At Pacific Theatre until June 11, 2022
Terrific theatre, stellar performances, provocative politics. Pacific Theatre at its best.
Kwesi Ameyaw as Dr. Martin Luther King, and Shayna Jones as Camae in The Mountaintop. Credit: Moonrider Productions
The Cultch Historic Theatre until May 15, 2022
Himmat, a word that apparently means courageous or brave in Punjabi, is charming, heartwarming and a window into a culture that we don’t hear a lot about.
Munish Sharma as Banth and Gavan Cheema as Ajit in Himmat. Credit: Sarah Race Photography
Jericho Arts Centre until May 14, 2022
If you think all the ways of spinning the Scottish play have been exhausted, you need to check out Vital Spark’s production of Cauldron at the Jericho Arts Centre.
Eiko Masutani as Fleance, Joan Bryans as Morag Macdonald and Allyce Kranabetter as Bessie Macdonald in Cauldron. Credit: Nancy Caldwell
York Theatre until May 7, 2022
From the rather mysterious opening and closing Romanian folktale – a cautionary tale about being wary when entering dangerous situations, The Invisible is gloriously, unabashedly, unapologetically stylish, polished and theatrical – hallmarks of Edmonton’s Catalyst Theatre.
The Invincible. Clockwise from lower left: Tahirih Vejdani, Kristi Hansen, Amanda Trapp, Justine Westby, Kaylee Harwood and Sarah Nairne. Credit: DB Photographics
At Waterfront Theatre until April 23, 2022
If Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls fulfils Carousel Theatre’s vision of “empowering young people to become agents of positive change”, the play will have done its job. Here’s hoping.
Rae Takei, Valeria Ascolese and Matheus Severo in Ladies and Gentlemen, Boys and Girls. Credit: Sarah Race
Online streaming from The Cultch until April 10, 2022
If you missed the in-theatre world premiere of Christine Quintana’s Clean/Espejos, you’ve got another chance. For a limited time, it’s available online; it’s innovative, bilingual, a treat for the eyes and one of the best shows of the season.
Alexandra Lainfiesta as Adriana and Genevieve Fleming as Sarah in Clean/Espejos. Credit: David Markwei
Jericho Arts Centre until April 17, 2022
From the moment actor Paul Herbert declares, “I’m Walt Disney”, Herbert had me. Walt: charismatic but highly suspect. Suave but oily. Charming but condescending. Manipulative. A family man whose daughter hates him. But quite possibly a genius. Certainly an innovator. An American icon. You simply can’t dismiss Walt Disney and Herbert is absolutely unforgettable in the role.
Paul Herbert as Walt Disney in A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay About the Death of Walt Disney. Credit: Nancy Caldwell
Vancity Culture Lab at The Cultch. No more performances
Writing about human sexuality – especially female sexuality – is a minefield so kudos go to playwright Hannah Moscovitch for wading into such provocative territory: women who love sex and go looking for lots of it.
Emma Slipp as Bunny/Sorrel in Bunny. Credit: Emily Cooper
Livestreamed from The Cultch until November 7, 2021
Stories like the Truong family’s have been told before but Ruby Slippers’ treatment is absolutely beautiful with lighting design by Sophie Tan and set design by Kimira Reddy. The strong Canadian/Vietnamese fusion ambience (including shadow puppetry) with original musical composed and performed by Vi An Diep on a zither-like instrument is enhanced with choreography by Shanny Rann and visual design by Chimerik, a transdisciplinary collective with transnational roots.
Elizabeth Thai as Hà in we the same. Credit: Emily Cooper
Vancouver Convention Centre (East Building) for a limited run
Pablo Picasso (1881-1973), the quintessential experimenter, would love this show. He would be there – probably in his trademark baggy shorts with a beautiful much younger woman on his arm – revelling in more than 200 of his paintings projected room-size over the nine, huge, origami-inspired surfaces as well as the floors and walls of Vancouver Convention Centre’s East Building.
Credit: Jo Ledingham