A New Westminster teen is helping to put together the annual IGNITE! Youth Festival.
The arts festival takes to the stage at the Cultch in Vancouver from May 14 to 19.
Among its organizers is the Royal City's own Howard Dai, who's part of the panel putting together the festival.
The youth panel is a group of about 20 people, aged 13 to 24, that gather from September to May each year to pull together the week-long festival.
The youth work with only one staff liaison to pull together all aspects of the festival - auditioning performers, designing promotional material, planning workshops and producing shows.
The festival includes showcases of music and dance, the world premiere of three one-act plays, film, a visual arts exhibition, variety shows and more.
For full details about the festival, check out www. igniteyouthfest.ca.
Tickets are $10 regular, $6 for students and seniors, or $2 for youth aged 12 to 19. You can also buy a $40 all-access festival pass.
Tickets are all available through the Cultch box office at 604-251-1363 or tickets.thecultch.com.
Here's Johnny
The Vagabond Players are welcoming back a wellknown face from the past for their final production of the season.
Johnny Duncan will be returning to direct The Winslow Boy, opening May 31.
Duncan, who has become known in the Vancouver theatre world as "Mr. Metro," has been directing and acting at Metro Theatre in Vancouver since 1970, and he's the resident manager there.
Originally a stand-up comedian in his hometown of Liverpool, England, he immigrated to Canada in 1965 - and his first Canadian stage appearance was with the Vagabond Players, in their production This Vagabond Whirl.
He's been a busy presence on the Lower Mainland theatre scene ever since, including writing and directing the Metro Theatre Christmas pantomime for the past 12 years and helping to restore Theatre Under the Stars back in 1978 when he led the Dunbar Musical Theatre back to Stanley Park with a production of Carousel.
"We're thrilled to have Johnny back with us again!" says an email from the Vagabond Players.
The Winslow Boy will run from May 31 to June 23 at the Bernie Legge Theatre in Queen's Park. Watch these pages for more details as the date approaches, or check out www.vagabond players.ca. Reservations can be made by calling 604521-0412.
Auditions set
New Westminster dancers are being invited to audition for a holiday classic production.
Goh Ballet is inviting young dancers to try out for roles in its production of The Nutcracker, which will take to the stage at the Centre in Vancouver for Performing Arts from Dec. 19 to 23.
Open auditions are being held on Sunday, May 6, from 10: 30 a.m. to 5: 30 p.m. at the Scotiabank Dance Centre on Davie Street in Vancouver.
Children aged six to eight are set for 10: 30 to 11: 30 a.m., with eight-to 11year-olds from 11: 45 a.m. to 1 p.m., children 10 and up from 1: 15 to 2: 45 p.m., and men and women (over age 13) from 3 to 5: 30 p.m.
Check out the website at www.gohballet.com for more details.
Do you have an item for Lively City? Send arts and entertainment ideas to Julie, jmaclellan@royalcityrecord. com. You can also follow her on Twitter, @juliemaclellan.
