the frank theatre company

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the frank theatre company

Q***ring the stage since 1992. Let's re-envision theatre together. We strive towards a utopic world free of prejudices and assumptions.

Established in 1996, the frank is the oldest professional q***r theatre company based on the occupied, stolen lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish) and səlil̓wətaʔɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) First Nations, colonially called Vancouver, BC, Canada. We play a crucial role in this city’s theatre ecology: we are one of few theatre organizations in the country led by a genderq***r, immigr

ant woman of colour, and we collaborate with a large community of 2SLGBTQ+ artists and arts workers. We are a non-profit society in British Columbia (registration S-44774), and a federally registered charity (86172 8061 RR0001). Through collective approaches, we create work that challenges Western, Eurocentric and Colonial aesthetics and storytelling. We subvert these methods by engaging collaborators whose practices are rooted in different disciplines, cultures, abilities, and languages. We believe in the power of storytelling to show the nuances and the complexities of human experiences, and we pursue this vision through award-winning productions and community-based activities. We explore what it means to be q***r, and the place of q***r individuals in society, by creating, developing, producing and presenting theatrical work.

05/28/2026

We’re wishing a fond farewell to our Artistic Producer, Anais Mateusz West!

“For those who have been part of the frank theatre’s orbit, you know it has never been just a company. It has moved through many cycles—sometimes close to ash—but has become a small, stubborn phoenix built through risk, q***r community, inclusion, and a commitment to bringing q***r stories forward while creating space for emerging artists.

After seven years with the frank, Mateusz is stepping into their next chapter.

When I first met them, they had just finished their training at Studio 58—passionate, hardworking, and clearly aligned with the values and mandate of the frank. They arrived as my associate producer, and I took a chance on them. It remains one of the best risks I’ve taken. Over time, they became the producer at the heart of the frank, holding things together, shaping the work, and keeping the chaos beautifully in motion.

Beyond producing, Mateusz is a deeply talented artist in their own right. I’ve always been a fan and supporter of their work, and it has been a joy to watch their voice and vision grow more certain, more expansive, and more fully theirs.

As a q***r elder leading one of the only q***r-mandated companies in the country, I don’t take mentorship lightly. It takes persistence, clarity, and trust. Mentorship is never one-way. We carried the weight, the vision, and the responsibility together—often with humour as our survival tool.

The frank has always been about evolution. I’ve held them close with care and a quiet protectiveness, and there is something both sad and deeply beautiful in watching them step onto their own path. Not as departure, but as expansion.

I’m proud to see Mateusz step fully into what comes next.”

—Fay Nass, Artistic Director, the frank theatre company.

Photos: A non-exhaustive archive of moments from Mateusz’s time at the frank! Including the creative teams of: I Cannot Lie to the Stars That Made Me by Catherine Hernandez, Mother Tongues with , Ayibobo III: Liltte Dollhouse on the Prairie by Elle Barbara with ***rarts & , Tomboy (Chłopczyca) by Mateusz and Karajokee by JD Derbyshire

05/12/2026

🫨Our Telling It Bent Youth Showcase is tomorrow! Join us at the Cultch at 8pm to celebrate new works by these spectacular young q***r writers. 🌼

🎨Stick around for an emerging artist exhibition, stand up comedy and more, all part of . Details and tix at https://thecultch.com/ticket/ignite-germinate/ 🌞

📸 Photos from last year’s Telling It Bent Showcase, featuring: , , , Dylan Grace, and

A big thank you to the Deux Mille Foundation for supporting this vital program! 💞

05/07/2026

🌟Get to know our 2026 Telling It Bent Youth Cohort, performing at on May 13 (tix and details here: https://thecultch.com/ticket/ignite-germinate/ ) 📒

🍃Next in our line-up of brilliant young writers, it’s Vanessa and Lauren! 🌻

Vanessa Lazare

Vanessa is a performer, director, educator, and indecisive libra based in New Westminster on the unceded lands of the Halkomelem speaking peoples. Vanessa is so excited to be part of the Telling it Bent program and to add ‘writer’ to their ever-growing list of passions! Vanessa has performed across the lower mainland and has been working closely with CTORA Productions as an instructor and producer for their academy shows. They would like to thank Anjalica and her fellow cohort members for their feedback, support, and laughter.

Lauren Han

Lauren is an interdisciplinary artist and writer born on Treaty 7 territory in Mohkínstsis/Calgary and currently based on the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples. Their practice includes devising and performing for theatre; creative and critical writing; and experimenting in filmmaking, songwriting, and animation. Recent adventures include community-led play The Mayor of Oz (Carnegie Learning Centre/DTES Heart of the City Festival 2025); Lauren’s debut album not as bad as it sounds; and improvised contact sport Are You Thinking What I’m Thinking? (Through The Wormhole Theatre Collective).

05/05/2026

🩵Introducing the next two members of the 2026 Telling It Bent cohort. After honing their craft in our weekly writing workshops, these talented young creators are sharing their works at the on May 13th. Tix and details: https://thecultch.com/ticket/ignite-germinate/

🌊Meet Viviane and Mythili!🌀

Viviane Wu

Viviane Wu is a Chinese-Canadian interdisciplinary performance artist working in experimental and intercultural theatre, exploring identity, language, and how we understand one another. Based between Berlin and the unceded territories of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, their work is shaped by research-based performance, drag, and cross-cultural communication. Viviane’s Vancouver-based projects, including WORD VOMIT at the rEvolver Festival 2025, use linguistic research to examine communication across language and cultural barriers. Their Berlin work focuses on ethnographic research into drag as a social language and tool for identity exploration, and they are currently preparing to pursue a Master’s in theatre education.

Mythili G

Mythili loves historical fiction and often examines the past in her writing. She likes a good (or bad) joke, listening to the radio, and journaling. You can read some of her poetry at poetryinvoice.ca. She’s currently learning how to make podcasts and woodcuts in her ample spare time.

04/29/2026

✨Meet the 2026 Telling It Bent cohort. These gifted young writers are having their works performed at on May 13th at . Tix here: https://thecultch.com/ticket/ignite-germinate/ 🐝

🌻From poetry to theatre, these artists are experimenting with a range of forms and genres. Come out and support the q***r writers of tomorrow!🦕

🦋First up, Dora and Hawk.🪼

Dora Zhang

Dora Zhang is a young creative interested in theatre, screenwriting, poetry, sketch comedy and photography. Ever since she was a kid, she enjoyed storytelling through putting on shows of her favourite toys and directing silly music videos, but now, as she is coming of age, Dora is excited to take things further. She hopes for her future creations to deeply explore themes of q***r identity, Chinese culture, girlhood, and social justice. As a first-generation immigrant from Chengdu (gay capital of China!), she believes it's in her blood to represent and to be loud at it too.

Hawk

Hawk makes visual art and writes
They enjoy cool days and warm nights
The writing was tough
They hope it’s enough
To include just these few highlights

04/16/2026

🌈Tickets are on sale for Telling It Bent at the IGNITE! Youth Festival! Experience exciting new works by the frank theatre’s cohort of emerging q***r writers

04/10/2026

🌜Q***r cinephiles, don’t miss Lingua Franca. Curated by our Artistic Director Fay Nass as part of the Vancouver Int. Film Festival Q***ring Cinema Series, this gorgeously understated film by Isabel Sandoval plays April 29th at 7:30 pm. Tickets and details on the VIFF website 💙: https://viff.org/whats-on/lingua-franca/

🌊Isabel Sandoval’s Lingua Franca is a tender portrait of intimacy shaped by migration, vulnerability, and the quiet negotiations of belonging. Centered on an undocumented Filipina trans woman living in New York, the film moves with delicate restraint, revealing how love emerges in spaces marked by uncertainty and risk. Sandoval crafts a deeply humane story about visibility, dignity, and the fragile hope of building a life across borders. — Fay Nass, Q***ring Cinema curator 🌌

03/31/2026

🕺We can’t believe it’s been a month since we danced with you at the Hollywood Theatre! We’re still basking in the q***r bliss of the QT Cabaret, curated by Fay Nass, featuring Q***r as Funk, Mx Bukuru, Acacia, DJ Afrooz, AJ Simmons, Shion Skye Carter, DJ Slade, and PM! 🪩

📸 by Sarah Race Photography

03/25/2026

Repost from 🎥 Frank Theatre AD Fay Nass curates the Q***ring Cinema series, bringing together films that inhabit the tension between longing and belonging.

❤️‍🔥Through the following works, you’re invited to witness where desire collides with displacement, fantasy, power, migration, and risk.

🎟️Get your tickets here: https://viff.org/series/q***ring-cinema/

Address

1422 William Street
Vancouver, BC
V5L2P7

Website

https://www.thefranktheatre.com/, https://www.showpass.com/qt-cabaret/

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