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The Arts Club Theatre’s Me and You is the third world premiere and fifth new Canadian work of the current season.

From childhood until old age, Liz and Lou are sisters who go through life mostly as friends, sometimes as foes.

Liz is a steady-minded biologist while Lou is a free-spirited painter, and their personalities clash over everything from hair dye to cheating partners to rebellious children.

Their stories come alive across the decades through the acclaimed mask work of Melody Anderson in a comedy that gives a unique face to sisterhood.

Each actor uses 10 different masks during the play to mark the passing of time. We’ve created a space that holds the memories of these two characters—a space they can live within, engage with, and be surprised by. – Director Mindy Parfitt

After 35 years working as a theatre designer specializing in masks, Anderson shifted her creative focus to playwriting in 2012.

Previous writing credits include the international hit comedy The Number 14 (co-creator) and The Emperor’s New Threads (co-written with Peter Anderson). Anderson is the recipient of six Jessie awards and five nominations for both design and collective creation.

“Throughout my career as a mask maker, I’ve often mused about the possibility of seeing a character age through an entire lifetime on stage,” says Anderson. “Since a sibling relationship spans a lifetime, I thought, ‘Why not write a series of vignettes about two sisters?’ Each vignette is a snapshot of them at a particular age as they grow old together—a togetherness of rivalry, tenderness, and humour. Nobody gets you—or gets to you—like a sister.”

Arts Club Theatre Presents Me and You

Dates: April 12 to May 6; Tuesday to Thursday, 7:30 pm; Friday, Saturday, 8 pm; Wednesday, 1:30 pm; Saturday, Sunday, 2 pm
Venue: Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre, 162 West 1st Avenue, Vancouver
Tickets: $29 and up, including tax and fees; available online or via 604.687.1644

Photos by David Cooper.