Announcing My Little Tomato, a world premiere from vAct, Zee Zee Theatre, and rice & beans theatre

The Cultch presents MY LITTLE TOMATO
A Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct)
and Zee Zee Theatre co-production,
in association with rice & beans theatre (Vancouver)

A surreal rom-com about an organic farmer falling in love with his tomato
premieres at The Cultch!

he Cultch is thrilled to present My Little Tomato, a Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct) and Zee Zee Theatre co-production, produced in association with rice & beans theatre (Vancouver). My Little Tomato will have its world premiere at The Cultch’s Historic Theatre March 9-19, 2023.

WHEN: March 9-19, 2023

MAR 9: 7:30 – Preview

MAR 10: 7:30 – Opening

MAR 11, 14–18: 7:30 PM

MAR 12, 18–19: 2:00 PM

WHERE: Historic Theatre, 1895 Venables St., Vancouver, BC

TICKETS: Tickets from $25. Single tickets on sale now through The Cultch’s Box Office: 604-251-1363 or thecultch.com/event/my-little-tomato

In this surreal rom-com, Keaton Chu, a Chinese-Canadian kindergarten teacher, inherits a farm from his deceased parents and vows to continue the business to honour his family name. Unlucky in love in real life, he begins to pour his heart out into every fruit and vegetable, believing that every life form has a purpose even when they’re deformed.

When Japanese-Irish-Canadian produce wholesaler and bar-star Joe McKinley unwittingly falls for Keaton, they struggle to deal with historical familial, cultural and relationship issues while proving love is possible even when dirty rotten tomatoes squeeze in on the fun.

This fanciful comedy about discovering the things—real and imagined—that we place as obstacles in the middle of our relationships is the debut play for Rick Tae, who has been working in theatre, film and television for over 30 years. “Food, Surrealism and East-meets-West themes have always driven my creative endeavours,” say Tae. “As the world continues to shift towards wedging us all apart with our differences, I chose to highlight idealistic characters that insist we are all the same.”

My Little Tomato began its life as part of vAct’s 2019-20 MSG Lab, with support from Playwrights Theatre Centre. Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre’s Derek Chan was brought into the creation from an early date, directing the first workshops of the production. For this world premiere run at The Cultch, Cameron Mackenzie, Artistic Director of Zee Zee Theatre, will take the reins as director, bringing the story to life through the performances of a phenomenal local cast—Van Dang (Shaw Dior, Mother of the House of Rice), Taylor Kare, and Nelson Wong.

Cast:
Van Dang
Taylor Kare
Nelson Wong

Creative Team:
Rick Tae: Playwright
Derek Chan: Producer
Cameron Mackenzie: Director
Jack Bumbala: Assistant Director
Joanna Garfinkel: Dramaturg
Shanae Sodhi: Associate Producer
Sophie Tang: Set & Props Designer
Melicia Zaini: Costume Designer
Jonathan Kim: Lighting Designer
Mary Jane Coomber: Sound Designer and Composition
Mishelle Cuttler: Assistant Sound Designer
Jamie Sweeney: Production Manager
Brianna Bernard: Associate Production Manager
Christian Ching: Technical Director
Monica Emme: Props Master
Yvonne Yip: Stage Manager
Yuting Yue: Apprentice Stage Manager
Ted Littlemore: Movement Coordinator

About vAct:
Founded in 2001 by Joyce Lam, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct) first began as a community theatre. Over the next 12 years, vAct collaborated with over 500 Asian Canadian theatre artists, and produced over 40 shows. In 2013, Donna Yamamoto was appointed as the Producing Artistic Director. Thus began vAct’s rapid transformation from a community theatre to one of the most exciting diversity-mandated professional theatre companies in Canada. In the Western Canadian theatre community, vAct plays a unique role. We are the only professional theatre company in Western Canada to consistently premiere new works by Asian Canadians. Following Donna’s retirement in 2022, Derek Chan took over as Managing Artistic Director, bringing with him over a decade’s experience in creating, developing, and producing original intercultural, multilingual works within BC, across Canada, and internationally.

About Zee Zee Theatre:
Zee Zee Theatre believes in individual stories that provoke and inspire us, and that foster common understanding and empathy across our diverse human experiences. We believe in the intrinsic value of art, and the positive impact it has on our economy, wellbeing, and society. We believe that performance can encompass much more than mainstream voices on large stages. We are devoted to telling diverse stories and amplifying the voices of those who exist on the margins with a focus on LGBTQ2SI+ communities. We explore intimate moments through which the infinite complexity of human character can be revealed. Zee Zee fosters original artistic voices, and engages new audiences by developing performance that is accessible, inclusive, and reflective of our diverse communities. A key tenet in our ethos is that artists and working professionals should be properly compensated for their work, and we are committed to paying thriving wages. We are proud leaders in revisioning Queer Theatre in Canada by centring artists, through implementing new models of creation, and building community from the hyper local to the national. Over the past fourteen years we have produced, commissioned, developed and presented works to inspire, amplify, elevate and celebrate Lesbian, Gay, Bi, Trans, Queer, Two Spirit, and other intersectional communities. Now in our fifteenth season, we are a vital part of Canada’s Queer cultural conversation, advancing the status of Queer and Trans folk in Canada through art.

About rice & beans theatre:
rice & beans theatre is a Vancouver-based theatre company founded in 2010 by Pedro Chamale and Derek Chan. We provide a platform for the creation, development and production of boundary-pushing theatre by artists of colour or otherwise marginalized theatre-makers, as well as support to fellow artists by providing dramaturgy, direction, and mentorship. We are dedicated to facilitating original Canadian work that is accessible, honest, uncompromising and personal. In addition to Vancouver, we have also produced original work for audiences in Toronto, Richmond, Nanaimo and Victoria. In 2018, rice & beans was nominated for a Dora Award for its production of 食盡天下/A Taste of Empire with Cahoots Theatre in Toronto. In 2019, its production of Chicken Girl was nominated for 3 Jessies in Vancouver and in 2022, its production of Yellow Objects won a Jessie Innovation Award.

About The Cultch:
Since 1973, The Cultch (formally the Vancouver East Cultural Centre) has been one of Vancouver’s most diverse and innovative arts and cultural hubs. The organisation operates three theatrical venues, a gallery, various ancillary spaces in the heart of East Vancouver, as well as our RE/PLAY digital platform that reaches international audiences. The Cultch offers dynamic contemporary programming in theatre, dance, music, and the visual arts, bringing world-class cultural presentations to thousands of citizens each year through its own programming and by providing rental opportunities for community users. Our purpose is to provide a venue for performance that serves a diverse and engaged public and provides space for artistic experimentation and development, building an audience for local companies and presenting cutting-edge national and international work.

Information and image provided by The Cultch. Image: Nelson Wong and Taylor Kare. Photography by Tina Krueger.