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Issue link: http://digital.canadawide.com/i/1508543
the company provides products and services to treat end-stage renal disease patients, including devices, equipment, in- house design solutions and more. And then, a plot twist. Around 2020, the Instant Theatre that Hajipour used to frequent as a young adult shut down after issues with the com- pany's management came to light. It was devastating for the city's improv com- munity because Instant— which produced shows and offered educational programs—had stood as a pillar of the Vancouver im- prov scene since 1994. Together with Jullian Kolstee (who also has close ties to the company), Hajipour decided to pick the program up where it was left off. "Thirty years of history, of hardship, of artistic values... it just didn't feel right to let it die," she says. "It was time to take it over, revitalize it and serve the new genera- tion of improvisers." The new Instant is put- ting DEI at centre stage: among the seven shows it hosted between March and August, two were sold-out performances by a female-led Iranian- Canadian group called Bekhand. Hajipour joined Bekhand on stage for those shows; the name, she says, means "laugh" in Farsi. "I've never been part of a group that looks like me, that gets my jokes, and I get theirs in a very intricate, cultural way. It was fun to be part of that, to poke fun at the culture, to highlight the best things. And the com- munity response has been overwhelmingly positive." The theatre is also working toward becoming a B Corp-certified com- munity contribution com- pany. With plans of adding five more people to its board, Instant is partner- ing with local filmmakers, artists and venues like the Conscious Lab to put on improv comedy shows. One of Hajipour's most recent performances was at China Cloud Studio in Vancouver. "The whole venue," she remembers, "was completely packed. One of our fellow impro- visers, she made a very strong character choice to be a YouTube ASMR podcaster. And in a room that's quiet but completely packed, you have her sitting on the mic and ev- eryone's like, What is she going to do? And she just [whispers], Hi. The whole crowd went wild. I'm get- ting goosebumps just talk- ing about it now." Laughter is medicine for Hajipour, who says improv has always helped her think fast and keep calm in the worst of situ- ations. "It's not a money- making machine at all," she admits. "It's absolutely for the heart and soul… The more community sup- port we have, the more people come out to these shows, the more artists are supported. But it's for the soul, really." £ A F T E R HO U R S DISASTER ARTIST Talking frogs, wrecked police cruisers and public nudity probably don't scream climate crisis to you. But Hurricane Mona, a new absurdist dark comedy written by Vancouverite Pippa Mackie, is no regular production. The play, presented by Touchstone Theatre and Ruby Slippers Theatre, serves up intergenerational conflict and climate catastrophe in an unexpectedly hilarious package. On November 18 to December 3 at the East Van Cultural Centre's Historic Theatre. thecultch.com CHRISTMAS COUNTDOWN Holiday season is somehow creeping up on us: time to get your gifting on before the panic sets in. The annual Got Craft holiday market features nearly 100 makers (plus a mini makers area with vendors under 16 years old—30 Under 30 material, if you ask us). This is where to get that small-batch artisanal chutney your mother-in-law is obsessed with. Admission is $5. November 18 and 19 at the Croatian Cultural Centre. gotcraft.com £ EMILY COOPER; GOT CRAFT @GOTCRAFTMARKET 72 BCBUSINESS.CA OCTOBER 2023