ARTS & CULTURE
May 24, 2022
11
SHIFTING THE STAGE
rEvolver festival features inclusive and innovative performances by Canadian artists.
PHOTO: Mike Tan
Upintheair Theatre presents rEvolver Festival 2022: six must-see productions rEvolver Festival 2022 returns in-person, gives emerging and evolving artists a platform to show their most eclectic and heartfelt productions
JO CE LY N ST EVEN S / / SF U STUD E NT
Upintheair Theatre will be hosting its highly anticipated annual rEvolver Festival at The Cultch in East Vancouver. The 12-day festival returns in-person this year from May 25–June 5. In regards to COVID-19, masks are recommended or mandatory depending on the show, and are provided upon request. The festival presents various performances and events produced by “a new generation of Canadian interdisciplinary artists.” Tickets are priced between the following options: $30, $22, or $15. They also offer ticket packages, with the all-access pass being $120. This year’s programming focuses on the theme of interconnectivity and ranges from theatrical performances and stage readings to intimate interactive digital and audio experiences. With such an impressive and inclusive roster this year, the festival is not one to miss.
To learn more about rEvolver Festival 2022 and to purchase tickets, check out their website and Instagram.
Holy Moly by Jarin Schexnider Gender? I Hardly Know Them by Elena Belyea & Syd Campbell
PHOTO: Jarin Schexnider
Gender? I Hardly Know Them is created and performed by comedians Elena Belyea and Syd Campbell from Tiny Bear Jaws in Edmonton. This sketch show is “out to queer the world” through comedy in a fun yet provocative approach. What really interests me about this piece besides it being a comedy — which I’m a big fan of — is that the show is based on the Alberta Prairies. It makes me wonder: “What is it like to be queer in the prairies?”
Go find a pair of corded headphones for this next show performed and created by Jarin Schexnider. It is a unique, interactive, “choose your own adventure” production that gives the viewer control on how it plays out. If you attend, you will be given a random audio track from Schexnider’s personal cassette tapes. These cassette tapes are mixed with “jazzercise, cooking shows, and Schexnider’s own childhood field recordings to recover a feeling of holiness.” I’ve never been a part of an interactive performance where the audience decides how the plot plays out, so I’m really excited for this one.
You can view this sketch from May 26–29.
You can view this performance from May 25–29.
PHOTO: Elena Eli Belyea
Harvesting Ancestral “Tea-Chings” by Siobhan Barker FR (Friendship Ritual) by Calvin Peterson
PHOTO: Siobhan Barker This is another interactive performance that includes stories and traditional African cooking from writer, producer, and performer Siobhan Barker. Those who attend will partake in humorous storytelling and cook-along while “exploring known and unknown mixed-racial identity and intersectionality in living with disability.” The goal of this interactive performance is collectiveness and reconnecting with cultural roots. As a Métis person, this piece interests me because it talks about ancestral teachings, displaced and colonized people, and how the “Black/African diaspora carry the land” with them in every form; experiences which are familiar to the Indigenous peoples of Turtle Island (Canada) as well.
Built Different by Connor Runnings
PHOTO: Calvin Peterson
PHOTO: Tamara McCarthy
This one I found not only cool, but super cute in the sense that it’s something you can do with your loved ones, whether they are your closest friend, family member, or your partner. Here, you and one other person go through an intimate and interactive 45– 60 minute audio experience. The fun audio programme guides you through friendship with art, dancing, and deep reflections. I personally want to give FR a try as its concept centers around encouraging you to appreciate the people in your life that have been with you through thick and thin.
This performance is available May 26–June 5, with an inperson viewing (masks mandatory) available on May 26.
This performance will be held from June 2–5, with the relaxed viewing held on June 4.
Couch Dwellers Productions presents a play that follows four autistic young adults who bond by reflecting on difficult truths after the passing of their behaviour consultant. This dramedy about “love, loss, and solidarity” will be one that stays with the viewer. This production gives perspective on what dealing with these types of scenarios can be like for an individual with autism. There is a “relaxed performance” viewing where lights will remain partially dimmed and doors will be left open.
Another cool note is that this event is free (who doesn’t love free stuff?) and remote, so it’s very accessible and available throughout the entire festival.
