Artistic Director
Andy Thompson
Andy was born and raised in Chilliwack, British Columbia. After graduating from Sardis Senior Secondary School with honours in science (with a special emphasis on physics and math), taking the advice of his mother he changed his plans to immediately become an engineer and spent his scholarship money to study arts at what was then called Fraser Vally College (now The University of the Fraser Valley). Under the guidance of theatre professor Ian Fenwick, Andy was afforded several opportunities to perform in plays at the college level and soon decided that acting was the most fun he had ever had. He spoke with a college career counsellor about what an acting career might look like. The counsellor told Andy that actors manage to make a living acting about 10% of the time. The odds sounded great!
After three years at Fraser Valley College, he got accepted to the professional acting training programs at both Studio 58 and the National Theatre School. After a period of youthful indecision and a stint in both programs, Andy settled back in Studio 58 and studied the craft of acting for three years. To put himself through school, Andy worked with people challenged with mental disabilities and illnesses: a line of work that Andy considers to have greatly influenced the development of his personal skill set and level of community engagement.
A couple of years after graduation from Studio 58, 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. In the year 2000 he founded The Virtual Stage and began broadening his horizons in playwriting, directing and video design. 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 SPANK! (The Virtual Stage), the hit show The Bastard (Vancouver Fringe Festival), Two Hander (Women In View Festival) and the short film Game Over - The Virtual Stage's inaugural production.
A versatile artist with interest and abilities in many different areas, Andy has been nominated for a total seven Jessie Richardson Theatre awards in acting, writing and design categories.
At the 2010 Winter Olympics, Andy will be seen roving the streets with a couple of thick-skulled gigantic hockey players with his comedy troupe, Vancouver stilt walkers Duh Hockey Guys.
Artistic Director's Statement
After working with my friends at The Electric Company, I realized just how much fun they were having. I decided that I wanted a theatre company, too! In imagining what mandate might hold my interest for many years as an artist, and after experiencing some old-school "theatre purism" in the late 1990's regarding the perception of technology's role in theatre, I felt compelled to pen the mandate for The Virtual Stage: a company devoted to the investigation of the role of emerging technologies in theatre.
The main impulse came from a question. I am a theatre artist at heart. Yet I love movies. I even have my favorite TV shows. But my greatest passion lies in the creation and experience of live theatre. I wondered to myself, "Why should the varied aesthetics in film, television and theatre be at odds with one another inside the psyche of the theatre artist?" I realized that the most exciting theatre works are those that push the boundaries of the art form itself. Once I founded The Virtual Stage with my longtime friend Scott Bruce, a tremendous journey of artistic discovery began to unfold.
Perhaps the most remarkable thing I've noticed since we started the company is just how quickly emerging technologies and the rapid advancements in video tools have become generally more and more accepted and absorbed into the theatre world. I think traditional theatre practitioners are now understanding more than ever that these technologies are nothing to fear. They are simply tools to add to the toolbox. And like any tools, there are times when they should be used. And times when they should not.
The most exciting thing I've observed, however, is how the hi-tech aesthetics in a play can attract brand new audiences. I've long been concerned about the decline of theatre audiences in general. If you think about it, film and TV are ultimately theatre's rivals in the competition for the general public's limited entertainment budget. Less people seem inclined to take a risk on an evening of live theatre. But why?
I've had some funny conversations with people that may shed some light on this subject. One person I know essentially banned theatre from her life. "I'm usually against theatre," she said to me, much to my surprise. She went on to explain how this one bad show turned her off the art form altogether.
Not only did that underline to me the responsibility we theatre artists have as custodians of the craft, but also how much I want to attract and strenthen theatre's audience base. I've witnessed first hand the excitement new theatre patrons have experienced watching our shows, and it's made me more dedicated than ever to pursuing The Virtual Stage's mandate and finding new and exciting ways to push theatre's comfort zone into uncharted territories.
I really love what we're doing with the company and with theatre on Canada's west coast in general. There is so much exciting, boundary-pushing work happening in the region right now. It is a geniune thrill and a definite honour to be part of a movement of theatre-lovers reshaping and redefining the way we view the live theatre experience.
Photo by Gordan Dumka
