Download high school students get to see local theatre productions for free!

HIGH SCHOOL STUDENTS GET TO SEE LOCAL THEATRE PRODUCTIONS FOR FREE!
About goPLAY
The goPLAY Youth Theatre Club program arose from Touchstone Theatre’s desire to give Lower Mainland secondary
school students – with a passionate interest in theatre -- exposure to the amazing range of local and touring theatre in
Vancouver. The concept is to offer students the opportunity to gain a deeper understanding and appreciation of the art
form, thereby promoting theatre literacy and nurturing the creators, engaged patrons and avid supporters of the future.
Over the course of the school year goPLAY students will attend, free of charge, 15 plays selected by Touchstone Artistic
Director Katrina to sample the broad spectrum of work that is offered in Vancouver. Students will see all styles of work -from classic texts to cutting-edge modern plays to devised and site-specific pieces. Preceding each performance Dunn
will provide a short introductory lecture on the context of the show, its themes, history and theatrical practices.
Following each performance, goPLAY students will meet face-to-face with artists (actors, designers, directors and/or
playwrights) involved in the production for an intimate insider's view of the play and its creative process.
As part of the program, the goPLAY students will also have the opportunity to participate in the creation of special
podcasts. Podcasting is an accessible, inexpensive and easily mastered medium through which the students can share,
with peers and the public at large, their theatre-going experiences, new-found knowledge and face-to-face encounters
with professional artists. Podcasts will be hosted on Touchstone's website and posted through our networks to the
greater theatre community. This component of the program will offer students new skills, language and tools to help
foster collaboration with their mentors and peers, inspiring and them to create their own content. In addition,
participants will be introduced to peers from across the Lower Mainland who share their enthusiasm – forming new
networks of theatre aficionados.
Feedback from goPLAY Members:
goPLAY Member Noah Feaver, about The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Pound of Flesh Theatre in association with
Pacific Theatre and Neworld Theatre (quoted from 2011-2012 goPLAY podcast):
“The Last Days of Judas Iscariot was probably the best script I’ve ever heard or seen portrayed in my life.
It was hilarious and thought provoking, it made you think, it made you laugh.”
goPLAY Member Luke McAndless-Davis on the opportunities the program presented:
“I met some of my personal theatre heroes, and was able to talk with them and better understand both the play I had
just seen and the theatre industry in general! I had such an amazing time with goPLAY this year and I cannot wait for
next season!”
For more information about the program including a list of some of our planned shows for 2012-13, please contact
Keegan McEvoy at [email protected] or call our office at (604) 709.9973.
About Touchstone Theatre:
For over 35 years Touchstone Theatre has been a mainstay of theatrical innovation and excellence on the West Coast.
The company's all‐Canadian mandate has helped launch and develop some of the country's most important playwrights
and actors, and its substantial body of work has garnered over 60 local and national awards.