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ARTS BRIEFS: Coquitlam playwright shortlisted for The F Words

A Coquitlam actor, writer, director and producer is on the shortlist for Theatre BC's playwright competition. Yvette Dudley-Newman was named a finalist in the one-act category for her piece, The F Words.

A Coquitlam actor, writer, director and producer is on the shortlist for Theatre BC's playwright competition.

Yvette Dudley-Newman was named a finalist in the one-act category for her piece, The F Words. She is up against Prince George's Rob Ziegler (The Memory Makers) for the title and $750 prize.

The winner will be announced next month.

TO INFINITY AND BEYOND

A Canadian new classical quartet whose CDs were played in outer space by NASA astronaut Robert Thirsk will land in Coquitlam this week.

The Toronto-based Quartetto Gelato better known as Peter DeSotto (tenor, violin, mandolin), Liza McLellan (cello, bass), Alexander Sevastian (accordion, piano) and Colin Maier (oboe, clarinet, English horn, guitar, mandolin, piano, saw) will perform at the Evergreen Cultural Centre on Friday at 8 p.m.

The Juno- and Gemini-nominated ensemble was named Best Classical Group at the 10th annual Independent Music Awards during Canadian Music Week in 2010.

Tickets for their May 15 show are $35/$30/$15 by calling the box office at 604-927-6555 or visitingevergreenculturalcentre.ca

POCO CANDIDATE IN FARCE

A Port Coquitlam resident who ran for a school trustee job in last fall's election stars in the season finale for Vagabond Players next month.

Liam Coughlan appears in Lend Me a Tenor, a farce by playwright Ken Ludwig about the hectic world of opera management. Coughlan plays the world-renowned tenor, Tito Merelli, who signs on to play Otello at a Cleveland opera company in 1934.

The singing role isn't much of a stretch for Coughlan, who sings regularly with the Greater Vancouver Gentlemen of Fortune. He also returns to the Bernie Legge stage in New Westminster, having previously appeared in Vagabond's More Fawlty Towers.

Tickets for Lend Me a Tenor are $15/$13 from June 4 to 27, with previews on June 4 and 5 for $10. Call 604-521-0412 or emailreservations@vagabondplayers.ca.

ALL THAT JAZZ

A Port Coquitlam saxophonist and film composer is up for a Western Canada Music Award for jazz recording of the year.

Eli Bennett is nominated for his debut album Breakthrough, competing against five other musicians or groups for the accolade: A/B Trio (Out West); Jill Barber (Fool's Gold); Paul Keeling (Ancient Lights); The Writers' Guild (Based on a True Story); and Tyler Hornby (Launch).

The winner will be named in September.

Bennett is a four-time Leo-nominated film composer who has played the Grammy Awards twice and shared the stage with the likes of the late Oscar Peterson, Hank Jones, Barry Harris, Terence Blanchard and Dave Holland.

Breakthrough was released on Addo Records last October.

OUTSTANDING X2

Young thespians at a Port Coquitlam high school clinched two awards at the Sears BC Drama Festival this month.

Adjudicator Jane Heyman chose Terry Fox secondary for Outstanding Ensemble Work and Outstanding Production Design and Execution for its show Women and Wallace.

Directed by Fox drama teacher Dan Tilsley, the cast included: Adam Bach, Moriah Davey, Vanessa Locke, Hailey Kragelj, Sam Stouten, Laura Carpentier, Sydney Scott, Natalia Dziekciowski and Lakeerrah Roseman.

Terry Fox was selected as the School District 43 representative following the one-act MetFest competition at Riverside secondary last December.

BE MINDFUL

The public has until Thursday to cast its ballot for the People's Choice Award in the first annual youth art exhibition at Port Coquitlam's Leigh Square Community Arts Village.

Curator Diane Moran said nearly 100 people attended the opening reception for Mindfulness in May: The Silence of Stigma exhibit, in the Michael Wright Art Gallery at Leigh Square (behind PoCo city hall).

The show about mental health awareness closes on May 14.

JR. CELLIST

A six-year-old cellist from Port Moody scored some hardware at last month's Vancouver Kiwanis Music Festival.

Linus Fong won the Leslie Ponich Medallion for most outstanding performance for a cellist up to eight years old as well as the Vancouver Cello Club Junior Cello Concert Group Medallion.

Fong received his awards at the 2015 Junior Gala Matinee Concert at the Norman Rothstein Theatre in Vancouver last Saturday.

FONG DEMO

Art Focus Artists' Association will host its last public demonstration of the season, featuring an award-winning Chinese watercolour painter.

Canadian Federation of Artists member Eileen Fong will show her skills on Wednesday, May 27 at 7 p.m. in The Outlet at Leigh Square Community Arts Village (behind PoCo city hall).

There is no cost for admission.

jwarren@tricitynews.com