Around Town: Almost, Maine; Christmas Tales; Salim Munayer; Brian Doerksen …

Kim Larson and Peter Carlone in Almost, Maine. Photo by Emily Cooper.

Kaitlin Williams‘ dramatic gifts were evident to my wife when her Sunday school class developed a skit to enliven a lesson. So it has been a pleasure for her to see Kaitlin mature into a serious actor and now, in Pacific Theatre’s latest production, Almost, Maine, a director.

Here is a brief description of the show:

The midwinter night is cold and clear as the northern lights dance above: it’s the perfect night to fall into, or out of, love. A charming, almost-magical tapestry of the joys and perils of romance, set in one night in a small town in Maine.

The critics like Almost, Maine:

“Like life and love itself, Almost, Maine is quirky, sweet and sometimes delightfully messy. And despite its disappointing lack of snowflakes, you should definitely make this trip to New England.” | Mark Robins, Vancouver Presents

“Not only was the play full of emotion, it was hilarious. Due to the characters sincerity, genuineness, and impeccable comedic timing the play seemed to constantly bring the audience to rigorous laughter.” | Connor Riopel, Merely Players

“A clever, quirky romantic comic anthology made up of 10 two-character vignettes . . . first-time director Kaitlin Williams and her five attractive young actors handle the material with aplomb. Nearly everyone leaves the theatre smiling.” | Jerry Wasserman, The Vancouver Sun

Almost, Maine, which runs until December 16, isn’t Pacific Theatre’s only offering during the holiday season. Christmas Presence starts December 17 in Clearbrook and then runs December 19 – 23 in Vancouver. Each night is different, I gather, and not all songs and poems in the set list are performed each night, but you can see from the list founding artistic director Ron Reed posted on Soul Food Vancouver that the content is well worth turning out for:

ACT ONE
Peter Abando, Rick Colhoun, Mark Bender | Christmastime is Here 
Charles Schultz | Charlie & Linus
Zaac Pick | Maybe This Christmas
Robert Farrar Capon | Advent
Carolyn Arends | It Was a Holy Night
John Lekich | A Keen Sense Of Occasion
Carolyn Arends | Christmas Magic
Mike Mason | Gabriel’s Annunciation
Jalen Saip | You’re Here
Madeleine L’Engle | The Irrational Season
Carolyn Arends | My First Christmas
Zaac Pick | O What Night

ACT TWO
Spencer Capier | The Merry Blacksmith
Garrison Keillor | The Seven Principles of Christmas
Carolyn Arends | Is Bethlehem Too Far Away
Zaac Pick | Finding Christmas
Lucia Frangione | Taste of Winter
Spencer Capier | Lover’s Waltz
Annie Dillard | God in the Doorway
Carolyn Arends | Do Not Be Afraid 
Sheila Rosen | No Safe Place
Zaac Pick | Christmas Song
Robert Louis Stevenson | Christmas Prayer
Carolyn Arends | A Christmas Blessing

Some shows are already sold out, so don’t dawdle.

Christmas Tales

Christmas Tales will be touching down at several churches in Metro Vancouver, starting this Friday (December 1) at Gracepoint Community Church in Surrey (see other dates below). Here is how it is billed – quite accurately; I’ve seen it:

A rendition of Christmas like you have never heard it. You’ll laugh and cry as you are drawn into the true meaning of the season.

Justyn Rees and Russ Rosen, together with Brett Zigler, Calum Rees, Jonathan Perkins and others love to join forces to make Christmas live through music and storytelling.

Russ will have you singing along with the traditional carols and inspire you with some of the original music that he has written. Together with Justyn’s hilarious retelling of the story, the music and monologs weave a delightful tapestry of the first Christmas for all the family to enjoy. You’ll meet characters painted in vivid colour by Justyn’s knack for international dialects – Joseph the cabinet maker, Angus the tight-fisted innkeeper, Dick the dancing shepherd, Balthazar the wise man from Toronto, and many others.

Russ Rosen and band have been the feature performers at Vancouver’s Rogers Santa Claus Parade for the past five years and know how to turn a Christmas Parade into a street party. For Christmas Tales they nimbly weave together both the festive and reflective carols throughout this upbeat and down to earth production.

Over the past three years Christmas Tales has played in nearly 100 venues throughout the holiday season from Victoria to Edmonton, down the Fraser Valley and up the Okanagan in prisons, night clubs, churches, living rooms and schools. “Angels is popping all o’er the place!”

Other Christmas Tales shows in the Vancouver area are at West Vancouver Baptist Church (December 3); Peace Portal Alliance Church in south Surrey (December 5); North Langley Community Church (December 7 – 8); Mount Seymour United Church (December 16); Olivet Baptist Church in New Westminster (December 17); Bez Arts Hub in Langley (December 19 – 21); and Emmanuel Christian Community Church in Richmond (December 22). There are several other shows up the Valley and on the Island.

Salim Munayer: Reconciliation

Salim Munayer seeks reconciliation in Israel / Palestine.

There will be a couple of opportunities this weekend to learn about ‘Theology and Reconciliation in Israel / Palestine.’ Salim Munayer will speak at Willoughby Church in Langley on Friday (December 1) and Vancouver First Christian Reformed Church on Saturday.

Go here for the full piece.

Brian Doerksen: Missions Fest

For 35 years or so, Missions Fest Vancouver has inspired and challenged people to get involved in Christ’s mission by showcasing what God is doing around the world and teaching about mission. Without their annual conference and web platforms many essential mission organizations would remain invisible to the church.

Thus it is good to see veteran worship musician Brian Doerksen helping Missions Fest out in a fundraiser this Saturday (December 2). The evening will include some of his classic songs, along with Christmas carols.

Keri Vermeulen wrote about Doerksen and his new album, released just this fall, in The Light magazine last month. It began:

His laughter breaks through the warm living room like a fresh surprise on an otherwise regular, early autumn afternoon in the Fraser Valley. It’s completely unexpected – and kind of contagious. The joyful bellow comes from multiple award-winning Christian singer-songwriter Brian Doerksen, known to thousands of fans for his worship songs that unreservedly connect with the pain and brokenness of human life.

Many of his well-known faith songs are beautifully woven together with a thread of lament to God. Acknowledging this kind of pain in Christian singing and song writing is perhaps why so many other Jesus-followers connect with Doersken’s music, and have been singing along at home and in churches for decades now.

And maybe it’s at least partly why the man behind songs such as ‘Faithful One,’ ‘Refiner’s Fire’ and ‘The River’ has been awarded over a dozen Covenant Awards (including a lifetime achievement award in 2014), a Juno Award for the album Holy God (2008) and is the second Canadian to be awarded a Gospel Music Association Dove Award.

Go here for the full interview. There will be a Christmas bake sale, along with the concert. Funds raised will go to support Missions Fest.

And much more . . .

Check out all the Advent and Christmas events below. Many of them take place this week – look at December 2nd!