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There are only a few days left in which to catch Bruce - The Musical, the play about the life of legendary Vancouver City Councillor Bruce Erickson and the early days of the Downtown Eastside Resident’s Association (DERA).

The Downtown Eastside is often referred to as Canada’s poorest postal code, and in comparison to many other neighbourhoods, deserves its label as Vancouver’s skid-row. But, there’s more to this neighbourhood than meets the eye, at least the eye that only sees it from the windows of a passing car, or through a television screen on the evening news.

It’s easy for those of us who don’t have to live there to dismiss the downtown eastside as simply the end of the road for junkies, but people live here - real people with real hopes, dreams, loves and troubles, just like everywhere else. This play isn’t just a chance to be entertained, and to learn a little bit about Vancouver’s political history. See it and you might come to look at the people of the Downtown Eastside as a little more like you and I than you may have assumed. And if you’re just visiting Vancouver, this is a great opportunity to experience an excellent slice of culture that you’ll never get if you just follow the glossy tourist guides.

Bruce - The Musical
at the Russian Hall, 600 Campbell Avenue @ Keefer St.
November 6-16 2008

www.theatreintheraw.ca