ntertainment EDITOR BRITTANY LEE THE VOICE, THURSDAY, OCTOBER 27, 2011 7 Langara grads star in The Penelopiad Two former Studio 58 students perform in play written by Margaret Atwood at Arts Club By DEVON MACKENZIE Ihe curtain is rising this week to reveal two Langara Studio 58 graduates in the Arts Club The- atre Company’s latest produc- tion, The Penelopiad. Rachel Aberle and Quelemia Spar- row are starring in Margaret Atwood’s The Penelopiad. Atwood’s story was published in 2005 as part of Canongate Books’ project, The Canongate Myth Series, in which contemporary authors rewrote ancient myths. The play runs from October 26 to No- vember 20 on the Stanley Industrial Al- liance Stage at the Arts Club. The Penelopiad is a renewed version of The Odyssey in which the story of Odysseus’ wife, Penelope and their teenage son Telemachus, is told as they deal with a group of unruly suitors. The production includes an 11-mem- ber, all female cast to tell Penelope’s story. “You don’t come across very many plays that are an all female cast and crew, so this [show] is pretty special,” said Sparrow. Acclaimed director of The Penelopi- ad Vanessa Porteous has worked in a large range of theatrical styles and is currently the artistic director of Alber- ta Theatre Projects. She has guided the actors through the production of the play where most of them are cast as maids and trans- form throughout the show into differ- ent characters. “TThis show] is a really ensembled piece, so we all play maids except we step into other roles throughout the show,” explained Aberle. The Penelopiad is Aberle’s first show with the Arts Club Theatre Company and she said she is very excited for it to open. “Tt’s a show I really believe in and it’s great to bea part of something that you can feel you’re really behind,” she said. “Also, I’ve gotten to work on this show with several women who I’ve looked up to for years and all of a sudden I’m in this show with them - it’s a real privi- lege.” Sparrow said she is also excited for the show and has really enjoyed work- ing with the all-female cast. “Some- times it happens, when you’re doing a play like this, where things are very serendipitous. You end up working with people you really connect with and everyone is so talented in this cast,” she said. For more information or to purchse tickets visit www.artsclub.com DAVID COOPER photo Meg Roe, Laara Sadiq, Rachel Aberie, Ming Hudson and Sarah Donald all star in the Arts Club Theatre Company’s latest production, The Penelopiad. Heart of City Fest celebrates local art Residents of Downtown Eastside share their artwork, stories, music and more to help build community By DANIEL PALMER ncouver’s Downtown Eastside Vox be Canada’s poorest postcode but it also has a more positive claim to fame, said Heart of the City Festival producer Teresa Vandertuin. “We have the highest percentage of artists in this neighbourhood than any- where else in Canada,” she said. The eighth annual Heart of the City Festival kicked off yesterday and runs until November 6. It offers dozens of events ranging from art shows to pub- lic speaking tutorials to guided walking tours. Most events are free or by dona- tion, making the festival accessible and open to all. “These events are really about shar- ing the stories of the people here,” said Vandertuin, noting the festival hires and includes as many DTES residents as it can. Gallery Gachet, located on East Cor- dova, is hosting the Oppenheimer Park Community Art Show, where many art- ists are displaying their paintings, sculptures and carvings. Curator Ali Lohan calls it a celebra- tion of arts in the neighbourhood. “We never thought we’d be able to do this, but here we are,” said Lohan. “Some artists only get to show their work once a year and we facilitate that for them,” she said, adding that several artists have sold pieces in years past to off-beat buyers. DTES resident Rocky D., who has several tapestry paintings on display, said the event is an inspiration to young artists. “Pm working on raising the money to open a year-round workshop for art- ists across from Oppenheimer Park,” said Rocky, who is known locally by his nickname. “We need somewhere to create and come together to build our work per- manently,” he said. Music is also an important compo- nent of the festival, said Brad Weins, who plays saxophone with the Carne- gie Street Band. They will be perform- ing this weekend at Carnegie Commu- nity Centre, on Saturday at 2 p.m., and at Pigeon Park on Sunday, 3 p.m. “We play together once a week at least, but I wish we did events like this more often,” said Weins. Vandertuin said she hopes many will attend the festival and discover the rich history of the neighbourhood. “Our story is all of that history, all of that experience, all of those people who lived and died and fought here. By tell- ing those stories, we build our commu- nity,” she said. Rudolf Penner displays his work at the Oppenheimer Park Art Show at Gallery Gachet in the Downtown Eastside DANIEL PALMER photo FESTIVAL events HE Magic Comedy at Hastings Street Early Learning Centre Oct. 27 at 6:30 p.m. Hi Halloween Dance at Carnegie Theatre Oct. 28 at 7 p.m. HI Halloween Rock ‘n Rollin Oppen- heimer Park Oct. 29 at 2 p.m. HE An 1886 Walking Tour at Maple Tree Square Oct. 30 at 10 a.m. For a full schedule see heartofthecityfestival.com Art enthusiasts look at the work of Downtown Eastside residents at the Oppenheimer Park Art Show at Gallery Gachet DANIEL PALMER photo DANIEL PALMER photo Rocky D., a resident of the Downtown Eastside, shows off his piece, The Circle of Life, at the Oppenheimer Park Art Show at Gallery Gachet. Musketeers falls flat but beautifully 3D remake a visual feast but lacks script substance By LYNDA CHAPPLE story The Three Musketeers shot in 3D sadly falls flat in substance and script quality. Director Paul W.S. Anderson, known for the Resident Evil series, is the first to incorporate this timeless story with 3D elements. The movie provides a visual feast for the eyes immersing us in a world of seamless visual effects, stunning cos- tumes and rich production design. The detailed interiors and exteriors of 17th century Paris, Venice and London keep your eyes roaming the screen. The story is the traditional tale of a country boy, D’Artagnan, who travels to Paris to join the Musketeers. Logan Lerman, of Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief fame, is sure to convince young Beiber fans into liking long hair again. D’Artagnan wins the heart of the Queen’s lady-in-waiting, Constance, played by Gabriella Wilde, a British ac- tor, while Matthew Macfadyen, of Pride and Prejudice, plays Athos. Athos is the Musketeer who has been betrayed by Milady de Winter, played by Milla Jovovich, from the Res- ident Evil series. Jovovich’s character not only sounds out of place but looks like she is posing for Vogue magazine. While your eyes will leave satisfied your ears may not. American accents are prominent in what is meant to be 17th century France. The romance in the film is found in the coming together of D’Artagnan and Constance and in the separating of Athos and Milady, both are intermit- tent but set a basis for much of the sto- ry line.The film does not lack in action due to some amazingly choreographed fight scenes including sword fights, reminiscent of the Matrix brand of levi- tation. If you can put away your expecta- tions for any sort of historical accuracy or true grit of the 17th century and im- merse yourself in the hilarious perfor- mance of Freddie Fox, an actor from Britain, as King Louis XIII of France and continuous, well-executed action scenes, you will leave the theatre feel- ing satisfied and entertained. Expect whimsical and you will not be disappointed. Te recent remake of the classic