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Theatre for Living: Us and Them -- The Inquiry

David Diamond and two actor/audience members at work. Photo: Milan Radovanovic
The artistic director of Vancouver's Headlines Theatre Company discusses their groundbreaking new community theatre project.

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Theatre for Living: Us and Them -- The Inquiry

David Diamon of Headlines Theatre with a Vancouver audience devising Us and Them [The Inquiry]. Photo Tim Matheson.

Headlines Theatre Company was founded in Vancouver in 1981 by a group of writers, actors and theatre directors who were "disgruntled by the kind of theatre work we were asked to do," according to its artistic director David Diamond. The Jessie award-winning company is about to enter its 30th year with its most ambitious project yet. Us and Them [The Inquiry] brings ordinary people to the stage to tell stories of conflict and explores reasons and resolutions. Diamond explains the company and the process involved in devising theatre this way.

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Theatre in a quiet place can make a big noise

Poland’s Teatr Węgajty, whose founders cite Emerson and Whitman as influences, blends tradition and experimentation to address social issues in a rural, grassroots setting.

The small village of Węgajty, hidden amongst the forests of Poland's Lake District, unknown to anyone who does not deliberately seek it out, is home to one of that culturally rich country's most socially engaged experimental theatre companies.

Experimental theatre? In the middle of cow country? For Wacław and Erdmute Sobaszek, co-founders of the Teatr Węgajty Fieldwork Project, there is no better setting.

"This is a collective effort," explains Wacław. "What makes us different from other theatre companies is that instead of putting on a show for people, we work with people. The whole community gets involved."

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Columnists

Maury Chaykin's irreplaceable madness

Maury Chaykin died this week on his 61st birthday. Some obits called him a character actor. It's basically a film-TV term -- where Maury mostly worked -- as opposed to star. Another term is supporting actor versus leading man. It's a shame he didn't do more stage work, where physical typing isn't as great. I once wrote a play on the Montreal Canadiens; a sports type who met the actor cast as Rocket Richard said, "You can't have a fat Rocket!" But you can and we did. Maury was a beautiful guy in his prime but not a typical movie lead; yet he'd have made a great Lear or Prospero. Asked by Jian Ghomeshi for a role he felt he'd nailed, Maury joked, "Hamlet," making you think it may have been on his wish list.

The Guest List

Date: Wednesday, April 17, 2013 - 8:00pm

Location

Comedy Bar
945 Bloor Street West
Toronto, ON
Canada
43° 39' 41.1372" N, 79° 25' 40.0368" W

The Guest List is one party you don't want to miss! Drawing on the audience's own experience, theplayers use suggestions of significant life events where friends and family might gather. With no otherinformation, the BDRP will transform themselves into an array of party-goers, bringing to life charactersthat are both outlandish and familiar, and morphing the stage into an intimate gathering on the spot.Replete with family dysfunction, unlikely trysts and wacky uncles who make you remember why younever invite yours to anything, ever. The Guest List is character-based narrative in which families fallapart and bonds are formed between the most unlikely of pairs. Just throw your coats on the bed…

Redeye

Play: How Has My Love Affected You?

March 19, 2013
| Marcus Youssef is well-known for his plays on political issues from the invasion of Iraq to Canadian involvement in Afghanistan. His most recent production moves into more personal territory.
Length: 20:20 minutes (18.62 MB)
Redeye

Human Library at the Push Festival

January 17, 2013
| Checking out a human book gives you the chance to challenge your stereotypes about people very different from you. Some of the titles on offer in Vancouver are Drag Queen, Occupy Activist and Refugee.
Length: 15:24 minutes (14.11 MB)

World Stage 2013

Date: Wednesday, February 6, 2013 - 8:00pm - Sunday, May 26, 2013 - 8:00pm

Location

Harbourfront Centre
235 Queens Quay West
Toronto
Canada
43° 38' 20.8248" N, 79° 22' 58.4076" W

February 6 to May 26

World Stage brings you the best in contemporary live performance. This season welcomes productions and artists from Canada, Germany, Côte d’Ivoire, Brazil, Australia, China, Norway, Belgium, Portugal and the Netherlands, offering visions both thoughtful and whimsical, boisterous and serene, Chilling and fearless. In other words, our human experience.

Living On Purpose

# 195 - Philip Shepherd - New Self New World

October 11, 2012
| Philip Shepherd, author, actor and speaker, speaks of some of the roots (at age 18 cycling to Japan) of his book New Self New World
Length: 12:00 minutes (11 MB)
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