Boca del Lupo is a much-admired Vancouver indie company that has, as my husband puts it, a real "can-do spirit". So I was delighted when Sherry Yoon asked me to contribute to Red Phone – Boca's new site-specific project about urgent conversations – though I didn't quite understand how it was all going to work. Now that I've been through the actual installation, I can fully appreciate her innovative concept and the way Sherry, Carey, and Jay have put it together. And I think it's absolutely great that they're working with playwrights to bring some sharp, focused content to this innovative form (at least, that was true of Marcus Youssef's segment when Boca mounted a first version last year. They've since developed the piece at the Banff Centre, and I look forward to work from Hiro Kanagawa and Shawn Macdonald this time around.)

If I sound a bit mysterious about what exactly is involved, it's because the element of surprise is part of the appeal. All I can say is, it's a singular experience, and it works.

The price is right ($5 some days, by donation on others, details and tickets here) and the performance is only 10 minutes long, so I hope you can get there. You might want to reserve, as spaces are very, very, VERY limited. It'll give you something to think about as you're strolling around Granville Island. And I'm tickled that we're part of the Vancouver Writers Fest: I hope to check out their other events, too, including a couple with my old schoolmate Soraya Peerbaye...