In this new slam poetry musical, Poly Queer Love Ballad, Nina (Anais West), a polyamorous bisexual poet, meets Gabbie (Sara Vickruck), a monogamous lesbian songwriter at Cafe Deux Soleils. With two microphones, a loop pedal, and array of instruments, they struggle to reconcile their fierce mutual attraction with their opposing perspectives on love. The show explores polyamory and queerness, while aiming to create a new representation of intimacy that isn’t confined by genre, medium or societal obligations. A raw, intimate, genre-defying musical theatre experience.
Though the workshop presentation at the 2018 Fringe Festival received rave reviews, West and Vickruck wanted to keep developing the material. “Under the guidance of composer and sound design mentor Mishelle Cuttler, Sara has been adding nuance and complexities to the sound design of the show, layering in more transitions. We’ve also been deepening the characters’ relationship in the text through our Fringe New Play Prize dramaturg,” says West.
Speaking about the perspectives and values their presenting partners bring to the March production, Vickruck raves, “We’re excited to work with Queer Arts Festival because, for one, they are the largest queer-mandated multidisciplinary festival in Canada, and we also experimented with the first stages of the show through one of their programs. Anais brought early drafts of the show’s poetry to one of their drop-in sessions, and was overwhelmed by the support of the badass queer women who mentored her. The SUM Gallery is also the only-year round queer dedicated arts space in Vancouver, and Poly Queer Love Ballad will the first theatre performance to be presented there!”
West adds, “Frank Theatre Artistic Director Fay Nass directed my first produced play, Kill Your Lovers, and cast Sara in it (which is how we met!). We are passionate about the Frank’s intersectional approach to queer theatre-making and Fay is one of the few queer women of colour running a theatre company in Canada – she’s a tireless advocate for equity in theatre, and is an inspiring vision for the future of queer theatre. And with Zee Zee Theatre’s added support – a company that’s shared stories of marginalized communities for 10 years – we couldn’t feel more loved by our community!”
Poly Queer Love Ballad, Created and Performed by Anais West and Sara Vickruck. Co-Presented by The Queer Arts Festival’s SUM Gallery, Zee Zee Theatre, and Frank Theatre Company. March 5 – 11, 2019. SUM Gallery (425 - 268 Keefer Street). Tix from $10-$20 at https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/poly-queer-love-ballad-tickets-54875970505. More info at http://polyqueerloveballad.com/.
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