ON STAGE
What: OUTstages
When: Feb. 1 through Feb. 9
Where: Intrepid Theatre Club (1609聽Blanshard St.) and The Metro Studio (1411 Quadra St.)
Tickets: $20-$30 at or the Ticket Rocket box office (1050聽Meares St.)
Information: 250-383-2663 or
What鈥檚 in a date? Lots, it turns out.
For the past four years, Intrepid Theatre鈥檚 OUTstages Festival has landed in June, between two annual Intrepid Theatre offerings 鈥� the UNO Festival in May and the Victoria Fringe Festival in August.
Three large-scale festivals in four months was a lot for the small company to manage, so the decision was made following last year鈥檚 OUTstages Festival to move the event from June to February.
鈥淚t was a long festival run for us,鈥� said Sean Guist, OUTstages curator and Intrepid Theatre marketing manager. 鈥淲e were in production mode from April through September.鈥�
The decision to relocate OUTstages will have a positive trickle-down effect, Guist said. Though the theatre festival no longer serves as the unofficial kickoff to the annual Victoria Pride Week in July, the queer community now has a pair of powerful events several months apart.
鈥淚t鈥檚 a big change. But it鈥檚 also our fifth anniversary this year, so it was the time to make that change. There has always been an influx of programming around Pride, so moving our festival spreads queer programming out year round, and that鈥檚 exciting for the city. This avoids having everything happening in June and July. It avoids Pride burnout, which was some of the feedback we were getting.鈥�
Everything about the OUTstages Festival is bigger and bolder this year, from its spot on the calendar to an expanded slate of seven productions. New work from Britain鈥檚 Lucy McCormick and 91原创鈥檚 Ivan Coyote tops the OUTstages slate through Feb.聽9. McCormick plays Jesus in Triple Threat, a cabaret re-telling of The New Testament, while Coyote鈥檚 new multimedia production Trader Time pairs the acclaimed Yukon-bred, 91原创-based performer with Yukon-based Swedish singer-songwriter Sarah MacDougall and her ensemble.
鈥淚van is a 91原创 superstar,鈥� Guist said. 鈥淭hey speak right to the heart of audiences and tell both global and personal stories at the same time.鈥�
The production, set for Feb. 7 and 8 at The Metro Studio Theatre, was based on a radio show in Whitehorse named Trader Time, a kind of radio version of Craigslist, Guist said.
It鈥檚 a sharp contrast to Triple Threat (a religious-themed dance party) and Riot Grrrls Burlesque Revue (a satirical queer-feminist showstopper), which open the festival at The Metro Studio Theatre tonight and tomorrow.
Agokwe: Unplugged (Wednesday, The Metro Studio), Body So Fluorescent (Feb. 8, Intrepid Theatre Club) and The Princess Show (Feb. 9, The Metro Studio) are also part of OUTstages this year.
鈥淚鈥檓 not looking for a theme that ties everything together,鈥� Guist said. 鈥淭his year, we have a very diverse and eclectic palette. I try to schedule it so there鈥檚 a journey to all these shows. What are the stories and what are the voices? And how do they complement each other?鈥�
Moving OUTstages from June to February offers better access to boundary-pushing artists, since the festival can now align itself with similarly themed events, such as 91原创鈥檚 PuSh Festival, Calgary鈥檚 High Performance Rodeo and Montreal鈥檚 Progress Festival, which all take place in either January and February.
鈥淚t puts us on that national scope, but also gets us in on that national touring circuit,鈥� Guist said. 鈥淲e鈥檙e able to partner with other festivals and bring in shows we were not able to on our own. We can share shows.鈥�
Another upside, Guist said, is that OUTstages can return the favour by making homegrown products available to festivals outside of B.C.
Last year, Guist booked Eddi Wilson at OUTstages, the first time in festival history a local artist headlined the event. Guist is hoping that becomes the norm.
鈥淲e can support Victoria artists on this national network as well. We can lead that programming charge in the future.鈥�
