After two years of research and planning, Theatre Conspiracy is digging into the creation of the documentary-style play Extraction. Our international cast and team of theatre artists are in residence at The Cultch in Vancouver for the next couple of weeks to experiment before a work-in-progress presentation at Your Kontinent: Richmond International Film & Media Arts Festival on July 21.
Extraction delves deep into the heart of intertwined cultural phenomena: China’s rise as an economic power and oil extraction in Alberta. Mining the biographies of non-actor performers, this bilingual (English and Mandarin) play cracks the surface of highly charged debates to illuminate lives transformed by legendary traffic jams, boomtown fever, translation trouble and diplomatic intrigue in Beijing and in Fort McMurray’s tar sands.
The performers in Extraction are people with distinct life experiences who play themselves: Jimmy Mitchell, a former Canadian diplomat and journalist who spent the most of the past 20 years in China; Teresa Tang, a freelance interpreter from Beijing who has worked for diverse clients in cultural, corporate and government spheres including James Cameron and Tony Blair; and Sunny Sun, a recent Chinese immigrant trying to make a new life in Vancouver.
The show will premiere March 5-9, 2013 at The Cultch in Vancouver.
(Top photos left to right – Row 1: Teresa Tang, Jimmy Mitchell, Sunny Sun, Tim Carlson; Row 2: Flick Harrison, Amiel Gladstone, Jeremy Waller; Row 3: Yvonne Yip, Stacy Sherlock, Ron Samworth, Belinda Bruce. Photos by Belinda Bruce; Photos right: Sunny Sun, Tim Carlson & Jeremy Waller; Teresa Tang & Jimmy Mitchell. Images by Flick Harrison)
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July 21, 8:15pmPerformance Hall, Richmond Cultural Centre
mapCo-presented by the City of Richmond and Cinevolution Media Arts Society, Your Kontinent: Richmond International Film & Media Arts Festival at the Richmond Cultural Centre is a community-wide celebration of arts and culture through film, music and multimedia.
Interact and tell us what you think: The work-in-progress presentation of Extraction will involve wide community participation, including an open call to residents to perform in the show, post-show discussions and audience feedback.
Writing/Research/Casting by Tim Carlson; Direction by Amiel Gladstone; Dramaturgy by Jeremy Waller; Video and Technical Design by Flick Harrison; Lighting Design by Adrian Muir; Lighting Assistant Ryan McCallion, Original Music by Ron Samworth; Stage Management by Yvonne Yip; Assistant Stage Management by Stacy Sherlock; Consultant/Performer Jimmy Mitchell; Performer Teresa Tang; Performer Sunny Sun.
Extraction is preceded by M. Dragu Museum at 7:00pm
For tickets click here
Extraction supporters: Canada Council, BCAC, City of Vancouver OAC, Hamber Foundation, BC Gaming Access, Rio Tinto Alcan Performing Arts Award, The Leon and Thea Koerner Foundation.
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Extraction on Indiegogo
Extraction is Conspiracy’s most ambitious production to date.
An exciting and challenging project, Extraction has thus far involved research in Beijing and Fort McMurray, and working with an international cast and talented local theatre makers. We endeavour to make the show interactive and engaging for everyone. The work-in-progress presentation in July will bring us one step closer to the premiere in March 2013.
Soon we will be mounting an Indiegogo campaign with the hope of raising more funds to produce the premiere next year. We’ll be offering some great perks and tax-deductible donations. We hope you will take a look and perhaps be inspired to help us out.