Two Gents of New West – co-founded by Tiger Xu and Howard Dai in 2013 on the traditional, ancestral, and unceded territory belonging to the Qayqayt, Musqueam (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm), and Coast Salish Nation – is a collective that designs immersive experiences with the goal of community engagement. We strive to create interdisciplinary works that integrate media with narrative. Our projects are immersive and accessible, while also acknowledging and commenting on issues that are present in our society. While our works are bold, the creation process and space is kept safe for all involved, allowing our collaborators to contribute without prejudice, and giving voice to those who are not heard.

History

Two Gents of New West was started on a rainy Vancouver afternoon in the middle of October, 2013. Tiger Xu and Howard Dai were looking for a way to revive the New Westminster Secondary School (NWSS) musical production before hitting on the idea of producing their own student-run show. Taking on the role of co-producers, the “Two Gents” approached the teachers of NWSS, proposing the first completely student run production in decades. At first hesitant to entrust two high-school students with so much responsibility, the Two Gents were able prove their dedication with careful planning and hard work. A year later, Two Gents successfully produced “Rumors” by Neil Simon , performed from May 1- 3, 2014, selling out almost every show. From then on, Two Gents has been continuing to promote theatre and the performing arts in New Westminster, looking for ways to improve and provide for the Arts scene of this wonderful city.

Our Projects

OpenStage (2016 & 2018)
Producer

Cosmic Justice (2016)
Co-writer, Producer

The-ear-tre (2015)
Co-writer, Director, Producer 

Rumors (2014)
Actor, Producer