Warm your toes after Barkerville’s Victorian Christmas on Sunday 15 December at 7PM, as the Sunset Theatre gets filled to the rafters with concert favourites sprinkled with some festive tunes for the season! Tickets are $20
A christmas cornucopia of amazing music, hilarious sketch comedy, and spirit!
Tickets are $20/each
The show is 2 Acts @ 45 minutes per act + 1 intermission @ 15 to 20 minutes
Last year’s Christmas Cabaret sold out so buy early and GET YOUR TICKETS TODAY!
Join us on November 30th, 2024 from 2PM to Midnight (and possibly beyond) for the 90th Birthday Celebrations of 4 amazing organizations in Wells.
Tickets: Tickets are limited and on sale now at: https://the-wells-hotel.square.site/
The townsite of Wells was first surveyed in 1933 with the opening of the Cariboo Gold Quartz Mine. In the spring of 1934 the first buildings were started, and by the end of the year there were 40 buildings completed, including a Theatre, a Hotel, and a Church, plus a Fire Brigade to help protect them.
The Wells Hotel, Sunset Theatre, St. George Studio, and the Wells Volunteer Fire Brigade invite you to join us to commemorate their 90th anniversaries together at Nonageneria: a Celebration 90 Years in the making
Tickets to this very special event are $90 and include an evening of food, drink, and entertainment, supporting four incredible organizations:
2 pm to 6 pm: Open house cocktail reception at St. George Studio
5 pm to 7 pm: Buffet dinner at the Wells Hotel
8 pm to 9 pm: Live jazz concert at Sunset Theatre
9 pm to late: Cake, mingling, and dancing at Sunset Theatre
Your ticket includes:
- a signature cocktail (or mocktail) at the St. George reception
- a gourmet buffet dinner at the Wells Hotel (prepared by our new Chef)
- tickets to a live jazz concert at Sunset Theatre
- cake and a late night snack after the concert
- a $10 donation to the Wells Volunteer Fire Brigade
The dress for the evening is Cariboo semi-formal
Please support these four amazing organizations and enjoy and evening of good food, drink, music, and company honouring their journeys to 90 years old!
Tickets are limited and on sale now at: https://the-wells-hotel.square.site/
(Youth Tickets for $45/youth are available by Contacting the Wells Hotel at 250-994-3427 or via email at info@wellshotel.com
Lifelong friends and colleagues Nico Rhodes and Patrick Courtin, shocked and appalled by the realization that piano just isn’t cool anymore, set off on a divine quest to redeem the keyboard and reinstate its reputation as the greatest instrument of ALL TIME!
Ever wonder what Patrick Courtin gets up to when he’s not tickling the ivories as resident musical director at the Theatre Royal?
Well, wonder no more!
Teaming up with his best friend Nico Rhodes, Piano Heist is a virtuosic comic tour of hundreds of years of piano history, evoking the brilliant humour of the Smothers Brothers and Victor Borge.
Tickets are $25/each
The show is 2 acts (45 minutes per act + 1 intermission @ 15 to 20 minutes)
Written and performed by Duane Forrest, this enthralling show combines storytelling, music, and audience engagement, as Duane brings to life the spirit and essence of Bob Marley's music.
Tickets are $25/each for Adults • $22.50 for Sunset Theatre 2024 Members • $15.00 for Students under 19
Silent Film as it was meant to be heard.
Enjoy live accompaniment arranged & composed by Patrick Courtin for three classic Keaton short films.
A Labour Day cornucopia of amazing music, hilarious sketch comedy, poetry, and possible nudity. All created by local Theatre Artists and Musicians.
Tickets are $20/each
Our once annual Moonrise Film Festival is back for the first time since 2019!
ANNOUNCEMENT:
This year at The Moonrise Film Festival, we continue to celebrate BC filmmakers from across the province, with 9 new award-winning short and feature films, spotlighting areas from the Cariboo, Okanagan, Kamloops, Pender Island, Greater Vancouver, and Vancouver Island. And with three traveling directors in attendance participating in candid Q&As, we’re beyond proud to share these visionary and accomplished films, once more in our beautiful Sunset Theatre in Wells, BC.
FESTIVAL PASSES ARE $40 FOR ALL 5 BLOCKS. INDIVIDUAL BLOCKS ARE $10/EACH
DAY 1
BLOCK 1 • FRIDAY, AUGUST 23 @ 8PM
MOONRISE ALUMNI FILMS + Q&A
A collection of new works by Moonrise alumni filmmakers, including a special in-progress preview of the upcoming feature film “Legacy” with director Q&A by Devan Scott.
Wok-Hei by Joel Salaysay (10min)
An Asian-Canadian mother reflects on her heritage after uncovering a forgotten family wok.
Smoke Eater by Gloria Mercer (12min)
In 1981, a young girl spends a day at the fire station with her mother, the only female firefighter on the force, and witnesses what a typical day of work looks like, for better and for worse.
SNEAK PEEK: Legacy by Willa Ross & Devan Scott (62min)
A man becomes engrossed in an audiobook while walking home on a summer night.
+ Director Q&A with Devan Scott!
DAY 2
BLOCK 2 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 @ 4PM
CARIBOO FILMS + Q&A
Films from the Cariboo! Starting with a special sneak peek of Sarah Genge’s in-progress Wells documentary, and ending with two works by director and historian Richard Wright, this block is dedicated to films that intimately explore the past, present, and future of the Cariboo as home.
The Pond: The Peace of Wild Things by Richard Wright (5min)
Images of life in a small wild pond where we can recreate and relax.
Long Road To Cariboo by Richard Wright (21min)
This is the story of the great Cariboo Waggon Road in British Columbia, and its multicultural beginnings, told through music and song.
SNEAK PEEK: In-Progress Wells Documentary by Sarah Genge (~45min)
Once a booming mine town in the 1930s, now a population of 200 people remain artists, independent prospectors, those who prefer to live in the bush, and the recently moved-in employees of the new mining development. This documentary aims to portray a snapshot of the contemporary dwellers who reside in the historic town of Wells, with all its diversity and contradictions, through a series of intimate and honest portraits of those who call it home.
DAY 2
BLOCK 3 • SATURDAY, AUGUST 24 @ 8PM
THE DUMMY FACTOR + DIRECTOR Q&A
by O. Corbin Saleken (81min)
After two neighborhood children go missing and another is followed home by a strange man, 12-year-old Noel and his friends launch an investigation. Winner of Best Feature Film (Twister Alley ‘21) and Best Director (Deep In The Heart ‘20), Corbin Saleken’s sophomore feature astutely navigates mystery, suspense, and comedy through the lens of his own childhood, with some embellishment.
Watch the trailer here.
DAY 3
BLOCK 4 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 @ 4PM
UNTIL BRANCHES BEND
by Sophie Jarvis (98min)
Set in the seemingly peaceful Okanagan, a distraught cannery worker discovers an invasive insect that could threaten the livelihood of her entire town. Winner of Best BC Film (VIFF ‘22), Until Branches Bend is a compelling debut drama from writer-director Sophie Jarvis that examines how nature can interrupt our best-laid plans.
Watch the trailer here.
DAY 3
BLOCK 5 • SUNDAY, AUGUST 25 @ 8PM
SEAGRASS
by Meredith Hama-Brown (110min)
A Japanese-Canadian woman grapples with the death of her mother as she brings her family to a retreat. When her relationship with her husband begins to impact the children's emotional security, the family is forever changed. Winner of Best BC Film and Best Director of a BC Film (Vancouver Film Critics Circle ‘24), Meredith Hama-Browne’s “mesmerizing Canadian drama tugs at the tensions we can’t bring ourselves to untangle.” -The Globe and Mail
Watch the trailer here.
All original tunes from a Wells local.
We’d hoped to feature this concert debut of all-original songs from Kelsey last year, but a wave of COVID prevented her from taking the stage. The good news is that she’s back for another swing this summer!
Tickets are $20/each
To showcase a mere soupçon of the skills of our multi-talented summer staff, we are offering a slightly shortened version of the Sunset Cabaret[te], replete with your favourites, and bolstered by the fabulous work of Emma and Lucy, current students at Studio 58 in Vancouver.
Join us for a refreshing cornucopia of songs, sketches, and our legendary Harlequin Book Battle!
On August 18 we are hosting a staged reading of a New Play created through our Sunset Theatre Exploration Series.
August 18th • 7 PM – Holding the Door Open for Famous People – Written and Performed by Karen Planden • Dramaturgy and Direction by Camille Mitchell.
The Sunset Theatre Exploration Series is supported by the BC Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
THIS SHOW IS FOR ADULTS ONLY (18+)
Since we first heard about this award-winning hit show, we’ve been keen to bring Canadian Clown Artist Candy Roberts to the Sunset stage: she’s fucking brilliant, and we are lucky to have her.
(Yes, we used the F-word, because this show is for adults.)
Roberts assumes her alter ego, LARRY, in this daring and comedic piece about one dude’s hilarious attempt at self improvement. With rock and roll, a little “life-couching”, and a dip into his own psyche, LARRY uncovers a little more than anyone expected.
Culled lovingly from the male archetypes that surrounded her during her upbringing, LARRY helps Candy compassionately examine the limitations of the gender binary, aging as a woman in society, and the complexities of being human.
This show is for anyone who is, or knows a woman. Gear-down Big-Rig, you just might bust a gut and shed a tear!
Tickets are $25/each
What's open in Wells this August Long Weekend:
* BNC Mercantile
* Diggy’s Diner
* Frog on the Bog Gifts
* Island Mountain Arts Gallery
* Jack O' Clubs General Store
* Jack O’Clubs Pub
* Jack O' Clubs Taco Stand
• Morsel’s Moveable Feast
* Peter Corbett in the St. George Studio
* SARRAS
* Sunset Theatre
* The Wells Hotel Pub & Kitchen
* The Wells Museum
Accommodation:
* Historic Stays in Wells
* Nugget Hills RV Park
* The Whitecap Motel
* The Wells Hotel
SUNSET THEATRE • 7PM • KIDS SONGWRITING SHOWCASE
BLAIR STREET BRIDGE • 8:15PM • RIVER WALK WITH CHERYL CHAPMAN AND MIKE RETASKET
SUNSET THEATRE • 9PM • MEG IREDALE
SUNSET THEATRE • 10PM • SUNSET SPEAKEASY
SUNSET THEATRE • 11AM TO 1PM • SATURDAY MORNING ALL YOU CAN EAT CEREAL AND CARTOON PARTY
SUMMIT • 3PM TO 5PM • EVANN CAMPBELL PORTRAIT PIECES (DROP IN VISUAL ART ACTIVITY)
SUMMIT • 4PM • BOB CAMPBELL
SUNSET THEATRE • 8PM • SHELDER THE ELECTRIC CLAMFISH
SUNSET THEATRE • 9PM • TALEL MCBRIAR
THE WELLS HOTEL PUB • 8PM • INTERSTELLAR JAYS
THE WELLS HOTEL PUB • 10PM • PSEUDOS
JACK O’ CLUBS PUB • 8PM TO 1AM • KARAOKE
SARRAS • 10AM TO 11AM • YOGA WITH JEN RAY (BRING YOUR OWN MAT)
SCHOOL FIELD / COMMUNITY FOREST • 12:30PM TO 3PM • INTRO TO DISC GOLF
THE WELLS HOTEL PUB • 8PM TO 10PM • TRIVIA WITH RYAN SCHMITT
SARRAS • 8PM • PALLMER
SUNSET THEATRE • 9:30PM • SAM TUDOR
SUNSET THEATRE • 10:30PM • SUNSET SPEAKEASY
WELLS IS OPEN AND SO IS THE SUNSET THEATRE!
WE ARE THRILLED TO BE ABLE TO PRESENT “WHERE IS GRISE FIORD” AT THE SUNSET THEATRE NOW THAT OUR EVACUATION ORDER HAS BEEN DOWNGRADED.
SEE YOU AT THE SUNSET ON MONDAY, JULY 29TH AND TUESDAY, JULY 30TH!
Showtime is 8PM
Tickets are $20.00 - Available Online at the Ticket Tab, or you can send an e-transfer to sunsettheatre@gmail.com
The Running Time of the show is 90 minutes with one intermission
“I’m not going to wear my tooth all the time,” he said. “Only for special occasions.”
A staged reading by Dennis Hawkins-Bogle about his rich experiences in the high arctic.
Former Wells resident and former Wells-Barkerville School principal, Dennis Hawkins-Bogle, brings a staged reading about his rich, challenging and deep experiences while teaching in the high arctic to the Sunset Theatre stage.
Dennis is a storyteller, writer and educator. His career in education took him to Denetia School in Lower Post, the most northerly school in B.C., the Wells-Barkerville School in Wells, B.C., as well as Ummimak School in Grise Fiord, the most northerly school in Canada. Dennis’ stories capture the simple and honest nuances of the human experience. His stories are thoughtful, playful, educational, and full of grace and wonder. Listeners will be embraced by heart-felt stories overflowing with humour, love and compassion set in one of the most extreme living environments on earth. Dennis revels in the beauty and simplicity of truth juxtaposed with beliefs and contradictions of the imagination. Dennis makes his home in Campbell River, B.C. with his husband Stephen, where he walks the dog, does yoga, and cold water plunges in the Salish Sea
And if you don’t, you will also love these stories.
Tickets are $20/each/$18 for Sunset Theatre Members/$10 for Students under 18
CANCELLED DUE TO THE WELLS WILDFIRE EVACUATION ORDER
UPDATE July 26th - We are now back to an Evacuation Alert but because most of Cabaret Performers are only getting back to Wells this coming weekend, we will not have time to put Cabaret together for tomorrow, July 27th. We will host a few more Cabarets before the Summer is over!
Join us for a sneak preview of all the fun, music and general silliness that Cabaret will bring to the ArtsWells Festival!
Tickets are $20/each
THIS PERFORMANCE HAS BEEN POSTPONED DUE TO WILDFIRES. WE HOPE TO BE ABLE TO HOST SHIRLEY LATER IN THE YEAR, IF POSSIBLE.
WARNING: THIS SHOW IS FOR ADULTS.
A long-time ArtsWells favourite, this multi-award-winning singer and storyteller brings to the stage her all-original, bawdy, in-your-face songs of biting social satire and keen observational humour concerning sexual mores and challenging the stereotypical traditional restrictions faced by women in our culture. Her clever and subversive lyrics go down smooth with her gorgeous vocals, disarming you through topics both provocative and silly. She’s received rave reviews, awards, and sell-out shows in five different countries. She's been featured on CBC’s The Debaters, and her latest release Decoxification was nominated for a Juno Award for Comedy Album of the Year 2021.
(This show is adult-oriented, and is 18+)
Tickets: $25.00 for Adults/$22.50 for Sunset Members
“A joyful rebellion against rigid femininity, constrictive sexuality and what it means
to be a ‘lady’”
– She Does The City, Toronto
★★★★★
"The Queen troubadour of intelligent black-comic sex balladry”
– Edmonton Sun
Join us this weekend for the screening of two much beloved 80s "Classic" films and a Round Robin Movie Trivia Contest after each film.
Friday, July 19th @ 8PM • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Sat. July 20th @ 8PM - Back to the Future
Tickets $10/film for Age 14 +, $5.00 for Wells Kids
About the Films:
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ferris_buellers_day_off/videos/AhhpYzFtoZ4o
Rating: PG 13
Running Time: 1 hour and 43 minutes
Synopsis:
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris' trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch him in the act.
Back to the Future (1985)
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour and 56 minutes
Synopsis:
In this 1980s sci-fi classic, small-town California teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is thrown back into the '50s when an experiment by his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) goes awry. Traveling through time in a modified DeLorean car, Marty encounters young versions of his parents (Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson), and must make sure that they fall in love or he'll cease to exist. Even more dauntingly, Marty has to return to his own time and save the life of Doc Brown.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/back_to_the_future
Join us this weekend for the screening of two much beloved 80s "Classic" films and a Movie Trivia Contest after each film.
Friday, July 19th @ 8PM • Ferris Bueller's Day Off
Sat. July 20th @ 8PM - Back to the Future
Tickets $10/film for Age 14 +, $5.00 for Wells Kids
About the Films:
Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1986)
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/ferris_buellers_day_off/videos/AhhpYzFtoZ4o
Rating: PG 13
Running Time: 1 hour and 43 minutes
Synopsis:
Ferris Bueller (Matthew Broderick) has an uncanny skill at cutting classes and getting away with it. Intending to make one last duck-out before graduation, Ferris calls in sick, "borrows" a Ferrari, and embarks on a one-day journey through the streets of Chicago. On Ferris' trail is high school principal Rooney (Jeffrey Jones), determined to catch him in the act.
Back to the Future (1985)
Rating: PG
Running Time: 1 hour and 56 minutes
Synopsis:
In this 1980s sci-fi classic, small-town California teen Marty McFly (Michael J. Fox) is thrown back into the '50s when an experiment by his eccentric scientist friend Doc Brown (Christopher Lloyd) goes awry. Traveling through time in a modified DeLorean car, Marty encounters young versions of his parents (Crispin Glover, Lea Thompson), and must make sure that they fall in love or he'll cease to exist. Even more dauntingly, Marty has to return to his own time and save the life of Doc Brown.
https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/back_to_the_future
Like only a family band can, their harmonies are pure and true. Come see them deliver a range of music from mash-up rockers, to slow and ponderous classic folk. These folk have it all.
“Far and away the revelation of this session was the Janzen Boys, a family trio from Winnipeg. Their songs were strong, and their harmonies were out of this world.”
– Roots Music Canada
The year: 1996. The location: 11-year-old Megz' basement. The reason: a Grease & Grease 2 marathon party... you're invited!
Welcome to this one-woman world of whimsy, where Greased-Lightning-meets-Cool-Rider! It's Grease and Grease 2, all smooshed together in a musical love letter where you can be even more what you feel.
Join us for a 70 minute immersive multi-media theatre experience that transports the audience into a world which takes the insular and isolating experience of anxiety and transforms it into a love story.
A unique talent, his beautifully crafted material showcases his incredible, distinctive and intricate fingerstyle guitar-work and his gently nuanced, compelling tenor vocals.
This is such a delightful show. Come experience a rare wordless performance (with non-coercive audience participation) of real science, delivered by real scientists (who also happen to be actors).
Small Matters Theatre Company are coming to us from Edmonton, Alberta and this show is so great it is back by popular demand. This is a Family friendly show so bring the whole gang.
THE TEST - FIRESMART DOCUMENTARY
Come enjoy an evening at the Sunset Theatre to view The Test, a documentary about wildfire resilience! There will be some light appetizers and non alcoholic beverages provided!
Details
June 18, 2024, doors open at 6:30, film starts at 7:00
Sunset Theatre
Cost: FREE • Sponsored by the District of Wells as a Community Event.
Please join us at the Sunset Theatre for the inaugural production of Meadows of Stone, which was created through The Sunset Theatre's Exploration Series with funding from the BC Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
This beautiful brand new musical is written and performed by Amy Lee Newman and Jim Hodgkinson with original music & lyrics by Jim Hodgkinson. Director: Dirk Van Stralen. Stage Manager; Lou Marshall.
This workshop production will run from Thursday, June 13th to Sunday, June 16th.
OPENING NIGHT - Thursday, June 13 @ 8PM
Friday, June 14 @ 8PM
Saturday, June 15 @ 8PM
CLOSING PERFORMANCE - Sunday, June 16 @ 2PM
TICKETS: $20/$18/$10
Synopsis: Set in the summer of 1918 this brand new musical explores themes of resilience, love and friendship for two people who experience the most exciting chapter in their lives when they least expect it. Inspired by true events, the play tells the story of Valance Maguire and Gabriel Arnott who each join up to try and find loved ones who are missing in action. While in France, their paths cross and they discover a mutual love of music, which leads them unexpectedly to the answers they’ve been seeking.
See you at the Sunset!
Join us on Saturday, May 18th @ 8PM for the announcement of our 2024/2025 Season Offerings.
We have a fabulous line up of live performances planned with some incredible artists, and we can’t wait to share it with you.
Sunset Theatre Memberships will be available too, which will give you a 10% discount on every 2024 performance.
See you at the Sunset!
We had a fabulous evening celebrating Canadian Film with a screening of the Wells Kids Movie Making Camp Short Films. West Side Wells: A Tale of Two Mayors and A Miner Inconvenience. And our Feature was Blackberry.
Thanks to Reels Canada for including us in the National Line up of Canadian Film Offerings, and thanks to the community members who came out to support.
#see you at Next years National Film Day!
We wanted to let you know about the fabulous Artists we have working at the Sunset Theatreright now as part of our 2024 Exploration Series, which is made possibly by funding from the BC Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts.
Some of you may remember Amy Braun and Ian Griffiths who make up the fabulous musical duo, Half/Asian with Amy the CODA. They have been joined by writer Miwa Hiroe in the creation of a new mulit-disciplinary play called Hallowed Be Thy. (Theatre, Music, Dance, Mask). They arrived April 6 and will be with us until April 15th.
On Saturday, April 13th @ 7PM at the Sunset Theatre, they would like to share the script that they've been creating this past week. We have a great group of local actors who will be reading the script, which is in its 1st stage of development.
Thank you to Danette Bee, Elyssia Sasaki, Megan Bunting-Fox, Ryan Schmitt, Alex Judd and Julia Mackey for their talents and time.
Come and Join us if you can. Saturday, April 13th @ 7PM. The reading will be about 30 to 40 minutes followed by discussion about the story, which will help the artists figure out the next phase of development.
Admission is By Donation
The Exploration Series is at the heart of the work we do at the Sunset Theatre.
Thanks to funding from the BC Arts Council and the Canada Council for the Arts & Dept. of Canadian Heritage, we are able to support Canadian Artists in the Creation of New Work.
We are excited for you to join us this Friday, March 29th @ 8PM for the very first public reading of Brendan McLeod's brand new show!
Brendan McLeod (writer, performer) and Julia Course (director) are here in Wells as part of our 2024 Exploration Series, working on their newest collaboration — a one-person show centered on the climate crisis, capitalism, and the nature of reality. If that sounds dire, don't worry, it's supposed to be a comedy.
Julia and Brendan's previous collaboration was Ridge, a Globe and Mail Top Ten Arts Event of 2020. Brendan has also been here before with his JUNO-nominated folk group The Fugitives.
They'd love people to come listen, give feedback, and help them wade through the murky artistic territory of doing this show for the very first time ever!
The reading is @ 60 minutes and will be followed with a Q&A to help give feedback to Brendan and Julia. This is always a really helpful part of the creative process for artists to ask Questions of the audience and get feedback on their new work.
See you at the Sunset!
Island Mountain Arts - Kids Movie Makers Camp!
THURSDAY, MARCH 28TH @ is the big night!
Don't miss the WORLD PREMIERE at the Sunset Theatre, starting at 7:00 PM. Get ready to be entertained by our Young Moviemakers who are about to steal the spotlight with their awesome new films. It's going to be an amazing evening filled with screenings and engaging conversations with these rising stars.
Entry is free, with donations welcomed!
We want to give a shoutout to all the Parents, Local Businesses, the District of Wells, Instructors Demi and Sebastian, and IMA liaison Amanda for going above and beyond to make this week so special. And of course, we couldn't have made it happen without the generous support from the Province of British Columbia. Thank you all for making this incredible event possible!
ID: A grid image of 7 youth in 5 different scenes for their upcoming film premiere of "A Wellsside Story"
