The Arts Club Theatre Company Artistic Director Ashlie Corcoran has announced the company’s upcoming theatrical projects, in the form of four world premiere audio plays from Western Canadian playwrights.
The Arts Club Audio Plays
The Arts Club will release four audio plays, forming a series titled Listen to This, written by artists affiliated with the company’s Emerging Playwrights’ Unit and Silver Commissions Project. The plays will be directed by Ashlie Corcoran. Each full play can be purchased individually or as part of a series on the Arts Club website.
Listen to This
Unexpecting
By Bronwyn Carradine, member of the Arts Club’s 2019 Emerging Playwrights’ Unit
Release date: February 10, 2021
Married couple Annie and Josephine have been trying to start a family for the past five years. As their patience and pennies start to dry up, they begin to second-guess their choices, until another chance at a baby literally bursts through the front door. Unexpecting is a comedic exploration of marriage, friendship, and modern motherhood.
Night Passing
By Scott Button, member of the Arts Club’s 2019 Emerging Playwrights’ Unit
Release date: March 17, 2021
Ottawa, 1958. A young man moves from a rural town to the big city, hoping to reckon with his emerging sexuality—and comes face to face with the horrific, oppressive acts against the queer population there. Night Passing is inspired by the true stories of LGBTQ+ Canadians who endured brutal harassment at the hands of their own government, and the vital resistance that followed.
Someone Like You
By Christine Quintana, a 2020–2021 Silver Commissions Playwright
Release date: May 19, 2021
A boyfriend from hell. A nightmare apartment. A botched Tinder date. Isabelle and Kristen have been through a lot together. But the arrival of Kristen’s new romantic interest leaves Isabelle wondering how long she can stay in a supporting role. This new comedy launches Cyrano de Bergerac into the 21st century: mistaken identities, millennial manifestos, and the quest for self-love. Who might be waiting in the wings?
My Father Is the Greatest Man in the World
By Tai Amy Grauman, a 2020–2021 Silver Commissions Playwright
Release date: July 14, 2021
Rose grew up on a farm in small-town Alberta with her Métis family. Now a country singer in Nashville and pregnant with her first baby, Rose returns home with questions for her father, John. Once a trapper on the land, John has worked in the oil field since Rose was born. What from his past can help unlock her child’s future?
Unexpecting and Night Passing, developed in the Arts Club’s 2019–2020 Emerging Playwrights’ Unit, were originally written for the stage and later adapted to an audio format. Someone Like You and My Father Is the Greatest Man in the World, developed as Silver Commission projects, were originally commissioned as stage plays, but were modified to an audio format prior to being written.
Subscribe to the whole series for $30 or purchase access to an individual audio play for $10. To enjoy Listen to This for free, subscribe to Spotify and Apple Podcasts and receive 15-minute weekly instalments of each show.
Laduree’s Valentine’s Day collection, Vénus, mon Amour, is an exquisite line of Parisian treats launching this February. Enjoy limited edition macaron gift boxes, heart-shaped cakes for two, and an Afternoon Tea à Deux from February 11 to 14, 2021.
Laduree’s Valentine’s Day Collection
Vancouver’s Ladurée Boutique and Tea Salon is located at 1141 Robson St. Macarons and Valentine’s Day boxes are also available at the Ladurée Carriage Pop Up inside Holt Renfrew at 737 Dunsmuir St.
Last year, my mother and I enjoyed tea for two at Laduree on Robson. It was so lovely and the last time she and I had a special dining experience out together before COVID restrictions came into play in March. It’s a sweet memory that I’ve kept with me all year.
Valentine’s Macarons
The limited edition Vénus, mon Amour macaron boxes (box of eight for $38; box of 18 for $70 ) feature beautiful, coloured drawings of Venus and Cupid with gold and silver accents. Guests can fill the boxes with their desired macaron flavours, with 16 available to choose from: favourite classics such as rose, pistachio, salted caramel, and chocolate; seasonal offerings, such as matcha moringa and almond lucuma; the new vegan chocolate and vegan caramel coconut matcha; and Ladurée’s unique chocolate coated macarons. Macarons can also be ok personalized with a custom design.
Pastries and More
Executive pastry chef Eulalie Hermand has created two special heart-shaped cakes (from $25 for two people) this year, including: the classic Ladurée flavour Ispahan with two rose macaron shells filled with rose petal cream, fresh raspberries, and lychees; and a Gourmet Chocolate Macaron with delicate champagne cream and strawberry confit inside.
All cakes, pastries, and macarons can be pre-ordered online for in-store pick-up or delivery within Greater Vancouver.
The new Ladurée Afternoon Tea à Deux ($80 for two; $95 for two with a cocktail or champagne pairing) is available February 12 to February 14, 2021 for dine-in only. Guests will have the chance to enjoy a delicious set featuring two macarons, choice between the heart-shaped Ispahan cake or heart-shaped Gourmet Chocolate Macaron, savoury canapes, mini savoury croissants, fruit salad, and tea, coffee, or hot chocolate. Reservations are required and can be made online or by calling (604) 336-3030.
This morning the organizers of the Bloom Abbotsford Tulip Festival announced that after four years of hosting one of the Fraser Valley’s largest and most colourful outdoor events, they plan to eventually rebloom in the North Okanagan.
Abbotsford Tulip Festival is Moving to the North Okanagan
“It’s a bittersweet feeling to say goodbye to the incredible community that supported our vision for the last few years but we’re hopeful for the future of the event in our new community in the Northern Okanagan,” said Alexis Szarek, Founder of Bloom, The Abbotsford Tulip Festival. “We want to thank all of our dedicated staff and volunteers who greatly contributed to our success in Abbotsford, as well as the many community stakeholders who helped us along the way.”
Bloom, The Abbotsford Tulip Festival held their first event in the spring of 2016 with the goal of bringing four generations of Szarek’s family’s passion for growing tulips to a broader audience.
The outdoor festival attracted up to 100,000 visitors each year over six weeks from April to May who gathered to marvel at the 2.5 million rainbow coloured tulips in full bloom. The event employed over dozens of staff and volunteers every year, and had a significant impact on the local economy while boosting tourism and putting Abbotsford on a global stage for its reputation as an agritourism destination.
Several recent factors impacted the decision to permanently close the Abbotsford Tulip Festival, including the forced cancellation of the 2020 event last April due to the pandemic, as well as the uncertainty of the 2021 season. In addition, earlier this year, the land where the festival had been held for four consecutive years was sold to new owners further compromising the future of the event. Szarek and her growing family have since relocated to Armstrong where she and her husband, Marc hope to re-imagine Bloom for the North Okanagan community.
In tribute to the contributions of Canada’s Black communities, and to help amplify inspiring voices and stories, the NFB is launching two feature docs online that have been acclaimed by critics and audiences alike, and showcasing a selection of films from its extensive catalogue.
The NFB’s Black History Month Film Lineup
These must-see new films join more than 4,000 titles already available for free through the NFB online.
- Starting February 1: Kenbe la, Until We Win by Will Prosper
(2019, French Program Documentary Studio)
Feature-length documentary (83 min)- Ranging from the lush Haitian countryside to the icy landscapes of Canada, this sensitive film chronicles the journey of the late artist, philosopher and activist Alain Philoctète, whose dreams remain universal, resonating across generations and continuing to inspire us. The film had its world premiere at the 2019 Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM), winning the People’s Choice Award, and had successful theatrical screenings in Montreal as well as on a tour of Eastern Quebec.
- Starting February 8: John Ware Reclaimed by Cheryl Foggo
(2020, North West Studio)
Feature-length documentary (71 min)- The filmmaker re-examines the story of John Ware, the Black cowboy who settled in Alberta prior to the turn of the 20th century. Foggo’s research uncovers who this iconic figure might have been, and what his legacy means in terms of anti-Black racism, both past and present. The film had its world-premiere screening at the Calgary International Film Festival, where it won the Audience Choice Award for an Alberta Feature.
In these times more than ever, stories of Black communities in Canada deserve to be seen and heard. Explore the NFB’s collection of films by award-winning Black filmmakers, creators, and allies of Black communities, detailing a rich history to better understand the present.
