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The Olympics are here this week, the world will be watching, and so should you be—if you can figure out how to navigate the traffic and avoid the Olympic-only lanes and the billion dollars worth of security to get to Robert Lepage’s The Blue Dragon at the Fei and Milton Wong Experimental Theatre in the splendid new SFU Woodward’s building. It’s definitely worth the effort. Less challenging, traffic- and parking-wise, are Chekhov’s Ivanov at Jericho Arts Centre or Strictly Murder at Metro Theatre. The Only Animal’s site-specific Nix continues outdoors at Lost Lake in Whistler. If you’re going up there for an Olympic event and have a place to stay, catch it. Opening this week as part of the Cultural Olympiad are bluemouth’s Dance Marathon, presented by Boca del Lupo at the Roundhouse (sounds like lots o’ fun), Artistic Fraud’s Fear of Flight at the Cultch (written by some of Canada’s best playwrights, produced by one of our most innovative companies, out of Newfoundland), and Le-La-La Dancers’ Spirit Journey at North Van’s Presentation House.
This week the Vancouver TheatreSports® League leaves its home for the past twelve years, the New Revue Stage on Granville Island, for brief hiatus while they ready their new island home, a beautiful 180 seat waterfront theatre at 1502 Duranleau St. Look for the gala opening in late March. The Arts Club, which originally opened the Revue Stage in the 1980s, will be taking it over again—running shows in three theatres. Congratulations to Headlines Theatre’s David Diamond. David is one of this year’s recipients of the Otto Rene Castillo Award for Political Theatre. The Ottos are awarded by the All Stars Project, a New York based non-profit dedicated to promoting human development through the use of performance, onstage and off. Previous recipients include Laurie Anderson, Joseph Chaikin, Charles Mee, Richard Schechner, Ntozake Shange, and Robert Wilson. David will receive his award at a ceremony in Manhattan in May. Bravo! Richmond’s Gateway Theatre has dressed up its fly tower in Canadian red to celebrate our Olympic athletes as part of the Canadian Olympic Committee initiative, “Paint the Town Red.” Designed by Karen Kazmer and Todd Davis, the new display includes Canada’s flag, swirling rings, and simulated fireworks. The light show begins at dusk throughout the Olympics. CALLBOARD The Arts Club Theatre Company, in association with Electric Company Theatre, is producing Tear the Curtain! for an upcoming Arts Club season. This retro multimedia thriller inspired by the “reel” history of the Stanley Theatre is set in a fictionalized 1930s Vancouver. The filmed portions of Tear the Curtain! will be shot during this year’s Cultural Olympiad and you are invited to be a part of the action. Drop in on an Open House on Friday, Feb. 12, 2-5 pm, at the Stanley Stage (2750 Granville St.), to watch the Electric Company work in a studio environment. The next day, Saturday, Feb. 13, hundreds of volunteers are wanted to work with Electric Company director Kim Collier as background/extras, shooting scenes at the Stanley for Tear the Curtain! This is a rare opportunity to share the Electrics’ unique creative process. If you have vintage clothing and a desire to a part of a memorable experience, email info@electriccompanytheatre.com or call 604-253-4222. Screaming Weenie is soliciting scripts for the 2010 edition of Clean Sheets, the annual festival of original queer-themed plays by emerging and established Canadian playwrights. Co-presented with the Queer Arts Festival/Pride in Art, Clean Sheets takes place in August at the Roundhouse Performance Centre. Scripts will be workshopped and given staged readings by professional directors and actors. Details at www.screamingweenie.com. Deadline for submissions: Feb. 15. The Firehall Arts Centre is soliciting performances for this year’s BC BUDS festival. Held over the May 21st long weekend, it will showcase theatre, dance, music and interdisciplinary artists at the Firehall and around the neighbourhood. All performances are free and will take place in the theatre and unconventional settings like offices, stairwells and basements. Work from all performing arts disciplines will be considered. Pieces from 5 to 30 minutes are ideal. The Festival will consider work staged in non-traditional settings as well as staged readings of full length plays. Some programming will be suitable for families. Applicants must be BC residents actively pursuing a professional career in their artistic discipline. Individuals, companies, and collectives may apply. Deadline for proposals: Monday, Mar. 15, 5pm. For more information or an application form, contact the Firehall at 604-689-0691.
THE ARTS ARE NOT SOMEHOW APART
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Canada’s premier theatre artist, the remarkable Robert Lepage, is here with us until Feb. 27, performing in his play The Blue Dragon in the new SFU Woodward’s theatre. Now, he has generously agreed to a free, public Q&A to talk about his work. See and hear Robert Lepage in Conversation (with the ever fortunate Jerry Wasserman) at UBC’s Frederic Wood Theatre this Thursday, Feb. 11, from 2-3 pm. Admission is free but reservations are recommended. Call the UBC Theatre box office, 604-822-2678. Sponsored by the Department of Theatre and Film, UBC. 
