VANCOUVER COURIER
FEBRUARY 17, 2012

Picks of the week

1. It's a happening, man. Opening Feb. 18 to April 29, the Vancouver Art Gallery's latest exhibit, Lights Out! Canadian Painting from the 1960s, celebrates the colourful canvas creations from that swinging decade, including Greg Curnoe's groovy Myself Walking North in the Tweed Coat. For more info, go to vanartgallery.bc.ca.

2. Funny people descend upon the city for the Vancouver ComedyFest. This year's edition runs until Feb. 25 and includes, among others, Carol Burnett, Betty White, Margaret Cho, Marc Maron, David Cross, Bob Odenkirk and L.A.-based, musical-comedy duo Garfunkel and Oates, who will be at the Rio Theatre Feb. 17 with Todd Barry. More info at comedyfest.com.

3. The Vancouver Playhouse and the Cultch have teamed up to present Catalyst Theatre's wily adaptation of Victor Hugo's novel about a tormented priest, a beautiful dancer and the deformed bell ringer Quasimodo. Hunchback runs Feb. 18 to March 10 at the Vancouver Playhouse. For tickets and info, call 604-873-3311 or go to vancouverplayhouse.com.

4. The Talking Stick Festival is back for its 11th year celebrating aboriginal artists from a variety of artistic expressions Feb. 20 to March 4. Highlights include one-man show Metis Mutt, Drew Hayden Taylor's play In a World Created by A Drunken God and Monique Mojica's Chocolate Woman Dreams the Milky Way. For tickets, go to ticketstonight.ca or call 604-684-2787. Info at fullcircle.ca.

© Copyright (c) Vancouver Courier

For orignial article click here.

A Year at the Theatre
Plays that took centre stage

BY BOB CLARK AND STEPHEN HUNT, CALGARY HERALD DECEMBER 29, 2011

It might be a digital era, but is there anything better, more intimate and human than a magical moment of live theatre?

Whether it's two savvy legends like Eric Peterson and John Gray revisiting the leg-end of Billy Bishop, or Caley Suliak narrating the details of her Summer of Amazing Luck, or Melanie Jones turning St. Patrick's Island into her very own lush, green summer stage in ENDURE!, every year spent experiencing Calgary's vibrant and occasionally audacious theatre scene produces lots of them.

Space doesn't allow for us to mention them all, but here are our 11 Memorable Theatre Moments of 2011, in no particular order.

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Theatres Offer 2011 Highlights

By: Stephanie McKay AND Jeanette Stewart
DECEMBER 13, 2011

In the days leading up to Christmas (or at least until Dec. 23), the StarPhoenix Arts & Life department is stuffing your figurative stocking with holiday cheer. Welcome to our 12 Days of Christmas-themed recap of the year in entertainment. Here's our fourth instalment:

On the fourth day of Christmas, 2011 gave to me, four theatre triumphs:

1. Nevermore, October, Persephone Theatre

This nightmarish, musical take on Edgar Allen Poe's life was the best play staged in Saskatoon in 2011, period. Nevermore, a production by Edmonton's Catalyst Theatre, was a gruesome delight. It was like something picked from the brain of the dark author himself, with wild costumes Tim Burton would applaud. The cast worked like a well-oiled machine but the emotion, even in such an exaggerated setting, was honest.

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Musical Poe-try

By: Mike Thompson
Published Thursday October 6, 01:17 pm

PERSEPHONE PLAY OFFERS AN OTHERWORLDLY LOOK AT ICONIC AUTHOR'S LIFE
WEDNESDAY 19-NOVEMBER 2

Chances are, you've heard of Edgar Allan Poe: perhaps you've read The Raven, seen one of the many old movies made out of his works, or studied TheTell-Tale Heart in school (or at least seen The Simpsons' episode with the dioramas—Diorama-rama Day!). But while Poe is undoubtedly a cultural touchstone, what do you actually know about the man himself?

If the answer is "not much," don't feel too bad — you're not alone.

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