Studio 58 is the professional theatre training school at Langara College in Vancouver, British Columbia. The school offers a three-year diploma program for acting students and a three-year diploma program for production students. A

Bachelor of Fine Arts A Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) is a standard undergraduate degree for students for pursuing a professional education in the visual, fine or performing arts. It is also called Bachelor of Visual Arts (BVA) in some cases. Background The Bachelor ...

is offered with an additional year of study through a partnership with

Capilano University Capilano University (CapU) is a teaching-focused public university based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, located on the slopes of the North Shore Mountains, with programming that also serves the Sea-to-Sky Corridor and the Sunsh ...

. It is regarded as one of the top theatre schools in Canada and the only conservatory-style theatre training program in

Western Canada Western Canada, also referred to as the Western provinces, Canadian West or the Western provinces of Canada, and commonly known within Canada as the West, is a Canadian region that includes the four western provinces just north of the Canada– ...

. The school auditions hundreds of people across Canada but only sixteen students are accepted per semester (there are intakes in both fall and spring). Studio 58 operates a small theatre and presents 4 full-length productions annually as well as a smaller presentation of a student devised show. Professional directors and designers are hired to work on each production, and occasionally guest performing artists. Studio 58 productions are open to the public and reviewed by the Vancouver media.

History

The school was founded in 1965 as a small

theatre arts Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of a real or imagined event before a live audience in a specific place, often a stage. The perform ...

course first held on the King Edward Campus of Vancouver City College, now

Vancouver Community College Vancouver Community College is a public community college in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. Founded in 1965, it is the largest and oldest community college in British Columbia, offering 91 certificate programs, 31 diploma programs, and 3 b ...

. Led under the direction of

Antony Holland Antony Holland (28 March 1920 – 29 July 2015) was an English actor, playwright and theatre director who until his death in 2015 lived on Gabriola Island, British Columbia, Canada. History Holland completed his drama training at the Labou ...

the course grew into a full program. In 1970, the program moved to new facilities on the Langara Campus and became known as Studio 58, named after the room number of the original theatre space. The theatre program has subsequently moved into new buildings but the name remains to this day. In 1985, Holland stepped down as the

Artistic Director An artistic director is the executive of an arts organization, particularly in a theatre or dance company, who handles the organization's artistic direction. They are generally a producer and director, but not in the sense of a mogul, since the ...

and

Kathryn Shaw Kathryn Shaw is a Canadian director, actor, and writer living in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. From 1985 to 2020 she was the Artistic Director of Studio 58, an acting and production training school at Langara College. History Shaw grad ...

stepped into the role. Shaw held the role until her retirement in 2020. The school is now under the guidance of Artistic Director Courtenay Dobbie.

Notable staff

* Elizabeth Ball - Former Artistic Director,

Carousel Theatre Carousel Theatre (also known as Carousel Theatre For Young People) is a professional theatre company for young audiences located in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The company stages plays for young people, families and educators at the Wat ...

Jay Brazeau Jay Brazeau is a Canadian actor, best known for his role as Sam Fisher in '' Cold Squad'', as Harlan in ''Stargate SG-1'' (1997–2007), and for voicing Uncle Quigley in '' Sabrina: The Animated Series''. He is also known for his role as Bobby in ...

- Actor *

Aaron Bushkowsky Aaron Bushkowsky (born 1957 in Winnipeg, Manitoba)Aaron Bushkowsky
at the Canadi ...

Playwriting A playwright or dramatist is a person who writes plays. Etymology The word "play" is from Middle English pleye, from Old English plæġ, pleġa, plæġa ("play, exercise; sport, game; drama, applause"). The word "wright" is an archaic English ...

Christopher Gaze Christopher Bower Gaze, (born 12 May 1952) is an English actor, host, artist, theatre Theatre or theater is a collaborative form of performing art that uses live performers, usually actors or actresses, to present the experience of ...

- Artistic Director,

Bard on the Beach Bard on the Beach is Western Canada's largest professional Shakespeare festival. The theatre Festival runs annually from early June through September in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. The Festival is produced by Bard on the Beach Theatre Soc ...

- Former Artistic Director; Acting

Notable alumni

* Scott Bellis - Actor, Director *

Brian Drummond Brian Drummond (born August 10, 1969) is a Canadian voice actor. He formerly served on the board of directors for the New Westminster-based Urban Academy along with his wife, Laura Drummond, also a voice artist. Usually working in Vancouver, ...

- Actor *

Bob Frazer Bob Frazer (born 1971) is a Canadian actor of stage and television. Frazer was born in Ontario. He lives in British Columbia. Career Frazer has won multiple Jessie Richardson Theatre Awards, including: "Outstanding Performance by an Actor in ...

- Actor *

Carmen Aguirre Carmen Aguirre is a Chilean-born Canadian actress and writer. She plays a prominent role in '' Endgame''. Early in her life, she lived and worked as a member of the Chilean Resistance. Career Her 2011 book ''Something Fierce: Memoirs of a Re ...

- Actor, Director, Writer *

Lara Gilchrist Lara Gilchrist is a Canadian actress who voiced the role of Susan Storm (Invisible Woman) in the Cartoon Network's animated TV show '' Fantastic Four: World's Greatest Heroes''. She also provided the voice for the character Angela in the movie '' ...

- Actress * Kevin Kerr - Playwright * Jonathan Lachlan-Stewart - Actor *

Kevin Loring Kevin Loring (born November 24, 1974) is a Canadian playwright and actor. As a playwright, he won the Governor General's Award for English-language drama, the Herman Voaden Playwriting Competition and the Jessie Richardson Award for Outstanding ...

- Actor, Playwright * John Mann - actor, musician * Kevin McNulty - Actor *

Scott McNeil Scott McNeil is an Australian-born Canadian actor. He currently resides in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. One of the best-known Canadian voice actors of all time, McNeil has provided voices to many characters in animated shows, most nota ...

- Actor *

Colin Mochrie Colin Andrew Mochrie (; born November 30, 1957) is a Scottish-born Canadian actor, writer, producer and improvisational comedian, best known for his appearances on the British and US versions of the improvisational TV show '' Whose Line Is It ...

- Actor, ''

Whose Line Is It Anyway? ''Whose Line Is It Anyway?'' is a short-form improvisational comedy show originating as a British radio programme, before moving to British television in 1988. Following the conclusion of the British run in 1999, ABC began airing an American ...

'' *

Ty Olsson Ty Olsson (born January 28, 1974) is a Canadian actor. He is known for playing Benny Lafitte in ''Supernatural'', real-life 9/11 victim Mark Bingham in the A&E television film '' Flight 93'', and Ord in the PBS Kids animated children's series ' ...

- Actor * David Richmond-Peck - Actor * Craig Veroni - Actor *

Jonathon Young Jonathon Young (born May 8, 1973) is a Canadian actor known for his role of Nikola Tesla on the SyFy show ''Sanctuary''. Appearances include ''The Fog'', ''Eureka'', and ''Stargate Atlantis''. Young is a well-respected stage actor. He is the ...

- Actor *

Daniel Doheny Daniel Doheny (born ) is a Canadian actor known for starring in the Canadian comedy film '' Adventures in Public School'' and the Netflix films '' Alex Strangelove'', a coming-of-age story, and '' The Package'', a raunchy comedy. Early life and ...

- Actor *

Mason Temple Mason Temple, located in Memphis, Tennessee, is a Christian international sanctuary and central headquarters of the Church of God in Christ, the largest African American Pentecostal group in the world. The building was named for Bishop Charles H ...

- Actor *

Josh Epstein Josh Epstein is a Canadian actor, producer and writer. He produced, co-wrote and acted in ''Public Schooled'' starring Judy Greer, Russell Peters, Grace Park and Daniel Doheny which premiered at the Toronto International Film Festival in 2017. ...

- Actor, Producer, Writer * Juno Rinaldi - Actor * Sonja Bennett - Actor, Writer * Jane Perry - Actor

References

External links

Studio 58 Website
Langara College {{authority control Education in Vancouver Drama schools in Canada Theatre companies in British Columbia Theatre in Vancouver Langara College