For 30 years, UBC creative writing students, alumni and professors have been hosting the Brave New Play Rites theatre festival in Vancouver. This year, the festival is taking place on Granville Island at Studio 1398. Twelve 10-15 minute plays are being run in this year's festival, each written by students in the UBC creative writing program.
The festival began as an outlet for the stage play students of UBC professor, Bryan Wade. Wade is still involved as a festival advisor, however grad students in the creative writing program are responsible for producing the festival. Two of this year's producers are Sasha Singer-Wilson and associate producer Megan Andres, who are all joint creative writing and theatre MFA students.
Over the last 30 years, Brave New Play Rites has produced at least 400 plays by burgeoning UBC playwrights, that number jumps to as high as 500 when including staged readings. Participating in Brave New Play Rites allows the writing students, local actors and directors practical experience in the process of show production.
Students may only submit their work once, meaning each year is a completely unique experience for both those involved and for those watching the shows. Each year, the festival showcases a wide variety of new plays from one-man shows to musicals.
This year is no exception with Andres’ play Fractured, which deals with childhood trauma and mortality, and The Bus by Ashley Park, whose synopsis explains, “Traveling between the zones too absurd to be real and absurd enough to be nothing but real, The Bus is an interactive play that highlights both anxieties of solitude and intimacy that can only arise from taking public transit.”
“This festival is an incredible opportunity,” said Andres. “The coordination, the creative input, the collaboration is invigorating in a way that makes me excited to be involved in theatre.”
Wade concluded, “I'm proud because it is really run by the students and the running students learn so much from it.”
Brave New Play Rites runs from March 17-20. To learn more about the festival and to buy tickets, visit bravenew.ca.