Here’s the latest and greatest from the SPARK Festival.
Times Colonist – Russian Play a spark of genius (4.5 / 5)
Monday Magazine – The Russian Play a minimal masterpiece
Both shows continue to Sunday. Tickets 250-385-6815. Oh, a new round of free miniplays start tonight at 7:20 and 7:40 pm.
It’s like deja vu all over again as we start the second week of Spark. Deb Williams packed the lobby last night (we ran out of chairs) with her reading and tonight we preview Hannah Moscovitch’s The Russian Play.
The Russian Play is going fast. You can read Adrian Chamberlain’s interview with Hannah here.
Tomorrow we preview The Drowning Girls. Here’s an article from The Province to give you some insight into the show.
Finally, don’t forget you can visit the Collective Works Gallery (beside Stage Wine Bar) before the shows – there are some incredible pieces inspired by the shows in the Spark Festival. Read More.
It’s been a busy week here at the Belfry. There’s lots to see (some reviews below) and lots to make plans for. Tonight (Friday), Collective Works gallery opens their show, Image as Story, tomorrow it’s The free Midway Party with live karaoke and a miniplay from Atomic Vaudeville. On Sunday we close Tiny Apocalypse and open Belfry 101 Live.
Don’t forget – there are just three more performances of Suddenly Dance Theatre’s Agnes B.
This Apocalypse is worth a visit
A Careful Administration of Theatre
Life is a cabaret, mixed with messages to Nazis
Here are a few stories about the recent arts cuts:
Grant cuts fail competence test
Province slashes gaming grants to arts, culture, sports groups
The shows in this year’s SPARK Festival are coming fast and furious now. Tonight we open Suddenly Dance Theatre’s new piece, Agnes B and preview Tiny Apocalypse from Vancouver’s Rough House.
Tomorrow (Thursday) the first three of seven miniplays start. They are free to attend and will run at 7:20 pm and 7:40 pm. Get here early as they tend to be extremely popular.
This Saturday it’s the Midway party with Cranaoke (that’s Karaoke with Morgan Cranny and a live band) and a special one night only miniplay by Atomic Vaudeville.
Here are some of the sweet tunes you can sing with Morgan at Cranaoke.
Just days til we kick off the SPARK Festival and local reporters have been busy interviewing all of the artists involved in the shows. Here’s a round up for your reading pleasure:
Times Colonist – Set for a Splash Literally
Times Colonist – - Cabaret-singing muse comes calling
Monday Magazine – The Evolution of Theatre
Victoria News – Telling diva’s life story a challenging, yet ‘fun ride’
Art Openings – Image As Story
Less than one week until we kick off the SPARK Festival with a free sneak preview reading of Ali & Ali 7: Hey Brother (Or Sister) Can You Spare Some Hope and Change?
There are 50 different events you can attend, many are free, over the next two weeks. Click on a title below to learn more.
Image as Story - Visual Art Show
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Tiny Apocalypse – Actors’ Fund Benefit
The Sunday, March 14 matinee performance of Tiny Apocalypse will be a benefit for the Actors’ Fund of Canada.
The Actors’ Fund is the lifeline for Canada’s entertainment industry. Over 10,000 professional members of the industry from all over Canada and in the fields of film & TV, theatre, music and dance have been helped by the Fund, which provides emergency financial aid to assist cultural workers in recovering from an illness, injury or other circumstances causing severe economic and personal hardship.
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Professional Development Workshops
We still have a bit of room in this professional development workshop.
Christian Barry – Director-Driven Creation
Friday, March 19 / 1 – 5 pm
An introduction to the working methods of 2b theatre company’s artistic co-director Christian Barry. Participants will explore methods of generating material and discuss 2b’s particular principles for director-driven creation. Christian is the director for The Russian Play.
Fee $20 (*Half Price with proof of purchase to Preview or Opening of The Russian Play). To register call 250-385-6815.
The Acting Shakespeare and Lighting Design Masterclass are sold out.
Our annual SPARK Festival starts in less than three weeks. Tickets for the main shows, Agnes B, Tiny Apocalypse, The Russian Play and The Drowning Girls are on sale now. You can get those here or give us a call at 250-385-6815.
There are plenty of free events during the Festival too. You can see seven free BMO miniplays, take in a party with Atomic Vaudeville and Morgan Cranny or catch a sneak preview of Neworld Theatre’s Ali & Ali 7 (the show will open in Vancouver in April) or Deborah Williams’ Taking It Off.
For a listing of all of the events during SPARK click here.
Saturday & Sunday, March 20 & 21 / 10 am – 2 pm
During the SPARK Festival we’ll be presenting a number of professional development workshops – you can learn more here.
This two-day workshop focuses on a practical and freeing approach to playing Shakespeare. Michael has directed many critically acclaimed and popular productions of Shakespeare from coast to coast, including The Tempest (CanStage), Much Ado About Nothing, Love’s Labour’s Lost, The Winter’s Tale (Bard on the Beach), and A Midsummer Night’s Dream (The Grand Theatre, London).
The fee for this two day workshop is $20 (for both sessions). To register call 250-385-6815. Please register early so Michael can contact you in advance of the sessions.
The Belfry Box Office will be closed on Monday, September 6 for Labour Day. We’ll open up again bright and early on Tuesday when single tickets for all of our shows go on sale. Please bear with us – it’s going to be a heck of a day.
Written and composed by John Gray in collaboration with Eric Peterson Starring Ryan Beil (2010 Jessie Richardson Award for Best Actor) and Zachary Gray Directed by Sarah Rodgers (2010 Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding Direction) JULY 20 – AUGUST 14, 2010 "Do your heart a favour and break it by seeing Billy Bishop Goes [...]
Our incoming production of Billy Bishop Goes to War (July 20 – August 14) won two Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards in Vancouver tonight. Ryan Beil took home the award for Best Actor and Sarah Rodgers won for Outstanding Direction. Congratulations to them both. Read more >
On Tuesday, June 15, renowned Canadian singer/songwriters Barney Bentall, Shari Ulrich and Tom Taylor will perform together in a special benefit concert for Literacy Victoria. Hosted by Gregor Craigie from CBC Radio’s On The Island, the concert takes place at the Belfry Arts Centre. Doors open at 6 p.m. and the concert starts at 7 [...]
Thursday June 10, 2010, at 8 pm Belfry Arts Centre, 1291 Gladstone Avenue John Gogo’s long-awaited release of "One of These Days," his first album in 13 years. Featuring an opening set by Canadian folk icon David Essig. Tickets: $20 (price includes the new CD) at the Belfry Box Office – 250-385-6815 or in [...]
Last night we closed our 2009 – 2010 Season with the final Victoria performance of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The show was a huge success and we’d like to thank our volunteers, our sponsors and, of course, you, our audience for making it so. If you didn’t get a chance to [...]
This gala event is a celebration showcasing Victoria’s diverse arts community. First nations visual artists have created specially commisioned works, including a Salish woven blanket and carved mask. In the Coast Salish tradition of generosity the artwork will be gifted to five local arts organizations; the Belfry, Ballet Victoria, Intrepid Theatre, The Other Guys Theatre [...]
For the final week (May 25 – 30) of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee we are inviting local Mayors, rock musicians and writers to come out and try their hand at spelling during the bee portion of the show. Over the next week Mayor Christopher Causton (Oak Bay), Mayor Dean Fortin (Victoria) and [...]
The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee is set to become the longest running show the Belfry has ever mounted. Audiences love the silly premise of the musical and the smart songs (including Magic Foot, My Unfortunate Erection and I Speak Six Languages) performed by a very talented cast including Michael Blake, Jeremy Crittenden, Josh [...]
Looking to catch our hit musical The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee? Couldn’t get through on the phone last week? Think it’s all sold out? Have no fear, we have great seats available for the show during the week of May 18 – 23. To get your tickets you can call the Box Office [...]
With the success of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee and the upcoming HST deadline for Season Tickets (April 30) our Box Office is buzzing. We have people on every phone in the Box Office. To help you book your Spelling Bee Tickets or Season Tickets we are offering the following tools: 1) You [...]
We are pleased to announce that the run of our production of The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee has been extended to May 23. Tickets sales are very brisk and the reviews for the show have been positive: Times Colonist Monday Magazine The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee was [...]
Music and lyrics by William Finn, Book by Rachel Sheinkin, Conceived by Rebecca Feldman APRIL 13 – MAY 23, 2010 Director Michael Shamata Musical Director Bruce Kellett Choreographer Laura Krewski Set Designer Yvan Morisette Costume Designer Erin Macklem Lighting Designer Marsha Sibthorpe Stage Manager Kim Charleen Smith Starring Michael Blake, Jeremy Crittenden, Josh Epstein, Sara-Jeanne [...]
Leaf Coneybear and William Barfée (pronounced Bar-FAY) are two of the six precocious and quirky children competing in the 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Overseen by former champ and returning moderator Rona Lisa Peretti and Vice Principal Douglas Panch (returning after a long absence on account of ‘the incident’), these neurotic children must [...]
Monday, April 26 at 7:30 pm Keith and Catherine Allison of Allison Piano are pleased to present world-renowned pianist Monty Alexander in concert. In a career spanning five decades Monty Alexander has built a reputation exploring and bridging the worlds of American Jazz, Broadway, popular song and the music of his native Jamaica, [...]
Monday, April 19 at 8 pm Join Joy Macdonald, Melanie Houston, Glenn Lindsey, Richard Olafson, Dumisile Owane, Matthew Payne & Gina McIntosh as they present stage readings from their new plays. Explore the edge between page & stage where new theatre begins! Admission by donation. Warning – strong language and mature themes.
We’re pleased to announce our 2010 – 2011 Season. The Mainstage season will feature: The Trespassers by Morris Panych The Life Inside by James Fagan Tait and Joelysa Pankanea The Cryptogram by David Mamet 2 Pianos 4 Hands by Ted Dykstra and Richard Greenblatt This summer the Belfry will present an acclaimed new production of [...]
We’re holding a contest for free tickets to The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. To get your name entered in the contest here’s what you have to do: > Sign up for our Facebook page > Think back to when you were a kid in elementary school. > Remember when you [...]
Each year a theatre artist from somewhere in the world is chosen to write a short message in celebration of World Theatre Day. Michel Tremblay wrote the message in 2000 and Robert Lepage in 2008. Dame Judi Dench has written this year’s message. World Theatre Day is an opportunity to celebrate Theatre in all its [...]
In January and February of this year we were pleased to present Kevin Loring’s award-winning play, Where the Blood Mixes. This important piece of theatre has played a role in helping everyone understand the devastating effects of Canada’s residential school system. In the last Federal budget funding was cut to the Aboriginal Healing Foundation. The [...]
It’s Friday – last night we opened The Drowning Girls and the second set of free miniplays. We’re bushed. There are tickets available for both The Russian Play (about 10 tickets at the time of this posting) and The Drowning Girls but you should act quickly. Tickets at 250-385-6815. You can read Adrian Chamberlain’s review [...]
Here’s the latest and greatest from the SPARK Festival. Times Colonist – Russian Play a spark of genius (4.5 / 5) Monday Magazine – The Russian Play a minimal masterpiece Both shows continue to Sunday. Tickets 250-385-6815. Oh, a new round of free miniplays start tonight at 7:20 and 7:40 pm.
by Beth Graham, Charlie Tomlinson, Daniela Vlaskalic MARCH 17 – 21, 2010 "Each was found in her bath; each died of drowning, and each was first discovered by the prisoner." Bow Street Police Court Records Three brides, three bathtubs, three murders. Emerging from their baths, their wedding dresses dripping, Bessie, Alice and Margaret recount their whirlwind [...]
by Hannah Moscovitch MARCH 16 – 21, 2010 Ah! the life of a Russian peasant! – as seen through the eyes of Canada’s hottest young playwright. Set amidst the decay of Stalinist Russia, The Russian Play recounts the dark and comic tale of a Russian peasant girl named Sonya, the foolish mistakes of her youth [...]
It’s like deja vu all over again as we start the second week of Spark. Deb Williams packed the lobby last night (we ran out of chairs) with her reading and tonight we preview Hannah Moscovitch’s The Russian Play. The Russian Play is going fast. You can read Adrian Chamberlain’s interview with Hannah here. Tomorrow [...]
It’s been a busy week here at the Belfry. There’s lots to see (some reviews below) and lots to make plans for. Tonight (Friday), Collective Works gallery opens their show, Image as Story, tomorrow it’s The free Midway Party with live karaoke and a miniplay from Atomic Vaudeville. On Sunday we close Tiny Apocalypse and [...]
by Camille Gingras MARCH 10 – 14, 2010 A meltdown at the office becomes an exquisite theatrical miniature in this stunning piece that combines movement, text, video and projections. Caught in a repetitive loop of life, Rita is a hyper-organized office worker. In a flash of the photocopier, an extraordinarily tiny event changes everything, throwing [...]
The shows in this year’s SPARK Festival are coming fast and furious now. Tonight we open Suddenly Dance Theatre’s new piece, Agnes B and preview Tiny Apocalypse from Vancouver’s Rough House. Tomorrow (Thursday) the first three of seven miniplays start. They are free to attend and will run at 7:20 pm and 7:40 pm. Get [...]
by David Ferguson MARCH 9 – 14, 2010 "Everything is so dangerous that nothing is really frightening" Gertrude Stein A brand new adventure for one of Victoria’s most exciting companies. Fleeing Berlin for London in 1933, Agnes Bernelle, a celebrated actor and cabaret singer, got her first taste of notoriety as a propaganda radio [...]
In 2005 Neworld Theatre brought you Ali and Ali and the aXes of Evil. The Seattle Post said it “must be the funniest exposition of American foreign policy ever devised. But it’s not just funny. It’s also troubling and poignant.” The Vancouver Province called it “the best Canadian political play of the 21st century, and [...]
Just days til we kick off the SPARK Festival and local reporters have been busy interviewing all of the artists involved in the shows. Here’s a round up for your reading pleasure: Times Colonist – Set for a Splash Literally Times Colonist – – Cabaret-singing muse comes calling Monday Magazine – The Evolution of Theatre [...]
Less than one week until we kick off the SPARK Festival with a free sneak preview reading of Ali & Ali 7: Hey Brother (Or Sister) Can You Spare Some Hope and Change? There are 50 different events you can attend, many are free, over the next two weeks. Click on a title below to [...]
Our annual SPARK Festival starts in less than three weeks. Tickets for the main shows, Agnes B, Tiny Apocalypse, The Russian Play and The Drowning Girls are on sale now. You can get those here or give us a call at 250-385-6815. There are plenty of free events during the Festival too. You can see [...]
Saturday & Sunday, March 20 & 21 / 10 am – 2 pm During the SPARK Festival we’ll be presenting a number of professional development workshops – you can learn more here. This two-day workshop focuses on a practical and freeing approach to playing Shakespeare. Michael has directed many critically acclaimed and popular productions of Shakespeare [...]
We’re are pleased to announce that our current production of Where the Blood Mixes by Kevin Loring is now sold out. We may have tickets returned over the next ten days. Your best bet to see the show is to come to the theatre 30 minutes prior to curtain and put your name on our [...]
—— Where the Blood Mixes Where the Blood Mixes, Kevin Loring’s 2009 Governor General’s Award winning play, continues to February 21. The show has garnered some great reviews and tickets are selling very well. If you are interested in seeing this play – book your tickets soon. You can learn more about the show [...]
The Sinners’ Ball, our fabulous annual fundraiser, is this Saturday at the Inn at Laurel Point. Tickets are moving fast – Heaven ($175) is full and Hell ($66.60) is, naturally, filling up. Tickets are available at 250-385-6815. Victoria is notorious for being a last minute town – you can’t wait until the last minute [...]
Monday, February 1 at 7 pm Free Event! Kevin Loring’s Where the Blood Mixes, now playing at the Belfry, was the 2009 winner of the Governor General’s Literary Award for Drama. Let’s ask him what happens when your first play makes it big. Very big.
The national tour of Where the Blood Mixes by Kevin Loring starts this week at the Belfry. The play won the 2009 Governor General’s Award for Drama and is part of the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad. There’s more information about the show here, or you can see the photos here or watch a scene [...]
by Kevin Loring (Playwright in Residence at the National Arts Centre) JANUARY 19 – FEBRUARY 21, 2010 – SOLD OUT Director Glynis Leyshon Set Designer Robert Lewis Costume Designer Patricia Smith Lighting Designer Itai Erdal Visual Designer Carl Stromquist Projection Designer Jamie Nesbitt Composer Jason Burnstick Stage Manager Joanne P.B. Smith Starring Billy Merasty, Ben [...]
By Treve Ring This small community clustered around Fernwood Square is attracting well-priced, casual and creative cuisine. Layered with history, architecture and creativity, and independent in the truest sense of the word, Fernwood is a community unlike any other in Victoria. Bounded by the neighbourhoods of Jubilee, North Park, Fairfield, Downtown, Oaklands and [...]
———————- Where the Blood Mixes Rehearsals for Where the Blood Mixes started this past Saturday. You can read an interview with playwright Kevin Loring here > Back in November Kevin did a great interview with Sheryl MacKay from CBC Radio’s NXNW. If you are podcast savvy you can get it at iTunes. Kevin [...]
——- Happy Holidays We’re taking a break for a few days but the Box Office is still open. Our Box Office Hours are: December 21 – 23 – 9:30 am to 5 pm December 24, 24, 26 and 27 – closed December 28 – 30 – 9:30 am to 5 pm December 31 – 9:30 [...]
——- The Year of Magical Thinking Must close this Sunday Our production of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, starring Seana McKenna, closes this Sunday, December 13. There are a few tickets are available for most performances. To book please call 250-385-6815. ——- Christmas Box Office Hours December 14 – 9:30 am to 12 noon [...]
The Human Statues 2nd Annual Christmas Spectacular Sunday, December 6 at 8 pm Tickets 250-385-6815 $15 (advance) / $18 (door) Folk – pop sensations The Human Statues return to the Belfry to spread the jubilation this holiday season. The Human Statues are a Toronto-based folk-pop duo who are frequently likened to a blend of Beatles [...]
Here’s our round up of events happening at the Belfry over the next few weeks. ——————- The Year of Magical Thinking To December 13 Our production of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, starring Seana McKenna, continues to December 13. Tickets are available for most performances. We are holding a benefit [...]
Seana McKenna / Photo by David Cooper The Canadian premiere of Joan Didion’s fascinating play, The Year of Magical Thinking is up and running. The shows stars Seana McKenna and has been described: “as intensely intimate as it is universal” New York Daily News “Poignant, heartbreaking and wry…we can’t help but be deeply affected” Newsweek [...]
Where The Blood Mixes wins the 2009 Governor General’s Award for Drama Kevin Loring’s play, Where The Blood Mixes has just won the 2009 Governor General’s Award for Drama. Where The Blood Mixes will start its national tour at the Belfry in January. Globe and Mail Story >> Official Announcement >> [...]
by Joan Didion NOVEMBER 10 – DECEMBER 13, 2009 Director Michael Shamata Designer John Ferguson Lighting Designer Michael Walton Composer Brad L’Ecuyer Stage Manager Kim Charleen Smith Starring Seana McKenna "… as intensely intimate as it is universal." New York Daily News "Poignant, heartbreaking and wry…we can’t help but be deeply affected." Newsweek "Remarkable. [...]
Belfry to donate proceeds from three performances to local charities Throughout the media you will have heard about the past and upcoming cuts to the arts in British Columbia. Should the provincial government not come to its senses between now and the next budget in March the Belfry will take a substantial hit. We are [...]
Joan Didion and Vanessa Redgrave in conversation with Charlie Rose Tickets for the Belfry’s production (Canadian premiere) of The Year of Magical Thinking, starring Seana McKenna, are available here or at 250-385-6815. —————————————- Where the Blood Mixes nominated for a 2009 Governor General’s Award for Drama Each year, the Canada Council for the Arts and the [...]
Three Show Season Ticket Packages on Sale There is still time to get season tickets for the Belfry. Prices start at just $62.25 for tickets to our three remaining Mainstage productions: The Year of Magical Thinking, Where the Blood Mixes and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. Season tickets really are the way to [...]
The Year of Magical Thinking Rehearsals for our next production, the Canadian premiere of Joan Didion’s The Year of Magical Thinking, started in Stratford last week. Michael Shamata (Director) and Kim Charleen Smith (Stage Manager) headed out to work with Seana McKenna (Actor) in her hometown. Our thanks to the Stratford Festival for the rehearsal [...]
Bordertown Café, the first show in our 2009 – 2010 Season closes on Sunday, October 18. The show stars Jillian Fargey (from Homechild and Girl in the Goldfish Bowl), Janet-Laine Green, Jamie Spilchuk and Paul Stephen. The quintessential family comedy and one of Canada’s most successful and beloved plays, Bordertown Café, is set in a [...]
There’s still time to get your season tickets for the Belfry. Prices start at just $83.00 for four shows and we offer a number of packages designed to fit your schedule. Our new season features: Bordertown Café by Kelly Rebar The Year of Magical Thinking by Joan Didion Where The Blood Mixes by Kevin Loring [...]
We are holding a Pay What You Can benefit performance of Bordertown Café on Tuesday, October 6. All proceeds will go to the Eagle Bay Memorial Trust Fund. “On July 23, 2009, in the small hours of the morning, three sleeping children were engulfed in a flash cabin fire. They were Fergus Conway, Phoebe Conway and [...]
The first ever National Summit on Arts Journalism is being held in Los Angeles on Friday, October 2 from 9 am to 1 pm (PST). We are hosting the webcast (one of many arts organizations) right here and you can watch and participate in real time via twitter and chat. Webcast and feeds below. National [...]
by Kelly Rebar SEPTEMBER 15 – OCTOBER 18, 2009 Director Rosemary Dunsmore Designer Brian Perchaluk Lighting Designer David Fraser Sound Designer Brian Linds Stage Manager Kim Charleen Smith Starring Jillian Fargey, Janet-Laine Green, Jamie Spilchuk, Paul Stephen "…humourous, human, touching and recognizable…" Hamilton Spectator Bordertown Café is a funny, big-hearted slice of Canadiana. Having grown up in [...]
All single tickets for our 2009 – 2010 Mainstage Season (Bordertown Cafe, The Year of Magical Thinking, Where the Blood Mixes and The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee) will be on sale on Tuesday, September 8. Ticket sales and exchanges start at 9:30 am. If you planning to come down to the theatre to [...]
$250,000 donation is to be used to leverage additional funds to pay off the theatre’s mortgage. On Sunday, August 23, at an event (Roast. Paddy Stewart.) to honour his 34 years of service to the Belfry Theatre Society, Chair Emeritus Paddy Stewart announced that he will be donating $250,000. This donation will be used to [...]
Playwrights Workshop is a ten-week, user-friendly program designed for beginning and emerging writers who are developing new plays for the stage. (No screenplays, please.) The workshop meets Tuesdays, 7-10, in Studio B at The Belfry Arts Centre, beginning October 6, 2009, and culminates with the popular Playwrights Cabaret, on Monday, December 7. The cost [...]
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