ae : retention cio co Billy Bishop wins the war By Jay Schreiber, Arts Editor he legacy of William Avery “Billy” Bishop continues to live on, long after his World War I fighting days are over. In the two- man show Billy Bishop Goes to War, audiences are reminded of the infamous Canadian the stage as Bishop, taking the audience through each stage of his life meeting new and interesting people along the way. His stage partner, Zachary Gray, runs a local studio and is a part of Vancouver based group The Zolas. Interestingly enough, Zachary’s father, John Gray, wrote the play and performed his part in “Beil shows a wide range of talent in holding the original 1978 debut flying ace who had the stage as Bishop, taking the audience _at the Vancouver East a score card of 72 through each stage of his life meeting new and Cultural Center. victories, making interesting people along the way.” The stage was him the most prolific very intricately set fighter pilot of the Canadian Forces and the British with a minimalist feel having lots of open space Empire. and multiple small props to change the atmosphere Back in World War I, the Brits still had reign over us Canucks and took our fighters to battle against the German Empire. The story of Billy is quite amusing ,-coming from a tiny town in southwest Ontario to fight in the largest war the world had ever seen. A failure in school, Billy faked several injuries to get out of going to battle, until he got the idea to join the RFC (Royal Flying Corps) to get out of trench warfare. ~ Fresh off a Canadian tour, the Granville Island Arts Club Theatre company is proud to present - their version of Billy Bishop Goes to War. Bishop and 18 other characters are portrayed by Vancouver actor and UBC graduate Ryan Beil (yes, the skinny A&W intern from the TV. commercials). Beil shows a wide range of talent in holding depending on the scene. At one point, an airplane was even built from pieces of the set to depict Billy’s Victoria Cross-earning battle in which he destroyed a German aerodrome single handed. The actors had excellent chemistry with-each other, this being the second time they’ve used the script in the last two years. The UBC-produced version of Billy Bishop Goes to War featured a smaller, more intimate stage but most of the same music and the crowd favourite sing-a-long to “The — Bold Aviator” were still featured After returning home a hero from his service, Billy Bishop started a family and in World War II contributed his services alongside his daughter and son with the Canadian Forces. Billy Bishop died quietly in his sleep in 1956. ¢ Ryan Beil as Billy Bishop Incoming Game Expo The User wins! By Cody Klyne ame designers, once viewed as being quirky, flavour-of-the-month hobbyists were an exclusively eccentric subset of the late ‘60s. But these wizards of technology — looking at you, Nolan Bushnell—helped lay down the groundwork for what has become a booming entertainment industry. It’s now 2010, and while decades of closet game development remain overlooked by the current generation of gamers, throngs of present day designers are, justifiably, enjoying the efforts of their gaming forefathers by stepping into the spotlight and speaking out on the creative medium in progressive ways. The upcoming Game Design Expo, presented by Vancouver Film School (VFS), represents one such discourse that will allow for just this sort of industry show and tell. In its fourth year, the Game Design Expo is positioned to attract designers of all levels; from industry veterans to students potentially interested in trying their hand at design. Structured to accommodate both of these groups, the Expo takes place over the course of two days dedicated to two individual focuses: an industry speaker day on April 10 and an open house day at VFS’ campus on April 11. Highlighting past VFS grads working in the industry, as well as international designers from all walks of life, speakers and attendees have one thing in common: a passion for games. Showcasing a stable of designers, level directors, and even a few indie-studio presidents, presenters from companies like United Front Games (ModNation Racers) and Blue Castle Games (Dead Rising 2), cover a range of topics in a variety of panels and discussions offered during the Expo’s industry day. Held at the Vancouver International Film Centre, sessions offered range from delving into the more gritty and mechanical implementation of user-created content, to the broader, unknown future of gaming itself. There’s a catchall approach to the first day of the Expo that promises something for everybody. Selling out in its previous years, tickets for the speaker’s day are priced at 75 bucks a pop. Focusing on the one-year game design program offered at VFS, the open house day gives potential students a chance to wade into the trenches before laying down the price of tuition. On top of having the opportunity to sample design classes and play some of the games created by students over the years, attendees will have the opportunity to schmooze with industry vets and program faculty during a scheduled meet-and-greet. While registration was still open as of the time of this writing, with all of the offerings offered for the price of free, capacity is bound to be reached. Interested in hearing a bunch of game designers talk shop and swap horror stories? Thinking about getting into game design yourself? Keep the weekend of April 10 open and pop over to www.gamedesignexpo.com for more details. ; sels