Pi Theatre

Archive for December, 2008

This story reminds us why we love our stage managers.  An actor in Austria slit his own throat on stage with a real knife that had been swapped for his usual prop without his knowledge. Insanity!  We love, love, LOVE our stage managers and props managers for keeping us safe.

There were protests on Commercial Drive this past weekend and if you can believe it, it was all because of a piece of theatre! How exciting to think a play was the cause of all the controversy! It was one of Vancouver’s wetter evenings when a couple hundred people gathered to show their support for the presentation of a production of the Laramie Project at Vancouver’s Havana Theatre. The Laramie Project is a play by American playwright Moisés Kaufman and has been produced extensively and internationally since its premiere in 2000. For some bizarre reason members of a US-based church that preaches and promotes an anti-gay liturgy to its members took exception to this particular production of the play. They threatened to show up and protest the production. They never showed, which in some ways is too bad. I’d like to see what would have happened. But, what’s really exciting about all of this hoopla is the demonstration of our community’s support of diversity—more than 200 brave souls showed up to show their support for the production and for the rights of gays and lesbians. It’s comforting to know that theatre can still get people out and protesting on the streets. Way to go Vancouver!

More info here and here.