Warm up with a walk and a PodPlay before your show at the Gateway Theatre
Theatre and arts enthusiasts will now have an innovative way to discover stories in the streets of Richmond as they make their way to the city’s only live professional theatre, the Gateway Theatre. Enter Etienne: a PodPlay, an audio play designed to guide guests as they enter a different realm while they walk from the Richmond-Brighouse Canada Line station to Gateway Theatre.
PodPlays are audio plays written to be experienced at specific geographic locations. Etienne: a PodPlay runs for 28 minutes and 32 seconds. To participate, guests will need a personal mobile audio device, such as a smart phone, with access to the internet. Head down to the Richmond Brighouse Canada Line station (No. 3 Road and Cook, across from Richmond Centre) and upon arrival, access the audio file from www.gatewaytheatre.com/your-visit/etienne-podplay.
To begin, guests are invited to stand at the entrance to the station and press play. From there, guests will be transported through sound and music into Janine’s tempestuous relationship with Etienne, a foodie with more than dinner on his mind. Guests will receive directions that will guide them on an adventurous walk to the Gateway Theatre. Dress for the weather and expect to see the city of Richmond in a new light.
Artistic Director Jovanni Sy describes how the project came to life, illustrating the dynamic and synergistic partnership between Richmond’s Public Art Program, Gateway and Neworld/PTC.
When I first arrived at the Gateway, it occurred to me that the walking commute between Richmond-Brighouse Station and our theatre might be an opportunity for a guided walking tour. I wanted to commission Lucia Frangione – who, at the time, resided in Richmond – to write a narrative PodPlay. When the City’s Public Art Program sent out a call for submissions [for Art in Unexpected Places], I thought this might be an opportunity to turn this concept into something concrete.
Participating in Etienne: a PodPlay offers guests an amazing opportunity to dip their toes into a whole new world of art before completely diving into Gateway Theatre’s new production, Art, which runs from February 5 to 22. Art ticket prices are $30 (student) and $48/$49 (Adult, weekday/weekend). Groups of 10 or more are $44 per person. Tickets can be purchased at www.gatewaytheatre.com/shows-events/tickets.
Etienne: a PodPlay is part of the Richmond Public Art Program’s Art in Unexpected Places series of commissions. This is an original piece produced and developed by Neworld Theatre with PTC (theatre company) and conceived and presented by the Gateway Theatre.
For more information about Richmond’s Public Art Program and to view the complete
public art collection visit www.richmond.ca/culture/publicart/program.
