Though it was originally heralded as a monument to space exploration and society's dreams for the future, for many Vancouverites, the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre (aka the Planetarium) is steeped in nostalgia.
Since 1968, the Kitsilano landmark (with its artifact-filled gallery, cosmic courtyard, star theatre and lecture hall) has played host to tens of thousands of stargazers, tourists, and school kids — and probably just as many stoners looking to transcend time and space for the duration of a Zeppelin laser show.
And now Vancouver's critically acclaimed Electric Company Theatre is celebrating the Space Centre and its confluence of futurism and nostalgia in two trippy one-act plays (one set in 1968 and the other in 2048; the former unfolds in the basement auditorium, and the latter in the star theatre) that cast the iconic building in a central role: as a place where past and future collide to reveal the critical importance of this present moment.
"[The Space Centre] is a character in You Are Very Star, and a leading character at that," said Kevin Kerr, artistic director of Electric Company Theatre and co-creator of You Are Very Star.
For the willing audience member, You Are Very Star begins before they step into the Space Centre with the viewing of an online prologue (Yavs.ElectricCompanyTheatre.com), and continues when they exchange text messages and interact on social media sites with a voice from the play (we won't say who).
This transmedia aspect of You Are Very Star — as well as the treasure hunt that unfolds in the courtyard and gallery of the Space Centre during intermission — results in a theatre experience that is uniquely personalized to each audience member. "We wanted to see how far we could push out the limits of where story starts and ends," said Kerr.
As for the experience's quirky turn of phrase, You Are Very Star is the name of a song by the Rheostatics; it can be found on their tremendous 1991 album Melville.
You Are Very Star runs until June 29 at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. For tickets, visit ElectricCompanyTheatre.com.
