Vision: Ruby Slippers Theatre imagines a world where diversity is celebrated through a deeper understanding of each other. Mission: To realize this vision, RST illuminates under-represented perspectives and inspires independent critical thought by giving voice to diverse equity deserving artists from across Canada including Québec works in English translation. In this way we advance the inclusive
stage and theatre practice. We have an annual Advance Theatre Festival, a five day five play festival of new works written and directed by diverse female-identifying and gender non-conforming IBPOC artists. Many of these works showcased over the years have gone on to be produced by others (Arts Club, Belfry Theatre, RST at The Cultch, Full Circle.)
2. We have an annual week-long translation workshop of a significant work from Québec. The workshop includes a free public reading component and a lively informative talk-back.
3. We annually produce the English language premiere of an RST commissioned translation of a significant French Canadian work as a main stage offering.
4. We have a second main stage show written by a female identifying or gender non-nonconforming IBPOC artist that we produce in association with a presenter.
5. We have a Flying Monkey Blog wherein we hire guest editors to write articles that discuss relevant issues in the performing arts - such as Kim Senklip Harvey’s article on white setters needing to do their acknowledgment work, or Marisa Emma Smith’s article on managing trauma on and offstage. We also have a Flying Monkey Vlog that puts interviews on our youtube channel of diverse IBPOC artists discussing racism and intersectionality within the Canadian Theatre profession.
6. Mentorship - we hire one or more apprentices to work alongside their veteran counterparts on all of our shows such as designers, actors, assistant stage managers, and assistant directors. We have an Artist in Residency program wherein we support the development of a new work by an emerging IBPOC artist. This often culminates in a workshop production. RST works exclusively with Canadian artists and engages Canadian playwrights, designers, actors and directors. Between 2017-2019, RST engaged 13 diverse female identifying playwrights out of 14 playwrights. Between 2020-2024, RST plans to engage 28 different playwrights, all of which are female identifying or gender non-conforming IBPOC artists, and may IBPOC directors. Who We Are
Co-founded in 1989 by a collective of female identifying artists from various disciplines who wanted to change the world, Ruby Slippers’ legacy includes more than 80 projects, three national tours, and twelve world premieres. In the past decade alone we have been honoured with 35 Jessie Richardson Theatre Award nominations – three times for Outstanding Direction and four times for Outstanding Production – and eleven awards. Ruby Slippers Theatre has offered Vancouver residents some of the most startling theatre events over the years. In the beginning, these included the ground-breaking Brecht in the Park series (one of which featured an interpretation of a Brecht work with an entirely Indigenous cast), and the Femme Fatales series (a showcase for women who write and perform their own work). Femmes Fatales highlights include RST presentations of the west coast premieres of A Fabulous Disaster performed and written by Denise Clarke, La Noirceur performed and written by Marie Brassard, and Citizen Pochsy performed and written by Karen Hines.A major focus has always been Canadian text-based plays with a specific commitment to producing English translations of contemporary Québec plays by playwrights who have never been seen on the west coast. In this way we hope to facilitate the exchange of artistic ideas and theatrical vocabulary across our two official languages and cultures, from Québec to British Columbia, and also further under-represented voices. Artistic Director Diane Brown is the recipient of the prestigious Bra D’Or Award from Playwrights Guild of Canada. She has produced, directed and often commissioned many English-language translations from the Québec canon resulting in critically heralded productions such as I Lost My Husband by Catherine Léger, After Me by Christian Bégin, and You Will Remember Me and The Leisure Society by Francois Archambault. Other celebrated RST productions include: The Duchess aka Wallis Simpson by Linda Griffiths, Happy Place (with Touchstone Theatre) by Pamela Sinha, Trout Stanley by Claudia Dey, and A Beautiful View by Daniel MacIvor (our production, featuring Diane Brown and Colleen Wheeler, toured for four years including a run at The Centaur Theatre in Montréal.) For years now our annual Advance Theatre Festival has showcased diverse writers and directors, helping develop new work, showcase historically marginalized voices, and advance the radically inclusive stage.
