in development
To the Sea addresses BC’s history of intentional and utopian communities, such as Sointula and the Aquarian foundation, and specifically examines their relationship to Indigeneity, and more familiar examples of settler colonialism. By re-examining this history in a modern context--and re-imagining the concepts of utopia and community in the hands of queer/non-binary/and woc in the near future, the play gives audiences a lens to look at appropriation, patriarchal systems, and the way the environment around us was built.
To the Sea allows diverse audiences to encounter resonant topics such as current climate panic, the terrifying growth of nationalism here and abroad, and Canadian mythologies around retreat into, and the transformation of “the wild.” The Seaforth Armoury is a specific and unique location for this work--turning an imposing physical space into the locus of safety for a community of women.
In development with funding from City of Vancouver Creative City Strategies and BC Arts Council.
JAPANESE PROBLEM
JAPANESE PROBLEM is a title derived from the nomenclature of WWII, but containing in it the understanding that the citizens affected at the time were neither Japanese--they were overwhelmingly legal residents/citizens of Canada, nor problematic--with zero verifiable connections to activities against Canada.
JAPANESE PROBLEM invites an audience into a stall, which residents have turned into a temporary home and place of wonder, as they are filled with the uncertainty of their next destination.
The piece exists in the contemporary moment simultaneously, where evidence of Hastings Parks’s former tenants has been erased, where survivors are uncertain if they want their names included in a memorial; and where refugees to North America are being treated in a fashion that is terrifyingly familiar. Available for touring.
Collaborators: Sindy Angel, Yoshie Bancroft, Daniel Deorksen, Andrew Duffy, Laura Fukumoto, Joanna Garfinkel, Brent Hirose, Shizuka Kai, Carolyn Nakagawa, Cecile Roslin, Munish Sharma, Nicole Yukiko
TOUR
TOUR is a theatrical experience at once both intimate and spectacular; a literal journey on an unusual contraption, an opportunity to for an audience to change how they view their surroundings and themselves.Tour gives four audience members at a time a wild ride on a purpose-built pedicab, new insight into the cities we live in, and a magical story. Developed for HIVE 3/Cultural Olympiad in Vancouver, the play has since been re-made for Victoria (Theatre SKAM), and Toronto (Summerworks). Available for touring 2020-21. This pedicab is designed to be accessible.
Collaborators: Yoshie Bancroft, Daniel Deorksen, Joanna Garfinkel, Jessica Harvey, Cecile Roslin, Natalie Schneck, Parjad Sharifi, Naomi Sider, Emma Slipp
