Returning play from Kim's Convenience creator ushers in a new era for Pacific Theatre

Pacific Theatre remounts Ins Choi's Son of a Preacherman at the company's new location, the Revue Stage on Granville Island, Nov. 10-14. Credit: Chelsey Stuyt Photography Photo by Chelsey Stuyt

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Son of a Preacherman

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When: Nov. 10-14
Where: The Revue Stage on Granville Island, 1601 Johnston St., Vancouver
Tickets: $30-50 at pacifictheatre.org

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Ins Choi’s Son of a Preacherman is a fitting choice for Pacific Theatre’s first full production in its new home.

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“It’s just a great example of what Pacific Theatre does,” the company’s artistic director, Kaitlin Williams, said.

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“We’re very interested in developing new works, and Son of a Preacherman is a new Canadian work that we helped develop. And it is funny and joyful and life-affirming, and has music.”

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In Son of a Preacherman, Kim’s Convenience creator Ins Choi explores faith, family and creativity through stories of growing up as the son of a Korean church pastor. Premiering at Pacific Theatre in April 2025, the show earned six Jessie Richardson Theatre Award nominations, winning for outstanding original script and significant artistic achievement. After recent runs in Ottawa and Toronto, the production returns to Vancouver before heading to Kamloops.

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Williams, who is directing, has been with the show since its inception.

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“I was planning the season for 2025, and I had a show fall out, which happens. Ins and I had talked for many years about doing something together, so I just wrote him and said, ‘Hey, I have these two weeks in my schedule I’m trying to fill. Do you want to come and do something?’ And so we programmed it, though we didn’t actually have a script yet, which is not a good way to do it! But I trust him.”

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They never imagined it touring, which meant rethinking the show, or at least the stage design.

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“We thought it was just going to be this two-week run — put it up and done. So we had to take the set we created for the original, which was very much designed for Pacific Theatre and for the alley configuration, and figure out a set that could tour.”

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The original cast of musician-actors Rachel Angco, Ben Elliott and Haneul Yi is returning. Yi is the musical director as well. Choi wrote the music and lyrics.

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“They’re like his backup supergroup behind him, and they’re so talented.”

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Williams has been AD at Pacific Theatre for six years now, so moving from its previous location of Chalmers Heritage Building at 12th and Hemlock to Granville Island came not without a sense of loss.

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“It was difficult to leave,” she said. “That space, the alley stage and the intimacy of that room was associated with Pacific Theatre and with our esthetics. So it was hard for me personally. I really loved that little room, but it was necessary.”

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The change of venue, with differences in stage, logistics and setup, hasn’t influenced the kinds of plays that she’s programmed for the upcoming season.