Artistic Director
Andy Thompson
Photos by Gordan Dumka
A graduate of Studio 58's professional acting training program and founding Artistic Director of The Virtual Stage, Andy made his professional theatre debut playing Nikola Tesla in the acclaimed production of Brilliant! with The Electric Company. Since then he has worked regularly in theatre, film and television as an actor. As a playwright, he won Playwrights Theatre Centre's 24-hour playwrighting competition in 1995 with his play The Birth of Freedom, which The Virtual Stage produced in 2002 and for which he was nominated for two Jessie Richardson theatre awards. Directing credits include the hit show The Bastard (Vancouver Fringe Festival), Two Hander (Women In View Festival) and the short film Game Over - the inaugural production of The Virtual Stage.
Click here to go to Andy Thompson's official site.
Experience it live! The virtual revolution has begun!
Thompson envisions a future where the boundaries of traditional theatre, film and television are challenged. “Because the technological revolution is bringing so much power to the home desktop, we are seeing more and more empowered independent film-makers finding an audience through digital means. Before long, digital output and projection onto the big screen will be the norm. This technology is now coming into the hands of theatre artists. Its role in live performance is an ever-evolving sea of possibility.” Though integrating technology is part of its mandate, Thompson is guiding The Virtual Stage towards incorporating the magic of live theatre to its fullest. "These are simply tools that theatre practitioners are acquiring, much like sand bags and table saws are tools. There will never be a replacement for the experience of a live theatre performance," he says.
Vancouver is the perfect city to blend theatre and film, says Thompson. “The hi-tech
industry is now rivaling the film industry in British Columbia,” he
says. “I think Vancouver's audiences are hungry for this. They really
appreciate innovation. But nobody seems to go to the theatre anymore. Everyone's
watching TV and going to movies. By incorporating cinematic elements into
a play, you not only appeal to modern sensibilities, but your potential to
support and enhance storytelling is greatly increased.”
The Virtual Stage is currently investigating the applications of computer generated imagery and digital video in its productions. Included in the creative team is Adam Skye Jones, who works professionally in digital design and computer animation.
“Computer graphic artists like Adam are so great. They are true artists.
I am so excited about the rich potential these digital technologies have in
supporting narrative, and about bringing professionals from such diverse disciplines
together. That is what The Virtual Stage is all about.”
