Firehall Arts Centre, Blackout Art Society, & Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
Present the World Premiere of
The Frontliners
by Zahida Rahemtulla
Directed by Derek Chan
May 1-11, 2025 | Firehall Arts Centre| 280 E. Cordova Street
Opening Night: Friday, May 2 at 7:30pm
Preview: Thursday, May 1 at 7:30pm
Performance Times: Wednesday-Saturday, 7:30pm | Saturday & Sunday, 3:00pm | PWYC Wednesdays, 1:00pm | Thursday, 1:00pm
Tickets: From $30 at firehallartscentre.ca | 604.689.0926
(Vancouver, B.C.) – The Firehall Arts Centre, in partnership with Blackout Art Society and Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct), is proud to produce and present the world premiere of The Frontliners from Thursday, May 1st to Sunday, May 11th, 2025.
photo credit Chelsey Stuyt
Zahida Rahemtulla (The Wrong Bashir) returns to the Firehall to bring another comedic drama to its stage. Directed by vAct’s Derek Chan, The Frontliners takes audiences to an East Vancouver hotel in early 2016, where three beleaguered employees find homes for new families from Syria in the midst of a housing crisis.
“I’m very excited to bring The Frontliners to the Firehall stage after developing it with so many incredible artists and partners,” says Rahemtulla. “From the support of Playwrights Theatre Centre, the Arts Club Emerging Playwrights’ Unit and the Silk Road Institute, to current partners vAct, Blackout Art Society and the Firehall, to the musical collaboration with artists like Farouk Alsajee, this play has been shaped by a large community, and I’m grateful to be able to share it with Vancouver audiences. After premiering The Wrong Bashir at the Firehall, it also feels special to return to this theatre with my second play.”
Credits for The Frontliners:
Playwright: Zahida Rahemtulla (she/her)
Director: Derek Chan (he/him)
Performers: Janavi Chawla (she/they), Francis Dowlatabadi (he/him), and Adrian Neblett (he/him)
Dramaturg: Stephen Drover (he/him)
Set Designer: Parjad Sharifi (he/him)
Props Designer: Monica Emme (she/her)
Lighting Designer: Jonathan Kim (he/him)
Costume Designer: elika mojtabaei (she/her)
Original Composition: Ruby Singh (he/him)
Original Composition & Cultural Consultant: Farouk Alsajee
Associate Sound Designer: June Hsu (she/her)
Cultural Consultants: Aksam Alyousef (he/him), Aya Adra (she/her), Oussayma Canbarieh (she/her), & Majd Agha (he/him)
Stage Manager: Evan Ren
Apprentice Stage Manager: Bernice Paet
Production Manager: Jamie Sweeney
Technical Director: Jethro Allen-Martin
Produced by: Blackout Art Society, Firehall Arts Centre, & Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre
For more information on The Firehall, please visit the following platforms:
Website: www.firehallartscentre.ca
Facebook: www.facebook.com/firehallarts
Instagram: www.instagram.com/firehall.arts
About Blackout Art Society:
Founded in 2012 in Vancouver, Blackout Art Society began as a passionate theatre ensemble dedicated to creating socially conscious performances that resonated with the Persian community. By 2017, we evolved into a registered non-profit organization, broadening our vision to bridge cultural divides by producing captivating works in both Persian and English. Our mission is to illuminate the untold stories within our diverse society, addressing contemporary issues while celebrating the richness of our cultural heritage. We are committed to inclusivity, excellence, education, community engagement, cultural preservation, collaboration, and accessibility. Through innovative theatre experiences, we aim to foster understanding and spark meaningful dialogues across generations. At Blackout Art Society, we believe in the transformative power of storytelling to connect communities and inspire change. www.blackouttheater.com
About Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre:
Founded in 2001 by Joyce Lam, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (vAct) first began as a community theatre. Over the next 12 years, vAct collaborated with over 500 Asian Canadian theatre artists, and produced over 40 shows. In 2013, Donna Yamamoto was appointed as the Producing Artistic Director. Thus began vAct’s rapid transformation from a community theatre to one of the most exciting diversity-mandated professional theatre companies in Canada. In the Western Canadian theatre community, vAct plays a unique role. We are the only professional theatre company in Western Canada to consistently premiere new works by Asian Canadians. Following Donna’s retirement in 2022, Derek Chan took over as Managing Artistic Director, bringing with him over a decade’s experience in creating, developing, and producing original intercultural, multilingual works within BC, across Canada, and internationally. www.vact.ca
About Firehall Arts Centre:
With over forty years’ history of weaving diverse storytelling into the fabric of Greater Vancouver, Firehall Arts Centre is where stories come alive. Through theatre, dance, music, inter-disciplinary work and the visual arts, The Firehall has embraced its mission to enrich lives and expand minds through the arts. One of the most unique cultural institutions in British Columbia, The Firehall – in more predictable times – hosts over two hundred performances per year. Located in the city-owned heritage fire station built in 1906, The Firehall’s intimate black box studio theatre along with its outdoor courtyard performance area and its rehearsal studio has served to support innovative, eclectic, and often politically-charged theatre productions as well as exquisite, cutting-edge dance and music performances. The Firehall is proud to support emerging and established performing artists and companies, and strives to program work that is inclusive, culturally rich, and reflective of the many voices and perspectives in Canada. www.firehallartscentre.ca