Events

  
Ivan is struggling against deadline to finish his play commissioned for Canada's 150th birthday celebrations.  His first draft was rejected for not being "Canadian" enough. In desperation, he reluctantly accepts advice from his self-absorbed (though well-meaning) actor friend, Reid, and their bitter, under-socialized bar server, Billie. Together and under alcohol-fueled inspiration, the trio wrestle Ivan's script to in a desperate and hilarious attempt to discover, what is Canadian Content?

Playstorm Drama Festival at the LLT
There’s a storm coming to the Langley Little Theatre this summer. A flash of comedy, a rumble of drama, and a blast of all the theatrical elements from the provocative to the absurd will make landfall at the Langley Little Theatre.

So tell us, just what is Playstorm?
Playstorm is a 10-day Festival dedicated to showcasing the work of local playwrights in the Metro Vancouver and Fraser Valley area. It’s a partnership between the playwrights and the Langley Little Theatre that provides writers with a venue and access to an audience and an opportuntiy for the club to grow presence in the vibrant community theatre scene.

A novel idea, sounds like an interesting origin story?
The spark for the festival came from the notion that there were many talented writers in our backyard that had work worthy of the stage, but were limited by the financial barriers that producing theatre creates.

Venue rental alone is so cost prohibitive that artists (many of the starving variety) don’t have the capital to pay for a rental. If they are lucky enough to find the cash to rent a space. They then have to stress about selling enough tickets to break even. On top of venue costs there are also various production costs that add up very quickly( i.e. costumes, props, set, insurance) For most writers, the financial risk is just too high, and consequently some great theatre never gets produced.

We at the LLT felt that we could offer some of our club resources including our venue to allieviate some of the risk for writers. Not only, are we providing an opportuntiy for emerging writers, directors, and performers, we are also exposing our audience to new and exciting plays that they wouldn’t have seen otherwise. What kind of plays will be at Playstorm?

All the offerings this year are one acts somewhere between 45-90 minutes running time. We have a drama featuring the adventures of a senior citizen who befriends a giant talking rat. There is show about a birthday party princess who finds herself moonlighting as prescription drug dealer to bail her out of financial ruin. We have a memory play that covers one woman’s interactions with myserious visitors to the planet. There’s a comedy about a desperate playwright who is struggling to finish a new play for Canada’s 150th birthday celebration. Finally, an absurd comedy about the “Silly” things that go down at the Marzipan Cafe, a must see for those who enjoy sketch comedy that has gone off leash.

What are some of the goals for Playstorm, beyond showcasing new plays? Our immeadiate goal is the obvious; provide and opportunity for artists to present their work. However, there is a couple of “big picture” aims to the festival. One, is to build a theatre community. It’s no secret that we are currently living in a very stressfull world. Pandemics, uncertain economics, and global strife, have impacted our social environment. Many of us feel frustrated, anxious and isolated. Participating in community events like this can provide a break from the our complicated lives and relief from some of the symptoms it causes.

We also want to foster a platform for artists to grow. Think about all the famous plays out there. Think about all the famous performers. They all started somewhere. Just like every hit song on a radio, oscar-winning movie, or every book on the bestseller list, the inspiration came from an idea from someone’s head. We want to help that simple creative spark take root and flourish.

Any other things a prospective audience should know?
A majority of the ticket revenue goes directly to the perfoming shows, which is great because it allows the show (depending on their production costs) to make a few dollars. We run two shows per evening 6:30pm and 8:30pm, weekend matinees begin at 2pm. We are very fortunate to have a group of dedicated club volunteers to make the festival run, and we could not do it with out their generous donation of time, energy, and expertise.