program - Performance lab showcase

Program:
1. Whirlpool
2. how to pull your heart out through your throat*
3. The Wonderheads’ A CHRISTMAS CAROL
one or two 15 minute intermissions to occur - to be announced before show
*Content Advisory - some swearing may occur

​Please note that while having an e-program saves trees, it is asked you do not reference the program once the house lights have gone down and that you keep your phone on airplane/off! Please refrain from taking photos and or videos.
We gratefully acknowledges that we are privileged to live and create on the traditional and unceded territory of the Lekwugen Speaking Peoples, now known as the Songhees and Esquimalt
​​Impulse Theatre acknowledges the generous support of the CRD Arts Commission.
Did your neighbour forget to scan at the door? Here's a quick scan to this program! (impulsetheatre.ca/plsprogram)

about the performance lab showcase

The Performance Lab is a new program designed to allow Victoria-based companies an opportunity to support new performance work in a process-driven environment. Three companies were given 40 hours of studio time and a small honorarium to develop up to 30 minutes of a brand-new show. The Lab culminates with a public showcase, giving these three companies a chance to test their exciting projects in front of an audience. ​

about the companies

creative team - The wonderheads' a christmas carol

WONDERHEADS are in the process of developing a new show – their first ever adaptation – which will premiere this December: “A WONDERHEADS Christmas Carol.” They are setting out to reinvent Ebeneezer Scrooge’s magical journey with giant masks, whimsical puppets, and wondrous theatrical invention, and are excited to share selections from this early phase of development. “A WONDERHEADS Christmas Carol will be playing at the McPherson Playhouse this December as well as other venues throughout Vancouver Island. Keep an eye on wonderheads.com for more information.


The Wonderheads are a physical theatre company specializing in mask performance and visual storytelling. Their work is performed in full-face mask, a wordless, whimsical form which has been described as “Utter magic” (CBC) and “Powerful, surprising and moving” (The Globe and Mail). The co-founding ‘heads’ of WONDERHEADS are Kate Braidwood and Andrew Phoenix, who came together in 2009 resolved to conjure a little magic and wonder into the world. Armed with their respective careers in the professional theatre and a shared background in the most curious of MFA degrees (Ensemble Based Physical Theatre, Dell’Arte International) they set out to create their first show, Grim and Fischer, the story of a feisty grandmother who battles it out with the Grim Reaper himself. This show served as a launchpad for the company and over the past decade they have developed four original productions: Grim and Fischer, LOON, The Middle of Everywhere, and The Wilds, which they have toured to festivals and performing arts centres throughout Canada and the United States. In 2013 the company was named one of ten Scion Motivate finalists, a US national contest recognizing entrepreneurs in the creative arts. The WONDERHEADS also frequently engage in a variety of outreach and teaching activities including workshops, in-depth residencies, lecture demonstrations and master classes. When not the road, the WONDERHEADS call beautiful Victoria, BC home.

kate braidwood - artist, co-founding director

She/her. Kate Braidwood, WONDERHEADS Co-Founding Artistic Director, is an actor, deviser, sound designer, director and mask maker. She has performed nationally and internationally, and her masks are used in WONDERHEADS’ own work as well as on stages and in classrooms around the world. Kate holds a BFA in Acting from the University of Victoria and an MFA in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre from Dell’Arte International where she trained as an actor-creator, studying the development of original, physically driven work created in ensemble. It was at Dell’Arte that her passion for mask was truly ignited and developed, during which time she trained in the Italian form of Commedia Dell’Arte, studied mask performance with Joan Schirle and Ronlin Foreman, studied mask design with Bruce Marrs and worked with Berlin-based mask company Familie Flöz. In 2009 she teamed up with fellow Dell’Arte graduate, Andrew Phoenix, to create the WONDERHEADS and has been busy touring their work since that time. Kate was named a 2015 Oregon Arts Commission Fellow, an initiative designed to recognize the achievements of outstanding Oregon artists.

Andrew phoenix - artist, founding co-artistic director

He/Him. Andrew Phoenix, WONDERHEADS Co-Founding Artistic Director, is an actor, deviser, director and teacher. Andrew holds a BFA in Acting from Texas State University and has worked with Dallas Children’s Theatre, Appel Farm Arts and Music Center in New Jersey, and the Texas Shakespeare Festival. Driven by a longing to create original and innovative work on his feet and away from the page, Andrew completed his MFA in Ensemble Based Physical Theatre at Dell’Arte International School of Physical Theatre and went on to perform and teach in India with Clowns without Borders U.S.A., direct and teach at Intiman Theatre (Seattle, WA), and perform with the Dell’Arte Company (Blue Lake, CA) and Miracle Theatre (Portland, OR). In 2009 he joined forces with Kate Braidwood to create their first show, Grim and Fischer, and the WONDERHEADS were born. As a company they have created four award winning productions and tour their work to festivals and performing arts centres throughout Canada and the US and beyond. Andrew also has a background as a theatre technician, having served as Technical Director and Master Carpenter at Miracle Theatre in Portland, OR, and is responsible for many of the set and lighting designs for WONDERHEADS’ productions. When not on the road with WONDERHEADS, Andrew makes his home in Victoria, BC.

jessica hickman - artist

She/her. ​Jessica Hickman is an independent director, choreographer, deviser, teacher and performer based in Victoria, BC. She is the co-artistic director of Open Pit Theatre, an ensemble-based devised theatre company based in Whitehorse, and directed their touring show Busted Up: A Yukon Story, which you can check out on the MainStage of The Belfry Theatre Spark Festival this March. In addition to developing her own shows, Jessica has worked with companies such as Ramshackle Theatre (Whitehorse puppet company) and FirePot Performance (Vancouver devising company) to develop new touring works. Other directorial credits include: The Drowsy Chaperone (Guild Theatre), Tombstone: A Cardboard Western (Ramshackle Theatre), and four seasons with The Badlands Passion Play, a production featuring a cast of 200 on Canada’s largest outdoor stage. Jessica works primarily as a choreographer with credits including: La Bohème (Pacific Opera Victoria), Sweet Charity (CCPA), A Christmas Carol, Puttin’ On the Ritz, Let Me Call You Sweetheart, Mom’s the Word (The Belfry Theatre), Elf: The Musical (Chemainus Theatre Festival), and Elbow Room Café (Zee Zee Theatre). For the past 7 years, Jessica has taught movement and collaborative creation at The Canadian College of Performing Arts. Next up for Jessica is co-directing The Trophy Hunt at The Victoria Fringe Festival August 22-Sept 1. www.openp.it
​

creative team - whirlpool

Broken Rhythms Dance Society is working on a solo piece (movement based) that looks at the relationship and the sometimes fragmented connection between body, mind, agency, production and autonomy.  ​

dyana sonik-henderson - artist, choreographer, & executive/artistic director of broken rhythms dance society

She/her. Dyana is a choreographer, instructor, and the Executive/Artistic Director of the Indi non-profit, Victoria-based dance company Broken Rhythms Victoria Society. She is a staple in the Victoria dance community with weekly classes at the iconic Raino Dance studio and Victoria Academy of Ballet, and is a popular guest instructor at many studios across Canada. She has been recognized for her choreography, community work and artistic direction with five Pick of the Fringe awards, nominations for the inaugural Pro Arts Regional award, and finalist for Monday Magazine’s Best Dance company; she was awarded the LOLA Project International, working with Gabi Beier from Berlin, Germany and was most recently presented with the title of B.C Cultural ambassador for 2019/2020 due to her work with community engagement and recognition of artistic excellence.Dyana has had featured work in Dance Current Magazine and Boulevard Magazine with her touring performance named as one of Toronto Star’s “can’t miss shows.”  She has been commissioned to set choreography on local and national companies, received grants from the Canada Council for the Arts, BC Arts Council and the CRD, and has lectured on artistic expression and creativity. She is continuously collaborating with artists across the disciplines, while simultaneously working with her company on creative projects. Her productions and choreography have been performed nationally, including  Halifax, Calgary, Edmonton, Toronto and across B.C. She has studied and performed widely, including at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance (London, England), Decidedly Jazz Dance Works (Calgary), and One Immigrant Productions (Toronto). She continues to study and develop, most recently having completed her Honours thesis at UVic on the themes of gender and movement

creative team - how to pull your heart out through your throat

Impulse Theatre's work-in-progress is an exciting and visceral “how-to” guide. Starting with three creatures in a vat of tar digging into their own deep reaches of vulnerability, and expands to explore questions of identity, self-creation, and the need to be seen authentically.
Conceived on a rock beside the Pacific Ocean in 2010, Impulse Theatre has been creating and producing theatre in Victoria for the last 10 years. Known for their unique visual aesthetic, along with a penchant for modernizing myth and archetype, Impulse Theatre continues in its tradition of creating innovative physical theatre which both uses and subverts storytelling structure. Their work has been presented by upintheair's rEvolver Theatre Frestival, the Belfry's Spark Festival, Intrepid's Winterlab, UnoFest, and YOU Show series, Theatre SKAM's Bike Ride, and the Firehall Arts Centre's BC Buds Festival. - www.impulsetheatre.ca

andrew barrett - director & Artistic Producer

He/Him. Andrew is a queer multidisciplinary theatre artist based in Victoria, BC. He is a creator, performer, teacher, director, and administrator. He received his BFA in Theatre from the University of Victoria with a focus on direction, physical theatre, and performance design, and has pursued contemporary dance training through the Victoria School of Contemporary Dance since 2010. He is a recipient of a BC Arts Council’s Early Career Development Grant and he attended One Yellow Rabbit's Summer Lab Intensive in 2016.

He has worked for and been affiliated with numerous companies in Victoria over the past seven years, including the likes of Theatre SKAM, Atomic Vaudeville, Intrepid Theatre, and SNAFU Dance Theatre. He has operated as the Communications & Marketing Officer at the Canadian College of Performing Arts since December 2018. As a teacher, he has taught theatrical movement and creation for SKAM's SKAMpede Young Company and its School of Performing Arts, the Pacific Design Academy’s Acting for the Screen program, and has done workshops through Impulse Theatre, for the poets of Victoria Festival of Spoken Word, and the students of the Gulf Islands School of the Performing Arts, for which he is an alumni.

Chase Hiebert - artist

Chase Hiebert is an actor, director, writer, and administrator. He studied theatre and writing at UVic, and has worked with local companies including Atomic Vaudeville, Intrepid Theatre, and Theatre SKAM. Some favourite performance credits include, Bulb Duet (rEvolver Festival Reading), The Madwoman of Chaillot (UVic Phoenix Theatre). ​​

Julie MOmbourquette - artist

She/Her. Julie Mombourquette is excited to be creating with Impulse! Select credits—Ensemble in Rocky Horror Picture Show (Atomic Vaudeville, Britt Small), Mad Margaret in Ruddigore (Company C, Glynis Leyshon), Mary Poppins in Mary Poppins (CCPA, D. Roles), Lady of the Lake in Spamalot (Prairie Skies, K. Teiffenbach). ​

Rachel Levy - artist

They/Them. ​Rachel is a local writer, designer, filmmaker, and actor. Since graduating from the University of Victoria in 2018, they’ve been busy working with local companies from Embrace Arts Foundation to Atomic Vaudeville. They are beyond excited to be a part of the team at Impulse!

veronica harland - Front of house & stage manager

She/Her. ​Veronica is thrilled to be working with Impulse Theatre as the Operations and Front of House Manager as well as the Stage Manager! She is a graduate from the Canadian College of Performing Arts where she found her love for the behind the scenes side of Theatre. She can’t wait to start her summer with Impulse!

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a thank you to Impulse's supporters

CRD Arts Development Service, our Board of Directors, the Canadian College of Performing Arts, tonight's Volunteers, the participating artists, and the contributors to our Bottle Drive.
Impulse Theatre lives and creates on the traditional and unceded territory of the lək̓ʷəŋən Peoples,.
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