As summer comes to an end, the arts calendar comes alive. Here are five shows we can wait to see this fall.
Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII
We never miss a chance to see Tara Travis at the Fringe. This time, the prolific Van City actor/creator/puppeteer is back with her 2012 Pick of the Fringe smash, Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII. A fast-paced one-woman romp through the infamous amours of the British monarch, the Ryan Gladstone-penned Monster Theatre hit introduces us to the betrayed wife, the scheming wife, the “tarty one” and more as they encounter one another in the afterlife and dish hard on the dallying dude.
Sept. 8-17 at the Rio Theatre. VancouverFringe.com
Stranger to Hard Work
Another powerhouse Canadian female, comedian Cathy Jones opens the Firehall Arts Centre’s 34th season with her fire-cracking brand of funny. The This Hour Has 22 Minutes star’s third one-woman show, Stranger to Hard Work sees Jones riffing on everything from money to food in a self-deprecating blend of stand-up and sketch comedy.
Sept. 28-Oct. 8 at the Firehall. FirehallArtsCentre.ca
Jessica Lang Dance
Noticing a trend here? Some of this season’s most exciting fall shows have women at the helm, and Jessica Lang Dance is no exception. The acclaimed New York City troupe, led by Bessie Award-winning choreographer Jessica Lang, makes their Canadian debut with The Thousand Yard Stare. This piece for nine dancers, set to a Beethoven string quartet, honours those affected by war.
Oct. 28-29 at the Playhouse. Dancehouse.ca
Co.Erasga Dance
Vancouver choreographer Alvin Erasga Tolentino pays homage to his Asian indigenous roots with Collected Traces and Still Here – an ensemble creation featuring seven dancers from Vancouver and Manila. Tracing the body’s relation to traditional indigenous arts, these two debut works celebrate the “malong”, a Filipino fabric used in every day life, and the “mudras”, an ancient hand gesture known for its sacred and medicinal effects on the body.
Sept. 14-17 at the Scotiabank Dance Centre. TicketsTonight.ca
Eastside Culture Crawl
A mainstay in the fall arts circuit, this Eastside Culture Crawl turns 20 this year. In those intervening two decades, the East Van institution has grown from a small, artist-run open house, to a four-day event that attracts nearly 500 artists, and roughly 25,000 visitors. Expect new programming for the 20th anniversary edition, including a retrospective juried exhibition that showcases artists past and present, as well as the Crawl pARTy (Sept. 30), a ticketed event that features guest appearances by Frazey Ford and Tom Arntzen.
Nov. 17-20 at various venues. CultureCrawl.ca
