Theatre | Sad Mag

We've got it all right here, folks! Everything that's ever been written up, photographed, and discussed on the Sad Mag website. Enjoy browsing our archives!

TJ Dawes is an average guy. He takes the stage in an unassuming all black outfit, his only prop a water bottle and the only staging some simple lights. He could easily be mistaken for a member of the audience. TJ Dawes is an average guy, which is exactly why his story is so compelling.

6139_630431700355857_845791946_n — The talkback is just the prescription you'll need after this show. Photo courtesy Firehall Arts.

The premise for Medicine, showing at Firehall Arts, is a little strange on first appearance. It involves Dawes’ experience with the psychotropic plant ayahuasca—though it’s no tale of debauchery or youthful exploration (though he does touch on that). It also involves the well-known Vancouver based Dr. Gabor Maté—but this isn’t a story about addiction, and while the title may be Medicine it isn’t really about sickness, at least not an easily identifiable one. At its roots, it’s just a story about an average guy, with maybe some non-average, but also completely understandable problems.

In 85 minutes on the stage, Dawes weaves a tale of introversion, neuroses, and longing. It is clear from the start that while Dawes appears ordinary he has an extraordinary amount of wit, awkward charm, and comedic timing. Medicine contains hilarious insights into the process of growing up—a process that in Dawe’s case, as in many others, spans well past adolescence—but also the stranger things in life, like alphabets and keyboards.

Medicine is captivating the whole way through but really starts to gain momentum around the halfway point when Dawes begins to delve into those things that set him apart. His story is interesting but he knows that it’s just one among many, and while extraordinary in many ways, it’s still one that anyone could relate to. What keeps the whole thing going though is Dawes unwavering candor and lack of pretension. It sounds strange, but Dawes somehow finds a way to turn his extraordinary experiences into the universally relatable moments. He makes his story of a weeklong retreat full of group therapy sessions and nights of hallucinations into something both novel and familiar to the audience all at once. It’s interesting, funny, and perfectly heartbreaking.

Medicine is brilliant for being able to match the form to the content but of course that’s not what makes it hit home; it’s the fact Dawes makes you feel like you share the same story – you just wish you could tell it as well as he does.

N.B. For those who have the opportunity, the talkback session with Dawes and Dr. Gabor Maté is not to be missed.

Medicine is playing at Firehall Arts Centre through January 25. More info regarding tickets and talkback dates can be found here.

N.O.N.C.E. (Not On Normal Courtyard Exercise) has no right to be as enjoyable as it is. A one-man, spoken-word piece about life as a poet-in-residence at Grendon Prison, Britain’s only “therapeutic prison,” N.O.N.C.E. interweaves slam poetry and pieces of the narrator’s failing engagement with a darkly hilarious account of prisoners learning to express themselves through verse.

Steve Larkin is a powerful performer, storyteller, and mimic. The material has the potential to be lurid, but Larkin generally avoids the temptation of shock value, with the exception of a couple of uproariously filthy stories. Instead, Larkin is empathetic towards the lives and poems of the men in the poetry group he creates. He finds a way to relate to them, even those that are imprisoned for sex offenses, who he notes, are the only people more despised than poets. Looking for new material, Larkin is candid about the reasoning behind the group’s creation. Though he initially is seeking out new content, the prisoners start to take on a life of their own through Larkin’s portrayals – something he never expected. In the group, each man is given the name of one of his favourite artists – Michaelangelo shares his poetry with 50 Cent and Bertolt Brecht – adding a comical element to this work.

The conflicts and triumphs of the poetry group are entrancing, whether Larkin is fumbling over giving feedback on incomprehensible writing or responding to a poem named “Crying and Wanking Over You.” When his colleague complains the poetry is dark, twisted, and hateful, Larkin replies that his job is to help the inmate create this type of verse.

As Larkin’s relationship collapses, the prison group becomes a refuge, and he admits he’d rather talk to some of the inmates about the breakup than to any therapist. It is a surprising and moving moment of human nature.

Less successful are Larkin’s musings about the connection between pornography use, sex offences, and misogyny, which shy away from presenting a firm point of view and instead present a variety of overheard opinions and anecdotes. The narrative also leaves the prison setting just at the point when a resolution seems close. Instead, he fills this moment with material about doing Fringe Festivals across Canada, diluting a possible denouement. At one point, Larkin shares a slam piece he performed at a feminist fundraiser called “She Said,” a ferocious account of a couple’s fight that rips patriarchy a new one. The poem was spellbinding, but I wish the entire piece was as focused. Still, N.O.N.C.E provides its audience with a chance to experience an intimidating world and leaves them inspired, and smiling.

For more information on N.O.N.C.E., including ticked information and show times, visit the show’s specific website. More details about the Vancouver Fringe Festival, which runs until September 15, can be found online.

Braced, a one-woman show written and preformed by Rebecca Steele, is a rendering of our formative years, when figuring out our passions seemed as difficult as figuring out who to sit with at lunch. But for Lauren Royal, the main character who’s dealing with scoliosis, development during these years was more obvious than most teens, represented by a hard, plastic, back brace that she wore for most of high school.

Steele makes the physical object around Lauren’s body – one that she awkwardly touches and adjusts while simultaneously trying to ignore throughout the show – something the audience can relate to emotionally. It is the embarrassment and frustration she experiences dealing with the back brace that reminds us of our own “braces” – characteristics or impediments that have defined us all.

Lauren is one of over a dozen characters Steele plays throughout the show. Steele’s theatrical skill is such that she can transform an empty stage into a waiting room full of bodies and commotion. Lauren slouches in her waiting chair, dreading an appointment with her doctor, while her fidgety mother, an unwell old man, an overly interested woman, and anxious mother with a child, and a nurse who excessively enunciates her words appear around her. All of these multifaceted characters are preformed distinctly and comically by Steele.

I was completely engrossed in her command over such a crowded scene until she, unfortunately, fumbled over a word and repeated part of the phrase before continuing. No performer wants to get caught on a work, but for me, this small error was a reminder of the endurance and skill needed for this kind of demanding performance.

The range within the character Lauren is also captivating. Based on Steele’s own struggles with scoliosis in her teenage years, the character has an interest in drama and a talent for impressions. From musical performances to impressions of Audrey Hepburn, it is no wonder that the character on stage is deeply engrained in Steele herself, who landed a place at the renowned Circle in the Square Theater School in New York City.

Following her graduation from Circle in the Square Theatre School, Steele went on to produce and preform her show Braced at the Midtown International Theatre Festival 2012 in New York City. It was nominated for four awards at the festival, including “Outstanding Production of a Play,” “Outstanding New Script for a Full Production,” “Outstanding Costume Design for a Full Production,” and “Outstanding Lead Actress in a Play (Full Production).”

Steele has toured the show through Canadian schools and has now brought it to her hometown for the Vancouver Fringe Festival 2013.

The wide recognition Steele has received for her story is a testament to the abandon with which she preforms it. She is able to transform her performance from tender to hilarious in a breath. A convincing example of reconciling our troubles with comedy, this performance will definitely move you.

For more information on Braced, including ticked information and show times, visit the show’s specific website. More details about the Vancouver Fringe Festival, which runs until September 15, can be found online.

Sparkle Plenty in Molotov Caravan; photo c/o Ian West, WeDo Photo

Beginning May 2^nd, The Vancouver International Burlesque Festival celebrates its 8^th year with three days of premiere burlesque performances to the Vogue and Rio theatres.

Sad Mag was delighted to chat with Sparkle Plenty, one of the gorgeous people behind this racy and raucous festival. On the Board of Directors of the festival, Sparkle Plenty is herself a burlesque performer, and whether she’s parodying Steven Harper or giving us the classic tease, Sparkle Plenty’s unique blend of comedy and burlesque—glamedy—is as fabulous as it is compelling.

Sad Mag: Who are you?

My name is Sparkle Plenty, I am on the Board of Directors for the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival and I am a regular performer with the Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society. I am a glamorous comedian or glamedian!

How did you get involved in the burlesque scene?

I used to perform improv and play music throughout high school and in my early 20’s so the stage was no stranger to me. One miraculous day I was invited to a burlesque show at the old Colbalt and I was blown away with the amount of creativity that was invested in this show. Each act was innovative, fun, and faced no boundaries in terms of style or story so thought to myself, “I need to be doing this!”

When and where was your first burlesque show?

My first burlesque show was at my graduation recital in Screaming Chicken’s Becoming Burlesque program at the Red Room. I was so excited, I must have invited over 20 people to come, and they did!

How did you come up with your performer name?

Sigh, I found my performer name on my friends bathroom wallpaper. It’s a long story but it seemed like a good idea at the time… I have since Googled Sparkle Plenty and learned that she is also a cartoon, a Dick Tracy character, chandelier cleaner, and a pony.

Do you have a signature outfit or accessory?

I couldn’t pinpoint to what my signature accessory or outfit would be. I am mainly seen in loud-print leggings so I can high kick at any given moment.

What’s your favourite genre of music to perform to?

I used to limit myself to pop music because of their infectious, danceable melodies, but now I will perform to whatever song speaks to me or speaks for the character that I’m creating.

Burlesque seems to be growing in popularity. What is it about burlesque that draws an audience?

There is something about burlesque that permits you to enjoy watching something a little naughty or taboo. There is also the artistic integrity that appeals to the public, they are watching and appreciating someone celebrating their body, their sensuality, which allows the audience to do the same for themselves. Like music, burlesque doesn’t limit itself to a specific genre, so there is a style that appeals to everyone.

Best venue to watch burlesque in Vancouver?

There are many fantastic venues to check out burlesque! The Biltmore for Kitty Nights is always a blast, Guilt and Co. has shows occurring regularly and the styles of performances can range from the very elegant to very creepy, The Keefer Bar is great if you want to see some show stopping performers on Thursday nights, and of course, the Wise Hall where Screaming Chicken Theatrical Society holds their monthly Taboo Revue Variety Burlesque shows.

What should we look forward to at the Vancouver Burlesque Festival?

The diversity of the performances! What makes the Vancouver International Burlesque Festival so thrilling is how each performer has their own unique style. There will be glamorous costumes, high-tempo dances numbers, satirical story telling… I could go on, but it’s best to see it yourself as everyone leaves with a different experience!

Where are you as you answer these questions?

I am in a room filled with dazzling gowns that gleam as the sunlight hits each crystal on their silk panels, the walls decorated with beautiful ostrich feather headdresses, and there are kittens everywhere!

Ok that’s untrue but it sure sounds better than in my living room

What are you most excited about right now?

Right now I am excited for the festival to happen! The Board of Directors has been working on this event for almost a year so we’re very much looking forward to see our baby grow. Also sleep, I am excited about trying that out after the festival is done!

Broken Sex Doll - Dress Rehearsal, March 13, 2013 at the Cultch in Vancouver — Dress Rehearsal at the Cultch

Part Family Channel Movie, part Team America, and part Much Dance ’95, Broken Sex Doll delivers everything you’d expect from a “sci-fi musical sex comedy” (yes, you read that right).

Broken Sex Doll, written by Andy Thompson with music by Anton Lipovetsky, is essentially a Britney Spears inspired orgy with original music, nuanced humour, robots, and a spectacular cast.

Now this may sound crazy, and it is, but Broken Sex Doll is set the year 2136, where our culture of incessant sharing is still present, but amplified. Humans and alternate beings (such as robot sex dolls, cyborgs, and androids) are able to share sensory experiences called feelies. Sort of like 4D YouTube, these experiences can be purchased and the top “feelie stars” reap rewards and popularity.

In this world, the King (Neezar) is a rock star who consistently produced top rated feelies. Inhabitants are so over stimulated by feelies they can download that they have grown tired of their own mundane lives. But as advanced as feelie are, the technology has not been able to capture the final sense – touch.

That is until Darryl (Benjamin Elliot) goes in for some routine upgrades and meets Ginger (Gili Roskies), a sex robot and his nurse. Darryl asks her out to dinner to give his new implants a test drive. They end up recording a feelie of their theatrically hilarious intimate moments. Immediately skyrocketing into feelie fame, Darryl and Ginger have somehow created a feelie that finally captures touch.

Their feelie, fittingly called “That’s amazing,” beats out all of The Kings feelies and excites (double entendre intended) everyone who watches it. “That’s amazing” becomes such a sensation that people are keen to find out who this everyday guy, Darryl, really is.

With original musical numbers underscoring the humour and naughtiness of the performance, this musical separates itself from the typical cheesy musical feel. The only way the songs could’ve been better, is if they were performed live. Live accompaniment would have amped up the energy of this already extroverted performance.

This is the play you wished you could see when you were 13 and would do anything to convince your parents to let you. Combining elements of naughtiness and vulgarity while still maintaining the plot and original musical numbers, this musical delivers a bit of the “can I really be watching this in public?!” feeling. Not recommended for children (or tweens) and definitely NSFW, Broken Sex Doll does seem to limit itself in terms of audience due to the nature of the content. Not exactly something you’d bring the kids to, the performance’s crude (and in my opinion, hilarious) jokes about anything and everything related to sex, an older crowd may not be drawn to the Beavis and Butthead bluntness found throughout the performance.

That being said, the music was impressive, the cast was strong (notably the best part of this production), and the digital elements highlighted, rather than detracted, from the minimalist modular set. Running a bit to long for my liking, clocking in over an hour and a half, Broken Sex doll could have condensed some of the scenes to increase it’s punchiness.

Broken Sex Doll is a dose of something different. A great step forward for theatre that isn’t exactly typical, this performance will definitely leave you satisfied.

Broken Sex Doll runs until March 24th at the Cultch. Tickets at thecultch.com or call 604.251.1363

Theatre Conspiracy‘s Extraction uses an innovative mix of real stories and audience participation to get under the surface of the workings of the international oil industry, focusing particularly on its effects on Beijing and Fort McMurray. Extraction‘s three storytellers are not professional theatre performers – Jimmy Mitchell, a Canadian journalist and diplomat who spent the majority of his career in China and Taiwan, grinned as he told the audience that once he finished a degree in theatre, he knew he was done with acting forever. Jason Wilson is a member of the Dene and Gitxsan nations who worked as an oil worker and a safety inspector on the Fort McMurray tarsands. He won the crowd over by welcoming “the chiefs, the honoured guests, and the rest of ya.” And Sunny Sun is a Chinese academic from Beijing who recently immigrated to Vancouver. All three have an appealing stage presence that more than makes up for a lack of polish. Extraction feels more like a conversation with friendly raconteurs than a political diatribe.

This casual feel is belied by the play’s digs at government and corporate hypocrisy and dissembling. Wilson’s tales of oil company neglect of worker safety and a hear-no-evil attitude towards whistleblowers intertwine with Mitchell and Sun’s anecdotes about the Chinese government’s reinterpretation of everyday life in Beijing. Sun and Mitchell switch between Chinese and English throughout the play, and the three performers focus on the ambiguities of language and translation, telling funny stories of the misunderstandings language barriers cause.

These gaps take on a more sinister tinge when the script compares the Canadian government’s insistence on calling the extraction fields oilsands rather than tarsands to the government of China blithely referring to Beijing’s deadly smog as “fog.” The discursive nature of Extraction‘s format means that some of the performer’s stories don’t cohere with the play’s larger themes. Yet the audience leaves with a sense of really having gotten to know the three lives at Extraction‘s centre.

The democratic approach to storytelling is reinforced by a charmingly lo-fi audience poll using text message, about questions ranging from whether the audience members used a car to get to the theatre to who should have the right to decide the proper terms for the tarsands. The backdrop screen shows Mandarin and English subtitles in beautiful scripts, as well as photos and clever animations. The stage’s ingenious hidden drawers demonstrate exactly how much tarsand was used in the making of Extraction, though the calculation did not take into account a very professionally handled mid-show fire alarm. Despite the deafening bell, the polite Canadian audience did not start leaving their seats until Mitchell assured us that the alarm was not part of the script. On our way out one theatregoer joked that it must have been Stephen Harper shutting down dissent.

Ironically, Theatre Conspiracy received the funding to research and produce Extraction by winning the Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, an endowment created by a Canadian mining company. The Rio Tinto executive spoke after the play to announce this year’s endowment recipient, and appeared suitably abashed by the play he had unleashed on the world. Making company flacks feel uncomfortable is just one good reason to see this insightful exploration into the industry that just might end up defining our country’s future.

Extraction runs until March 9th at the Cultch. Tickets at thecultch.com or call 604.251.1363

IMalvolio_BruceDalzellAtherton1 — Tim Crouch as Malvolio in his one-man show, I, Malvolio.

“You there, with the white shirt, smug look on your face, arms crossed, come down here,” quips Malvolio, pointing in my direction. Finding myself suddenly on stage, I gripped tightly onto a chair as I readied myself to help Malvolio, played by Tim Crouch, meet his demise.

I, Malvolio, directed by Karl James and A Smith, is a romp through Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night told from the perspective of Malvolio, the misunderstood butler. Drawing the audience in through hilarious interaction and improvisation, Crouch allows us to enter Malvolio’s stream of consciousness.

Throughout the play, Crouch watches the audience carefully and is not afraid to call members out based on their posture, movements or dress. He gets the audience to laugh while examining their own actions. By drawing attention to how petty or insecure people can be, the play’s dark humour gets spectators to pause and consider their own day to day actions and motives. As the star of this one-man show, Crouch commands the audience’s attention while convincing, without coercing, them to participate in their seats and on stage. This was how I ended up a part of the play, if only for a few short minutes.

Before I could think twice about leaving my seat, myself and another audience member found ourselves on stage, with Malvoilio standing on a chair, head in a noose. Surprisingly, given these props, Crouch made me feel at ease by carrying on with the show as if nothing was different.

Showcasing the humour and “INSANITY!” (as Crouch put it) in Shakespeare’s classic, Crouch finds a way to dance along the line between theatre and stand-up comedy. His acting achieves the perfect sweet spot between comedy and pain by taking the humourous elements of a Shakespearian comedy and infusing them with a bit of darkness. With the audience experiencing laughter, deep thought, and at times, discomfort in just 60 minutes, this play will leave you hanging on for Malvolio’s revenge.

I, Malvolio proves that Shakespeare’s work is still relevant today. Forcing the audience to reflect on themselves during the play, I, Malvolio is about what drives us as humans. Crouch’s demeanor on stage could not be described as gentle or understanding, but it is this manner that allows the audience to be introspective about their own lives.

I, Malvolio is on as a part of PuSh Festival until February 10. Playing at the Cultch’s Historic Theatre (1895 Venable St), more information and ticket details can be found online.

Testament_DoroTuch2 — Mieke Matzke of She She Pop and her father, Manfred Matzke

Bringing new meaning to the term “daddy issues,” She She Pop explores William Shakespeare’s King Lear in a modern way in Testament.

On stage with their actual fathers, three members of this Berlin-based performance collective explore the trials and tribulations, not only of the child-parent relationship, but the struggle of power that can occur as one generation steps down and the other steps in. One lonesome performer, sans father, then explores the idea of an absent parent.

Delving into issues that are seldom spoken about, let alone performed on stage, Testament is not for the thin-skinned. Melding funny, raw, and frank scenes, She She Pop doesn’t hold back in terms of familial stresses, much like the intensity of Shakespeare’s original work.

Bringing up issues that you probably only discuss with your closest relatives in hushed whispers in the kitchen after Christmas dinner, the most powerful scenes in Testament explore disappointment, love, the act of caring for a loved one, and more importantly, forgiveness. These blunt scenes will make you laugh, think, and cry.

Poignant comments about life, success, love, and giving are made light while maintaining and edge of sincerity confirming the realness, and rawness, of emotions that came up during the rehearsal process for these performers and their kin.

Mixing contemporary music with projections, a German version of the King Lear script, and some dancing, She She Pop delivers a veritable feast for the eyes. This includes the subtitles that run across the top of the stage translating their quips. Utilizing the whole stage in innovative ways, She She Pop definitely delivers a full-blown performance, breaking the fourth wall and divulging to the audience their behind the scenes work and process.

Testament also translates Shakespeare into relatable terms. Cutting through the heavy language and antiquated examples, the members of the group get to the key issues of the story through game-show like examples they illustrate on a flipchart that is projected on a screen. From physics formulas explaining Lear’s predicament to creating lists of wants the children express, the use of multimedia is seamlessly integrated into an already multifaceted play.

Utterly charming, at the end of the piece, you feel connected not only to the performers and their aging fathers, but to your own family as well. Taking a moment to consider your own familial situation, there is definitely something about this piece, barring the language difference that is sure to hit home.

And that’s where Testament’s success is born.

Relatable, charming, hilarious at times, raw, and blunt, this piece is more than a translation and adaptation of Shakespeare, but rather a work of art, a performance that incorporates all you could want in a piece of theatre. Including three men dancing in boots to Dolly Parton. Really, you don’t want to miss this.

Testament is on as a part of PuSh Festival until January 26th. In partnership with SFU Woodward’s Cultural Programs, it plays in the Fei & Milton Wong Experimental Theatre at SFU’s Goldcorp Centre for the Arts. More information and ticket details can be found online.

Cast of Ride the Cyclone — the cast of Ride the Cyclone

Ride the Cyclone begins with the Amazing Karnack, a carnival fair “precognition machine,” which specializes in predicting the exact time of people’s deaths, introducing a bass-playing rat named Virgil who will cause both of their deaths by chewing through a live-wire.

Then, shit starts to get weird. Ride the Cyclone is a superb piece of musical theatre, the kind of play that makes you want to drag friends to repeat viewings. It tells of six members of a teenage choir from the small town of Uranium, Saskatchewan who die on a rollercoaster named the Cyclone. They spend the afterlife arguing with Karnack and each other about how to be resurrected, pondering whether their shortened lives had any value or meaning, and best of all each taking a turn singing hilarious, beautiful, and deeply bizarre songs exposing the rich inner lives their town and peers had no patience for. Unlike so many films and plays that condescend to non-urbanites and congratulate themselves for unpeeling the perfect facades of idyllic rural or suburban life, Cyclone depicts what beauty and madness inhabits the imagination of every human being.

This generous production gives every character the chance to shine, and the show has many highlights. Elliot Loran plays Ricky, a mute disabled nerd who is a rock star on the planet Zolar, whose fantasies of being a swinging intergalactic bachelor accompanied by a harem of alien catwomen are somehow both filthy and adorable. The character of Ukrainian gangsta rapper Misha (Jameson Parker) segues from a fantastic and heavily autotuned hip-hop parody (with the genre-summing refrain “my life is awesome/ this beat is awesome/ robots are awesome”) to a moving ode to his online girlfriend that he will never meet. Kelly Hudson’s Constance delivers a lovely soliloquy about life’s intense and rarely described moments that isn’t quite like anything I’ve ever seen attempted in theatre or cinema. And Kholby Wardell is a powerhouse in a cheap black wig, whose Genet-quoting Noel Gruber laments that being gay in a small town is like having a laptop in the Stone Age – “you have it, but there’s nowhere to plug it in.” His cabaret number “Fucked up Girl” transforms him into a dissolute Parisian prostitute who lives the life of drama and romance that Noel never could. In the preview performance I watched, Wardell’s physical and erotic performance just about brought the house down.

This version of Ride the Cyclone has some differences from the show that played in Vancouver in 2011, including a framing device wherein the characters compete to be the one that Karnack returns to the land of the living. Playwright Jacob Richmond gets great comic mileage from the competition’s enigmatic and ever-shifting rules, and the device gives the story clear narrative drive that was lacking in the earlier version. But it also feels slightly arbitrary and unconnected to Cyclone‘s central theme. Rielle Braid’s Type A brown-noser Ocean Rosenberg is thrust into the role of protagonist, but the removal of a song delving into her mixed family background prevent her from being as likable as she needs to be. Overall, Cyclone’s excellent singing, choreography, and biting social commentary are awe-inspiring. Victoria’s theatre company Atomic Vaudeville specializes in making magic happen on a small budget, and I’ve never seen one of their productions without being amazed by the complexity of their accomplishments.

One friend I saw Cyclone with said “I loved this show, and I fucking hate musicals.” Another friend said she wanted to try to act the whole thing out in her room the next day, or at least buy the soundtrack. Go Ride the Cyclone, once or five times.

For tickets or more information: Ride the Cyclone is on now until Feb 16th on the Granville Island Stage.

{Photo credit: Fairen Berchard}

Amy_Michele_Dan — Amy Fox, Michele Tolosa and Dan Dumsha as Some of The Rogues

Queer comedy comes sharper and sweeter when improv rules the night. Between the 2nd and the 12th of January 2013, catch Queer Arts Society’s The Gay Mafia at the Jericho Arts Centre.

When “The Don” of the Gay Mafia decides to step down, the members of the mob vie for a chance to replace him. Through improv games designed to put his potential replacement’s strategy, wit and theatrical mettle to the test, The Don will name his successor nightly. The Don, who will alternately be played by Pearce Visser and director David C. Jones, will pick the winner rather than the traditional audience vote.

The Sad Mag Archives

Review // Medicine

Fringe Review // N.O.N.C.E.

Fringe Review // Braced

Vancouver Notables // Sparkle Plenty

Review // Virtual Stage’s Broken Sex Doll

Review // Theatre Conspiracy’s new play: Extraction

PuSh Festival Review // I, Malvolio

PuSh Festival Review // Testament

PuSh Festival Review // Ride The Cyclone

Queer Arts Society Presents: The Gay Mafia