Cast members rehearse a scene from SlugFest, the upcoming musical comedy presented by VIU’s Theatre Department and the Other Guys Theatre Company. Linda Dohmeier Photo
October 17, 2019 - 10:45am
Ross Desprez is a VIU Theatre Department Professor and creator of SlugFest – a musical comedy set in a dystopian Vancouver Island community.
What happens when slug slime is hailed as a medical miracle?
The residents of a small poverty-stricken and slug-infested village begin celebrating their good fortune! But Samantha, a young crusader for the environment, is determined to stop the lucrative yet unjust harvest. She knows that slugs hold an important place in the coastal ecology, and she makes a compelling argument that threatens the deal the village has made with a large corporation. Disguised as an eco-celebrity, the President of the Corporation arrives in the village, determined to silence opposition and reap slug harvest profits.
See how the tale unfolds in the world premiere of SlugFest, presented by the Vancouver Island University (VIU) Theatre Department in partnership with the Other Guys Theatre Company.
Familiar stereotypes abound in this hysterical melodrama – hero and heroine, villain and sidekick, stalwart RCMP Officer – and audiences are encouraged to boo, hiss, and cheer as “big pharma” and “the greens” faceoff with slapstick and rhetoric, gumboots and buckets.
SlugFest runs October 23, 24, 25, 26 and 30 and November 1 and 2 at 7:30 pm, with a matinee October 26 at 2 pm at VIU’s Malaspina Theatre. General tickets are $15 or $12 for students, and are available at the door or online at Eventbrite.
Created by VIU Theatre Professor Ross Desprez, with music by his long-time collaborator Tobin Stokes, this new musical provides an opportunity for VIU Theatre students to collaborate and perform with members of BC’s professional theatre community. SlugFest features choreography by Heather-Elayne Day, lighting design by Gerald King, a set by Dale Schulz and costumes by Crystal Hansen. The VIU band is conducted by VIU Music Professor Gregory Bush.
For more information about SlugFest please contact Eliza Gardiner, Chair of the VIU Theatre Department, by calling 250.740.6386 or emailing eliza.gardiner@viu.ca.
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MEDIA CONTACTS:
Heather Jeliazkov, Ovation PR
P: 250.888.3938 l E: ovationpr@shaw.ca
Rachel Stern, Communications Officer, Vancouver Island University
P: 250.740.6560 l C: 250.618.0373 l E: Rachel.Stern@viu.ca | T: @VIUNews
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