Production History
Before BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN, there was BRAVE HEARTS .....
Teatro Berdache began its life in 1995 as an Equity Co-op calling itself
The Gentle Night Theatre Company, forming to produce Harry Rintoul's BRAVE
HEARTS in association with AIDS Calgary. Set against the sprawling landscape
of the Saskatchewan prairies, BRAVE HEARTS tells the story of two drifters - a
ranch hand named G.W. and a seismologist named Rafe - whose meeting unlocks s
ecrets,
anguish and even hope. The production featured Barry Thorson as Rafe &
Steve Gin as G.W., Coral Thew as director, Susanah Windrum as
Stage Manager, and Lillian Messer & John Sherrington as designers.
Key in the production also were several volunteers and clients of AIDS
Calgary, who spoke after each show about their own experiences with HIV and
AIDS. Some of these brave hearts are now gone, but not forgotten.
In the tribute we appreciated most, the late Harry Rintoul described this
as the the most heartfelt production of his Dora Mavor Moore Award nominated
play. Thank you Harry, for this, and for so much more.
2000
FINDERS, KEEPERS written and performed by Larry Smith (Calgary
Fringe Festival). In his one man performance, Smith explores the dark corners of
urban gay life, through the eyes of a street hustler, a drag performer, a social
worker and a born again Christian.
" … an intense, funny, unusual and very disturbing work." (The Calgary
Herald)
2001
THREESOME: A TRILOGY OF GAY AND LESBIAN PLAYS (Calgary Pride
Festival). Included premiere reading of Bruce Chambers' DEAR MR. KLEIN, along
with a staged reading of John Lazarus' DAVID for QUEEN, with profits supporting
GLCSA's Inside Out Youth Group.
HOT AND SOFT written and performed by Muriel Miguel of New York City's
Spiderwoman Theatre (Calgary). An original member of Joe Chaiken's revolutionary
Open Circle Theater in New York City, Miguel brought her ribald one woman ode to
Aboriginal lesbian lust to Calgary, attracting whistles, ovations and a new
generation of fans!
FINDERS, KEEPERS written and performed by Larry Smith (Toronto
Fringe Festival). Teatro Berdache takes on the epicentre of Canada; even better
the second time around!
2002
MOTHER EARTH'S CHARM SCHOOL FOR QUEER BOYS AND THEIR LESBIAN FRIENDS
written and performed by Mariette Sluyter of Spinstergirl Productions (Calgary).
Live and interactive, Mother Earth brings her own brand of whole grain
fabulousness to gay boys everywhere! Just think "Queer Eye for the Straight
Guy," but without boundaries.
HOLY WARHOLA! THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ANDY WARHOL written and performed by
Steve Gin for The New York Museum of Modern Art's POP IMPRESSIONS exhibition;
direction by Coral Thew (Calgary). The story of gay Pop guru Andy Warhol and his
mercurial rise to fame.
QUIETLY OVERWHELMED written by Corrina Hodgson and performed by Laura
Parken, Mariette Sluyter & Larry Smith. Direction by Gail Hanrahan; dramaturgy
by Sharon Pollock. (Calgary). A work of soaring beauty about the intersection of
love, loss and art, as a lesbian artist seeks to find the spirit of her deceased
lover in a mountain arts colony.
" … (Hodgson) obviously understands artists and the people who love them ….
her play is quietly intelligent." (Fast Forward)
2004
HOLY WARHOLA! THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ANDY WARHOL written and
performed by Steve Gin for The Vancouver Art Gallery and The Andy Warhol
Museum's ANDY WARHOL: PRINTS AND DRAWINGS exhibition (Vancouver). Bigger,
better, and just a lot more cheeky this time around, as one actor inhabits the
roles of Warhol's mother, art dealer Ivan Karp, drag queen Holly Woodlawn, and
Warhol himself. In addition, Teatro Berdache ran a series of theatre workshops
based on Warhol's works for the University of British Columbia's Teachers'
Institute, examining media literacy and censorship.
" ... the highlight of the Institute .... in my opinion, your work
here at the Gallery was an example of live museum interpretation at its very
best." (Marie Lopes, Acting Head of Public Programs, Vancouver Art Gallery)
DEAR
MR. KLEIN written by Bruce Chambers and performed by Chad Nobert & Steve
Gin. Direction by Chris Cinnamon; dramaturgy by Clem Martini. (Calgary). Country
boy meets city boy in this collision between between an openly gay Calgarian and
a handsome rural cowboy. Set against the real life events of the pivotal Delwin
Vriend decision of 1998, where Alberta was ordered by The Supreme Court of
Canada to further protect gays and lesbians in their Human Rights Code.
More on Dear Mr. Klein.
" ... In its ability to render a pair of sympathetic and very human
characters in a way that's both touching and amusing, Chambers' script is a
model of balance and subtlety. And thanks in great measure to director
Christopher Cinnamon's easy pacing, Gin and Nobert make it all look very natural
and real." (The Calgary Herald)
" ...
Those with an open mind should see this play. Those with a narrow
mind need to see it." (The Calgary Sun)
2006
AI YAH: SWEET AND SOUR SECRETS - Third generation Chinese Canadian Jade Wong has a secret - the boy her traditionalist parents want her to marry isn't a "he" - it's a television executive named "Jennifer." Ai Yah! What's a girl to do?
In conjunction with Lunchbox Theatre and the Alberta Playwrights Network,
Teatro Berdache presented a sold out workshop reading of Dale Lee Kwon's
delicious new comedy Ai Yah: Sweet and Sour Secrets as part of the APN's
Playwrights Ink conference Nov 2-4, 2007. Under the direction of Brenda
Finley, the cast included Michelle Wong, Francine Wong, Nicole Zylstra, Patrick
MacEachern & Steve Gin.