Wrecking Ball: coming at you November 23rd
More details on the Wrecking Ball that will take place on November 23rd at the Vogue Theatre have been released. Here's what the organizers stated in their media release sent out today:
Canada’s leading Theatre Artists take on the BC government from Coast to Coast
Vancouver’s theatre community joins actors, directors and designers from across the country in creative and satirical protest to the BC government’s mind-boggling and short-sighted plan to slash 90% of cultural funding, which will make it the only jurisdiction in Canada not to invest in culture.
Just last week the all-party Standing Committee on Finance recommended that the BC Government “restore funding to the arts and culture sector.” The view of MLA’s of all parties across the province is unanimous and clear: provincial investment in the arts is a priority for all British Columbians. Why
hasn’t the government responded?
In 2008, during the federal election, Wrecking Ball events across Canada helped turn the tide of public opinion against the Harper governments planned culture cuts. This year, events across Canada throughout the month of November will highlight the devastating arts cuts announced by the BC
government in their September budget update.
Vancouver’s Wrecking Ball features some of Canada’s most nationally and internationally recognized actors and directors, including multiple award-winning actor/playwrights Daniel MacIvor (House,Twitch City) and Linda Griffiths (Maggie and Pierre), Leacock-winning writer Mark Leiren Young, and Alcan Award winner Carmen Aguirre.
Founding member of the Nylons and BC Walk of Fame member Denis Simpson will host.
Margaret Atwood asks, “What is it that power-hungry politicians want from BC artists? Control over the story through the annihilation of the former story-tellers? Is this the agenda behind the decapitation of arts funding in British Columbia … The BC arts community will retaliate, of course. Over the past 50 years they've put BC on the map.”
“It won’t just be a protest,” adds Wrecking Ball Spokesperson Adrienne Wong. “It’ll be a night to laugh and celebrate what we know – that British Columbians care about culture.”
“And it’s not just arts and culture,” Wong adds “Cuts to Gaming investments in many sectors indicate to us that this government is looking for ways subsidize its corporate-welfare, low-tax environment on the backs of civil society organizations that provide essential services to British Columbians. It seems that they don’t think much of activities like culture and sport and community services. They call it a frill. We call it democracy.”
And, as of today, here is the line-up for the event (we are assured in no particular order)
Host: Denis Simpson
House Band: Carnival Band (To be confirmed)
Musical Guest: Jim Byrnes
Scenes:
"2020" by Daniel MacIvor (Directed by Bill Dow)
"The Duende is Here" by Carmen Aguirre (Directed by Michael Shamata)
"The Window to an Epidemic" by Camyar Chai (Directed by Steven Hill)
"Arts Puppies" by Mark Leiren Young (Directed by ?)
Cast: Some of Vancouver's biggest and brightest stars of screen and stage
Other Writings:
A rant written and performed by Linda Griffiths
Normans Armour's letter to Minister Krueger (read by Michael Scholar, Jr.)
Bonus Performance:
"Special Presentation by Ms. Dwendolyn Fung Ding" Written and Directed by: Jeff Gladstone
Featuring
Tara Travis as Ms. Dwendolyn Fung Ding
Tallulah Winkelman as Detective Sally Bunk
Bruce Horak as Bouffon Puchenko, the Coroner
Dance:
"The Grey Square" Choreographed by Lee Su-Feh and Justine Chambers
Short FIlms by Kryshan Randel and Mike Jackson
The Wrecking Ball will take place at Vogue Theatre, 918 Granville Street, Vancouver, Monday, November 23, 2009, 8:00pm; by donation. You can find out more about The Wrecking Ball by smashing your way here.