Stage Door News
Stage Door News
Carmen Aguirre returns to GCTC with the full production of her smash hit Carmen Aguirre’s Blue Box. In 2011 Carmen Aguirre’s Blue Box was presented GCTC’s undercurrents indie theatre festival and sold out during its limited run. Her show went on to its world premiere in Vancouver and began to tour the country.
“Blue Box – A hot monologue simmering with romance and politics” Vancouver Weekly
Written and performed by Aguirre, Blue Box reveals and intertwines her remarkable stories of the Chilean revolution and a passionate love affair with a Hollywood actor.
“Blue Box dives, no holds barred, right into two core stories that live within me… The only thing they have in common is that they happened to the same person. They both explore the theme of unconditional love in completely different realms: the romantic and the revolutionary,” says Aguirre.
At each performance, Aguirre invites the audience to jump off the cliff with her and go on a wild ride of terror, romance, and abandon.
“We basically keep the house lights on so I can see the audience and make connection with them, and they can see that I can see them,” says Aguirre. “Every night it’s a little shaky getting started.”
Carmen Aguirre resides in Vancouver and is a writer, actor and teacher. She joined the underground resistance when she was 18 wrote a book about her experiences called Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Revolutionary Daughter. Her book won CBC’s 2012 Canada Reads amidst controversy after another participant referred to her as “a bloody terrorist” and was on the national bestseller’s list for six months. Carmen Aguirre's Blue Box has been published by Talon Books.
“Carmen Aguirre is a warrior, a survivor, a rule-breaker and a heck of a storyteller.” ReviewVancouver.com
“Carmen Aguirre is mesmerizing with her candid and spicy storytelling.” The Province
The play runs from January 15, 2013 to February 03, 2013.
Tickets are on sale now - GCTC Box Office - 613-236-5196 - 1233 Wellington St. West, at Holland Ave. http://www.gctc.ca/plays/carmen-aguirres-blue-box
Written and performed by Carmen Aguirre
Directed by Brian Quirt
A Nightswimming production in association with Neworld Theatre
Performances Times:
Performances begin at 8:00 pm Tuesday – Friday. Saturday performances at 4:00 pm & 8:30 pm. Sunday matinee performances begin at 2:00 pm.
Student Rush tickets: $13. Valid student ID required. Tickets can be picked up after noon on the day of performance in person from GCTC Box Office.
Special Performances:
Sunday, January 20 – Pay-What-You Can - 2:00 pm Matinee.
Friday, January 25 – Talkback - Following the 8:00 pm performance Carmen Aguirre will be participating in a talkback with audience members that would like to find out more about the play, the writing and what it’s like bringing your writing to the stage.
Sunday, January 27 - The Playtime Program is a fun and enriching opportunity for children to exercise their creativity, while theatre-going parents get to enjoy a great GCTC matinee.
Stages and Pages is program created by the Ottawa Public Library and the Great Canadian Theatre Company. The library creates a recommended reading list to accompany each play.
The Fritzi Gallery:
The work on the walls reflects the artist’s impression and emotional response to the play. Zimbabwean artist Chikonzero Chazunguza gleans inspiration from what he calls "the collective" -- family, community and political structures. Displaced from his homeland, his journey has led him to Canada where he continues to define the themes of scarcity of basic commodities, post colonialism and land conflicts.
His multi-disciplinary work will be shown at the Fritzi Gallery in conjunction with Carmen Aguirre’s play, “Blue Box.”
"My work is a manifestation of the layers of my experiences within times of social and political changes, the toughest that human beings could ever face," he says. "Yet there is constant hope and collective perseverance. In this light, my work resonates with the layers of stories Carmen tells in Blue Box.”
"Both Chiko and Carmen create work that engages and explores community politics and grassroots activism," says curator Don Monet. "They create excitement through the ferocity of their passions -- Carmen with her words, Chiko with his paintings. They make us care about issues, about each other, about the collective."
The vernissage for Blue Box is Thursday, January 17, 2013 from 6:00-8:00 p.m.
About GCTC:
GCTC is celebrating its 38th season in 2012 – 2013.
“To foster, produce and promote excellent theatre that provokes examination of Canadian life
and our place in the world."
GCTC is committed to the production of new Canadian work and artist development. We continue to commission and workshop new plays by emerging and established playwrights. We mentor emerging companies and artists through our undercurrents festival, master classes, and internships.
Photo: Carmen Aguirre. © 2011 Andrew Alexander.
2012-12-17
Ottawa: “Carmen Aguirre’s Blue Box” returns to the GCTC mainstage January 15, 2013