Jaskwaan Bedard sang and spoke power in a poem that resonated with the Colten Boushie case. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)
It was the golden ticket on Haida Gwaii this Saturday night — a seat at the 16th annual Valentino Cabaret.
Featuring a half-dozen talented singers, poets, and dancers, not to mention the immeasurable Size Doesn’t Matter, a seven-act tragicomedy about a tiny woman named Watermelon, the annual adults’ night-out sold out in no time and brought lots of support to the Tidal Elements Whole School Society.
Founded in 2001, the non-profit charity aims to provide alternatives to mainstream education on Haida Gwaii, offering programs such as theatre camps, trips to Limestone Island and Explorer’s Team for preschoolers.
Supporters of this year’s Cabaret included the Gwaii Trust Society, which helped support the play, and over a dozen hard-working, off-stage volunteers.
Apples plays for a candlelit crowd. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Andrew Merilees landed a lotta jokes with his inestimable co-emcee Chris Ashurst, including an ad-lib on Masset potholes and several jokes a mayor can’t get away with any other day of the year. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Phoebe Dykstra performs her Valentino’s debut, a spoken-word poem accompanied by Vernon Williams. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Andrew Merilees, right, hams it up with co-emcee Chris Ashurst. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Kirsten Oike shows she’s one Tlell of a dancer. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Kirsten Oike shows she’s one Tlell of a dancer. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Fatinah Aztar’s “Alluring Flowers” brought a dazzling piece from the Middle East. From left are dancers Crystal Smith, Leila Willis Newton, and Raven Ann Potschka. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)(Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Andre Johnstone and Luke Borserio opened with poetry, and finished with some special healing courtesy of Marvin Gaye. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Deranged parents Etchi Zaleski and Nick Reynolds looked next-to-normal after the little people showed up in Size Doesn’t Matter , a comedic opus by the sometimes helium-ated Chris Williams. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Dave McLean tells the super sad story of the time he was forever changed by an alien shrink ray. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)(Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Whatever church Dan Binnema preaches for in Size Doesn’t Matter , it’s very forgiving of murder. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)Awash in the romance of the Golden Spruce Motel, Dave McLean sports a loupe for a long-awaited wedding night with very, very short bride, Watermelon. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)The happy issue of the strange marriage in Size Doesn’t Matter arrived fully bearded. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)The last act of Size Doesn’t Matter featured what is hopefully the first funeral selfie in the history of mankind. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)A kiss in the audience helps the family shake its short-lasting grief. (Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)(Andrew Hudson/Haida Gwaii Observer)
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