David Suzuki and Tara Cullis star in hometown premiere of What You Won’t Do For Love at the Vancouver Playhouse
Just in time for Valentine’s Day, renowned environmentalists and longtime couple bring a special celebration of love, partnership, and the planet.
WHAT YOU WON’T DO FOR LOVE
A WHY NOT THEATRE PRODUCTION
PRESENTED BY VANCOUVER CIVIC THEATRES
February 13, 14, 16 and 17 at the Vancouver Playhouse
Vancouver, BC – Vancouver Civic Theatres presents the West Coast premiere of
What You Won’t Do For Love at the Vancouver Playhouse on February 13, 14, 16 and 17. David Suzuki and Tara Cullis have spent 50 years fighting for the environment while deepening their bond – and in February, the couple will take to the stage to share their learnings with Vancouver audiences. Produced by Toronto’s Why Not Theatre and directed by company founder Ravi Jain, What You Won’t Do For Love is an intimate experience that poses the question – can the love we have for each other save our planet?
During the 90-minute play, David and Tara are joined onstage by actors and real-life couple Miriam Fernandes and Sturla Alvsvaag. The foursome engage in poetic and playful dialogue, sharing stories and insights that weave an enchanting love story and ask us to consider love’s capacity to inspire action and propel us all towards a healthier, more sustainable planet.
While David has been a public figure for decades, the play also spotlights Tara, whose tireless work – which often happens behind the scenes – has made tangible impacts to the climate movement in Canada and helped to propel David into the globally renowned figure he is today. Dr. Tara Cullis has been the driving force behind the David Suzuki Foundation since coming up with the idea in 1990. Her remarkable
contributions include founding the Coastal First Nations Bear Initiative, a project to safeguard the ecology of BC’s Great Bear Rainforest.
Following each show, audiences are invited to stay for an informal Q&A with David, Tara, Miriam and Sturla.
“It’s been a once in a lifetime opportunity to make a play with two Canadian legends like David Suzuki and Tara Cullis,” said Ravi Jain, director. “As the climate emergency becomes more severe it is ever more pressing for us to share this hopeful love letter to the world and especially in David and Tara’s hometown of Vancouver!”
“We are honoured to welcome David Suzuki and Tara Cullis to the Vancouver Playhouse as they stage the West Coast premiere of What You Won’t Do For Love in their beloved hometown,” said Natalie Lue, director of Vancouver Civic Theatres. “I can’t think of a better way to celebrate Valentine’s Day than with a unique theatre experience that shines new light on David and Tara’s years of environmental activism
rooted in their love for each other, their family, their communities and the planet.”
The creative team includes Lighting Designer Andre du Toit, Sound Designer and Composer Meg Roe, and Projection Designer Jamie Nesbitt. The show is production managed by Crystal Lee and produced by Kevin Matthew Wong.
Tickets for What You Won’t Do for Love are priced from $35 to $55. To purchase tickets, and for more information, visit vancouvercivictheatres.com.
Why Not Theatre: Founded in 2007, Why Not Theatre is a Toronto-based theatre company with an international scope. Why Not’s work exists at the intersection of art, innovation and social change. For 15 years, Why Not has developed and supported 55 new works which have toured to 81 stops across 40 cities and 11 countries, including the world-wide hit A Brimful of Asha, performed more than 300 times around the world, and the critically acclaimed Mahabharata. Why Not has an international reputation for creating cutting-edge, cross-cultural theatre, and for facilitating opportunities for underrepresented artists across Canada. Why Not Theatre is led by Co-Artistic Directors Miriam Fernandes and Ravi Jain and Executive Director Karen Tisch.
Vancouver Civic Theatres is owned and operated by the City of Vancouver, and is committed to developing, enhancing and promoting the city’s vibrant arts scene, sharing with the world the astonishing breadth and depth of Vancouver’s creative community and cultural entrepreneurs. Vancouver’s myriad of theatres and performance spaces includes the Orpheum, Queen Elizabeth Theatre, Vancouver Playhouse, Annex, and šxwƛ̓ exən Xwtl’a7shn (formerly Queen Elizabeth Plaza) which regularly host award-winning performances, independent productions, and groups from across the globe. Vancouver Civic Theatres bridges the connection between patron and performer, providing culture enthusiasts with access to an endless array of arts and entertainment productions, including concerts,
theatre, classical music, opera and Broadway shows.
What You Won’t Do For Love has been made possible by the generous support of: The Slaight Family Foundation, Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, and Toronto Arts Council.
Interviews with David Suzuki and Tara Cullis are available upon request.
Media contact:
Sonu Lake, [email protected], 604.999.1996.