Dear Friends and Colleagues,                                                                  

Maiko and Norman here — hope this finds you all well. 

We’re reaching out today because in the height of COVID, we started dreaming up and planning for a book to possibly/impossibly do proper justice to the last 30 years of Vancouver’s exploding, live indie theatre scene: Vancouver Theatrics: 30 Years of Restless Experimentation. Here’s a bit of a context for you:

Over the last 30 years, Vancouver has grown from being a compact, close knit, homogeneous (and somewhat insular) community, to an expansive, multifaceted and outward facing ecosystem. Vancouver Theatrics will bring into view a community that spans the cultural, political and far-reaching historical perspectives of poet/playwright Marie Clements to the Electric Company’s acrobatic interplay of text, design and performance.

What could be characterized as a mostly playwright-centered and naturalistic-leaning aesthetic in the 80s and early 90s, now tilts to the decidedly devised, often collectively created, and at times explicitly documentary. A conventional auteur, director-driven process has been largely superseded by a more collaborative ethos, while a traditional realist or symbolist scenography now runs the gamut from austere, highly conceptual stage designs, to large-scale cross-disciplinary creation and multimedia infused dramaturgy. The work often willfully abandons the stage outright for public spaces. Collaborative partnerships such as PL 1422, the Post at 750, and the indie Progress Lab consortium behind the serialized experimentation of HIVE and Obstructions have tapped into a spirit of camaraderie to help drive a sense of individual and collective risk-taking.

Vancouver Theatrics features contributions from a diverse and intergenerational cohort of local artists, encapsulating perspectives that span Vancouver’s contemporary performance scene. Contributors represent an intersection of artistic practices and relationships, aesthetic interests, creative strategies and cultural knowledge. Essays will revolve around subject matter arising out of our discussions on the era, the writer’s own interests and practice, and the dynamic between the two. 

In addition, we are contributing a conversation piece to frame and anchor the book. We feel very strongly about the need for the Vancouver scene to be captured in a way

that is reflective of the incredible history and impact — the significant and collective artistry — of this scene we feel so very proud to be a part of. 

We have a publisher (Anvil Press) and a collaborative design team, Derek Barnett of Information Office and Vicky Lum, on board. However, we have been unsuccessful with some very solid funding applications. As you will appreciate, it’s been quite a challenge during the pandemic and these digitally-driven times to rationalize a theatre book. And yet the need to capture our virtually unrecorded history is more pressing than ever. We have a vision for Vancouver Theatrics — something tangible and beautiful, written by artists, that expresses our community in the spirit in which it has grown. 

Norman Armour Consulting and Theatre Replacement are on board as key underwriters and drivers of the project, but we need your help in making Vancouver Theatrics a reality. We are writing to you because you’ve been a significant part of the era we are endeavouring to capture. Please join us in fulfilling the potential of our dreams. 

We are currently seeking company sponsorship contributions in any amount between $250 and $2500 to help us reach the $15,000 we need to create this book. TR will provide a tax receipt via Canada Helps for all contributions received, and of course, your company’s name will be included in the book as a sponsor and in all other appropriate promotional materials.

We deeply thank you for your consideration and support, and for your part in building our incredible contemporary performing arts scene here. 

Yours,

Norman & Maiko