May 16, 2023
Vancouver, BC – snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College’s Studio 58 has embarked on a cross-disciplinary project to create a digital database of stage works that break from the standard western canon of theatre productions.
“We needed material that represents the broad spectrum of society that we saw reflected in our students,” explains David Hudgins, Associate Director of Studio 58. “We wanted to provide them with more options and allow them to see themselves represented on stages both at the College and professional level.”
The project, titled Parallel Play, began when Hudgins, along with his predecessor Jane Heyman and the program's former Artistic Director, Kathryn Shaw found themselves looking to veer away from the typical catalogue of material they work with.
Initially funded by a grant from the Langara College Applied Research Centre, Shaw, Heyman, and a team of students from Langara’s Student Work Assistance Program compiled a list of 760 culturally diverse plays and playwrights. The curated list includes theatrical scripts based on gender identity, cultural background, level of study, age of characters, casting restrictions, performance history, and country of origin.
The project now enters a final phase: digitizing the collected information into a permanent, searchable database that will be available to students, faculty, other professional theatre training institutions, the national and international theatre community, and the public. This last part of the project will be completed over the following year in collaboration with instructors and students from Langara’s Web and Mobile App Design and Development, and Library and Information Technology programs.
About Studio 58
Studio 58 is the professional theatre training program at Langara College, located on the unceded territory of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam) Nation, Vancouver, BC. Led by Courtenay Dobbie, the program offers nationally recognized training for both actors and production personnel and produces six public productions annually. More information at studio58.ca.
About snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College
Located in beautiful Vancouver, B.C., Canada, snəw̓eyəɬ leləm̓ Langara College provides university-level education to more than 19,000 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 snəw̓eyəɬ leləm, 'house of teachings', a name given to it by Musqueam, on whose unceded traditional territory the College is located.
Learn more.
Mark Dawson
Manager, Public Affairs
Langara College
mdawson@langara.ca
Photo: Ivy Charles in Urinetown the Musical. Credit: Emily Cooper