If We Were Birds doesn’t back down from tough subject matterIf We Were Birds director Wendy Merk claims that this particular production is going to be one of the most difficult plays she’s ever directed. The play has graphic sexual violence and centres around the theme of rape used as a weapon of war against women. But Merk has the skills necessary to pull it […] Continue Reading |
Art gallery exhibit looks at the lives of Chinese literatiOur city, relative to its size, has long had an incredible variety of opportunities for its residents to take in many forms of cultural expression; the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria (AGGV) has been a constant provider of these chances. One of the AGGV’s current exhibits, Treasures of the Chinese Scholar’s Studio, promises to uphold […] Continue Reading |
Weekend of films at local theatre highlights indigenous voicesAfter the popularity of the indigenous film program at the 2015 Victoria Film Festival (VFF), The Vic Theatre decided it was time to bring Victoria audiences an international series of films by indigenous filmmakers. So, that’s exactly what will happen from September 27 to 29 at The Vic. The three-day event puts the spotlight on […] Continue Reading |
Sarah MacDougall: the Nexus interviewThis is an expanded version of the story which appeared in our September 23, 2015 issue. Sarah MacDougall, a Swedish-born singer/songwriter who now calls Whitehorse home, comes with a long list of accolades. For example, her music just won her the West Coast Music Awards Roots Solo Recording of the Year prize (which she’s no stranger […] Continue Reading |
Despite rain Rifflandia 2015 a successEven though there was intermittent rain all weekend, Rifflandia 2015 was a success. The festival, now in its eighth year, brought 230 musicians to the city for four jam-packed days of music spread throughout Victoria from September 17 to 20. Orchestrated by local production company Atomique Productions, Rifflandia transformed 22 locations around the city—from parking […] Continue Reading |
Speed-the-Plow rips Hollywood cynicism apartDavid Mamet’s Speed-the-Plow is an eviscerating satire on Hollywood cynicism that underscores how little has changed in the film industry since its first staging on Broadway in 1988. Directed by the Belfry’s Michael Shamata, it features Brian Markinson, Vincent Gale, and Celine Stubel in a spare set that evokes American Psycho and its themes of […] Continue Reading |
New Music Revue: Raccoon BanditRaccoon Bandit Close Your Eyes (Independent) 3.5/5 Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island indie rockers Raccoon Bandit’s second album, Close Your Eyes, is well worth checking out. Unlike many indie-rock bands, whose sounds meld together into a wave of redundancy, this band is unique. “Searcher Song” is a particularly noteworthy track that very wisely opens the album […] Continue Reading |
Three new ID books survive the Nexus field testEvery ID book should be field tested in order to determine its usefulness as an exploration companion. With that in mind, I tucked these three new ID books from Harbour Publishing away in my pack and headed out on an adventure with them. The easiest and most accessible guide to test by far was Bridgette […] Continue Reading |
Local festival preaches world peace through puppetryTimothy Gosley is best known around town right now for being the director for this year’s Puppets for Peace festival weekend, but there’s something that not everyone knows about the man: he was once a puppeteer for the beloved children’s show Sesame Street. “I have been a puppeteer since about 1980,” he says. “One of […] Continue Reading |
Camosun alumnus Jeff Mason’s new book shows great promiseCamosun alumnus Jeff Mason’s first novel, The Symmetry of Belief (self-published), is heavily influenced by classic sci-fi, fantasy, and horror by authors such as H.P. Lovecraft, Frank Herbert, and J.G. Ballard. The story is reminiscent of Milton’s “Paradise Lost,” in which humans willingly fall from heaven, or, rather, ascend from paradise into the cruel void […] Continue Reading |
