Join us for the 2026 Ensemble Theatre Festival: Bloodlines
July 8 to 19 | Jericho Arts Centre
PEERLESS
by Jiehae Park
Hilarious. Magnetic. Unhinged.
Photo Credit: Chelsey Stuyt
with thanks to Ayako Karasawa and Alison Chang
Directed by Keltie Forsyth
A darkly comic, razor-edged reimagining of Macbeth!
PEERLESS SHOWTIMES
July 8, 7:30 pm (Preview)
July 10, 7:30 pm (Opening)
July 14, 7:30 pm
July 15, 7:30 pm
**Performance followed by a talkbackJuly 17, 7:30 pm
July 19, 2 pm (Closing)
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Peerless follows twin sisters M and L as they spiral through the absurd, high-pressure theatre of elite college admissions. What begins as ambition curdles into obsession, with every choice landing somewhere between strategy and disaster. Fast, viciously funny, and relentlessly watchable!
Entertainment at its sharpest: ruthless, funny, and impossible to look away from.
In a moment when debates around affirmative action and “merit” continue to be reshaped and weaponised in public discourse, Peerless cuts through with a bracing clarity: the stories we tell about fairness are not neutral: they’re constructed, repeated, and believed until they feel like fact. The play skewers those narratives with a comedian’s precision and a thriller’s momentum, exposing how quickly “meritocracy” becomes myth-making. -
This production includes discussions of attempted suicide, moments of violence, graphic and racially charged language, body shaming, and ableist slurs.
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Cast
M …….... Alison Chang
L ……..… Hazel 한결 Kang
BF ……... Jakobe Jenkins
D ……….. Keane Faye
DG …..… Emma Soothill
Production TeamDirector …………..……... Keltie Forsyth
Stage Manager ………… Lou Marshall
Fight Director …………. Mike Kovac
Set Design ……………..… Emily Dotson
Set Assistant ………..….. Stephanie Zheng
Costume Design ………. Starlynn Chen
Lighting Design ……….. Sam Cheng
Paint Lead …………….….. Eunsoeng Huh
Production Assistant … Torwin Hewstan
A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE
by Tennessee Williams
Iconic. Essential. Electric.
Photo Credit: Chelsey Stuyt
with thanks to Christine Reinfort
Directed by Chris Lam
A haunting and urgent Pulitzer Prize winner!
STREETCAR SHOWTIMES
July 9, 7:30 pm (Preview)
July 11, 7:30 pm (Opening)
July 12, 2:00 pm
**Performance followed by a talkbackJuly 14, 3:00 pm
July 16, 7:30 pm
July 18, 7:30 pm (Closing)
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A cornerstone of 20th Century theatre, A Streetcar Named Desire traces the unraveling of Blanche DuBois as she arrives in New Orleans to take shelter with her sister Stella and brother-in-law Stanley. Clashing realities, desire, and delusion collide in this emotionally charged drama, revealing the fragility of identity and the harshness of truth in a changing world.
In turbulent and uncertain times, this iconic play could not be more prescient as we witness a family moving towards new identities and fighting for their vision of the American Dream. Tennessee Williams’ play is a portrait of a woman caught between the demons of her past and prospect of a new life.
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This production includes discussions of xenophobic language, domestic violence, alcoholism, mental health conditions (including anxiety and depression), as well as references to suicide and sexual assault.
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Cast
Blanche ……………..…. Cat Smith
Stanley ……………….… Terri Carricoates
Stella …………..…..…… Brynna Drummond
Mitch ……………....….. Connor Riopel
Eunice …………....….... Stephanie Elgersma
Steve …………..….…….. Kazz Leskard
Pablo …………………….. Hernan Adrianzen
Woman/Flower
Vendor/Nurse ………. Irene Garcia
Young collector .……. Oliver Gold
Doctor …………………… Nick RempelProduction Team
Director …………..………..……... Chris Lam
Stage Manager …………..……… Kathryn Kerby
Assistant Stage Manager .…. Galen Leftwich
Fight Director ………………..…. Mike Kovac
Intimacy coordinator ……….. Natasha Martina
Set Design ………………….…..… Emily Dotson
Set Assistant …………….…..….. Stephanie Zheng
Costume Design ………….……. Starlynn Chen
Lighting Design ………….…….. Sam Cheng
Paint Lead …………………….….. Eunsoeng Huh
Production Assistant ……….. Torwin Hewstan
Our 2026 Festival: Bloodlines pairs Peerless by Jiehae Park and A Streetcar Named Desire by Tennessee Williams in a striking conversation across generations and the ties of sisterhood. Separated by time and style, both plays probe the dangerous edges of ambition, illusion, and survival within unforgiving social systems.
This year’s festival will also include special performances by singer-songwriter and actor, Violet Grace, and Fistful of Crime!, a one of a kind, laugh-out-loud improv show.
Tickets for Peerless and A Streetcar Named Desire are $35 per show. Student/Senior/Arts Worker tickets: $25
Brunchtime performances and previews are pay-what-you-can.
Brunchtime Performances
Begin your day with two brunchtime performances throughout the 2026 Ensemble Theatre Festival. This series offers a glimpse into the vibrant and creative performing arts scene in Vancouver. Together, with the productions, discover new ways of storytelling and fresh perspectives.
Violet Grace
July 12
11:00 am
Before A Streetcar Named Desire.
Eclectic. Vibrant. Unique.
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Violet Grace is a singer-songwriter/actor based in Toronto. In early 2026, she was featured on Eden FM’s “It’s You”, which received press coverage in Music Life Magazine as well as garnering over 10,000 Spotify streams since its release. Violet studied classical piano as a child under Madoka Murata, and went on to study Film at York University, returning to her passion in music. In 2025, she performed at Jade Music Festival in Vancouver, opening for the band Shallow Levee and was invited to make her international debut at Jade Music Festival in Taipei, Taiwan in April 2026.
She has had indie radio play and coverage from Wham Bam East Van, Pancouver and Vancouver on Ink, and will also be featured on Season 3 of Song Circle premiering on YES TV.
Fistful of Crime Improv!
July 19
11:00 am
Before Peerless.
Witty. Eccentric. Unrestrained.
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Dive headfirst into the seedy underworld of triads, violence, and all the dumplings you can eat in Fistful of Crime!
In this one-of-a-kind improv show, you'll experience the hallmark gangster cinema from 80s and 90s Hong Kong, reimagined and remixed on-the-spot by Vancouver's premiere East Asian improv group, Fistful of Kicks. Each show is equal parts drama and comedy, exploring characters caught between the criminal world and polite society, stretched thin between their gang allegiances and their family bonds. All created entirely on the spot based on a single word from the audience! If you're a seasoned HK cinema aficionado, or have no idea what any of those words you just read meant, you'll have a killer time at this show. Embrace your inner gangster at Fistful of Crime!