(Vancouver, BC) – The Cultch is pleased to present the South Asian Canadian Histories Association (SACHA) production of A Vancouver Guldasta—part of 2018’s Diwali in BC celebrations. A Vancouver Guldasta will run Oct 2-21 at the Vancity Culture Lab.
In the early 1980s, the local Vancouver Punjab community was profoundly shaken when, over 10,000 kms away in Amritsar, Punjab, India, one of the holiest Sikh Temples, known as “The Golden Temple” was invaded by armed government forces. This event, codenamed “Operation Bluestar,”profoundly dichotomized the community, creating rifts that would last for decades. A Vancouver Guldasta chronicles the experiences of the Dhaliwals—a Punjabi family—as they navigate through the experience of trauma and violence occurring in Punjab, and their daughter’s complicated friendship with Andy, the Vietnamese refugee teen who lives in their basement. Written and directed by Paneet Singh (The Undocumented Trial of William C. Hopkinson), A Vancouver Guldasta is an examination of common experience, identifying home, and processing trauma.
In its first run as a site-specific production, A Vancouver Guldasta was staged inside the living room of a standing Vancouver Special home in South Vancouver. The run sold out all fifteen scheduled shows by the third show, and added a hold over show, which also sold out. Heather Redfern, Executive Director of The Cultch, had a chance to see it then and immediately knew she wanted it included in The Cultch’s 2018/19 Season. “A Vancouver Guldasta is so full of heart,” says Redfern. “When Rohit Chokhani (Artistic Director, Diwali in BC) and I saw it, we knew we wanted to program it. I cannot wait to have it on our stage, as part of Diwali in BC, this fall.”
“Personal experience is at the heart of much of my work, so I invite you into the experience of this production. Experience the tension, the rage, the love, the family and the process.”
— Paneet Singh, Writer/Director
Written and Directed by: Paneet Singh
Produced by: Rohit Chokhani, Artistic Director of Diwali in BC.
Starring: Arshdeep Purba, Lou Ticzon, Parm Soor, Gunjan Kundhal
Set and Costume Designer: Adelaide Wilder
Stage Manager: Andrew Wade
Hair and Make-Up: Kaeko Fujiyama
Lighting Designer: TBD
