The Arts Club Theatre Company is ready to return to the stage this week with for live, in-person productions. This summer’s programming features two solo shows, along with a new audio play.
When revealing the summer program, Artistic Director Ashlie Corcoran, who recently announced she would be taking parental leave starting at the end of July, said, “Once the province announced the plans to lift restrictions, which included allowing limited indoor gatherings, we celebrated the news. Then we got busy doing what we do best— creating live theatre! And all this will be done in the most stable, safe way possible.”
The season opens this Thursday, July 22nd with I, Claudia, running until August 15th at the Newmont Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre. Lili Beaudoin stars in Kristen Thomson’s acclaimed play of a young girl coming into her own. Performed with costume masks to signal character change, this show’s uncommon form will offer audiences a surprising, engaging experience.
Running August 5th to 29th, at Granville Island Stage, Beau Dixon’s Beneath Springhill: The Maurice Ruddick Story, is a celebration of the real-life miner Maurice Ruddick’s hopefulness, joyful spirit, and strength. His positivity and courage, to be embodied by actor and singer Jeremiah Sparks, were a lifeline for himself and his colleagues during the 1958 Springhill mining disaster. The play, and its music, invites audiences to experience what it would take to live through an unimaginable event and shines with the resiliency of the human spirit.
The third offering of the summer, available September 1-28, is the Arts Club digital release of an audio version of the award-winning Mala, by Melinda Lopez. Making this work available in an intimate manner through digital means ensures that a wide audience can experience Carmen Aguirre’s commanding, funny performance as a woman who faces competing demands on her time and emotional resources.
“As we resume live shows, we feel incredibly grateful for the unwavering commitment and patience that our patrons have shown,” said Executive Director Peter Cathie White. “We look forward to gathering with them to see and hear the stories that are essential to all of us.”
Corcoran described the summer programming as “solo shows that are inspiring, potent testaments to the power of theatre. These plays will be helmed by Vancouver talents Marie Farsi, Bobby Garcia, and Sherry Yoon, respectively, each of whom will be making their Arts Club directorial debut.”
Tickets for the shows are on sale, at artsclub.com.
All shows will be staged and produced in adherence to safety guidelines established by the B.C. government, including a current indoor audience capacity of 50%. The health and safety of all patrons, staff, and artists is the Arts Club’s top priority.