Past Seasons

2018-2019 Season

April 26, 2019 by administrator

Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women

September 10 – September 14, 2018

False Creek Gym, 1318 Cartwright Street (Granville Island);
admission by donation.

Playwright Suvendrini Lena

Playwright Loretta Seto

Playwright Natalie Meisner

Ruby Slippers Theatre in partnership with the Vancouver Fringe Festival and Playwrights Guild of Canada present Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women. Five new plays by female-identifying playwrights will receive public readings in an exciting collaboration between some of Vancouver’s finest theatre artists. According to a national study, women account for less than a third of artistic directors, working directors, and produced playwrights in professional Canadian theatre. We aim to change that.

Curated by Ruby Slippers Theatre with priority given to diversity, the plays include: Gametes by Rebecca Deraspe, translated and directed by Leanna Brodie on September 10; The Ones We Leave Behind by Loretta Seto, directed by Donna Yamamota on September 11; Rubble by Suvendrini Lena, directed by Mindy Parfitt on September 12; While You Sleep by Kai Taddei, directed by Karin Saari on September 13; and Speed Dating for Sperm Donors by Natalie Meisner, directed by Jan Derbyshire on September 14.

Our definition of female includes trans women, non-binary, and gender queer individuals on the femme spectrum. Our definition of diversity includes cultural background, age, sexual orientation, and physical/mental ability.

Les Belles-Soeurs

September 28, 2018 – October 6, 2018

Gateway Theatre, 6500 Gilbert Street, Richmond, BC

RST’s production of Les Belles-soeurs is deeply grateful to the UBC Department of Theatre and Film and everyone who was involved in Diane Brown’s thesis production of Les Belles-soeurs there. Particular sincere thanks and acknowledgment go to set designers Nikolai Kuchin and Sarah Sako, architect and design team, who were a significant part of the inspiration behind the iteration realized at The Gateway.

Photo of Melissa Oei, France Perras and Agnes Tong by David Cooper.

“…Tremblay’s most popular and widely translated play. Almost 50 years later, the text still fells incendiary and its subject matter ground-breaking.”

-The Georgia Straight

Ruby Slippers Theatre is thrilled to announce their professional English-language West Coast premiere production of Les Belles-soeurs by Michel Tremblay, translated by John Van Burek and Bill Glassco, produced in association with The Gateway Theatre.

Les Belles-soeurs premiered 50 years ago at the Théâtre du Rideau Vert in Montreal and Canadian theatre has never been the same since. Hugely controversial and ground-breaking in both style and content, Tremblay dared to put 15 women onstage; working-class women talking about their working-class lives on upper-middle-class stages. He also dared to expose not only the hypocrisy he perceived within the Catholic Church but also the working poor carnage of our Canadian capitalist culture; its racism, hypocrisy, ageism, and misogyny. The play stands today as one of the most powerful and most relevant Canadian plays, and Michel Tremblay’s most popular.

The play was translated into English in 1973 and was produced across Canada, the first Quebec play ever to receive that level of recognition. It has been translated into 34 languages, engaging audiences around the world, but this production marks the first professional English-language production in Metro Vancouver.

Directed by Diane Brown, this incendiary production of an iconic Canadian play brings fifteen of Vancouver’s finest actors together onstage:

Patti Allan, Daria Banu, Eileen Barrett, Lucia Frangione, Emilie Leclerc, Melissa Oei, Pippa Mackie, France Perras, Sarah May Redmond, Sarah Rodgers, Kerry Sandomirksy, Ariel Slack, Agnes Tong, Tallulah Winkelman, and Beatrice Zeilinger.

With set design by Drew Facey, lighting design by John Webber, sound design by Mishelle Cuttler, costumes designed by Ellen Gu, stage managed by Lois Dawson, assistant stage manager Liz King.

Les Belles-soeurs is one of the 200 exceptional projects funded through the Canada Council for the Arts’ New Chapter program. With this $35M investment, the Council supports the creation and sharing of the arts in communities across Canada

Critic Reviews

“Diane Brown’s scathing, very funny and imaginative Ruby Slippers Theatre production features strong performances from a wonderful ensemble of women…” – The Vancouver Sun

“Director Diane Brown and her cast of 15 do a terrific job” – The Georgia Straight

“The cast is superb; the direction, by Diane Brown, spot on.” – Entertainment Vancouver

“Ruby Slippers pulls off what Tremblay wanted with panache and delight and relevance…” – Broken Leg Reviews

“The cast is exceptional” – Theatre addicts

“You know this is a winner when you realize you really care about each of those women.” – Entertainment Vancouver

Marine Life

March 14 – Preview,

March 15, 2019 – March 23, 2019

Showtimes: Tues @ 7pm | Wed – Fri @ 8pm | Sat @ 3pm & 8pm | Sun @ 3pm | Wed @ 1pm PWYC (Mar 20)

Friday March 22 is a talkback night with the playwright after the performance.

Firehall Arts Centre, 280 East Cordova Street, Vancouver, BC

Image of Christine Quintana and beluga whale by Erin Gleig.

Next up, Ruby Slippers Theatre is proud to produce the Western Canadian premiere production of Marine Life by Rosa Laborde in association with the Firehall Arts Centre.

The story revolves around an environmental activist who falls in love with her opposite, while her co-dependent brother spirals into chaotic self-destruction and does everything he can to push the lovers apart. This smart new play asks us whether our failings at human intimacy are inextricably linked to our failure to protect our planet. Incorporating magic realism, humour and live music, Marine Life explores themes of environmentalism, creativity, mental illness and personal responsibility in a delicately dark romantic comedy, set against a backdrop of apocalyptic proportions.

Directed by Diane Brown and featuring Sebastien Archibald, Christine Quintana, and Alen Dominguez. Technical Direction by Kougar Basi. Musical Director Jeff Gladstone. Set design by Drew Facey, Lighting design by John Webber, Sound design by Malcolm Dow, Video design by Jordan Watkins and Ryan McDonald, costume design by Jessica Oostergo, stage managed by Susan Miyagishima, assistant stage manager Heather Barr.

Audience Reviews:

“Thought provoking and absorbing and so well executed”

“Excellent acting and directing.”

“Amazing work by everyone involved.”

“Very unique and captivating show. Wonderful to see something tackling a large scale issue with grace and heart.”

“Loved it!”

“What a great show. Great message. Great visual design.”

Critic Reviews:

“A wonderfully strange comedy-drama and a necessary wake-up call. Marine Life is an excellent case study in proving that a play centered around environmental activism can be as funny and charming as it is informative.” – Issie Patterson, Prism Magazine

“Marine Life is so beautiful”…“Terrific performances”…“Sensitive direction” – Jo Ledingham, Theatre Reviews

“Diane Brown’s handsome production made me laugh a lot.” – Jerry Wasserman, Vancouver Sun and Vancouver Plays

View our Past Seasons of Ruby Slippers Theatre, a Vancouver-based Theatre Company

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2017/ 2018 Season

August 9, 2018 by administrator

Image credit Andreah Barker

2017/2018 Season

This is your advance notice: diverse women are taking the stage.

Ruby Slippers Theatre puts diverse female talent centre stage all season long through Canadian plays that are compelling, evocative, engaging and hilarious. For the past 28 years, Ruby Slippers Theatre has created, produced and presented provocative text-based theatre from the vanguard of the English and French Canadian canon, illuminating diverse perspectives and social issues. In 2017, Artistic Director Diane Brown was honoured with the Bra d’Or Award by the Women’s Caucus of Playwrights Guild of Canada for her work advancing Canadian women playwrights, in particular the creation of Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women.

Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women

Ruby Slippers Theatre in partnership with the Vancouver Fringe Festival and Playwrights Guild of Canada present Advance Theatre: New Works By Diverse Women, September 11-15 during the Vancouver Fringe Festival. Admission by donation (suggested $5 – $10). Five new plays by female-identifying playwrights will receive public readings in an exciting collaboration between some of Vancouver’s finest theatre artists. Advance Theatre debuted at the 2015 Fringe Festival to great success and standing room-only houses. According to a national study, women account for less than a third of artistic directors, working directors, and produced playwrights in professional Canadian theatre. Advance Theatre was created in direct response to this, providing more opportunities and profile to diverse women playwrights and directors. Curated by Ruby Slippers Theatre with priority given to diversity of all kinds (age, cultural background, sexual orientation, physical and mental ability), the plays include:

Marcia Johnson

Jumping Ship – Monday, September 11 Written by Marcia Johnson, directed by Marisa Emma Smith

The year is 1904. Scottish sailor, Jamey Dunbar, meets young entrepreneur, Audrey Williams on a beach in Jamaica. Their lives change forever. This is a love story inspired by the playwright’s great-grandparents.Go, No, Go – Tuesday, September 12 Written by Natalie Frijia, directed by Leanna Brodie Go, No, Go is the story of 13 barrier-breaking pilots who in 1961 petitioned NASA to become the first female astronauts. And it’s about why you don’t know their names. Welcome to the space race.

Lillian Nakamura Maguire

Hidden Memories – Wednesday, September 13 Written by Lillian Nakamura Maguire, directed by Donna Yamamoto.

The daughter of Japanese immigrants sifts through her parents’ memorabilia, piecing together their early B.C life and forced relocation. She tries to find peace with her parents’ choices during times of racial discrimination, her own identity and what she passes on to her daughter. National Association of Japanese Canadians Endowment Fund support.

Sex, Drugs and Age: The Last Taboo – Thursday, September 14 Written by Colleen Ann Fee, directed by Tammy Bentz.

Age is our last social taboo, we fight its effects. In 2010, sales of Viagra reached $2 trillion, and every 57 seconds a new case of dementia is diagnosed. Our libido may outlive our ability to grant sexual consent. Sex, Drugs and Age: The Last Taboo considers the hazards of determining consent in the context of dementia and drugs.

Pamela Mala Sinha

Happy Place – Friday, September 15 Written by Pamela Mala Sinha, directed by Fay Nass

“Broken women determined to die helping each other live.” Happy Place takes place in an inpatient care facility for women suffering from depression. With insight, raw truth and sometimes humour, these seven women force each other to look at themselves in a way they never could “outside”- finding compassion, even love, where they least expect it. The readings will take place at the gym in the False Creek Community Centre, 1318 Cartwright Street, at 1:30 pm sharp by donation at the door. There will be free talk-backs after the readings.

MAINSTAGE EVENTS:

Diane Brown, Nicola Cavendish, Sereana Malani, Adele Noronha, Laara Sadiq, Colleen Wheeler, Donna Yamamoto. Photo credit: Riun Garner

Happy Place Produced by Touchstone Theatre in association with Ruby Slippers Theatre and Diwali in BC. Western Canadian Premiere.

Preview October 19th, Shows October 20-29, 2017 at The Firehall Arts Centre, 280 E Cordova St, Vancouver, BC Written by Pamela Mala Sinha / Directed by Roy Surette / Starring Diane Brown, Nicola Cavendish, Sereana Malani, Adele Noronha, Laara Sadiq, Colleen Wheeler and Donna Yamamoto / Set Design by Pam Johnson / Costume Design by Christine Reimer / Lighting Design by Adrian Muir / Original Music & Sound Design by Dorothy Dittrich Happy Place takes us into the experiences of seven women: inpatients, living together in the most extraordinary circumstances. Though each woman must navigate her own survival in a world that challenges that possibility, they are also the ones who teach one another how to live in a way no therapist ever could. Happy Place is a glimpse into lives filled with courage, compassion, humour and startling surprises; lives which – in many ways – are not so different from our own. Happy Place premiered in September 2015 at Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre.

Photo of Meghan Gardiner by David Cooper.

I Lost My Husband

English translation commissioned by Ruby Slippers Theatre. World Premiere.

March 15-24, 2018 at the Gateway Theatre, Studio B, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond, BC Written by Catherine Leger, Translated by Leanna Brodie / Directed by Diane Brown Featuring Meghan Gardiner, Agnes Tong, Curtis Tweedie and Raugi Yu. Evelyn loses her husband in a bar bet. The thing is, she’s not entirely sure she wants him back. A smart, feisty, subversive comedy about the important things in life: love, freedom, karaoke … and never letting frozen yogurt stand in the way of your dreams. Catherine Léger’s comedy J’ai perdu mon mari was a hit in Quebec and Ruby Slippers is proud to present the World Premiere of Leanna Brodie’s translation, I Lost My Husband. Ruby Slippers Theatre gratefully acknowledges our season sponsors and cultural collaborators:

2016/2017 Season

May 3, 2016 by administrator

ADVANCE THEATRE: New Works by Diverse Women 2016 Plays Announced

June 9, 2016: Ruby Slippers Theatre, in partnership with the Vancouver Fringe Festival and Equity in Theatre,is pleased to announce the plays selected for the 2016 Advance Theatre: New Works by Women program, which will be presented September 12-16 during the Vancouver Fringe Festival. The committee read over 100 plays submitted from across Canada before selecting five new plays by female-identifying playwrights. Priority in curating the scripts is diversity of all kinds (age, cultural background, sexual orientation, physical ability).

- Aiming to Float by Janet Hinton, directed by Laura McLean. At a pain clinic, a new and uncooperative patient clashes with her exercise therapist. Faced with crises of physical and emotional pain, together they discover the possibility of love. September 12, 2016

- zahgidiwin/love by Frances Koncan, directed by Christine Quintana. A dark, decolonial comedy set against the backdrop of colonial Canada, zahgidiwin/love is a postcolonial fantasy about intergenerational trauma, cultural genocide, truth and reconciliation, and rock’n’roll. September 13, 2016

- The Long Call by Jenn Griffin, directed by Heidi Taylor. Holly, an ex-exotic dancer, is close to fulfilling her life’s dream of freeing captive orangutans into the wild when her long estranged ex-boyfriend, Jack, shows up to settle an ancient score. The Long Call is a darkly funny, multimedia piece inspired by shadow puppetry, philosophy, and high stakes poker. September 14, 2016

- Anywhere but Here by Carmen Aguirre, directed by Anita Rochon. A darkly comic, magic realist play that centres around the quest for home. A family of four Chilean refugees drive a mint condition, hot pink 1950s convertible through the Arizona desert, en route to Chile, which according to the father, is paradise. September 15, 2016

- Women of Papiyek by Quelemia Sparrow, directed by Kim Harvey. Generations of European and Indigenous mixed race families lived in Papiyek (now called Brockton Point in Stanley Park) before being evicted from their homes and forced to re-locate. This is the story of three Indigenous women who lived in Papiyek at the turn of the 20th century. September 16, 2016

- All readings are at the False Creek Community Centre, 1318 Cartwright St., at 1:30 pm, PAY WHAT YOU CAN cash only at the door.

Advance Theatre debuted at the 2015 Fringe Festival to great success and standing room-only houses. According to a national study, women account for less than a third of artistic directors, working directors, and produced playwrights in professional Canadian theatre. Advance Theatre was created to provide more opportunities and profile to diverse female playwrights and directors.

ABOUT RUBY SLIPPERS THEATRE

Multi-award winning Ruby Slippers Theatre produces provocative text-based theatre with a major focus on the French Canadian canon in English translation. We tell stories that illuminate diverse perspectives and social issues. This season, Ruby Slippers Theatre produced three MainStage productions, as well as the inaugural offering of Advance Theatre: New Works by Women with partners Equity in Theatre and the Vancouver Fringe Festival.

ABOUT THE VANCOUVER FRINGE FESTIVAL

The Vancouver Fringe is a celebration of theatre. Over 11 days more than 90 theatre companies come together to share their creativity on stage. The uniqueness of the Fringe comes from the “everyone is welcome” selection technique—Mainstage shows are literally drawn from a hat, while Bring Your Own Venue (BYOV) artists find their own venue, some of them in surprising locations! The Fringe revels in its identity as part theatre, part party. Every night of the Festival, there’s free live music and performances at the Fringe Bar. The Fringe is a cultural experience unlike any other!

This is your Advance warning – women are taking back the stage

Women of Papiyek is part of a larger work originally commissioned by Full Circle: First Nations Performance and benefited from the work of the Full Circle Aboriginal Ensemble, including dramaturg Michael Springate, and Associate Dramaturg and Researcher Kwasuun Sarah Vedan.

YOU WILL REMEMBER ME

From the play Tu te souviendras de moi by François Archambault • Translated by Bobby Theodore

Directed by Diane Brown • A Ruby Slippers Theatre Production

Actors: Kevin McNulty, Patti Allan, Marci T. House, Sereana Malani, Kevin Loring

A wistful and wise drama about the unexpected and unforgettable.

PERFORMANCE DATES & TIMES: February 2–11, 2017

Evening performances @8pm each night except Sunday and Monday.

Matinee performances Saturday February 4 and Sunday February 5 @2pm; Tuesday February 7 @1pm.

The Gateway Theatre, MainStage

You Will Remember Me is the compassionately told story of an aging intellectual beset with dementia, whose family splinters in their efforts to support him. As he is shuffled between frustrated caregivers, the resilient patriarch begins to reflect on how each of them will remember him after he passes away. Peppered with bittersweet humour, this is a deeply personal and moving new play by François Archambault, one of Québec’s most compelling writers.

“There’s a kind of genius in You Will Remember Me. Director Diane Brown and her team do an excellent job with this script.”—Colin Thomas, THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT

“The best part of You Will Remember Me‘ is the discussion in the car on the way home and lingering long after…” – Jo Ledingham, Vancouver Courier

“McNulty’s acting is absolutely MUST-SEE for power, nuance, and visceral honesty. This was a rich and completely rewarding night of theatre. To confront so compellingly a future many of us will face that is both challenging & disquieting is nonpareil live theatre. Bravo! indeed.” – Baird Blackstone, Broken Leg Reviews

THE CREATIVE TEAM:

Diane Brown, Director

Heidi Wilkinson, Set and Prop Designer

Jessica Oostergo, Costume Designer

John Webber, Lighting Designer

Corwin Ferguson, Video Designer

Joelysa Pankanea, Sound Designer/Composer

Lois Dawson, Stage Manager

2015/2016 Season

June 30, 2015 by administrator

Advance Theatre: New Works by Women

This is your Advance notice: women are taking back the stage.

Ruby Slippers Theatre in partnership the Vancouver Fringe Festival and Equity in Theatre present Advance Theatre: New Works By Women, September 14-18 at 1:30pm

False Creek Gym (1318 Cartwright Street on Granville Island).

Admission by donation (suggested $5 – $10).

Five new plays by female-identifying playwrights will receive public readings in an exciting collaboration between some of Vancouver’s finest theatre artists. According to a national study, women account for less than a third of artistic directors, working directors, and produced playwrights in professional Canadian theatre. That means that a lot of political, haunting, enraging, and hilarious voices haven’t yet been heard.

Curated by Ruby Slippers Theatre with priority given to diversity, the plays include: Kitmat, Sept. 14, a documentary play on the effects of the pipeline referendum on an industry town, by esteemed BC playwright Elaine Avila and directed by Suzie Payne; 27 Voices by S.M. Hunter, Sept. 15, directed by Quelemia Sparrow, a poetic and intense play in honour of Canada’s missing and murdered indigenous women and girls; Colleen Ann Fee’s After Love, Life, Sept. 16, a lyrical love song, directed by Tammy Bentz; Trialogue, Sept. 17, a complex and intellectual one-act by emerging playwright Carolyn Nakagawa directed by Marisa Smith; and Forget About Tomorrow, Sept. 18, a warm and witty tribute to the strength of family by Jill Daum directed by Vancouver theatre legend Pam Johnson, with songs by Jill’s husband, John Mann.

You Will Remember Me

Photo Credit: Lisa Wu | Actors: Kevin McNulty and Sereana Milani

November 17-28, 2015 at The Cultch Historic Theatre

1895 Venables Street, Vancouver, BC

Sunday Nov 22 at 2 pm Sat Nov 28 at 2 pm (and 8:00pm)

Written by François Archambault, translated by Bobby Theodore / Starring Kevin McNulty, Patti Allan, Sereana Malani, Marci T House, Craig Erickson / Directed by Diane Brown / Set and Props Design by Heidi Wilkinson / Costume Design by Jessica Oostergo / Lighting Design by John Webber / Video Design by Corwin Ferguson / Sound Design & Composition by Joelysa Pankanea / Stage Manager, Lois Dawson / Assistant Stage Manager, Melissa McCowell

A deeply personal and moving new play about a family and memory from one of Québec’s most compelling writers. When the aging patriarch of a modern family, a powerfully intellectual and political force in his community, suffers from dementia, the people who love him struggle to care for him.

From the people who brought you The Duchess a.k.a. Wallis Simpson…Ruby Slippers Theatre is back, and proud to present the Vancouver Premiere of You Will Remember Me as part of our Crucial New Voices From Quebec series, in partnership with and at The Vancouver East Cultural Centre. This eloquent drama by Francois Archambault and translated by Bobby Theodore is about family and memory, a deeply personal and moving new play from one of Quebec’s most compelling writers.

When the aging patriarch of a modern family, a powerfully intellectual and political force in his community, suffers from dementia, the people who love him struggle to care for him. This project furthers our mission of producing provocative works from the vanguard of the French Canadian canon, as with last year’s critically acclaimed Après Moi & The List, and deepens our relationship with Francois Archambault with whom we have worked with many times (most notably, on our multi-award winning productions of The Winners and The Leisure Society.)

The draw: Local legends Kevin McNulty and Patti Allan star and Diane Brown directs.

The List

Photo Credit: Tim Matheson | Actor: France Perras

March 10-19, 2016 at the Gateway Theatre

Studio B, 6500 Gilbert Road, Richmond, BC

Written by Jennifer Tremblay, Translated by Shelley Tepperman / Starring France Perras / Directed by Jack Paterson / Set and Lighting Design by John Webber / Costume Design by Drew Facey / Sound Design by Mishelle Cuttler / Stage Manager Lois Dawson

In this moving translation of Jennifer Tremblay’s play La Liste, we experience one woman’s struggle as she fights through the memories leading to her friend’s death. A woman constantly making to-do lists so as not to forget anything, she overlooks one item that leads to a tragedy. This causes her to question: “Could I have done more?”

5 @ 50

Photo Credit: Tina Kulic

May 13 – 28, 2016 at PAL studio theatre

#300-581 Cardero Street, Vancouver, BC

Written by Brad Fraser / Starring Veena Sood, Diane Brown, Deborah Williams, Donna Yamamoto, and Beatrice Zeilinger / Directed by Cameron Mackenzie Deveau.

Ruby Slippers Theatre and Zee Zee Theatre present the North American premiere production of 5 @ 50 by Brad Fraser. When Olivia loses control at her fiftieth birthday party, her three best friends decide to intervene once and for all, much to the irritation of Olivia and her long-term partner Nora. But is she the only one battling a demon or does each of these women face an addiction of one kind or another? 5 @ 50 is a raw and darkly comedic portrayal of women in mid life. It is also a bold examination of addiction and intervention, and of the friendships we can’t live without.

2014 / 2015 Season

August 5, 2014 by administrator

Ruby Slippers Theatre’s 2014/15 Season earned 8 Jessie Richardson Theatre Award Nominations and 3 awards. Bravo to all!

Celebrating the Outrageous Tenacious Human Spirit

Ruby Slippers Theatre is thrilled to present a season celebrating the courageous, outrageous, tenacious human spirit. For the past 26 years, Ruby Slippers Theatre has created, produced and presented provocative text-based theatre from the vanguard of the English and French Canadian canon, illuminating diverse perspectives and social issues. The 2014/15 season furthers this commitment, while reflecting our penchant for smart social satire that is infectiously entertaining.

CELEBRATE CRUCIAL NEW VOICES FROM QUEBEC IN ENGLISH TRANSLATION!

In association with BoucheWHACKED! Theatre Collective

January 27-February 1, 2015

Studio 16,

1555 West 7th Avenue, Vancouver, BC

Après Moi

Après Moi is six versions of the same story, six ways of experiencing the same moment with increasing intimacy. It’s also a chance to see five of Vancouver’s best actors deliver performances laced with sincerity and absolute precision. An examination of loneliness, this play explores our ever more distant connections to others, emphasizing the transformational power of human relationships, all with a strong dose of black humour.

The List

In The List, A woman invites us into her kitchen. Her neighbour is dead. Is she culpable for the death? The woman, who prides herself on never letting anything slip by, has overlooked an item on her list. A riveting tale of everyday to-do lists in which the essential and the ordinary are inextricably entwined.

*Appearing with the permission of Canadian Actors’ Equity Association.

The Reviews are In!

- Preview / Après Moi and The List – SadMag | January 29, 2015

- “Après Moi and The List provide a glimpse into Quebec’s vibrant theatre scene” – The Georgia Straight | January 29, 2015

The Duchess aka Wallis Simpson

April 7-18, 2015 at the Cultch Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables Street, Vancouver, BC

Apr 7-12, 14-18: 8PM

Apr 11, 12, 18: 2PM

Lively post-show talkbacks: Apr 9, 14

Preview: Apr 7

Opening Night: Apr 8

Tickets and info: The Cultch | The Cultch Box Office, 604.251.1363

Running time: 120 minutes with intermission

By Linda Griffiths | Featuring Eileen Barrett, Georgia Beaty, Diane Brown, Craig Erickson, Joel Garner, Raugi Yu, Melissa Oei, Kamyar Pazandeh, Matt Reznek, Xander Williams | Directed by Sarah Rodgers | Set by Michael Bock | Costumes by Mara Gottler | Lighting by John Webber | Sound by Scott Zechner | Choreography by Shelley Stewart Hunt | Photo Credit: Tim Matheson | Also featuring the sexy stylings of John Fluevog Shoes, one of our Season Sponsors!

THE DUCHESS a.k.a. Wallis Simpson is the fabulous, epic and true tale of Wallis Simpson, the notorious, convention-smashing American divorcee for whom Edward VIII gave up the throne in 1936. The play follows her through her tumultuous adult life and features such historical figures as Noel Coward, King George V, Queen Mary, Hitler and, of course, Wallis Simpson.

The Reviews are in!

THE SUN

“She eats Craig Erickson’s boyist Edward VIII alive, and stands toe-to-toe with Hitler himself”

“Brown’s pitch perfect Simpson makes it all absolutely worth it. Tall and sassy, at once scandalously immoral and beguilingly naive, she sashays through history seducing men and destroying just about everything she touches.”

THE STRAIGHT

Playful, sexy, irreverent—The Duchess is a lively ride through the life of 20th-century icon.

“You can’t just get rid of women like me—we stick,” says Simpson at one point. With portrayals as memorable as this, she’s likely to stick around for a long while yet.

REVIEW VANCOUVER

“Diane Brown and Craig Erickson front wonderful chemistry as Wallis and Edward. There is palpable affection and clear contrition between them.”

VANCOUVER PRESENTS!

Diane Brown is absolutely breathtaking as Simpson. …Brown is so effective in the role that we actually root for her.

As the man who-would-not-be-king, Craig Erickson finds a sobering melancholy among the chaos that was the couple’s life together.

Stand-outs among the ensemble include Beaty who does a very funny job in a caricature of Queen Mary, and Eileen Barrett finds depth as the bitter sister-in-law Elizabeth. Reznek reprises his role of Hitler with great results.

Ultimately, any production of The Duchess a.k.a Wallis Simpson is only as good as the actor in the title role. Diane Brown’s stunning performance makes this production a

success.

The Great Raymond-A Play in Development

FREE CULTURE DAYS EVENT

September 26, 1-4pm

Mount Pleasant Community Centre, Multi-Purpose Room 2

Directed by Diane Brown

Featuring Meghan Gardiner, Dawn Petten, Monice Peter, Barbara Pollard, Leslie Dos Remedios, Donna Soares, Colleen Wheeler

The Great Raymond, by award-winning writer Timothy Taylor, is based on the astonishing true story of police corruption and outrageous scandal in 1950s Vancouver. Ruby Slippers Theatre is presenting an open workshop on September 26, 2014 featuring an all-female cast; women playing hard-boiled journalists, detectives, bookies and cops in this gritty Femme Noir drama.

2013 / 2014 Season

September 26, 2013 by administrator

Ruby Slippers Theatre celebrates it’s 25^th Anniversary with productions of four outstanding Canadian plays:

Communion

A crisis brings three women crashing together, exposing what they truly do, and do not, believe in. Smart, dark, hilarious. MacIvor at his best. Written by Daniel MacIvor | Featuring Diane Brown, Kerry Sandomirsky & Marcie Nestman | Directed by Roy Surette Pacific Theatre Oct . 24 – Nov. 9, 2013 A Ruby Slippers Theatre production presented by Pacific Theatre

The Reviews are in!

“Stunning Production Gets Under Your Skin” – The Charlebois Post | Saturday, October 26, 2013.

“Communion is funny, sad, complicated, and quietly beautiful” – Georgia Straight | October 28, 2013.

“Vancouver Theatre: Communion” – Re[View] From the House | October 25, 2013

Hotel Bethlehem

The Nativity Story meets Fawlty Towers. A Ruby Slippers Theatre original, and the funniest Christmas show ever, is back again by popular demand. By Drew McCreadie | Directed by Diane Brown and boasts 11 of Vancouver’s finest actors including veterans John Murphy, Scott Bellis, Alex Diakun and Alvin Sanders- and includes the design talents of set designer David Roberts, sound designer Jordan Watkins, lighting designer Jonathan Ryder and costume designer Drew Facey. Presented by The Shadbolt Centre for the Arts and the Firehall Arts Centre December 4–7, 2013: Shadbolt Centre for the Arts in Burnaby. December 10–22, 2013: Firehall Arts Centre in Vancouver

It’ll Never Last

Ruby Slippers Theatre is commissioning the English language translation of a caustic comedy about couples and conformity from one of Quebec’s hottest young writers, Rébecca Déraspe. By Rébecca Déraspe Translated by Leanne Brodie Directed by Diane Brown It’ll Never Last is a sharp comedy about couples and conformity within the 20 something set, written by cutting edge Quebecois playwright Rebecca Deraspe, and translated by Leanna Brodie. Ruby Slippers Theatre’s English language premiere reading at The Cultch is at 3 pm Sunday May 18, 2014 directed by Diane Brown and featuring Melissa Oei, Sean Harris Oliver, and Evelyn Chew. Fresh, smart, funny. Presented by Ruby Slippers Theatre, in association with Bouche WHACKED! Theatre Collective at rEvolver festival’s Ta Gueule Staged Reading Series. The Vancouver East Cultural Centre at 3 pm as part of the rEvolver Theatre Festival.

The Great Raymond

In Development By Timothy Taylor From the actual journals and writings of B.C.’s most revered investigative reporter Jack Webster, see Vancouver as you’ve never seen it – police corruption, drug dealing, blackmail and murder.

And it’s all true. Be sure to grab the September 2013 copy of Playboard Magazine! Ruby Slippers Theatre‘s celebration of 25 years in theatre is on the cover with a great story on the company and Diane Brown. Check it out…

Past Seasons

2018-2019 Season

Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women

Les Belles-Soeurs

Critic Reviews

Marine Life

Audience Reviews:

Critic Reviews:

2017/ 2018 Season

2017/2018 Season

This is your advance notice: diverse women are taking the stage.

Advance Theatre: New Works by Diverse Women

Jumping Ship – Monday, September 11 Written by Marcia Johnson, directed by Marisa Emma Smith

Hidden Memories – Wednesday, September 13 Written by Lillian Nakamura Maguire, directed by Donna Yamamoto.

Sex, Drugs and Age: The Last Taboo – Thursday, September 14 Written by Colleen Ann Fee, directed by Tammy Bentz.

Happy Place – Friday, September 15 Written by Pamela Mala Sinha, directed by Fay Nass

MAINSTAGE EVENTS:

Happy Place Produced by Touchstone Theatre in association with Ruby Slippers Theatre and Diwali in BC. Western Canadian Premiere.

I Lost My Husband

English translation commissioned by Ruby Slippers Theatre. World Premiere.

2016/2017 Season

2015/2016 Season

You Will Remember Me

2014 / 2015 Season

2013 / 2014 Season

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Hotel Bethlehem

It’ll Never Last

The Great Raymond

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