Seismic Shift was an invitation for artists to imagine, express, and articulate the seismic shifts experienced when creating in isolation. It was also an opportunity for playwrights to re-imagine their creative process in a digital space by creating solo performances in a pandemic reality.
Scroll down to enjoy two new solo creations by Yvonne Wallace and Norman Yeung. These works were made possible through the BC Arts Council’s Arts and Culture Resilience Supplement and the Canada Council for the Art’s COVID-19 Emergency Support Fund
cuzlhkán kalāxsa nqwal̛úttena
(I am going to remember my language)
By Yvonne Wallace
ABOUT THE FILM
Filmed in the stunning territories of the Lil’wat Nation, the story follows an indigenous woman (Yvonne Wallace) who suddenly becomes fluent in the language of Ucwalmicwts after a startling encounter at the edge of Lillooet Lake. As she climbs the valley in search of phone reception to contact her mother – the only one who will understand her – she finds herself transformed by her ancestry.
Running time: 8 minutes
English and Ucwalmicwts are both spoken in the piece.
English subtitles provided
CREATIVE TEAM
Written and Performed by Yvonne Wallace
Directed, Filmed and Edited by Ryan Regehr
Translation by Yvonne Wallace and Virginia Gloria Wallace
The Cougar, Script Supervision, Locations, & Catering by Vania Stager
Production Managed by Marisa E. Smith
IN THE PRESS
“Lil’wat playwright Yvonne Wallace’s new short film reflects her own language recovery” – Stir Vancouver
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Yvonne Wallace
Yvonne Wallace (Ucwalmicw) is the playwright behind such plays as Smothered Sweetly, The Last Dance and ustzan (to make things better), a play dealing with language reclamation and her first-language fluency progression. Utszan premiered 2019 in Whistler, Wallace’s traditional territory, and has toured to Dawson City and Whitehorse, Yukon. She is currently working on her Master’s in Education Leadership at UBC and can be found in N’quatqua working on her fifth play, Rezonance.
Ryan Regehr
Ryan Regehr is a filmmaker based in Pemberton BC who spends most of the winter shooting skiing and snowboarding. He has been working as a professional creative for the past 12 years and has done work for major clients all over North America. Ryan uses his background in acting and directing to help companies and brands tell compelling and captivating stories. Ryan is very excited to be involved in this solely creative piece that features some of the beautiful areas we call home.
I Know I'm Supposed to Love You
By Norman Yeung
A writer confronts the next chapter in his life story by explaining to his future child why they were born. It’s a reason the child might not appreciate.
I KNOW I’M SUPPOSED TO LOVE YOU is a metaphysical meditation on aging and loss. But really, it’s simply a love letter to family.
Written and Performed by Norman Yeung
Direction and Dramaturgy by Daniela Atiencia
Cinematography and Editing by Zach Whitcomb
IN THE PRESS
“Self-professed ‘shower guy’ Norman Yeung takes bath for filmed theatre piece addressing his possible future child.” – Vancouver Sun
ABOUT THE CREATORS
Norman Leung
Norman Yeung works in theatre, film, and visual arts. His play Theory, a psychological thriller about a professor who tests the limits of free speech by creating an unmoderated discussion board, had its American premiere at Mosaic Theater Company in Washington, DC, after its world premiere at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. Theory won the Herman Voaden National Playwriting Prize, was nominated for the Carol Bolt Award, and is being developed as a feature film. Theory will be published by Playwrights Canada Press. His play Pu-Erh, about language dividing and uniting an immigrant family, received four Dora Award nominations, including Outstanding New Play, and was a Herman Voaden finalist. Other plays and performance pieces include Deirdre Dear (Neil LaBute New Theater Festival, St. Louis), In this moment. (Scotiabank Nuit Blanche), and Black Blood (Tapestry New Opera Showcase, with composer Christiaan Venter). Theory and Ms. Desjardins are available as podcasts (PlayME/CBC). He was recently at the Stratford Festival Playwrights Retreat to develop his new play Others, a social satire about the shifting power from straight white males to… others. Current writing projects include a new play Eunuch v. Pirate, a new series Blood Rush, and a commission for National Arts Centre/Stratford Festival called The Zoonotic Story. Acting credits include Chimerica (Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre/Canadian Stage), The Kite Runner (Theatre Calgary/Citadel Theatre), The Canadian (Thousand Islands Playhouse), Fugitives (Theatre Conspiracy), Exit the Dragon (VACT), Filthy Rich (Firehall Arts Centre), You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Gateway Theatre), Resident Evil: Afterlife (Sony/Screen Gems), Todd and the Book of Pure Evil (SPACE/CTV), and many more. He is a member of the 2020 Stratford Festival acting company for Hamlet, Much Ado About Nothing, and Wolf Hall. He holds a BFA in Acting/Theatre from University of British Columbia, and a BFA in Film from Ryerson University. Norman divides his time between Los Angeles, Toronto, and hometown East Vancouver.
Daniela Atiencia
Daniela Atiencia is a Latinx-Canadian theatre artist born and raised in Colombia. She graduated with Honours and received a BFA in Theatre Performance from SFU’s School for the Contemporary Arts. She returned to Colombia to work at a community radio station, producing audio content for marginalized areas of the Colombian armed conflict. Desiring further artistic growth, she moved to the UK where she graduated with Distinction and acquired her MFA in Theatre Directing from The University of Essex’s East 15 Acting School. During her time in England, she co-founded her own international theatre company, Fingers Crossed, and produced her first professional devised piece, Central (Story) Line which received rave reviews at the Camden Fringe Festival. Daniela is a bilingual director, dramaturg, and deviser who vigorously seeks international collaborations with interdisciplinary artists. Her work has been seen in Colombia, Lithuania, Canada, England, and Denmark. She is currently based on The Unceded Coast Salish Territories (Vancouver, B.C.) working with internationally acclaimed theatre companies including Rumble, Touchstone Theatre, Neworld Theatre, Playwrights Theatre Centre, rice & beans theatre, The Arts Club, and Electric Company.
Zach Whitcomb
Zach Whitcomb is a Canadian/American filmmaker born and raised in Southern California. Zach’s freelance indie career started when he decided to avoid film school entirely and utilize a “learn by doing” mentality. Zach became a programmer for the Newport Beach Film Festival, an international festival that allowed Zach to meet filmmakers from around the globe. He simultaneously found himself being an associate producer for the pilot episode for Sci-Fi dramedy “Nobility. Zach then co-founded a small production company, Monkey Suit Productions, to produce original content. Zach produced and was cinematographer for web-series horror pilot “The Unhallowed” and short film drama “Betrayer” under the Monkey Suit banner. Zach currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada.
