A Curious choice for the Arts Club opener
‘Compelling’ story to greet theatregoers in 2018-19
The Arts Club’s 2018-19 season will open with the West End hit The Curious Incident of the Dog in the NightTime and will introduce the new resident company program.
The first show of the Arts Club’s 55th season will be directed by incoming artistic director Ashlie Corcoran, it was announced Monday morning.
“The original production I saw in London was one of the most compelling pieces of theatre I had ever seen,” Corcoran said of The Curious Incident.
“The script calls for a unique blend of theatricality — from intricate feats of technical design to low-tech corporeal storytelling by the actors. This combination creates theatrical magic and is a form of theatre that I believe our audiences will delight in.”
As well, Corcoran has established a new resident company program that will see a theatre company work hand in hand with the Arts Club. In 2018-19, Hardline Productions will be the Arts Club’s first resident company.
“I am excited about giving the opportunity for emerging companies and artists here in Vancouver to grow — in artistic, organizational and financial capacities,” said Corcoran.
The season will also include a remount of Disney’s Beauty and the Beast at the Stanley Theatre, a Pride and Prejudice followup titled Miss Bennet: Christmas at Pemberley at the Granville Island Stage and Redpatch, a historical drama about a young Metis soldier.
“I’ve curated 11 plays by Canadians, 11 by women, seven by B.C. artists and four by artists of colour or Indigenous artists,” said Corcoran, who will succeed Bill Millerd. Millerd is retiring this year and will become the artistic director emeritus at the end of February.
Shows at the Granville Island Stage are geared toward comedy, while the Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre focuses on “experimenting with form, style and the performer’s relationship with the audience.”
The upcoming season will also feature partnerships with Victoria’s Belfry Theatre, Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre and Winnipeg’s Royal Manitoba Theatre.
“Collaborating with other arts institutions is vital to the health of any modern theatre company,” she said. “This means that our work has a larger reach, our Vancouver artists have more opportunities across Canada, our staff is introduced to new collaborative styles and our audience is exposed to different approaches and artists.”
For more information about season ticket subscriptions or individual show sale dates, visit artsclub.com.