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EAST OF BERLIN
by Hannah Moscovitch
Tarragon Theatre
Firehall Arts Centre
Feb. 19-28
$25/$21/$16
604-689-0926 or www.firehallartscentre.ca
604-257-5145 or www.chutzpahfestival.com
www.ticketstonight.ca

Chutzpah! Festival, Touchstone Theatre, Firehall  Arts Centre
and the Vancouver 2010 Cultural Olympiad present

The Tarragon Theatre Production of
East of Berlin
By Hannah Moscovitch, Directed by Alisa Palmer
Preview February 18 - Pay What You Can
Opens February 19 - 28
Firehall Arts Centre
280 East Cordova

Written by one of Canada’s up and coming young talents, Hannah Moscovitch’s East of Berlin tells the story of the son of a German expatriate who has fled his family and attempted to invent a new life, until the past catches up with him.  This compelling story of a young man steeling himself for a fateful encounter with his estranged father is both gripping and surprisingly funny.

Growing up in Paraguay, Rudi was unaware of his father’s horrific actions during WWII. After discovering the devastating truth, he travels to Berlin in an attempt to make amends and start a new life. He falls in love with a woman who has secrets of her own and ultimately history stares him in the face.

East of Berlin is a stirring and essential meditation on the psychological legacy of the Holocaust, brought to life by one of Canada’s most respected theatre companies, Tarragon Theatre. First mounted in 2007, it is remounted this year and will be presented in Vancouver by the  Chutzpah Festival, Touchstone Theatre and the Firehall Arts Centre programs.

Tarragon Theatre is one of Canada’s most respected companies, well known for its development, creation and encouragement of new work. Over 170 works have premiered at Tarragon. Playwrights who have premiered their work here include Morwyn Brebner, David French, Michael Healey, Joan MacLeod, Morris Panych, James Reaney, Jason Sherman and Judith Thompson among many others. Emerging playwrights who consider the Tarragon their creative home include Brendan Gall, Rosa Laborde and Hannah Moscovitch. Tarragon has been a pioneer in presenting Quebeçois plays in translation, notably works by Michel Tremblay and Carole Fréchette.

Music, theatre, comedy and cutting-edge dance are just a few of the highlights of the 9th annual Chutzpah! Festival, The Lisa Nemetz International Showcase of Jewish Performing Arts. The 2009 stellar line-up features more than 25 performances and workshops with over 100 international, Canadian and local artists from February 19 - March 1, 2009. Designed to celebrate professional artists from around the world, Chutzpah! continues to excite and has earned a highly regarded reputation for its innovative and eclectic programming.

Now in its fourth decade of production Touchstone Theatre remains lightning rod of theatrical activity. Its purely Canadian focus makes it unique in its region, and its reputation for excellence has earned the respect of audience, critics and colleagues. Most of Touchstone's activities have fallen into one of the following three categories: premiere productions of plays by local playwrights, second productions of important plays premiered in other regions of Canada, and innovative collective creations developed within the company. Within each category Touchstone has explored a wide variety of styles and always stayed true to the exploratory and celebratory spirit of the company.

The Firehall Arts Centre entertains audiences and provides a variety of theatre and contemporary dance that reflects Canada's diverse and dynamic cultural mosaic. Each season the Firehall Arts Centre produces four to six theatre productions and 3 to five dance productions. It is also a theatre and studio rental facility, and Arts Centre Box Office.  The Firehall Arts Centre has held the western Canadian premieres of many outstanding productions including Menopositive, Urinetown, Stuff Happens and Banana Boys.

Inspired by culture’s role as the second pillar of the Olympic movement, the Cultural Olympiad is a celebration of contemporary imagination, spanning music, dance, theatre, visual arts, digital and new media arts, film, literature and spectacular outdoor events. Launched in 2008 and culminating in 2010, this festival of arts, culture and creativity features a spectrum of local, national and international artists, whose exhilarating work and remarkable talent captures the vitality and rich diversity of Canada’s creative community. East of Berlin is one of the works.

 

Written by Hannah Moscovitch
Directed by Alisa Palmer
Set and costume design by Camellia Koo
Lighting Design by Michael Walton
Composer and Sound Design by John Gzowski
Stage Manager - Leigh McClymont

Cast
Sarah- Diana Donnelly
Hermann- Paul Dunn
Rudi – Brendan Gall

Tickets: $25 Adults, $21 Seniors, $16 Students
Firehall Arts Centre Box Office 604.689.0926 www.firehallartscentre.ca or
Chutzpah! Box Office 604.257.5145   www.chutzpahfestival.com
Online tickets only at www.ticketstonight.ca