From theatre to music to book launches, Douglas has it all
By Angela Espinoza, Arts Editor
Sometimes, I have to wonder what school everyone else is going to when they say nothing goes on at Douglas. This year especially, there are a great deal of arts events happening throughout the school. Whether the college is teaming up with outside festivals or putting on shows of their own, it’s actually quite amazing how much is coming our way in the near future.
For one, the Douglas Theatre and Stagecraft programs will of course be performing two plays. Each show requires an enormous amount of team effort, as the stagecraft students put together the shows that this semester’s theatre students will be performing in. This semester’s shows are still a surprise in the making, but just out of habit, one is sure to be a non-traditional Shakespeare-inspired piece, and the other is often a powerfully dramatic work.
Music will be a major focus this year as well, with everything from band recruitment to a calendar of shows operating right now. As you’ll see in the section this week, the Douglas College Concert and Jazz Bands are currently looking for non-music students who have an interest in playing, and will of course be given opportunities to perform for the student body. There are also the weekly Arts at One performances happening this semester, in which hour-long concerts are performed every Thursday at the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre at the New West campus. This semester’s Arts at One performances include vocal and guitar ensembles, a showcase of the epic Music Technologies program, and a unique presentation of The Nutcracker, featuring dancers from the Goh Ballet.
There will also be a larger focus on film presentations this year. The Vancouver Latin American Film Festival will put on a special screening of A Chinese Tale this Wednesday, September 5, free to all students for viewing. The screening will take place at 7 p.m. in the Laura C. Muir Theatre, so don’t miss it! The New West Doc Fest will also be hitting up the New West campus this year in October for feature and short film presentations, with this year’s focus being on “sustainability and agriculture.”
As for New West’s Amelia Douglas Gallery, this fall’s art exhibits include “Rhythm Stories,” paintings by Nyla Sunga, which will run from September 20 to November 2, and “Needle Doodle,” multi-media works by Elizabeth Carefoot, running from November 8 all the way through January 4. Opening receptions will take place on each exhibit’s respective opening dates from 4:30 to 6:30 p.m., with Artist’s Talks taking place the respective mornings after at 10 a.m.
Finally, and just recently announced, Douglas College Creative Writing and Print Futures instructor John Vigna just published his first collection of short stories, which will have a launch at The Bourbon in Vancouver. Bull Head’s launch will take place September 19 from 7:30 to 11 p.m. and everyone (of age) is encouraged to head out.
Hope you’re all excited for a full semester of arts performances and celebrations, and be sure to check some of them out!