The frank theatre company
the frank theatre company, formerly known as Screaming Weenie Productions, is a professional theatre company in Vancouver, BC committed to the production, promotion and development of queer and sex positive arts and artists. The company defines "queer" as individuals and groups outside of sexual and gender norms.
Contents
Vision and Mission
LEGAL MANDATE
the frank theatre company's mission is to produce and promote queer and sex positive performance, facilitating a stronger queer community by creating and encouraging the performing arts and artists. It strives to create greater positive public awareness and acceptance, through the performing arts, of individuals and groups outside of sexual and gender norms.
the frank is committed to the development of sexual and/or gender queer artists, and are actively inclusive of all gender identities, sexualities and ethnicities.
OPERATIONAL MISSION & MANDATE
the frank envisions a world that is free of intolerance and prejudice, and where sexual and gender diversity is accepted and embraced, everywhere in every society, and by everyone.
the frank‘s mission is to explore what it means to be queer, and the place of queer individuals in society, by creating, developing, producing and presenting theatrical work that places queer issues on a global canvas. These are works wherein issues of queer marginalization intersect with other types of marginalization: i.e. economic, racial, gender, political. It is primarily a text-based theatre that trusts in the ability of the playwright to wrestle with these questions.
the frank champions open-mindedness, authenticity and engagement. It embraces diversity of all kinds, encourages and nurturesqueer youth, and strives to build bridges between all socially marginalized groups and between queer and non-queer communities.
Current Creative Team
- C. E. (Chris) Gatchalian, Artistic Producer
- Linda Pitt, Operations Manager
- Adam Beauchesne, Associate Producer
Early Years: 2000-2008
Incorporated in British Columbia in 2002 with co-founder and original artistic director Ilena Lee Cramer at the helm, the company established itself by staging new plays and creative collaborations at Vancouver night clubs. While Screaming Weenie was a self-described 'queer company', a descriptive quote from Cramer from the on-line magazine Word Play in 2004 reads, "The Weenies do theatre for a wide audience - I'm interested in reaching those who are disenfranchised by art".
Original creations by Screaming Weenie in this period included The Bacchae - an electronic opera, The Sound of Disco and The Wizard of Glam. The company also produced the plays Belly by Dawn Wendy McLeod, Clue in the Fast Lane by Ann Marie MacDonald and Beverley Cooper, The Well of Horniness by Holly Hughes and Lounge by Tanya Marquardt.
Second Stage: 2008-2012
Seán Cummings was hired as the company's artistic director in 2008. Under Cummings' leadership, the company produced the highly acclaimed world premiere of C. E. Gatchalian's Falling In Time, which was nominated for the 2013 Lambda Literary Award. Cummings left the company in 2012, and was succeeded by Gatchalian.
Third Stage: 2012-present
Under Gatchalian's leadership, the company has continued to prioritize new Canadian work, producing the Jessie-nominated world premieres of Evan Tsitias' Unstuck (2013) and Minh Ly's Ga Ting (2014), as well as Jan Derbyshire's All In (2013). The company's current focus is on work dealing with themes of intersectionality, in particular cultural, economic and gender marginalization within the queer community.
