Puente Theatre’s

GRUFF

Created by Mercedes Bátiz-Benét, Judd Palmer, and Brooke Maxwell

A KALEIDOSCOPE THEATRE FOR YOUNG PEOPLE PRODUCTION

AUGUST 22- SEPTEMBER 6, 2020

Performing Outdoors in Parks around Greater Victoria

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ABOUT THE SHOW

A puppet musical for families about what happens when the grass really is greener on the other side.

Gruff tells the story of two goats, one wealthy with plenty to eat, and one poor goat with nothing. A hideous troll has taken up residence under the bridge separating the lush green lands of the Rich Goat from the barren waste on the other side of the craggy chasm. The promised land is forever unattainable! The troll is soon recruited to join the side of the underclass, but when the revolution is won, the victors become tyrants, and it’s up to the troll to find a way to break the cycle of greed. Finally, everybody agrees that the green grass is for everybody to enjoy, and that sharing and friendship are the true lessons. Gruff is a timely parable about immigration, friendship, sharing, and individuality created by three celebrated Canadian theatre artists.

RUNNING TIME: 60 Minutes with No Intermission.

Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People is supported by the Government of Canada’s Emergency Community Support Fund and Victoria Foundation.

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PERFORMANCE SCHEDULE

Performances Take Place Outdoors at Parks Around Greater Victoria.

Performances Daily at 2:00pm and 4:30pm!

- August 22-23 – Dominion Brook Park (North Saanich / Sidney)
- August 26-30 – Elk / Beaver Lake Park Filter Beds (Saanich)
- September 3 – Ed Macgregor Park (Sooke)
- September 4-6 – BC Government House (Victoria)

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FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

How Much Does It Cost?

GRUFF is free of charge! That said, we do gratefully accept donations. Every donation helps us to keep making quality theatre accessible to all. You can donate by cash, cheque or credit card, onsite or online. Ask one of our Audience Services Staff how you can donate today. Due to COVID-19, Seating is limited and all audience members require a ticket.

Do I Need to Reserve In Advance?

Reservations are strongly encouraged. Due to COVID-19 we have a maximum capacity of 40 audience members at one time. Parties will be physically distanced apart from each other when seated. You are welcome to drop by our Box Office tent on the day of to reserve in person if there is still available space. All audience members are required to have tickets and their contact information on file.

What Happens if It Rains?

The show still goes on outdoors if it drizzles or has intermittent rain. We will stop the show if it poses a threat to the safety of our performers or to the audience (downpour, lightning, thunderstorm, etc). We will keep you updated on our website and social media channels should the show be cancelled.

Can I Bring A Lawn Chair?

Absolutely! You can bring your own lawn chairs or blankets to enjoy the show.

Is There An Accessible Area?

The accessibility of each show depends somewhat on the park itself. No matter where we are, one of our friendly Audience Services Staff members will be happy to assist you in finding an appropriate spot. Patrons who might require or want extra assistance can call us at 250-383-8124 to reserve an area in advance.

Are Dogs Allowed?

While most of the parks we perform at accept pets, we ask that you leave your canine companion at home. Dogs are often scared by our larger than life Goat masks, and the last thing we want is to scare your furry friend, or have one of our performers attacked.

How Many People Will You Allow To Attend?

In keeping with the order of the Provincial Health Officer for Mass Gatherings, audiences for Gruff will be limited to 40 people.

What Safety Protocols Have You Put in Place to Ensure both Audience and Artist Safety?

The health, safety, and wellbeing of our artists, staff, and patrons is of the utmost importance.

Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People has assessed our operations in order to identify places where the risk of transmission is introduced and has created a robust Safety Plan to ensure the safety of artists and patrons.

Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People’s (KTYP) Safety Plan is informed by WorkSafe BC’s Performing Arts: Protocols for Returning to Operation Arts, BC’s Restart Plan: Next Steps to Move BC Through the Pandemic, the BC COVID-19 Go-Forward Management Strategy, and is also in keeping with BC’s COVID-19 Go-Forward Management Checklist and information on WorkSafe BC’s COVID-19 Information and Resources and COVID-19 Frequently Asked Questions websites.

Can I Get Tickets on the Day of the Performnace?

If there are tickets remaining, walk up ticket sales are allowed. You will still need to register with our Box Office staff, and provide contact information for Contact tracing purposes. Seating is extremely limited, and some locations are very popular. We suggest booking your tickets early to guarantee your spot.

What if a show is "sold out"?

Your desired performance time may already be “sold out”. Please keep checking back, as we do see lots of movement and changes with tickets. Often, people reserve more seats than they need, have a member of their group stay home, or decide they no longer can attend. Online ticket availability does fluctuate often.

If someone has a pre-reserved tickets and they do not show up 5 minutes before the scheduled start time of their performance, their tickets will be released to a will-call list. The will call list will be taken starting 1 hour prior to each performance, and any available seating will be made available at the scheduled start time of the performance. If you are really wanting to catch the show, come on down 1 hour before the show to add your name to the will call list and cross your fingers to make it in. Even through we are outdoors in a public park, we are keeping our audience numbers to a maximum capacity of 40.

How Will You Ensure Physical Distancing?

The Kaleidoscope Audience Services team will help seat all audience members prior to the performance. Groups will be distanced from each other and be seated in pre-determined and pre-measured areas within the audience area. Audiences will be kept at least 12 feet away from all performers.

Can I Bring My Own Food?

Totally. We encourage you to do so! A pre-show picnic will make your experience that much more enjoyable. No food will be sold or served on site.

What Else Should I Bring?

We recommend you bring a light sweater or blanket as it sometimes can get chilly as some of our performance sites are close to the ocean. An umbrella or rain jacket is an excellent thing to pack in case of unexpected light drizzle.

What If I’m Not Sure I Will Like It?

You are more than welcome to leave at any moment if you realize the show is not for you (although there are singing Goats…. What’s not to love?)

Is There An Intermission?

No. Gruff has a running time of 60 minutes with no intermission.

Are The Actors Paid?

Yes, they are! We are a professional theatre company and a member of PACT (Professional Association of Canadian Theatre). The actors are professional actors and are paid at CAEA (Canadian Actors’ Equity Association) industry standard. The Actors, Director, and Stage Managers are all engaged under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement. Actually, our entire team (crew, actors, stage managers, and staff) are paid. We do, however, also have a lot of volunteers who help us out in many ways.

Do My Donations Go To The Actors?

Not directly. The actors earn a salary as professional artists paid to them by Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People. Money donated goes to Kaleidoscope, a registered charitable organization, which then pays the actor a set salary as determined in their contract.

Are the actors children or adults?

Kaleidoscope Theatre for Young People is a professional theatre company, a member of the Professional Association of Canadian Theatres, and engages professional artists who are members of the Canadian Actors’ Equity Association under the terms of the Canadian Theatre Agreement.

Gruff is performed by 3 professional adult actors.