Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.
~Whoopi Goldberg
That’s What They Said!
Normal is nothing more than a cycle on a washing machine.
~Whoopi Goldberg
Member
Currently, Michele works as the Manager of Realwheels’ Acting Academy, leading the design and development of a professional acting program completely devoted to people with disabilities. Since 1998, he has worked in national and international artistic productions as creator and producer in a few countries around the world. In 2007, he won the “Prova d’Attore” Italian National Contest for theatre actors. Michele holds a PhD, an MSc, and has received professional training in theatre and education. He is a first-generation immigrant and part of a multicultural family.
She is the founding Artistic Director of the Aboriginal Arts Training and Mentorship program as well as Urban Indigenous Theatre Company, a multi-generational troupe creating positive, multi-disciplinary expressions of cultural self-determination
Jamie Thomson (Haida Nation) Dennis Joseph (Squamish Nation) have joined forces to form The Hitchhikers. Performing original music inspired by the blues, their lives, and their culture, Jamie leads the way on guitar with Dennis adding melodic highlights on harmonica. The duo has years of performance experience in bands like Bitterly Divine, White Feather, & Intellifunk. They debuted The Hitchhikers for the summer 2019 festival circuit.
Melissa Oei is a theatre actor and director. She is a graduate of Studio 58’s Conservatory Acting program, Langara College’s Film Arts program, and Capilano University’s Theatre Arts program. Melissa has performed with dozens of companies across Western Canada, most recently in the one-person show The Twelve Dates of Christmas with Arts Club Theatre. Melissa is a recipient of the Antony Holland scholarship from Studio 58, the Aida Broadbent Award from Theatre Under the Stars, the Best Performer award from Langara’s Unlock the Vault film festival, an Ovation Award, and is a two-time Jessie Richardson Award nominee.
Melissa was born, raised, studied, works, and lives in Vancouver on the traditional and unceded territories of the xʷməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations.
Melissa Oei: Curatorial Statement
When Artistic Director of Western Gold Theatre Tanja Dixon-Warren approached me about curating programming for Western Gold Theatre’s Virtual Gold series for Asian Heritage month, I felt a spark of excitement that I hadn’t felt in a very long time. The next feeling was confusion—what was my job exactly? All Tanja said was, “Your job is to dream.” Wow, and I thought I already had the best job in the world.
During a year when all jobs as a professional stage actor had disappeared, my opportunities for joy were few and far between. Though I had never curated anything before, besides my Instagram account, something about this project really spoke to me. I have had so many mentors during my professional career give me opportunities as an artist, and I was excited to do the same for others of both my artistic and cultural community. And in a year when anti-Asian sentiment and violence has been on a disturbing rise, it felt especially important to highlight the experiences of Asian artists and create Asian visibility.
Because I love plays, the first thing that came to mind was to present a script by an Asian playwright, and because part of Western Gold Theatre’s mandate is to mentor emerging artists, I hoped that we could help a new playwright to workshop and present their work.
When considering an idea for a workshop, I was immediately struck by the idea of shadow puppetry. My father grew up in Jakarta, and I remember clearly two Javanese shadow puppets that used to hang on my grandmother’s kitchen wall. I was always fascinated by their delicate and intricate forms. I was lucky enough to get in touch with Annie Rollins and procure her services to teach us more about this beautiful art form.
Lastly, but perhaps most profound for me, is the roundtable discussion. When the fatal attack of eight spa workers in Atlanta, six of whom were Asian, once again shed light on the rising incidents of Asian hate crimes over the past year, I knew that I wanted to hold a bold and honest discussion with Asian theatre artists from our community. And because of the Western Gold Theatre’s mandate, I especially wanted to feature senior artists. I wanted not only to create visibility for our Asian artists but also highlight their stories and experiences, both the challenges and the victories. My hope is that by creating visibility and deepening understanding of our experiences, we can keep working towards more opportunities, appreciation, and equity for Asian artists in our community.
I hope that you enjoy this programming for the Virtual Gold Series this May as much as I have enjoyed dreaming it up!
Annie Katsura Rollins is a researcher, theatre and puppetry artist, and practitioner of Chinese shadow puppetry, studying as a traditional apprentice since 2008. Rollins has received a Fulbright Fellowship, the Confucius Institute Joint PhD Research Fellowship and a Canadian SSHRC Doctoral Fellowship for her research. She was recently named valedictorian for her dissertation at Concordia University’s Interdisciplinary Humanities PhD program on the precarity of safeguarding traditional puppet forms. Selected venues for exhibitions, lectures and performances include The Art Institute of Chicago, The Montreal Botanical Gardens, The Center for Puppetry Arts in Atlanta, Bucknell University, Luther College, the Linden Center in Yunnan China, and the Rietveld Academie in the Netherlands. Annie has published articles in Puppetry International, Asian Theatre Journal, Manip, and Anthropology Now and created the first comprehensive Chinese shadow puppetry site in English at www.chineseshadowpuppetry.com.
Salim Rahemtulla was born in Kampala and moved to Canada in 1974, after graduation in Computer Science from the University of Manchester, England. Retired in 2019 and with encouragement from his children, he has found the time to pursue his passion for creative writing. His first foray into theatre was playing “Whale” in Jonah and the Whale at the Aga Khan School Kampala in the late 1960s. He has just finished the script of his first play, 90 Days, which is about the traumatic 90-day period in which all non-indigenous countrymen of Uganda were expelled by dictator Idi Amin. It draws on Salim’s memories of growing up in Uganda in a modest family of nine siblings who became separated after the expulsion. He is also currently writing short stories that he hopes to publish soon. He lives in Vancouver with his wife and four children.
In 2018, Howard joined Banff Centre for Arts and Creativity as Vice President Arts and Leadership where he is responsible for Arts, Leadership and Presenting Programs
Prior to Banff, Howard was Professor of Professional Practice in the School for the Contemporary Arts at SFU and was the Director of the Woodward’s Cultural Unit. There, he developed a Creative Entrepreneurship Program in the School for the Contemporary Arts and was responsible for the public Cultural and Community Programs at the Goldcorp Centre for the Arts.
Howard has been a member of several volunteer boards and committees, most notably for the Canadian Arts Summit, Orchestras Canada, Manitoba Arts Stabilization, the Canada Council, BC Arts Council Music, City of Vancouver, Vancouver Alliance for Arts and Culture, Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance, and the Vancouver Foundation’s Arts and Cultural Advisory Committee.
Howard is a member of the Board for the Dancer Transition Resource Centre and Chair of the Advisory Board for the Vancouver Chinatown Storytelling Centre.
Trained as a musician, Howard has served as the Executive Director for the Arts Club Theatre Company in Vancouver (2000-2014), Winnipeg Symphony Orchestra (1997-2000), and Ballet British Columbia (1993-1997) following work as Orchestra Manager in Vancouver and NYC.
Literary Manager
Marilyn is a professional actor who has lived in the Vancouver area for 30 years. Favourite stage roles include Heidi Holland in The Heidi Chronicles (Vancouver Playhouse), Hagar Shipley in The Stone Angel (Firehall Theatre), Eleanor of Aquitaine in The Lion in Winter (United Players). On screen she has worked with directors Steven Spielberg (The BFG), Gillian Armstrong (Little Women), Brian De Palma (Mission to Mars), and with actors Johnny Depp, Sam Shepherd, Leonardo di Caprio and the many, many great actors who live and work right here. She is also the creator and producer of My Mother’s Story, a multimedia campaign encouraging people to write the story of their mothers’ lives so women’s history is valued, saved, and shared. www.mymothersstory.org
Wild Blue Herons (WBH) are Bill Sample, Darlene Cooper and a group of stellar Vancouver based musicians who play mostly groove-oriented jazz. It’s a little bit hip, a bit cool, a bit smoky, a bit bluesy. But very much ACCESSIBLE. They perform original songs and select standards, ranging from funk to blues to R & B but with a jazz twist and a definite gospel influence. Their songs are filled with themes of love and social consciousness.
Wild Blue Herons have played in numerous festivals (the Filberg Festival, Ft. Langley Jazz and Arts Festival, Vancouver Folk Festival) as well as various Jazz Clubs (Frankies Jazz Club; Pat’s Pub – Jazz at the Pat series, Vernon Jazz club, to name a few). They have been featured with such artists as Eric Bibb, Marcus Mosely and the Marcus Mosely Chorale (MMC), Shari Ulrich and debuted their show “The Great Ladies of Jazz” at the historic Columbia Theatre in 2019. Bill and Darlene began working together in 2011 as music directors for the Vancouver based MMC. In writing songs and arrangements for the choir, they discovered they had a unique affinity for song writing, and so began their musical partnership which gave birth to the ensemble known as WBH. In 2018, they released their first album, “On the Outside”, which they feel describes themselves – “in music and life, the ‘outside’ is where you are when you are different. Good things can happen there”. They have started preproduction for their 2nd album, which will be released to the world in 2021.
Here’s what David Foster had to say when he came to hear WBH at Frankies: “I had the great pleasure of getting to hear my dear friend and colleague, Bill Sample, and the band WBH a couple of months back. It was a treat from beginning to end – great vocals from Darlene – incredible musicianship from everyone on stage and unique but very musical and thoughtful arrangements on every song!! The album doesn’t disappoint at all and a perfect reflection of who they are live. If you get a chance – please give them a listen – you will thank me” – David Foster (Grammy award winning producer)
www.wildblueherons.com
www.wildblueherons@gmail.com
Director
Anna’s long and accomplished career was honoured with the 2013 Jessie Richardson Theatre Award for Outstanding Career Achievement. In 2014 she was honoured to be Woman of the Year by UBCP/ACTRA. She was an associate director of the Arena Theatre Company, a professional repertory company, where she directed and acted – among other plays: Waiting for Godot, The Merry Wives of Windsor, She Stoops to Conquer, and Hay Fever. She served as assistant director of the Stratford Festival’s Young Company and was mentored by the internationally renowned director Robin Phillips, Anna then went on to be one of three Canadians invited to participate in the International Directors Seminar in London, England.Her extensive acting credits include The Music Man, Our Town, A Man for All Seasons, – the acclaimed World Theatre 2000 production of The Mill on the Floss (Soulpepper Theatre, Toronto). Vancouver audiences will have seen her in A Delicate Balance, Old Goriot, Half Life, Home Child, Three Tall Women, The Dining Room, Homeward Bound, Red Birds & Escaped Alone. Anna was the Artistic Director of Western Gold Theatre, for a total of 12 years. She now serves on the Board of Directors.
Director
Director
Head Hog of Fundraising!
President
Donnie MacDonald is a designated Chartered Professional Accountant and a Fellow of the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada (FCA, FCMA). She was the Vice-President of Finance with Westminster Savings Credit Union until retiring in July 2015. Currently she is a member of the AGLG Audit Council. Active in the community, she is currently Chair of the North Shore Crisis Services Society and is as a board member and Chair of Western Gold Theatre. In addition to her community work Donnie also enjoys travelling and hiking which has taken her to many interesting parts of the world. When at home she can be found enjoying live theatre (has been a loyal fan for over 30 years) and having fun with her friends and fellow book club and hiking group enthusiasts.
Director
Info coming soon
Director
She currently sits on the board of Green Thumb Theatre . She has also served on a number of other boards over the past 20 years including those of the Unitarian Church of Vancouver, the Universal Gospel Choir and the Canadian Public Relations Society.
Kathryn sings in a 50-voice auditioned choir. She acts as the choir’s producer for up to three concerts each year. She also manages the choir’s social media presence and runs the online ticketing and box office for concerts.
She has a life-long interest in theatre as student and performer in the distant past, producer for a couple of shows, and enthusiastic audience member. She also has family connections to the theatre through her husband Stephen (actor) and daughter Rachel (actor, playwright, associate artistic director at Green Thumb).
Creative Marketing Manager
Secretary
Diana has been a working singer and director in many years. She’s performed with United Players, Vagabond Players, The Metro, Dragon Diva Opera Company, Applause ! Musicals, North Shore Light Opera , The Shakespeare Center, PALS Chorus, and TUTS, as well as in numerous coffee houses and other dives. Back in the dawn of time, she worked with cuneiform and abacus as a computer programmer. Her proudest achievement was to usher two splendid young women into the world without messing it up too badly. She is very fond of dogs, cats, frogs, reading, swimming, single malt whisky, and travel, and persists against all odds in the attempt to learn French.
Diana firmly believes that the arts in general, and theatre in particular, are essential to humanity, noting that our most ancient ancestors, scraping a precarious existing from a harsh world, still made time for art – cave paintings, music, storytelling. They could not do otherwise. Without art, we have no hope of reaching out of our individual isolation to form community, and humans cannot survive long without community.
Treasurer
Louise has enjoyed a 38 year career in the Finance Department of a local Credit Union, retiring as the Vice President, Finance.
Volunteering has been a big part of Louise’s life, spending numerous hours volunteering with her children’s various sports teams and schools, church and a domestic abuse services organization. Served six years as a Board of Director for The North Shore Crisis Services Society, including holding the office of Treasurer.
Louise enjoys theatre from a seat in the audience and is thrilled to be on the Board of Western Gold Theatre and appreciates the love and dedication of all those attached to theatre.
Vice President
Bonnie is a retired executive from the Federal Public Service who is currently active on several Community Not For Profit Boards, including: the West End Community Centre; The Opera Club; and Western Gold Theatre (WGT). She participates as the Community Representative on three Medical Research Ethics Boards: Providence Health Care; Coastal Health; and Fraser Health.
She assists WGT with Volunteer Co-ordination and Donor Participation/p>
Casting
Stephanie was the Artist Liaison at the Arts Club Theatre Company for 25 years and facilitated the casting of hundreds of artists since 1998. Previous positions at the Arts Club include Campaign Administrator for the restoration and re-opening of the Stanley Theatre, and Tour Coordinator for the Arts Club Theatre for whom she sent out over 30 shows to 25 venues across BC and Ontario. Stephanie was also the Festival Manager for CIAO! (Children’s International Arts Organization), an international children’s theatre festival, in Bracknell and Oxford, Southwest England from 2004 – 2010. An active community member and volunteer, Stephanie has served on the Boards of the Greater Vancouver Professional Theatre Alliance, Jesssie Richardson Theatre Awards Society, British Columbia Touring Council, Rumble Productions and the Rachel Davis Foundation. Stephanie is a graduate of the University of British Columbia with a Master of Arts in English Literature. Stephanie is frequently asked to adjudicate auditions and to give workshops on audition techniques.
Publicist
Ellie O’Day has worked in music, performing arts and cultural industries for nearly 40 years. She was one of North America’s first female DJs in the 70s, a columnist for the Georgia Straight in the 80s, and Executive Director of Pacific Music Industry Assn in the 90s. For 17 years, her O’Day Productions provided media relations to The Cultch, festivals (PuSh Festival, Children’s Festival, VIFF, VIBC, Sonic Boom, KickstArt, Sound of Dragon), theatre companies, special events, CD launches and more. She has served on numerous boards, including twice as a Director of PAL Vancouver.
General & Production Manager
Glenn trained in all aspects of the theatre at the Manitoba Theatre Centre in Winnipeg during the magnificent tenure of the legendary John Hirsch. He has worked as an actor, Stage Manager, Production Manager and Designer for theatres across Canada and in the US including The Vancouver Playhouse, Arts Club Theatre, Stratford Festival, Charlottetown Festival and Studio Arena Theatre (Buffalo, NY). In Vancouver, he produced You’re A Good Man Charlie Brown at Metro Theatre, and co-produced T-Shirts at City Stage and Torch Song Trilogy at the Cultch. In addition he worked in Production Management for Expo ’86 Entertainment Department where he managed a $12M budget. He Stage Managed the Opening and Closing Ceremonies of the Calgary Winter Olympics and was Operations Director for BC’s MUSIC ’91 province wide music festival. He also works in television and film in set decoration and has over 100 projects to his credit. He is the President of the PAL Studio Theatre Society and sits on the Board of Trustees of PAL Vancouver. Glenn has designed over 200 stage productions including 20 in the last seven years at the PAL Studio Theatre. He is the recipient of the 2016 Jesse Richardson Award for Outstanding Set Design for the production of Annapurna. He has managed Western Gold Theatre since 2012.
Artistic Director
Tanja Dixon–Warren has been working as a theatre artist / producer for over 35 + years. Previously she was the Artistic Producer / Co-Founder of Hoarse Raven Theatre and from 2009 – 2017 she was Managing Producer of Full Circle: First Nations Performance. She continues to work with them on a consulting basis, mentoring young theatre practitioners As an actor, proudly based in Vancouver, she has been seen in a number of WGT productions as well as on numerous stages throughout the city. Film/TV includes a bunch of blink & you’ll miss ‘em plus the occasional role with an actual name! An active member of the community, Tanja has served on numerous boards and committees including 15 years with the Greater Vancouver Theatre Alliance, where she speared headed and launched World Theatre Days and the annual Making a Scene Theatre conference. She currently sits on the board of Vocal Eye and the Granville Island Theatre District (GID).Nominated twice for YWCA’s Woman of Distinction Award as well as a number of Jessie Richardson Award (for both performance and producing), she is recipient of the Mary Phillips Award, the Vancouver Board of Trade’s Business and the Arts Award and the 40 Under 40 ‘Business in Vancouver’ Award.