Two Burnaby students will be taking to the stage in a modern retelling of a classic Greek tragedy.
Morgan Lianne Oehlschlager and Levi Williams are among the cast of Trojan Women, a Douglas College student production running March 20 to 27 at the Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre.
The play is written by Charles Mee, adapted from the original work by Greek playwright Euripides. It's infused with fragments of texts by intellectuals, artists, war survivors - and even the Kama Sutra and the Geraldo Rivera show.
Trojan Women takes place in the aftermath of the mythological Trojan War, when the city of Troy has been sacked and the women who live there face grim futures as captives of the conquering Greeks.
"This play is harsh, it's intense, and it deals with the senseless savagery of war," says director Thrasso Petras in a press release. "Our theatre students have done a remarkable job of taking the time to process the difficult material in the script and turn it into a performance that will engage and enlighten."
The ensemble cast also includes students Jackson Boudreau, Robyn Crawford, Zoe Frank, Ben Groberman, Thomas Halkes, Mikayla Hart, Allie Melchert, Sarah Mendoza, Kaleigh Skye Almond McDonald, Dan McPeake, Ashley Scigliano and Claire Temple.
The Laura C. Muir Performing Arts Theatre is on the fourth floor north at Douglas College's New Westminster campus, 700 Royal Ave. Tickets are $8 to $12, available through www.ticketsnw.ca or by calling 604-521-5050.
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A Burnaby author is among those shortlisted for the 2015 B.C. Book Prizes.
Jay Sherwood has been named a finalist for the Roderick Haig-Brown Regional Prize, which recognizes the author of the book "that contributes most to the enjoyment and understanding of British Columbia," as a press release notes.
He's the author of Surveying Southern British Columbia: A Photojournal of Frank Swannell, 1901-07, which was published by Caitlin Press.
Winners of the B.C. Book Prizes will be announced at a gala in Vancouver on April 25.
Check out www.bcbookprizes.ca for the full list of shortlisted authors and more details about their work.
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Here's a heads-up for those artistically inclined youngsters out there - the Burnaby Art Gallery offers a number of spring programs for kids of various ages.
The gallery's spring/summer brochure is out, and it has a number of options for families.
You can try out Swish Goes the Paint, an introduction to art for four- and five-year-olds, or Oodles of Doodles, for the six- to nine-year-old set. Both start May 2 and run for four Saturdays.
There's also after-school art, with Art Builders for six- to nine-year-olds, and Mixed Media Photo Art for seven- to 12-year-olds. Both of those have two upcoming courses - one four-session course starting April 22, and a second starting May 20, on Wednesday afternoons.
For teens, there are also a number of offerings - a Mixed Media Photo Art workshop on Sunday, April 26, an artist apprenticeship project in April and May, and then, later in the year, a Summer Directed Studio in August.
And no, us old folks aren't being left out, either - adults can enjoy a range of programs, first up being Printmaking 101 starting April 22.
You can check the Burnaby Art Gallery website, www.burnabyartgallery.ca, to get the brochure and all the details.
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Are you an opera singer? Do you know someone who is?
Opera Pro Cantanti has issued an "urgent appeal" for more singers so that the company can continue to stage operas.
The repertory company performs some 20 operas per season, based at the Welsh Society's Cambrian Hall in Vancouver.
The opera company has been featured in these pages a number of times before, as Burnaby singers have taken starring roles in a variety of its productions.
Among those are Julie and Paul Duerichen - and, incidentally, Paul is featured in the company's next outing, Verdi's La Traviata.
It's on Sunday, April 12 at 3 p.m.
Check out www.procantanti.com for details about what's expected of singers or for more information about performances.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, [email protected], or find her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
