As we gear up for rehearsals for STATIONARY, we are excited to introduce the cast and creative team who will be spending the next few months as employees of “Northern Light Communications”.   One of our largest and most diverse teams yet, we are happy to introduce our new co-workers:  Meaghan Chenosky, Brian Cochrane, Mishelle Cuttler, Kayla Dunbar, Emily Griffiths, Alexander Keurvorst, Evan Lamberton, Amanda Larder, Laura McLean, Erin Palm, Christine Quintana, Arlen Kristian Tom, and Wladmiro Woyno.

Meaghan Chenosky – Mel Meaghan Chenosky originally hails from London Ontario. She moved to Vancouver to attend UBC’s BFA in acting program in 2008. Selected credits include: Molly in Farragut North (Blank Slate) Woman in Bash (Two Planks) Lucy in Pains of Youth (Theatre UBC) Mary of the Secrets in The Madonna Painter (Theatre UBC) Juliet in Romeo and Juliet (Theatre UBC). Meaghan is so excited to be a Delinquent!

Brian Cochrane – Rap Lyricist, Brad Brian is thrilled to be a part of the STATIONARY team! He has an MFA in Directing from UBC, a BFA in acting from U of S, and spent many formative years playing in the band Carbon Dating Service. Recently he co-produced and performed in The Bomb-itty of Errors (Temporary Thing/Twenty Something Theatre), and is assistant director on King John at Bard on the Beach this summer.

Mishelle Cuttler – Composer, Music Director, AnnaMishelle is an actor and composer with a great love for novelty instruments.  Composition credits include: Romeo & Juliet (Theatre at UBC), The Verona Project (Pacific Theatre).  Select acting credits: Aesop’s Fables (Carousel), The Good Woman of Setzuan (Seven Tyrants), Wild Honey (Theatre at UBC).  Mishelle has a BFA in Acting from the University of British Columbia.

Kayla Dunbar – Choreographer Kayla is delighted to be choreographing a new work with such a fabulous group of delinquents. She is a Vancouver based actor, choreographer and teacher. Past acting credits include: High Society, Hairspray (Arts Club), Hello Dolly (RCMT), A Year With Frog and Toad, The Wizard of Oz (Carousel Theatre), The Crucible, 1984, The Comedy of Errors, Secret in the Wings (Studio 58), West Side Story, 42nd Street (RCMT), Oliver! (Playhouse), Grease, Annie (TUTS), and You’re A Good Man, Charlie Brown (Blockhead Productions). Kayla is a recent graduate of Studio 58 where she was the choreographer of the highly acclaimed new musical The Park.

Emily Griffiths – Stage Manager Emily Griffiths has recently completed her BA in Honours Theatre from UBC. Emily specializes in sound design, stage management, and devised theatre. Recent credits include At First I Thought It Was… (B.C. Buds Festival, Walking Fish Festival), PARTS (Honours Thesis), Capital, Alice! (lucid dream productions), Wild Honey (UBC) and Far Away (UBC). Catch Emily again as assistant director and sound designer for ITSAZOO’s production of Mojo this August.

Alexander Keurvorst – Aiden Alexander Keurvorst is thrilled to be back with Delinquent Theatre. Other good times he’s had with Delinquent have included Melchior in Spring Awakening (2009) and Beethoven in Dog Sees God (2008). Other recent credits include the titular Macbeth (UBC Theatre) and Ferdyschenko in The Idiot (Neworld). Alexander is entering his final year of the BFA Acting Program at UBC. He would like to thank his family, friends, partners and roommates for dealing with an artist during the recession.

Evan Lamberton – Musician A native Vancouverite and currently a student at the University of Toronto, Evan studies under internationally renowned Canadian cellist Shauna Rolston. Passionate about chamber music, Evan was a member of the prize-winning Trio Gusto with pianist Seulky Amy Lee and violinist Henry Liao. Evan hopes to pursue a career as an orchestral cellist.

Amanda Larder – Set Design

Laura McLean – Director Laura is a Director, Stage Manager and Co-Artistic and Managing Director of Delinquent Theatre. Previous directing credits with Delinquent Theatre include Dog Sees God, Spring Awakening and Oh My God. Last summer Laura co-created and directed Party This Weekend with The House Party Collective. Laura has also been known to be backstage stage managing at Pacific Theatre, Presentation House Theatre, or Arts Umbrella. She has her BFA in Theatre Production and Design from UBC.

Erin Palm – Britta A Vancouver represented actor, a professional singer and a graduate of Capilano University, where she studied both Dramatic Theatre and Musical Theatre. Erin is a Ovation Award nominee for Outstanding Lead Performance Female for her performance in Jacques Brel is Alive and Well and Living in Paris. She recently appeared as Marcy, in ITP’s I Love You Because, Robin in Awkward Stage’s touring production of Smile, Anytime Annie in Metro Theatres 42nd Street , Beth in Merrily We Roll Along, and also toured in The Arts Club’s production of The Thing About Men, where she played 12 characters. Watch for Erin in Hedley’s music video Invincible.

Christine Quintana – Book and Lyrics, Lizzie Christine drank many cups of coffee, ate many coffeeshop muffins, and chewed many pencils in the writing of STATIONARY.  When not being an anxious playwright, Christine is an actor.  Selected credits include The Wizard of Oz and Seussical the Musical with Carousel Theatre, the LEAP Reading Series for the Arts Club Theatre Company, and The Madonna Painter and Wild Honey at Theatre at UBC.  Christine holds a BFA in Acting from Theatre at UBC in one hand, and a cup of coffee in the other.

Arlen Tom – Musician General labourer by day, writer/ wannabe rockstar by night, Arlen is no stranger to the stage.  He was a contributing writer to the original site specific show Party This Weekend and is a member of the band Times Rival.  His new show, The Best, Man will be part of this year’s Vancouver International Fringe Festival.

Wladmiro Woyno – Lighting Design Wladimiro A. Woyno R. is a Vancouver based set, lighting and projection designer for live performance. He is interested in the dramaturgical powers of scenography, and passionate about incorporating new technologies into the theatrical tradition. Other design credits include Burnt by the Sun (United Players), Problem Child and The End of Civilization (Theatre@UBC) Thane of My Existence (Thane Malabar), 10x10x10 (Vancouver Dance Centre), Figment (ButterDragon Productions) Try Me, Good King (Songfire Theatre) Love/Stories(Kinetichism Theatre), Wild Honey (Theatre @UBC), Dead Man’s Cellphone (Theatre@UBC). http://wawr.ca

Okay, we’ll admit it.

We’re a little obsessed with NBC’s ‘hit’ show SMASH.  Ridiculous?  Absolutely.  Entertaining?  No doubt.  We’re not sure in what universe untrained Iowan ingenues book Broadway shows, professional stage managers allow actors to frolic freely out of rehearsal mid-number, or directors re-imagine a classic musical theatre show as an awful auto-tune dance striptease, but you know what?  Strip away the soap opera melodrama and unlikely storylines, and you have a story about a group of people working their guts out to put a new piece of theatre on stage, and we know a thing or two about that.

For the last month and a bit, the Delinquents have been workshopping the new material for STATIONARY: a recession-era musical.  Through 2 full-day workshops, we learned and orchestrated new musical numbers, and read through the script.  Inviting a few friends for dramaturgical advice, we did full readthroughs with music to get a sense of how the show is coming together.  Though regrettably bereft of infidelity, anaphalactic shock and spontanous auto-tune music numbers (a la Smash), we’ve had an incredible time putting it all together.  Our real-life workshop bore a few similaries to its TV counterpart: the creative team begging the playwright for new material, or the electric moment of seeing that tricky number come together in just the right way.

STATIONARY’s new material is inspired by everything from indie-rock to 1920s jazz, Jason Robert Brown and more.  The STATIONARY cast has already shown incredible enthusiasm, musicianship and vocal prowess (not to mention a wicked sense of humor).  We are so excited to start rehearsals in a few short weeks.  Huge thanks to Carousel Theatre and Pacific Theatre for sponsoring our workshops!

In keeping with our regrettable hipster tendencies, most of the pictures from the workshop were from Instagram.

Watch this space in the weeks to come for sneak peeks at the show and reports from the rehearsal hall. Though we’re fairly certain actors Meaghan Chenosky and Erin Palm won’t be having a sing-off in a hotel room, or that Stage Manager Emily Griffiths won’t get side-tracked making smoothies for the actors, we know that in theatre – as on the small screen – anything is possible.

 Delinquent Theatre is proud to present

STATIONARY: a recession-era musical

as part of the Neanderthal Festival July 18 – July 29 at the Cultch

Under the fluorescent lights of real life, obligations and social niceties loom large.  But in the world of day-dreams, all things are possible. STATIONARY: a recession-era musical explores the lives of 6 young people at a moment when big dreams meet reality checks. It’s a musical for the generation that has stepped out – bachelor degree in hand – to discover that the world isn’t quite what they were promised it would be.  It’s for the generation that was coached to dream big, only to find there isn’t enough room for everyone to be a winner.  Real life is disappointing.  Singing about it definitely takes the edge off.   STATIONARY: a recession-era musical is a new work from Delinquent Theatre.

An extended version of PARKED: an indie rock musical for novelty instruments from Bridge Mix 2011.  Lyrics and script by Christine Quintana and music by Mishelle Cuttler with rap lyrics by Brian Cochrane.  Directed by Laura McLean.  Featuring Meaghan Chenosky, Brian Cochrane, Mishelle Cuttler, Alexander Keurvorst, and Erin Palm, with Evan Lamberton and Arlen Kristian Tom.

The reviews are in, and FLOP! seems to be anything but. The Georgia Straight‘s Colin Thomas calls it the “future of Vancouver theatre”.

Joy and skill: there’s a winning combo… for a $15-dollar ticket, Flop! packs more pleasure into 45 minutes than many much more expensive and longer evenings manage to. See it and support the future of Vancouver theatre.

Mark Robins of gayvancouver.net says FLOP! is a “cause for celebration”.

Early in the show Labbe talks about being “suspended in infinite possibility”.  Lipovetsky proves how true those words are with Flop!

We are also loving the feedback we’re hearing from Facebook and Twitter – you all are too kind! Here are some kind comments from our friends on Twitter:

Join the conversation on Twitter by following us at @delinquentheatr, or including the hashtag #DTFlop – we’d love to hear from you!

FLOP! only runs til April 1st – be sure not to miss out.

Tomorrow’s the big day – opening night!  We’re ready to show you a great time.  With most shows a late start time at 9PM, we’re opening the house early to pump some sweet tunes and open the bar.  Thanks to Value On Liquor (opening soon on SW Marine Dr),  we have a sweet selection of Phillips Beer and Copper Moon Wine to tickle your palate – and Delinquent Theatre members get $1 off every drink!  The bar will be open before and after the fabulous show, so come early for the 9PM curtain, and hang out with us Delinquent-style for a fun night at the theatre.

Delinquent Theatre: How did the creation of FLOP! originally begin?
Anton Lipovetsky: Flop started as an assignment for theatre school.  We were asked to each write and perform one a person show as our final project and I wanted to write a musical.  I suppose I drew on some personal experience of high school and high school theatre and working with insane artists.  And Flop was originally a 20 minute piece.  When I got the opportunity to go to the Edmonton Fringe, and I expanded it to it’s full length.  And my head exploded. 

 DT: What was it like touring to Edmonton for the Fringe Festival?AL: It was a spectacular experience.  We got to see something like 15 different shows from different artists from all around the world…  And apparently the Edmonton Fringe broke records that year with ticket sales, breaking the 100,000 mark.  I had never really seen anything like it… swarms of people and streets blocked off in the name of theatre.  I loved it.  It was at times hot and stressful and a lot of work — running around all day handing out handbills, getting the word out.  But mostly it was a fun and enlightening experience.  And doing the show was an absolute riot.  We were so grateful how well-received it was in the media and with the audiences. 

Anton finds his light.

DT: FLOP! is a super high energy tour-de-force for you – how do you keep your energy up?
AL: During a run of FLOP! I try to sleep at least 20 hours a day.  Like a housecat.  If I’m awake, it’s moments before the show and I’m injecting myself with coffee intravenously while yelling insults at myself in the mirror.  During the show…  I just keep reminding myself, it’s for the children.  Do it for the children, you know? 

DT: Why should people come to see FLOP?
AL: Well, I don’t know that I can answer this objectively…  I know other people have gotten a kick out of the show, or at least that’s what they told me afterwards–they could have just been being nice.  You’ll definitely be able to brag to your friends about how alternative and indie your taste in new musical theatre is.  The truth is, I need money for all my vices. 

 No, the real truth is, I’ve poured a lot of my heart into this show and I absolutely love performing it and this time a real reputable theatre company is putting it on!  And amazing talented people are working on it who are now pouring in their hearts as well.  It’s like a heart cocktail.  And our only goal here is to entertain and to touch people (heard it when I said it) and hopefully to leave people with some catchy tunes they can hum on the way home.

FLOP! is a virtuosic piece by Anton Lipovetsky – this talented performer wrote the lyrics, composed the music, and performs it himself.  But there is someone else on stage helping make the magic happen – pianist Mishelle Cuttler.  We sat down with Mishelle to find out a bit about the mysterious lady behind the keys.

Delinquent Theatre: Your piano skills are on fine display in FLOP!  What’s your musical background?

Mishelle Cuttler: I started out doing the classical thing, and have my Grade 10 certificate in piano from the Royal Conservatory.  Over the years I also performed lots as a singer, and have accompanied choirs, instrumentalists, auditions, rehearsals and living room singalongs.  I composed my first score in 2010 for a production of Romeo & Juliet at UBC, wherein I performed my music live throughout the play along with members of the cast.  I also learned accordion for that show, which opened up a wonderful world of opportunities for me – not only does it sound great, but everyone loves an accordion.  I continue to compose, musical direct, teach and perform music with an extra focus on music in the theatre.  I recently bought a glockenspiel and a tiny harmonica.

Mishelle between takes at the FLOP! Trailer film shoot.

DT: How did you first become part of FLOP?