Aug 25, 2020

Vancouver, BC – Studio 58, the nationally renowned professional theatre training program at Langara College, is excited to reveal an entirely online and free line-up for the fall semester.

As restrictions on public gatherings and live performances continue due to COVID-19, the fall projects are an opportunity for audiences to engage in theatre from the safety of their own homes and for students to hone their digital creation skills.

Five projects will be presented—a web series pilot, radio play, a podcast showcase, a stripped-down, ensemble production of A Doll’s House, and the traditional Risky Nights in a virtual format. All of the projects will be free to the public and available to watch online.

“We’re also thrilled to have several talented guest instructors joining us this semester,” said Artistic Director Kathryn Shaw. “Jasmine Chen (Artistic and Community Producer at the Gateway Theatre) will lead a Shakespeare scene study class, actor and playwright Omari Newton is teaching a monologue workshop, director Robert McQueen will instruct a musical theatre master class, and alum Jessie Liang (founder of Acting Expanded online classes) is back to lead a workshop on marketing and promotion for graduating students.

The line-up for Spring 2021 will be announced later this year.

Fall 2020 Programming:

Ibsen’s A Doll’s House
Ingmar Bergman's adaptation Nora
Directed by Laara Sadiq
Production Designer: Jessica Oostergo
Lighting Designer: Alan Brodie
Stage Management Mentor: Susan Miyagishima
October 4–11
Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube

A classic play, about a woman’s self- emancipation from oppression, written by a privileged white man, told by a troupe of diverse young actors, in the midst of a global pandemic and massive social upheaval. Safely apart, but together, the ensemble will each take turns stepping into multiple roles and contribute to the unfolding of Nora’s journey. This stripped down staging with just voices, bodies in motion, and music asks the question, “How did we get here?”.

Risky Nights: fort
Directed by Angelica Schwartz and Stephanie Wong
October 22–25
Live on Zoom

Now in its 20th season, the Risky Nights Series is an opportunity to bridge classroom work and mainstage productions. Students in their fourth term of training create and perform every aspect of an original theatre piece with a professional director. This fall, grads Angelica Schwartz and Stephanie Wong (from theatre collective happy/accidents) return to direct a project titled fort.
What kind of world do we want to live in? What does it take to dream a better existence? fort creates "safe" spaces that allow these questions to surface. Out of the household items they already have, audiences are invited to participate in a communal construction of their own personal fortified spaces, from the comfort of their own home. fort is a digital theatrical experience that strives to bridge distances and collectively dream of a better tomorrow.

Web Series Pilot: The Watch
Produced and Directed by Janin Palahicky
Written by Ben Gough
November
Online launch party on Youtube

Students in their final term will present a web pilot written by  and filmed with recent graduates of Langara College’s Film Arts program. The two programs teamed up for the first time in 2018 to produce the web series pilot, The Way Station. As many Studio 58 graduates go on to work in the Film and TV industry this project provides them with practical experience in the medium. Directed by Janin Palahicky, The Watch is a mockumentary style comedy involving a rag-tag collection of citizens who come together to form a neighbourhood watch group.

Podcast Showcase
Created with Colin Murdock, Aaron Bushkowsky, and Josué Menjivar
November 20
Available to listen to online

Taking inspiration from illustrations by comic book artist and illustrator Josué Menjivar students will work with acclaimed playwright Aaron Bushkowsky to develop a short podcast script. These will then be further refined under the guidance of award-winning voice actor and director Colin Murdock to help students create a final dramatic podcast production. With the growth in animation and voice acting work for actors, and the push for innovative and fresh online creation, this project will help students hone their voice and character acting skills to give them more tools for a varied and ongoing career in the digital age. The podcasts, alongside their illustration will be available to view and listen to online.

Theatre: The Play
Written and directed by Ryan Beil and Mark Chavez
November 24­–29
Livestreamed on Facebook and YouTube

The Nearlake Theatre Festival & Bar & Grill faces certain closure if they can't produce a hit show. Dudley, the festival's intrepid artistic director, throws out all the stops in an attempt to stage a masterpiece the likes of which the theatre world has never seen: Macbeth, War on Christmas. But, can the cast and crew deal with their personal demons before the punters show up? Theatre: The Play is both a love letter and a cheeky middle finger to the world of theatre, asking “why would anyone work in this unforgiving and unstable field of make believe?”. This production will take the form of an enhanced radio play and will be livestreamed.

About Studio 58
Studio 58 is the professional theatre training program at Langara College, located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Under the direction of Kathryn Shaw, it offers nationally recognized training for both actors and production personnel. More information at studio58.ca

About Langara College
Located in beautiful Vancouver, B.C., Canada, snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College provides University, Career, and Continuing Studies education to more than 23,000 students annually. With more than 1,700 courses and 130 programs, Langara’s expansive academic breadth and depth allows students of all ages, backgrounds, and life stages to choose their own educational path. Langara is also known as 'house of teachings', a name given to it by the Musqueam people on whose unceded traditional territory the College is located. Langara is celebrating its 49th year on West 49th Avenue with Beyond 49, an integrated celebration, alumni engagement, and fundraising campaign to reconnect with alumni, and raise funds for student support and important College initiatives.

Learn more.
Linda Pitt
Communications and Administrative Manager
Studio 58
lpitt@langara.ca