Accessibility and inclusion were among the central reasons MISCELLANEOUS Productions was created. A unique organization in Western Canada, we are passionate about the intersection and fusion of theatre, performance, community development, media arts and education, especially when realized as live theatre, interdisciplinary performance, public art, video art/documentary video, web design, costume design and visual art.
Considered pioneers in community art by professional artists from British Columbia to London, England, we bridge the disciplines of high art, community development and popular culture. We strive to work with artist/activists who are audacious enough to create art that has relevance to a diverse contemporary audience.
Established in July 2000 by artists Elaine Carol and Jules Rochielle along with a community-based Board of Directors, MISCELLANEOUS Productions began by developing and performing the artistically and critically acclaimed Outcasts and Angels / THE REENA PROJECT.
This site-specific, roving, interdisciplinary performance was presented in September 2001 at the Richmond Gateway Theatre. In March 2001, MISCELLANEOUS Productions was named the Associate Young Company of the Richmond Gateway Theatre by General Manager/Producer/Artistic Director, Simon Johnston.
Outcasts and Angels / THE REENA PROJECT (2001) involved the successful collaboration of a professional Artistic Team with youth performers, artists and technicians from Richmond, BC that began with the examination of the murder of 14-year old Reena Virk in order to explore bullying, racism, homophobia and violence in the teens’ own communities. THE REENA PROJECT was funded and sponsored by a group of diverse public and private sector partners.
Our 22-minute video documentary entitled The Making of THE REENA PROJECT was released in the Spring/Summer 2003 and is available for screenings. Produced by Jules Rochielle, Elaine Carol and youth from the community, the video features the voices of the young performers and technicians who worked on the performance.
MISCELLANEOUS Productions actively developed What You Carry With You… over a two-year period beginning in April 2002. This innovative interdisciplinary performance with more than 30 minutes of integrated video components, original music and dance was presented by MISCELLANEOUS Productions in September 2003 at the Richmond Gateway Theatre with a cast of 16 non-professional performers and assisted by youth technicians and videographers from the community of Richmond, BC.
Our non-professional cast members have roots on six continents and collectively speak more than 25 languages. Though the performance was mostly in English, more than one dozen languages were used in significant sections – some subtitled, some simultaneously translated and some left without translations.
This strongly pro-diversity, anti-discrimination, anti-racism, anti-violence project was funded by a diverse range of public and private sector partners and involved the collaboration of professional Artistic Team and a group of Richmond youth aged 14 - 21 and elders aged 54 – 70 exploring issues of racism, violence and immigration in a post-September 11th era.
We performed to standing ovations and 90% capacity audiences – unheard of in the Lower Mainland of BC. Our audience was incredibly diverse – youth and elders, mostly people of colour from Asian communities and mostly first generation immigrants. Their response was overwhelmingly positive – as evidenced by the feedback during our Q&A Sessions after each performance.
