Do You Mind if I Sit Here?
Theatre Replacement, Canada
Due to a COVID-19 case within the performing company – the Sunday, January 29th closing performance has been canceled. Please contact patron services for exchange or refund options.
In this boldly imaginative performance, Theatre Replacement gazes into this city’s future using the power of fiction and found materials. The story has three social planners visiting Vancouver’s Russian Hall roughly 30 years from now; their task is to repurpose it for common use. Long abandoned due to damage from earthquakes and flooding, the building would seem to be perfect for such a project—but the trio soon discovers a squatter who has been living there all through the years of catastrophe. The planners must, in the name of “progress,” remove this most eccentric inhabitant, who has been maintaining the Hall, and who possesses a trove of Soviet industrial films on 16mm stock…
This is a work about the possibilities of radical transformation, and, in that spirit, TR reconceives the Hall as a multimedia site, complete with looping spoken text, enormous video screens, and immersive sound design. With this building as their canvas, the assembled collaborators enact a witty allegory—one that dares us to imagine the future in terms of our most important hopes, fears, and beliefs. In the spirit of openness and interaction, food is shared with the audience throughout the performance. There will be post-show chat after the January 27 performance, moderated by Gabrielle Martin.
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Artist Bio
Theatre Replacement (Canada)
Theatre Replacement’s James Long and Maiko Yamamoto like to build outwards from simple concepts, creating works that use conversation to explore the ways we live with each other. The two artists seek to portray the flux of argument and dialogue, and their creations have a powerful immediacy to them. Theatre Replacement’s work has been performed at over 50 festivals around the world, and in 2019 the company was awarded the prestigious Siminovitch Prize for “excellence and innovation in Canadian Theatre.”
Venue
600 Campbell Avenue, Vancouver
Showtimes
- January 26: 8:00
- January 27: 8:00
- January 28: 8:00
- January 29: 4:00
Runtime: 100 mins
Post-show chat after the January 26 performance, moderated by Gabrielle Martin.
Tickets
Single Tickets: $37
Access
The performance on January 27th will be a relaxed performance, more info below
There will be Open Captions on January 29th
Due to the nature of the show, the captions won’t be visible from all seats. For those who want to use the Open Captions on the 29th, we recommend making a note when booking a ticket so we can ensure to reserve seats for you
Because this show is in creation, the Visual Story for this show will be available to download here on January 27th.
The visual story will have information and pictures to help people prepare for the experience or decide if this show is right for them.
On the day of the relaxed performance, January 27th, there will be an introduction to give people an opportunity to hear some of the loud sounds and see some of the intense moments beforehand. If you want to attend that, please arrive by 7.30pm and let us know you would like to attend the introduction to the relaxed performance.
Credits
Video: Candelario Andrade Movement: Justine Chambers Assistant Director: Arthi Chandra Costumes: Barbara Clayden and Alaia Harmer Audio Engineering: Brad Danyluk Performers: Kayvon Khoshkam, Pippa Mackie, Gina Stockdale and Conor Wylie Direction and Text: James Long Technical Director: Matt Oviat Sound Design and Composition: Mauricio Pauly Lighting: Sophie Tang Dramaturgy and Text: Marcus Youssef. Do You Mind If I Sit Here was created with The Great Northern Way Scene Shop. Special thanks to Bard on the Beach, Electric Company Theatre, Chris Engleman, Mark Eugster, Lisa Gelley, Jonathan Ryder and Jordyn Wood.