Boca del Lupo’s upcoming presentation series will give Vancouverites a vivid taste of what diversity in theatre programming could really look like.

With Boca now booking Granville Island’s versatile Performance Works along with its tiny Fishbowl venue, artistic director Sherry J. Yoon finds herself one of the few women of colour presenting theatre in the city—not to mention the country. And it’s led her to question what part she has to play in the movement toward more cultural variety on Canadian stages.

“My role in presenting is shifting and I asked myself, ‘How can I present something differently?’ The difference being I’m not an institution,” she explains to the Straight over the phone. “So, what would it look like if you were starting from a place that did not need to diversify?

“I don’t have tons of role models,” she adds. “It’s important to try something new. It really is about staying relevant and keeping the conversation going—about being a woman of colour and never imagining I’d be in a position like this.”

Those ideas take form this spring with the series, three innovative shows by a diverse group of women: the salsa-fuelled Broken Tailbone by Vancouver Latin-Canadian writer and performer Carmen Aguirre; the immersive Social Docent, moderated by playwright, MC, and social activist Donna-Michelle St. Bernard; and the mix of memoir and Indigenous clowning that is Michelle Thrush’s Inner Elder.

“I thought, ‘Why not tie all these ideas in with some audacious exciting women who work within their own culture, history, and cultural intersections in an innovative way?’” Yoon says. “Their work is exceptional and their careers are exceptional.”

At the same time, behind the scenes, Yoon has been working on a wider movement to boost women from diverse backgrounds in the theatre industry here and across the country. The 3.7% Initiative, named for the low percentage of key creative roles in Canadian theatre held by ethnically diverse women, was launched by Boca del Lupo to help develop that demographic’s career opportunities in the field. The group does that through everything from peer-to-peer learning to workshops and speakers. Yoon reports it’s having its first national meeting in May, with representatives from as far afield as Halifax, Winnipeg, and Victoria, as part of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatre conference in Montreal.

“More than ever it’s important for us to gather, because the instinct is to isolate ourselves and try to do it alone,” Yoon says. “It’s really important to gather and be strong—and in programming, to highlight the stuff theatre has not seen at the forefront. And people are coming and people are interested!”

For now, here’s more detail on the 2020 Presentation Series. All of the shows carry on the inventiveness and interactivity that Boca del Lupo’s always been interested in in the works it creates in-house.

Broken Tailbone

Wednesday to Saturday (March 11 to 14) at Performance Works

Fresh off her epic multimedia show Anywhere but Here, theatre artist Aguirre leads a salsa dance lesson, interweaving it with stories, politics, and the spicy sounds of DJ Don Pedro. Don’t forget to wear your dancing shoes.

Social Docent

April 1 to 4 at the Museum of Vancouver

St. Bernard invites audiences to ask a diverse panel of “culture guides” questions they might normally be too scared to pose. “They can be private, with some at the microphone and some emailed,” Yoon explains. “It starts with a real divide between the docent and audience members, and then that collapses and it ends in a conversation. I feel like we’re in a country where there’s a niceness and politeness that really keeps us from getting close to each other. Donna-Michelle is so good at animating it; she brings out the best of us with humour and grace and an open heart, creating a safe space for an uncomfortable conversation.”

Inner Elder

April 29 to May 2 at Performance Works

Cree creator-performer Michelle Thrush shares stories about her journey from growing up in a volatile home to becoming a successful TV and film actor, with sharp humour and elements of Indigenous clowning. “She’s coming here right after the National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre Project,” Yoon says. “It’s such a personal story told in such an innovative way.”