Electronic Press Kit
https://spectheatre.wordpress.com/
Table of Contents
THE ULTIMATE HIPSTER ...... 3
CHARACTERS: ...... 3
SHOW TIMES: ...... 4
VENUE INFORMATION: ...... 4
TICKETING & SHOW INFORMATION: ...... 4
WRITER’S STATEMENT ...... 5
CAST AND CREW BIOGRAPHIES ...... 6
Joanna Rannelli: ...... 6
Beau Han Bridge: ...... 7
Ira Cooper: ...... 8
Muhammad Dewji: ...... 9
Ruby Arnold: ...... 10
TESTIMONIALS ...... 11
Spec Theatre’s Previous Work: ...... 11
Previous Cast Reviews: ...... 11
Spec Theatre Presents:
The Ultimate Hipster Written by Ira Cooper Performed by Joanna Rannelli & Beau Han Bridge
Did you know without goats, the coffee bean may have never been discovered? Can you tell the difference between the three types of beer from a smell test? Are you able to recognize if the vinyl you hear coming from your neighbor’s apartment is a 78, 45 or 33? Do you use a spy glass instead of binoculars when you travel? Do you type your university essay on a typewriter? Did you build your bicycle from scratch?
Barry knows. Barry can. Barry does. Barry did.
Artisanal Intelligence Inc. is proud to introduce the next wave in A.I. customer service. The Ultimate Hipster, perfect fit for all your too-cool for school business needs!
Characters:
Jane (Joanna Rannelli):
An entrepreneur who runs Artisanal Intelligence Inc., who has developed the Ultimate Hipster. Jane believes that the Artificial Intelligence Robot named Barry is the Ultimate Hipster and she is eager to prove it.
Barry (Beau Han Bridge):
The quick learning and very responsive Artificial Intelligence Robot, Barry is so real that you would never know he was Artificial Intelligence. He is sure to be a hit; with his musical, bicycle, coffee and beer talents.
Show Times:
Date Show Times Friday, August 3rd, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM Saturday, August 4th, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM Sunday, August 5th, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM Monday, August 6th, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM Tuesday, August 7th, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM Wednesday, August 8th, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM Thursday, August 9th, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM Saturday, August 11th, 2018 6:15 PM & 8:15 PM
Venue Information:
Gravity Expresso and Wine Bar (Bring Your Own Venue – Calgary Fringe Festival)
Inglewood Art Block 909 10 Street SE Calgary, Alberta T2G 0S7 T: 403.457.0697
Ticketing & Show Information:
Running time: 45 minutes Genre: Comedy/Drama / Variety / Musical Theatre Rating: Mature Content (Age 14+, Audience Participation - talks directly to audience! Adult Language) Tickets Pricing: $13.00 (General Admission) Advance Ticket Sales: https://www.showclix.com/event/the-ultimate-hipster
Writer’s Statement
While normally an artist statement would point out what the show is about or what their intention is for the show, the way we work at Spec Theatre, where the show is constantly being nurtured, reassembled, hodgepodged and tinkered with I can only share with you what the show is now at 9:36pm, China time, a day before the first draft is due. The Ultimate Hipster is a story using the stereotype of the “hipster” to, first and foremost, make you laugh at recognizable and somewhat debateably true cliché character traits. I am an avid supporter and lover of a lot of hipsterisms and in writing this play, I produce my most self-deprecating piece to date. I love being able to laugh at myself, accepting the associations, the societal regiments I follow, down to subtlest nuances I choose to include in my own identity. Hopefully this play gives others the permission to do so as well and while identity is serious and there are pieces about that, parts of it are also pretty ridiculous, hilariously calculated and fabulously showy. There are a lot of other discussions in this piece as well, about technology, independence, bubble-wrapping our youth, yada, yada, yada, but honestly, my intention is acceptance of anything. Find what you like in it. Find yourself in it. Enjoy it. Abhor it. It’s me. It’s you. It’s us. It’s who we are. If they don’t like it….BLEEP ‘EM.
Cast and Crew Biographies
Joanna Rannelli: (Jane) & Co-Founder Spec Theatre
Joanna is a Vancouver based actor and a co-founder of Spec Theatre. After completing the BFA Acting Program at UBC she has worked with various companies including Untamable Shrews, UBC Theatre, Seven Tyrants, BC Buds Festival, Enlightenment Theatre and Ashwood Theatre Society.
Most recently, Joanna performed in Dalliance Theatre’s production of Boy. Joanna has previously performed in Spec Theatre’s one woman show Sid: The Handsome Bum and Hipstory. Joanna is very excited to be performing in Spec Theatre’s newest work, The Ultimate Hipster at the Calgary Fringe Festival.
You can next see Joanna in Midtwenties Theatre production of The Bitter Tears of Petra von Kant, at the Vancouver Fringe Festival 2018.
Joanna is an avid believer in art that suggests conversation, movement, self-reflection and change within the community. She is continually working on her craft and she really hopes you enjoy The Ultimate Hipster.
“Art is written on the wind”- Peter Brook.
Beau Han Bridge: (Barry)
Beau Han Bridge is a Chinese-Canadian director, writer, and actor that resides in Vancouver, British Columbia.
In 2017, he created Midtwenties Theatre Society, a non-profit theatre company, to produce original plays that focus on contemporary-millennial stories and coming-of-age themes.
He directed MTS’s debut production of This Is Our Youth, the company’s first two original productions of Above The Hospital and Molly Misbegotten (both penned by him) to critical acclaim, and his work has received regular press coverage from several national media outlets and newspapers, including CBC, The Vancouver Sun, The Georgia Straight, and Delta Optimist.
He has also produced several micro-budget short films and one micro-budget feature-film that have been exhibited in local theatres and film festivals, including the Vancouver Asian Film Festival Mighty-Movie Marathon (2017) and Canada International Film Festival (2016).
He is a regular actor and has had small-role appearances in Netflix's adaptation of Death Note (2017), Story of A Girl (2017), Imaginary Mary (2017) and The Romeo Section (2016)
Ira Cooper: Writer & Co-Founder Spec Theatre
Ira is a Vancouver artist, who primarily writes plays and sometimes acts in them.
After graduating from UBC, Ira created and performed both theatre and film around the world including the Czech Republic (Diary of a Madman, Setkani Festival), Nelson, BC (Chaplin, Nelson Historical Theatre Society) and Beijing, China (Confessions, Beijing White Nights Festival).
Ira was (and still is!) grateful to have met Joanna and start Spec Theatre, which gave him an opportunity to experiment and produce his own work, include Sid: The Handsome Bum (Performed at Little Mountain Studios and Victoria Fringe Festival) and Hipstory (2016).
Ira is thrilled that you could make it out to see the third new work from Spec Theatre, The Ultimate Hipster!
Muhammad Dewji: Stage Manager
Muhammad is delighted to be stage managing The Ultimate Hipster. Muhammad graduated in 2009 from BCIT with a diploma in Information Technology. He currently runs his own consulting company and is delighted to step into his first experience in theatre and is thrilled to share this production with you.
Ruby Arnold: Visual Design
Ruby is a multidisciplinary artist and maker of things living on the West Coast of Canada. Her interest in technology brings a variety of new media elements together in her work including computer programming, lighting, digital illustration and image manipulation. Nothing is out of bounds, the art that Ruby makes is a result of an untiring interest in the world around us. See her work at rubymakesthings.com
Testimonials
Spec Theatre’s Previous Work:
Sid: The Handsome Bum (2014-2015 – Little Mountain Studio & Victoria Fringe Festival):
“…a cleverly written play backed by a strong performer.” – Alison (Vancouver, BC)
“Sid the Handsome Bum rips a veil of privilege from the audience. Those silenced in our community are empowered, given winged voices that must be heard.” – Elisabeth (Vancouver, BC)
“You lose the stage and fall victim to empathy. Whatever your stance or preconceptions, you feel what Sid feels and I implore everyone to experience the tragedy and comedy.” – Shawn (Mission, BC)
“Sid forces us to confront something we’re all used to ignoring everyday, and that alone made it worth seeing.” – Brian (Vancouver, BC)
“Rarely do you see a show so powerful. An intimate look into the life of someone on the streets. You will laugh and cry. You will leave feeling you should do more, ignore less.” – Louise (Vancouver, BC)
Previous Cast Reviews:
Joanna Rannelli:
“This is a very assured, strongly adult performance.” (Beautiful Thing) – Jane Penistan (Review Vancouver)
“Joanna Rannelli brings gritty charm to the role of Yvette, a prostitute.” (Mother Courage and Her Children) – Colin Thomas (The Gerogia Straight)
“a comely young housemaid, well played by Joanna Rannelli.” (La Ronde) – Jane Penistan (Review Vancouver)
“Sid is beautifully portrayed by actor Joanna Rannelli.” (Sid) – Janine Bandcroft (Winds of Change)
Beau Han Bridge:
“Elijah, also played by Beau Han Bridge, is a hurricane of emotional turbulence masked with awkward laughs and self-deprecation. Beau Han Bridge played the character with surprisingly touching casual intimacy.” (Molly Misbegotten) – Bonnie Duff (Merely Players)
“by the end of the show I was convinced of Han Bridge’s skills as an actor and a playwright.” (Molly Misbegotten) – Bonnie Duff (Merely Players)
“Beau Han Bridge has a promising future as a writer and performer …. this piece left me thinking about art, identity and relationships in my own life, which is indeed one of the very purposes this art form serves.” (Molly Misbegotten) – Bonnie Duff (Merely Players)
“Bridge shows promise as a writer.” (Above The Hospital) – Colin Thomas (Mapping The Intuitive)
“The bones of Beau Han Bridge’s story show the potential in the young playwright’s ability, telling ‘millennial’ stories without being prejudged by or alienating other demographics is a delicate balance.” (Above The Hospital) – Jay Minter (On The List)