ANYWHERE BUT HERE
(CUALQUIER LUGAR EXCEPTO AQUÍ)
A family. A border wall. A million memories and the quest for home.
BY CARMEN AGUIRRE WITH SHAD
The largest Latinx production to have its world premiere on a Canadian Mainstage.
Student Matinee + Artist Talkback
February 12th, 12:00 PM
The Vancouver Playhouse
All tickets at $15 plus taxes
Resource Guide and Free Preview and Teacher Tickets available.
About the play:
It’s 2020 at the US/Mexico border in Trump’s America.
In 1979, a family drives back towards Chile from Canada. With past, present, and future encircling their journey, this profoundly poetic story is about the universal quest for home – in whatever form that takes.
A spellbinding blend of dark comedy and magical realism, Anywhere But Here is a vibrant celebration of Latinx theatre, with music and raps by Shad, that chronicles the many paths, real and imagined, we take to discover the truth — the truth about who we are, and where we may be headed. Telling an engrossing story that intersects multiple timelines and spaces, Anywhere But Here introduces us to a host of fantastical characters who have experienced the pull of home, the ache of displacement, and the harsh realities of the border as they attempt to cross, guard, or survive it.
WATCH THE EXTENDED TRAILER: https://youtu.be/5X2lnH6hQgY
ANYWHERE BUT HERE – Student Matinee
Date and Performance Time: February 12th, 2020, 12:00 PM – LIMITED CAPACITY
Price: $15 (plus tax)
Ages / Grades (12 and up – suggested) Grade 7 +
How to Book: Send details to jesse@electriccompanytheatre.
Accessibility information: The Vancouver Playhouse is 100% Wheelchair accessible, please inform us if there are wheelchair users, as inventory is limited.
Bus and Transit Info: There is a bus loop in front of the theatre, and it is 1 block from STADIUM Skytrain Station. For more on transit, parking and accessibility please click here: The Vancouver Playhouse
Duration: 2 hour performance includes one intermission; 15-minute Artist Talkback follows.
Lobby Opens: 11:30 am
Performance Start: 12:00 pm
Performance End: 2:00 pm
Artist Talk Back (Optional) – 2:00 – 2:20 pm
Audience Advice: There is foul language, mature subject matter, fake guns on stage, limited stage violence, use of smoke and strobe lighting/projection during the performance. If you require more detailed information, don’t hesitate to get in touch.
Sample Topics Explored in Anywhere But Here
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Immigration and migration
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Political borders and walls
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Feminism
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Historical characters and events from Latin America
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Political coups
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Family relationships
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The meaning of home
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The impacts of vigilante violence
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The human condition
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Literary styles, including Magic Realism
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Latin music, rhythm and Rap
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Theatre at its grandest, at our city’s landmark venue.
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A story whose leads are teenage girls
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A production written and led by women of colour
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Created for by and with people of colour, primarily Latinx.
WORLD CLASS THEATRE AT VANCOUVER’S LANDMARK PLAYHOUSE
The Vancouver Playhouse is one of the city’s jewels – a place long regarded as the best spot to experience theatre, hence the name. Give your students a stellar theatrical experience, fostering deeper cultural appreciation of a heritage art form that crosses multiple cultural-etho communities.
MEET THE CAST OF ANYWHERE BUT HERE
Following the performance, the cast members will return to the stage for a Q&A.
AJ Simmons, Augusto Bitter, Alen Dominguez, Alexandra Lainfiesta, Christine Quintana, Michelle Rios, Manuela Sosa, Nadeem Phillip, Shawn Lall
PARTICIPATE IN THE GLOBAL SHRINE MOVEMENT
Around the world, along migrant trails, Shrines have emerged as guide posts, resources for migrants and memorials for tragic migrant journeys. Before the show, or during intermission, participate in this movement in the lobby, bring a token to leave, or create something on the spot – to honour the struggles and memories of migrant journeys that were never completed. Details available in the Resource Guide.
FAST FACTS
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64% of Immigrants live in Canada’s three largest cities: Toronto, Montreal and VANCOUVER.
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Metro Vancouver is home to over 900,000 immigrants – 40% of the total population of the area.
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14% of Canada’s total immigrant population live in Metro Vancouver.
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Vancouver has a Latinx population of more than 35,000 adults – many of whom have children.
Source: Immigration and Ethno-cultural Diversity in Canada
Immigrant and Latinx stories are VANCOUVER stories.
Anywhere But Here provides an opportunity for understanding each other, our cities and our country, by giving Immigrant and refugee stories an authentic voice and meaningful platform.
Education in Action
Theatrical experiences are excellent teaching tools. Anywhere But Here examines some of the difficult realities of immigration from a human perspective, fostering emotional intelligence about the complexities of our diverse society. The play reveals the experience of displacement, in the midst of a global migrant crisis, helping audiences better understand our world.
Grappling with the conflict that continues to erupt at the US/Mexico border, the play and characters intersect multiple timelines, examining historical and mythological characters and events, making this piece both politically relevant and educationally valuable. There are symbols of the past, the present and visions of the future, prompting the audience to consider possible paths forward in an unstable world.
The range of the issues faced by immigrants is vast and are best defined by the very real stories shared by immigrants who have been here for multiple generations. Anywhere But Here highlights family, cultural differences, displacement, discrimination and the definition of “home”. Compared to facts and figures, stories and experiences provide an emotive entrypoint and authenticity to very real problems.
Celebrating Latinx and Immigrant Voices
Anywhere But Here is a psycho-social-spiritual-
Teacher Preview Tickets – We will provide one complimentary ticket to the performance if you wish to see if before your students.
Chaperone / Teacher Tickets – We will provide one complimentary Chaperone / Teacher ticket for every 25 Student tickets.
Companion Tickets – If you are a wheelchair user or require a companion to support your attendance, let us know. We provide free companion tickets to those who need them.