re:Naissance Opera’s IndieFest continues a centuries-old tradition starting November 17

by Mike Usinger on November 16th, 2023 at 3:44 PM

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With a mission that includes empowering artists to co-create genre-defying performances, Vancouver-based re:Naissance Opera can be seen as part of a tradition that dates back centuries. One of the guiding operatives of the company—which brings IndieFest back to Lower Mainland for a fourth year starting November 17—is “Opera Re:Born.” And, as much as this sometimes gets lost today, opera has always been about rebirth as an art form.

What started out as a musical homage to classic Greek drama in 1597 quickly splintered into works designed to either entertain European royalty (opera seria), or keep the common rabble with low-rent comedies (opera buffa). The form became more about people than mythical gods in the Classical period, fabulously ornate in the Romantic period, and over-amplified in the 20th-century with rock operas like Tommy and The Wall.

Consider, then, Vancouver’s Indiefest to be part of an ongoing evolution, as it sets out to move things forward.

The festival was founded by to celebrate BIPOC and LGBTQ2S+ artists and works designed to spotlight and raise awareness of social justice issues. Running to November 26 at venues across Vancouver, IndieFest offers storytelling through both interdisciplinary collaborations and emerging technology such as extended reality.

Highlights, as per IndieFest, include:

Sanctuary & Storm, November 17 to 19 at the H.R. MacMillan Space Centre. The world premiere of the award-winning opera by composer Tawnie Olson and librettist Roberta Baker immerses audiences in a celestial confrontation between the past, present, and future.
IndieArtist Cabaret, November 21 at the Fox Cabaret. A showcase of the homegrown innovators of Vancouver, highlighting the local artists from the music, dance, theatre, and performing arts sectors.
Prairie Dusk, November 22 at the Annex. The concert of multidisciplinary artist Jessica McMann blends music, storytelling, and stunning visuals to depict McMann’s experience as an Indigenous and Two-Spirit person.
The Liminal, November 23 and 24 at Dr. Sun Yat-Sen Classical Chinese Garden. Curated by multidisciplinary artist Stephanie Wong, this immersive experience allows audiences to choose their own journey through interdisciplinary performances themed around transformative futures.
Ressurectio, November 24 at Lobe Studio. This experience showcases the enduring impact of the environment on identity, and the struggle to preserve ancestral heritage within colonial structures.
Future Mythologies, November 25 at the Annex. A celebration of new operas that are reimagining the future of storytelling. This lineup highlights Madeleine Thien’s new opera Chinatown, Omari Newton and Amy Lee Lavoie’s hip hop opera Inferno, and re:Naissance Opera’s XR opera Eurydice Fragments.
168 Magazine Launch, November 26 at Chinatown Storytelling Centre. The launch of re:Naissance and the Chinatown Storytelling’s youth-led magazine 168. Spearheaded by Blake Abbie, this event spotlights Chinatown’s vibrant present, its resilient history, and its aspirations for the future.
Digital Offerings, November 16 to 26. A digital package of new commissions in various stages of development will be available, and includes access to the digital captures of Inferno, Caustic Effect, Live from the Underworld, and Queen of Carthage.

Debi Wong is founding artistic director and Stephanie Wong is associate artistic director of re:Naissance Opera. The 2023 edition of IndieFest has been curated by both, with this year’s theme being “Future Mythologies.”

“The art that we are creating and showcasing now will become the myths of tomorrow,” Stephanie Wong says in a release. “We want our audiences to really connect to these artists and these performances. We partnered with three new, unique venues this year so we can present our artists’ works in an immersive way. Our audiences aren’t passive attendees of our shows—they are actively participating in them and becoming a part of these future myths.”