Speaker A

A new collaboration between Vanessa Kwan and Theatre Replacement.

A permanent sound installation that will eventually live in the breezeway of a new development at 2nd Ave and Main Street, Speaker A includes three distinct audio tracks, playing from three specialized directional speakers, installed at specific locations. The speakers produce a highly controlled sound “column” that visitors can walk into and out of at will.

Playing from the speakers are a series of collaborative texts/stories, gleaned from 14 writers from around the city. Each track will have a distinct focus, and the resulting narratives playing in varying sequences will mean no two experiences will be the same.

The narratives are about change and loss and restlessness — and about how we care for the things around us. We hope to create a public experience around many of the emotions that arise for us daily as we contend with a changing landscape, a beleaguered environment, and how we might equally embrace our ability to enact care. Speaker A writers include: Lorna Brown, Tim Carlson, Justine Chambers, Amber Dawn, Amiel Gladstone, Hiromi Goto, Whess Harman, Aryo Khakpour, Vanessa Kwan, James Long, Lili Robinson, Faith Sparrow-Crawford, Cease Wyss and Maiko Yamamoto.

Concept: Vanessa Kwan, Maiko Yamamoto and James Long
Sound Design: Antoine Bedard
Technical Director: Colin Griffiths
Programming: Remy Siu
Recording Engineer: Jesse Gander at Raincity Recorders
Producer: Corbin Murdoch

Voices included in Speaker A are: Norman Armour, Lorna Brown, Amber Dawn, Fumiko Enns, Whess Harman, Aryo Khakpour, Vanessa Kwan, Lee Su-Feh, James Long, Lili Robinson, Donna Soares, Quelemia Sparrow, Gina Stockdale, Conor Wylie and Maiko Yamamoto.