(This story is sponsored by Magnetic North Festival.)

Now in its fifth decade of production, Touchstone Theatre remains a mainstay of theatrical innovation and excellence on the West Coast. The company's all-Canadian mandate has helped launch and develop some of the country's most important playwrights and actors, and its substantial body of work has garnered more than 70 local and national awards.

So it’s only fitting that Touchstone Theatre has produced In Tune, a biennial event as part of Magnetic North, Canada’s only national theatre festival. Featuring showcases of six musical works-in-development, audiences at In Tune will have the opportunity to preview a selection of brand new ideas as they’re being created.

Magnetic North takes place from June 1 to 9 at various locations in Vancouver, but you can catch the In Tune series between June 5 and 9. It starts with Battle of Ballantyne Pier, a passionate musical about the longshore workers' strike of 1935 in Vancouver, created by Sherry MacDonald, Peter Jorgensen, and Sean Bayntun with Russell Wallace.

On Thursday (June 6), Hey Viola! by Krystle Dos Santos and Tracey Power, takes audiences on a musical exploration of the life of Viola Desmond, trailblazer of the civil rights movement. The following evening, on Friday (June 7), Like a Fly in Amber by Karen Kelm, shares the poignant, lyrical, and amusing journey between a woman and her elderly mother.

Then, on Saturday (June 8), there will be two showcases. From the co-creators of Onegin, Amiel Gladstone and Veda Hille bring their new work Songs for Lifeboats, whose characters are stranded on a boat with the musical instruments they saved. And Mermaid Spring, co-created by Kyla Gardiner, Barbara Adler, and James Meger, is the story of an underwater attraction in Florida where women work as professional mermaids. 

In Tune ends on Sunday (June 9) with Polly and the Penthouse, by Sally Stubbs and Britt MacLeod, which shares a time travelling queer love story set and performed in Vancouver’s iconic nightclub. 

The $160 Magnetic North Festival Pass is on sale now and features all access to full festival activities and select shows, including all six of the In Tune showcases. The $60 Festival Pass Concession offers the same all access to full festival activities and select shows but at a lower price for anyone who needs or appreciates it. The donation of $40 or more to either pass comes with a tax receipt. For those who only want to attend one showcase at In Tune, donations are appreciated at the door.

For more information, to see the full festival lineup, or to purchase passes, visit the website. Touchstone Theatre’s In Tune showcases take place at 5 p.m. from June 5 to 9 at CBC Studio 700 (700 Hamilton Street) and the Penthouse Nightclub (1019 Seymour Street). Stay tuned for more coverage from the Georgia Straight.