Tuesday, August 30, 2011

Shows We Like :: 4th Edition!

Veenesh Dubois
Under The Mango Tree
It would seem that the inspiration for most theatre comes from adversity or struggle. Trouble in Tahiti centres around a married couple who are struggling to get back to the magic of love that they experienced when they first met. This is not an uncommon topic and segways nicely into the next installment of "Shows We Like".

Producer, playwright and actor Veenesh Dubois is no stranger to the Fringe stage. Her show, Under the Mango Tree is returning to the Vancouver International Fringe Festival after its successful debut in 2009. Since then she has toured the show on numerous Fringe stages (Winnipeg, Edmonton, Toronto) along with many other independent theatres to rave review.

Under The Mango Tree is about a daughter's love and yearning for her father. The father lives in a small village and wants to find fame, fortune and better opportunities, so he leaves his family behind and emigrates to Canada. The story follows the letters that the daughter and the father exchange between one another.

This play is inspired by Dubois' own personal experience of being a young girl who grew up on a dirt floor hut in Ba, Fiji and being abandoned by her father who emigrated to Canada to make a better life for his family. While her father eventually sent for her, the play explores Dubois' own feelings around being abandon in Fiji and her family's immigration story to Canada.

Under The Mango Tree would appear to be another example of the complexity of family. The play itself has garnered rave review, described as "A tremendously told story" (Edmonton Sun), "Evocative & Entertaining" (Eye Weekly Toronto), and "An Emotional Roller Coaster" (NorthWest Interviewer - Sheryl McKay).

We can't wait to see Dubois in action! And this shouldn't be difficult as she is sharing the stage with us at the Firehall Arts Centre for the duration of the 2011 Vancouver Fringe Festival.

For more information about Dubois and Under The Mango Tree visit her website! And stay tuned for highlights from Day 2 of Trouble In Tahiti rehearsals. Staging starts today!

Twitter: @VanCOCoOp

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