Studio 58’s 55th season continues with the world premiere of Theatre: The Play, a comedic love letter to the art form, written and directed by Ryan Beil and Mark Chavez.  

The Nearlake Theatre Festival & Bar & Grill faces certain closure, unless it can produce a hit show. Dudley, the festival's intrepid artistic director, throws out all the stops in an attempt to stage a masterpiece the likes of which the theatre world has never seen: Macbeth, War on Christmas. But, can the cast and crew deal with their personal demons before the punters show up? Theatre: The Play is both a love letter and a sly middle finger to the world of theatre, asking “why would anyone work in this unforgiving and unstable field of make believe?”. Students in their fourth term will perform the play for a live, in-house audience, while members of the public will have the chance to watch a free livestream from the comfort of their homes.  

“We are so excited to push the boundaries of what it means to produce a play online,” said Beil and Chavez. “To go beyond just setting up a camera and pressing record, instead making the experience for people watching at home just as electric as it is for those watching in the theatre.” 

CREATIVE TEAM 
Written and directed by Ryan Beil and Mark Chavez 
Set & costume mentorship by Shizuka Kai  
Lighting mentorship by Alan Brodie  
Set, costume, and lighting design by final term production students  

STREAMING DETAILS  
Theatre: The Play will premiere on YouTube on Sunday, November 29 at 3 PM, followed by a live talkback with the cast. The recording will be available to view until December 6. Sign-up to receive the link to watch for free at studio58.ca.  

ABOUT STUDIO 58 
Studio 58 is the professional theatre training program at Langara College, located in Vancouver, British Columbia. Under the direction of Kathryn Shaw, it offers nationally recognized training for both actors and production personnel. More information at studio58.ca