Unexpecting celebrates queer love, modern motherhood, May 5 to 21
Zee Zee Theatre’s female-led play is geared to anyone who has struggled with the decision to become parents
Zee Zee Theatre presents Unexpecting from May 5 to 21 at Studio 16
IN UNEXPECTING, A QUEER, married East Van couple navigates the complexities of careers, finances, and female friendships along with the challenges of trying to grow their family. Directed by Zee Zee Theatre’s artistic and executive director Cameron Mackenzie, the female-led comedy by emerging local playwright Bronwyn Carradine is about to have its fully staged world premiere.
Unexpecting was initially developed as part of the Arts Club Theatre Company’s Listen to This Series and first presented as an audio play in 2021. At the time, Stir described Carradine as “one to watch”, the script loaded with “humour, warmth, and fast-moving dialogue”.
The story follows Annie, a struggling writer, and Josephine, a painter who pines to be a mom, who begin to question themselves and their marriage while their patience—and their finances—hit an all-time low after five years of trying to become pregnant. Complicated by the company of Annie’s brash, lifelong friend, Pam, the couple’s relationship is tested even more when the sudden opportunity to adopt a baby comes up.
“While Unexpecting is a joyful and insightful celebration of queer love and the intricacies of relationships, this play is truly for anyone who has struggled with their decision to become parents,” Mackenzie says in a release. “Written by one of Vancouver’s most compelling new playwrights, and full of quick-witted humour and enormous heart, Unexpecting offers Vancouver audiences a fresh perspective on love, loss, commitment, and the unpredictable journey towards modern motherhood.”
With its relatable characters and uplifting message about the courage and vulnerability it takes to hold on to your loved ones, the play stars Elizabeth Barrett, Jessica Heafey, Melissa Oei, and Rahat Saini. Set design is by Lachlan Johnston, costume design by Carmen Alatorre, lighting design by Sophie Tang, sound design by Shawn Sorensen, and props design by Carol MacDonald.
In honour of its 15th anniversary, Zee Zee Theatre is offering an accessible pricing option. Each performance will have 15 reduced barrier tickets available at $15 each (excluding the preview performance on May 5). Tickets and information are at at zeezeetheatre.ca.
Related Articles
The energetic one-woman musical about trailblazing Mohawk poet Pauline E. Johnson is back
Diverse performances mark the venue’s 75th anniversary
Theatre artists Tony Adams and Joylyn Secunda unpack the theme of transformation through self-acceptance in their respective shows
The veteran Vancouver director-educator’s new play centres on three women who are all over the age of 105
Tickets are selling fast for Granville Island offerings from May 27 to June 2, including Otosan, Robot Song, The Papa Penguin Play, and more
Production tells the late-1800s story of trailblazing Mohawk poet-performer Pauline Johnson
Critically acclaimed play explores young fathers connecting over shared struggles
Show topics span technology, neurodiversity, loss, and more across 14 mainstage presentations, including Multi – Vs, Silent Howl, and The Ballad of Georges Boivin
Artistic director and former avid summer camper Jalen Saip tapped into her experiences for a show about the wild world of canoeing, campfires, and crushes
Nadeem Phillip Umar Khitab plays the lead role of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark, in captivating Shakespeare tale of revenge and existential crisis
Autobiographical play follows siblings Joey and Michel(le) as they grow up in working-class 1970s Quebec
Two shows, one for infants ages 0 to 2 and one for neurodiverse children ages 4 and up, will be hosted as part of the Micro Performance Series
Sharp dialogue as a writer, a fact-checker, and an editor wrestle over writerly embellishments in Kindred Theatre Society production
Paper planes, food rituals, and more, in Urban Ink and The Cultch production that maps the connections and disconnections over decades
Performances of beloved Shakespeare show will take place in Sen̓áḵw/Vanier Park from June 11 to September 21, with several special events in store
In Zombies, Mannequins, and Talking Heads, playwrights Adam Grant Warren, Jordyn Wood, and Alex Masse share progressive scripts in development
Festivals, music, dance, poetry, and more as artists honour Asian culture with a luminous May events calendar
New DOXA Documentary Film Festival feature tells the incredible story of the Armstrong company, and how spending childhood summers there inspired McNeil’s own art-making
First 400 copies of new anthology by 16 Canadian playwrights will be distributed to schools in Vancouver, Winnipeg, Toronto, and Montreal
Meghan Gardiner’s pitch-perfect nanny and stunning painted sets help bring Royal City Musical Theatre production of beloved classic to life
Sound the Alarm: Music/Theatre hosts a birthday ode to the iconic musical theatre composer with tracks from Phantom of the Opera, Cats, and more
Real battle between a writer and fact-checker makes for high-stakes theatre
The Cultch and Urban Ink present Kamila Sediego’s play that explores cultural identity and familial duty
Theatre schools, the BMI, critics, and casting auditions: everything’s fair game in a show that flips easily between biting, big laughs and darker reflections
Some Assembly Theatre Company play, created in collaboration with diverse youth, reminds audiences of the internet’s exciting opportunities and frightening risks
Taboo-buster Cheyenne Rouleau traverses more personal terrain in new one-woman show
Centred at The Cultch, contemporary-performance celebration spans bioacoustic opera and African-dance-infused theatre