To celebrate Pride month this June, Cowichan Pride and Mercury Players are coming together to present a special staged reading on June 7.
The show is Bits of BLISS, directed by Layne Kriwoken. The event takes place at Duncan's Sands Funeral Chapel at 7 p.m.
"I am really eager to direct my second staged reading with Mercury Players. My first, Canadian Wild Flowers, was very well received and it's an honour that it was chosen to be one of the full productions in Mercury Players' regular 2025-2026 season," said Kriwoken. "Both Mercury Players and Cowichan Pride have initiated a drive to reach further into the local community and to diversify their projects. This co-production is another first for us all, and the support and enthusiasm from everyone has been very encouraging."
Bits of BLISS for Cowichan Pride includes six pieces from BLISS: A Collection of Commissioned Scenes and Monologues by L. Morgan Lee including: Love is Other People (The Veil) by Dante Green; Super Mariodyssey by Shale Cook, Karaoke Night by Preston Max Allen, Awake, Unafraid by Dena Igusti, Love is Bliss: Mind. Body. Soul by R. Real Vargas Alanis, and The Learning Curve by L.Morgan Lee. All of these pieces were crafted to close the Breaking the Binary Theatre Festival that was held in New York in 2023.
The current Cowichan Pride Society held a walk and small festival in city square in 2023 and, encouraged with overwhelming support, a Kick-off event and a Pride dance were added in 2024. With a continued focus on diversity in programming in addition to a family-focused Teddy Bear picnic the staged reading Bits of BLISS was added for 2025. Joining forces with Mercury Players for this year's Pride celebrations creates an opportunity for more 2SLGBTQIA+ people to get involved in local theatre and tell stories that relate to them personally.
"I feel collaboration amongst local groups is key to remaining vibrant and relevant. While it can be a challenge in a small community like the Cowichan Valley, it also has the potential to have a more significant impact," said Kriwoken. “What attracted me to this particular work is that it isn’t meant to be sensational or shocking, rather, these short scenes tell stories about accepting and loving yourself and others, about the importance of friends and chosen families — themes everyone can relate to.”
A staged reading has no set, no props, and costumes are minimal at best. There are no dramatic light changes — just the actors interacting, and performing the story with their scripts in front of them. Bringing Bits of BLISS to life and playing a myriad of roles are cast members Rose Bergeron, Laura Brennan, Jess Mattin, Lily Sheske, Tasha Tsukishima, Pax Elle, Elliot Fox-Povey, and Svea Young.
"Almost all of the actors are new to Mercury Players and some are making their stage debut," said Kriwoken. "I am really impressed by their talent and commitment. More than that though, it is energizing to experience their eagerness to be involved in a production that truly represents a part of themselves that is rarely seen by the mainstream audience. I hope these actors will be motivated to participate in future Mercury Player productions throughout the year."
With the outpouring of support and enthusiasm a Pride art show has already been booked at the CVAC gallery as a part of next year's festivities. More information can be found on the Cowichan Pride Facebook page.
Door for the staged reading open at 6:30 pm., and admission will be by donation. Refreshments will be available during a short intermission. Register in advance at www.mercuryplayers.org, or for more information email louise.phillips@mercuryplayers.org.
"I see this as an opportunity for people in the Cowichan Valley to experience an evening of sincere stories that foster a deeper understanding of others and so ultimately, ourselves," said Kriwoken. "We can acknowledge our uniqueness and be reassured especially in these divisive times, that we are stronger in our diversity, and safer as a community when we support all our neighbours."
