Steven Wong was a gangster who walked the streets of Vancouver’s Chinatown with impunity, and throughout Asia even after he supposedly died in 1992. Bestselling author Terry Gould tells Joseph Planta the fascinating story of how he befriended Wong, and how for the past decade or so he’s tried to find Wong in a hunt that’s stretched from Canada to Macau, to Cambodia, to The Philippines, where Wong staged his death. Gould’s remarkable book is Paper Fan: The Hunt for Triad Gangster Steven Wong (Vintage, 2005).

Theatre in the Raw’s Artistic Director Jay Hamburger talks to Joseph Planta about their latest production, The Inspector General. Listen to Jay talk about the show, which opens June 15th to the 18th, and the 22nd to the 26th at the Ukrainian Hall, as well as his thoughts on the local theatre scene. (For more information call: 604.708.5448.)

Christopher Gaze, the Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach, talked with Joseph Planta about William Shakespeare, and the forthcoming 16th season which bows under the tents at Vanier Park in Vancouver, June 2nd to September 25th, 2005.

Vancouver comedian and performer Tom Chin talked with Joseph Planta about the Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre’s 3rd Annual Asian Sketch Comedy Competition, Sketchoff!#$!!, which is on at the Roundhouse this Friday and Saturday night. The performers include three of North America’s finest ‘hyphenated-Asian’ comedy teams: LA OPM, The Kupps, and Assaulted Fish. Call 604.713.1800 for more information; or check out http://www.vact.ca.

The independent filmmaker Ali Kazimi talked with Joseph Planta about his new film, Continuous Journey, a documentary about the Komagata Maru incident in Vancouver’s harbour in 1914. It debuts the DOXA Documentary Film and Video Festival in Vancouver on Tuesday, 24 May 2005. It’s a fascinating moment in Canadian history, and a fascinating conversation that’s split into two segments.

Bill Millerd, the Artistic Managing Director of the Arts Club Theatre, and the director of their latest, Miss Saigon, talked with Joseph Planta about the production and what theatregoers can expect when the musical opens beginning Thursday, 19 May, as well the renaming of the Stanley Industrial Alliance Stage, where Miss Saigon will bow.

Denise Brennan is the Work Less Party candidate in Vancouver Hastings, and she joined Joseph Planta today to talk about the party’s phillosphy, why she’s running, and why voting STV is what voters should do on election day, Tuesday.

Lisa Voldeng is the Work Less Party candidate in the riding of Vancouver Burrard, and she joined Joseph Planta today to talk about why she’s running, and what about the Work Less Party that attracted her to run for them.

Downtown Eastside activist and blogger Jamie Lee Hamilton made a return appearance on The Commentary to dish about the provincial election campaign’s candidates and races, as well as the STV referendum.

With one week until election and referendum day, Joseph Planta checked in with veteran journalist and broadcaster John Pifer, who let us in on his thoughts on the campaign so far, why Gordon Campbell is successful but not popular, and how the leaders have done on the stump and in debate.