Jasmine Chen, Artistic and Community Producer at the Gateway Theatre, discusses their new paper theatre kits Hallow’s Eve, the arts in the COVID-19 era, and more, with Joseph Planta.

Text of introduction by Joseph Planta:

I am Planta: On the Line, in Vancouver, British Columbia, at TheCommentary.ca.

The folks at the Gateway Theatre in Richmond have come up with an ingenious way to bring a little bit of theatre home with you. They have limited edition paper theatre kits. Hallow’s Eve is illustrated by the artist Keely O’Brien, and the story is written by the Gateway’s Jasmine Chen, who joins me now. These 3-D kits printed on cardstock are good for kids 6 and up, and encourage imagination and creativity as one puts it all together and plays with the storytelling. I’ll get Ms. Chen to tell us about these kits. I read that they were a thing back in the 1800s in Europe at operas and the sort, where you could take the show home essentially as a souvenir. Jasmine Chen is a Chinese-Canadian multidisciplinary artist who’s worked across Canada with various repertory festivals, independent, regional and outdoor theatres. I’ll ask her about her role as the Artistic and Community Producer at the Gateway, and just how challenging these past few months have been for people like her, in her line of work. Visit www.gatewaytheatre.com to buy these paper theatre kits. The shipping is free in Canada, and they’re only available while supplies last. Please welcome to the Planta: On the Line program, Jasmine Chen; Ms. Chen, good morning.

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (19.2MB)

Subscribe: RSS