Erin Poettcker | Sad Mag

We are now well into the winter months but the phrase “Winter is coming” (not just a pop culture reference!) is one that haunts us Canadians even on the balmiest summer days. Love it or hate it, we can’t avoid having some kind of relationship with the winter.

Brie Neilson and Ian Moar are local artists and musicians who recently collaborated on a show exploring the connections we have with our longest season. The exhibit ran from November 20–December 19 at the Lookout Gallery. These two are worth keeping on the radar—it’s always a pleasure to see what they’ll be up to next.

Catch Brie’s solo music project on February 6 at Skinny Fat Jack’s on Main Street.

SadMag: What was your process for coming up with inspiration for this exhibit?

Brie Neilson:After moving back from Montreal last year, I was over for a visit at Ian and Tracy’s (Ian’s wife). We were talking about project goals and Tracy said, “Hey you two should do a painting show together!” We were lightly brainstorming different themes and someone jokingly blurted out something Game of Thrones related and we ended up settling on ‘Winter is Coming’.

Ian Moar:We instantly started getting cool winter images, so we decided to go with that theme.

SM: Do you feel that there’s something about the experience of winter that is quintessential to a Canadian artist’s identity?

BN:When I lived in Montreal and winter was especially long and cold, it was very important to get out into it. To embrace it and use it—go skating and skiing and walking, and not hide inside. It was the only way to get through it. Many of my childhood winter memories growing up in BC were from our cabin at Whistler where we were always outside. Going back in was so nice, so cozy. I guess I like the contrast, the extremes.

Because we experience true winter here in Canada, I think it can make us more active people. And maybe more creative, because having seasons provides boundaries and limitations. Summer is wide open, while winter binds us—having the flow from one to the other is interesting and inspiring and provides momentum.

IM:Winter in Vancouver is such a different experience than the rest of Canada (with the biblical rains here) but I think winter shapes all Canadians, and the colder harsher places can turn out great artists because you’re not sitting around sunbathing on the beach, you’re escaping winter via music or painting or whatever.

SM: You each took a unique perspective on the winter theme. How has your relationship with winter shaped your pieces?

BN: I have a very positive relationship with winter. My paintings are all inspired by family photos: old and current and from all of my ‘homes’: Vancouver, Whistler, Montreal and Nova Scotia (where my husband is from). I went with a more literal interpretation of winter and ended up painting snowy landscapes and cabin scenes, my parents on the ski hill and friends in fur coats. I was hoping to evoke in the viewer the kinds of feelings I get when I think of winter.

IM: Winter for me has a bleak, dark vibe. Aside from skiing I could really do without it altogether. My pieces have a bit of that moodiness and darkness. I tried to combat my natural inclination to paint only ruins, graveyards and the like with some things a little more life-giving as well.

SM: Did this particular exhibit present any new challenges for you as artists?

BN:Timing was an issue! We thought we had so much time when we planned the show, but we both ended up cramming which is challenging and exciting, and almost always inevitable. Also, it was an interesting approach to plan the show and then make the work. Usually a show comes out of work, I think.

IM: I really have not painted much since I finished my fine arts degree in the late ’80s, so it took a bit to get my groove on. Hopefully this will kickstart me into painting on a regular basis as I really enjoyed the process of creating pieces for this show.

SM: Do you have any projects lined up next?

BN: I’ll be back to focusing on my music again. I have a gig coming up on February 6 with Arnt Arntzen at Skinny Fat Jack’s on Main Street.

IM:Not right now, but I want to keep the momentum up and try to get a show together in the not too distant future.

Christina Andreola is a managing producer at SHIFT Theatre Society, with past experience in stage management and directing. After chronicling one too many appalling dates, she and director Deneh Cho’ Thompson decided to pen the script for The Dudes of My Life, a look at what it’s like to balance family expectations for a life partner with what’s actually available in the world of Tinder.

Mid-production, Andreola scams on ‘Frank’.

Sad Mag: You’re used to being behind the scenes as a producer, director and stage manager. What’s it like being on stage now, and even more so, acting solo?

Christina Andreola: Being on this side is a little frightening. And it’s a lot of fun. At a certain point you just have to go. The metaphor I use is the train is leaving the station whether you’re on it or not so you just have to keep working. There was one day where I went through a year’s worth of theatre training in an hour. It was a lot of learning how to be on this side. It’s a lot harder than it looks, I should say.

SM: How did you and your director, Deneh, come to work together?

CA: One evening I went on a two in one (two dates in one evening). I came home from number two, which was a bit abysmal. Deneh is one of my roommates, and I was telling him all about it, and he said, “If you ever want to do a show about your dudes, let me know.”

One year for Christmas I got a big Moleskine notebook and I thought it would be funny to start writing down all the guys I interacted with on dates. And the same thing happened in 2011, 2012, 2013… we started plotting that material onto a graph, and looking through the history was a little terrifying.

SM:Was there one particular experience that sparked the writing of this play?

CA: That was “Survivor Liar.” It was the second of the two-in-one dates, and we were out at the Storm Crow for three hours and it was awesome. But as it was closing, I got up to use the bathroom and he had texted me instead of his roommate. It said, “Hey buddy, tape Survivor for me. Date’s going ok, not sure if I want to keep talking to her though.” I looked at my phone and I was mortified. I told him he’d texted the wrong person, and he was embarrassed. But then it was another ten minutes before they brought the bill over. So it was awkward. Then when we were leaving I told him, “Don’t worry, you probably feel worse about it than I do. It was nice to meet you.” He said, “Yeah, maybe I’ll see you again.” I turned around and called him a liar. So that’s “Survivor Liar.” It made for a great story to tell at parties, though.

SM:What role does your family play in the show?

CA: My mom is a big part of the show. She’s always been pro independence and telling me I can be whomever I want, and telling me not to settle for any guy. She’s always giving me advice and that advice turned into rules or guidelines, so she’s been the voice in my head. I have 14 family members, and we get together at all the big holidays. I’ve brought home a few people and it’s like the family gauntlet. So it’s one thing to have my mom’s set of rules, and to also know what I’m looking for in a guy, but then to balance all these other expectations gets pretty difficult.

SM: You reference the 90’s rom-com genre in the play. Do you feel a sense of loss connected to how dating’s changed since those days?

CA: It’s a very interesting world, dating online. I haven’t tried anything other than Tinder. It’s crazy to have to get to know a person by making a snap judgment based on their looks and a short write-up. Specifically on Tinder, which is just like hot or not. I’ve heard of Tinder parties where someone’s phone gets hooked up to the TV and then everyone swipes through the photos. I’ve had family Tinder experiences, where they’ve seen a profile I brought home and they all decided to swipe for him.

SM: What will you be working on next?

CA: We have a show coming up at The Shop in October for which I’ll be a managing producer, a role I’m much more comfortable in. It’s a spooky show, perfect for around Halloween time.

SM: How will your experience in the role of actor affect your perspective as a producer?

CA: It’s very eye opening. I’ve been put on a ban from doing any producing or going to meetings; I’m not allowed to do anything except learn my lines, learn my blocking, and act. The show is very prop heavy, too. Sometimes as a producer you can get caught up in deadlines and technical details, but on the artistic side sometimes you have to be open to working last minute on the script or making revisions right up until the end.

SM: What’s your favourite go-to drink for a first date?

CA: If I’m at the Narrows, Strongbow. Or a Michelada at Los Cuervos. Or whatever’s on tap at The Whip. I’ve got some regular places.

The Dudes of My Life is playing at The Shop Theatre August 19-23rd.

Author Archives: Erin Poettcker

Vancouver Notables / Brie Neilson & Ian Moar

Vancouver Notables / Christina Andreola