60 Seconds With… Kenneth Seto Tynan, of ‘Qi-Pao’ 

Briefly introduce yourself/your company… 

My name is Kenneth Seto Tynan and I am a multi-disciplinary artist who has written one of the short plays; Qi Pao. I am based in the lands of the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ (Tsleil-Waututh) nations and have been making and participating in the arts sector for the past 10 years. Qi Pao is my first play, which went up for the Or Festival in 2023, and I am so excited that it gets to appear again for the audiences at Vancouver’s 40th Fringe Festival! 

What is it that makes your work/company unique? 

The company is comprised of myself and my co-producer DS Belliveau and what makes our group unique is the collective story we bring. DS is originally from the East Coast, and I’m originally from here, and we met doing a creative writing class at Langara. DS enjoyed my work that he took it upon himself to submit us for the Fringe Festival doing a double header, and here we are. Both of our pieces deal with identity and I think what will make our piece stand out will be stories and the performers. 

What kind of experience do you hope audiences will have during your show? 

I hope people leave our show with a little bit of food for the soul. I also hope they leave feeling seen, heard, and that they will carry a bit of the show with them. 

Without spoilers, tell us what you think audiences will remember most about your show… 

I think they will remember performances. The actors we have brought on are all super talented and I have no doubt that they will convey the words from the page to stage immaculately. 

How do you feel about participating in the 40th anniversary of the Vancouver Fringe!? 

So excited to have our work being presented on the Waterfront stage! I never thought as an artist I would have a written a play that would showcase at the Fringe.