Obstructions
at Progress Lab 1422 (map)
First event: October 27, 2011 @ 7pm, at AGM-Apalooza
March 31, 2012
May 19, 2012
June 9, 2012
More dates to be announced
October 27's event at Progress Lab 1422 is $5 cover with no advance sales, and will follow a joint AGM with The Only Animal, Boca, Rumble Productions, Neworld Theatre, and more. Doors at 6, AGM begins 7pm, Obstructions begins 9pm. Arrive early, limited seating.
Following three sold-out iterations of the Hive party series, Vancouver's Progress Lab network of indie theatre-makers comes together to test the theory that creativity feeds on limits.
Inspired in part by The Five Obstructions by Jørgen Leth and Lars Von Trier, the core artists of each participating company will submit, a few at a time and under a cold spotlight, to a list of obstructions delivered by a shadowy emcee. The companies will then be commanded to create their next production around those limitations. The obstructions for each company have been developed in secret by their peers - a custom-designed set of obstacles that will prompt each artist to adapt to a new approach to making theatre. Form, place, style, theme, design, period, story - Obstructions spills out the artist's bag of tricks and kicks them out of reach.
On October 27, the first three companies will receive their obstructions: Radix (artistic director Andrew Laurenson), Boca Del Lupo (artistic directors Sherry Yoon and Jay Dodge), and Felix Culpa (artistic directors David Bloom and Linda Quibell). They will return in the spring to perform their new works, and more obstructions will be delivered.