The Chan Centre for the Performing Arts at the University of British Columbia presents Trader Time, a haunting and sometimes hilarious multimedia odyssey that blends stories from a Northern upbringing with all-new music and projected visuals. Written and starring acclaimed author Ivan Coyote with live music from Swedish-born Sarah MacDougall, the gripping project highlights the importance of oral history—exploring what it is like to grow up queer in a small town, looking at the life and death of two very different matriarchs, and revealing some of the secrets buried in the permafrost. The Vancouver debut will be held in the Chan Centre’s intimate Telus Studio Theatre as part of the interdisciplinary Beyond Words series on Wednesday, November 6 at 7:30pm.
Trader Time is loosely based on the CKRW radio program of the same name, a call-in classifieds show that allows Yukoners 30 minutes each weekday to orally post their buy-and-sell items. Coyote recalls listening to the show as a child with fondness, “I just always loved that little window into someone else’s life. To me it was like a little viewfinder, a little snapshot.” Inspired to unearth more of these interconnected stories, Coyote conducted interviews and archival research in the Yukon that formed the basis of the piece. They collaborated with MacDougall and other artists to add original music, artwork, and visuals into the work. The result is a multimedia quilt weaving emotional honesty, nostalgia, and wit.
Ivan Coyote is the author of eleven books, the creator of four short films, six full-length live shows, and three albums that combine storytelling with music. They are a seasoned stage performer known for grappling with personal issues of identity, class, and social justice, all with a generous heart and the finely-honed timing of a gifted raconteur. Called "a natural-born storyteller" by the Globe and Mail, the Ottawa Xpress once said that "Coyote is to Canadian literature what kd lang is to country music: a beautifully odd fixture." Their latest book, Tomboy Survival Guide, was released in the fall of 2016 and was named an American Library Association Stonewall Honor Book, shortlisted for the Hilary Weston Roger's Trust prize for non-fiction, and long-listed for Canada Reads 2018. In fall 2017, Coyote was given an Honorary Doctorate of Laws from Simon Fraser University for their writing and activism.
The winner of two Western Canadian Music Awards, songwriter and recording artist Sarah MacDougall is known for her honest and poetic songs and passionate performances. She has played festivals such as Iceland Airwaves, Winnipeg Folk Festival, Edmonton Folk Festival, The Great Escape, and has been featured on CBC’s Vinyl Café. She has shared the stage with artists such as The Cat Empire, Lee Harvey Osmond, Bruce Cockburn, Tallest Man on Earth, Passenger, and many more. Her latest album, Grand Canyon, is comprised of songs about identity, love, fear, hope, growing up, rootlessness, and forgiveness. They are written from the point of view of the hopeful outsider, trying to figure out their place and make sense of the world. Based in the Yukon but born in Sweden, Swedish magazine Nöjesguiden declared MacDougall “one of Sweden’s best singer/songwriters.”
Chan Centre Presents Trader Time
Date: Wednesday November 6, 2019 at 7:30pm
Ticket Price: $35/$27/$15
Address: Chan Centre for the Performing Arts
University of British Columbia
6265 Crescent Road
Vancouver, BC V6T 1Z1
Box Office: 604-822-2697 / chancentre.com
Open Tue–Sat, 12pm–5pm
Website: www.chancentre.com
Photo by GBP Creative; Artwork by Rosemary Scanlon (square)
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