Kevin’s latest investigation

What is our responsibility to the dead?

Recently, Impulse Theatre invited Electric Company Theatre co-founder and Core Artist Kevin Kerr to participate in their Artist-in-Residence program as part of PEEK FEST. The annual festival supports art makers in the development and presentation of new creations while fostering meaningful industry exchange.

During his residency, Kevin focused on advancing Epigone (uh-PIG-a-nee), his forthcoming new work with Electric Company. The play is a searching inquiry into what he calls “our responsibility to the dead.” Remembering the victims of the opioid crisis, Epigone examines how grief, care, justice, and memory ripple outward — through a family and into the wider community that surrounds it. It is both an intimate reckoning and a testament to the endurance of collective support.
While in residence, Kevin also facilitated a workshop titled Functioning Dialogue, exploring the dynamic relationship between text and performance. The session invited peers to consider how dialogue becomes embodied — how an actor’s interpretation can expand the emotional and dramatic force of a scene beyond the written word.

Recognizing the value of shared space, Kevin invited his MFA student from the University of Victoria, Brianna Bach, to develop her own project alongside him. Working in parallel allowed for a rich exchange of ideas — an intergenerational dialogue that will undoubtedly echo in their respective works.
Epigone will premiere November 4-15, 2026 at the Russian Hall in partnership with the Heart of the City Festival, with additional workshops and residencies planned as the production approaches.
We look forward to sharing more as this work continues to unfold.

Photos by Amber Downie-Back, Impulse Theatre