Pi Theatre began life as the Pink Ink Co-op in 1984, led by Sandhano Schultze. It quickly established a distinct position in Vancouver’s theatrical ecology, with a reputation for producing the work of Quebecois playwrights, as well as works from the world stage. In 1990 the company began to engage performers under Equity Guest Artist Contracts and in 1991, Pink Ink joined PACT, becoming a signatory to the Canadian Theatre Agreement.
Pink Ink was very influential in bringing the French-Canadian canon to Vancouver’s attention and it continues to be a specialist in this field. A highlight from the early ’90s was the first production of Polygraph (with Théâtre la Seizième) produced outside the auspices of Robert Lepage’s own company. To date, Pi has produced more than 20 plays from Quebec in English translation, the most recent being Bashir Lazhar by Evelyne de la Chenelière in 2009.
In 1998, Del Surjik was appointed AD. Under his tenure, Pi continued its community leadership role as major force in See Seven, a marketing and shared-resource initiative for independent theatre in Vancouver. In 2005, Pi began touring, most notably at the National Arts Centre for the Magnetic North Festival, as well as regionally in BC.
Also in 2005, Pi formalized its commitment to mentorship with the launch of the emerging artists’ showcase Prime Placements.
Early in 2008, Pi welcomed its third and current artistic director, Richard Wolfe. The company is now building a vision that puts the role of authorial voice at the centre of its activities and programming choices. 2009’s highly regarded Canadian premiere of after the quake introduced our audiences to the distinct voice of Japanese author Haruki Murakami.
Since the company’s inception, our peers have recognized Pi and its collaborators with 26 Jessie Richardson Awards and 80 nominations for outstanding artistic achievement in Vancouver professional theatre.
Click here to check out some of our past shows.
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“Pi Theatre has established an important place for itself in Vancouver’s theatrical ecology by bringing us cutting-edge plays from England, Ireland, Quebec, and the rest of Canada that haven’t been seen here before. This exciting work has positioned Pi as an indispensable lynchpin between the larger, more mainstream companies and the fringe.”
after the quake is testament to where you can get to in the work with enough time and talent invested in it…it is simply a vehicle to serve the medium: the sharing of stories.
“Bashir Lazhar feels distinctly Quebecois. That, in itself, may be reason enough to see it.”
“I am constantly reminded of the importance of cultural representations of poetry, performance, and myth to enhance people’s experiences and understandings of one another. I believe that Pi Theatre’s mission to connect global ideas with local talent agrees with my Canadian Studies theories about immigration to Canada and the unique relationship posed between the local and the global.”