Here & There: Edgy Canadian theater awaits

I’m in a bit of a quandary.

They call it Festival 07, which is not particularly clever.

But the headline on their news release says: “The Belfry Theatre – Bigger Than Jesus.”

Now, that’s a real eye-catcher. And of course the British spelling makes it all the more interesting.

So I’ll just leave it to you to decide if this is a promising celebration of Canadian creativity.

The release certainly would have you think so, calling the Belfry Theatre “edgy, audacious and innovative.” Founded in 1974 in Victoria, B.C., the Belfry focuses on contemporary work, producing 12 plays a year in a restored heritage church.

Festival 07, which runs through April 1, mounts original Canadian material – including “Bigger Than Jesus,” which CBC Radio recommends for “anyone with an inquiring mind, who loves theatre that is edgy, intelligent and thought-provoking.”

They’re very big with “edgy” in Canada, evidently.

Belfry 101, a program for high school juniors and seniors from local schools, leads participants through five workshops. Over spring break, they’ll create an original work for debut on March 25.

The event also features what’s being billed as a “festival within a festival.” The Puente Meli Festival, March 26 to April 1, features four one-woman shows with immigrant women from different cultures.

“Chile Con Carne” explores the experience of a family of Chilean refugees; “Emergence” tells the life story of poet Krystal Cook, a Kwakwaka’wakw woman; “Uthe/Athe” recounts the rebellion of a young woman raised in a strict Indian household; and “Patriot in Search of a Country” follows a Chinese/Filipino/Canadian singer’s search for identity.

There’s more information about the festival at www.belfry.bc.ca. You can purchase tickets, which start at $15, online or by calling (250) 385-6815.

The play’s the bling

If you’d like to spend more than $15 to see a play, I know someone who can accommodate you.

The “Tonight’s the Night!” package at Portland’s Heathman Hotel runs a cool $5,000 for a night in the Grand Suite, something they call a “welcome amenity” (which I hope is dipped in gold), and two premium tickets to a Portland Center Stage production at its new home in the Gerding Theater at the Armory.

Plus, that exclamation point.

Before you head out with those premium tickets – in a private limousine, no less – you’ll tuck away a five-course dinner for two prepared by the Heathman’s James Beard award-winning chef, Philippe Boulot. He’ll tell you what wine to drink, too.

Once at the Gerding, you’ll take a personal, pre-performance tour and gather up your first-edition framed poster autographed by the cast.

As for the plays, the rest of the season looks like this: “The Pillowman” by Martin McDonagh, August Wilson’s “Fences,” and “Bad Dates” by Theresa Rebeck. The Heathman’s package is available through the end of the season, June 10.

For five G’s, you’d better get breakfast, and indeed you do. And it’s not a lousy continental breakfast, either. It’s a “full” breakfast.

“Tonight’s the Night!” is so very exclusive you won’t find any information about it on the Heathman’s Web site (www.heathmanhotel.com). But you will learn about packages available to lesser mortals, if you’re so inclined.

To reserve your place at the pricey play, call the hotel directly at (503) 241-4100.

Hit the Rodin

Let’s get back to Victoria. On April 6, the Art Gallery of Great Victoria opens “Rodin: A Magnificent Obsession.”

The Iris and B. Gerald Cantor Foundation, holders of the world’s largest private Rodin collection, will loan works to the gallery through July 29. A comprehensive retrospective, the exhibit encompasses more than 60 bronzes, works on paper, photographs and portraits.

You’ll also have the chance to screen “Rodin: The Gates of Hell,” which recounts his attempts to cast this ambitious sculpture – a feat he was unable to complete in his lifetime.

According to the gallery, Rodin was one of the first artists to maintain that the human figure held meaning in and of itself and could thereby constitute a complete work of art.

“Rodin: A Magnificent Obsession” runs through July 29. You’ll find more information at www.aggv.bc.ca or by calling (250) 384-4101.

Regional events

“Wooden Show Tulip Festival, March 20 to April 22, Woodburn, Ore. With more than 40 acres of tulips and daffodils, you’ll find plenty to cut or photograph. The festival also offers food, wine tasting, children’s activities, bulbs for sale, craft fairs and Easter sunrise services. (www.woodenshoe.com/800-711-2006)

“American Indian Council of MSU Pow Wow, April 13-14, Bozeman. The annual event comes complete with traditional dancing, foods, arts and crafts, social dancing and dance contests. (www.visitmt.com/406-994-3751)