The Virtual Stage facts for kids

The Virtual Stage is a cool theatre group from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. It was started in 2000 by Andy Thompson. This group loves to mix theatre with new technology. They often use ideas and tricks from movies in their live shows!

The Virtual Stage Story

The Virtual Stage started as a group called The Virtual Stage Arts Society in 2000. One of their first projects was a short film called Game Over. This film looked at how violent entertainment affects kids.

In 2001, the group put on their first full play. It was the Canadian premiere of Valparaiso by Don DeLillo. They performed it at the Presentation House Theatre in North Vancouver.

Award-Winning Plays

In 2002, The Virtual Stage showed a brand new play called The Birth of Freedom. It was written by Andy Thompson and directed by Alex Lazaridis Ferguson. This play was a big success!

It was nominated for three Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards in Vancouver. These awards celebrate great theatre. The Birth of Freedom won an award for "Outstanding Performance by an Actress In a Supporting Role."

In 2004, they brought Valparaiso back to the stage. This time, Craig Hall directed the show.

Two years later, in 2006, The Virtual Stage presented another new play. It was a science fiction comedy by Andy Thompson called SPANK!. This play also earned three nominations at the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. It won an award for "Outstanding Performance by a Supporting Actress."

Mixing Theatre and Film

In 2008, The Virtual Stage worked with Electric Company Theatre. They created a "live-cinematic" version of No Exit by Jean-Paul Sartre. This show was a huge hit!

It received eight nominations at the Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards. It won "Outstanding Production" and the "Critics’ Choice Innovation Award." Because it was so popular, No Exit went on a tour across Canada in 2009-2010. It played in cities like Kamloops, Toronto, and Calgary.

International Shows and New Adventures

The Virtual Stage took No Exit to the United States in 2011. They performed it in San Francisco. Also in 2011, they created a new show based on George Orwell’s book Nineteen Eighty-Four. This show used lots of multimedia.

Later that year, The Virtual Stage joined a filmmaking contest. It was called the Film Racing Grand Prix. Teams had only 100 hours to make a film! Their superhero comedy, Repair Man, was the best Canadian film. It finished third overall in the competition.

In 2012, the group launched a super creative show called The Zombie Syndrome. It was a theatrical scavenger hunt that happened on the streets of Vancouver! People in the audience used their smartphones and GPS to find clues. They moved from one scene to another.

The Vancouver Police Department even helped make sure the show was safe for everyone. This interactive show was praised for being very original. People said it was like the "Choose Your Own Adventure" books from the 1980s and 1990s.

See also

• Theatre of Canada
• List of Canadian plays
• Vancouver's Arts and Culture
• Avante Garde