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On the heels of its exciting 30th anniversary season, Pacific Theatre is thrilled to announce what just might be its most diverse season yet. Opening with the heartfelt fable The Rainmaker, Pacific Theatre’s 2014-2015 season includes beat poetry, a radio play, musical improv, and meaningful stories that range from the viscerally painful (The Whipping Man) to the intellectually stimulating (Freud’s Last Session).

Continuing its tradition of partnering with new and established companies across Canada, this year Pacific Theatre will present two guest productions: Ins Choi’s one-man show Subway Stations of the Cross and from Alberta’s Rosebud Theatre, Underneath the Lintel, featuring acclaimed performer Nathan Schmidt.

The Artistic Director’s Series features two new plays: an adaptation of the holiday classic It’s a Wonderful Life written by local artist Peter Church, and a staged reading of young playwright Krista Marushy’s new play Cultivation, in development by Pacific Theatre.

MAINSTAGE SERIES
The Rainmaker by N. Richard Nash
Dates: October 10 to November 1
Lizzie Curry’s dream of finding love is about as dry as the drought-whipped land of her family’s ranch. As if on cue, the charming Starbuck swoops in, selling the promise of rain and with it something far more dangerous – hope. A charming tale of faith and unexpected joy in barren times directed by Ron Reed.

[Ins Choi; photo by Andrew Chung]

Subway Stations of the Cross – a guest production by Ins Choi
Dates: November 19 to 22
A homeless man stands on a cardboard platform with a message from God in this unpredictable meditation on the sacred and the everyday, told through the songs, stories, and poetry of a nameless vagabond. Written and performed by the creator of Kim’s Convenience and performed by Ins Choi.

Christmas Presence
Dates: December 11 to 22
A rag-tag gathering of musicians and actors sharing songs and stories for the holiday season – the perfect way to get into the Christmas spirit.
Featuring: Ron Reed, Nelson Boschman, Sherri Plett, Jeremy Eisenhauer, Lance Odegard, Laurell, and more.

Underneath the Lintel by Glen Berger
Dates: January 9 to 31, 2015
A guest production by Rosebud Theatre
When a reclusive Dutch librarian finds a recently-returned book that is 113 years past due, his investigation leads him to a globe-spanning obsession and an ancient ghost story, making for an intelligent and quirky mystery.
Performed by Nathan Schmidt.

The Whipping Man by Matthew Lopez
Dates: February 27 to March 21, 2015
The Civil War has come to a bloody end. A critically wounded Jewish Confederate soldier returns to his ruined home where two of his family slaves wait, and the three men are left to sort through the sordid legacy of slavery and a new meaning to Passover.

Freud’s Last Session by Mark St. Germaine
Dates: April 24 to May 23
Sigmund Freud invites CS Lewis into his home on the day England enters World War II. The result is an electrifying and enriching discourse as two of the most vibrant minds of the 20th century tackle life’s most important questions.
Directed by Morris Ertman and featuring Ron Reed and Anthony F. Ingram.

THE ARTISTIC DIRECTOR’S SERIES
It’s a Wonderful Life Radio Show by Peter Church
Dates: December 5 to 20
Alone and desperate on Christmas Eve, George Bailey wonders if things wouldn’t be better if he hadn’t been born at all. Tune in to this beloved holiday classic, brought to captivating life as a radio broadcast.

Cultivation
Dates: March 25 to 28, 2015
In this staged reading, a recently discharged soldier turns up at a church retreat but refuses to participate; his budding relationship with the pastor’s daughter brings up old secrets and the often disturbing relationship between religion and warfare.

Sideshow
Dates: October 21, December 7, January 20, March 10, May 5
Pacific Theatre’s annual comedy show goes musical! Enjoy a completely improvised musical show inspired by your suggestions and our 2014-2015 season. This fun and family-friendly show is performed by Off Key Improv.