WHAT IS ACCESSIBLE TICKETING AT PACIFIC?

For $15, anyone can purchase a ticket – there are fifteen available each night – and see our mainstage show. No restrictions.

WAIT. WHAT?

It’s true! For the past three years, PT has offered sliding scale tickets for all of our shows. The accessible ticket program is made possible by our generous donors and full price ticket buyers. (We love ya!)

DO I QUALIFY?

Yup! This program covers students, seniors, low income artists, and anyone else who wants to see a Pacific show and might not be able to otherwise.

IF YOU ARE ASKING – you qualify.

WHY DO THIS?

We rely on ticket sales to run. BUT. We also believe powerful theatre should be available to whoever wants to experience it. This helps make that happen. It’s that simple.

God Said This by Leah Nanako Winkler
A curated reading list from Iron Dog Books

‘The Undying: Pain, Vulnerability, Mortality, Medicine, Art, Time, Dreams, Data, Exhaustion, Cancer, and Care‘ 9781250757982

A genre-bending memoir in the tradition of The Argonauts, The Undying will break your heart, make you angry enough to spit, and show you contemporary America as a thing both desperately ill and occasionally, perversely glorious.

‘Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death‘ 9784805314432

Hundreds of Japanese death poems, many with a commentary describing the circumstances of the poet’s death, have been translated into English here, the vast majority of them for the first time. Compiler Yoel Hoffmann explores the attitudes and customs surrounding death in historical and present-day Japan and gives examples of how these have been reflected in the nation’s literature in general. The development of writing jisei is then examined–from the longing poems of the early nobility and the more “masculine” verses of the samurai to the satirical death poems of later centuries.

‘Crying in H Mart‘ 9781984898951

In this exquisite story of family, food, grief, and endurance, Michelle Zauner proves herself far more than a dazzling singer, songwriter, and guitarist. With humor and heart, she tells of growing up one of the few Asian American kids at her school in Eugene, Oregon; of struggling with her mother’s particular, high expectations of her; of a painful adolescence; of treasured months spent in her grandmother’s tiny apartment in Seoul, where she and her mother would bond, late at night, over heaping plates of food. The author is mixed-race Korean.

‘Unearthing: A Story of Tangled Love and Family Secrets‘  9781039006706

Three months after Kyo Maclear’s father dies in December 2018, she gets the results of a DNA test showing that she and the father who raised her are not biologically related. Suddenly Maclear becomes a detective in her own life, unravelling a family mystery piece by piece, and assembling the story of her biological father. Along the way, larger questions arise: what exactly is kinship? And what does it mean to be a family? The author is mixed-race Japanese. 

‘Love at Six Thousand Degrees‘ 9781609458195

An ordinary housewife finds herself haunted by visions of a mushroom cloud and abruptly leaves her husband and son to travel alone to the city of Nagasaki, where she soon begins an affair with a young half-Russian, half-Japanese man.

‘No Bad Parts: Healing Trauma and Restoring Wholeness with the Internal Family Systems’ Model‘ 9781683646686

Is there just one “you”? We’ve been taught to believe we have a single identity, and to feel fear or shame when we can’t control the inner voices that don’t match the ideal of who we think we should be. Yet Dr. Richard Schwartz’s research now challenges this “mono-mind” theory. “All of us are born with many sub-minds—or parts,” says Dr. Schwartz. “These parts are not imaginary or symbolic. They are individuals who exist as an internal family within us—and the key to health and happiness is to honor, understand, and love every part.”

‘It’s Ok That You’re Not Ok‘ 9781622039074

In It’s OK That You’re Not OK, Megan Devine offers a profound new approach to both the experience of grief and the way we try to help others who have endured tragedy. Having experienced grief from both sides—as both a therapist and as a woman who witnessed the accidental drowning of her beloved partner—Megan writes with deep insight about the unspoken truths of loss, love, and healing. She debunks the culturally prescribed goal of returning to a normal, “happy” life, replacing it with a far healthier middle path, one that invites us to build a life alongside grief rather than seeking to overcome it. 

‘Hungry Ghost‘ 9781250767004

Valerie Chu is quiet, studious, and above all, thin. No one, not even her best friend, Jordan, knows that she has been bingeing and purging for years. But when tragedy strikes, Val finds herself reassessing her priorities, her choices, and her body. The path to happiness may lead her away from her hometown and her mother’s toxic projections—but first she will have to find the strength to seek help.

‘Being Mortal: Medicine and What Matters in the End‘ 9780385677028

Being Mortal looks at the way modern medicine has changed the experience of dying, what the implications of this change are for each of us, and what we would need to do to change a system that knows a lot about prolonging life but little about tending to death.

‘Tokyo Ueno Station‘ 9780593187524

Through Kazu’s eyes, we see daily life in Tokyo buzz around him and learn the intimate details of his personal story, how loss and society’s inequalities and constrictions spiraled towards this ghostly fate, with moments of beauty and grace just out of reach. A powerful masterwork from one of Japan’s most brilliant outsider writers, Tokyo Ueno Station is a book for our times and a look into a marginalized existence in a shiny global megapolis.

Leah Nanako Winkler’s God Said This runs to June 24th – here are just a few of the responses we’ve received from critics and audiences alike about this raw, funny family story.

THE MEDIA

A truly immersive and intimate audience experience […] slick direction from director Kaitlin Williams, poignant writing and incredibly impressive acting from the whole cast. – Vancouver Presents

Maki Yi was born to play Masako: unflinchingly — and with considerable grace — she goes to the depths with this character. – Colin Thomas

Yoshie Bancroft brings complexity to the dismissive and self-indulgent Hiro. Her conversations with old classmate John, played hilariously by Sebastien Archibald, deliver some of the play’s funniest exchanges – Angie Rico, Vancouver Plays

Winkler has written characters with such depth and dimension that the two-hour performance is consistently compelling and authentic. – Vancouver Presents

Sebastien Archibald’s work as John is perfection. Archibald nails every note of the character’s freewheeling intelligence, humour, and depth of feeling. – Colin Thomas

The strong acting in Kaitlin Williams’ Pacific Theatre production invests the downbeat story with power, poignancy and bracing humour. – Jerry Wasserman

Alaia Hamer’s set is a wonder. She covers one wall of Pacific Theatre’s alley-style playing area with a warm construction of wood and light, and the other with skilfully painted sunset clouds.  – Colin Thomas

Director Kaitlin Williams has a strong cast to carry out Ms. Winkler’s script to full scope – she allows the actors to be open and exploit each other’s strengths. – Review Vancouver

THE AUDIENCE

Maki Yi – this is the role that has been waiting for her. So, so, so good. God Said This is unmistakably a realistically rendered family drama – but Williams and her cast find all the humour, which gives spark and vividness to the whole. – Ron Reed

One of the season’s best and everything I love about a PT play: brilliant acting, laugh out loud humour, and paradox and questions to leave you lingering long after the show is over. – Audience Member

It blew me away. Such a poignant, beautiful, perfectly irreverent show about what it is to be a human, what it is to be a family, what it is to have faith, what it is to love someone, what it is to carry trauma. Every time I think about it I find some new aspect… reconciliation, addiction, injustice, infertility, illness, love, death. Also, I was not expecting it to be so funny… to haul out the old cliche, “I laughed, I cried”. Thank you, Pacific Theatre for putting this wonderful play out into the world! – Lilac Bosma

One of the season’s best and everything I love about a PT play: brilliant acting, laugh out loud humour, and paradox and questions to leave you lingering long after the show is over. – Audience Member

What a play, what impact, what beauty, tears and life. … I went back on Saturday and saw it again, this time from the North side and it felt even deeper, truer and stronger the second time. – Audience Member

Do yourself a favor and go see God Said This at Pacific Theatre. The performances, the design, the direction, all breathtaking. – Laura McLean

ART ALERT: Go see God Said This at Pacific Theatre. Woven into the rich narrative are themes/questions on recovery, purpose, abuse, forgiveness, languages of love, identity, friendship & race. Kleenex not required: just a lively mind and heart to be moved. – Michael Hart

Thank you PT for sharing this moving family drama. I love these contemporary ensemble stories, told through beautiful design and nuanced truthful performances. Definitely a classic Pacific show! – Audience Member

Our subscribers enjoy a host of benefits, including unlimited exchanges, special bonus events, and more.

• The best bang for your theatre buck – our subscription packs are your best ticket value.
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• Scheduling conflicts begone! Exchange your tickets as often as you need.
• Go behind the curtain with invitations to talk-back nights and special community events.
• Watch work grow with the New Roots Festival in June.

SUBSCRIPTION PACKAGES

By Phone: 604-731-5518
In Person: Visit the box office at 1440 W 12th Avenue during our office hours – Tuesday-Friday, 12-4 PM – or during one of our evening shows for a paper subscription form!

THE SHOWS

Empire Of The Son

Sept 29 – Oct 21 | TETSURO COMES HOME
by Tetsuro Shigematsu

Radio broadcaster Tetsuro Shigematsu wants to know his reserved, ailing father. As Tetsuro pieces Akira’s story together, three generations of crossed radio wires ripple out into a transcontinental tale of familial love, grief, and joy. Experience this Canadian storytelling classic, reimagined for the PT stage after nearly a decade of international touring.

An Evening With Amanda

Oct 27 – 28 | JUNO NOMINATED INDIE POP
Featuring Amanda Sum and musician

Brighten your fall with local theatre darling and Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Amanda Sum. Last seen on our stage in The Wolves, Amanda returns with two evenings of concerts featuring songs from her debut album, New Age Attitudes. Expect insightful lyricism, harmonious indie-pop, and the best laugh in the business.

The Lion, The Witch, and the Wardrobe

Nov 24 – Dec 23, 2023 \ RETURN TO A BELOVED WONDERLAND
adapted by Ron Reed from C.S. Lewis’s novel

Peter and Lucy Pevensie are all grown-up, but upon returning to a most peculiar wardrobe, they are caught up again in the spell of Narnia. Ron Reed’s beloved interpretation of C.S. Lewis’s timeless tale has delighted more than ten thousand audience members since its premiere, and Sarah Rodgers’ imaginative 2018 production returns for our 40th anniversary season.

Christmas Presence

Dec 10-12 + 17-19, 2023 | STORY AND SONG

Christmas Presence, Pacific Theatre’s classic December mix of live music and seasonal storytelling, celebrated its own 30-year anniversary last winter. This year, we have seven shows packed with soul, spirit, and holiday cheer. Featuring a rotating cast of musicians and readers. Hosted by Ron Reed.

CHILD-ish

Feb 16 – Mar 9, 2024 | WORLD PREMIERE
by Sunny Drake

Adults speak children’s exact words about love, life and the big questions in this fresh world premiere. Drawn from interviews with over 40 kids, Child-ish offers insights on everything from the climate crisis to what should really go into a dating profile. These unflinching conversations provide a grown-up audience with surprising insights into the world and our place in it. In collaboration with youth from the Eastside Story Guild.

The Way To The River

Mar 22 – Mar 30, 2024 | STORY AND SONG
by Cheryl Bear

Spend an evening with Nadleh Whut’en musician and storyteller Cheryl Bear as she shares stories and songs from her life. Marked by joy and a quick wit, expect to be challenged and changed by Cheryl’s tales of grief, hope, and resilience.

Tomatoes Tried To Kill Me, But Banjos Saved My Life

Apr 10 – Apr 13, 2024 | STORY AND SONG
by Keith Alessi

Keith Alessi shares his exceptional true story of leaving the corporate world behind to follow his true passion — playing the banjo! When faced with a cancer battle, Keith’s secret dream became the key to saving his life. Warm, humorous, and internationally acclaimed, Banjos will inspire you to dust off your own long-forgotten dreams and start strumming.

A Case For The Existence Of God

May 17 – June 9, 2024 | CANADIAN PREMIERE
by Samuel D. Hunter

Two young fathers — a mortgage broker, and a plant worker desperate to buy a piece of land — meet to discuss a loan in an unassuming cubicle. As Keith and Ryan grapple with the realities of adulthood, a shared quest for meaning and belonging transcends the systems that fence them in.

Pi Theatre and the Black & Rural creative team have been developing this deep and delicate look into the hearts of Black Canadians living in the countryside. Shayna’s collaborators include a score by Rufus Cappadocia (developed live in the rehearsal hall!) and choreography by Amber Barton. As the show continues to evolve and we approach opening night, meet the team behind this world premiere.

SHAYNA JONES
Creator/Performer

Shayna Jones is an award winning actor, a multi-disciplinary spoken word artist, and an applied folklorist. She combines her passion for live, theatrical performance with the study of traditional African and Afro-Diasporic folklore and contemporary Black experience to create dynamically soulful, nuanced, and visceral performances. She has had the privilege of spending the last decade performing her work for theatre companies, festivals and schools across Canada. For this she is continually awed and deeply grateful. Learn more about Shayna and her work at www.wearestoryfolk.com

RICHARD WOLFE
Director

Richard is the Artistic and Producing Director of Pi Theatre as well as a dramaturg, educator and specialist in contemporary theatre and performance who’s received, among other awards, the Larry Lillo Prize and the Ray Michel Award. He’s been nominated 6 times for Outstanding Director (winning twice) and once for Significant Artistic Achievement. Seven new plays that he’s premièred have gone on to publication by Talon Books or Scirocco Drama. Plays and performance pieces he’s directed recently include: the Canadian premiere of Lampedusa, by Anders Lustgarden, Dance Like No One’s Watching by Munish Sharma and the audio drama At the Speed of Light by Peter Dickinson. This is Richard’s 4^th show at Pacific Theatre. Others include: The Busy World is Hushed by Keith Bunin, Cherry Docs by David Gow, and the musical chamber piece The Meal by Rick Maddocks. He’s very pleased to be back with this beautifully human story by Shayna Jones.

BRAD TRENAMAN
Lighting Designer

For Pi Theatre: The Events. Vancouver: White Noise (Savage Society / Firehall), Kindred (Belfry), Salmon Girl (Jessie Award – Raven Spirit / Carousel), Redpatch (Jessie Nomination – Hardline Productions / Arts Club), Where The Wild Things Are (Presentation house). Toronto: Shakespeare in High Park (Canstage), CATS (NuMu Productions). Las Vegas: Matt Dusk (Hilton Residency ) and Menopause the Musical (Luxor). Touring: The Stepcrew, magician Ted Outerbridge, National Chinese Acrobats. Freelance writer for Professional Lighting and Production Magazine, member of Associated Designers of Canada and President of New Works, a Vancouver-based dance support organization celebrating its 30th anniversary next year. www.batlighting.com

RUFUS CAPPADOCIA
Composer/Musician

Rufus Cappadocia is a multi-lingual musician, performer, composer, and recording artist of incredible range and diversity. Cappadocia has made a career of going where few cellists have gone before. Born in Hamilton Ontario, Cappadocia has made New York City his home for 30 years. His deep understanding of poly-rhythm and modal music has led to performances and recordings with a broad spectrum of musicians and dancers, such as “Bonga” and the Vodou drums of Haiti, Odetta, Urban Tap, RossDaly, Yacouba Moumouni, David “Fuze” Fiuzynski, The Paradox Trio, and Stellamara. He also performed with Aretha Franklin, Kasse Mady, The Peace Poets, Vishal Vaid, The Black Rock Coalition, Kif, Vernon Reid, The Campbell Brothers and more. Cappadocia has toured the Americas, Europe and Asia and has also performed in Mali Niger and Nigeria.

AMBER BARTON
Choreographer

Amber has spent the majority of her life working in the arts as a professional contemporary dance artist, performing, choreographing, producing and teaching dance.  She received her professional dance training with Goh Ballet Academy, Arts Umbrella, Ballet BC’s Mentor Programme and the Banff Centre for the Arts.   

As a choreographer, her work has been presented in various venues in Vancouver, across Canada, and internationally. As she extended her practice into the theatre community, she has had the privilege of working, collaborating and choreographing for such companies and artists as Horseshoes and Hand Grenades, Mindy Parfitt of Search Party Productions, Studio 58, Neworld Theatre and Electric Company. Amber is currently studying to become a Yoga Therapist and has been the Interim Program Director at New Works since 2022.

CECILIA VADALA
Set Designer

Born and raised in Italy, Cecilia has a Philosophy and Art History background. A recent graduate of the MFA program in Theatre Design and Production from the University of British Columbia, Cecilia designs for the stage and the screen, focusing on the scenic design practice. 

As a designer, Cecilia considers herself a visual storyteller. Her aesthetic is suggestive and evocative. In her work the space is another character that evolves and tells a story on its own. As an artist, Cecilia explores the connections between emotions and materials, feelings and textures, often introducing a sensorial component to her designs. Portfolio: ceciliavadala.com

KAYLEIGH SANDOMIRSKY
Stage Manager

Kayleigh Sandomirsky is a stage/production manager, producer, curator and performer. She recently toured Departure by Marissa Wong, 003_playback by Caroline MacCaull, BLUSCRN by FakeKnot, New Societies by Re:Current Theatre, and Ying Yun by Wen Wei Dance. Stage/Production Management credits: Double Happiness: Detour this Way by Nancy Tam and Robyn Jacobs, The Array by UpintheAir Theatre, Dancing to Remember by Aeriosa Dance and Butterflies in Spirit, The Sun and The Moon by Crimson Coast Dance, In Response to Alabama by Little Thief Theatre, and Kwê by Jeanette Kotowich and collective. Kayleigh also curated with UpintheAir theatre as their Resident Curator for 3 years, and recently curated the Conversation Series for Peek Fest by Impulse Theatre.

ALEX FORSYTH
Production Manager

ALEXANDER FORSYTH (he/him) is a multidisciplinary artist with focuses in theatre and film acting, playwriting, and visual arts, residing on the unceded territories of the xwməθkwəyəm, Skwxwú7mesh, and Səlílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh Nations. Both Alex and the company he founded – K.I.A. Productions – originate in ᐊᒥᐢᑲᐧᒋᐊᐧᐢᑲᐦᐃᑲᐣ on Treaty 6 territory, where he began writing, producing, and performing plays that tour across Canada and the UK in collaboration with his wife and co-artistic director Keltie Forsyth. As a technician, Alex has worked for artists and companies ranging from Vancouver Opera and Cirque du Soleil to Lady Gaga and Guns ‘n’ Roses with stints on shows like Stephen King’s The Stand and A Series of Unfortunate Events. Alex holds a Master of Fine Arts with Distinction in Acting from East 15 Acting School (London, UK) and a Bachelor of Arts in Drama and Creative Writing from the University of Alberta.

We have three talkback sessions for Black & Rural, each exploring a different aspect of the show and its themes. Join us for one or all – talkbacks are always free, so stick around after the performance!

THEATRE CLUB TALKBACK – DEVELOPING INTERVIEW-BASED THEATRE
Sat April 1 | after 2 PM show

Join Shayna and our season apprentice Emmett Hanly (Under The Needle) as they explore developing plays using text from interview subjects. Shayna spent over eighteen months traveling the country and speaking with Black people living rurally; the text of Emmett’s play was pulled from interviews with tattooing subjects.

CAST TALKBACK
Fri April 7 | after 8 PM show

Join us after the show for a look into the wings with our cast talkback. A facilitated conversation with Shayna (and perhaps a few production team members, too!), followed by a Q&A period with audience members.

BLACK HISTORY MATTERS with Giselle Clarke-Trenaman
Presented as part of Pi Theatre’s Close Encounters series
Sat April 15 | after 2 PM show

Tackling Canadian Black History in a fun and engaging way, Black History Matters is a program that uses the Arts to impact unintended bias. Created by a theatre artist, BHM is a fully researched and resourced program that works with people to create a truthful awareness of Black Canadians using the arts to inspire and educate. Evoking the Sankofa bird and its meaning, we look to the past to inform our future.

ACT ONE

The Kwerks | All Yours 

Kaitlin Williams|  I Happened to be Standing – Mary Oliver

Carolyn Arends | Something to Give

Anita | Barn Raising – Anne Lamott

Michael Hart | Let There be Light

Jenn Milley | Good Bones – Maggie Smith

Jordan Klassen | I Want to Move into Your House

Jimmy Yi + Howie Lai | Kim’s Convenience – Ins Choi 

Carolyn Arends | Love was Here First 

Tom Pickett | An inventory of no small wonders and peculiar graces – Lance Odegard

Michael Hart | Have a Little Mercy 

Maki Yi | Suitcase Stories excerpt 

Jordan Klassen | Hard on Myself 

Tom Pickett | People Get Ready 

ACT TWO

Rebecca deBoer + John Emmet Tracy | Outside Mullingar – John Patrick Shanley

Emmett Hanly | Catcher in the Rye (excerpt) | JD Salinger

Michael Hart | Let Not This World 

Lilac Bosma |  Signs – Luci Shaw

Carolyn Arends | Seize the Day 

Ron Reed | Damien monologue – Aldyth Morris

Jordan Klassen | Golden Ladder 

Tetsuro Shigematsu | Favourite Sound monologue 

The Kwerks | Carry Me

We are so delighted to introduce you to our new Office Manager – meet Khushi Khosla!

Khushi (she/her) will be the person you hear from when you’re buying tickets or choosing your subscription shows. You can find her at the front desk marshaling our box office staff and volunteers, as well as keeping the Pacific office stocked, organized, and running smoothly. It’s a big job that we’re so excited to welcome her into – thanks for joining us, Khushi!