Inciting intersectionality and intercultural theatre in Vancouver and beyond.

Since 2005, Visceral Visions has offered professional development workshops and mini-intensives with master voice teacher, David Smukler, for Vancouver-area performers, directors, teachers, and other professionals. Participants in our most recent mini-intensives in April 2018 commented on their experiences:

David’s workshop was fantastic. In just five evenings I walked away not only with specific and immediately applicable tools for any actor (film, TV, stage, voice over, radio) but also with a better understanding of how to explore further on my own. I’m particularly excited about the discovery of new ways to figure out the right questions to ask of a text or scene, and my relationship to it through breath. - TN

David's passion for the voice and body is infectious. I value every opportunity to work with him. A master teacher, he is able to meet the actors where they are in their journey, and to personalize his teachings, so that you walk away feeling empowered, curious, and better connected to your voice. Most importantly, he plants the seeds of curiosity, a supportive foundation for an actor to begin exploration of authentic voice, or to come back for fine-tuning and further growth. - QN

Sign up to receive updates about future workshops with David in Vancouver.

Written by Valerie Sing Turner

Christopher Hitchens, the celebrated author and journalist, devoted more than 140 pages of arguments, references and sources in The Trial of Henry Kissinger to support his belief that Kissinger should be prosecuted “for war crimes, for crimes against humanity and for offences against common or customary or international law, including conspiracy to commit murder, kidnap and torture.” 

Written by Valerie Sing Turner

…for experimental theatre and dance lovers, this independent show is not to be missed…Turner’s debut as a playwright [is] an incredible feat considering the complexity of the show’s topic and her atypical approach in dealing with such a controversial theme…brilliantly explored… - 11 Stations Blog

Written by Deborah Gkashugi Asiimwe

Visceral Visions was proud to be one of 14 local companies presenting short plays about climate change as part of Climate Change Theatrical Action Vancouver. 

"It would be an incredible opportunity to meet again like this, consistently, with the same folks and new ones, to keep building. A retreat like this once a year would be amazing. There are too few opportunities for artists of colour to share space, strategize and create like this."

"I feel like we would need more of these meetings to build a better vocabulary as a group to really feel safe with what each of us needs to say."

Written by Valerie Sing Turner 

L-R: Diana Bang, Amanda Sum, Ronin Wong, Laara Ong, Mason Temple, Donna Wong-Juliani, Jay Brazeau, Valerie Sing Turner, Chelsea Rose Tucker, Jessica Heafey, John Cook. 

A big thank-you to everyone who contributed to making our way-too-short development workshop plus the public reading on December 10, 2017, a success! In addition to our fabulous cast, we want to acknowledge dramaturg Lisa C. Ravensbergen; Squamish Nation cultural consultant Latash Nahanee; public reading co-presenter Granville Island Cultural Society; funders BC Arts Council and City of Vancouver; as well as intrepid supporters Sarah Garton Stanley, National Arts Centre (English Theatre), Tompkins Wozny LLP, Starbucks, and SFU Woodward's. Audience members commented on the power of the piece, which exposed disturbing pieces of BC history through the use of poetic language and the personal experiences of one family. The development process has given Valerie lots of ideas and inspiration for the next draft, so stay tuned!

National Arts Centre, English Theatre Collaboration - Visceral Visions

National Arts Centre, English Theatre 2016/17 Artist in Residence - Valerie Sing Turner

John Moffat + Larry Lillo Prize 2017 - Valerie Sing Turner

Visceral Visions gratefully acknowledges the contributions of the Granville Island Cultural Society, National Arts Centre, City of Vancouver, and the BC Arts Council to this project. 

Synopsis: It’s 1988. A family gathers to discuss what to do with Esther, a Chinese-Canadian WWII veteran, as they can no longer ignore her growing dementia. She keeps talking to Victor, her beloved brother, whose death she blames on the Japanese when he volunteered to serve in the Pacific arena during World War II. Her husband George, an Indigenous WWII vet, was Victor’s best friend. Their son, Gary, arrives with his Caucasian wife, Joanna, and their 18-year-old daughter Lucy, who is Poh-Poh’s favourite. Things are already tense when estranged elder daughter, Nancy, shows up with husband, Ken, and their two daughters Denise and Andrea, who have never met Esther and George because Ken is Japanese-Canadian and Esther refuses to acknowledge his existence. But the real fireworks begin when Prime Minister Brian Mulroney announces his plan to apologize to the Japanese Canadians and their families who were interned during WWII. Will the weight of Canadian history tear them apart?

Created and directed by Marie Clements

...three magnificent divas--[Jennifer] Kreisberg, Cheri Maracle, and Michelle St. John...combined fierceness and vocal power [to] quite literally "take [our] words away" (to paraphrase the song...)...a powerful experience... 
Peter Dickinson - Performance, Place and Politics

Written by Laurie Fyffe

"...fascinating little one-act work...a nuanced descent into all kinds of dark corners...simply brilliant..." - Vancouver Sun

"...searing, almost embarrassingly fascinating...unprecedented collaboration with the CBC..."- The Courier