Latest news with #PrairieTheatreExchange
Winnipeg Free Press
18-07-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Fringe notebook
After the first night of his one-man show Tomatoes Tried to Kill Me But Banjoes Saved My Life (Venue 17), Virginia-based writer/performer Keith Alessi told the sold-out crowd it was the Free Press's five-star review of his 2019 Winnipeg fringe debut, when he had only ever done around 20 shows, that changed the trajectory of his career. Storyteller Alessia's Winnipeg biographical show only goes until Sunday this year, and then he's off to another run at the famed Edinburgh Festival Fringe in early August, where he sold out his run in both 2023 and 2024. Alessi donates all his artist fees to cancer and arts charities; those donations have now surpassed $1 million. Fringers heading to shows at venues 16 and 17 should be aware that there is only one entrance to Portage Place open after 6 p.m., with no signage on any of the other doors, building or street. The doors between Edmonton and Kennedy streets are the only way to access the Prairie Theatre Exchange venues for evening shows, but there is no information posted letting people know what doors to use, resulting in a lot of frustrated patrons and volunteers trying to open locked doors and walking around the entire mall looking for a way in. The shopping centre is undergoing renovations, so there is fencing around part of the building; parts of the mall and skywalk aren't accessible at all. Eleanor O'Brien (Lux Z Tizer photo) At the end of her one-woman show Plan V: The Rise of Reverence, Eleanor O'Brien told the audience she hopes to host an actual Plan V meeting in Winnipeg. The Portland, Ore., writer/actor's show — at Venue 10 until July 27 — focuses on a gathering billed as 'a revolutionary act of resistance where intimate stories of joy and grief are shared in sacred defiance.' The performer wants to get together with attendees to make 'pussy art' and offer a feminist forum. People can indicate their interest by messaging O'Brien via her website. arts@
Winnipeg Free Press
07-07-2025
- Climate
- Winnipeg Free Press
‘We have a responsibility': seniors spend golden years fighting for planet
Pat Wally traces her concern about climate change to a conversation she had with one of her grandchildren. The child, who was 10 years old at the time, envisioned a future where the environment would be degraded to such a degree that people won't be able to go outside without wearing gas masks. 'That really hit home for me,' Wally says. The 76-year-old Winnipegger chairs Seniors for Climate MB, the provincial chapter of a national organization of seniors dedicated to facing the climate crisis and creating a livable future for Canadians. The group has members in communities throughout Manitoba, including Brandon, Carman, Lac du Bonnet, Morden, The Pas, Steinbach and Winnipeg. Higher temperatures, more frequent and extreme weather events, and rising sea levels are some of the changes to climate affecting many aspects of Canadians' lives. 'We were all concerned about what was going on with the climate and this was something to do about it,' Wally says of forming the group. 'Rather than sit at home and be concerned, we can go out and actually do something and hopefully we can make it better — or at least hold the line on what's happening, because we don't need to make it worse.' The group's main messages include that the world is in a climate emergency and we need to act now; the use of fossil fuels must be phased out; the transition to renewable power and clean energy must be sped up; and action on climate must include people from all walks of life. Climate change is affecting people's lives and one need look no further than the wildfires blazing in Manitoba to see it, says Shawn Kettner. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. The following is a list of volunteer opportunities for Winnipeg and surrounding areas. For more information about these listings, contact the organization directly. Volunteer Manitoba does not place volunteers with organizations but can help people find opportunities. To learn more about its programs and services, go to or call 204-477-5180. Prairie Theatre Exchange is seeking exceptional individuals to join their board of directors. Specifically, they are seeking board members with legal or financial expertise, but those with other experience are welcome to apply. The role of a PTE board director is one of stewardship, where you will help guide the organization with leadership, upholding their vision, mission, values and strategic priorities. Board appointments are typically for a three-year term, with options for renewal and you are asked to support through the purchase of seasonal subscriptions and an annual donation that holds personal significance. Your commitment will involve attending monthly meetings, eight times annually on Monday evenings, with additional opportunities to serve on a committee of the board, further engaging with their artistic community. To apply, email: board@ Deadline is Aug. 31. Manitoba Possible is seeking community outreach volunteers. Volunteers will contact community centres, clinics and senior living facilities to introduce their platform, maintaining records of who was contacted, when materials were delivered and any notes from conversations. Your goal is to help foster positive connection with new and returning community partners and share insights on which locations were receptive, any challenges faced, or suggestions for improving outreach. Volunteers are needed Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays, daytime hours. Apply by July 25 at: Event day volunteers are needed for the Disc Golf Manitoba Provincials 2025. Volunteer roles include: course setup and take down of signage etc., player check-in and starter (checking in players to the park and getting them ready for their starting tee times), and spotter who will be on the course helping with play, interacting with other park users. Volunteers — ages 13-plus — must be able to be outdoors for the day, available for a minimum of two hours, and must be fluent in English. The event will be held July 19 at La Barriere Park, 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. and July 20 at Stony Mountain Quarry Park, 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. Apply by email: Deadline is July 17. Ledwich Family Farm needs event volunteers for the Bring Your Love Festival, Aug. 14 to 18. Do you thrive in a fast-paced environment and love lending a hand wherever needed? Volunteers are needed to join the 'float' team, the ultimate utility crew who keeps the festival running smoothly. As a float volunteer, you'll be the go-to person for a variety of tasks, ensuring a fantastic experience for everyone. Be prepared to jump in and assist at various locations throughout the festival, including the gate, garbage gang, and safety patrol. Open to ages 18-plus, expect to work between 10-20 hours during the five-day festival, with plenty of time to enjoy the festivities yourself. Apply online: Deadline is July 15. Siloam Mission needs hairstylists for its community hair salon. The salon promotes kindness and respect, welcoming clients from various backgrounds and helping to boost the self-esteem of people in need. Flexible scheduling is available. Apply at by July 15. A & O: Support Services for Older Adults needs volunteers for This Full House, Canada's first program supporting older adults overwhelmed by possessions. Aimed at those 55 and older with hoarding behaviours, it promotes safer, more comfortable living. Volunteers assist social work staff, helping participants develop skills for lasting home improvements. Duties include understanding hoarding, supporting clients during sorting sessions on Zoom, and reporting to social workers. Volunteers must have effective communication skills and pass a criminal record check (fee reimbursed). The minimum commitment is one year after the completion of the training program because of the sensitivity and preparation involved. Apply at by Aug. 1. The Equal Housing Initiative needs cooks for its nutrition program. This program is designed to benefit the residents of the McLaren Hotel, a 150-room single-occupancy hotel serving some of Winnipeg's most vulnerable people. Volunteers will help with food preparation, meal planning and collaborating with others to ensure smooth operations. Responsibilities include cooking for more than 100 people and ensuring meals are timely. Volunteers need food-handler certification, COVID-19 vaccination, and a strong sense of confidentiality and organization. A driver's licence is an asset but not mandatory. The time commitment is on Thursdays, from 9 a.m. to about 2 p.m. Apply at volunteer@ or 431-800-5996 by Aug. 31. The St. Vital Agricultural Fair is seeking volunteers for its 114th annual fair and display on Aug. 8 and 9. Opportunities include serving as greeters, setting up and taking down tables and chairs, and serving meals in a cafeteria style. Volunteers are also needed at the children's craft table and in helping exhibitors place their entries, and to help with cleaning duties such as garbage removal. More information about the event is available at Apply at PjMcFarlane@ or to 204-487-4597, ext. 1, by July 29. Manitoba Underdogs Rescue needs a newsletter co-ordinator for its social-media team. The role involves writing emails to keep supporters in the loop about new dogs, upcoming events and urgent needs. The co-ordinator will work with a graphic designer to enhance messages visually and analyze email performance to boost engagement. Essential skills include a friendly writing style, experience with platforms such as Mailchimp and a passion for storytelling. This remote position requires two to four flexible hours per week. Apply at by Aug. 1. The Leftovers Foundation, a food-rescue charity with a mission of reducing food waste and increasing access to food for people facing barriers, is gearing up for Home Harvest. The program facilitates the rescue of homegrown food. Community members can participate by signing up through the website or mobile app to become a donor (grower) or volunteer to complete routes. Growers with excess produce can submit a request any time, and volunteers can harvest and deliver the produce to local service agencies and keep a portion for themselves. Volunteers can sign up in groups or individually. Email alyssa@ or go to for more information. Apply by Aug. 2. The Canadian Red Cross needs volunteers. The Red Cross can show you how to help when disaster strikes. Go to email volunteer@ or call 1-844-818-2155. 'I think it's important that seniors recognize that we have a responsibility here and we can't just go off into our retirement,' says Kettner, 68, who has been involved with climate activism for more than a decade. 'It's necessary for everyone to engage, especially in the circumstances we're in now.' Jean Clipsham says she has been concerned about climate change since the 1970s. During her career as a public health nurse, she was dedicated to the health and well-being of communities and realized the biggest threat to that was climate change. '(Volunteering with Seniors for Climate MB is) a continuation of my career,' the 77-year-old says. 'It's beginning to look bleaker and bleaker for our children's and grandchildren's future.' The organization held its first event last year when it marked National Seniors' Day for Climate Action at The Forks. The group is currently planning a concert titled Draw a Line for a Liveable Future that will take place at the West End Cultural Centre in September. Members will also be set up at farmer's markets throughout the summer where they will promote the group and encourage people to sign petitions and write to their elected officials. Monday Mornings The latest local business news and a lookahead to the coming week. People who want to get involved can contact Wally by emailing patw@ or calling 204-878-2314. Kettner describes volunteering as cathartic. 'I don't know how much difference it makes in the world but at least I'm doing what I can,' she says. 'I think if we all do what we can, maybe — just maybe — there's a chance that we can make a difference.' 'People are not alone in their concern for climate… and we'd love to talk to them,' adds Wally. 'Even if they don't want to volunteer, we can have a conversation.' If you know a special volunteer, email Aaron EppReporter Aaron Epp reports on business for the Free Press. After freelancing for the paper for a decade, he joined the staff full-time in 2024. He was previously the associate editor at Canadian Mennonite. Read more about Aaron. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
19-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Ready to shine
Ten choreographers. Ten vocalists. Seventy dancers. Two shows only. These are the elements that make up The Remix, an innovative new hip hop-meets-musical theatre dance showcase taking place at Prairie Theatre Exchange's Cherry Karpyshin Theatre at the end of the month, presented by Rise Musical Theatre Company. Since 2021, Rise has been PTE's education company-in-residence, offering free, two-week musical theatre intensives for BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, people of colour) youth annually at PTE's downtown campus. The company has expanded that mandate to include anyone struggling to access opportunities in musical theatre. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press From left: Choreographer Sharlyne Chua leads dancers Ephifany Tiongco and Gwyneth De Guzman through their steps during rehearsal for The Remix, a hip hop dance show featuring 70 dancers and multiple choreographers. A couple of years ago, Rise added hip hop dance classes to its suite of intensive offerings. And according to Joseph Sevillo, Rise's founder and company director, those classes quickly became the most popular. Hip hop, he realized, could be an on-ramp to further exploration in the world of musical theatre. Maybe people would want to learn to sing, to dance, to direct. And there's not such a wide gulf between those two spheres, thanks in large part to Lin-Manuel Miranda's 2015 groundbreaking, genre-blending musical Hamilton. Part of Sevillo's vision for Rise is to create live performance opportunities for choreographers and dancers that put them in front of a wider audience beyond the dance competition circuit. That's how The Remix was born, co-created by Sevillo and Rise artistic associate Dutchess Cayetano. It's a new idea, and a starting point, he says. 'If it flies, if it sells out, if producers or other leaders witness the show and they say there's potential here for this to be annual, then we start creating our own industry in Winnipeg,' says Sevillo, who was also the brains behind the all-Filipino musical Ma-Buhay!, which had its première at Rainbow Stage last year. 'We need opportunities such as this, for artists to keep on going, to keep training, to be inspired, otherwise they'll end up quitting and going into another profession.' The Remix is something new for PTE, too. When Sevillo met with PTE's new artistic director, Ann Hodges, 'we both got excited about the idea of creating a show to feature the excellence of a community that's not necessarily featured on this platform.' Each choreographer has been paired with a vocalist and a crew of seven dancers to create a work. The music is a true mixtape, featuring everything from hip hop to pop to musical numbers from Broadway stalwarts such as Chicago and, yes, Hamilton. 'I wanted them to just pick any song that resonates with them, that tells a new audience who they are as artists and as choreographers,' Sevillo says. Lee Banaga is a hip hop instructor for Rise and one of the 10 choreographers who have been working on a piece for The Remix. His is focused on burnout and creative perfectionism, set to John Legend's Ordinary People. Ruth Bonneville / Free Press ENT - PTE / The Remix Playwright/choreographer Joseph Sevillo is founder and company director of Rise. 'I wanted to really portray that, because I feel like burning out and being overworked is such a thing nowadays — especially in this economy, it's crazy,' he says. As a choreographer, Banaga is thrilled to have the chance to put his work on stage. Wednesdays Columnist Jen Zoratti looks at what's next in arts, life and pop culture. 'My full respect to PTE and everyone that's behind the scenes, because this (opportunity) is something that's not given to us every day,' Banaga says. When Sevillo founded Rise four years ago, it was during a time when arts organizations all over North America were reflecting on whose talents, stories, perspectives were missing in studios and on stages, following the 2020 murder of George Floyd, an unarmed Black man, by a police officer in Minneapolis. Sevillo wanted to create opportunities for underrepresented communities, but he also wanted to carve out those spaces in institutions. Rise is continuing that work through its ongoing education residency and shows such as The Remix, and he's noticed a shift. 'I think over the four years, I've noticed the change in the safety of these kinds of theatre spaces, where they start getting recognized by underserved communities as a hub where they can go and train and be seen,' Sevillo says. Jen ZorattiColumnist Jen Zoratti is a columnist and feature writer working in the Arts & Life department, as well as the author of the weekly newsletter NEXT. A National Newspaper Award finalist for arts and entertainment writing, Jen is a graduate of the Creative Communications program at RRC Polytech and was a music writer before joining the Free Press in 2013. Read more about Jen. Every piece of reporting Jen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print – part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
07-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Sheer provocation
Neither Here Nor There, a liminal comedy from Sick + Twisted Theatre, will certainly divide audiences. That is by design: as guests walk into the auditorium at Prairie Theatre Exchange, they're given the option to sit on either side of a patchwork curtain, predetermining at least one dimension of the unconventional experience to come. Well before Thursday evening's hostess, the insightful, freewheeling Lara Rae, induces the first of many chuckles, the concept of choice is already introduced, the first steps down individual paths of desire to be trodden by theatregoers venturing together into the dark unknown of an original production. BROOK JONES/FREE PRESS Vivi Dabee (right) and Vivian Cheung are separated by a curtain, allowing the audience to see half the stage. Billed as a retelling of the legend of Tiresias, who was turned into a woman and stripped of vision after forsaking the Greek gods, Neither Here Nor There boldly challenges widely accepted narratives surrounding disability, gender, autonomy and desire. Starring a mixture of blind, low-vision and sighted actors, working alongside trans performers, the production is built with a mission to construct and then dismantle binary thinking, tearing down brick walls and replacing them with open windows. One needn't be a Classics scholar to feel included, because Neither Here Nor There, written by committee and directed by Debbie Patterson, is loosely professorial in style, best exemplified by Rae's hilarious, honest autobiographical asides about her transition and a registered therapist's (Gislina Patterson) impassioned stump speech about the true value of public bathrooms, given to a sex-obsessed Zeus (Tyler Sneesby), who, to be fair, has his fair share of mother-father-sisterwife issues to work through. There's a rich endowment of male appendage jokes, a treasure trove of vagina jokes and some achingly silly puns about French geography that might land les auteurs in writers' gaol. From start to finish, Neither Here Nor There is an oddly compelling and compellingly odd concoction that forces audience members to consider the bias of their own perspectives, and whether their sightline is as clear as they'd previously thought. Because the set is bisected by a sheer curtain, each audience member's field of vision is intentionally blurred. On one side is the ancient domain of Tiresias (Vivi Dabee), who was rendered blind and turned into a woman for seeing too much and angering the gods, becoming an oracle with the ability to communicate most easily with winged friends. On the other is Ty (Vivian Cheung), a trend forecaster with a power that could make even Zeus quake with envy: with a single phone call, she can make skinny jeans cool again. Both performers rest on chaise longue, which provides one of the best running, or sitting, jokes in the show. If a piece of furniture can exist at the nexus of chair and couch, can't we find our identities somewhere in the middle, too? The production, a tad overlong at about 100 minutes, is strengthened by all elements of design, which support one another in novel ways. Before the action begins, a digital assistant, voiced by sound designer Dasha Plett, describes the set, which includes Zeus's home on Mount Olympus and the office of Ty's tech overlord boss. Then Plett describes the colour, style and material of each costume, designed by Sarah Struthers, introducing the actors wearing them with a healthy dose of shtick. 'Lara Rae is five-foot-10, and unlike Cinderella, she can't find a single shoe that fits.' Taking surprising turns, which are usually fruitful and less often belaboured, Neither Here Nor There is ultimately a well-crafted forum for honest, intentional theatre, rooted in purposeful listening, curiosity and reconsideration. The gods will agree on that. Ben WaldmanReporter Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the Free Press while earning his degree at Ryerson University's (now Toronto Metropolitan University's) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. Read more about Ben. Every piece of reporting Ben produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Winnipeg Free Press
05-06-2025
- Entertainment
- Winnipeg Free Press
Finding the right touch
With their latest original stage production, opening tonight at Prairie Theatre Exchange, Sick + Twisted is inviting audiences not just to look and to listen, but to feel. Before each performance of Neither Here Nor There, up to eight guests will have the opportunity to be led onto the Cherry Karpyshin Mainstage for a 'touch tour,' allowing low-vision, blind and sighted audience members alike to experience the set and gain an understanding of the production's non-traditional geography. Playing on a traverse stage, also known as a corridor or alley, the company's adaptation of the legend of the blind seer Tiresias places audiences on either side of the action, says director Debbie Patterson. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS Tyler Sneeby (left) and Vivi Dabee star in Neither Here Nor There. With the stage bisected by a sheer curtain, the audience can only see half of the show clearly, the other blurred by the barricade. The staging and the touch tour play into the trailblazing company's commitment to disability esthetics, using lived experience with disability as an opportunity for exploration and discovery rather than a barrier to experience, says Patterson. 'When you can't walk across the room, every other way becomes available to you,' she says. One of the production's three blind actors describes their experience with vision loss as one of 'limitless possibility.' 'We embrace the barriers we face as potent catalysts for discovery and innovation, so the esthetic choices in this production have been arrived at through this process, giving us this utterly new approach to making theatre. No one else is making theatre like this,' says Patterson. By decentring vision as a prerequisite for participation, the company was able to emphasize theatre as a complete sensory experience, with a script that expresses every action with a corresponding audio cue, designed by Dasha Plett, who was just nominated for a Toronto theatre award — a Dora — for her work in Buddies in Bad Times' production of Roberto Zucco. 'All the props are mimed, but the sound effects are hyperrealistic,' Patterson says. Created and performed by a team of blind and transgender artists, Neither Here Nor There had its start during the pandemic when Patterson sought to create a work developed by members of both communities. 'One participant wrote a song about how being blind felt like being neither here nor there, and that idea of being in an in-between really resonated with some of the trans artists,' Patterson says. The show's cast includes Lara Rae as the production's hostess, a cross between a Greek chorus and a standup comic who periodically comments on the action. Tyler Sneesby, a.k.a. DJ Hunnicutt, plays Zeus. Plett and Gislina Patterson (We Quit Theatre) also appear, as do Vivi Dabee as Tiresias and Vivian Cheung as the character's modern counterpart, Ti. Making their stage debut is m patchwork monoceros, who also designed the set. BROOK JONES / FREE PRESS The stage is split by a sheer curtain so the audience can only see half of the show clearly. 'My character is a person who has vision, who can see the future, who understands trends, but because she knows so much, she keeps herself small, experiencing a type of loneliness no one else can understand,' says Cheung, a blind actor, triathlete, author, graphic novelist, accessible yoga instructor and Dora-nominated theatre creator from Toronto performing in Winnipeg for the first time. 'Oftentimes, when a person lives with a physical disability, they have to explain themselves repeatedly until they're heard, and that gets very fatiguing. I can't stress enough that we need more listening in this world, more quiet participation and quiet leadership.' Weekday Evenings Today's must-read stories and a roundup of the day's headlines, delivered every evening. That's what Cheung says she found working with Sick + Twisted, which implemented her insights into the way the production took shape. The script calls for Ti to make a stir-fry in her home kitchen, but when the actor pointed out that if she were holding a cellphone while doing it, it would end up in the wok, the team quickly decided with Cheung to mime all of the cooking actions instead. 'Now our sound designer Dasha is choreographing the sound to support my cooking. It's become a duet in cooking between miming and movement, with the stage manager timing the sizzling and the sounds of vegetables going into the wok,' says Cheung 'It's a collaboration in every sense of the word.' Ben WaldmanReporter Ben Waldman is a National Newspaper Award-nominated reporter on the Arts & Life desk at the Free Press. Born and raised in Winnipeg, Ben completed three internships with the Free Press while earning his degree at Ryerson University's (now Toronto Metropolitan University's) School of Journalism before joining the newsroom full-time in 2019. Read more about Ben. Every piece of reporting Ben produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print — part of the Free Press's tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press's history and mandate, and learn how our newsroom operates. Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber. Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
