The Culture of Economics in Vancouver – A Curatorial Statement on eatingthegame by Theatre Conspiracy’s Artistic Producer Tim Carlson

November 24, 2014

Exploring the international economic landscape’s ripple effects on our culture locally, is Hong Kong Exile’s eatingthegame presented by Club PuSh and Theatre Conspiracy. We invited Tim Carlson, playwright and artistic producer of Theatre Conspiracy, to prepare us for this theatric lesson on the culture of economics in Vancouver.

Hong Kong Exile is a prolific up-and-coming interdisciplinary collective made up of theatre director/performer Milton Lim, choreographer/dancer Natalie Tin Yin Gan and composer/technologist Remy Siu. In just the past year HKX has delivered an impressive range and depth of work, often with a keen comic sense, tech savvy innovation and vibrant zest. I think Vancouver has been ready for a HKX for some time. Their work speaks to global issues, while addressing the local consequences; they speak to us on familiar territory while ready to pull the rug out from under our feet and our assumptions.

Under the direction of Milton Lim, freelance entrepreneur and private investment consultant Conor Wylie will share his motivational keynote address. His eatingthegame presentation about Vancouver development and Chinese investment is charming and very relevant; Wylie speaks about foreign policy-making, he tackles racial undercurrents of local debates, and he will share with us his endearing story of pragmatics and possibility. He will show us the line and how to cross it.

In the pre-show for the evening, you can witness the cultural force of virtuoso pianist Lang Lang’s super-stardom. Ideals and concepts around Chinese music tradition, and the piano as a symbol of the Eastern future, play out beautifully and subtley in Lang(Lang)guage, which I see as a masterful piece of documentary performance. Part interactive installation and part recital, you can fire off all kinds of video by triggering the keys on this piano, which brings a new mode of audience-interaction to the Club.

Tim Carlson
Artistic Producer & Club PuSh Co-Curator
Theatre Conspiracy

Join us at Club PuSh for eatingthegame on February 5, at Performance Works. Tickets to eatingthegame and Lang(Lang)guage are available to book on the PuSh Pass, Youth Passport, or as single tickets.