of the Safeway site located at 1780 East Broadway, at Commercial Drive. The Grandview-Woodland Community Plan provides guidance about how this site should redevelop and sets a requirement to provide a new at- grade public plaza on the site.  The development team is proposing that the plaza be located at an alternative location nearby. While this is a variation from the approved Community Plan, the City wants to work with the community to give this new idea its due consideration.   To introduce and explore the idea of an alternative plaza location, the City is hosting an event. The primary purpose of the event is to assess the degree of community support for the new plaza idea.” This is a free event, but advance registration is required.  If you are interested in hearing what’s planned, this is your opportunity to hear information and provide your feedback. To register, visit Eventbrite.

Photo Credit: pixaio.blogspot.com 

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Rodney DeCroo Performs At The Cultch Wednesday, May 31st

24 May

LRodney-DeCroo_Cultch_May-31_WEB.pngocal boy, Rodney DeCroo will be bringing some new music and poetry to The Cultch on Wednesday, May 31st.  Rodney has made East Van his home and will be showcasing songs from his new album Old Tenement Man produced by Tonic Records, now his 8th album.  He will also be featuring work from his third poetry book, Next Door To The Butcher Shop published by Nightwood Editions which explores the permeability of memory and uncovers heart-wrenching beauty from shadowy grit.  The Georgia Straight recently featured their Top 50 albums for each year the paper has been published for their 50th Anniversary. Rodney’s album Campfires On The Moon was featured for the year 2015 in which he’s affectionately referred to as the dark prince of East Van.  It takes courage for artists to showcase their dark side and lay it bare for all to hear. We suspect his performance at The Cultch with some special guests will be a memorable evening. .Along with his new album, Rodney will be featuring a new book of poetry entitled Next Door to the Butcher Shop which we understand offers a rare, sharp, first-hand perspective of life around the edges, with dark comedy dispersed throughout.

An excerpt from Next Door To The Butcher Shop

How quickly age
descends on us. Our memories are maps
to places that don’t exist. I was an emperor
on a green lawn wearing a white sheet
and a paper crown. The birds sang my praises
from the hedges and the trees 

The evening will also feature the talents of Geoff Berner and Fraser Mackenzie who join Rodney on stage.   Tickets are $20 and available in advance at The Cultch OR by phone at Telephone: 604-251-1363, or you can purchase tickets at the door $25.

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rEvolver Festival Presents All The Way At The Russian Hall May 31- June 3, 2017

22 May

AllTheWayUpInTheAirTheatreThere is a new game show in town as part of the rEolver Festival happening May 24 to June 4, 2017 presented by Up In The Air Theatre. This show is being billed as a “hypnagogic game show straddling the worlds of a haunted house and The Price is Right. This partially-immersive, pop-cult, horror-flick-obsessed puzzle invites audience members to dive into a hero’s journey… to emerge thrilled and victorious. All The Way rewards the competitor, soothes the dreamer, and delights in the deliciously unconventional.”  Personally we love unconventional, so our bet is this will be an interesting show. We hear there are prizes to be won and if you are a fan of Sudoku and have watched a lot of television, especially Buffy, you will do quite well. All The Way runs May 31st to June 3rd at The Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Street in the heart of Strathcona. Tickets are $20 each and available online from The Cultch.  If you are not familiar with the rEvolver Festival, it brings new works by emerging theatre companies and artists to the stage each May. We invite you to check out some of the shows they will be presenting this May during the rEvolver Festival.

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Children Of God At The York Theatre May 17 – June 3, 2017

12 May

ChildrenOfGodThe Cultch, in collaboration with Urban Ink Productions, National Arts Centre English Theatre and Raven Theatre is presenting the world premiere of a powerful new musical Children of God. The show features the children of an Oji-Cree family that are sent to a residential school in Northern Ontario. This is a story of redemption for a mother who was never let past the school’s gate, and her kids, who never knew she came. Children of God offers a blend of ancient traditions and contemporary realities. They will be pulling musical inspiration from Indigenous traditions as well as Broadway hits. This musical is a timely piece that tells the heartbreaking story of the residential schools through the eyes of one Oji-Cree family. Children of God celebrates resilience and the power of the Indigenous cultural spirit. Note this performance does contain swearing and sexual content. Due to the content of the performance, Emotional Support Workers will be available to provide support to audience members who may require it.  The performance takes place at The York Theatre, 639 Commercial Drive with previews taking place May 17th and 18th. Opening night is May 19th with the show running until June 3rd. Tickets are available online from The Cultch.

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La Merda Comes To The Cultch May 2-13, 2017

21 Apr

LaMerdaA provocative internationally acclaimed show is coming to The Cultch this May.  La Merda comes to Vancouver as part of an international tour making its Canadian premiere. It is a collaborative production brought to you by Frida Kahlo Productions, Richard Jordan Productions, Produzioni Fuorivia and presented with the Italian Cultural Centre.  The show is on a trailblazing sell-out run from shows in Rome, London, Edinburgh, Copenhagen, Sao Paulo, Madrid and Adelaide. La Merda is a rapid fire proclamation mapping the dark and sometimes disturbing train of thought of a young woman obsessed with finding fame at any cost. She sings and howls a stream of consciousness that reveals – with rage and poetry – revolting human secrets, and a modern society that is powerful, desperate, vulnerable, and cutting. In a three part monologue, all performed completely naked,  Italian actress Silvia Gallerano, rants about and probes the depth of modern society, politics, mental health, female sexuality, and the patriarchy. The subject matter is powerful, angry and brilliant, this is one show we won’t be missing. Tickets start at $20 and are available at The Cultch.

What people are saying about La Merda:

“Extraordinary, uncompromising and entirely unforgettable. Rich, absorbing worlds that suck you in and shake you up, leaving you disorientated, disturbed and exhilarated.”  ★★★★ – The Times (UK)

“This is a shocking account of modern society and its pursuit of fame, perfect bodies, patriarchy, courage and need for approval.” – Stage Whispers (AUS)

 “Devastating stream of consciousness. One of the most wonderfully full–on performance ever seen.”  ★★★★ – Scotsman (UK)

“Not a show. An experience. Absolute. Standing ovations. A must.”  – La Repubbica (Italy)

“Brash, brutal, beastly, yet beautiful. Raw, touching, intelligent and mesmerising. Unforgettable.”  ★★★★ –  The List (UK)

 

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Call To Visual Artists For The Cultch Gallery 2017-2018 Season

7 Apr

CanvasOnEaselSilverbleeThe Cultch, 1895 Venables Street, has put out a call to visual artists who live and work in BC to submit applications to exhibit their work during their 2017/2018 gallery season. Each exhibition will run for 3 to 4 weeks between August 2017 and June 2018. Submissions can be single or multiple artists’ proposals.

The Cultch has built a reputation over the past 40 years as one of Western Canada’s most innovative and exciting presenting venues. The mandate of The Cultch is to contribute to the enrichment of the city and community’s social and cultural life through the presentation of innovative programs of contemporary music, theatre, dance and visual arts by established and emerging artists.

The Cultch Gallery is a multi-use space and not a traditional art gallery as it also serves as the lobby for performances and is occasionally used for meetings and other small events. Due to the diverse nature of their space, submissions that include sculptures or free standing art will not be accepted. We have set out below the submission criteria for artists:

1. An artist statement;

2. Resume/CV with contact information;

3. A complete list of images you are submitting, which should include title, size, medium. These images do not have to be the work you will be showing. They want to get a good overview of your work.

4. You can submit up to 10 images.   Note: Images should be 300 dpi and no bigger than 8″ in any direction

Deadline for applications is Monday, May 15, 2017.  If you have questions about your submission, you can contact Yuri Arajs, Gallery Coordinator at The Cultch at gallery@thecultch.com. Artists will be notified in June on the results of the selection process. The Cultch handles all sales and retains a 20% commission on all works sold. 

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How To Be At The Cultch April 12-15, 2017

31 Mar

HowToBe-300x240Do you ever wonder how to be in any given situation?  Maybe you ‘should’ have said this, or ‘should’ have done that. What do you think of someone that didn’t say the ‘right’ thing? Whether it’s family, friends or co-workers, we are often second guessing ourselves to what avail? Creator and choreographer Tara Cheyene Friedenberg will endeavor to shed light on our ‘shoulds’, ‘woulds’ and ‘coulds’ by bringing you a blend of dance, theatre and comedy all on one stage in How To Be. This performance has some local talent behind it include Marcus Youssef and Josh Martin. How To Be kicks off April 12 at The Cultch for a short run to April 15th. Tickets are available from $20 online or by phone.

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Vertical Influences By Way Of Montreal Comes To East Van April 18-30, 2017

29 Mar

VerticalInfluencesRollineLaporteThe Cultch is bringing something pretty cool, literally and figuratively, to the Britannia Ice Rink this month. Specifically, Le Patin Libre which is a new kind of award-winning ice dancing without the sparkles and stereotypes, but with a whole lot of attitude and sophistication.  Le Patin Libre was founded in 2005 by world class ex-figure skaters. Bored of the stereotypes associated with ice dancing, and desperate to escape the narrow parameters of sequins and sparkles, Le Patin Libre’s initial performances were simple but beautiful presentations on frozen ponds. Audiences loved them, but we understand the more conservative world of Canadian figure skating was unsupportive. Thanks to residencies offered by private ice rink owners in France, they were able to dedicate themselves seriously to their research and continue experimenting with the ice dancing genre. Their rebellious and boundary pushing creativity has opened up the genre in new and exciting ways. Now, in partnership with arts organizations and community ice rinks, Le Patin Libre are able to use their passion for ice skating to gather a mix of people including sport fans, art aficionados, people who might not normally spend time together, to enjoy this amazing performance. They bring their performance Vertical Influences to Britannia Ice Rick, 1661 Parker Street, April 18 to 30, 2017.  Coming off a sold-out European tour, you have the opportunity to see this inventive Canadian group break boundaries before they explode on the international scene.  Tickets for this show are available online from The Cultch, adults $46 and children $20. Evening performances begin at 7:00 pm with a number of matinee performances.

What people are saying about Vertical Influences:

“One of those rare shows I could willingly have sat through all over again …
A pure body rush. Astounding”
★★★★★” — The Guardian, UK

Photo Credit Rolline Lapointe

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The Daisy Theatre Returns To The Cultch March 21st to April 9th, 2017

10 Mar

DaisyTheatreAlejandroSantiagoThe Daisy Theatre returns to The Cultch on March 21st until April 9th. What is the Daisy Theatre? Well it’s a puppet show by the one and only Bonnie Burkett and this is NOT any puppet show.  If you think you might not be interested in seeing puppets, you will likely be wrong. The Daisy Theatre is unlike anything you have ever seen. Ronnie Burkett, puppeteer provocateur and his company of over 40 marionettes, will not only entertain you, but will be sure to have you riding a wave of emotion as he brings his puppets to life. The energy he brings to his puppetry is rather awe inspiring and how he seamlessly transitions between all the characters on his stage. Did we mention it’s funny?  Side splitting funny, Ronnie Burkett brings a sharp wit to his characters when he needs to, but he can be as soft as kitten when playing the character Schnitzel who usually begins and finishes his show. But having said that, each show is different so you don’t always know who is coming on stage to perform. We can say each performance is different, daring, ridiculous and honestly dam funny. It’s just not us saying it though,  The Georgia Straight has previously called it “one of the best shows you’ll ever see”.  Tickets start at $20 and are available online at The Cultch.  Note, due to the mature content this is a 19+ show.

Photo Credit: Alejandro Santiago

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