The Georgia Straight - JFL NorthWest - Feb 13, 2020

FREE | FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

Volume 54 | Number 2716

DAN SAVAGE Female-led relationships

ROMANTIC MEALS Impress your valentine

HOUSING TRUST

Coming to False Creek South?

JFL NorthWest

Comedian Bill Burr talks button-pushing, socialmedia outrage, and hockey; plus, Middleditch and Schwartz, Jacqueline Novak, and more laugh getters hitting the citywide comedy fest

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Enrol at web.ucanwest.ca/vancouver-house 4 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

REAL ESTATE

False Creek South leases are expiring. Can community land trusts help residents deal with the city/owner?

By Carlito Pablo

8

MUSIC

With Neon Brown, Minnesota’s Velvet Negroni discovers that there’s life after the party.

By Mike Usinger

21 MOVIES

A blind man tackles the Grand Canyon rapids in the poignant documentary The Weight of Water.

By Adrian Mack

e Start Here 21 ARTS HOT TICKET 11 ARTS TIP SHEET 8 FOOD 6 HOROSCOPES 21 I SAW YOU 20 MOVIE REVIEWS 23 SAVAGE LOVE 15 TALKING SEX 16 THEATRE

e Online TOP 5

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Vancouver’s News and Entertainment Weekly Volume 54 | Number 2716 1635 West Broadway, Vancouver, B.C. V6J 1W9 T: 604.730.7000 F: 604.730.7010 E: gs.info@straight.com straight.com

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DISTRIBUTION: 604.730.7087

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Here’s what people are reading this week on Straight.com.

1 2 3 4 5

Rage Against the Machine plays Vancouver this spring.

Welcome to the Canadian rebellion, Trudeau and Horgan.

Calder Trophy Watch: Canuck Quinn Hughes pushing for top spot.

Flurry of pro-pipeline Indigenous voices shows up on Twitter.

Just try to hate Justin Bieber after you watch video for “Intentions”.

GeorgiaStraight @GeorgiaStraight @GeorgiaStraight

The Georgia Straight is published every Thursday by the Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp. Copies are distributed free every week throughout Vancouver, Burnaby, North and West Vancouver, New Westminster, and Richmond. International Standard Serial Number ISSN 0709-8995. Subscription rates in Canada $182.00/52 issues (includes GST), $92.00/26 issues (includes GST); United States $379.00/52 issues, $205.00/26 issues; foreign $715.00/52 issues, $365.00/26 issues. Contact 604-730-7087 if you wish to distribute free copies of the Georgia Straight at your place of business. Entire contents copyright © 2019 Vancouver Free Press, Best Of Vancouver, Bov And Golden Plates Are Trade-Marks Of Vancouver Free Press Publishing Corp. SUBMISSIONS The Straight accepts no responsibility for, and will not necessarily respond to, any submitted materials. All submissions should be addressed to contact@straight.com.

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A new campus for tomorrow’s leaders UCW VANCOUVER HOUSE New campus opening 2020

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As the JFL NorthWest comedy fest gets set to launch, we check in with “30-year overnight success” Bill Burr.

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6 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

False Creek South residents may form housing trust

A

by Carlito Pablo

s a creation of the Cooperative Housing Federation of B.C., the Community Land Trust has been around for almost three decades.

Founded in 1993, the CLT’s portfolio has grown from a number of homes transferred over by the province to more than 2,600 units across B.C. The land trust has a wealth of experience that executive director Thom Armstrong says the nonprofit is eager to share with residents of False Creek South in Vancouver.

From its inception in the 1970s and 1980s, False Creek South, located between the Burrard and Cambie bridges, has been intended as a socially diverse neighbourhood.

With its mix of co-ops, condos, market and nonprofit rentals, and supportive housing, False Creek South is a successful model of urban planning.

However, there are questions about the future of the community.

The City of Vancouver owns 80 percent of the land in False Creek South, and leases to these properties will begin expiring in the next few years.

The False Creek South Neighbourhood Association has laid out a vision to not only preserve but also expand affordable housing in the area.

To achieve this, the association has stated that it is exploring the idea of forming a community housing trust, which is another name for a land trust.

“There’s a lot of experience that we have that would be relevant to what they’re trying to do,” CLT’s Armstrong told the Georgia Straight in a phone interview.

According to Armstrong, land or housing trusts have been shown to be good mechanisms in negotiating with governments.

“In some of the examples we’ve seen in places like Australia and the U.K. and the United States, when a group forms a community land trust, it can be an effective point of contact with a municipal government or another level of government, because governments have trouble dealing with multiple stakeholders,” Armstrong said.

It works for individual co-ops and nonprofit-housing providers as well, as negotiations with government require resources on their part as well.

“It’s a burden on the individual coops,” Armstrong said. “And if you can organize the co-ops to create a single point of contact for government, it could be much more efficient on the reporting side, and then also on the asset-management side.”

According to a count by the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association, there are 1,821 housing units on city-owned land in the area.

These units are distributed as follows: 573 units in six co-ops; 124 units in four market-rental buildings; 455 units in six nonprofit rental buildings; and 669 units in 13 strata corporations.

“Typically, what happens is the land trust holds either the title to the property or the lease with government or with the ultimate landowner,” Armstrong noted.

According to him, the land trust then enters into an operating agreement or sublease with each individual housing entity.

“But the key is that the underlying asset is either owned or leased by the land trust,” he said.

Jim Woodward is the vice president of the False Creek South Neighbourhood Association. He also chairs an advisory committee that is looking at the feasibility of a community housing trust for False Creek South.

“The primary motivation for a community housing trust is to develop housing that is affordable,” Woodward told the Straight by phone.

Based on a draft plan, Woodward's association is eyeing a million square feet for new housing and commercial spaces in False Creek South. g

HOROSCOPES

T

by Rose Marcus

o many, Valentine’s Day is simply retail hype, but isn’t the world a better place when we put the love to the front instead of the hate?

The moon in Scorpio sets a good backdrop for Valentine’s Day lovers.

Note: the mood is sweet and savoury rather than hot and naughty. Single?

It’s also a good evening to watch a movie and relax. (Please don’t drive under the influence.)

Venus in Aries continues through the start of March. Feel a sense that something is unlocking for you now?

Notice a new inner dialogue, impulse, or evaluation process gathering momentum? Gaining a hint of a circumstance or fresh opportunity on brew, or a battle ahead? Stay observant. It is a preview to that which will stand out as the main feature for the second half of the year. Do not underestimate the karmic threshold-crossing nature of what you/we now face. Progress and opportunity are found in new choices and in the breaking of new ground. Don’t let fear stop you. Reward lies in the direction of courage, new initiatives, and radical reinvention.

Mars enters Capricorn early Sunday morning. Mars sets a timetable for the end of March. It could take that long for you, them, or us to get it under better control. Later in the day, Mercury in Pisces begins a three-week retrograde cycle. Both transits aim to uncover what is most important. They’ll do that by making the reality too obvious to ignore. Mercury retrograde in Pisces exposes what has escaped full view and in so doing clears up uncertainty or confusion. Potentials show their true value. What does not hold good prospect will lose momentum, disintegrate, or disappear.

A

ARIES

March 20–April 20

By process or a circumstance, Venus in Aries moves you through an important karmic intersection Thursday/Friday. Venus will continue to break new ground through the start of March. You are gaining a preview of what will occupy you in the second half of the year. Mars and Mercury retrograde will spend the next several weeks uncovering/unlocking what’s real, of true value and benefit.

B

TAURUS

April 20–May 21

Mars in Capricorn, a crystallizing influence, helps you to see the reality for what it is: a step-bystep process. While Mercury retrograde, also starting Sunday, can see you on a backtrack with someone or something, ultimately the transit aims to show you who you can trust, what’s in your interest, and where you need to get better, more fully committed.

C

GEMINI

D

CANCER

E

LEO

May 21–June 21

Thursday/Friday lights a fresh spark. A first date or a fresh conversation hits the spot Valentine’s Day. Social or spontaneous does too.

Saturday through Monday, go easy on it; take it as it comes. As is typical, the start of Mercury retrograde can derail plans or intentions. Watch for the week ahead to put something unplanned to the top of the must-do list.

June 21–July 22

Venus in Aries provides a preview or a jump-start to the opportunities and priorities that will overtake the second half of the year.

The faster you get on it now, the better down the road. In combination, Mercury retrograde and Mars in Capricorn aim to dispel uncertainty and confusion. Watch for the reality to become impossible to avoid or ignore.

July 22–August 23 Thursday/Friday, Venus in Aries could prompt you to jump into it

FEBRUARY 13 TO 20, 2020 or buy on impulse, instinct, or whim.

(That take-charge attitude could win you points with your lover.) Saturday to Monday, watch for something unexpected to eat up your time and move to the top of the priority list. Mercury retrograde can expose something in need of immediate attention.

F

VIRGO

G

LIBRA

H

SCORPIO

I

SAGITTARIUS

J

CAPRICORN

K

AQUARIUS

L

PISCES

August 23–September 23

By the end of the week, you’ll begin to feel that you are breaking new ground and gaining on yourself. Trust yourself more. You will continue to gain and profit at all levels. Starting Sunday, Mercury retrograde can take you deeper into a soul-searching review, this regarding how you are or are not showing up for yourself. Mars assists you to build confidence.

September 23–October 23

Venus in Aries continues to keep you and the action going strong. Watch for a fresh awareness, emotional undercurrent, or dialogue to get your attention. It is a hint of what could grow in importance and become the main focus in the second half of the year. Use Mercury retrograde to review, replenish, rework it, improve it, and/or to buy yourself more time.

October 23–November 22

Use Valentine’s Day to catch up on lost time and/or to do right by your special someone. If you don’t have a lover to share your time with, show yourself the love! Saturday though Monday, things may not go according to plan. Watch for something unexpected to overtake you.

Mercury retrograde is excellent for checking in with yourself and/or for creative projects.

November 22–December 21

You should have no trouble lighting a good fire and keeping that good thing going strong through Valentine’s Day, thanks to Mars in Sagittarius and Venus in Aries in your corner. The moon in Sagittarius keeps you going full-swing through Monday, but as of Sunday, Mars in Capricorn and Mercury retrograde shift gears. Take more time; double-check; don’t race too far ahead.

December 21–January 20

Thursday, you may have to push past it or work for it a little more, but once over the pressure and into Valentine’s Day, Venus signs you up for good reward. Sunday, Mars in Capricorn supplies you with a fresh energy infusion. The start of Mercury retrograde can produce something unexpected yet timely.

January 20–February 18

Social, romantic, or on your own, you should have no trouble finding the sweet spot on Valentine’s Day. Along with Mercury retrograde, Mars in Capricorn—starting Sunday—is good for taking more time to yourself, to regroup, reprioritize, and sort out your next game plan. Monday, skip it. Tuesday onward, you’re on an upswing.

February 18–March 20

Whether you’re romantic or on your own, Valentine’s Day is as good as it gets. As of Sunday, Mars begins a six-week trek through Capricorn and Mercury begins a threeweek retrograde cycle, mostly in Pisces. Both transits assist you to get clearer on what holds good promise and what does not. Tuesday through the following Tuesday holds good/ lucrative potential. g

Book an astrology reading or sign up for Rose’s free astrology newsletter at rosemarcus.com.

Photos are for illustrative purposes only. Prices in effect Thursday, February 13 to Wednesday, February 19, 2020. A division of Save-On-Foods LP, a Jim Pattison business. Proudly Western Canadian Owned and Operated.

FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 7

MUSIC LISTINGS CONCERTS JUST ANNOUNCED MAYDAY PARADE Pop-rock band from Florida, with guests Grayscale and Point North. Apr 21, 8 pm, Commodore Ballroom. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $29.50.

CORB LUND Canadian country-rocker plays tunes from new album Agricultural Tragic.

Apr 30–May 1, 8:30 pm, Commodore Ballroom. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $47.25.

RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE Politically driven rap-rock band from L.A., with guests Run the Jewels. May 1, Pacific Coliseum. Tix on sale Feb 13, 11 am, $125.

ORION SUN R&B/soul singer-songwriter.

May 8, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $15.

GIRL TALK American DJ specializing in mashups and digital sampling. May 13, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $40.

RYAN BEATTY Pop singer-songwriter from L.A. May 19, 9 pm, Venue. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $22.

VANESSA CARLTON American pop singersongwriter, with guest Jenny O. Jun 13, 8 pm, Fox Cabaret. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $27.50.

JASON ISBELL AND THE 400 UNIT Alt-country/roots-rocker from the States, with guest

MUSIC

Billy Strings. Jul 20, 8 pm, Orpheum Theatre.

BACKSTREET BOYS American “boy band” from the ‘80s. Aug 9, Rogers Arena. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am.

JANET JACKSON American dance-pop superstar. Aug 22, 8 pm, Rogers Arena. Tix on sale Feb 13, noon, from $54.95.

JOHN LEGEND Grammy-winning R&B/soulpop singer and actor, with guest the War and Treaty. Sep 13, 7:30 pm, Rogers Arena. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $175/155/135/99/79/49.

WARDRUNA Nordic folk band. Oct 8, 8:15 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. Tix on sale Feb 14, 10 am, $59.50/49.50/39.50.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 WOLF PARADE Indie-rock band from Montreal, with guests Land of Talk. Feb 12, 9 pm, Commodore Ballroom. $35.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 LUNA Indie-rock band performs its 1995 album Penthouse. Feb 13, 8 pm, Venue. $30.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 THE FROGS American rock band featuring Evan Dando of the Lemonheads. Feb 14, 9 pm, Rickshaw Theatre. $25.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 MONSTER UNCAGED: ORIGINS Electronicmusic show featuring headliners Seven Lions and Joyryde. Feb 15, 6 pm, PNE Forum. From $52.50.

SUNDAY, FEBRUARY 16

KARAOKE

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LIL FEST Hip-hop show featuring headliners Shoreline Mafia, bbno$, and Lil Tracy. Feb 16, PNE Forum. From $48.50.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17 ROYAL TUSK Hard-rock band from Edmonton, with guests Brkn Love, Sights and Sounds, and Redwoods. Feb 17, Fox Cabaret. $17.

MUSIC LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge. Submit events online using the event-submission form at straight. com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper due to space constraints will appear on the website.

AFGHAN HORSEMEN RESTAURANT SINCE 1974

Velvet Negroni seeks a sense of order

S

by Mike Usinger

ometimes it can take a while to find one’s footing, that seemingly the case for Jeremy Nutzman. Before he began meshing space-warp soul and slow-drip R&B under the name Velvet Negroni, the Minneapolis-based musician was involved in an endless parade of Midwestern acts. Do some Internet sleuthing and you’ll come up with a short list that includes Go Ask Alex, Slapping Purses, Chelsea Boys, Spyder Baybie Raw Dog, Nutz, Black Male and the Extortionist, Pony Bwoy, and Marijuana Deathsquads.

Further research will unearth multiple incidences of Nutzman talking about how he’s in many ways got himself centred with Velvet Negroni, the back story being he was no stranger to partying in his younger years. That would seem to be supported by lyrics on the project’s debut album, Neon Brown. “Confetti” finds him singing “Ice-cold cocaine, and yeah that’s my liver,” while “Feel Let” contains the lyrics “I’m crawling in the dirt/Just to find my way home.”

Often, those who’ve found a better place after a difficult patch will point to a moment when they realized enough was enough. For Nutzman, however, the process was a gradual one.

“The lyrics are a look back at whatever was happening as I was settling in with the Neon Brown project,” he offers, on the line from the Twin Cities. “It was a look at how, maybe, things had got away from me, that leading into having some clarity. When it comes to one particular moment, it was more they were sort of sprinkled over a period of time, though. Things came in short waves until it finally got to the point where I realized it was time to get back to the drawing board.”

So Nutzman got busy in the studio with help from friends and producers Psymun and Tickle Torture.

Together, they created a record that’s all about textures and mood: consider the teardrop percussion on “Wine Green”, the rubber-band ’80s synths on “Kurt Kobain”, and the echo-bathed guitar haze hanging over “Scratchers”. Nutzman isn’t afraid to get out-there, as the Taxi Driver–jazz jam “Confetti” proves, but he also plays ultrasauve 20th-century soulman on tracks like “U.Dunno”.

Looking back, Nutzman figures what his producers helped provide was a sense of order.

“Neon Brown shows that I was working with other pros,” he notes. “We really had a good work flow, where we stuck to a schedule. Having two other people there

Before he became Velvet Negroni, Jeremy Nutzman worked under a variety of monikers. Photo by Timothy Saccenti

beside me meant that there was always someone to check back to for opinions and guidance.”

Having that sense of structure might have been more important to him than he realized. Nutzman’s childhood was in many ways about regimentation; the singer was raised in a white evangelical family where studying music theory at the piano was considered an important discipline.

After spending time doing spare jobs like lumberjacking for a friend’s business, Nutzman reveals, he’s now at the point where music has become his primary focus. Major breaks have included the fact that “Feel the Love” (from the Kanye West and Kid Cudi collabo Kids See Ghosts) used the hook from “Waves”, off Velvet Negroni’s 2017 debut, T.C.O.D. It also hasn’t hurt that Nutzman guested on Bon Iver’s latest, i,i, and was tagged as the opening act on Tame Impala’s 2019 North American tour.

“Music is the main thing that I’m able to do right now,” he says gratefully. “There have been times when I’ve had to try harder than others to move forward, but music has always been my focus. I have music to thank for standout moments in my life. Even something like just going to get my passport—that’s when you stand there going, ‘Okay, I guess I’m really doing something here.’ ” g Velvet Negroni plays Fortune Sound Club next Thursday (February 20).

Dine where romance is on the menu

V

by Tammy Kwan

AWARD WINNING

AFGHAN CUISINE

22 NDAnnual

2019

SINCE 2008

Open 7 Nights A Week from 5pm to close 1833 Anderson St. (2nd Floor) Vancouver

BEFORE THE ENTRANCE TO GRANVILLE ISLAND, RIGHT BEHIND THE STARBUCKS

For reservations visit www.afghanhorsemen.com or call 604.873.5923

22NDAnnual

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Authentic Greek Food

Extensive Wine & Bar List 1830 Fir St. Vancouver | 604.736.9559

www.apolloniagreekrestaurant.com C L O S E D M O N D AY S L U N C H • W E D N E S D AY to F R I D AY 11:30A M ͳ 2:30 P M D I N N E R • T U E S D AY to S U N D AY 4:30 ͳ 9:30 P M 8 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

alentine’s Day (February 14) happens to land on a Friday and a long weekend this year, so it’s no surprise that restaurant reservations are filling up quickly.

But even if it means braving the masses for a coveted dinner booking, there’s no better way to win someone’s heart than with good food and drink. Here are a few places to take your sweetheart for a romantic meal out this year.

MINAMI

(1118 Mainland Street) This Yaletown spot is known for its dim lighting and moody atmosphere, making it a great space to enjoy a romantic dinner. It will be offering a Valentine’s Day Shokai menu for one night only, featuring six beautifully plated courses of Japanese-inspired dishes. Indulge in premium sashimi, aburi (flame-seared) sushi, aburi beefcarpaccio cannoli, and A5 Japanese Wagyu, and finish off with a decadent white-chocolate chamomile mousse dessert. The theme of love is sprinkled visually throughout a few of the creations, and premium sake pairings are available for an additional cost.

Price: $125 per person, plus taxes and gratuity When: Various seating times on February 14

For Valentine’s Day, Yaletown’s Minami (left) will offer a Shokai menu, while Gotham Steakhouse & Bar (right) will feature seared prawns and scallops.

TABLEAU BAR BISTRO

(1181 Melville Street) They often say Paris is the most romantic city. Instead of flying across the Atlantic, lovers can enjoy a Parisian Valentine’s Day menu right here at this local French eatery. Tableau’s three-course prix fixe meal features plates like duck à l’orange salad, ahi tuna cru with Champagne dressing, Wagyu beef strip loin, roasted sablefish, and a mille-feuille dessert with Chantilly cream for the sweet tooths.

Add-ons like wine pairings, seafood towers, oysters, and cheese platters GOTHAM STEAKHOUSE & BAR are available for an additional cost.

(615 Seymour Street) Price: $90 per person, plus taxes Step into this art-deco-style build- and gratuity ing and be transported to another When: Various seating times on era. This dining establishment boasts February 14 and 15 high ceilings, plush upholstery, and luxe décor, perfect for a romance- LIVIA filled meal. Gotham will be serving (1399 Commercial Drive) a selection of Valentine’s Day dinner Commercial Drive’s newcomer has features, among them seared prawns established a legion of admirers for and scallops with kumquat relish, its bread and pastries, but its Italtournedos of prime tenderloin for two ian food shouldn’t be overlooked. A (bacon-wrapped beef and vanilla-but- special four-course tasting menu will ter poached king crab legs), pistachio- be served on February 14, highlightcrusted sea bass, and mango crème ing Roman-inspired dishes. Guests will indulge in prosciutto di Parma, brûlée and chocolate pot de crème. ravioli with four cheeses and hints Price: $20 to $160 per dish of truffle, braised veal cheeks and When: Various seating times from polenta, and a decadent chocolateFebruary 14 to 16

cherry tart to finish. Wine pairings, West Coast oysters, and cheese and preserves are available for an additional cost.

Price: $50 per person, plus taxes and gratuity When: Various seating times on February 14 TOJO’S RESTAURANT

(1133 West Broadway) Serving up Japanese fine dining for more than 30 years, Tojo’s is a truly iconic establishment in Vancouver. Its expansive space offers plenty of room for couples looking to enjoy a great meal out, but be prepared to spend a pretty penny. For the Valentine’s weekend, Tojo’s will be creating two special omakase (chef’s choice) menus.

The dishes include fresh sashimi, bonito broth with lotus root and nameko mushrooms, seafood salad with imported seafood from Tokyo’s Toyosu Market, signature rolls and nigiri, and cheesecake with red bean and fruit to finish. The pricier menu also features shiitake and morel mushroom tempura, as well as Wagyu from Gifu Prefecture, Japan.

Price: $150 to $250 per person, plus taxes and gratuity When: Various seating times on February 14 and 15 g

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FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 9

10 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

arts

Bill Burr has plenty of barbs to go around

by Guy MacPherson

I

t’s been nearly three decades since Bill Burr started in standup. For about half that time, he’s been a superstar to comedy fans. But each year, he keeps getting bigger among the general population. And despite all his extracurricular activities—movies, TV, talk shows, podcasts, the Netflix animated series F Is for Family—it’s still standup that’s attracting those new fans.

“It’s been a slow, almost 30-year overnight-success run for me,” he says with a laugh over the phone from Los Angeles.

His 2019 Netflix special, Paper Tiger, was his fourth on the streaming giant, which proves his following was already big. But Burr’s on-stage brashness gives way to off-stage modesty in explaining its success.

“I got lucky with a few things,” he says. In comedy, timing is everything, and he claims Dave Chappelle’s special, which was released the month prior to his, helped Comedian Bill Burr is happy to embrace controversy no matter where he goes—even holier-than-thou Canada. Photo by Koury Angelo draw new followers.

“I think that was a good thing for me,” he says. “Just all the swirling around from his special had people who weren’t even, I think, interested U.S. election ring and hosts in specials maybe watching specials. a mock town hall. Watch the So more people watched my last one master of crowd work take your than the previous time. I don’t know, questions on his presidential I just do what I do and hope that platform. people show up.” c CHRIS REDD (February 15 at the That they do. The JFL NorthWest Biltmore Cabaret) If you know festival kept adding new shows to the Chicago-bred Redd (at left) keep up with the demand. In all, from Saturday Night Live, you he’ll be playing four shows at two know he can get big laughs from major theatres over two nights. a single look. But you might not If his button-pushing style lands be expecting this kind of show— him in trouble with the social-media laid-back, conversational, and JFL NORTHWEST has some big c RONNY CHIENG (February 22 intimate. Dude is one smooth outrage police, he pays it no mind. The names on its roster this year, but at the Vogue Theatre) The storyteller. brouhaha is short-lived “because it’s don’t let these laugh-getters fly Malaysian-born Daily Show built in sand. It’s just fucking outrage c BETH STELLING (February 20 at under your radar. correspondent kills on his latest over nothing. You can’t keep it in the the Biltmore Cabaret) Stelling Netflix special, Asian Comedian air. You can’t keep spinning that plate.” c JUDAH FRIEDLANDER: FUTURE (at right) has been a solid Destroys America!. Chieng PRESIDENT (February 16 at the standout at past fests. Smart, Needless to say, Burr doesn’t back makes elaborate play out of Rio Theatre) Best-known for parched-dry-sarcastic, and selfaway from controversy; he embraces his outsider status in the U.S., his role as slacker writer Frank effacing, she finds fresh ways it. He has said that when he’s in L.A., blithely taking on the explosive Rossitano on NBC’s late, great to mine painfully real personal he loves to poke at Hillary Clinton, terrain of racial stereotypes.

30 Rock and for his on-stage territory—everything from her and when he’s in, say, Oklahoma, And if you think he’s funny when persona as the World Champion, sex life to weight gain to her he’ll take on gun culture. he’s grumpy, just wait till he America’s shaggiest comedian by-now-famously dysfunctional “It makes it fun,” he says. “If you just gets pissed off. g throws his trucker hat into the upbringing. go up there and say what they want, that kind of applause is nauseating.”

He won’t usually, though, go after “There’s plenty of people trashing and try to tell people how they should to me, I definitely will bring it up.” the orange man who puts the peach Trump; I don’t need to be another vote. However, if I see some bullshit or Not that this is in his act, but he in impeached. jerk,” he says. “I don’t go on-stage something I should say that’s bullshit brings it up in this conversation: “With

JFL TIP SHEET

different racial groups or children and stuff like that, it’s kinda hard to find a joke about that because it’s just really depressing that someone who’s a leader of a country would be that openly hostile,” he says. “Like, where there are Nazis involved and you start saying, ‘Hey, there are two sides to every story,’ it’s just, like, Jesus Christ! I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being conservative. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with being liberal. But I do think there’s something wrong with being racist. Taking kids from their parents, there’s something wrong with that.”

Tackling Hillary or gun culture would get polite laughs north of the border, but it doesn’t punch us in the gut like it does in portions of the U.S. Asked if there are topics that would make us sit up, he lets loose.

“There’s this stain of ‘America is Donald Trump’ and then you guys act like you’re these saints and you’re one of the most racist countries I’ve ever fuckin’ been to. Any guy of colour that tried to make it in the NHL, his stories of when he was in the minors, it sounds like America in the 1950s.” He laughs as he says this, but it still stings.

“And your whole m.o. is ‘Okay, I’m sorry! I’m sorry!’ ” he says with the imitated Canadian pronunciation Americans find so funny. “Anytime your fuckin’ team loses the Stanley Cup finals, you guys have a fuckin’ riot up there. So there’s obviously something going on up there.”

Oof! While he’ll continue with other projects, like F Is for Family or acting in Judd Apatow’s upcoming film The King of Staten Island, and growing his brand, Burr knows where his bread is buttered: on standup stages around the world.

“That’s a good thing because that’s the easiest thing that I do,” he says.

“That’s what I really am at heart, a comedian. Everything else that I do, people kinda let me do it, other than my podcast. I act when they let me do it. That’s basically it. I am not in control of that. But standup, I am.” g Bill Burr plays two shows at the Orpheum next Thursday (February 20), and two more at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on Friday (February 21).

No shame in Novak’s opus on oral

J

by Janet Smith

acqueline Novak has had a lot of time to think about the act, the history, and especially the etymology of the blowjob for her runaway hit Get on Your Knees.

Developed through years of standup and a solo show at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2018, the production went on to become an offBroadway sensation last summer, and is headed to Vancouver on tour as part of JFL NorthWest.

“The word blowjob, I kind of like it,” the comedian muses to the Straight over the phone before curtain time at New York City’s Lucille Lortel Theatre, where the show has continued to sell out. “One, because it was the first term I heard. And two, it’s an outrageous term. If you try to look up the origins, there’s a lot of disagreement about where it actually comes from.

And it has a cartoonish feel in a way.

“So it’s not really accurate and it’s intense and sort of outrageous in the way words have a feeling to them, and a texture. I always feel like words have a shape—in the same way that penis versus cock does,” she continues. “And I don’t like oral sex—it sounds dental, and, I mean, oral sex can mean all manner of things.”

With that, you get a small window not only into the mind of this literate, philosophical, and brutally honest overthinker, but into the entertaining tangents of her critically celebrated show. Scoring spots on both the New York

The word blowjob, I kind of like it.

– comedian Jacqueline Novak

Jacqueline Novak opts for all-grey attire for Get on Your Knees, a meld of standup and solo theatre.

Times’ Best Theater of 2019 and Best Comedy of 2019 lists, Get on Your Knees is executiveproduced by comedian Mike Birbiglia and directed by her old standup cohort John Early.

It’s billed as “the most high-brow show about blow jobs you’ll ever see”.

In it, Novak manages to interweave her own coming-of-age story with references to T.S. Eliot, meditations on why words like erection and snake are misnomers, and contemplations

of the absurdity of the sex act. (The teeth: what to do with them?)

Novak traces the original idea all the way back to her years at Georgetown University. “I had played around with this story in an essay in college in a lyrical, kind of poetic way,” she says. “I like taking the vulgar thing and seeing if I can ennoble it.”

Because of her approach, Novak doesn’t think of herself today as a person who spends every night talking about fellatio.

“It’s all threaded up in this whole narrative and argument in my mind,” she explains.

“Like, I still feel a ga-a-s-sp when I talk about it in the show—like I’m not a person doing a show about blowjobs. So much is wrapped up in my own language and it’s so abstract in

a way to me. In fact, I don’t even know if I’ve gone that deep into the subject.”

Anyone who’s seen the standup artist’s appearances on shows like Late Night With Seth Meyers know she loves to dress up. So it’s telling that she chooses to wear plain grey jeans, sneakers, and a T-shirt for Get on Your Knees, her hair pulled into a casual ponytail.

“I feel like something else might be getting in the way of everything I’m trying to say or do if I’m talking about sexual stuff. I think for that show it helps create a semineutral canvas,” she says. “I’m still on the search for the perfect grey T-shirt.”

Critics have praised Get on Your Knees as being full of laughs, but the ever-inquisitive Novak turns serious about the courage it takes to “go there” in her show.

“In a world where a lot of negative stuff comes out of shame, I want to go against my instincts of not saying anything—that helped me move forward and go for it,” she says. “I think it’s important to push past my own discomfort. I don’t know who these imaginary people are who are judging me, but I’d rather have these people think I’m vulgar if it makes some kid feel less ashamed to say things.” g JFL NorthWest presents Jacqueline Novak’s Get on Your Knees at the York Theatre on February 22.

FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 11

ARTS

Middleditch and Schwartz build their improv trust

Q

by Mike Usinger

se

as

i n g l e s t o r y.

d

vi

an

WI T H ENGL ISH SURT I T L ES

rtz

IN FRENCH

Ben Sch wa

Exquisite 17th century music for women’s choir and instruments by seven women composers from Northern Italy

uite fittingly, recollections The challenge is that each Midof the first Middleditch and dleditch and Schwartz performance Schwartz improv extrava- tells a single story, rather than stringing ganza are a little hazy for together vignettes. When, for example, the two guys that were there. a woman and man in Chicago last April “Weirdly, I don’t remember our stood up to announce they were worfirst show,” Ben Schwartz tells the ried about becoming parents for the Straight, “although that’s kind of par first time, the show became about that. for the course. Because everyAfter offering that they thing is made up on the don’t need an “insane sugspot, it disappears from gestion to get an insane my head right when show”, Middleditch we get off-stage.” says, “Our goal is The Nelson, B.C.– mainly just to leave raised Thomas nothing behind.

Middleditch reTo feel like charcalls knowing acter arcs got reearly that he had solved and details something special were used correctwith the man with ly. It’s about charwhom he’s now shot acters and their relao Th pr om four Netflix specials and tionships over countless m i as M h id dle ditc headlined Carnegie Hall. zingers. But, yes, ideally it’s He remembers teaming up with very funny along the way.”

Schwartz for the Upright Citizen’s Both have thriving outside careers.

Brigade, a celebrated improv troupe Middleditch stars in HBO’s Silicon Valwhose alumni include Saturday ley and has a film résumé that includes Night Live’s Amy Poehler.

Captain Underpants: The First Epic Mov“I had recently moved to NYC and ie and Godzilla: King of the Monsters.

Ben and I were just walking around,” You’ll know Schwartz from appearances he recalls, “getting a slice of pizza, on Parks and Recreation and his roles in figuring out if we wanted to be friends. movies like Sonic the Hedgehog.

The two partners praise the liveIn the early years of improv, you’re just looking for someone you enjoy being wire aspect of Middleditch and around and think is funny. We started Schwartz, with the freedom to take out doing eight-minute sets for a mid- things in whatever direction they choose being a major departure from night UCB show on a Wednesday.”

Today, Middleditch and Schwartz their day jobs. And tellingly, while are one of the most celebrated hits in their memories of their early perimprov, packing soft-seaters with a formances might be a bit hazy, neither show billed simply as “A completely can say enough about the other today.

“I think you have to pick the right improvised two person show”.

At the beginning of each evening, person to play two-person with,” Middleditch and Schwartz spend 15 Schwartz says. “There’s a lot of heavy minutes or so mining their fans for lifting for both improvisers. You can’t an idea on which to build an hour- lean on the back wall and just pick your spots to interject; you’re in it the long ride.

“We ask a question of the audience, entire time, so you have to trust each and then whoever in the audience other on-stage, and Thomas and I wants to respond yells something out, really embrace that trust.” g and we usually choose the first thing we hear,” Schwartz says. “Then we JFL NorthWest presents Middleditch and have a conversation with just that per- Schwartz at the Orpheum on Saturday (February 15). son to learn more about them.”

How Did This Get Made? trio celebrates the truly terrible

M

by Mike Usinger

ISIS CHO PRIX R TON YO U OSE E O H C P RI C

LE NOSHOW VA N C O U V E R February 26 — March 01, 2020 Performance Works SEI Z IE ME. C A

12 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

asochistic as it might sound, there are those among us who not only love totally atrocious movies, but go to great lengths to seek them out. So while some folks want two hours of their life back after sitting through Gordon Gekko’s return in Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps or 1996’s reviled-on-Rotten-Tomatoes The Adventures of Pinocchio, the three comedians behind the long-running podcast How Did This Get Made? see things differently. For Jason Mantzoukas, Paul Scheer, and June Diane Raphael, the only thing more fascinating than an unmitigated cinematic disaster is wondering who thought making the film was a good idea.

“The idea for How Did This Get Made? started out at a party that we were all at,” says Mantzoukas, speaking to the Straight on a conference call with Scheer. “We were having a conversation about Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps.

You had a group of hilarious comedians talking about this outrageously bad movie, and it was really funny.”

How Did This Get Made? launched in 2010 with Scheer, Mantzoukas, and Raphael wondering who the hell green-lighted Burlesque, starring Cher and Christina Aguilera.

Since then, the three bad-movie buffs—along with a long list of guests, ranging from Vanilla Ice to Amy Schumer to Charlize Theron—have dissected well over 200 films, some famously big-budget (Con Air, Fast & Furious 6) and others notoriously bargain-bin (Leprechaun in the Hood).

In a perverse way, How Did This Get

Made? turns a loving spotlight on films that might otherwise have remained lost to time. “For every The Fast and the Furious or The Meg or big blockbuster, there are all these countless weird and crazy movies,” Mantzoukas notes. “Yes, Giorgio [starring Luciano Pavarotti] is one, and the Pinocchio film is one, and Hard Ticket to Hawaii is one. I’d never heard of them, but I’m so happy that I’ve got to see them.”

The key word there is happy, as both Mantzoukas and Scheer state emphatically that they love the movies that end up on How Did This Get Made?, which aims to be celebratory rather than mean-spirited or nasty. Just as important, the stage version of the podcast targets more than hard-core movie nerds. Witness the way a recent live-in-Chicago episode devoted to the Martin Landau version of Pinocchio started with “Would you rather watch it again or have one hour and 45 minutes of diarrhea?” and ended up with Scheer recounting how his grandmother taught him that latchkey kids who didn’t lock their doors got turned into hamburger by the local butcher.

“There are a lot of people who listen to the podcast who don’t watch the movies,” Scheer says. “They seem to enjoy us talking about movies so they don’t have to put themselves through the misery of watching hundreds of terrible movies. Then there’s another segment of the audience where their whole passion is watching terrible movies.” g JFL NorthWest presents How Did This Get Made? at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre on February 22.

ON NOW!

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FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 13

ARTS

“A perfect partnering”

Father-son Riley duo blurs genres and generations

— MusicWeb International

by Alexander Varty

Gyan and Terry Riley dissuade you from analyzing their music. Photo by Scott Crowle

T NOT TO B MISSED! E

STEVEN OSBORNE AND PAUL LEWIS PIANO FOUR HANDS SUN FEB 23 at 3pm I VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE Seated at a single piano, two of the most accomplished stars of today’s pianistic firmament join forces to perform a compelling program of

FAURÉ | POULENC | DEBUSSY | STRAVINSKY | RAVEL

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Experience the deep connection between these players when they make their Vancouver debut.

MOZART | SHOSTAKOVICH | MENDELSSOHN TICKETS: 604 602 0363 I VANRECITAL.COM

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14 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

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Lynn Kagan

SUPPORTED BY

he father-and-son duo of Terry and Gyan Riley might be playing Christ Church Cathedral on Tuesday, but that’s no reason to give the two musicians a hushed and reverent reception.

“We just played a show here in my hometown a couple of nights ago,” the New York City–based Gyan tells the Straight in a telephone interview from his parents’ home in the foothills of California’s Sierra Nevada. “It was a small room; you could cram a couple of hundred people in there, maximum. But it was kind of a great localyokel crowd of strong personalities.

Everybody would, like, holler or laugh or shout when they enjoyed something, and that energy was fantastic.”

Informed that there’s rarely any shouting at Christ Church, the guitarist and composer, whose solo CD Sprig was nominated for a 2019 Grammy Award, sounds almost regretful. “If there was,” he says with a soft laugh, “it would probably sound great, with lots of natural reverb.”

If the Rileys seem up for anything, that’s probably true. Recent video footage reveals that the two performers share a freewheeling approach to musicmaking, with their concerts touching on everything from loosely psychedelic modal jams to swirling electronic scores to heartfelt vocal ragas. The older Riley sings, plays synthesizers and melodica, and displays his early jazz influences on piano; Gyan mostly plays electric guitar through a variety of electronic effects, but will usually include one of his solo compositions for classical guitar.

One thing you won’t hear at their Vancouver appearance, however, is rigid adherence to the concept of minimalism—the musical style that the older Riley, along with his peers Philip Glass and Steve Reich, is generally credited with inventing during the 1960s.

“He hates the word minimalism— or any ism, ’cause it can kind of distract from the overwhelming possibilities of whatever the actual music is,” Gyan reveals. “I guess when most people think of minimalism they think of repeated patterns, but that’s like a very dumbed-down version of it. Maybe over the years that’s what it’s been distilled into, in terms of how most composers treat it or what most composers have drawn from that body of work, but I don’t think my dad ever looked at it like that at all.

“For him, probably minimalism would have a lot to do with his study of raga,” he continues. “You can think of just, like, holding a drone: that’s a very minimalist concept, right? But the possibilities therein are not minimalist at all.”

Indeed, Gyan stresses, the music that he and his dad like to make blurs genre as well as generational boundaries. “It’s something that some people have a hard time with, because they don’t know what to call it,” he says. “They don’t know with what prior experience they should analyze what they’re hearing. And I think the answer is to not analyze it, but to just kind of bathe in it, and react to it however you will.” g Music on Main presents Terry and Gyan Riley at Christ Church Cathedral on Tuesday (February 18).

ARTS

Sex toys meet songs in Hosie’s first musical

F

by Janet Smith

rom the “G-Spot Cha-ChaCha” to “The Beat Banger”, theatre artist Sara-Jeanne Hosie has had a riot coming up with song titles for her new musical Talking Sex on Sunday. But there’s something she’s had even more fun doing: naming the sex toys.

In a show set at a themed home party, one device even makes a theatrical reference: the “Glengarry Get Off”.

Still, don’t get a completely wrong idea about what the Vancouver stage veteran’s first gig as a playwright is really about. “Truthfully, the circumstance is a sex-toy party, and the sex toys are a wonderful way in, but the story is really about marriage,” she explains. “It’s a comedy with a deep, deep heart.”

Hosie, a director-choreographermusician-actor well-known in this town for iconic roles like Mary Poppins and Patsy Cline, got the idea for Talking Sex on Sunday from firsthand experience. “For some reason a lot of my friends were getting married and I kept getting invited to these hankypanky sex parties,” she recounts.

Hosie started to see a cast of compelling characters at the gathering— “the oversexed woman who wanted to share, or the one who was shy”—and she soon envisioned the setting as a rare safe place for them to open up.

“It’s this extraordinary situation of looking at vibrators, and adventures and truths and insecurities come out.”

Soon, Hosie was trying to get herself invited to more and more, pen in hand. “I went to a few where I barely knew anyone in the room,” she says, laughing. “It was like being a detective—being at the party and watching these women share and asking vulnerable questions and finding out if other

women had experienced these things.”

The lead character of Margo came easily to her—a woman throwing the party because she’s in a sexless marriage and looking to give it new spark. But Talking Sex was, at this point, still a play.

“That’s when my dramaturge Shawn Macdonald said, ‘This is an amazing story, but it’s a musical,’ ” says Hosie, who has an album of original songs called In case you didn’t know. “He said, ‘You can write music, so write music.’ ” Hosie phoned her friend composer-musician Nico Rhodes, and soon they were coming up with songs for the show.

“It’s been the hardest and easiest thing I’ve ever done in my life,” reflects Hosie, a Vancouverite based in Stratford, Ontario, with a commitment to returning to her hometown as often as possible. “Other than being born and marrying my extraordinary partner, I think this is the most vulnerable and exciting thing I’ve ever done.”

In the end, Rhodes and Hosie also moved toward unexpected instruments for a show about sex toys: piano, cello, and violin. That tells you a bit about the nuance the pair is going for in this Donna Spencer– directed production starring big local names like Janet Gigliotti and Jennifer Lines.

“At the end of the day it’s this woman who’s lost and needs to find her voice,” says Hosie, who stresses that men might get great insights by coming out to the show. “For me, the stories I love to see have laughter and tears.” g

SAT FEB 29 2020 / 8PM

We Shall Overcome Featuring Damien Sneed

An uplifting celebration of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. with special guests Vancouver’s own Universal Gospel Choir

chancentre.com

Talking Sex on Sunday is at the Firehall Arts Centre from Friday (February 14) to March 8.

Feb 26-29

FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 15

ARTS

Anywhere crosses time and borders THEATRE

FORGET ME NOT

By Ronnie Burkett. A Cultch presentation. At a secret location on Thursday, February 6. Continues until March 1

ANYWHERE BUT HERE

By Carmen Aguirre. Directed

by Juliette Carrillo. An Electric Company Theatre production, in association with Playwrights Theatre Centre. A PuSh International Performing Arts Festival presentation. At the Vancouver Playhouse on Thursday, February 6.

Continues until February 15

d THE NAME OF Carmen Aguirre’s latest play, Anywhere but Here, conjures up a multitude of interpretations: is it a framing of perspectives of those who traverse the borderlands of its story, or a critique of opponents to migration? For a work that explores the porousness of time, space, memory, and movement, it’s an aptly versatile title that prepares viewers for a uniquely faceted experience, sprawling in its historic scope and significance.

In 1979, tired of life in exile and spurred by his wife’s adultery, Manuel (Nadeem Phillip), a socialist revolutionary and father of two, decides to drive back to his native Chile from Canada with daughters Lupe (AJ Simmons) and Carolita (Alexandra Lainfiesta). As they approach the U.S.–Mexico border, the Sonoran Desert they pass through becomes untethered from reality, resulting in surprising encounters with spiritual figures and other nomads through time. Meanwhile, Laura (Christine Quintana), alarmed that Manuel has absconded with their children, races after them in hopes of reconciliation.

Amid this chase, disparate characters are united by geography along the way, from a Honduran migrant to a truant factory worker, to the Virgen

Alexandra Lainfiesta is a girl travelling to the U.S.–Mexican border with her father and sister in Anywhere but Here’s expansive story of belonging. Photo by Emily Cooper

del Carmen and historic Gen. Juana Azurduy de Padilla (both played by Michelle Rios).

Aguirre’s think piece is a timedefying meditation on essential journeys of the heart, as externalized by taxing travels. Manuel and Laura’s strife induces self-doubt and questioning, which likewise clouds their children’s notion of home. In the same desert, a factory employee from 1996, escaping persecution for attempting unionization, faces deep reflection on justice, just as an embassy worker from 1973, providing aid against diplomatic policy, also knows the status quo must be sacrificed for meaningful action. For all the granular differences between these individuals, courage and compassion bleed through: Azurduy de Padilla gladly trades her uniform for the factory worker’s rags, Carolita comforts a vigilante border watcher and a parched migrant, and the Virgen del Carmen extends a

message of belonging.

Director Juliette Carrillo unpacks a dense narrative through choice transitions and blocking that maximizes scenic designer Christopher Acebo’s sand-swept set. Spotlights lift characters out of dimmed surroundings for terse monologues, while actors mime slow-motion in transitions, remaining on-stage until attention reverts to them. A company of nine delivers tiptop performances in this space, clad in Carmen Alatorre’s eraspanning costumes.

While audiences may not grasp every aspect of the show if they aren’t bilingual in English and Spanish or don’t possess the historical knowledge that lays the work’s foundation, Anywhere but Here is unmistakably a seminal Latinx production that shines a light on the ongoing struggles of migration and its many unspoken stories.

by Danny Kai Mak

d RONNIE BURKETT has made a career out of expressing himself through lovingly crafted puppets, and for two hours, his audacious new show gives us a rare window into why the art form has engaged him for decades.

That’s because in Forget Me Not, the well-known Canadian artist gives each audience member an expressive, oneof-a-kind papier-mâché-and-fabric hand puppet to operate as part of the show. And with the lights mostly up in the atmospheric secret location for the show, it is fascinating not only to watch other adults blissfully playing with dolls, but to find your own inhibitions coming down when you’re acting through the frocked little creature.

“Believe me, it’s easier that way,” he says, referring to how this intermediary can allow us to express truths and connect. And what you discover through this interactive show is that he’s right.

When he encourages the audience to introduce their “Others” to each other, it’s amazing to watch people “shake hands” and “hug” with total strangers in the room—and it’s inviting enough that it’s not the torture the interactivetheatre-allergic might fear.

Forget Me Not stands out most as an act of unconditional generosity. Burkett, who has made his name bringing to life his marionettes in Tinka’s New Dress and The Daisy Theatre, has never fully hidden himself from viewers. The thrill comes from watching him switch, solo, between a wild array of characters with a variety of colourful voices. But in Forget Me Not, he exposes himself and what he

does with a moving abandon.

Burkett is an acquired taste, mixing the bawdy and the poetic, the macabre and the melodramatic. But for his many fans in Vancouver, the chance to commune with Burkett makes Forget Me Not an unmissable experience. Part of the appeal is the subterranean world that he creates in the secret location (which you find out after you buy your ticket). One hundred audience members are led into a salon outfitted with antique settees, benches, Middle Eastern rugs, and candles. String lights festoon the ceiling, along with love letters clipped to the wires. Burkett tells us when to shine flashlights on the puppet scenes he stages and barks “Maestro!” when he wants one of us to cue the record player at the back of the room.

As for the story, it can feel disjointed and drawn out over the two hours.

Burkett sets the action in a fantastical (yet familiar) future called the New Now, where reading and cursive writing have been banned, and everyone’s being monitored. An elusive character named She pens love letters for an underground community as an act of resistance. Tangents include the Punch-and-Judy farce of carnival huckster Zacko Budaydos and his assistant Nutzo Baad, and Zacko’s gentle affair with a tattooed lady.

Forget Me Not’s biggest strength is the chance not just to move around the room and watch him, up close, do his work, but to have him invite us in. The most affecting scene comes not in the fictional tale he tells but in a finale in which he connects with us through a secret, meaning-loaded hand signal— an inside language we puppeteers have formed between us, and it’s a moment that you won’t forget.

by Janet Smith

see next page

March 4 5 6 7 Choreography by Medhi Walerski

BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND! PLATINUM SEASON SPONSOR

ARTS FOR ALL SEATING

HOTEL SPONSOR

SUPPORT FOR BALLET BC HAS BEEN GENEROUSLY PROVIDED BY

beth Theatre | balletbc.com Queen Elizabeth balletbc com MEDIA SPONSORS

DANCERS EMILY CHESSA & BRANDON ALLEY. PHOTO BY MICHAEL SLOBODIAN.

16 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

STRAIGHT WHITE MEN

By Young Jean Lee. Directed by Chelsea Haberlin and Fay Nass.

An Itsazoo production. At Gateway Theatre on Friday, February 7.

Continues until February 15

d SATIRE, characteristically exaggerated, calls for an understanding of the normality that it lampoons. When presented in a style that borders on realism, there is a risk of its being taken at face value, voiding any critique.

Young Jean Lee’s Straight White Men teeters on that edge, but through a well-employed structural device, it presents a portrait of familial crisis that can be examined within its narrative beats or the satirical framework surrounding it.

It’s Christmastime at the Norton household, and Ed (Peter Anderson) has invited his sons over for their usual holiday get-together. Jake (Carlo Marks) and Drew (Sebastien Archibald), the younger of the brothers, trade barbs and recall old memories, from

name-calling to racially charged a ctivities they participated in. When Matt (Daniel Martin), the eldest, suddenly breaks down in tears at dinner without explanation, the family are forced to question their presumptions about his contentment. Two Persons in Charge (Kim Villagante and Raven John) view these events outside the narrative, setting the men’s scenes like tableaux.

With its expository style and overt racial discussion, Lee’s script seems to invite a reading of it as parody— a sketch of the titular group by an outsider who imagines such narrow topics define them. As an indictment of the limited dynamics typically offered through marginal roles for minorities, her mainstream characters appear to embody a history of specious depictions in turn, contrasted by two uncompromised, gender-nonconforming characters in charge. Inside the fourth wall, Matt’s character is an additional source for metaphor—seeing no apparent cause for his lack of career ambition, his family supply theories that speak

deeper to their own biases than his, not unlike the shorthand of labelling minorities whose lifestyles do not fit into a predominant culture. At face value, Matt’s failure to meet standards expected of someone of his privilege invites scrutiny of a social system that promotes unsustainable ideals.

Directors Chelsea Haberlin and Fay Nass accentuate Lee’s caricatures with a literal border, a prosceniumwide gilded picture frame. Beyond the frame, the Persons in Charge observe from the fringes of the stage.

Villagante and John are spectacularly entertaining in their roles, adding buoyancy to otherwise purposefully contained performances. Archibald and Marks are suitably impetuous as the younger siblings.

One may infer from the title that Lee’s satire concerns the group in question, but it’s my opinion that it is an audacious commentary on marginalization, as filtered through an inverse power dynamic, that of a minority representing the majority.

by Danny Kai Mak

PRESENTS

DANÇA SINFÔNICA & GIRA

M AN US E IC W AL

GRUPO CORPO (BRAZIL) A Firehall Arts Centre World Premiere Production

TALKING SEX ON SUNDAY

“GRUPO CORPO IS REMARKABLE.” NEW YORK TIMES

Sara-Jeanne Hosie Music by Sara-Jeanne Hosie & Nico Rhodes Arrangements & Orchestrations by Nico Rhodes Book & Lyrics by

Directed by Donna

Spencer

Starring Janet Gigliotti, Jennifer Lines, Sara Vickruck, Irene Karas Loeper, Caitriona Murphy, Katrina Reynolds and Seana-Lee Wood

FEB 14 - MAR 8

FEBRUARY 28 & 29 8PM VANCOUVER PLAYHOUSE TICKETS FROM

TICKETS & INFO: DANCEHOUSE.CA

PRODUCTION SPRONSOR

SE ASON PAR TNERS

Tue-Thu 7:30pm | Fri-Sat 8pm | Sat & Sun 3pm Wed 1pm PWYC (Feb 19, Feb 26 Mar 4)

280 E Cordova Street

firehallartscentre.ca | 604.689.0926 © JOSE LUIZ PEDERNEIR AS

FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 17

ARTS LISTINGS ONGOING TUESDAYS: SONGRISE IMPROV CHOIR— GET IN THE GROOVE! Your voice is the instrument in a spontaneous vocal orchestra! Sing soulful grooves, heavenly harmonies, and body-shakin’ rhythms, all created in the moment. Nothing to rehearse, just sing what is sung to you.

Build music skills, connect with others and have fun! Inspired by Bobby McFerrin.

Come to one or all sessions! Tix: SongRise. ca Feb 11, 18, 25; Mar 17, 24, 31; Apr 7, 7 pm, Kitsilano Neighbourhood House. Advance $18, door $22.

ANYWHERE BUT HERE Electric Company Theatre presents the world premiere of Carmen Aguirre’s new work. To Feb 15, Vancouver Playhouse. $19.99.

NOISES OFF Farce about the egos and insecurities of a second-tier acting troupe putting on a show. To Feb 23, Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage. From $29.

THEATRESPORTS Two teams of players are pitted against each other in competitive improv matches. To Feb 29, The Improv Centre on Granville Island. From $10.75.

GRUESOME PLAYGROUND INJURIES A quirky story about the psychological and physical tolls of love and family. To Feb 15, 8-9:30 pm, Vancity Culture Lab. $25.

STRAIGHT WHITE MEN Western Canadian debut of Young Jean Lee’s satirical comedy about three brothers who return home for the holidays. To Feb 15, Gateway Theatre. From $29.

CIPHER World premiere of a play about a forensic toxicologist trying to solve a Vancouver

18 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

Island cold-case murder. To Mar 7, Granville Island Stage. From $29.

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 12 GHOST Tentacle Tribe combines elements of contemporary dance, hip-hop, and martial arts. Feb 12-15, 7:30-8:30 pm, Historic Theatre.

From $26.

THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 13 JFL NORTHWEST Vancouver’s Just for Laughs festival features 12 days of standup, podcasts, improv, film, and sketch performances. Feb 13-25, Various venues.

NUNSENSE Comedy about a group of nuns putting on a fundraising variety show. Feb 1329, Deep Cove Shaw Theatre. $25/23.

THE BARBER OF SEVILLE Vancouver Opera presents The Barber of Seville. Feb 13, 7:30 pm; Feb 15, 7:30 pm; Feb 20, 7:30 pm; Feb 23, 2 pm, Queen Elizabeth Theatre. $72-$112.

FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 14 TALKING SEX ON SUNDAY New musical comedy by Sara-Jeanne Hosie and Nico Rhodes.

Feb 14–Mar 8, Firehall Arts Centre. From $25.

ILLUMINATE YALETOWN 2020 Free immersive light show experience featuring neverbefore-seen activations and artists. Feb 14, 5:30-9 pm, 1200 block Hamilton. Free.

THE HEART ON CABARET Adult puppetshow to benefit the Vancouver International Puppet Festival and Axis Theatre. Feb 14, 7-10:30 pm, Performance Works. $20-25.

GRAD SCHOOL IMPROV Improv-comedy

performance of The Bachelor. Feb 14, 8 pm, The Red Gate Revue Stage. $15/20.

KAREN FLAMENCO VALENTINES SHOW Flamenco dance and music in a traditional Spanish tablao setting. Feb 14, 8:30-11 pm, Kino Cafe flamenco and tapas bar. $5/10.

SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 15 BEEP Australia’s Windmill Theatre presents a puppetry show about unexpected friendship and finding where you fit. Feb 15-23, Waterfront Theatre. $35/29/18.

VANCOUVER CHAMBER CHOIR Eight conductors lead the choir in a program of madrigals and motets, folksongs and spirituals, prayers and partsongs. Feb 15, 7:30 pm, Vancouver Academy of Music. $33/29/15.

see page 21

KDocs Film Festival takes activism off the screen and into the real world

I

(This article is sponsored by the KDocs Film Festival)

magine a social-justice film festival that begins with a Q & A featuring David Suzuki and ends three nights later with a keynote address on the state of western democracy from John Ralston Saul. In the hours between, imagine a slate of documentaries covering issues that include Indigenous rights, homophobia, clergy abuse, penal reform, and the ethics of gene-splicing technology, each with a panel discussion, Q & A, and extensive contact with the filmmakers and the activists they portray.

Now imagine that you don’t need to imagine any of this. When the KDocs Film Festival returns to the Vancity Theatre on February 20, it brings all of the above and more.

As explained by founder and festival director Janice Morris: “I’ve seen situations where guests and the audience get talking and three hours later they’re still sitting in the lounge.

Next thing I know, they’ve cooked up some project that’s going to the UN next year. My intent with KDocs is to always create that space.”

Founded in 2011, KDocs grew out of Morris’s involvement with a Kwantlen University task force on student disengagement. “Formal classrooms,” the English prof deduced, “aren’t the only or always the best place to learn.” Her passion for film, in turn, prompted the first single KDocs screening, in 2012. It was an attempt, she says, “to bring the classroom to the community and the community to the classroom”. It has since become the city’s premier social justice film festival, now growing to a four day event with an unmatched

Each of the social justice documentaries screening at the KDocs Film Festival receives a keynote speech and discussion.

line-up of powerful new titles and auspicious guests, open to all of Metro Vancouver—including 12 of its 14 titles that are rated for youth.

This year’s program begins with Inventing Tomorrow—about highschool students involved in the annual Intel International Science and Engineering Fair—followed by director Ian Mauro’s acclaimed collaboration with Suzuki, Beyond Climate. Two films, Morris pointedly notes, that “acknowledge the positive actions that are happening globally”.

The following day brings Baljit Sangra’s incendiary doc about sexual abuse in an Indo-Canadian family, Because We Are Girls, with the director in attendance along with the subjects of her film, the Pooni sisters of Williams Lake, B.C. Morris witnessed the eight-minute standing

The endgame for us is really the action that follows the film – KDocs founder Janice Morris

ovation that followed its premiere in Toronto. She asserts: “It’s not an exaggeration to say that this film, for many people, would be life-changing.”

Senator Kim Pate will be on hand for the screening of Conviction—a

formally daring look at the Canadian women’s prison system—while Toxic Beauty profiles Johnson & Johnson whistleblower Deane Berg, who is also present to discuss the severe risks posed by the cosmetics industry. Killing Patient Zero ends day two with its account of the pathologizing of Quebec flight attendant Gaetan Dugas during the advent of the socalled “gay plague”.

Day three begins with Tasha Hubbard’s award-winning Colten Boushie doc, nîpawistamâsowin: We Will Stand Up, prior to screenings of Prey, Push, and Human Nature—films about clergy abuse, global housing, and the CRISPR gene-splicing tech, respectively—accompanied by guests, including the Indigenous Community Legal Clinic’s Patricia Barkaskas and a recorded keynote

@

from the UN Special Rapporteur on the Right to Housing, Leilani Farha.

“They all have this common thread: the fight to tell the truth. It’s central to all of these films,” Morris remarks, obliquely referring to closing-night film Bellingcat: Truth in a Post-Truth World. If media distrust is a hallmark of our present moment, so is the sense of government subverted by antidemocratic forces.

Ending the festival, Fred Peabody’s The Corporate Coup d’Etat unapologetically takes that view. Naturally, Morris is delighted that Canada’s leading public intellectual will preface the film with his thoughts.

“I tried very hard for weeks to land him,” she says of John Ralston Saul.

“I almost died when I got the call.”

Significantly, a Kwantlen colleague once noted that “people don’t say no to Janice”, although this might be due partly to the quality of her KDocs vision, which also includes one-off screenings and a YouTube channel (KDocs Talks) curated by Morris’s colleague and director of community outreach, Greg Chan. Whatever form it takes, the goal is consistent.

“The endgame for us is really the action that follows the film,” she says. “Having that person there after watching? And having the exhibitor space where people can mix and mingle with these individuals? This is an invaluable experience that I know firsthand. I’ve intentionally contained it to a specific type of theatre so that everybody is together. And if you want to chat to David Suzuki, you can do that—he’ll be right there.”

In other words, as the city’s number one event for activism and film, the KDocs mission really begins once the lights go up. g

.ca

FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 19

MOVIES

A gorgeous portrait of the fire below

by Ken Eisner

REVIEWS

PORTRAIT OF A LADY ON FIRE

Starring Noémie Merlant. In French, with English subtitles. Rated PG

d “REGARDE-MOI” IS said more than a few times in this spectacularly French blend of fable, gender study, and treatise on the gaze, and gazees, in art history.

As you might deduce from the title, Portrait of a Lady on Fire is rife with cultural references, from the fraught formalism of Henry James to the gothic swoon of the Brontë sisters and on toward Francis Bacon’s fatally singed subjects. This gorgeously crafted 18th-century tale is also shot through with Greek mythology, with the hellbound tale of Orpheus and Eurydice front and centre.

The Orpheus heading below this ground is that rarest of historical creatures, a successful female painter, named Marianne, as in the French symbol of freedom. And like Artemisia Gentileschi, this artist was trained by her father, and later supplanted him. Marianne is played by dark-haired Noémie Merlant, who indeed resembles a Greco-Roman statue come to life. She’s been hired by an elegant countess (Valeria Golino) to visit a remote island villa, off the coast of Brittany, to paint a likeness of her headstrong daughter, and ship that not-so-Instagram to a rich suitor in Italy.

The problem is that young Héloïse (Adèle Haenel) does not want her portrait done. She has, we’re told, “already gone through one painter”—although we never get the back story on that.

Now Héloïse has found her Abelard in Marianne, who has agreed to paint her without the subject knowing it.

This results in some very dedicated gazing, as well as much verbal parrying near the isle’s steep cliffs. Both were raised in convents, and have conflicting views of forced female companionship. Questions of class hierarchy enter as these principals are drawn to each other and to the initially meek maid (Luàna Bajrami), who introduces them to a hidden world of peasant women possessing their own remedies and music, as heard in one of the most remarkable scenes.

Writer-director Céline Sciamma, who previously assayed more contemporary studies with Tomboy and Girlhood, here strikes the perfect balance between smart social parable, formal composition, and soulful contemplation of the tools—and

20 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020

A painterly touch elevates director Céline Sciamma’s Portrait of a Lady on Fire.

limits—of art itself. This approach is beautifully abetted by Vermeer-savvy cinematographer Claire Mathon, who also shot the recent prizewinner Atlantics and here takes the most painterly approach to light and texture since Barry Lyndon. None of the high culture gets in the way, however, of a two-hour spell that is by turns clever, spooky, and effortlessly erotic.

And, like any good Socratic exercise, this Portrait leaves you with more questions than answers. Are the participants only drawn to women, or are they responding simply to what they see in each other?

At the end, is Héloïse crying because she’s thinking of Marianne, or because she’s hearing a full orchestra for the first time? It all depends on how you look at it.

THE ASSISTANT

Starring Julia Garner. Rated PG

d DAVID LYNCH MEETS Chantal Akerman in The Assistant, a horror movie masquerading as a dry procedural. Or is it the other way around?

The Lynchian part is the industrial hum of copiers, computer fans, air conditioning, and fluorescent lights, coupled with murmuring voices behind closed doors and at the other end of furious phone calls.

Almost everything stays within a limited palette of grey, green, and rose. And these cold elements bring an asphyxiating sense of dread to the daily routine of an unnamed assistant, played with exquisitely painful control by Julia Garner.

The job is at an unnamed Tribeca film-production house very much like Miramax when it was run by Harvey Weinstein. The Akerman vibe recalls films like her classic Jeanne Dielman, in which a soul-dead widow makes ends meet through prostitution, which she handles blandly—until the moment she doesn’t. Nothing

hugely dramatic happens in the writing-directing debut of Kitty Green, who previously made tough documentaries. Here, the tedium is the point.

The assistant arrives before everyone else, leaves last, and in between is a combination receptionist, maid, babysitter, and all-around extra-competent problem solver. But she’s really ground down by what’s going on behind those mahogany doors.

We never see Him, but do hear from the Wife, occasionally throwing her weight around and/or questioning her husband’s whereabouts.

The new assistant, in her job less than two months, has noticed that He Who Shall Not Be Named often disappears around the same time pretty young nobodies, aspiring actresses, and other dark-haired women show up. Then there’s the task of cleaning the executive couch.

Actually, the biggest challenge of this particular day involves deciding whether or not to visit HR with her concerns. Our troubled observer, called Jane in the credits, dreams of being a producer, and there’s no indication that she has been personally abused by the boss. It’s less than reassuring when one slimy frat bro (Succession’s Matthew Macfadyen) states that she’s “not his type”. Jane tries to connect with the very few women in the office, but they seem even more closed-off than the men, who are quite helpful when she’s called upon to craft rote apology letters to prickly higher-ups.

The movie comes in at a brisk 85 minutes, and that’s good, since few of us would be able to tolerate spending a full day facing unspoken horror the way Jane does. It’s just one person going through the motions in an unspecified place and time. But The Assistant speaks eloquently to the Right Now, and leaves us wondering, in the end, who is really assisting whom, and why. g

MOVIES

Mountain festival brings weighty doc

S

by Adrian Mack

tarting with the title, there’s an unusual depth to The Weight of Water.

Screening at the Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival on February 28, Michael Brown’s documentary follows Erik Weihenmayer’s 21-day attempt to kayak the 300-plus kilometres of the Colorado River running through the Grand Canyon.

“I dunno if there’s a list of the most quintessential white-water runs in the world, but the Grand Canyon has to rank,” says the filmmaker, reached at his office in Boulder, Colorado. “The water in the canyon is aweinspiring. It’s one time when awesome is appropriately used, because it is.”

No less awe-inspiring: Brown’s subject Weihenmayer has been completely blind since his teens, robbed of his sight by the UBER COMEDY Uber Comedy is a fun evening of guaranteed laughs, drinks, and you bet free parking at Port Moody Inlet Theatre. The event is $25 and the money goes to the Canadian Mental Health Association. Be responsible and turn off Netflix and get some live entertainment :) Feb 15, 7:45-10 pm, Port Moody Inlet Theatre. $25.

To be sure: it’s also the kind of rugged, wilderness-infatuated effort that VIMFF attendees love. Brown made the unusual if not practical choice to also take the Grand Canyon by kayak, and the film’s immersiveness— its terrifying view of the churn that awaits, for instance, at Lava Falls—has the weight of direct experience.

“The journey of the filmmaker is also legitimate, as is the audience’s journey, as is the characters’ journey,” offers Brown. “To pretend you have some detachment or that you have to control every situation—I think those are mistakes. I think you just go with it and have fun. I like to feel it.” g The Vancouver International Mountain Film Festival takes place from February 21 to March 1. More information is at www.vimff.org/.

HOT TICKET

ROMANCE WEEK (To February

15 at the Improv Centre) In advance of Valentine’s Day, Vancouver TheatreSports’ roster of romance includes two of its most popular shows: The Love of your Life—An Improvised True Romance, and OK Tinder, all building to February 14’s epic laugh battle, Love Matches.

MONDAY, FEBRUARY 17 FAMILY DAY AT MOV Families can witness the power of environmental activism and art. Feb 17, 10 am–5 pm, Museum of Vancouver . Free.

TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 18 TALKING STICK FESTIVAL Celebration of Indigenous artistry, expertise, and talent from around the world. Feb 18-29, Roundhouse Community Arts & Recreation Centre. Free to $30.

BEHIND THE KEYS (February

14 at the Orpheum Annex) In a Vancouver Bach Choir fundraiser, pianist Leslie Dala, cellist Joseph Elworthy, and soprano Robyn Driedger-Klassen show their heart with an intimate cabaret concert of classical love songs. g

WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 19

ARTS LISTINGS are a public service provided free of charge. Submit events online

looks like an act of madness is river guide Harlan Taney, who communicates with his partner by radio. Expert, precise, unflappable—he’s the kind of guy anybody would want on an adventure like this. Except that Taney is wrestling with demons of his own, and his motivations are anything but simple.

“I like films that peel back the layers rather than blasting you with it from the beginning,” remarks Brown, whose final cut benefited from an unusually long editing process.

He fathered two children while working on The Weight of Water. He also got deeper into Taney’s back story, hence a psychological arc that lifts the film out of the ordinary, in which courage and desire in the face of death are linked by trauma. This is one of the few outdoor-adventure documentaries likely to move its audience to tears at least twice.

Arts

from page 18

GOD’S LAKE Bear witness to the strength of the people in the remote fly-in reserve of God’s Lake Narrows, Manitoba. Feb 19-22, 7:30-9 pm; Feb 23, 1:30-3 pm, Presentation House Theatre. $30/25/18.

rare disorder juvenile retinoschisis. The duo first documented Weihenmayer’s successful bid to summit Everest in 2001’s Farther Than the Eye Can See, and their subsequent two-decade friendship lends an intimacy to The Weight of Water that might have eluded another filmmaker. As the canyon’s rapids grow in size and ferocity, Weihenmayer’s fear increases, and Brown’s camera refuses to look away.

“Hollywood studio films spend a lot of time on the characters’ faces because then the audience gets to project an emotion,” says Brown. “And Erik is perfect for that because he often doesn’t realize that you’re filming him. In those moments he’s just there, he’s just being himself, very vulnerable, not aware of the camera.”

Aiding Weihenmayer in what frequently

using the event-submission form at straight. com/AddEvent. Events that don’t make it into the paper will appear on the website.

> Go on-line to read hundreds of I Saw You posts or to respond to a message < GUY IN BLACK FROM GUY IN ORANGE AT CHOICES

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 9, 2020 WHERE: Choices Yaletown You were in all black and I was in orange. You showed up in several aisles I was in, but I was running too tight a schedule to figure things out. If you’re still interested, gimme a shout...

OLIVE OIL AND SOY PROTEIN- SUNDAY SUPERSTORE

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 9, 2020 WHERE: Superstore We ‘coincidentally’ bumped into each other three times at Superstore Sunday afternoon.

You approached me twice about two different items you were looking for. You were dressed in black, I was wearing a grey coat and a headband.

You asked me if I was vegetarian. I wish I would have given you my number when you pulled out your phone to show me what you were looking for.

You had a lovely accent. I’m sure you won’t read this as I get the sense you might be a newcomer here and probably don’t know this exists. If you do, let’s meet up and share vegetarian recipes ;)

COQUITLAM TD

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 5, 2020 WHERE: Coquitlam I walked in to the bank, we saw each other. You were at the front of the line. You left your spot in line, walked over to the ATM, and then got back in line beside me at the back.

I was trying to think of something witty to say about how much longer you were going to have to wait, then the lady next to me started talking to me. Once she finished I tried to think of something again, and next thing I know, it was my turn for a teller. If you see this and are interested, get back to me.

MARCUS KING BAND COMMODORE

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 9, 2020 WHERE: Commodore We danced beside each other and chatted briefly about Marcus King. Loved your style (super cool hat!), interested in going for coffee or a cocktail to continue our conversation?

COLOUR NAILS ON HASTINGS

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 4, 2020 WHERE: Colour Nails Hastings You were a gorgeous curvy Asian waiting to get your nails redone. I commented on you nails. I was with my daughter and you gave me helpful info for her.

I thanked you again as I was paying. I should have gave you my number. Would love to see you and your nails again

COMPLIMENT AT STARBUCKS

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 3, 2020 WHERE: Starbucks - Burnaby Heights I was standing waiting for my cappuccino- couldn't help but notice that you had the most handsome smile I had seen in quite some time. My order was ready before yours, and I was surprised buy that since you ordered before me, so I commented. Then our food orders were called - both by our first names. Before we both left you looked at me and said that you really liked my name.

You made me smile and made my Monday. I'm going to be forward and say that I hope to run into you again soon.

SO WE MEET AGAIN!

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 24, 2020 WHERE: On a Plane Vancouver to Dallas We both boarded American Airline flight from Vancouver.

You handsome tall man offered to help me with my bag. On my return flight, I ran into you AGAIN! Houston to Vancouver.

LIGHTHOUSE PARK

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: FEBRUARY 2, 2020 WHERE: Lighthouse Park Hey - I’m pretty sure you circling back to the lookout to ask me to take your photo has a subtext. It’s so hard to know these days. I made light conversation about Vancouver’s conversion into a branch plant for the tech industry; you work in the sector and are new to the city. You shook my hand. I should have given you my number. If you’re the kind of person who goes to Lighthouse Park alone, we’ll get along.

CHINESE NEW YEAR DINNER AT FRASER COURT SEAFOOD

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 26, 2020 WHERE: Fraser Court Seafood Restaurant You were a very handsome Chinese guy eating dinner for the Lunar New Year with your family at Fraser Court Seafood restaurant on Fraser near Kingsway. I think you were wearing a grayish, thin striped long-sleeved shirt. Had some cute dimples too. I was the Chinese guy with my family at the table next to you. We glanced at each other at least 15 times. Not sure if you even play for my team, but I thought I’d put it out there.

SOULSTREAM

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 18, 2020 WHERE: Roberts Creek Hall Late in the evening. Thought I was too old for you... you surprised me! You said you liked the way I danced! Sorry I had to bolt.

WHOLE FOODS - CAMBIE

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I SAW A: I AM A: WHEN: JANUARY 4, 2020 WHERE: Whole Foods Hi, saw you with your family you kind of smiled at me. Me, dark hair, 5’9, good shape.

Was with my wife. Want to meet up?

Visit straight.com to post your FREE I Saw You _ FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STR AIGHT 21

Careers

SIBER FACADE GROUP INC. is hiring Construction Assistant Manager Perm, F/T (30 h/w). Salary: $ 37.80 /h Experience 1-2 years, good English, college diploma in construction technology.

Main duties: Plan, organize and control construction projects; Create and oversee construction contracts, schedules, specifications, budget reports; Perform budget estimates; Monitor the execution of the project schedule; Prepare reports; Hire and supervise staff; Direct the purchase of materials, manage budget; Implement quality control procedures; Direct, control and evaluate daily operations.

Company’s business address and job location: Unit 230, 7270 Market Crossing, Burnaby BC, V5J 0A3. Please apply by e-mail: hr@siberconstruction.com FAST LOCKSMITH & GARAGE DOORS LTD. is HIRING Locksmith.

Job location: 323 Renfrew St, Vancouver, BC V5K 5G5. Perm, F/T, Shifts, Weekends 40 h/week, $28.00 /hour.

Requirements: high school, good English, min.

3-4 years of experience. Main duties: Install, service, adjust and repair various types of locks;Cut different types of keys, including automotive high security keys; Install security hinges and other security door hardware; Use hand tools and special locksmith equipment; Instruct apprentices as needed.

Company’s business address: 1256 Nestor St, Coquitlam, BC V3E 2A4 Please apply by E-mail: hr.fastlocksmith@gmail.com

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Codejitsu Development Studio Ltd is looking for Administrative Assistant Job location: 207-20559 Fraser Hwy, Langley, BC V3A 4G3.Perm, F/T, wage - $22.00 /hr Requirements: high school, good English, clerical experience 1-2 yrs.Main duties: Provide general administrative and clerical support; Assist with generating and maintaining documents; Set up and maintain electronic and hard copy filing system,Compile data and co-ordinate the flow of information; Answer telephone and electronic enquiries; Order office supplies and maintain inventory; Schedule and confirm appointments; Handle sensitive information in a confidential manner.

Company’s business address: 21048 84 Ave, Langley, BC, V2Y 0B9 Please apply by e-mail: employment.codejitsu@gmail.com

Ontheway Travel Consulting Ltd o/a Best Vancouver Tours is looking for Marketing Director. Permanent, F/T (35 h/w) Wage - $ 48.50 /h. Requirements: Good English, 2-3 years of experience, Bachelor's degree.

Main duties: Conduct marketing research and analyze competitive environment; Plan, develop, oversee, coordinate and evaluate implementation of marketing strategies and campaigns;Create marketing materials and manage social media presence; Report to management and provide recommendations for future tactics;Oversee and manage the company’s marketing budget.

Company’s business address and job location: 3-512 Sharpe St, New Westminster, BC, V3M 4R2 Please apply by e-mail: hr.onthewaytravel@gmail.com

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AWT Enterprises LTD o/a A Woman’s Touch is looking for Cleaning Supervisors.

Greater Vancouver, Perm, F/T (35 h/w).

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A MDABC peer-led support group is a safe place to share your story, your struggles and accomplishments, and to listen to others as they share similar concerns. Please Note: Support groups are not intended to provide counselling/therapy. ?

Please visit www.mdabc.net for a list and location of support groups or call 604-873-0103 for info.

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SHELTER MOVERS, a volunteer based organization that provides moving and storage services at no cost to women and children fleeing abuse, is looking for volunteers to help with these moves. We ask that you be able to lift 20 lbs. This is a great opportunity to make a BIG impact in a small amount of time. To apply email volunteervan@sheltermovers.com

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offers over 50 volunteer-led support groups throughout BC. These provide people with Parkinson's, their carepartners & families an opportunity to meet in a friendly, supportive setting with others who are experiencing similar difficulties.

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For information on locating a support group near you, please contact PSBC at 604 662 3240 or toll free 1 800 668 3330.

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SAVAGE LOVE

How to make your boyfriend “the girl”

by Dan Savage

You also need to bear in mind that pegging, while wonderful, won’t solve your underlying (and unspecified) “relationship issues”.

Unless, of course, the issue was your boyfriend feeling anxious about asking you to peg him. If he was worried about walking back his previous comments, or worried you would judge, shame, or dump him over this, that could have been the cause of your conf lict, and the pegging—by some miracle—was the solution.

But, hey, you didn’t ask about those other issues—you didn’t even name them—so let’s focus on your actual question: you being “the guy” and your boyfriend being “the girl”.

“The boyfriend wants TBE to be ‘the guy’ in the relationship to reinforce his desire to be ‘the girl’,” said Barrett, “and she seems okay with this, although she does acknowledge that this would require more than the nurturing and caretaking she’s already showed toward him. That’s a valid concern.

His desire to take the kink out of the bedroom and merge it with the day-to-day risks turning her into a kink dispenser. There’s also the aspect of the boyfriend’s gender stereotyping. Being dominant isn’t unique to men, and being submissive isn’t a ‘feminine’ trait. There are a lot of alpha men in FLRs who shine in support roles for the women they trust. Female-led relationships don’t rely on stereotypes.

Indeed, they often f lout them by relying not on stereotypical behaviors but on what is a natural dynamic for the couple. In that sense, each FLR is unique.”

While it’s possible that “I want to be the girl” are the only words your boyfriend has to describe the dynamic that turns him on, for

- The Boyfriend Experience “It’s amazing these two found each other,” said Key Barrett, a trained anthropologist. “They communicate and obviously create spaces to be vulnerable together and explore.”

Barrett has studied female-led relationships (FLR) and written books—fiction and nonfiction— about them, TBE, and his first concern was your boyfriend succumbing to “sub-frenzy”, or a burning desire to realize all his fantasies at once. You guys aren’t new to kink—you mention bondage—but you’ve found something that taps into some deep-seated desires, and you don’t want to move too fast.

“Pegging opened up a huge box of shiny new emotions and feelings,” said Barrett. “That’s great, but they should take it slow, especially if they want this dynamic to be a part of the day-to-day relationship.”

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some men, sacrificing their “male” power and privilege is an intrinsic part of the eroticism of submitting to a dominant woman. And that’s okay too.

“If he legitimately wants to take on a role of supporting her and being her adoring submissive partner while thinking of that role as ‘feminine’, it could work for them,” said Barrett. “He might really enjoy supporting her decisions and being more of a domestic partner.

She might enjoy the support and validation that comes from having a partner who revels in her successes and strength. This could fulfill the ‘caring for him as if I were the boyfriend’ portion (what a loving statement!) while still feeling natural for TBE.” So how can you get started as “the guy” in this relationship?

“They should, again, start small,” said Barrett. “Maybe delegate a few tasks that were ‘hers’ to him, and she can tell him how she wants them done,” whatever it is (dishes? laundry? cocksucking?), “as this will help ensure the outcome they both want. I would also recommend they both read about what FLRs are and aren’t. FLRs are often kink-friendly, but kink is not required. And they need to remember the key word in ‘female-led relationship’ is relationship.”

Follow Key Barrett on Twitter @ KeyBarrettMSc. b I’M A WOMAN, AND I was contacted on an app by someone claiming to be a “guydyke”. Based on their profile pictures, I was basically looking at a white, cis, masc-presenting man who said he is queer but only attracted to women. And by mascpresenting, I mean I could not pick him out of a lineup of the most

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- Bro Obsessed Over Bust Size It’s not normal —in

the literal, nonpejorative sense—for an “assigned male at birth” person who presents as male to want to slap large boobs on his otherwise male-presenting physique. But so what? If you’re worried about how your boobs will be received there in the Midwest, perhaps you could get yourself a pair of what drag queens call “chicken cutlets”, i.e., silicone breast enhancers that tuck into a bra, and try wearing them out. For the record, kids, I’m not equating being genderf luid with drag, even though many drag queens (but not all) identify as genderf luid and many genderf luid people (but not all) do drag. (I never get tired of tap-dancing my way through this minefield.) But back when I was doing drag, BOOBS, a pair of chicken cutlets artfully placed under my pecs created a pretty realisticlooking set of big ol’ titties. Think of chicken cutlets as a temporary, nonsurgical breast-enhancement option—to test the locals as well as your desire to have breasts. g On the Lovecast, spanking is for grownups! With Jillian Keenan: savagelovecast. com. Email: mail@savagelove.net. Follow Dan on Twitter @fakedansavage.

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be one of those ‘oldschool’ lesbians, despite not actually being what most consider to be old,” said Arielle Scarcella, a popular lesbian YouTuber (youtube.com/Arielle) with more than 600,000 subscribers. “Back when I was coming out in 2005, if a male person who lived as a man—a male who lived in such a way that he was always perceived to be a man—claimed he was a lesbian or a dyke, we’d shut them down. But in 2020, it’s only acceptable to accept everyone for what they say they are.

I disagree. Part of being a lesbian, being a woman, is also cultural and societal. It’s not simply an identity.

Living in the world as a woman matters. A biological male who presents as a man and has sex only with women will never know what it’s like to be treated as a woman or a lesbian. He can identify however he likes, of course, but he will be perceived as a straight man who’s fetishizing queer women.”

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b MY BOYFRIEND AND I were having relationship issues until we tried something new: pegging. He wanted to try it, but he was afraid and sometimes said the idea disgusted him. Then we tried it, and it was better than normal vanilla or even kinky bondage sex. It was the most emotionally connected sex we’ve ever had. I actually pegged him three times in 24 hours. He says now he wants to be “the girl” in our relationship. He doesn’t want to transition to become a girl but to be more “the girl” sexually and emotionally. I see this as sexy and loving. I’ve always taken care of him in a nurturing way, but this adds so much more. I feel bad about sending this long story just to ask a simple question, but… How do I be more “the guy” for my boyfriend who wants to be more “the girl”? Not just sexually, but in everyday life?

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Stay Connected @GeorgiaStraight FEBRUARY 13 – 20 / 2020 THE GEORGIA STRAIGHT 23

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