![Aurora Chan portrays a willing immigrant to some new and unknown location in life, within one’s mind, or to somewhere else in space in "The Theory of Everything" at the Vancouver Roundhouse.](http://cdn2-b.examiner.com/sites/default/files/styles/image_content_width/hash/c6/f8/c6f8537ca0494262da1852f69e44163c.png?itok=gAwZ1Daz "Aurora Chan portrays a willing immigrant to some new and unknown location in life, within one’s mind, or to somewhere else in space in "The Theory of Everything" at the Vancouver Roundhouse.")
From January 9 to 12, 2013, Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre (VACT) will stage its inaugural Master Class production of Prince Gomolvilas’ “The Theory of Everything” at the Roundhouse Performance Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia. The 2001 PEN Center USA Literary Award-winning play explores the comedic struggles of seven Asian-American characters for whom UFO skywatching from the rooftop of a Las Vegas wedding chapel inspires a search for the deeper meaning of life.
Local artist Aurora Chan gave an exclusive interview that aired on the Jan. 4, 2013, edition of “UFOAM: Today’s Top UFO News” where she shared insights into her role as the Thai-American character Patty. “Acting is a highly risky and vulnerable activity,” the 2008 Etch-Your-Sketch 2! SKETCHOFF!#$%!! competition winner explained.
The long-time Vancouver resident told the UFOAM audience how, from her perspective, performing on stage is about removing one’s personal defenses in order to experience the world from the unsophisticated perspective of a child. “You let yourself get hurt. You let yourself get affected.”
On Dec. 26, 2012, VACT founder and artistic director Joyce Lam told the Vancouver Sun how “Theory,” written by the current Acting Director of the Master of Professional Writing Program at the University of Southern California, features monologues from “seven strong characters.”
But is it controversial or simply naive to stage in Vancouver, British Columbia, an emotionally charged opening scene where Aurora Chan’s character discloses the desire to be a willing participant in an abduction scenario?
Missing Intelligence
In a city still reeling from the already suspect Missing Women’s Inquiry into the disappearance of women from vulnerable populations in the city’s impoverished Downtown Eastside, the politics behind using such a literary device to advance the play’s reported storyline remain open to question.
According to a Dec. 19, 2012 news article that first appeared in the Vancouver Sun, “Some relatives of the missing women, who felt ignored by police, let down by the justice system, and left out of [former Attorney General of British Columbia Wally] Oppal's inquiry, aren't convinced vulnerable women will be safer as a result of the report.”
In a post dated March 13, 2012, local activist Kevin Annett described how the former Attorney General once “helped derail repeated inquiries into hundreds of missing aboriginal women,” portraying the multi-million dollar inquiry as “an investigation into [Wally Oppal’s] police buddies who regularly rape and kill women on Vancouver’s streets.”
Live UFO News Weekdays
Click here to watch “Aurora Chan on UFOAM: Today’s Top UFO News,” in an exclusive interview where the lead from the films "Ripples," "1000 Paper Dolls" and "Peaches," joins host Jon Kelly for a wide-ranging discussion covering the nature of acting, dreaming, out-of-body experiences, the universal role of transformation in seeking personal identity, her character "Patty," portraying abduction in a world stricken by human rights violations and much more.
UFOAM is an online public UFO news forum providing access to informed discussions, opportunities to receive feedback and answers to questions concerning one of the world's most intriguing subjects: the mystery of UFO phenomena. Host and moderator Jon Kelly is joined by special guests including veteran experiencers, authors and videographers who drop by to share their latest insights in a lively half hour online broadcast.
A Literary Device
Examples of abduction used as a literary device to set the stage for epic adventure can be found in the original “Star Wars,” the tale of Persephone from Greek mythology and the Sanskrit Ramayana.
When former staff reporter for the New York Times Jayson Blair “lifted material from other news sources,” his plagiarism evoked the ethical equivalent of kidnapping (as understood etymologically by the Latin root of the term, plagiarius, which means “kidnapper.”)
Feng Shui Forces
According to Aurora Chan, the characters portrayed in Prince Gomolvilas’ “The Theory of Everything” struggle through lives where the prospect of being abducted by extraterrestrials represents their collective aspiration for surrender to seemingly irrational Feng shui-like forces.
While denying any connection between events leading to the Missing Women’s Inquiry and the portrayal of abduction in the play, the Vancouver-based artist understands the onstage representation as a symbol for being taken from one’s current situation as a willing immigrant to some new and unknown location in life, within one’s mind, or to somewhere else in space.
Get Your Tickets
Tickets to the Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre Master Class production of Prince Gomolvilas’ “The Theory of Everything” starring Alvin Tran, Aurora Chan, Quynh Mi, BC Lee, Isaac Kwok, Linda Leong Sum, and Yvette Lu at the Roundhouse Performance Centre in Vancouver, British Columbia are available online now at the Vancouver Asian Canadian Theatre website for the following dates and show times:
Jan. 9, 8:00 p.m. – Pay-What-You-Can Preview
Jan. 10 & 11, 8:00 p.m. – advance tickets $15 adult / $10 student/senior or $20 cash at door
Jan. 12, 2:00 p.m. & 8:00 p.m. – advance tickets $15 adult / $10 student/senior or $20 cash at door
Night Vision Skywatch
Click here to watch “Live UFO Night Vision Skywatch for Jan. 2, 2013,” a video to transport the mind with no human rights violations required: “Raw video feed from a live Vancouver, British Columbia night vision skywatch featuring a live electronic music soundtrack.”
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