Where music, song and dance all contribute to an enjoyable plot on stage Back 'The Musical of Musicals: The Musical' by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart Presented by Theatre on the Ridge and now on stage at the Scugog Shores Museum Village, 16210 Island Road, Port Perry. Credit: Shannon Widdis L-R: Steven Suepaul, David Cardinal, Laura Murphy, Kayla Rankine Guest writer Geoffrey Coulter actor, director, adjudicator, arts educator "Opening night wobbles still make ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical’ a fluffy, fantastical farce of a show." Who doesn’t like a good musical?" Who doesn’t like a show that parodies good musicals? Port Perry’s Theatre on the Ridge continues its summer festival with Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogarts’s crafty parody ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical’ that walks a fine line between poking fun at and paying homage to some of the most popular composers of the twentieth century. You don’t have to be a musical theatre fan to enjoy this production’s luscious lampooning of Broadway’s best – but it’d certainly help if you are. The small-scale musical is a good fit for the company’s outdoor venue, requiring only a single set, one piano, a few props and four actors. It’s structured into five acts: ‘Corn!’ (parodying Rodgers and Hammerstein), ‘A Little Complex’ (Stephen Sondheim), ‘Dear Abby’ (Jerry Herman musicals in the manner of HELLO, DOLLY and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES), ‘Aspects of Juanita’ (Andrew Lloyd Webber) and ‘Speakeasy’ (the bawdy, gritty world of Kander and Ebb). Each revue-style sketch is essentially the same, centering around youthful ingenue June (Laura Murphy), who can’t pay the rent to her villainous landlord, Jitter (Steven Suepaul/David Cardinal). Will her boyfriend/admirer Willy (David Cardinal/Steven Suepaul) come to her rescue? And what good advice will her older friend/neighbour Abby (Kayla Rankine) be able to offer? This opening-night production is a lot of fun. It features tuneful songs, jokes, and groans aplenty performed by a dedicated cast that really sells the shenanigans. The format steals from the ‘Forbidden Broadway’ series mocking mega-musicals since the early 1980s. Make no mistake – you need to know your musicals to get the gist of what’s going on. Fortunately, I do – mostly. Unlike ‘Forbidden Broadway’ which replaces recognized classic tunes with hilarious new lyrics, ‘Musical’s’ tunes are skewed, played as ‘sound-alike’ versions – similar to the original without being the original. This is where the non-musical theatre folks may be left scratching their heads and wondering what show is being riffed. Additionally, the five vignettes segue into each other without the benefit of a narrator or storyteller. I was missing some pre-show context, pouring over the program in vain, looking for something to identify each segment, composer and song being roasted. If you don’t know your musicals well, this omission might confuse. Though initially clever, this follow-through threadbare theme of not being able to pay the rent starts to feel strained, obvious and contrived by the end of the first act. What the book and music lack in structure, the cast and artistic team more than make up for in enthusiasm and a dedicated desire for everyone to have a good time, themselves included. Carey Nicholson’s set design is simple and functional – an upstage framed curtain lit like a theatre marquee provided practical entrances and exits. While occasionally wobbly, the frame effectively masked the backstage area. Small props such as chairs, easels, and shoes (to name only a few) are easily brought off and on. Nicholson does triple duty as costume designer, placing the performers in a simple base of black T-shirts, dresses and pants. From here, the cast adroitly slip in and out of additional hats, vests, capes (again to name a few), identifying their musical personas and variations from one vignette to the next. Lyle Corrigan’s direction is fast-paced and fun. He places his dynamic cast effectively on the stage and has coached them well on when to ham it up, go more tongue-in-cheek or just bask in the silliness. I appreciated the upstage riser, providing levels in various scenes. Hats off to Corrigan’s unabashed inclusion of the backstage crew as on-stage helpers, dangling strings of plastic birds and swinging a plastic chandelier before crashing down to the stage. I am not a fan of backstage crew visible during a show, but I almost wanted to see more in this campy sendup. Corrigan’s lighting design is a kaleidoscope of colours and hues, aptly enhancing the mood in each scene. Musical Director Carol Salamone is a star on the keyboard. Not only is her accompaniment spot on, but she also deftly creates excellent ensemble harmonies and ensures focused, clear articulation on vowels during solos and duets. Karin Mahoney’s choreography nicely enhances each segment simply and effectively. However, the finale ‘Done’, a parody of ‘One’ from ‘A Chorus Line’ disappointingly lacked precision compared to some other numbers. Undoubtedly, this cast of uber-talented community theatre veterans will prop up the pace and find their stride as performances continue. As ingenue June, Laura Murphy is sweet and innocent with a pretty voice and spot on comedic timing. Her ‘Liza with a Z’ spoof in Act 2 garners lots of laughs. David Cardinal as boyfriend Willy and evil landlord Jitter is a formidable and funny baritone. His country-bumpkin romantic lead as he riffs ‘Oklahoma’ in the opening Act 1 number ‘Corn’ is delightfully goofy. Steven Suepaul, also playing Jitter and boyfriend Willy, is hilarious without taking himself one bit seriously. He seizes his villainous personas with glee – a great voice and lively to watch. Kayla Rankine as Abby has a joyful command of all her over-the-top characters (LOVED her ‘Follow Your Dream’ in the style of ‘The Sound of Music’ and her delicious ‘Did I Put Out Enough’ in the style of ‘Mame’). Rankine shows her full range as a dramatic soprano and powerhouse belter. The cast work well together, and all have tremendous power in their vocals; however, when the entire ensemble of mic-ed-up big voices starts belting out their tunes, the amplification is a tad overpowering, sadly sacrificing some of the intimacy. The Theatre on the Ridge tent has great acoustics. I’m sure these voices would sound fine without enhancement in such a small space. ‘Musical of Musicals: the Musical’ requires some serious staying power and extended energy levels from this cast. Keeping this train rolling at full steam for almost two hours is no easy feat. The cast lost much of its steam on this opening night throughout the second act. Like a tire with a slow leak, scenes seemed to be moving slower, and cues were not as tight. Again, I’m sure the pace will become propped up once the run catches its breath and shows continue. Despite its structural flaws, Theatre on the Ridge’s production of ‘The Musical of Musicals: the Musical’ is hugely enjoyable. It’s a fluffy, fantastical farce with a cast that shines individually and as a group. If you’re a musical theatre buff, you’ll find this show a gem of clever lyrics, puns and stabs at some of the most prolific composers. Summer theatre the way it should be. Running time: approximately one hour and 45 minutes with one interval/intermission. ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical’ runs until July 27 at the Scugog Shores Museum Village, 16210 Island Road, Port Perry. For tickets: theatreontheridge.ca or call (905) 431-0977. THEATRE ON THE RIDGE presents ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!’ by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart Directed by Lyle Corrigan Musical Director/Pianist: Carol Salamone Choreographer: Karin Mahoney Lighting Design: Lyle Corrigan Lighting Operator: Ari Leroux Sound Design: Lyle Corrigan Sound Operators: Lyle Corrigan and August Hofbauer Props/Costume Design: Carey Nicholson Stage Manager: Amanda Cook Performers: David Cardinal, Laura Murphy, Kayla Rankine, Steven Suepaul Previous Next

Where music, song and dance all contribute to an enjoyable plot on stage Back '9 to 5, The Musical' Port Hope's Capitol Theatre Sam Moffatt Joe Szekeres When a musical theatre production of a feature film is so damn entertaining, you just want to make sure it gets the garnered attention it deserves. Get to see ‘9 to 5’ because word will get out just how good it is. ‘9 to 5, The Musical’ now onstage at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre deservedly earned its standing ovation at the curtain call from the show I attended. It is so damn entertaining that I want to shout out loud how you must get to see it because it is terrific and so much fun. Based on the 1980 feature film screenplay, we are introduced to three downtrodden ladies: Violet (Julia Juhas) who trained the boss at one time. She is a widow raising her teenage son. Violet knows a great deal about the company but is treated as a secretary by the Boss. There is a newcomer to the office Judy (Krystle Chance) whose husband left her for a much younger woman. Doralee (Kelly Holiff) is the buxom personal secretary to Boss Franklin Hart Jr. (Andrew Scanlon). We also meet Roz (Gabi Epstein) who is Hart’s “eyes, ears, nose, and throat” spy within the office. Violet, Judy, and Doralee have had enough of Hart’s chauvinistic attitude and demeanour so they plot their revenge to kidnap him and keep him away from the company so changes can be made whereby everyone feels valued in the work they do. I remember reading the Broadway production did not run for as long as it was expected. Some may argue the show might be outdated for its stereotypical presentation of male chauvinism or any connection to the #metoo movement. Forget doing that. If anything, this ‘9 to 5’ flips the metoo movement on its head. Before anyone misinterprets this statement, Director Rob Kempson is not downplaying, ignoring, or poking fun at this horrific behaviour of men towards women. Instead, these intelligent women paved the way forward to combat this deplorable treatment through implausibility that provokes much laughter, and God knows we all need to smile and laugh right now. Let me count the ways in which I loved how the Capitol’s production made me do just that. For one, Kempson and Music Director Chris Barillaro pay glorious loving detail to character development, to the fluid movement in staging and the marvelous harmonies in music. Once again, I remember reading somewhere Rob adores Parton’s music and had always wanted to stage ‘9 to 5’. I hope I’m right in remembering this, Rob because your work in bringing this story to life becomes that refreshing drink of humour to quench ourselves. The first thing I noticed when I sat down was Brandon Kleiman’s attractive geometric art form in creating a corner of a downtown office building. It’s quite effective and creates the illusion this building is large. Kleiman was also in charge of costume designs which boldly reflected the colours and flair of the 1980s. Chris Barillaro’s sensational music direction heightens many scenes in plot and character development. Backwards Barbie’ is poignantly sung by Kelly Holiff who inherently understood the intent of the song. We hear the voice of a woman who is trying to fit in amidst the horrible rumours flying around the office of her extra-marital affair with Hart. Holif allowed the emotions of the song to run not only through the lyrics but also through her face and eyes. Judy’s solo ‘Get Out and Stay Out’ gracefully and stoically sung by Krystle Chance was another moment where she too also understood the intent meant not only to send her ex-husband on his way but more importantly for her never to allow that kind of influence to enter her life ever again. I was on every word sung by Holif and Chance and I applaud them for moving me and making me pay attention. Julie Juhas’s heartfelt duet ‘Let Love Go’ with the nice young accountant Joe (Robbie Fenton) is sweet without that horrible saccharine aftertaste. I was quietly rooting for them at the end of their song. Julie Tomaino’s dazzling and spirited choreography electrically charges and amply fills the Capitol stage. Every inch of space is utilized to its fullest. Two numbers to pay attention to: ‘One of the Boys’ (with Violet and the Male Ensemble) and the opening and closing title songs. My eyes constantly moved while trying to capture what every person was doing. I must acknowledge the slick work of this adroit ensemble who terrifically upped the ante in such veritable Broadway-style numbers ‘Around Here’ and ‘One of the Boys’. The seamless scene change shifts remain tautly nimble that I wanted to see how the ensemble might top themselves next. Gabi Epstein is a riot as Hart’s office spy, Roz, and what a set of pipes when she winningly soared in ‘Heart to Hart’ and ‘5 to 9’. What a theatrical treat to watch Andrew Scanlon’s lecherous and immoral Franklin Hart, Jr. in his showstopping number ‘Here for You’ to reveal the man’s world mentality in his attempted seduction of Doralee in his office. I haven’t laughed that loud for such a long time, so I thank Scanlon for giving me that opportunity. Julia Juhas, Kelly Holiff and Krystle Chance are top-notch and consistently remain so throughout the show. Thankfully they have not looked to re-create Lily Tomlin, Dolly Parton or Jane Fonda in their performances. I saw flesh and blood people here who struggled and fought and who celebrated what they have achieved regarding equity, equality, and fair play. Yes, these qualities from the 1980s are not the same as they are today. But this ‘9 to 5’ let me see just how far we have come. And along with music and laughter backing this up, we are in for one hell of a great evening of entertainment. Final Comments: ‘9 to 5’ is that feel-good summer show we all need right now. Run or call to get tickets because the word’s going to get out just how good this show is. Running time is approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one intermission. ‘9 to 5, The Musical’ runs to September 4 at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street. For tickets, call 905-885-1071 or visit capitoltheatre.com for more information. ‘9 to 5, The Musical’ Music and Lyrics by Dolly Parton Book by Patricia Resnick Director: Rob Kempson; Music Director: Chris Barrillaro Choreographer: Julie Tomaino Set and Costume Designer: Brandon Kleiman Lighting Designer: Michelle Ramsay Sound Designer: Ben Whiteman Stage Manager: Lucy McPhee Band: Chris Barillaro, Matt Ray, Jason O’Brien, David Schotzko Performers: Julie Juhas, Kelly Holiff, Krystle Chance, Andrew Scanlon, Gabi Epstein, Sofia Contal, Caitlin McKeon, Jenny Weisz, Malinda Carroll, Robbie Fenton, Jonathan Patterson, Tyler Pearse, Dave Comeau, Travae Williams Previous Next

A deconstruction of an individual's story. Back 'Prophecy Fog' by Jani Lauzon A Paper Canoe Projects Production in association with Coal Mine Theatre Dahlia Katz Dave Rabjohn “The strength of this production comes from Lauzon’s efficiently calm narrative.” Central to the production of “Prophecy Fog” is creator Jani Lauzon’s question: ‘can a site still be sacred if it has been desecrated?’ This, and other indigenous and environmental issues are effectively raised in the one woman play recently opened at Coal Mine Theatre in Toronto. The DNA of this production comes from The Theatre Centre’s Tracey Wright Global Archive which encouraged artists to travel to locations and communities around the globe seeking new artistic platforms. Jani Lauzon’s travels took her to the Mojav desert in California to visit the sacred Giant Rock – infamously turned into a graffiti ladened tourist slum. The story of this adventure with her daughter Tara Sky is included with other ancient stories and considerations woven into an immersive evening about family respect, human interaction with the earth and sky, and wistful memory. The catch phrase ‘an intimate space’ does not do this set justice. It begins with a small red circular carpet, then ringed with successions of stones, then ringed with two rows of audience and above ringed with a circular screen. The audience is virtually part of the set. Lauzon moves in and out of the various rings pulling the audience together along with her storytelling. “Stones are Mother Earth’s skin” she relates as she interacts with the various stones from large blocks to tiny pebbles. She introduces some as almost puppet-like with cute shapes or metaphysical stories. The stones are also a part of the rhythm of the play – as Lauzon tumbles the stones on the stage, they bounce with a harsh echoing sound enhancing the drums in the background. Thus, we are introduced to the Great Stone (Giant Rock). Lauzon folds herself into the shape of a rock and overhead images display the desecration of the space and a comical interview with a man who apparently visited a nearby landing of alien creatures. This further indicts man’s indignities to Mother Earth. The strength of this production comes from Lauzon’s efficiently calm narrative. She does not lecture with bravado – she weaves stories with soothing precision. No raging anger here – her voice and demeanour of placid serenity dignifies her messages and gives them more integrity. Interactions with her influential elders and family members, including her daughter, are a part of the fuller circle of her life and her interaction with the physical and spiritual worlds. Overhead images by the design team of Melissa Joakim and Tim Lindsay offer an effective documentary feel to the stories of her relationships. Two pieces of inventive stage craft stand out. Lauzon hands out rocks for different members of the audience to hold and reach up. The pattern of the rocks resembles the outline of Ursa Major. A final scene is created by seemingly innocuous pebbles spread about the stage. As lights dim, they create a sea of stars surrounding our narrator – Earth and sky reaching out to each other. ‘Prophecy Fog’ by Jani Lauzon Performer: Jani Lauzon Director: Franco Boni Design: Melissa Joakim, Tim Lindsay Stage management: A.J. Morra, Jen Newnham Production runs through : December 10, 2023. Tickets : coalminetheatre.com Previous Next BACK TO TOP

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Dan Mousseau "The Theatre is a soul-filling act" Chris Frampton Joe Szekeres A 2015 Toronto Metropolitan University theatre graduate, actor Dan Mousseau is preparing with a big-name cast for the premiere of The Howland Company’s ‘Prodigal’ written and directed by Paolo Santalucia, produced in association with Crow's Theatre. The production opens on Friday, February 24 at Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre. I’ve also seen some of Dan’s other theatrical work this season. He appeared in ‘A Christmas Carol’ at Campbell House in December 2022 and in ‘Three Sisters’ at Hart House in November 2022. Some of his other work includes the upcoming ‘The Seagull’ for Soulpepper. Other productions at Soulpepper: It’s a Wonderful Life (2016), Innocence Lost (2018) Other Theatre: Perfect Wedding (Thousand Island’s) Film/TV: Frankie Drake Mysteries, Workin’ Moms (CBC), and Tempted By Danger (Lifetime). About a year after completing his theatre degree, Dan attended the Soulpepper Academy to complete their two-year training program. “The learning is ongoing”, he candidly stated. “It always is whether you’re in a workshop to help develop a play, develop your own work, or even attend an acting class. I don’t think it ever really stops. It’s a cool career because you’re always growing when it comes to the challenges an actor can do.” Dan is thrilled to be back to performing in the live theatre even though Covid’s embrace still tightly enwraps the community. During the pandemic, he found it extremely hard to take a step away as he missed what he called the ‘ritualistic’ bonds of connecting with other cast members and ultimately an audience in front who have come to hear and watch a story unfold. Mousseau calls the theatre ‘a soul-filling act’ (and he doesn’t consider himself religious). He’s feeling hopeful in watching the theatre community return with such renewed energy and a real hunger for people wanting to come back to what it was before. He acknowledges it is a tenuous time for the theatre as there is the business end of it. Audience numbers are starting to climb back up cautiously. However, there’s a cathartic feeling about being back for Dan. He likens it to a mental health practice as he feels everyone who attends and participates in the theatre needs some kind of release from the strongly felt pandemic restraints. Although there are still cautions in most of the houses where audience members are strongly encouraged to wear masks (and some companies stating masks will be worn), PRODIGAL will have Mask Mandated performances on Tuesdays and Sundays. Our conversation then swung around to the rehearsal process and preparation for ‘Prodigal’. “Rehearsals are going so, so very well. I don’t know why I’m so very superstitious (and Dan knocks on the table). It has been such a trip.” This is the first new play Dan has ever worked on, especially with Paolo as writer and director who Mousseau firmly stated: “has been amazing.” Mousseau has been in awe of Paolo’s endurance for rehearsals, re-writes, and cuts as he has established clear guideposts regarding the story of ‘Prodigal’: “We’re in really good shape at this point. Paolo has made things feel so tremendously collaborative. I’m very proud of my friend. He’s a creative rocket ship. I'm in the most talented cast. I'm so honoured to be working among these actors. And it's their bravery and work that has made this collaborative spirit of rehearsals so fruitful." With a cheeky grin and laugh, Mousseau said Paolo better keep hiring him for future gigs: “I’ll hitch my wagon to his cart if he’ll have me.” ‘Prodigal ‘follows the return home of Edmund Clark (Mousseau), the open-wound eldest son who has been estranged from his family for the last five years. Edmund makes a surprise homecoming with a new acquaintance and everything gets turned upside down. Without giving away too much of the plot, Mousseau added the story centres around this very wealthy, privileged Canadian family with many pivotal turning points in their trajectory. An engagement party night for one of their sons takes place quickly gets thrown off the rails. Another family is also involved. Mousseau says there’s a microcosm of the interplay of privilege, forgiveness, and (mis)communication that plays into the broader context of the Clark family that just can’t connect, can’t talk as they are so distant. Dan says there’s a great deal of yearning and pain in this distance between the family members in their inability to see each other for the cost of privilege and also those who don’t have that sort of privilege. “It’s funny as tragedy is,” Dan said with a smile. “Audiences will be laughing one moment and possibly wiping away a tear in the next.” For Dan, ‘Prodigal’ is such an important play for audiences to see. What’s really important about this play is twofold for him. There’s an important and meaningful conversation for him about the intersectionality between the experience of a queer person in privilege and the reckoning of how society has been built: “The more we talk about it, the more we see these experiences on stage, the less mystery, the less ignorance, and the less fear there will be. There is also the reality that people have very different experiences. Even two people who identify as queer are going to have two different experiences depending on the context of their lives and their families.” As an actor, what are some of the messages Dan hopes audiences will take away with them at the end of ‘Prodigal’? He first jokingly said: “Go to therapy” and we shared a good laugh over that comment. For Mousseau, ‘Prodigal’ is the story of a family but also the cost of parenting and the ways unchecked trauma can move through a family and affect the community. He would love audiences to think about their relationships with each other in their families and themselves in light of some very difficult questions demanded of us in these last few years as a result of the pandemic. Dan’s final comment – he hoped audiences would walk away from the theatre and consider there’s more to life than the next paycheque. There are more important things in life than just having a beautiful home. When one lets these things fall to the wayside, there is a cost. ‘Prodigal’ is a story of meeting each other and seeing each other as a community and in community in order to heal. Performances of ‘Prodigal’ begin February 21 and run until March 12 in the Guloien Theatre at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto. For tickets: crowstheatre.com or call the Box Office at (647) 341-7390 ex. 1010. Previous Next

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back 'THREE SISTERS' by Inua Ellams. After Chekhov A Co-production with Obsidian Theatre in association with Soulpepper Credit: Dahlia Katz. Pictured: AKOSUA AMO-ADEM PLAYING THE ELDEST SISTER LOLO, VIRGILIA GRIFFITH PLAYING THE MIDDLE SISTER NNE CHUKWU AND MAKAMBE K. SIMAMBA PLAYING THE LITTLE SISTER UDO Geoffrey Coulter, Contributing Writer, Actor, Director, Adjudicator, Arts Educator " A superb not to be missed re-imagining." “The Russians are Coming, The Russians are Coming!” With the plethora of Russian theatre currently playing in Toronto, it looks like they’ve arrived. “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812” is currently breaking box-office records at Crow’s Theatre while Mirvish’s production of “Uncle Vanya” closed a successful run at the CAA Theatre just weeks ago. Now Soulpepper, in collaboration with Obisdian Theatre, presents a superb, not-to-be-missed reimagining of Chekhov’s “Three Sisters” by Nigerian-born playwright Inua Ellams. He has masterfully taken part of Chekhov’s original plot and transformed the rest into a relevant, thought-provoking piece of social commentary about the delicate fabric of family and hardships. Ellams has transported the action of the original from nineteenth century Russia to late 1960s Africa and the cataclysmic Nigerian Civil War, also known as the Biafran War, one of the bloodiest conflicts in that continent’s history. This fluid adaptation, a clear testament to the ravages of colonialism and disencumbered liberty, is thoughtfully directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu. It’s also boasts and impeccably fine cast featuring some of the finest, most compelling acting and ensemble work this reviewer has seen in quite some time. A year has passed since their father, a respected military commander, died but the three sisters are still grappling with his passing. Eldest Lolo (Akosua Amo-Adem), is a wise, hard-working teacher in the local school, Nne Chukwu (Virgilia Griffith), is married to the schoolmaster Onyinyechukwu (Tawiah M’Carthy), and youngest Udo (Makambe K. Simamba) – having just turned 20, is being courted by two soldiers, idealistic serviceman Nmeri Ora (Ngabo Nabea) and lovelorn Igwe (Amaka Umeh). The sisters live with their lackadaisical Cambridge-educated brother, Dimgba (Tony Ofori) in a small village in Owerri, Nigeria, longing to return to the cosmopolitan city of their birth, Lagos. Their father built the house from scratch with the intent of immersing his family in the Igbo traditions, set apart from the “colonial cultural erosion” that he believed infested the capital. What the siblings don’t know is that the Biafran Civil War is about to erupt and change their lives, their relationships, and their country forever. I strongly recommend a quick read of the program to get some much-needed historical context that serves as backdrop to this riveting drama. I wasn’t aware of the Biafran conflict and the resulting deaths of 30,000 Igbos people and the displacement of 300,000 more. You need this history going in to understand and appreciate the political dynamics and what’s driving the underlying conflicts – the unhappy, arranged marriage of Nne with Onyinyechukwu, the family’s uncle (Matthew G. Brown) who has turned to gambling and drink because, under British rule, he’s not allowed to practice as a doctor and housemaid Oyiridiya (JD Leslie), a northern refugee who witnessed her husband’s murder at the hands of the Hausa people and wants her revenge. Director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu expertly directs this tremendous production with verve and sensitivity. The play is long, well over three hours. But Otu keeps the dialogue and the actors moving smartly. Her vision to explore the narratives of tragedy, humour, social class, dreams, reality, inaction, and despair is fully realized. She makes good use of the small stage by playing scenes to the edges to accommodate the 12-member cast but doesn’t shy away from intimate moments centre stage. Joanna Yu’s storybook set design is functional and practical, with fine African details such as the thatched straw roof of the home’s exterior and trees subtly flanking the property. Lighting designer Andre du Toit effortlessly evokes the African heat with a barrage of amber lights while providing darker hues and spotlights as the war marches to the very doorstep of the sisters’ lives. John Gzowski’s subtle and supportive soundscape of placid chirping crickets and festive radio broadcasts contrasts eerily with the sounds of rumbling storms, explosions and warplanes roaring above. Kudos to the inspired fusion of spot-on costumes of the late 1960s with traditional African prints and headwear by designer Ming Wong. Her bright colours, bold prints, extreme hemlines, loose-fitting shirts, flared trousers, and low heels gave a definite “swinging sixties” vibe while honouring the rich textures of the African working class. But it’s the extraordinarily talented cast that makes this play an event to remember. There isn’t a weak link. Characters are so well-defined that we know what makes everyone tick within minutes. Amo-Adem is thoroughly convincing as the wise, frustrated, and exhausted schoolteacher. Griffiths plays the married, bored middle sister with aplomb, while Simamba is the epitome of optimism and youthful exuberance. They enter and exit the stage with purpose and clarity. More impressively, each one has a life-changing experience that transforms and informs who they become by the play’s end. Perhaps this is most evident in the stunning metamorphosis of Oladejo’s Abosede, who goes from an insecure outsider with a detestable fashion sense to a glamorous but shrewdly scheming head of the household. These actors take us on their own personal journey. That’s storytelling. That’s acting. Umeh adds some much-needed humour as the socially awkward soldier Igwe, while Brown, Stephens-Thompson, Leslie, Herbert, M’Carthy, Nabea and Ofori bring tangible life to their supporting roles. Politics, greed, love, betrayal, envy, power, corruption, redemption, and the complexities of family. Chekhov knew 123 years ago the universality of these themes. They’ve been characters on the human stage forever. But add the irreversible and indelible effects of colonialism, racialization, and a country at war with itself, and you have in this production a reimagined classic that is perhaps more relevant today than it’s ever been. Running time: approximately three hours and 20 minutes with one interval. The production runs until March 24 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House, in the Distillery District. For tickets, visit Soulpepper.ca or call 416-866-8666. THREE SISTERS by Inua Ellams After Chekhov A co-production with Obsidian Theatre. Directed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu Set Design: Joanna Yu Costumes: Ming Wong Lighting: Andre du Toit Sound design and composition: John Gzowski Vocal music coach and arrangement, additional composition: Adekunle Olorundare (Kunle) Movement director: Esie Mensah Performers: Akosua Amo-Adem, Virgilia Griffith, Daren A. Herbert, Sterling Jarvis, JD Leslie, Tawiah M’Carthy, Ngabo Nabea, Oyin Oladejo, Makambe K Simamba, Odena Stephens-Thompson, Amaka Umeh, Matthew G. Brown. Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Rick Miller ‘That’s how the young Rick Miller understood the world – by listening, hearing, learning and taking on a voice in order to better understand someone else.’ Joe Szekeres Joe Szekeres Rick Miller is one helluva busy guy. In 2020, he agreed to be one of the first few actors whom I profiled when all our lives had changed when the pandemic hit. We talked about his work when I first heard of his name in ‘MacHomer: The Simpsons do Macbeth’ at Toronto’s Massey Hall and, in a provocative turn, ‘Venus in Fur’ through Canadian Stage. I also saw him host the Dora Awards. I last saw him onstage at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre in 2022 in ‘Boom’. I had seen the production at Montréal’s Segal Centre before then and enjoyed it so much. When the opportunity arose to see it again in 2022, I jumped at the chance. Miller will have just returned from premiering ‘Boom X’ and ‘Boom YZ’ in Taiwan where he has performed both shows in repertory. In 2021, Rick travelled to Taiwan with ‘Boom’ where the production was adored, and the overseas audience response was for the show to continue. A lot of work has gone into the preparation of the two shows for Taiwan. Miller learned some Mandarin over the last two years he can speak during the show which will also be subtitled. Amid all the travel and craziness involved in moving the show overseas, ‘Boom X’ arrives at Toronto’s Crow’s Theatre on May 10 and plays until May 28. An east-end Toronto guy, this will be his first time performing here and Miller is excited and proud to perform his work in his home and the neighbourhood which is so very important to him. He wants to give back to the community he knows and loves the opportunity to show those around him what he has been doing in travelling all over the world. ‘Boom X’ is billed on the Kidoons website as: “[Spanning] 1970-1995, this second in a trilogy of solo multimedia performances which collectively with ‘Boom’ spans 75 years of history, politics, culture, and technology on our planet. ‘Boom X’ picks up where ‘Boom’ left off, at Woodstock in August 1969 and takes the audience all the way to 1995 when the internet began to dominate our lives. Miller plays over 100 colourful characters from the days of disco, the oil crisis, Watergate, the Cold War, video games, punk rock, the (second) British invasion and more.” The form of ‘Boom X’ has altered from ‘Boom’. There’s a lot going on. It’s a busier show, technically heavy, and it’s a reflection of the beginning of the polarizing of the cable news that we started to live in at that time. The show begins that complex reflection of the media of the 1970s-1995 era, and that’s the magic and wonder of the live production that is high performance. Several weeks ago, I spoke with Rick in a coffee shop in the east end of Toronto and wanted to get caught up with him before he headed to Taiwan. He had just returned from performances in Regina with ‘Boom’ where he had never worked before. The show went extremely well in his words and there’s talk now of bringing ‘Boom X’ there, and Rick loves when that connection is made. On a personal and poignant note, he shared it was the first series of shows he had done since his mother passed away several weeks ago. Rick plays his mother over the course of this trilogy so he was curious how he would pull it off and how it would feel: “It felt less sad and more of a gift and honour to be able to tell [my mother’s story] and to share her voice and to play her in the show.” Rick says it’s hard to describe both the tightrope performances of ‘Boom’ and ‘Boom X’. On the one hand, they’re part entertainment, part documentary and part jukebox musical. Music is key and the heartbeat to these shows. It’s hard to pin down, but what comes across is a celebration of joy, humanity, light and humour. What leads out there is someone genuinely smiling and really trying to please. Artists shouldn’t be shying away from wanting to please and to give to audiences. It doesn’t all have to be introspective. While Miller doesn’t shy away from serious topics, audiences are looking for and want to be uplifted. ‘Boom’ and ‘Boom X’ are not only a history of the celebration of history, culture, and politics in all its complexity, but they’re performed with great spirit, joy, and humour and people love to see that. It’s a very high performance and Miller gives everything he’s got when he’s performing on stage. He literally lays it all out there in what he calls failure and sweat. The ‘Boom’ trilogy is a unique experience compared to what one can get online these days. He also said something that I find important as we all return to the theatre. Why bother going anymore? After the last few years, Rick stated the best writing in the world is happening on television and streaming platforms, but acknowledges: “It’s our responsibility as theatre performers to create something that is different from television and film. Don’t write or film-present a failed tv scenario on stage. That’s not serving the medium. If you want to bring people to the theatre, do something theatrical. You don’t have to spend a million dollars. Just be inventive and celebrate the fact people are in the room with you and create something special and unique.” Rick is proud to say his shows feel like events that leave an impression. He’s very grateful for this high compliment and praise he receives. He’s not simply a Vegas performer who can do voices. Miller feels he has the kind of skills that can leave an impression on someone’s heart and head. If he can bring something to light or jostle an idea through connection to an audience that leaves them even slightly transformed, that is a magical thing for him. That’s why he keeps doing these shows repeatedly. What keeps him grounded? Miller is 53 now and at that age where family responsibilities pull him in one direction and his parents in the other. He’s at that tricky stage of his life as a professional artist in asking the question: “What is the next chapter? or What is the last chapter?” To keep himself grounded, Rick practices mindfulness and meditation in this workout of his mind along with physical workouts. Essentially, he begins to understand how his brain works as everything is connected generally to well-being. By doing that, he puts all his thoughts, emotions, and craziness of our world into a little bit of perspective where he can breathe, set his feet on the ground, and set himself in the moment wherever he is. Rick calls himself a theatre performer even though he has done work in film and television. He takes this responsibility very seriously. People have paid good money to see him perform. They don’t want to see Rick do ‘Boom’ for the 400th time. They want to see him perform for the first time and Miller says that’s a huge responsibility on his shoulders. As we concluded our conversation, Rick mentioned how he is trying to ‘Fail better’, a Samuel Beckett quote. It means trying again, failing again, and doing better. Failure is part of any creative process whether you’re an actor, an athlete, a scientist, or an artist. You must try and fail, and only through that search and that failure do you find anything resembling success as it is fleeting. Rick doesn’t like hearing someone say they’ve arrived because everything is always changing in that sense. It’s a mindfulness thing. Everything moves on including one’s successes so don’t sit in outrage or exult in your own glory because these will pass. What’s next once 'Boom X' has completed its run? Over this coming summer, Miller will continue developing work with his Kidoons partner Craig Francis and then be back on the road in the fall with a tour of ‘Frankenstein’ and ‘Jungle Book’. Next year there will be five shows on the road including the three-part ‘Boom’ trilogy. Boom opens May 10 and runs until May 28 at Streetcar Crowsnest Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue. To book tickets, call the Box Office at (647) 341-7390 or visit crowstheatre.com. To learn more about Rick Miller and Kidoons, visit kidoons.com. To learn more about Rick Miller, the actor, visit rickmiller.ca. Previous Next

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back 'The Lehman Trilogy' by Stefano Massini and adapted by Ben Power Now onstage at Toronto's Bluma Appel Theatre Credit: Dahlia Katz Joe Szekeres ‘An epic drama of an informative and entertaining theatre experience.” An epic three-act, three-hour, two-intermission play, ‘The Lehman Brothers’ follows the lives of three immigrant brothers when they arrived in America in 1840. As the years progressed, the brothers and their descendants founded a banking/investment firm right through to the company's collapse in the major recession in 2008. Three actors play the three brothers and all the roles, from their children to their grandchildren. Canadian Stage’s production is visually extravagant, thanks to Dana Osborne’s expertly framed period costumes, Steve Lucas’s intently focused lighting design and Camellia Koo’s vast set design of epic proportions. The production features three of our country’s finest artists: Ben Carlson (Henry), Graeme Somerville (Emmanuel), and Jordan Pettle (Mayer). Henry is referred to as The Head. Emmanuel is known as The Arm, while Mayer is known as the Potato. Directed with a clear purpose and vision in seeing the grand machinations of the world of finance by Philip Akin who knows a thing or two about creating a theatrical experience, ‘Lehman’ resonates not just with Americans or Canadians but with anyone who dreams big and is willing to put everything on the line to achieve that goal. Henry, Mayer, and Emmanuel are Bavarian Jewish immigrants with big plans. In the first act, they succeed in the cotton industry in Alabama. However, the arrival of the American Civil placed a kibosh on their cotton industry with the rightful eradication of slavery. The second and third acts involve forming and expanding the brothers' investment/banking firm. Granted, I don’t understand everything about the world of finance that I probably should at this stage in my life. Some of the information shared in the dialogue proverbially went in one ear and out the other as my brain went into plot overload. Nevertheless, the precarious highs and lows of the banking industry and all the interconnectedness therein are admirably captured on stage. This CanStage production makes for an informative and entertaining theatre treat. Carlson, Somerville and Pettle are extraordinary. They command the stage in their primary and, subsequently, their secondary roles with grit and determination. Each presents a character of sharp and vigorous detail, and as Akin writes in his Director’s Programme Note: “[the brothers came to] a place where dreams can be achieved if you work hard/where opportunity is all around you if you can only see it.” One memorable segment is Pettle’s recreation of the voices of several people. A necessary comic moment to help balance the heavy drama, but it accurately shows how Pettle, Somerville and Carlson always remain in grounded control of their performances. The first line of the play – “He had been dreaming of America”, for some reason, made me think of Arthur Miller’s tragic Willy Loman, the failed salesman who dreams of corporate America and how he wanted to walk out wealthy from it, but sadly doesn’t. This connection remained as I listened to Stefano Massani’s wordy play (with Ben Powers’ adaptation) unfold before me. I couldn’t shake the connection to Willy Loman from my mind as it became further emphasized in studying Koo’s extensive set design. There was so much to study, but I couldn’t because I didn’t want to distract my attention from the story’s action. Nevertheless, the connection to Willy is heightened by seeing the feet of what appeared to be individuals from long ago running along the apron of the stage. Do these feet belong to all Willy Lomans from long ago upon whom the story of the Lehman Brothers is built? At first, it’s shocking to see these appendages, especially watching Pettle, Carlson, and Somerville ascend and descend the set’s varied reconstructions. Further careful consideration makes a lot of sense that it just might be what Koo intends. I also wondered if she was making a critical connective comment to the First Nations Peoples and their first footprints upon which the lives and businesses of North America are set today. Final Comments: A visual solid historical commentary of the wonders and blunders of corporate America punctuated by strong performances. Go and see it. A talkback or pre-show chat might also be advantageous. Running time: approximately 3 hours with two intermissions. ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ runs until December 2 at The Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front Street East. For tickets, visit canadianstage.com or call 416-368-3110. CANADIAN STAGE presents the Canadian premiere of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, written by Stefano Massini and adapted by Ben Power Director: Philip Akin Assistant Director: Jordan Laffrenier Set Designer: Camilla Koo Costume Designer: Dana Osborne Lighting Designer: Steve Lucas Sound Designer: Miquelon Rodriguez Movement Designer: Alexis Milligan Dialect Coach: Jane Gooderham Cultural Consultant: Diane Flacks and Miriam Borden Stage Manager: Matthew MacInnis The Cast: Ben Carlson, Jordan Pettle, Graeme Somerville Previous Next

Where music, song and dance all contribute to an enjoyable plot on stage Back Holiday Inn Shaw Festival David Cooper David Rabjohn The Shaw Festival’s winter program continues with the opening of a sparkling production of ‘Holiday Inn’ with music by Irving Berlin, one of the greatest song writers in history. One could toss a cast into a cornfield and a hit would somehow ensue with Berlin songs. However, the Shaw producers clearly knew how to respect the master’s material and built a stunning show around stunning songs. We often use the term ‘ensemble’ to describe a particularly tight cast, but we can consider this musical to be an ‘ensemble’ of leadership in that every department – music, acting, lighting, sets, choreography, costumes – was on full creative display. Beginning with a joyous welcome ‘Steppin’ Out’ resounds with dance and colour to forecast an ambitious production. Choreographer Allison Plamondon hits the high mark right away and then moves into a spectacular ‘Heat Wave’ – I didn’t say hot. There is not a weakness in the cast as the complex choreography is performed at breakneck speed with polish and ease. The story, as suggested by the title, revolves through one entire year highlighting all major holidays from Thanksgiving to Thanksgiving. Jim, tired of New York and performing, wants to settle on a Connecticut farm with Lila who rejects the idea. As he gets to know the small-town community, he meets Linda who is also a performer. After a number of disappointments, Jim considers using the farm as a performance space for productions run only for each major holiday. The iconic ‘White Christmas’ opens the Christmas season, and the others follow. Performance highlights are everywhere. Kyle Blair, as Jim, performs a top notch ‘Blue Skies’ and Gabrielle Jones, as Louise, turns in spectacular comic sequences highlighted by the rousing ‘Shaking the Blues Away.’ Kristi Frank, as Linda Mason, works some beautiful duets with ‘Let’s Take an Old-Fashioned Walk’ and ‘Be Careful, It’s My Heart.’ Kyle Golemba, as Ted, joins the other two in a spirited ‘Cheek to Cheek’ – one of Berlin’s classics. Young Julia Thompson as Charlie Winslow is a delightful young schemer and is lovely in the reprise of ‘Plenty to be Thankful For.’ Costumes and sets designed by Judith Bowden were as impressive as the performers. Moving through all the principal holidays, Ms. Bowden had a lot of material to cover. From pastels for Thanksgiving to iconic red, white, and blue for Independence Day sewing must have been fast and furious. The greatest sizzle came from formal wear in many of the big numbers with crisp tuxedos and brilliant gowns that spiced up the entire night. For director Kate Hennig, it must have seemed an embarrassment of riches. Having said that, orchestrating so much talent takes a wealth of experience in her craft. Responsibility for a greatest hits list of Berlin songs might seem overwhelming, but Hennig’s result is both commanding and entertaining. ‘Holiday Inn’ by Irving Berlin Book by – Gorden Greenberg, Chad Hodge Director – Kate Hennig Music direction – Paul Sportelli Choreography – Allison Plamondon Set and Costumes – Judith Bowden Lighting – Kevin Lamotte Sound – John Lott Cast – Kyle Blair, Kyle Golemba, Vanessa Sears, Jay Turvey, Julia Thompson, Kristi Frank, Gabrielle Jones. Runs through – December 23, 2021 at The Festival Theatre. Tickets at shawfest.com Previous Next

Where music, song and dance all contribute to an enjoyable plot on stage Back Dixon Road by Fatuma Adar Produced by The Musical Stage Company in association with Obsidian Theatre and Canadian Stage. Unknown Dave Rabjohn This month marks the world premiere of the musical ‘Dixon Road’ under the beautiful natural canopy of Toronto’s High Park. This remarkable musical journey by Fatuma Adar was five loving years in the making and Toronto audiences will be thrilled with both her incredible work and the powerful performances behind it. Dixon Road is a community in the northwest of the city where many Somali immigrants congregated. This is their story of assimilating into Canada. The strengths of this production are the joyous diversity of Ms. Adar’s music and the backbone of this cast – Germaine Konji as the ambitious daughter Batoul. Batoul is the daughter of Zaki, an affable dreamer and a touch naïve, played with force and a beautiful voice by Gavin Hope. Along with her mother, Safiya, and grandmother, Halima, the family struggles in Somalia to maintain a middle-class lifestyle. In the early 90s, Somalia has just won its independence and Zaki has just won a prime bureaucratic position in the government. War then tears the country apart and the family must move to Canada where family members take them in with an uncertain future. Family tensions increase in cramped quarters and the usual complications of assimilation into an unknown country take their toll. As mentioned, Ms. Adar’s score is rich with diversity, music moving from hip hop to rap to show tunes and Motown. An early example is “Pray” with radiant harmonies from the entire family and a backdrop of rap from Mr. Hope. Moving to Canada, the clever “How to Be Canadian” is irreverent and ironic with some very inventive choreography around a taxi cab – a job the over-qualified Zaki must accept. Batoul sinks into depression but is resilient as she sings the powerful number “Find Me.” Batoul’s release in life is in her writing – she yearns to be a poet and dramatist. The family, at times, both ridicules her dreams and then tries to accept them. Grandmother Halima, portrayed with zest by Shakura S’Aida, remains in the old country but echoes her thoughts over the family. She supports Batoul as she reflects “we are Somali – we are poets.” A most clever scene with “Oprah” literally diving out of a television set represents the detritus of western culture. Batoul struggles with this void, fights it and becomes even more determined to be a professional writer. Further irony is brilliantly portrayed in the second act where the celebrating Somali family ends up in a Chucky Cheese-like restaurant along with dancing waiters and a dancing chipmunk. Aspects of traditional Somali dance pepper the silliness of the moment. Assimilation can often produce comic effects. Director Ray Hogg (also choreographer) is credited with bringing a number of elements together. Working outside with an awkward, multilevel stage is demanding and his rich experience was clearly a motivation to the cast. The set designer, Brian Dudkiewicz, opened the show with a rich backdrop of colourful tapestries in Somalia which cleverly disappeared leaving the bare and leaden elements of cold brick and mortar highrises. Many of the songs deal with the theme of faith – it is the faith in family and neighbours that holds these new immigrants together. At one point someone goes out to buy diapers – “we don’t have a baby” – “yes, but the new family on the second floor does.” Perhaps Zaki, near the end of the play best summarizes their wish to move forward – “there must be another life than just surviving.” This production, with a lavish diversity of music, reflects this ultimate joy of families coming together. ‘Dixon Road’ by Fatuma Adar Performers: Krystle Chance, Starr Domingue, Omar Forrest, Rose-Mary Harbans, Gavin Hope, Germaine Konji, Michael-Lamont Lytle, Dante Prince, Shakura S’Aida, Travae Williams Director/Choreographer – Ray Hogg Music Director – Chris Barillaro Set Design – Brian Dudkiewicz Costume Designer – George Michael Fanfan Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Jonathan Goad Moving Forward The Company Theatre website Joe Szekeres It took me many weeks online to get Stratford resident Jonathan Goad and pin him down for an interview. I was so pleased and grateful when he thanked me in an email for not giving up on him since his schedule was an extremely busy one when the pandemic hit, and life changed for all of us. I’ve tremendous respect for Jonathan’s work at the Festival and remember his extraordinary performance as Atticus Finch in ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ which left me in tears at the standing ovation. Jonathan also directed another personal favourite of mine at the Festival, Arthur Miller’s ‘The Crucible’, whose message is still connected to our world today. Jonathan also appeared on one of my favourite CBC shows ‘Republic of Doyle’ as Jake Doyle’s (Allan Hawco) wayward brother, Christian, who returns home. It was also nice to learn that Jonathan attended Bowmanville High School and knows about the Durham Region and the fact his parents attended local community theatre productions in Durham. We conducted our interview via Zoom. Thank you again, Jonathan, for taking time to chat with me as we all move forward in this pandemic: It has been an exceptionally long eight months since the pandemic began, and now the numbers are edging upward again. How are you feeling about this? Will we ever emerge to some new way of living in your opinion? Well, I mean (and then there was a somewhat nervous laugh) I’d have to be half crazy to say that there’s anything about it that I like, ya know, in terms of disease and disease progress. I’m not entirely surprised and I don’t think anyone else is. We were warned of the second wave. I think we did a pretty impressive job in Ontario in getting things essentially in a much better place in the summer but clearly this second wave is a doozy. What it requires of us is an even greater fortitude and bearing down and being brave and doing what we have to do, at best, mitigate and contain to the best of our abilities this virus. To be succinct, it’s not good news but at the same time it’s also not necessarily unexpected. And what I’m hoping is that maybe around 1,000 we can start to see the precipice of this hill and get on the other side of this wave and maybe, somehow, stymie a third wave. I’m definitely an optimist about our prospects for ultimately beating this thing. I think science minds all over the world, despite not always being helped by some of the political bodies out there, some of the greatest minds are working on it because they all care about humanity. I think humanity cares about the majority of humanity so that energy alone will ultimately prevail in this thing. For awhile I was checking the numbers every day just out of my own fascination and to make good personal and community decisions and those for family as well. I wasn’t obsessive about it, but I was checking because I was trying to see how this thing was shaping up. Now I find I’m doing that less and what I’m checking on is vaccine progress and therapy progress, and just checking on how people are finding ways creatively to continue to live and feel like there is life. I’m more focused on these things. It’s a weird way to use the term ‘happy medium’ but we’re probably not going to get a vaccine as quickly as they thought. I don’t think it’s going to be nearly as long as the initial prospects were when people were talking about a vaccine taking 5-10 years. Miracles are happening in the science field. Now, does that mean spring? Summer? Fall? 2022? I don’t really know, but I do feel we will get back to a new but utterly to a normal that won’t feel like we’ve had to cash in on everything we’ve believed in and savoured about life and freedom. I’m always an optimist, almost a foolish optimist but not a naïve one as I believe it’s always worthwhile going now we’re going to fix this sooner than you think. With the right will and energy, miracles happen. How have you been faring? How has your immediate family been doing during these last eight months? All things considered, pretty good. We’re lucky we live in Stratford as it has been a little bit of a bubble in that we haven’t had the same sort of evidence of the disease in the community. That said, from what I’ve experienced, and I’ve been out in the community since this thing began, people take it quite seriously which is really good. Generally speaking, people are pretty adherent to masks here in Stratford and care about each other in the community. There was a part of me that was concerned about impact on the kids because kids are antithetical to the nature of this virus. Kids beautifully embrace each other at close distances. Kids don’t wear masks literally and figuratively as they are open souls and so the idea of mask wearing and fearing the person standing across from you is antithetical to how kids embrace life, I think. That said, kids are pretty cool and pragmatic and can find fun in anything if you help them. Kids have made a thing about being pretty smart in wearing masks, hand washing, social distancing and even about protecting one another. Kids care and that’s a really inspiring thing. My own kids have been pretty good. They have moments where they quite rightly express they can’t have the birthday they wanted or that they can’t do this and that’s to be expected. For the most part, my kids and all the kids around them have been amazingly brave and got on with the business of living. As an artist within the performing arts community, what has been the most difficult and challenging for you professionally and personally? (Jonathan paused and thought a great deal before responding) I’m definitely a mid career artist and I’ve had a lot of great fortune. I’ve been utterly blessed in this profession. If anything, I haven’t felt sorry for myself. I don’t mean to say that like I have such nobility, as I’m just fine. I’ve mourned for the loss of some personal projects, maybe. More so I feel like I’m at a stage in my career that I’ve had an opportunity to do a lot of things. I’ve a lot more I like to do. The hardest thing has been to watch other artists around me, some friends, and even just young artists I know simply through their work get stopped as they have. This immediate shutdown of our industry which was quick and severe can be difficult especially when you’re an artist that is just emerging, an artist that is about to do their first big part in a play. Some artists I was working with just landed their first contract and first season at the Stratford Festival in one of the musicals. That has been one of the hardest things to watch that. Ultimately you can offer words as a balm but what you really can’t do is much about it at the moment. The reality is so evident. In the world of the theatre it’s impossible to deal with as there is no simple or easy fix for the situation. Theatre is more vulnerable to this particular thing than anything else. I’ve been on a film set a couple of times in this pandemic. There are big adjustments, it’s not perfect and even that industry is working at a quarter of what it was, but it is crawling back. It’s quite possible with the calculated risk in television and film is lower. But theatre is the quintessential communal artistic endeavour. It thrives on its aliveness and certain forms of close proximity. All that to say, the hardest thing is to think of friends, colleagues, and particularly young people on the crest of their first big show or any part and everything stopped. I find it hard to decide what to say about it. Were you in preparation, rehearsals, or any planning stages of productions before everything was shut down? What has become of those projects? Will they see the light of day anytime soon? We were three weeks into rehearsal for ‘Spamalot’. Just from the way it worked out in terms of scheduling, I was only doing ‘Spamalot’. While it was a wild, vigorous, challenging, and hilarious rehearsal process, once I opened ‘Spamalot’ I was going to have a pretty sweet summer. We would have done four shows a week and a show that is about as ludicrous as they come and is designed 100% to ensure that we never take ourselves too seriously in this life. It was a real gift on so many fronts. We had just staged a great deal of one of the massive, massive numbers where they go back to Camelot for debauchery. I was to play King Arthur. I have no idea what the Festival’s plans are regarding a future staging of ‘Spamalot’ or any of the productions. I’m sure the Festival is spending a portion of their days coming up with a series of contingency plans based on how things roll out, how we navigate this crisis. I don’t know. My feeling is that the Festival is committed for many reasons to do everything they had planned this year at some point in the future. That rollout will probably be over the next number of years. Whether ‘Spamalot’ makes the cut or not, I’m not sure. It all depends on the theatre they plan to open. The challenge for Stratford is that they were on probably five, six or seven of their major shows they were probably 80% or more built. They invested all that time and money up front and, of course, there is no return until people are in seats, so it was a bit of a perfect or terrible storm (as you might say) for the Festival. On that level, they are committed to doing these things because they have the beautiful sets, the costumes, the props designed. If next year, the Festival only opens two of its theatres the shows in those theatres last year might be the only ones they would consider. Even then they might not be the right fit or reduced company sizes. I feel they might make an outdoor space next year and ‘Spamalot’ could certainly work outdoors. I think it’s a great initiative if they consider doing some outdoor theatre. I directed a show this summer, a one woman show, that was part of a small festival here in Stratford. When I first saw outdoor theatre, that’s what I think really inspired me to go into the theatre. Certainly, particularly, in sort of a Shakespeare bend. The fundamental beauty that happens in an outdoor setting when a group of people is telling a story to another group of people is almost second to none. Of course, I love indoor theatre as well as there are some challenges to outdoor theatre that you wish weren’t there. In the end, outdoor theatre is not a compromise. It’s not some sort of lesser form, it’s actually the roots of what we do and maybe the roots of why we do it. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time? I’m crazy about building. I’ve got a whole series of projects that I was finishing up. I’d always promise the girls I’d build them a playhouse in the back, and it became an ethic project. Home building projects, many of which have been started, are much closer to their completion. Spending as much time with my family as I could which is always been my priority and now there’s no way around it. In many ways, the challenge of parenting hasn’t got any easier. You may have more time on your hands, but you have to be more creative in how you deal with things. I directed a play in the summer and helped out in any way I could with this ‘Here For Now’ Theatre, a local young woman started with a couple of friends and it ended up being a real success. They worked hand in hand with the local health unit, all outdoors in a safe endeavour and environment, tiny cast ( 1 person show). A local improv group also did one of their shows. What was inspiring and illuminating was the hunger that people were craving for this experience. The numbers are humble compared to the Festival but a ton of people came out with their love and generosity and their hearts to see the shows. This fall I’ve been auditioning for film and tv. I’ve had a couple of voice over stuff and just recently I’ve returned to set for a couple of episodes of things, so yeah, no shortage of busy. Any words of wisdom or advice you might /could give to fellow performers and colleagues? What message would you deliver to recent theatre school graduates who have now been set free into this unknown and uncertainty given the fact live theaters and studios might be closed for 1 ½ - 2 years? I don’t know if it is sage, but I don’t think my advice would change from what I would tell a group five years ago or five in the future, and that is ‘To Keep At It’ Never stop dreaming. We will come through this and the optimist in me says we will come through stronger, more resilient with a greater sort of passion in our hearts, maybe a greater passion for the grand project of humanity. If there’s a definitive in this, it’s the fact we are all in this together. The enemy is no longer each other; I say that with condition as not everyone is on board with that. But I do feel what this brings home is that truly we are all in this together. It took me a long time to come round to living a life in the arts. I had incredibly supportive parents, but I grew up in a small class working town (Bowmanville) and it took me a long time for me to say that performance is my job. This is a legitimate thing to do with my life. If anything, this pandemic has re-affirmed for me the value of artists in society and that we’re in this rare position of your job requires utter vulnerability, and at the same time resilience. Never forget as an artist that vulnerability is at the core of your being, your willingness to share, to be open, to pursue personal and societal truths. These are the things to define an artist. And so, what I would say to young people or any artist (and I certainly say this to myself), ‘Keep going. Keep moving forward. If you feel as if you are about to give up reach out to another artist friend and talk to them, or any friend. This is temporary, but how long is temporary? I would never be so bold as to say. We emerge from this as artists stronger and more resilient and as society and focusing on bigger and more eternal truths.” Do you see anything positive stemming from Covid 19? I sort of have a belief and speak directly about the work in the theater because I’m part of The Company Theatre in Toronto, our work with that is all about incubation. Incubation is happening all over the place. It always does happen, but it’s happening in a profound way. Crows Theatre has a number of initiatives in that same regard. Theatres everywhere are going, “Ok, we can’t perform”, but they can still do things, we can think, reach out, we can write, collaborate, share. The collaborations are happening everywhere. People are sowing seeds in the field. That’s a real positive. When you realize you can’t make money at this time, you’re reminded of the essence of theatre anyway in that it’s not really a commercial venture. We scratch out livings from it, but in the end there’s something much bigger, much more profound about what it’s like to pursue a life in the theatre. And no one goes into the theatre for money away (and Jonathan and I share a good laugh over that statement). If they do, then I’ve got some swampland to sell them. Ya, there are the Andrew Lloyd Webbers out there, but even ALW probably didn’t even know he would be Sir ALW. And to his credit he believes in making theatre all the time and he gives a lot of people jobs. We don’t get rich from this thing, but hopefully not to sound too cliched, we hopefully become spiritually rich and enriched where we live a life of meaning. Do you think Covid 19 will have some lasting impact on the Toronto/Canadian/North American performing arts scene? On a bigger sense of things, for those of us who have lost work overnight and find ourselves faced daily with the notion that our career is on hold, we inevitably will find make work projects but we will still be busy with other things. This pause on a grander scale does offer time for reflection which is very important in a job where you are essentially and always on the hustle. Theatre is a hustle. I think most artists probably have had a moment or numerous moments to reflect on the bigger questions on why we do this job of performing and the life you want to make. There’s real value in that and you come out of that more informed, more involved person. There are great gifts in that. Even just gratitude that is something that I’ve made a point of focusing on is what to be thankful for daily, and that’s not easy. That’s an evolving process. In my experience I’ve been around hard workers all my life. I worked on farms when I was younger. But it is in the theatre industry where you find the hard workers. That’s not to say they’re the hardest workers but they are out there working hard. The hustle can put you in a frame of mind where you never take a moment to just breathe it all in and think about why you do the things you do. This time is a gift in that way. I do feel no matter how difficult this has been, there’s nothing more difficult than being in the ground. That’s something I have to remind myself constantly of each day. I may have lost some work and having had to make some hard choices and we’re all in this boat to varying degrees. At the same time, we have enough examples of people who have had a much harder go in this pandemic for the obvious reasons. We owe it to them to keep our own dreams alive and contribute to as little spread of this disease as possible until we find a really good way through it. Some artists have turned to You Tube and online streaming to showcase their work. What are your comments and thoughts about streaming? Is this something that the actor/theatre may have to utilize going forward into the unknown? As this pandemic becomes prolonged and the restrictions around performing for each other inside spaces clearly is something that’s not going to happen tomorrow, the initial nature of online work was a way to keep the ghost light on as Graham Abbey’s initiative is. Some of those efforts were around whether it was the Festival putting up the series of plays or even people getting together and do readings, it was a way of getting together and keeping spirits up. I feel that no matter what level kind of technical savvy online streaming comes to or fantastically filmed versions of theatrical performances that I really enjoy watching, them, they are nothing compared to the real thing. They are a different thing I’m thrilled that they’re out there, but I don’t see them as a viable alternative, maybe as a complementary to live theatre. But I don’t think they are the future of theatre by any means. I just think because they become something else. And so, that said, live streaming is a great way of reminding us about theatre, but it is not THE THEATRE. Despite all this fraught tension, confusion and drama surrounding the pandemic, what is it about performing that Covid will never destroy for you? Well, if anything, Covid has affirmed for me the need and the desire for us as humans to tell stories, to share our stories. The roots of lighting the fire and having some food, we’re around the fire and tell a story. It’s an essential behaviour to communicate and share. That can take a lot of forms as theatre is a profound form for me as is film and tv. Theatre is so raw in its essence. Covid doesn’t take that away. What we really want is that human contact and the sharing of feeling and story is as essential as virtually anything. Covid just forces the artist to re-affirm that for themselves and to dig even deeper into their soul for the day when we can commune in a freer capacity again. Previous Next

A deconstruction of an individual's story. Back 'The Runner' by Christopher Morris Now onstage until November 19 at the Firehall Theatre, 185 South Street, Gananoque Courtesy of Human Cargo Productions Joe Szekeres “ ‘The Runner’ is a courageous and bold performance that must be experienced live.” The final production of the Thousand Island Playhouse’s 2023 season, ‘The Runner’ demands its audiences’ complete attention for its intense storytelling. Playwright Christopher Morris wants to create theatre that explores the extremes of the human condition. He certainly does so with his riveting and enthralling script in this production. ‘The Runner’ becomes unsettling to watch and to listen to Jacob’s disturbing monologue harrowingly delivered to us. Three audience members left last night before the play ended. I wondered if they did so because they were bothered by the subject material since the play deals with the Arab/Israeli conflict. Good theatre can bother you. It’s supposed to be disquieting at times. Unsettling as well. Good theatre makes us confront issues head-on, sometimes uncomfortably. ‘The Runner’ is good theatre. The story focuses on the pushback Jacob (David Patrick Flemming), a Z.A.K.A. volunteer, experiences when his devotion to serving others – regardless of their race or creed – clashes with the divisive beliefs of the community around him. Z.A.K.A.’s mandate is a non-governmental search and rescue team that responds to terrorist attacks and natural disasters. Partly motivated by Jewish burial laws, Z.A.K.A. ensures all human remains are collected and identified. It includes members from all religious and cultural groups. Z.A.K.A’s response to any event is to recover human remains and to assist victims. It is often in assisting victims that people can be put to the test. David Patrick Flemming takes the audience on a haunting journey as Jacob when he is put to the test. He triages an Arab woman (who is supposedly a terrorist attacker) instead of the soldier whom she has supposedly killed. As the story unfolds, Jacob is aghast by the pushback he receives from colleagues and administrators who chide his efforts. There appears to be an unwritten code of victims first and terrorists second which challenges Jacob’s moral fibre of why he is doing what he is doing with Z.A.K.A. It’s a darkened stage when we enter the Firehall Theatre auditorium. Gillian Gallow places a treadmill centre stage. Bonnie Beecher uses a stark spotlight to illuminate the treadmill. There’s an eerie haze effect in the auditorium. After I sat down and studied the stage, my first thought was ‘Where am I?”. Combined with Alexander MacSween’s, at times distinctly jarring sound designs, this creative team smartly keeps me at the edge of my seat, wondering what’s coming next. At the top of the show, the opening words: “What’s happening?” can be heard from the darkness. What’s happening is a bold and brave performance by David Patrick Flemming. He never veers into histrionics for any heightened emotional impact. Flemming remains wholly grounded. He allows the words to speak for themselves and the audience to feel the impact. His Jacob runs a credible emotional gamut of peaks and valleys. He’s shy but knows the importance of teamwork, even though some other volunteers are not nice people. Jacob wants to please his mother, with whom he lives. She has a hot meal ready for him at the end of the evening, but he hasn’t shown up the last two nights. His mother is not physically well, and he feels guilty about that. She nags at her son that he hasn’t given her any grandchildren yet. Flemming’s discussion of the Arab woman and what might or could happen to her is haunting. What’s also remarkable about Flemming’s work is his continued walking on the treadmill. His pacing remains remarkably controlled. It’s fluid and natural. Sometimes, he’s running; often, he is at a leisurely pace, and there are moments when his walking is slow. Flemming never appears out of breath. If he does slow down, it’s for a particular dramatic effect. When this occurs, I’m on every word he’s saying. According to Morris’s playwright note, this production and play were nurtured and directed by the late Daniel Brooks. Morris is credited in the programme as an Associate Director. This is my first time seeing this production, so I will credit both Brooks and Morris. The direction is tight but never feels or looks restrained. The sincerity in Flemming’s performance is a highlight of the show. I trusted that what I was hearing and seeing was a credible person who, according to Morris: “put human decency above division, while knowing full well the consequences they’ll face.” Final Comments: There’s a Catholic hymn with the lines: “Awake from your slumber/Arise from your sleep.” As a practicing Catholic, I find these two lines apropos in seeing ‘The Runner.’ It’s a play that makes me awake and pay close attention to what’s occurring now in the Middle East. Go and see ‘The Runner’. I hear there are talkbacks after specific performances with playwright Christopher Morris. I would encourage future audiences to remain after and discuss. I had many thoughts and comments running through my head that I wish there had been a talkback last night. Running time: approximately 60 minutes with no intermission. ‘The Runner’ plays until November 19 at the Firehall Theatre, 185 South Street, Gananoque. For tickets, https://www.1000islandsplayhouse.com/firehall-theatre/ or call 1-613-382-7020. THOUSAND ISLANDS PLAYHOUSE presents A HUMAN CARGO Production ‘The Runner’ by Christopher Morris Producer, Human Cargo: Samantha MacDonald Directed by Daniel Brooks/Associate Director: Christopher Morris/Assistant Director: Stephie Mazunya Set and Costume Designer: Gillian Gallow Lighting Designer: Bonnie Beecher Composer/Sound Designer: Alexander MacSween Stage Manager: Arwen MacDonnell Performer: David Patrick Flemming as Jacob Previous Next BACK TO TOP

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back 'Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes' by Hannah Moscovitch Now onstage at Gananoque's Firehall Theatre, Gananoque Credit: Randy deKleine-Stimpson. L-R: Romi Shraiter and Jonas Chernick Joe Szekeres A boldly calculated risk in tackling this edge-of-the-seat drama. It’s a sexy production at the Firehall. Yet, there’s nothing sexy about the implications of the characters' actions. Gananoque’s Thousand Islands Playhouse presents Hannah Moscovitch’s daring two-hander ‘Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes.’ Written in 2020 and winner of the 2021 Governor General’s Award for English language drama, the bold script is told from the third-person narrative viewpoint of Jon (Jonas Chernick), a lauded and well-respected college professor. He’s slowly completing a novel about turn-of-the-century lumberjacks while teaching and grading assignments. Jon is twice divorced and separated from his third wife. He’s filled with self-hatred. He continually refers to himself in the third person while sharing his emotional myriad of rambling thoughts running turbulently through his head. Throughout all this personal upheaval, Jon continues to teach and try to go about his business. The arrival of first-year student Annie (Romi Shraiter) in Jon’s class alters his life. She wears a blood-red coat. He develops an obsessive interest in this young woman who lives down the street from his house and passes by it daily on her way to and from the college. One day, Annie is locked out of her apartment. She hurts herself trying to crawl through the window and is severely cut. She shows up at Jon’s house, and he assists in helping her clean the wound. This encounter dangerously notches up the sexual tension. The two begin a tempestuous and consensual affair in a matter of days. Even though Jon knows how highly unprofessional his behaviour has become, he embarks willingly, which could have dire consequences for his personal life and career. I saw the premiere of this production in Toronto and had written that Moscovitch viscerally overturned the #metoo movement on its head with a sizable goose egg bump. This ‘Sexual Misconduct’ still does that. It remains an uncomfortable story of power dynamics dealing with the abuse of trust between a teacher/instructor and a student. I finally see more behind Moscovitch’s script regarding narrative points of view. The uniqueness of Jon referring to himself in the third person appears rather timely and odd (especially in our woke world of preferred pronoun usage). To refer to oneself in the third person means to distance oneself. To refer to oneself in the first person implies there is a proximity. If something is distant, there is no need to recognize its closeness. Implications of actions can be avoided in the third-person narrative. These implications are not nearly as immediate as if the first-person narrative is used. Because Jon refers to himself in the third person, he does not have to accept full responsibility for his actions. Director Krista Jackson reflects this recognition in her vision of the play, but she’s inspired by going one step further. She skillfully maneuvers Annie’s quiet presence everywhere on the stage. If she’s not seen physically, Annie’s voice is amplified from the standing microphones on the stage. She's gracefully swanlike when she must exit the stage, and my eyes watch as she leaves. Annie will always be that grimly felt reminder of Jon’s inexcusably unprofessional actions that cannot be ignored this time around. Jackson’s creative team of artists behind the scenes helped achieve this intense vision. Michelle Bohn’s set design effectively resembles a strategy game board. Jon’s college office is on risers and appears to be the apex. Stage right of Jon’s desk (which also doubles as a hotel bed in another scene), there are books galore piled high, nearly right to the ceiling. The floor design is intriguing. There appears to be an ‘X’ with patches of artificial grass in the spaces between. However, where the two lines meet in the letter ‘x’ centre stage becomes a crossroads for Annie and Jon. That crossroads becomes an empty pit of torrid and dynamic sexual passion with a sense these events will not end well. And what do you know? They don’t. The periodic use of shadowy lighting design by Louise Guinand continues to notch up the heated intensity. There are two costume items Bohn incorporates which catch the eye. Annie’s blood-red coat indeed represents a fiery passion within the woman. Additionally, her skirt and blouse are shades of red at one point. A nice touch. The other item is Jon’s belt. At first, it caught my eye as it wasn’t placed in Chernick’s waist pant loop and kept flopping. And then it dawned on me why this works for Jon’s character – the man has probably lost so much weight and is not eating because he is stressed. Now, it makes sense. Anita Nittoly’s work as Intimacy Director must be courageously acknowledged. Those moments of implied sexual chemistry and acts between Jon and Annie strikingly capture what’s going on; however, as I had written earlier, there is nothing sexy about this ‘Sexual Misconduct.’ It’s misconduct on both characters, as Moscovitch’s title clarifies. Jonas Chernick and Romi Shraiter are the reasons to experience this Thousand Islands production. They deliver brave and daring performances and remain fully committed to the believable reality of the moment under Jackson’s subtle direction. There are many moments where Chernick’s Jon remains clearly in control. He senses and knows when Annie is coming on to him. Chernick’s Jon is the first to act on his animalistic response, while Shraiter’s Annie follows in kind. There are even moments of Jon gaslighting Annie. There is one extraordinary moment when Shraiter’s Annie grandly pulls the power of the moment from Chernick, and she remains in control. At one point, she silently and determinedly exits from Jon, not saying a word, with her head held high and a look on her face which beamed, ‘This is not over.’ Chilling to hear the silence at this point, but it is a highlight because Annie could destroy everything about Jon. Final Comments: ‘Sexual Misconduct’ is another piece that should be discussed. I know the Playhouse has held post-discussions with actors following performances. I hope there is one for this production. A reminder that the play is not for impressionable youth. This production is, at times, unsettling. It does ask questions. But that’s a sign of the impact of a good play when questions are raised. It’s worth a visit to the Firehall Theatre. Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. The production runs until October 1 at the Firehall Theatre, 185 South Street, Gananoque. Call the Box Office at (613) 382-7020 or visit www.1000islandsplayhouse.com for tickets. THE THOUSAND ISLANDS PLAYHOUSE presents ‘Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes’ by Hannah Moscovitch. Director - Krista Jackson Set & Costume Designer - Michelle Bohn Lighting Designer - Louise Guinand Sound Designer & Composer - Sara Jarvie-Clark Stage Manager - Loralie Pollard Intimacy & Fight Director - Anita Nittoly Performers: Jonas Chernick and Romi Shraiter Previous Next

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back 'The Normal Heart' by Larry Kramer Saint John Theatre Company Courtesy of Saint John Theatre Company Facebook page Aaron Kropf Every once in a while a show of great significance comes along and tells a story of our past and future. The Normal Heart is one such story. The semi-autobiographical show tells one man’s story of love and loss at the beginning of the HIV/AIDS epidemic in America. Given that we are currently in Pride month is apropos that the Saint John Theatre Company presents their production of The Normal Heart during the last weekend of Pride month. Larry Kramer’s wonderful script is a semi-autobiographical story of Ned (deftly performed by Peter Boyce) navigating the early days of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. Ned quickly loses many of his friends to a disease that few know little about, except for Emma. Emma is a doctor struggling to learn all she can about this mysterious illness that has infiltrated the gay community, making many men extremely ill ultimately resulting in their deaths. Soon a group is formed because of Ned’s dedication to getting the word out about this unknown disease with friends Bruce (Mariah Darling), Tommy (Joseph Debly) and a few others. The conflict of the piece revolves around the best approach to getting the word out and how the community should curb the rapid rate with which the virus is spreading through the gay community. The cast of this production of The Normal Heart is exceptional! Peter Boyce’s stoic portrayal of Ned is a master class in taking on a character and finding those little eccentricities that really make a character come alive. To maintain a characterization like that while on stage for the bulk of the production is truly a pleasure to watch and is only topped by the range Boyce gives, particularly in the second half of the production. Jillian Bonner’s Emma is another note worthy performance. Her perseverance in learning more about the mystery illness and concern for her patients is resplendent. Mariah Darling took on another of the production's most challenging roles. Darling deftly navigates Bruce’s struggle of being a leader yet keeping his sexuality from his employer. It’s really unfortunate that many people throughout the world still fear they will lose their livelihood should their sexuality be exposed, one of the many reasons 'The Normal Heart' continues to be a vital work for the stage. There were a couple of challenges that should be overcome as the show runs until the 25th at the BMO Studio Theatre in Saint John. When an actor is to take on an accent it’s of the utmost importance that they maintain that accent throughout the whole production. If that cannot be done it really is best to drop the accent altogether . A couple performers were a little stiff; perhaps it’s opening jitters but hopefully, they can iron out this issue during the remainder of the run. However, these two things shouldn’t stop anyone from getting a ticket and taking in such important theatrical work. It was wise of director Matt Hamilton-Snow to keep a minimal set. A few tables, chairs, a desk, and side table moved around the stage to create new locations was great. And to keep the furniture primarily black and white allowed the script and actors to take centre stage. I also really like when a movie, tv show, or theatrical production shows photos of the real people at the end. I’m glad this was done for this production. This shed the light on those that were at the forefront of the fight to learn all that could be learned about the HIV/AIDS epidemic. 'The Normal Heart' is so important because of the story it tells. I believe, it’s something that needs to be presented more than it is, and should be seen by more people. This production is a seminal work of art told with the heart and conviction of a wonderful cast and artistic team. Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Gabi Epstein Looking Ahead Gaetz Photography Joe Szekeres Actress and jazz singer Gabi Epstein is certainly appreciative of the many opportunities she has had in her twenty-year career Just like her brother, Jake, whom I saw in his one-man show ‘Boy Falls from Sky’ at the Royal Alexandra last year, Gabi is just as humble as he is. I saw her perform as Audrey in ‘Little Shop of Horrors’ at the Stratford Festival. I also had the chance to see her perform as part of a tremendous ensemble of artists at London, Ontario’s Grand Theatre, and the production of a heart-warming ‘Home for the Holidays’ which put me in the Christmas spirit. Just recently Gabi played the office spy Roz in a fantastic ‘9 to 5: The Musical’ at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre. She’s off now to be part of Barrie Ontario’s Talk is Free Theatre’s ‘Giants in the Sky’ two-week festival this month. What is ‘Giants in the Sky’ apart from a song title in Stephen Sondheim’s ‘Into the Woods’? According to Talk is Free Theatre’s website: “Over September 9-11, 2022, and September 16-18, 2022, culture, music, and theatrical performance are bringing rooftops, balconies, and fire escapes of the city of Barrie, Ontario to life, and it’s all free.” Growing up, Gabi attended The Claude Watson Program in elementary and high school at Earl Haig as a vocal major but also had an interest in the drama program. She then decided to pursue her studies in Music at McGill University and loved living in the city. She holds a Bachelor of Music. At that time, she had put so much work into her music studies that she decided to specialize in that one area and be an expert. When she returned from Montreal after obtaining her degree, she said she was already a few steps ahead. Gabi went into music knowing she wanted to do theatre. After school, she took some scene study acting classes, but did not attend theatre school nor have any formal acting training through a theatre program. She started auditioning right away and working about one-two years after her graduation. She learned about theatre on the job through osmosis, watching other actors, and very happily stated: “I thrive in rehearsal because that’s my training.” What a great way to learn about the industry. There’s that little thing called Covid still out there that the live performing arts scene and industry must still consider. When Covid hit, like all the artists I’ve spoken to, Gabi had some time to think and reflect about who she was if she wasn’t a performing artist. So, what did she do? She started self-producing everything from her own cabaret evenings to full productions of shows. Her friend, artist Sara Farb and Gabi self-produced a show called ‘Edges’ that they performed themselves that ended up being a co-production with The Musical Stage Company (but at that time called ACTING UP). Gabi also teaches singing. If there was a time when there wasn’t a period of work for Gabi (as there wasn’t for many artists during the pandemic) she made work for herself. Over the pandemic, she said she had a newfound confidence that was tested in trying to make a profitable time for herself while continuing to be an artist. She and her husband ventured into online performances and started a company called ‘The New Local’ where they paired up with local restaurants and did a virtual dinner and show which kept them inspired. How does Gabi see her place in a five-year trajectory of the Canadian artist moving forward slowly? Whatever that trajectory may be going forward as we all deal with Covid, Gabi says whatever path she takes she will be performing for as long as she can in whatever she can to keep herself open. The reason why she has stayed in this industry is that she has learned to enjoy not really knowing what’s going to happen Whether it be through recording audiobooks, some administration, or teaching singing lessons – she’ll keep herself open. Being in the industry professionally for over twenty years is not a very long time, but long enough to know all of the different opportunities that are presented to her. What drew Gabi to Talk is Free’s Theatre Festival celebration of ‘Giants in the Sky’ where audiences can look up and there are going to be performances on rooftops in Downtown Barrie. It’s a boundary-pushing extension of the immersive theatre that both Arkady and Talk is Free do so well by expecting theatre in different ways. Gabi and Arkady Spivak have known each other for many, many years. She finally confided it has been 15 years of involvement with Talk is Free although she was hesitant to state how many years. Her second professional show was performing in ‘Bye, Bye Birdie’ with Talk is Free. Gabi smiled and told me this foray led to “a series of exciting and wild roles that I’ve played with them” and fondly recalled a five-person version of ‘Candide’ directed by Richard Ouzounian where she played a split track in playing Paquette and the old woman. She played the Beggar Woman in ‘Sweeney Todd’ in Toronto which was outstanding on so many levels. Gabi said she just can’t say No to Arkady because she is always inspired by what she called the “wild ideas that come out of Talk is Free and Arkady. The experiences are always going to be fun and will expand my repertoire just a little bit.” Gabi’s set as part of ‘Giants in the Sky’ is called ‘Broadway Broads’ where she will sing the great songs by women of Broadway – everything from ‘Cabaret’ to ‘Funny Girl’ to ‘Wicked’ and ‘Waitress’. She says: “I’m not quite a Broadway broad, yet. I’ve still a few years ago to be put into that ‘broad’ category but these are songs by women who have inspired me over the years.” Where does she see herself in that proverbial five-year plan we’ve all had ingrained in our minds? It’s continuing to be open to new opportunities and to learn. She loves not knowing what’s going to happen and for Gabi, that’s what’s exciting about this industry and what keeps her on her toes. It’s not helpful to set goals by the number of roles you’d like to play. She feels lucky that she has had the chance to play a couple of dream roles; however, she’s also aware that if it happens, it happens AND if it doesn’t, it doesn’t. As we concluded our conversation, I asked Gabi what the one piece of advice is she would give her vocal music students who want to enter the business as she did: “If you are lucky enough to find the thing that makes you unique and different from everyone else, just focus all your energy on that because that is the one thing no one will be able to do but you…It takes time to figure it out and it’s tough to discover what makes you unique.” And what’s next for her once ‘Giants in the Sky’ finishes its September festival run? It has been an extremely busy year for her from ‘Home for the Holidays’ at London’s Grand Theatre last Christmas to just finishing up ‘9 to 5: The Musical’. She now calls this: “an exciting fall/winter where she will be doing several things. Gabi spoke about workshopping a couple of new musicals in which she is involved. She’s recording another audiobook and will have an album release concert in October and several concerts throughout the upcoming months. She will also be completing some educational outreach through Talk is Free. What she is most proud of at this time is being at home in her own house with her husband where they just celebrated their third-year wedding anniversary. To learn more about ‘Giants in the Sky’, visit www.tift.ca . Previous Next

Where theatre is not only presented on the stage. Back The Man That Got Away (A Special Appearance) by Martin Julien Buddies in Bad Times Theatre HAUI Joe Szekeres An absorbing performance of a gutsy, complex individual who has lived life the way he wants in all its glory, its warts, and its divineness. This is my first time seeing Martin Julien in a live performance. Why have I waited this long? According to a release I received, ‘The Man That Got Away’ was developed in the Buddies Residency Program. It’s a “genre-subverting piece deconstructing the cabaret and confessional forms, delving into Julien’s queer upbringing as the child of a lesbian and gay man in mid-twentieth century Toronto, as well as the loss of his father to HIV/AIDS in the late 1980s.” There’s a great deal going on just in this description alone. Suffice it to say Julien took me on a deeply personal journey with him through a Toronto I remember reading about it in the papers and seeing the various stories on the news. As a young teacher at that time, I remember the tremendous heartache, the fear of the unknown and the personal suspicions about those deemed different which irreparably destroyed lives. Martin ably and heartfully captured these emotional highs and lows with respectful class and dignity. ‘The Man that Got Away’ took on a completely different meaning for me in hearing it from an individual who was there, who lost loved ones, and who will forever be changed by what he saw, heard, and encountered during the AIDS crisis. And as a member of this opening night audience, I was richer for listening to Julien share and sing his fascinating story about his family supported by two fine artists, Tat Austrie and Ben Page. Austrie played a vocally astounding Judy Garland while Page ably accompanied on the keyboard (and provided the odd voices from Julien’s past). ‘The Man that Got Away’ is not simply a cabaret piece. In his Playwright’s Notes from 2020, Martin writes he wanted both “to use and subvert the tropes of cabaret/nightclub/concert hall performance.” For me, the show is more than just that. It becomes a call to action to truly hear and listen to not only this story but all stories that are not like our own. Director Peter Hinton-Davis subtly directs with intimacy and compassion as he moulds and shapes Julien at various stages of his life that are sometimes moving, sometimes heartbreaking but most often always credibly real. Stephen Woodjetts’ musical arrangements are soundly placed at crucial points in Julien’s life as the song lyrics led me further into going deeper in understanding this complex individual. It’s been a long time since I’ve heard Judy Garland sing ‘The Man That Got Away’ from the 1954 film ‘A Star is Born’. Here, I found this rendition mesmerizingly haunting and permeated the auditorium walls and remained with me long after I got home. Sean Mulcahy’s starkly simple set design gripped my attention immediately. A lone spotlight hazily reveals a chair centre stage. It reminded me of those tv talk shows from the mid–late 1950s where the host smoked a cigarette and interviewed his guests. Bonnie Beecher’s full-on cabaret style of lighting at one point sets the stage fiery ablaze as Julien sings in a style that reminded me of Liza Minnelli’s rendition of ‘Cabaret’ in the Fosse film. HAUI’s striking video designs referenced, when necessary, the time frame or Julien’s state of mind at various points in his life. The press release also states, “while the play is deeply personal, the production grapples with broader questions of queer identity, struggle and history exploring the liminal spaces between the unobserved and the public, the closet and the stage, escape and encounter.” Once again, a great deal to ponder from my audience’s perspective on how I am to look at the subject material with an open mind, eye, and heart. The odd bits of humour especially in how Martin and his father used Broadway show tunes in their personal lives did make me smile and utter a low chuckle behind my mask as it did, according to Hinton-Davis’s programme note “described a time, distant and unrecognizable to another generation…we challenge and teach each other in the exchange.” Final Comments: An engaging performance, ‘The Man That Got Away’s’ success remains incumbent on us to listen to other voices, to hear their stories, to digest and to think really about what is most important in life. For Martin Julien, he’s lived life the way he wants in all its glory, its warts and its divineness. I respect that truly. Running Time: approximately two hours and 10 minutes with one intermission. ‘The Man That Got Away’ (A Special Appearance) runs until December 18 at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander Street, Toronto. For tickets, visit buddiesinbadtimes.com or call the Box Office at (416) 975-8555. ‘The Man That Got Away’ (A Special Appearance) by Martin Julien A Buddies in Bad Times Theatre Production Director: Peter Hinton-Davies Musical Arrangements and consultation: Stephen Woodjetts Assistant Director and Dramaturge: Monice Peter Stage Manager: Fiona Jones Set and Costume Design: Sean Mulcahy Lighting Designer: Bonnie Beecher Video Design: HAUI Sound Design: Wayne Hawthorne Performers: Martin Julien, Tat Austrie and Ben Page Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Sarah Dodd Self Isolated Artist Ian Brown Joe Szekeres Since I’ve been reviewing for On Stage, it has been most rewarding if I become aware that Canadian professional actors and artists are following the blog and reading the articles. I was pleased when I received a message that Sarah Dodd started following me on Twitter. I had to think for a minute as I did recognize her name. And then it came to me that I saw Sarah in a wonderfully crafted performance of ‘The Front Page’ at the Stratford Festival last summer. Just this past fall, I had read Sarah would appear in a production of ‘Marjorie Prime’ at Coal Mine Theatre in the winter with a stellar cast that included Martha Henry. Sarah speaks highly about her experience in her profile. This play was one I did not want to miss. But I did as another On Stage Blog reviewer really wanted to see the production. And by opening night, most of the tickets were gone. Note to self: Don’t do that again if you see the cast is a dynamite powerhouse. In our line conversation, Sarah told me she likes to work on new plays as it is her favourite to do. Her professional background is quite impressive. Since 1996, she has been working off and on at The Stratford Festival and has worked with some of the country’s finest performers including Brian Bedford and Martha Henry. Other appearances include Tarragon Theatre and Nightwood Theatre. Sarah is also a recipient of two Dora awards, one for her work in Daniel McIvor’s ‘Marion Bridge’ and directed by Mr. McIvor himself, and the other for her ensemble work with thirteen other women at Nightwood for ‘The Penelopiad’. The more online interviews I’m conducting, the more I would love to meet these individuals in person. I’m hoping that will begin once this pandemic is lifted: 1. How have you been keeping during this crisis, Sarah? How have you and your family been doing? At the beginning, I didn’t do well. I walked into a grocery store after rehearsal around March 13th and everything was gone. No milk, no toilet paper, no meat, no canned goods and I immediately had a panic attack. I called my husband and he helped me through it. I came home empty handed and he got up at 6:30 am the next day and found the things we needed. He’s an incredible guy. Since then, I have tried to think of this time as exactly what it is…time. I get to be with my son, and I get to be with my husband. We are healthy, we love each other, we laugh a lot and there have been many desserts baked. The most important thing we have done is allow each other to have bad days. You want to stay in bed? No problem. Don’t want to talk? That’s fine too. Need to cry? Here’s a shoulder and a chocolate brownie. 2. As an artist, what has been the most difficult and the most challenging for you at this time? Seeing all of our community lose their jobs. It is overwhelming and devastating. I worry about how artists are going to pay bills and unexpected expenses. I worry about lost opportunities for younger actors who were about to explode onto the scene. I worry about the new work that has been cancelled and may never be seen. I worry that some theatres will have to close for good. Also, I desperately miss my friends and the rehearsal hall. 3. Were you involved in any projects (pre-production, rehearsals or production) when the lockdown occurred? What has become of these projects? I was in the first week of rehearsals for Susanna Fournier’s ‘Always Still the Dawn’ at Canadian Stage. It was two one acts, directed by Severn Thompson and Liza Balkan. I was in a room with three brilliant actresses: Sochi Fried, Fiona Sauder and Krystina Bojanowski. Across the table were two remarkable directors and the astonishing Susanna Fournier. Heaven! We started on Tuesday and by Friday it was over. Gone. It was shattering. Brendan and Monica at Canadian Stage were so good with us and very transparent about what was happening. I am forever grateful for their care. I have been told that we will be back, I just don’t know when. I was also going to do ‘Meet My Sister’ by Bonnie Green at the Lighthouse Festival. Liza was going to direct this, too. So, needless to say, Liza and I have had some virtual cocktails. We have heard that the show will be in the 2021 season. 4. What have you been doing during this time to keep yourself busy? My son is going into high school next year, so I’ve been helping him with his homework. He has approximately 4 to 5 hours a day. I help him with the math and science, my husband helps with English and French. I’ve also been doing a lot of gardening, walking the dog and reading. Lately, I’ve been attempting yoga, which has proven harder than the algebra. I like the lying down on the mat part and breathing. I also stay busy by panicking and drinking “a glass” of wine. 5. Do you have any words of wisdom or sage advice to performers who have been hit hard by the pandemic? Any advice to those new graduates from the theatre schools who have entered the industry at this tumultuous time? For graduates, I wish every theatre program in the country would set up a mentorship program. When you graduate you are given a mentor whom you can contact in times of uncertainty. For performers, I have no idea what advice I could give. I am at a complete loss and I think that’s okay. I have no clue what each day is going to be like and I’m reluctantly learning to take this one day at a time. I do know that as soon as this is over, I’m going to see a lot of plays. 6. Do you see anything positive stemming from COVID-19? I hope that the government takes a long hard look at the treatment of vulnerable persons. The elderly, women, and children in violent homes, the homeless. I’m hoping that long term care facilities will be overhauled, and that affordable housing will open up. It was easy enough for the government to say, “Stay inside”. Now, they need to provide safe and affordable places to do it. On a lighter note, it’s been nice to be able to hear cardinals without the din of traffic. 7. Will COVID-19 leave some lasting impact on the Canadian performing arts scene? I hope not. I think initially it’s going to be very difficult for institutions to assure audiences that it’s safe to come back. Once, we are able to assuage any fears, I think everyone will be overjoyed to get back in their seats. Artists are a sturdy folk. As soon as we are given the “all clear”, we are back at it with hearts open. 8. Some artists have been turning to You Tube or streaming/online presentations to showcase and share their work. What are your thoughts and ideas on this? Do you see any advantages or disadvantages? Will You Tube and streaming become part of the ‘new normal’ we are hearing so much about? My son and I have been watching the National Theatre and Stratford Festival live YouTube casts. It’s been great way to introduce him to different plays and interpretations of Shakespeare. He loves a good lighting grid and raucous stage fight, but even he said “it doesn’t feel the same”. He’s 13. The audience and the performers feed off each other, we create the space together and because of that, every night is different. You can never rebroadcast that experience. I think it’s a great advertisement tool. Anything that draws more audiences in is fantastic. 9. What is it about performing you still love even through these uncertain times? I am really lucky because I was performing ‘Marjorie Prime’ a few weeks before the closures. It was one of the best times I’ve ever had. We were welcomed by Ted and Diana at The Coal Mine Theatre with such trusting and open arms. Stewart Arnott directed us into his delicate and moving vision of the play with such heart and humor. Martha, Beau, Gord and I were a loving quartet. We shared a dressing room, laughed our butts off, shared stories and experiences and we kept Martha well stocked with chips. If anyone missed or jumped a line (and we all did it), without a beat the other person just moved on. We listened to each other, we trusted each other, and we respected each other. It was perfect. That’s what I love. That is what keeps me going. That is what I hope for every artist: Love, Work, Community, Respect. As a nod to ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ and the late James Lipton, here are ten questions he asked his guests at the conclusion of his interview: 1. What is your favourite word? Welcome 2. What is your least favourite word? Actually 3. What turns you on? Invitations 4. What turns you off? Explanations 5. What sound or noise do you love? My son’s laughter 6. What sound or noise bothers you? Shouting 7. What is your favourite curse word? Dick 8. Other than your own at this moment, what other profession would you have liked to try? Architect 9. What profession could you not see yourself doing? Masseuse 10. If Heaven exists, what do you hope God will say to you as you approach the Pearly Gates? “I loved you in ‘Paradise Lost’” Previous Next

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back 'Counter Offence' by Rahul Varma Onstage at Montreal's Segal Centre for the Performing Arts Courtesy of Teesri Duniya Theatre's Facebook page. L-R: Arash Ebrahimi, Oliver Price and Howard Rosenstein Joe Szekeres A highly complex drama of integrity and grit. It is the mid-nineties in Québec. ‘Counter Offence’ follows the story of Shazia (Amanda Silveira), an Indo-Québec woman caught in an abusive marriage with Shapoor (Arash Ebrahimi), an Iranian man who deals with parental problems and immigration concerns. Shazia’s mother, Shafiqa (Ambica Sharma) and father Murad (Andrew Joseph Richardson) are at their daughter’s side during her ordeal. Shapoor is arrested on domestic violence charges by Sgt. Galliard (Oliver Price), a Québec police officer. Galliard shows his true colours in how he feels about what Shapoor has done. Moolchand (Aladeen Tawfeek) a lawyer/activist comes to Shapoor’s defence by accusing Galliard of racism. Clarinda Keith (Sophie-Thérèse Stone-Richards), a social worker, defends Galliard even though the Québec police are noticeably racist against people of colour to support the voices of vulnerable women. Ultimately a dramatic turn of events occurs which changes the lives of these characters. There was a talkback after the show, and I stayed because I wanted to hear both what the playwright had to say and what the other audience members were thinking. The audience sits on opposite ends of the auditorium with the action taking place in the centre. The stage is divided into smaller playing spaces from Gilles Prougault’s office to Shapoor’s holding/prison cell to Clarinda Keith’s office. The play is set in the mid-nineties as there is a reference to then Québec premier Jacques Parizeau’s racist incendiary comment of the reason why the 1995 provincial referendum did not sway on account of the ethnic vote. As the play moves forward, the actors sometimes will sit on stage left in chairs. Playwright Rahul Varma’s script is part courtroom drama. At times, the transition seemed clearly obvious. At others, I wanted to see a bit more of the personal drama playing out first. Periodically, the characters break the fourth wall and speak to the audience as if they are in a courtroom. It appears as if the audience becomes the jury trying to make sense of and get to the truth of what happened. The audience sits on opposite sides of the auditorium with the story’s action taking place in the centre. Marie-Ève Fortier has nicely designed the front of where the audience sits as the jury box. Aurora Torok’s lighting design effectively spotlights those individual scenes with a clear focus. Since the play takes place in the mid-nineties, Diana Uribe has selected appropriate contemporary clothing of the time period. Playwright Rahul Varma has written a highly charged edge-of-the-seat drama that kept me focused to the end. Murdoch Schon’s direction remains assuredly clear throughout. The tight-knit ensemble cast offers uniformly solid and believable performances. The topic of racism not only in Québec but in any province is a complex and troubling one for other underlying associated issues. Schon points this out in the Director’s Note when Schon stated: “Counter Offence is not a single-issue play [as it cannot be reduced]…to shrink the enormity of what [the play] grapples with. Varma writes in his Programme Note the play: “addresses the struggle for justice at the intersection of race, gender and culture simultaneously.” Indeed, with this background, it becomes extremely important to keep our eyes and ears always open and try to get as clear of a picture as we can. It’s not easy to always do this during the performance because the language gets nasty and hurtful. Arash Ebrahimi is a tortured Shapoor who credibly showed he wants to make amends with Shazia, but can he be trusted? Amanda Silveira’s performance singlehandedly made that clear to me he can’t, and I bought it. Anytime a man raises his hand to a woman is the last time he will raise a hand to her, and I was pleased both Andrew Joseph Richardson and Ambica Sharma supported this in their performances as the parents. Sophie-Thérèse Stone-Richards quietly assumes her strength of character as Clarinda in her interactions with Shazia and Guy Galliard. Oliver Price’s Guy is a hard-hitting and in-your-face brutal police officer. Yes, Guy’s heart is in the right place when he believes violence against any woman is wrong; however, to hear the language he uses when speaking to someone from another race is difficult and awful to hear. I persevered nevertheless and let him tell me what he wanted to say. Howard Rosenstein is a tough-as-nails Gilles Prougault who does his best to ensure he can keep Guy from losing his job. Aladeeen Tawfeek delivers a trustworthy performance as Moolchand. I truly believed he wants to help Shapoor at all costs. Even when Shapoor declares he shouldn’t have behaved as he did with Shazia, Tawfeek’s Moolchand becomes that strong parental figure Shapoor so desperately craves that is lacking from his own life. The surprise at the end of the play certainly made me do a double-take. That’s why I wanted to stay and hear what Rahul Varma had to say. Final Comments: The production closes on April 2. Go see it for the strong ensemble work. Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. The production runs until April 2 in the Studio Theatre at Montréal’s Segal Centre for the Performing Arts, 5170 de la cote Ste. Catherine, Montréal, Québec. For tickets, call (514) 739-7944. TEESRI DUNIYA THEATRE presents COUNTER OFFENCE by Rahul Varma Director: Murdoch Schon Stage Manager: Ava Bishop, Set Designer: Marie-Ève Fortier Costume Designer: Diana Uribe Lighting Designer: Aurora Torok Sound Designer: Violette Kay Performers: Arash Ebrahimi, Oliver Price, AndrewJoseph Richardson, Howard Rosenstein, Ambica Sharma, Amanda Silveira Sophie-Thérèse Stone-Richards, Aladeen Tawfeek Previous Next

Where music, song and dance all contribute to an enjoyable plot on stage Back 'No Change in the Weather' A Newfoundland Musical at The CAA Theatre Mirvish Site Joe Szekeres David Mirvish and Terra Bruce Productions have graciously transported the Rock to us at the CAA Theatre since it might pose a challenge for any of us to get to Newfoundland at this time. Along with hopefully seeing the terrific ‘Come from Away’ again soon, this engrossing opening night production of ‘No Change in the Weather’ makes me long to return for another visit to the Rock as soon as I saw one cast member carry an ugly stick. I attended the show with a friend who has never ventured to the East Coast but seeing ‘No Change’ made them want to travel there as well. There was a momentary hold of about ten minutes into the production for sound issues, but that didn’t bother me at all as I was happy to be back here away from a computer and television screen to watch artists showcasing their craft. A quick look around to gauge other audience members and, from what I could see, they weren’t bothered in the least either by this pause. Here’s ‘No Change’s’ story from the Mirvish website, and yes it might seem puzzling at first: Peggy O’Brien (Kelly-Ann Evans) has died. Her family and friends sneak her corpse out of the funeral home (and tanning salon) and back across the water to her family home, on the unsettled island of God’s Back Pocket. As this brood of body snatchers wake Peggy into the light a wandering American (Philip Goodridge) and newly stationed Constable (Renée Strasfeld) from Quebec find themselves in the middle of a family racket that exposes decades of pettiness, secrets, and enough familial bad blood to ruin every Christmas for eternity. Estranged brothers Bill and James ‘Sonny Boy’ O’Brien (Steve Ross and Duff MacDonald), a child of unknown parentage (Melanie O’Brien), and a slide show of Newfoundland and Labrador’s most farcical political blunder, Churchill Falls, collide with an outcome that does manage to set things right. I especially loved hearing the hypnotic sound effects of the wind and rain upon entering the CAA auditorium as I could vividly recall hearing that same sound, and feeling the mist and fog, when I was in St. John’s years ago. A wooden casket is spot lit centre stage with a floral garland wrapped around. The use of a scrim behind the boat magically creates a shadowy void of darkness as the group of body snatchers transports Peggy’s casket to her family home. Director Brad Hodder in his Programme message writes this production is an “ensemble piece of theatre (as)…all of the characters are completely inter-related and completely necessary for the journey…each one is essential.” Couldn’t agree more here as Hodder’s sharp vision for this first-rate ensemble creates memorable and touching moments of the human spirit in Bernardine Stapleton’s story and Steve Cochrane’s adaptation. In ‘Come from Away’, the opening line of that musical re-iterates audience members will probably only understand about half of what the Newfoundlander says and how it’s said. And that’s what makes listening to the dialect of the East Coast so charmingly enjoyable especially when it is simultaneously captured in the glorious vocal work of the actors. Gorgeous sounding harmonies resonate and soar to the rafters of the CAA Theatre where I experienced goose pimples and just closed my eyes so I could listen to these dulcet toned singers. Attention must be paid (as Linda Loman states) to Musical Directors Kelly-Ann Evans and Josh Ward. Victoria Wells-Smith’s delightful choreography put a big ol’ smile on my face as it reminded of the full-fledged kitchen party I attended when I was in Newfoundland. The Band is in tip top fine form and never overpowered the singers. Thankfully, I could clearly hear the lyrics to each of the songs from where I sat. As matriarch Peggy O’Brien, Kelly-Ann Evans becomes the ghostly spirit who poignantly recounts her family’s story with humane charisma combined with tinges of that east coast teasing and taunting that I always like to hear. One would assume that the matriarchal family figure would have aged appropriately; however, I don’t want to spoil the surprise as to why she is portrayed as young as she is. Steve Ross and Duff MacDonald as estranged brothers Bill and ‘Sonny Boy’ (James) superbly nail that existing tension of fraternal opposites on account of the political mess in which Newfoundland found itself over Churchill Falls. Make sure you leave enough time before the show begins to read the excellent historical background in the Programme surrounding the debacle. Vicki Harnett’s Sally Brown (sister to the brothers) becomes a riotous ‘doula of death’. I liked how Seana-Lee Wood as Jade, a friend to Bill and Sonny Boy and Peggy, mysteriously harbours a secret which is ultimately revealed in the second act. As the rather awkwardly dressed for a wake Liza, Melanie O’Brien scored points with me in how she engendered an awkward relationship the O’Brien family and with Jade. Steve Maloney’s dimwitted Johnny reveals a past about himself and his relationship with Peggy that brought a tear to my eye. Wandering American Richard O’Byrne (Philip Goodridge) who only knew Peggy for a month before she passed away nicely captures and refines that ambiguous relationship he had with her. Julia Dunne, Erin Mackey and Liam Eric Dawson become a ghostly trio of accomplices who strongly fortify the petty secrets and familial bad blood that exists here. Final Comments: ‘No Change in the Weather’ becomes an authentic East Coast celebration of song, of dance, of laughter…and OF LIFE. I’m still thinking today as I write this article about the tremendous joy on the faces of these versatile artists and their kinetic energy that was transferred to me in the house. Absolutely wonderful. A must see as we all emerge from the pandemic. Running time: Approximately two hours and forty minutes with one intermission. ‘No Change in the Weather’ runs to November 27 at The CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge Street, Toronto. For tickets, visit www.mirvish.com . Covid 19 Protocols in effect at the theatre. ‘No Change in the Weather’ – a Newfoundland Musical A terrabruce production Original Concept and Music Curation by Walter Schroeder Written by Bernardine Stapleton with Adaptation by Steve Cochrane. Musical Arrangements by Jesse Grandmont with additional arrangements by Bob Hallett and Paul Kinsman Directed by Brad Hodder Musical Direction by Kelly-Ann Evans and Josh Ward Choreography by Victoria Wells-Smith Musicians: Alex Abbott, Chuck Bucket, Grant King, Kat McLevey, Kelly Russell, Tamsyn Russell, Josh Ward Set Design: Gilliam Gallow, Lighting Design: Leigh Ann Vardy, Sound Design: Pat Dempsey, Costume Design: Sara Hodder, Dramaturgy: Courtney Brown, Stage Management: Jaimie Tait, Production Management: Brendan Agnew, Dialect Coaching: David Ferry and Melanie Paiement, Executive Producer: Walter Schroeder Creative Producer: Bob Hallett Photo by Ritche Perez Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Mark Crawford The Self Isolated Artist Liz Beddall Photography. Joe Szekeres I’ve often wondered if professional artists who wear more than one hat as an actor might prefer one identity marker over the other. For example, there are those who are actor/director, director/actor, playwright/actor, actor/playwright…the possibilities are endless. Since I’ve entered the Facebook and Twitter universe, I’ve seen Mark Crawford’s name appear under PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW. I remember his play ‘Bed and Breakfast’ was a summer hit at Toronto’s Soulpepper Theatre where Paul Love described it as “adding a splash of fun to the dog days of summer”. In January, I reviewed a good community theatre production of Mark’s ‘Stag and Doe’ at Bloor West Village Players and really liked the story. When Mark’s name appeared a few days ago again under PEOPLE YOU MAY KNOW, I threw caution to the wind and thought, “What the hell?” and sent him a message asking if he would like to be profiled. I was pleased he agreed. Just from our online conversation, I found him pleasant and affable and I hope I get the chance to meet him in person soon. Mark studied theatre at the University of Toronto and Sheridan College. His plays which are published by Scirocco Drama have been produced across Canada and internationally. Recent acting credits include Stage West Calgary, Arts Club, Blyth, Centaur (Montreal), Port Stanley, Factory Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick and Thousand Islands Playhouse. I’m not going to tell you here whether or not Mark likes to be referred to as a playwright or actor or both. I’ll have you find out: 1. How have you been doing during this period of isolation and quarantine? Is your family doing well? Thankfully, everyone in my family is healthy. I’d love to go see them, but we’re being good and hunkering down at home. As for how I’ve been doing…turns out pandemics are a real roller coaster ride! Today, I’m feeling pretty good. Over the past several weeks, I’ve had moments where I stand in the middle of the kitchen, staring into space, saying to no one: “What is happening?!” At this point in the game, I don’t think there’s any point in pretending this isn’t weird and hard. 2. Were you involved in any projects before the pandemic was declared and everything was shut down? What has become of these projects? Yes, I was performing a play called The Outsider at Stage West Calgary when everything ground to a halt. We were about halfway through our run, so it was disappointing to stop when we did. As a playwright, I had some productions that came to a standstill. Theatre New Brunswick’s Young Company was on tour with my play for young audiences, Boys, Girls, and Other Mythological Creatures. Neptune Theatre’s Touring Company had just started rehearsals for that play as well. The University of Windsor was about to go into tech with Stag and Doe. I’m hopeful that some of these productions will see the light of day again. In the past few weeks, I’ve experienced the next wave of postponements. The Birds and the Bees at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre has been put off till next year, Bed and Breakfast at the Charlottetown Festival is delayed as well, and I’m in the Toronto cast of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child, which is also postponed till 2021. So yeah. It definitely sucks. But there’s comfort in knowing that everyone in the business is in the same boat. 3. What has been the most challenging part of the isolation and quarantine for you? The not knowing: not knowing how long this will last, not knowing when we’ll get back to work, and not knowing what life on the other side of this will look like. Also, it’s been a challenge to not eat two weeks’ worth of groceries in four days. 4. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time of lockdown? I’ve been going on a lot of walks, using my actor training to balance the stage picture and keep my distance. I’ve been doing lots of cooking, lots of baking, and now that the weather is nice, lots of work out in the yard. I’ve given myself some big garden projects to work on this year. It feels good to get my hands in the dirt. I’m reading all of the Harry Potter novels. I read the first two when they were fairly new, but then I got too busy in university reading The Canterbury Tales and ’Tis Pity She’s a Whore. Anyway, I’m halfway through Order of the Phoenix and loving it. After weeks of not feeling able to write, I’ve started work on a little radio/podcast play. It’s different than anything I’ve written so far. It’s fun because the form allows me to dream up stuff I wouldn’t write for the stage. In a few weeks, I start teaching an online play writing class for teens through Theatre Orangeville. I’m really looking forward to that. But let’s be honest: I’m spending a lot of time staring at my phone, watching TV, negotiating how much news to consume, developing a love/hate relationship with Zoom, and lying on my yoga mat not doing yoga. 5. What advice would you give to other performing artists who are concerned about the impact of COVID-19? Oh, jeez. I don’t know if I’m in a position to give anyone advice! I’ll say this: if you thought you’d use this time to write your King Lear and it’s not happening, that’s OK. I saw a great tweet the other day that said, “It’s a global pandemic, not a writer’s retreat.” If you’re able to focus and create, more power to you. But if you sit down at the computer and nothing comes out, that is completely understandable. Maybe instead of output, this is a time for input. Read some books, watch some movies, listen to music or podcasts, talk to your friends, fill up your tank. And by this, I don’t mean, “This is your chance to read the Riverside Shakespeare cover-to-cover,” I mean, “Absorb whatever you’re drawn to.” The finest actors and writers I know have wildly eclectic (and often pretty low brow) taste. Everything is grist for the mill. 6. Do you see any positives coming out of this pandemic? Wouldn’t it be great if our society used this as a chance to look at some big stuff? It seems like the ideal time to address economic injustice, the minimum wage, a universal basic income, workers’ rights, health care, education funding, long term care, household debt, homelessness, poverty, climate change, I could go on and on… On an individual level, I hope this experience makes us all a bit more compassionate, more patient, and more grateful for what we do have. Who knows if any of that will happen? A boy can dream… 7. Do you believe or can you see if the Canadian performing arts scene will somehow be changed or impacted as a result of COVID – 19? There’s no doubt that it’s already been impacted. Sadly, I don’t think all theatre companies will survive this. Not all plays that were programmed or in development will go forward. New work opportunities will decrease as theatres try to salvage contracts they had to terminate. Worst of all, I’m afraid some artists will have to make hard decisions about whether or not they can afford to stay in the business. I don’t mean to be a pessimist here, but I think we’re all realizing the next year or two will be tough. One positive way to think about it, though, is in ecological terms. When something dies and breaks down in the forest, it creates an opportunity for new life to emerge. Maybe out of these hard times, we’ll see exciting new companies form, young actors burst onto the scene in creative ways, and over scheduled directors and designers come back to their craft with a fresh approach. I sure hope so. 8. Many artists are turning to streaming/online performances to showcase/highlight/share their work. What are your thoughts and comments about this? Are there any advantages or disadvantages? If you have the energy and the chutzpah to create something, I say go for it. I’ve been watching some stuff and it’s fun to see what folks are coming up with. But for me, watching a play on YouTube or a reading on Zoom underlines the ways in which theatre is—at its very core—a live experience. The magic happens when artists and audience inhabit the same space, at the same time. Until that can happen again, I applaud any attempts to stay connected to an audience. 9. Mark Crawford is a playwright and an actor. Is there one he prefers over the other? Nope! I love doing both. Acting and playwriting are challenging and rewarding in different ways, but they also inform each other. I find it funny when people want me to choose one or the other, as though wearing two hats is a newfangled fashion trend and not something people have been doing forever. As a nod to ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ and the late James Lipton, here are the 10 questions he asked his guests at the conclusion of his interviews: 1. What is your favourite word? Hope 2. What is your least favourite word? Despair 3. What turns you on? Wit 4. What turns you off? Meanness 5. What sound or noise do you love? Waves lapping on the shore 6. What sound or noise bothers you? Important announcements over a loudspeaker in which you can’t make out a damn word the person is saying. 7. What is your favourite curse word? I’m a big fan of the curse phrase. For moments of personal frustration, a particularly evocative one I picked up in rehearsal a few years ago is, “Oh, fuck me with a rubber hose!” 8. What profession, other than your own, would you have liked to attempt? Baker 9. What profession would you not like to do? Banker 10. If Heaven exists, what do you imagine God will say to you as you approach the Pearly Gates? “You did good.” Previous Next

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back 'Appropriate' by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Now onstage at Toronto's Coal Mine Theatre Dahlia Katz Dave Rabjohn The informal ‘family dysfunction’ genre has long been a dramatic vehicle from Tennessee Williams to the Bard himself. American playwright Branden Jacobs-Jenkins burnishes the topic to incendiary heights with his 2013 play ‘Appropriate.’ Opening this month at Toronto’s Coal Mine Theatre, this fierce production begins Coal Mine’s first full season in its new location after a devastating fire. A gifted cast, illuminating direction from Ted Dykstra and a seething set design from Steve Lucas and Rebecca Morris electrify the audience despite the almost three-hour marathon. This play cannot afford subtlety. Along with the ‘dysfunction’ theme, Jacobs-Jenkins blends southern racism, historical and horrifying violence, drug culture misery, antisemitism and multiple forms of sexual abuse. Seemingly a formula for a depressing experience, somehow, the production awakens the soul and revives the human need to reach into the past despite its darkness. The Lafayettes, a white family, return to their mouldering plantation mansion in southern Arkansas that has been in decay for years. The father’s recent death brings them together along with a host of long-time grievances and the expected avarice. The prodigal son, Frank, played by Andy Trithardt, sneaks into the darkened house with his newly minted fiancé (Alison Beckwith), and collisions ensue. The family is shocked by his appearance, none more so than the fiery older sister Toni played by Raquel Duffy, with brilliant aggression. Joining the toxic reunion is Bo and his family, including wife Rachael, teenager Cassie and youngster Ainsley. Played forcefully by Gray Powell, Bo tries to be pragmatic and centered, but he falls into the horrors of the past as they all do. The discovery of a repugnant item illuminating the horrors of historical racism and violence triggers even more tension in the family. Ms. Duffy’s hyperactive portrayal of Toni rails against the world as she is collapsing through a divorce and the criminal travails of her teenage son Rhys (Mackenzie Wojcik), played with an ugly cool demeanor, sultry and angry. Toni’s anger is bent towards Rachael, who she sees as an unwanted outsider, along with the whimsical girlfriend River, whose infectious Goldie Hawn eyes belie more crafty substance. The sale of house and goods turns into a disaster, and conflicts are even more heightened. More horrors of southern history are revealed, and raw sexual crimes pile on the steamy mess. Not even the young child is spared the horrid past. With eight characters and centuries of grim history, producing this vast experience on such a small stage seems impossible. But Dykstra’s careful direction smoothly moves characters interacting in various configurations. The set design of a crumbling mansion seemingly opens up the space, especially with drooping curtains framing a large window that reveals the frightening forest of horrors and the two cemeteries – one for Lafayette family and one for slaves. The three acts suggest a rhythm of sorts. Act one blasts us with glaring lights, combative dialogue and accusatory gestures. Act two is darkened and entitled “Walpurgisnacht” suggesting a witches’ sabbath – characters are quieter and become more introspective. Act three rolls back to the garish nightmare, and, starkly, virtually nothing is resolved. The soundscape haunts us, especially with a full concert of cicadas expressing a terrifying loneliness. Again, the set design becomes almost another character – a confederate flag is seen hidden in a corner until it is dragged fully on stage – no subtlety here. The character is then fully awakened at the conclusion as the audience exits with the lashes of cruel history still echoing. ‘Appropriate’ by Branden Jacobs-Jenkins Performers: Raquel Duffy, Mackenzie Wojcik, Gray Powell, Amy Lee, Hannah Levinson, Ruari Hamman, Andy Trithardt, Alison Beckwith Director: Ted Dykstra Set Design: Steve Lucas, Rebecca Morris Lighting Design: Steve Lucas Sound Design: Deanna H. Choy, Michael Wanless Costume Design: Des’ree Gray Production runs through October 21, 2023. Tickets at coalminetheatre.com Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Uju Umenyi Looking Ahead - Emerging Playwright Provided by Uju Umenyi Joe Szekeres Recently I had the chance to speak with community theatre performer Uju Umenyi who has challenged herself both as a performer and someone who has a vested interest in the arts. As we are all too aware, Covid decimated live theatre on the professional and non-professional stages; ergo it’s crucial to help re-build the industry and the love of the oral arts plus re-ignite that creativity spark in any way we can. I applaud Uju heartily when I learned of her avid interest as an emerging playwright. She likes referring to herself in this term because she is never afraid of starting something again since emerging can take place at any time during one’s life as there’s no set specific age. Writing has always been a part of Uju’s vision to a greater and lesser degree. She fondly recalled as a child she liked writing stories and ‘clickety clacking’ away on an old school typewriter while she jokingly plagiarized (when she didn’t know what the word was) some of the story ideas from ‘The Babysitters Club’ novel series for young people. Earning a Thea Award for Best Performance by a Female in a Supporting Role for Scarborough Players’ ‘Doubt: A Parable’ as Mrs. Muller in 2019 at the ACT-CO Festival, Umenyi is appreciative for these opportunities to continue to grow in her love as a stage actor and would love to do so again. She really wants to try writing another play after completion of this current one in progress that you will discover shortly about the small town of Port Perry in Scugog Region, about a 45–50-minute drive east of Toronto. Further ideas she shared with me about possible future scripts would expand on the “spaces”, the types, and the fleshed-out roles that we don’t always see on stage for BIPOC individuals, for black people, for Indigenous people, queer and trans people or people fitting into different boxes they feel they cannot break out of. Uju has been selected to be part of the third lineup of residents in the 2022 Creatives in Residence as part of Ontario Culture Days. Since launching the program in 2020, the program has become a key component of the Ontario Culture Days Festival showcasing the vibrancy of the Ontario arts and culture community. Her residency is co-presented with Port Perry’s Theatre on the Ridge to create a new play inspired by the life of Samuel Stout, the first Black resident of Port Perry. Over the next five months, she will focus on community collaboration with her play culminating in community-based activities, a public reading and performance coupled with an audience feedback session and artist talk this fall in 2022. At the time of this article, Uju has developed and already led a workshop focusing on both the theatre creation process of her play while exploring local Black history. It was a phenomenal experience for that week, but she felt terrified going into it knowing she has never gone through a workshop experience before but the actors who were there have done so. One fear she candidly revealed was knowing her play is not done yet so she knew each night she would have to go home, write, and then return the next day. On top of that she was tired from the workshop and its five-hour intensive days. The biggest accomplishment to balance things out was getting the play sketched out. Uju didn’t even expect that to happen but was elated it did through the improvisation of the actors present. A lot has transpired for this personable, imaginative, and articulate lady since I last spoke with her for another column series I wrote at the height of the pandemic. First, she’s feeling a heck of a lot better emotionally compared to a year ago. Whether it’s the human nature aspect of falling into a rhythm and pattern even amid uncertainty regarding this pandemic and finding some balance within it, or maybe it’s because she feels privileged to be pursuing something which she passionately cares about, Uju knows for a lot of people the arts base was not accessible to us during the pandemic. She says: “No matter what end of the spectrum we may be on and how we feel about it, things have opened up and have brought about many opportunities for people to engage in the work once again both at the professional and amateur level, and this has done wonders for people’s mental health.” And how did she become involved with the small-town professional Durham Region’s Theatre on the Ridge in Port Perry? Uju saw the call through a Facebook group last year around June regarding this initiative of which she is now part. She humbly was trying to gather the courage to start writing. When she saw Theatre on the Ridge’s proposal, she thought it sounded like a really ‘cool idea’ as she has always been fascinated with history and the stories that emerge through time, and the stories we don’t always hear but happened. Uju wrote a requested proposal and, with a laugh, sheepishly admitted said she never submitted it. She had emailed Theatre on the Ridge’s Artistic Director Carey Nicholson to ask for more information as Carey had Uju’s contact information already. Umenyi playfully poked fun at herself as she knows herself too well in that she habitually does not follow through sometimes on things, and she is trying to stop doing that. When Carey emailed Uju that September to say that, even though the deadline had passed for submission, would she still be interested to submit a proposal? Uju took this as a sign regarding her proposal so she dusted it off, polished it a little bit, sent it to her mentor for some feedback, and handed it in thinking what’s the worst that could happen. A conversation took place between the two ladies and the rest, as they say, is history. Uju credits Theatre on the Ridge in taking a leap of trust and faith with her in obtaining this work experience as an emerging artist/playwright for her first play as funding in the theatre sometimes is limited or sets specific parameters for a purpose. Oftentimes there is an age restriction for emerging artists and, as members of marginalized communities are being given more and more opportunities than there were five, ten years ago who identify as BIPOC or across the LGBTQ2+ spectrum, it’s unfortunate to see funding parameters set by funders are such that they require these age limits. She firmly stated: “If we’re going to start talking about breaking barriers down for people who have been marginalized for a sundry of reasons (socio-economic etc), then we have to break down the barrier that suggests an individual cannot emerge unless they are below whatever age gap. The assumption made here about those marginalized who have been pushed out wouldn’t have access to the opportunities to emerge at the point where it’s deemed as an acceptable time to emerge.” What appeals to her about the person Samuel Stout from her research? Uju described him as a fascinating person and became intrigued with the fact she could bring to light a story about him. But so little is still known about Stout, and Uju doesn’t negate the fact there was racism in the 1850s and how did Stout navigate all this. For example, he was a prolific musician who played many instruments, so where did he learn to play and how did he learn to play. She also discovered that Stout led the first Port Perry Town Band for many years; he might not have been the only black man then, but at one point he was. Stout added a richness and vibrancy to Port Perry and Uju believes this is a human element we hope that we can all bring to a small town. I’m going to keep my eye on the progress of Uju’s script going forward and am looking forward to the fall and to the public reading and performance of the piece. To learn more about Durham and Scugog Region’s professional Theatre on the Ridge, visit the website: www.theatreontheridge.ca . Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Ann Harada Moving Forward Bruce Alan Johnson Joe Szekeres Now that I’m retired from teaching, I can state that I had called in sick one Friday morning and traveled with my mother to New York City to see the original Broadway cast of ‘Avenue Q’. I remember we had both seen trailers on television for the production and made the production a must-see. We were not disappointed in the least as we had a ball at the theatre that night and this very adult performance which probably seems tame by today’s standards. I especially enjoyed watching Ann Harada as the character Christmas Eve whose fiancé didn’t have a job. They had bills to pay and all of the other responsibilities that come with living together. Ms. Harada was deliciously sassy and saucy as the adorable Christmas Eve. A quick bit of online research also led me to discover she has played Madame Thenardier on Broadway in ‘Les Miserables’ and was in the original cast of Dolly Parton’s ‘9 to 5’. She’s also appeared in TV shows such as ‘Smash’, ‘Blue Bloods’, and ‘New Amsterdam’. Born and raised in Hawaii, Ann graduated from Brown University with a double major in English and American Literature/Theatre Arts. We conducted our interview via email. Thank you again, Ann, for participating. It appears that after five exceptionally long months, we are slowly, very slowly, emerging to a pre-pandemic lifestyle. Has your daily life and routine along with your immediate family’s life and routine been changed in any manner? And how! Once my son’s school ended in June, we headed for my mother in law’s house on Cape Cod, where we’ve been ever since. And we’re not exactly sure when we’re going back since school is completely remote right now. When we look out of the windows here we see water and trees. Sometimes a squirrel, or a bunny. In NYC I have an incredible view of a back alley and I see my neighbor smoking pot. And I sure don’t blame him a bit. Were you involved or being considered for any projects before everything was shut down? I was shooting some episodes of a TV show, but I just found out my character’s storyline was cut “due to complications from COVID”. I am devastated. I was in ‘Emojiland’ off-Bway— we shut down in mid-March. I was supposed to go to the Kennedy Center and do ‘Bye Bye Birdie’ –canceled. Describe the most challenging element or moment of the isolation period for you. For me, it is being unable to hug my friends and not being able to talk to them in an intimate way, my husband is always pulling me away from people and saying, “That is not six feet!” What were you doing to keep yourself busy during this time of lockdown and isolation from the world of theatre? Since theatres will most likely be shuttered until the spring of 2021, where do you see your interests moving at this time? Like everyone else I have been doing things on Zoom and practicing making self-tapes, converting a closet into a recording studio, trying to fold my green screen, fun things like that. I don’t enjoy this part of the business at all. If I was interested in iPhone cinematography or home lighting, I would have pursued those interests. My interests will turn to reading more actual books and catching up on series I never paid attention to before. Any words of wisdom or sage advice you would give to other performing artists who are concerned about the impact of COVID-19? What about to the new theatre graduates who are just out of school and may have been hit hard? Why is it important for them not to lose sight of their dreams? Well, this isn’t the first time we’ve gone through a national shutdown or a pandemic. Our industry managed to survive both 9/11 and the AIDS crisis. Theatre isn’t going away, it just might take a while to sort out. I’m not worried about young people. They’ll figure out a way to do what they want because they’re not set in their ways yet. It’s the older people I’m concerned about. Without any way to earn health insurance, what’s going to happen? Do you see anything positive stemming from this pandemic? I hope we see continued respect for our frontline workers, from medical professionals to grocery workers and restaurant workers. It was beautiful to participate in the nightly 7 pm applause for them, and I hope we continue to appreciate their service. In your informed opinion, will the Broadway and North American performing arts scene somehow be changed or impacted on account of the coronavirus? Of course. How are we going to get audiences back in the theatre safely? How long will it take for people to want to come back, to not be afraid of crowds? How long will it take for me to feel comfortable in an audience? How will I feel safe onstage? Everything is a question. What are your thoughts about streaming live productions? As we continue to emerge and find our way back to a new perspective of daily life, will live streaming become part of the performing arts scene in your estimation? Have you been participating, or will you participate in any online streaming productions soon? I’ve certainly enjoyed the live streaming events I’ve seen. I’ve only done a few live streams, they were mostly educational. But I do think it’s a great way to bring people together. I don’t know that every play is satisfying performed as a reading but if it’s creatively done, it can really be extraordinary. What is it about performing you still love given all the change, the confusion, and the drama surrounding our world now? I love connecting with people, I love performing with other people, and we are still desperate for human connection. Maybe even more so now. I know that people enjoy what we’re doing, even if it isn’t live and in person. I’m happy to keep putting things out there if people enjoy it. With a respectful nod to ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ and the late James Lipton, here are the 10 questions he asked his guests at the conclusion of his interviews: What is your favourite sounding word? Gobsmacked What is your least favourite word? moist What turns you on? Intelligence What turns you off? Ignorance What sound or noise do you love? Orchestra tuning, rain on a tin roof What sound or noise bothers you? Beeping noise when the freezer or fridge door is not closed What is your favourite curse word? Shite or bollocks What is your least favourite curse word? Refers to female reproductive anatomy What profession, other than your own, would you have liked to attempt? Novelist, photographer, museum curator, librarian What profession would you not like to do? Daycare, law, stunt person If Heaven exists, what do you hope God will say to you as you approach the Pearly Gates? “You didn’t do everything perfectly, but you always gave it your best attempt. Please have a seat. To follow Ann on social media Twitter: @annharada Instagram: @iamannharada Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Christel Bartelse Canadian Chat --- Joe Szekeres As we slowly emerge from this worldwide pandemic, it has been fascinating to discover how many artists have found themselves on new paths moving forward and heading into a future unknown to all of us at this time. Actor, storyteller, writer, creator and teacher Christel Bartelse’s profile shows she has prepared herself to head into this unknown future but she appears to be equipped with what the future might or can possibly bring to her. Christel discovered theatrical clowning at the age of 21 and honed her skills with some of the top instructors, including Mike Kennard, John Turner (Mump and Smoot), Sue Morrison, Philippe Gaulier, Francing Cote, Andy Massingham, and Caroline Dreaming. She got her start in comedy with the physical comedy duo, The Burnt Marshmallows (Canadian Comedy Award Nominees). She has also created and written six award-winning solo shows (Chaotica, ONEymoon, Significant Me, All KIDding Aside, The Surprise and Encore!), which have toured across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K. Christel is currently promoting her online Comedy School called Comedy Coop (Home for Hilarious Chix). She is one of the co-founders and an instructor of Physical Comedy. Comedy Coop is a unique training ground for women (including female identifying/non-binary students) to explore their passion for comedy and get their comedic voices heard. This school is the first of its kind in Canada. For more information, please visit www.comedycoop.ca . We conducted our conversation via email. Thank you so much for the conversation, Christel: Since we’ve just celebrated Thanksgiving, tell me about some of the teachers and mentors in your life for whom you are thankful and who brought you to this point in your life as a performing artist. I’m very grateful for my early drama teachers - Dorothy Leitch in Kitchener at the Beckett School and Mrs. Catherine Carlson, my drama teacher, at Grand River Collegiate. Both these women were great teachers who believed in me and fueled my passion in acting. I’m also grateful to Andy Massingham, who is now a great friend and colleague. I looked up to him in my early days because he is a great physical theatre/comedy performer, teacher and it’s been a delight to work with him over the years on some shows. I believe everyone you me teaches you something in some way. I’m trying to think positively that we have, fingers crossed, moved forward in our dealing with Covid. How have you been able to move forward from these last 18 eighteen months on a personal level? How have you been changed or transformed on a personal level? Now that we’re moving towards all restrictions lifted, it really feels like we’re moving on. The one positive about Covid is that it really forced me to slow down and take some time to reflect. As an artist, and educator, I was always on the go, always busy, so it was nice to just take a pause and reflect on it all. However, I have been teaching a lot over the last 18 months and it was a great challenge to figure out how to teach physical comedy and clowning over Zoom. And I really made it work. It taught me, when faced with a challenge, you find a solution. My husband and I also lived out in the country for a long time with my parents, and I am grateful for all that time I had with them when so many couldn’t see their loved ones. But we did miss the energy of the city. Now that things are open, it has been exciting to go out again, see friends, go to restaurants, go to shows and perform again. We do love all the stuff the city has to offer and realized how much we missed it. The buzz of the city and people is wonderful. I did a lot of things during the pandemic because I hate being bored. I was actually very busy, so I’m taking more time to applaud what I did, rather than chronically beat myself up, which I’m very good at. How have these last eighteen months of the pandemic changed or transformed you as an artist professionally? Just before Covid hit, I was re-writing and re-working my solo show ONEymoon. I had performed it on and off for several years but wanted to give it a full revamp. I was headed to Brighton, and London, UK with the show in May of 2020. That was all cancelled when Covid hit and I lost my mojo for working on the show. I felt so uninspired to work on something I didn’t know when I would get to do again. That was hard because I always had such a drive to create. But, at the same time, I continued my Storytelling Show online and the silver lining was that I met artists from all over the World I normally wouldn’t have had the chance to meet. I also started my online comedy school for women, Comedy Coop, with my colleagues because we figured online classes in some capacities are here to stay. I want to help people and bring laughter and joy to those who I can, especially when the World feels so dark. In your opinion, do you see the global landscape of the professional Canadian live theatre scene changing at all as a result of these last 18 months? I think very slowly it’s starting to come back. You are able to go and see a play, and that’s exciting. But it for sure has changed. Can we ever sit in a packed theatre again and feel fully relaxed? Who knows? Also, I think theatre companies/productions had to get more creative with virtual shows, pre-filmed productions, and I think some of that will stay - I hope it does in a way since it expands the potential audience for a show beyond geographies. So many people lost work, and some moved on. I think it will be interesting to see the content that is created as well, after we’ve all been through this. What excites/intrigues/fascinates/interests you post Covid? I’m excited to get back to creating and performing again; in this new “normal” I hope to be able to tour and travel again, and excited to return to festivals from years past. I’m excited to go and see shows and movies again in a theatre. I’m also excited that so many huge Global issues were brought to the forefront and people are taking more care, paying attention, and listening. So, I'm interested to watch the type of work that will be created. The innovation that came from this time. But I’m intrigued to see what will happen. It still feels like everyday there is new information. Can we get over to the other side? What disappoints/unnerves/upsets you post Covid? It’s still disappointing to see people who don’t take the pandemic seriously or are selfish in their views. They don’t care about others, only themselves. That people are still so mean to others. I’m still unnerved with the uncertainty of the future. It’s hard to plan anything when you don’t know what will happen in a month from now. Fingers crossed we continue to get through this, but no one knows, especially when you see places such as the UK going in the wrong direction again. Where do you, the artist, see yourself going next? For a long time, I’ve been wanting a big change. I still don't know what that means, but the pandemic has taught us you can work from anywhere. Self tapes have allowed this. Classes online etc. So, I'm looking to maybe try out my craft in a new place? I’m also excited to work on a new Solo show. It’s been a few years since I’ve created one and I’m itching to do this. I’m excited to continue building this online comedy school. I believe it has so much potential. And I’m excited to be back doing “live” storytelling and comedy shows again. Where do you, the person, see yourself going next? On a wild adventure. I just need to get over my fear and take a leap of faith. And also see what travel looks like, post pandemic. RAPID ROUND Try to answer these in a single sentence. If you need more than one sentence, that’s not a problem. I give credit to the late James Lipton and ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ for this format of questions. If you could say one thing to one of your mentors or favourite teachers who encouraged you to get to this point as an artist, what would it be? “Thank you. I appreciate you more than you know.” As a teacher myself, I know how little teachers get thanked. So just a simple thank you for all you did, goes a long way. If you could say something to any of the naysayers in your career who didn’t think you would make it as an artist, what would that be? “I’m glad I didn’t listen to you. But thank you for pushing me harder.” When someone thinks I can’t do something, I’ll go out of my way to prove that I can. What’s your favourite swear word? Fucking Fuck! What is a word you love to hear yourself say? Ridiculous. What is a word you don’t like to hear yourself say? Can’t. What would you tell your younger personal self with the knowledge and wisdom life experience has now given you? Slow down and trust it will all work out. With the professional life experience you’ve gained over the years, what would you now tell the upcoming you from years ago who was just in the throes of beginning a career as a performing artist? Keep going, work hard, believe in yourself and when a door slams in your face, it will only make you work harder. Oh, and also, don’t try to do 500 things all at once. Focus on one thing at a time. (even though I haven’t learned this as my older self yet, ha) What is one thing you still wish to accomplish both personally and professionally? Personally, there are so many places I’d still love to travel to. I’ve been grateful for my travels so far, but 2 years without it, I’m dying to get on a Plane. First stop would be Italy. Professionally, although my first love is live theatre, storytelling and comedy, I really would love to do more film/tv. I’m hungry for this. And love being on set. Name one moment in your professional career as an artist that you wish you could re-visit again for a short while. I’d love to go back to my 20’s when I was doing a ton of improv and sketch comedy. I would want to revisit this because there were so many incredible people around who were all just starting out, and we were all having the best time. This was well before anyone had phones, or social media, so we were all just so present with each other, and it really was word of mouth to get people to come and see you. Would you do it all again if given the same opportunities? Being in the Arts, as unpredictable and wild as it is, I wouldn't change it. I have amazing stories to tell, I have met so many incredibly talented people and I’ve been able to see and tour the World while doing what I love. And wow, have I laughed which keeps you vibrant and young. As far as teaching goes, I have loved watching myself evolve and learn, not only from myself but all my fabulous students. Previous Next

Community Theatres are uniquely diffrent from professional and Equity based companies, but are important to society Back Doubt: A Parable Presented by Stage Centre Productions at Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Drive, North York Credit: Scott Griffin. L-R: Olivia (Eun-Jung) Jon and Janice Hansen Joe Szekeres “VOICE CHOICE, must-see production. Enthralling and Gripping.” Stage Centre’s haunting production of John Patrick Shanley’s 2005 Pulitzer Prize-winning DOUBT: A PARABLE is NOT! TO! BE! MISSED! at Fairview Library Theatre. The time is fall, 1964. The setting is St. Nicholas Church and Catholic School in the Bronx, New York City, where principal Sister Aloysius (Janice Hansen) suspects the charismatic Father Flynn (Anthony Parise) of having an improper relationship with the unseen Donald Muller, a twelve-year-old black student in Sister James’s (Olivia [Eun-Jung] Jon) class. At one point, Donald’s mother (Astrid Atherly) is invited to come to the school to see if she can provide further information to assist Sister Aloysius’ journey to convict Father Flynn. The backdrop of 'Doubt' is the Second Vatican Council from 1962-1965, which Pope John XXIII called to update the Catholic Church and better connect with people in an increasingly secular world. The Council aimed to improve some of the Church's practices and present them in a way that congregation members could understand. Catholics were divided over this seismic change in the Church. Father Flynn believes in the Church's welcoming face improvement, while Sister Aloysius firmly adheres to the tenets of the Catholic Faith pre-Vatican 2. Director Elaine O’Neal and her creative team have made fine choices, rendering this production both enthralling and gripping. Stage Centre Productions should undoubtedly take pride in it. For one, the four actors do not attempt to imitate a Bronx accent. Bless them for that. What’s far more important is telling the story honestly instead of masking behind an unnatural sound that may not be effective to maintain consistently. John Palmieri’s selection of 1964 pre-show music adds a nostalgic touch, taking the audience back to a bygone era. Even though I was born in 1960, I can still recall hearing some of those tunes growing up in the late 60s. Yes, I found myself humming along while I waited for the show to begin. The production is visually striking, and I want to recognize the tremendous effort of the creative team working behind the scenes. Angela Bell has designed suitable costumes, particularly for the specific religious order – the Sisters of Charity – to which James and Aloysius belong. The evocative lighting created by Karen Brown and Paul Harris highlights the tension of any given moment, especially during the standoff between Flynn and Aloysius near the end of the play. Pierre Rajotte’s set design and décor immediately caught my eye as I settled in to experience the story. Rajotte has made noteworthy use of the space, paying close attention to the minute details on the Fairview Library stage. At far stage right, a beautiful crucifix hangs triumphantly over the stage, from which Flynn delivers his homilies. Centre stage is Aloysius’s office. Once again, attention to detail has been carefully paid to the American flag in Aloysius’s office. A picture of Pope John XXIII is proudly displayed on the back wall. Aloysius’s office is quite spacious. I loved the rolling office chair as it looks authentic. The door to the office is remarkable as it appears embossed with the title PRINCIPAL on it and a design underneath. A filing cabinet and two chairs can also be seen. On the far stage left is the school garden. There is a grotto with a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Four small bushes are being covered with burlap for the upcoming winter season. Elaine O’Neal directs Shanley’s twenty-year-old relevant script with sensitivity and class, evident in the performances she draws from her four actors. Pacing is terrifically timed with pausing that never appears rushed. While ‘Doubt’ may appear to be an easy play to stage, it is not. What truly matters is the underlying implications of the playwright’s words. It is the audience who must pay close attention. Anthony Parise’s Father Flynn is charming at first. Parise's open arms indicate sincerity and trustworthiness during the homily at the top of the show. I believed wholeheartedly in this man of the cloth when he told us before concluding his sermon: ‘‘Doubt can be a bond as powerful as certainty. When you are lost, you are not alone.’’ However, Parise cleverly takes the audience’s trust and notches up slightly the possibility of something just not being right when Flynn speaks to the boys in the rectory about ‘being a man’ after they have just had their physical education/basketball lesson. Olivia (Eun-Jung) Jon is charming and kind-hearted as the young Sister James, who loves teaching. Jon’s eyes convey much before her physical stature registers what she has just heard. When she finally allows the reality of her superior's directive to sink in, the audience begins to witness a young, enthusiastic educator weighed down by cruel, controlling tactics that should never be employed in the career of a beginning teacher. For example, Jon’s James endures some rather unprofessional needling about the ‘not bad’ history lesson Aloysius observed in the classroom. Sister James wishes her students to feel comfortable approaching and speaking with her if the situation warrants it. Still, Aloysius disagrees, believing that the young teacher must maintain a steely disposition both in heart and behaviour. Parise, as Flynn, quickly notes Aloysius’ treatment of James and becomes the confidant who helps the young teacher through it; however, considering the doubt in James’s mind about a possibly perceived indiscretion with one of her students, Jon’s eyes once again convey a significant amount of the distress and turmoil before she allows her stature again to register what she feels regarding this priest whom she holds in high regard. In her one crucial scene with Sister Aloysius in the principal’s office, Astrid Atherly’s Mrs. Muller broke my heart. With an upright posture and eyes fixed intently on Sister Aloysius, Atherly listens attentively, poised to react to anything that might jeopardize her son before he leaves St. Nicholas and moves on. Like Parise, Atherly skillfully brings the audience to her side before Mrs. Muller reveals a shocking truth, still eliciting gasps from audiences even twenty-some years later. Janice Hansen embodies a steely resolve firmly grounded in the truth of the historical context as Sister Aloysius. Even the misaligned pens on the desk must be arranged in a particular order. While the conversation with James and Flynn about the Christmas pageant provides laugh-out-loud moments, Hansen’s demeanour and physicality consistently convey that she means business and is not someone to be trifled with as the school principal. This physicality between Parise and Hansen works exceptionally well in the showdown between Aloysius and Flynn. O’Neal has staged an intricate chess game in the office, and it’s intriguing to watch the priest and principal calculate their movements and thoughts, pausing to think quickly before responding. The tension bubbles, and I keep wondering who will explode with rage first. It's all believable, natural and realistic. An actor’s dream. See it. Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. ‘Doubt: A Parable’ runs until February 1 at the Fairview Library Theatre, 35 Fairview Mall Drive. For tickets: stagecentreproductions.com. STAGE CENTRE PRODUCTIONS present ‘Doubt’ by John Patrick Shanley Directed by Elaine O’Neal Assistant Director: Brad Emes Stage Manager: Malcolm Byrne Set Designer and Décor: Pierre Rajotte Costume Design: Angela Bell Lighting Design: Karen Brown, Paul Harris Sound Design: John Palmieri Performers: Astrid Atherly, Janice Hansen, Olivia (Eun-Jung) Jon, Anthony Parise Previous Next

Where theatre is not only presented on the stage. Back Wights, a Crow's Theatre Commission, Canadian Premiere Now on stage at Crow's Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto Dahlia Katz Geoffrey Coulter, actor, director, adjudicator, arts educator "A clever script and novel staging see four loquacious actors diving headfirst into family drama of a Connecticut couple and their friends coming to terms with language and its capacity to hurt people. Set during the 2024 U.S. election run-up, this provocative tale is sometimes confusing, ambiguous and sharply divisive. It’s a racially charged allegory challenging our notions of relationships, society, even our own reality, as it unravels to an ending you’ll never see coming. Really!" Hat’s off to Toronto’s Crows Theatre for their increasingly eclectic offerings of plays and musicals and for giving up-and-coming artists a chance to showcase their work. This company is, arguably, at the forefront of Toronto’s theatre scene, premiering some of the most compelling (and immensely successful) post-pandemic works. From the stunning 19th-century retelling of Britain’s first Black actor in “Red Velvet” to “Bad Roads,” a shocking tale of the horrors in war-torn Ukraine, to last season’s smash hit, “Natasha, Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812,”, something is happening at Crow’s. It's no surprise, then, that the company celebrates playwright Liz Appel’s professional debut by showcasing her dense four-hander ‘Wights,’ a societal skewering of themes of racism, sexism, relationships and American social and political division – even the play’s title winks at a possible preternatural outcome. Some may feel it strange, shocking, disturbing even. But it is undeniably engaging. In a suburb of Newhaven, two couples become consumed with semantics, politics and a fear of losing control. It’s the night before English Professor Anita Knight’s job interview to head Yale’s newly formed Centre for Reparative Thought and Justice. Her friends Bing and Celine have come to help her prepare for her presentation. They all seem to lead a happy, ordered life. Husband Danny, a lawyer in the big city, comes home, dishes on his day in court, and questions Anita’s speech as being too racially charged, devaluing her notions of equity, diversity and inclusion. As Danny sits down to dinner, Anita continues to rehearse her presentation, with Bing playing devil’s advocate to her pithy style. Celine is more encouraging. What ensues is a battle of ideological supremacy, as an unknown future lurks just outside. No one listens to each other, differences are irreconcilable. Everyone’s world begins to crack, and their masks of polite social conversation dissolve closer and closer to the underlying truth and revealing darker core beliefs, making a polite dinner impossible. Bing and Celine rush off leaving an air of unease in their wake. Appel takes a deep dive into the power of language and how it builds and bursts our connections. Her script never lets up, words and bodies moving at warp speed. Two and a half hours gone in a flash. A lot is going on in this play as Director Abraham leads us on a surreal and unexpected journey with shocking and ambiguous results! He expertly directs his actors with nuance and intensity in equal measure. Conversations spiral into chaos as fantasies of control begin to slip. He keeps his actors continuously moving around the stage, navigating all sides of a large central kitchen island. The rapid-fire pace of the dialogue seems intentional, this quartet of performers barely coming up for air. This didn’t always work for me; heated arguments between Danny and Anita became loud and often unintelligible. The fact that we sit around the main playing area means the actor’s backs will always be facing some part of the audience. A beat in the conversation, a brief pause to think and change the rhythm would have been a welcome dynamic. The acting company is all excellent, led by Rachel Leslie as Anita, a no-nonsense academic, mother, and wife, embittered by her father’s betrayal while still wanting to uphold his success as an academic of colour. She is to lead the university’s new enlightened centre for racial reparation. Leslie is thoroughly believable and engaging, indefatigable, smart, and forthright. Her energy never lets up. She is a great actress! Danny is a soft-hearted lawyer, played with wit, charm and natural stage presence by Ari Cohen. Like Leslie, you can’t take your eyes off Cohen. His performance is effortless, running the gamut from boyish charmer to domineering, frightened husband. He has some of the longest speeches in the show and doesn’t miss a beat or a word. I’d never heard of Mr. Cohen before, but he’s made me his newest fan! Bing is portrayed by Richard Lee, the alternative thinker who’s bound for a new job in China but hasn’t yet told his pregnant partner, Celine. Lee is bubbly and enthusiastic but shouts too much, another example of how a modulated voice might have added more dimension to his thinking and motivations. Celine, played by Sochi Fried, has the least amount to say in the show, and that’s okay. She has lovely bits of subtlety in her brief time on stage. Her glances, nods, and reactions are superb. She’s charming and thoroughly invested in her relationships with Bing and Anita. There is no screaming from her, but she has a quieter presence to offset the growing tumult around her. Set and props designer Joshua Quinlan has created an immersive, wonderfully detailed household in the Crow’s black box space. The audience sits on four sides of an elevated rectangular kitchen island (with a sink of running water), light fixtures, stools, a table and chairs. The kitchen floor and island counter cleverly double as flat video screens and are used throughout for haunting projections and texts. Smaller set pieces at floor level on three sides of the main area, complete the house: the rest of the kitchen, front door and foyer, and living room. An innovative approach that makes us truly feel like invisible observers mired in the action. My only quip is that from my vantage point, due to the rectangular design of the main space, areas like the kitchen table and front door were too distant, and the kitchen island was creating sight line issues. Everyday items, from plates to salt and pepper shakers, microwaves, dish towels, even well-worn chairs and blankets, all made the house look lived-in and inviting. Ming Wong’s costume design is contemporary and appropriate. Danny’s suit, Anita’s overalls, Bings pullover and Celine’s jeans made these actors seem more like people you’d pass in the street. They’re real. No doubt about the intent. Imogen Wilson’s lighting design is clever. I wasn’t sure about the suspended fluorescent bulbs above the island combined with traditional incandescent instruments. There was noticeable flickering as the play progressed, which I learned later was intentional. Main coverage over each playing area was excellent; however, there were shadowy faces around the kitchen table. Thomas Ryder Payne’s nuanced sound design provided an almost imperceptible but consistent drone that increased as conversations devolved. Incidental beeping and clicking electronic sound effects seemed out of place but, again, later revealed how necessary they were to the piece. Video designer Nathan Bruce cleverly projects images of social media and celebrities, even the occasional blood splatter on the kitchen floor and countertops. The text also tells us where we are and when. It’s a great concept, but the main island's size often obstructed what many images were on the floor beneath. “Wights” is not what you expect. It’s a stark, satirical, edgy social commentary. It’s transformative, disturbing, mindful and clever. If you love live theatre and like to be challenged, provoked and surprised, you shouldn’t miss this show. Whether you understand its bleak message or not, you’re sure to leave the theatre talking about it…and isn’t that what good theatre should do? Running time: Running time, two hours and thirty-five minutes with one intermission. The production runs until February 9 at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Ave, Toronto. For tickets call the Box Office at 647.341.7390 ext. 1010 or email crowstheatre.com. “Wights” by Liz Appel Directed by Chris Abraham Produced by Crow’s Set by Joshua Quinlan Costumes by Ming Wong Lighting designed by Imogen Wilson Sound design by Thomas Ryder Payne Video Designs by Nathan Bruce Props by Samantha Little Performers: Rachel Leslie, Ari Cohen, Richard Lee and Sochi Fried Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Slava Polunin "[Slava's Snowshow], just like all the others, is my favourite child. It’s been bringing me joy over these 30 years and I just love going on tour with it each and every time.” Credit: Anna Bogodist (Carol Fox and Associates Public Relations) Pictured: Slava Polunin in performance Joe Szekeres ‘Slava’s Snowshow’ returns to Toronto for the Christmas/holiday season from December 22-31, 2023. I was elated when I heard the show was returning. It has already been to China, France, Italy, and the Arab Emirates this season and, from what I have read and heard, it will continue to have a busy touring schedule in different parts of the world in 2024. According to a recent press release I received, the show is the recipient of more than 20 international awards including an Olivier Award for Best Entertainment, a Drama Desk Award, and a Tony nomination. In addition to widespread public acclaim, the production is a darling with critics who have declared it “a thing of rare theatrical beauty not to be missed” (London Daily Telegraph), “a meditation on lost souls and a red-nose spectacle with heart” (Toronto Globe and Mail), “one of the most innocent and simply beautiful pieces of theatre” (Herald Sun) and "Dazzling! Guaranteed to make even the glum thaw with happiness" (The Observer) with the New York Times confessing, “my heart leapt... [‘Snowshow’] induces waves of giggles and sighs of pleasure” and the Daily Telegraph advising, “if there’s only one show you get to this year, make it ‘Slava’s Snowshow’ and take the whole family. I concur with everything in the previous paragraph. I saw the show at Toronto’s Bluma Appel Theatre in December 2018, a couple of years before our world changed on account of COVID-19. I remember calling it at first a puzzling theatrical art form, but strangely alluring to watch as I couldn’t take my eyes off the performers. Their movements are precisely choreographed and timed to the music or the sounds echoing throughout the auditorium. Most importantly, from what I remember, the Toronto audience loved it at the performance I saw. And that's the most important thing. I researched online later about the art of clowning incorporated into the production. Clowning is an art form that requires stamina, endurance, and concentration in its execution of theatrical magic. I’m sure I’m missing other requirements. Artist Slava Polunin was available for an email interview about the show's return to Toronto. I am most grateful he could answer my questions about the show. A bit of background information about the artist himself intrigued me even further. According to that same press release, Polunin discovered the art of pantomime in high school. As he grew to adulthood, he developed an eccentric version of pantomime and dubbed it lovingly ‘Expressive Idiotism’. I can’t help but smile and laugh at that term. Polunin has also been involved with Canada’s Cirque du Soleil as a featured performer from 1993-1995. He has been involved with ‘Slava’s Snowshow’ since 1993. What about the production keeps drawing him back to tour with it? I smiled when I read Slava’s response: “This show, just like all the others, is my favourite child. It’s been bringing me joy over these 30 years and I just love going on tour with it each and every time.” He added the show is strong, in very good health and resistant to viruses. It never had COVID-19 and will arrive in Toronto in perfect shape. What is it about the art of clowning that still appeals to a twenty-first-century audience? According to Polunin, the art of clowning is an ancient form. The forebearers of modern clowns, such as various satyrs, jesters, jugglers, and histrionics, skomorokhi and Pagliacci, have performed in front of the public since time immemorial. The art of clowning is democratic for Slava. It’s not very difficult to understand and most often provokes laughter and brings a good mood. People have always loved clowning and continue to love it. I remember the absolute joy of watching the production in 2018. There’s a windstorm and a snowstorm during the performance that filters towards the audience. It will take you by surprise when it occurs. And when it does…just sit back and let it take you wherever it wants to take you. Yes, the art form of clowning is a unique theatrical form, but it’s fascinating to experience. It truly made me smile and laugh and just be a young child again. Slava reassures the main line of the show remains unchanged. There are surprises born out of improvisations at each show. However, in Slava’s words once again: “I don’t know what patterns the actors will begin to embroider around the show because that differs with every performance. Improvisation is key in the show and will depend on the particular actors involved at that matinée or evening. ‘Slava’s Snowshow” has never had two identical performances.” I am really looking forward to seeing it. I’m thinking I might even go twice. Show One Productions presents ‘Slava’s Snowshow’ at Toronto’s Elgin Theatre, 189 Yonge Street. Performance dates and times: · Friday, Dec. 22 | 7 p.m. · Saturday, Dec. 23 I 2 pm. · Saturday, Dec. 23 I 7 pm. · Sunday, Dec. 24 I 1 pm. · Tuesday, Dec. 26 I 7 pm · Thursday, Dec. 28 I 7 pm. · Friday, Dec. 29 I 7 pm. · Saturday, Dec. 30 I 2 pm. · Saturday, Dec. 30 I 7 pm. · Sunday, Dec. 31 I 1 pm. To learn more about Show One Productions, visit www.showoneproductions.ca . To learn more about ‘Slava’s Snowshow’, visit www.slavasnowshow.com . To purchase tickets, please call 1-416-366-7723 or go to TOLive. Previous Next

Where music, song and dance all contribute to an enjoyable plot on stage Back 'In Dreams, A New Musical' Music by Roy Orbison and Book by David West Read Now onstage at Toronto's CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre Credit: Pamela Raith. Featured: Lena Hall as Kenna Joe Szekeres A touching jukebox musical which becomes more than just a ‘feel good’ show. This Broadway-bound inspirational ‘In Dreams’ goes one step further. The production confronts a mortality issue that I’m sure we’ve all personally encountered in some manner. Thankfully, the creative team does not allow that to damper the enjoyment of the songs. Instead, the show becomes an important reminder for audiences to be thankful and appreciate music and for those who provide their unique gift to all of us. How appropriate this ‘In Dreams’ is for the Canadian Thanksgiving season. Using the songs of musician Roy Orbison, the story follows Kenna (Lena Hall), the former lead singer of country rock band Heartbreak Rodeo. Upon receiving news that will change her life forever, she discovers a Mexican family restaurant run by Oscar (Manuel Pacific), his expectant wife, Nicole (Nasim Ramírez), effeminate cook, Tom (Leon Craig) and assisted by Oscar’s grandmother, Ana Sofia (Alma Cuervo). The restaurant caters to those individuals who wish to celebrate their memorial service in the way they would like to be honoured and respected. Kenna likes what’s happening at the restaurant, so she hosts her memorial party there. She wants to enjoy it while she is still alive and reconnect with old friends who were members of her band: drummer Ramsey (Oliver Tompsett), Jane (Sian Reese-Williams) and her husband, Donovan (Noël Sullivan). Set and Lighting designers Arnulfo Maldonado and Howard Hudson capture that traditional Spanish flair of the restaurant setting of neon lighting and what I’ll call blinking old-fashioned Christmas tree lights. This specific eatery ain’t no greasy spoon dive, that’s for sure. Fay Fullerton’s costume designs perfectly reflect the individual characters. Kenna’s jet-black tight concert outfit at the top of the show screams a country rock feel. Director (Luke Sheppard) and Book Writer (David West Read) were responsible for the Toronto, and now New York hit ‘& Juliet’, which premiered last year at Mirvish. They have teamed once again with several highly creative individuals to create ‘In Dreams,’ which appears to be another audience pleaser. No disagreement from me there. There are moments throughout the show where I could feel a big ol’ smile slide across my face (underneath my mask). I looked around and saw others sitting around me, moving their heads, keeping time to Orbison’s songs. Judging from my experience and what I saw, this production will undoubtedly do just that. Luke Sheppard’s subtly controlled direction allows for the maximum impact of character development, and Catherine Jayes’ terrific sounding orchestrations under Patrick Hurley’s solid musical direction. Fabian Aloise’s electric choreography remains sharp and clean. The show’s pacing and set changes remain remarkably fluid throughout. Several vocal numbers are outstanding. Mere words cannot describe the heavenly bliss of the pure clarity and audibility of the vocals. ‘You Got It’ is only one example where I put my pen down from writing notes and just sat back to watch and enjoy. Lena Hall delivers an electrifying performance as Kenna, and her poignant rendition of ‘Crying’ blows the roof off the Mirvish theatre. On a personal note, this show rendition of the song sent the proverbial shivers down my spine. As a cancer survivor and someone who lost a younger sibling to the disease, the lyrics just struck a nerve within my being and made my eyes well. Additionally, the song also becomes a showstopper. While Hall’s glorious sounding vocals soar past the rafters, this moment truthfully reveals how Kenna never got over the feelings she still has for her drummer and now Uber cab driver, Ramsey. Oliver Tompsett nails that proverbial bad-boy image as Ramsey in his performance. The sexual chemistry between him and Hall smoulders hotly. Their first encounter in the room where Kenna is asleep is rather funny. Ultimately, as the play continues, their attraction’s hidden intensity between them simmers and heightens in each passing moment. The moving sub-plots allow the audience to empathize with some supporting characters. As expectant parents, Oscar and Nicole, Manuel Pacific and Nasim Ramírez realistically show how having a child alters the relationship between husband and wife. Pacific believably reveals an emotional intensity as he has continually dealt with losing his parents, while Nicole feels Oscar has shut her out of his life. Their rendition of ‘Love Hurts’ remains powerful. The relationship between band members Jane and her husband, Donovan, becomes comic relief. Sian Reese-Williams and Noël Sullivan are a riot. When they enter the restaurant, the couple amusingly proclaims to be away from their children for two days and wants to enjoy every second, especially when they announce they will have sex. Another important theme of ‘In Dreams’ is friendship and how it might develop into something further. The subplot of Oscar’s grandmother, Ana Sofia and restaurant frequenter, George, is lovely to watch. Alma Cuervo and Richard Trinder are sweetly bashful around each other initially. However, their showstopping rendition of ‘Oh, Pretty Woman’ evidently reveals that one is never too young to experience the heights of burgeoning feelings for one another. It’s quite the musical number, and again, I just sat back and watched two artists having fun with each other on stage. I also wanted to acknowledge Cuervo’s astounding vocal work in ‘Blue Bayou’ and ‘Only the Lonely.’ In the leadup to this song, Kenna reveals the devastating news she has received about her health to Ana Sofia, who listens at first with tender compassion. What a perfect choice to conclude this ‘moment’ with these two songs. Again, I closed my eyes momentarily to hear Cuervo reach for the high notes in both pieces. She doesn’t disappoint. At all. Not forgetting that love can strike anywhere and anytime for anyone, restaurant cook Tom (Leon Craig) and Police Officer Lee (Mark Peachey) begin to develop feelings for each other during the last few minutes of the play, and the intensity of their relationship burns during the remix finale of ‘You Got It.’ Final Comments: ‘In Dreams’ is an absolute joy to experience. Give yourselves a treat. Go and see it. Running time: approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes with one intermission. ‘In Dreams’ runs until November 12 at the CAA Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria Street, Toronto. For tickets, visit mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333. DAVID MIRVISH AND JOHN SACHS for Eclipse Live and Sony Music present IN DREAMS, A NEW MUSICAL Music by Roy Orbison and Book by David West Read Directed by Luke Sheppard Musical Director: Patrick Hurley with Orchestrations by Catherine Jayes Choreographer: Fabian Aloise Set Design: Arnulfo Maldonado Costume Designer: Fay Fullerton Sound Designer: Tom Marshall Lighting Designer: Howard Hudson Video Designer: George Reeve Performers: Lena Hall, Oliver Tompsett, Sian Reese-Williams. Noël Sullivan, Manuel Pacific, Nasim Ramírez, Alma Cuervo, Richard Trinder, Leon Craig, Hannah Ducharme, Mark Peachey, Fabiola Occasion, Ache Hernandez Previous Next

A deconstruction of an individual's story. Back Doc Wuthergloom's HERE THERE BE MONSTERS Now onstage at Toronto's Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen Street East. Credit: Adrianna Prosser. Pictured: Eric Woolfe as Wuthergloom with two of the macabre looking puppets Joe Szekeres Eric Woolfe delivers a bedevilling grand performance as the ghoulish Dr. Wuthergloom. The production is often hilarious and witty about dark moments of the mortal realm we never want to discuss. Macabre storytelling, especially around Hallowe’en, never sounded so enticing as it does in the clever hands of Eric Woolfe in the intimate Red Sandcastle Theatre. Tonight was a perfect opening to those who appreciate Hallowe’en. We enter the world of Dr. Pretorius Wuthergloom (Woolfe), a travelling exorcist and infamous necromancer who sells his merchandise about monsters lurking in the horrors of the mind and mortal realm to gullible buyers. Yes, I was one of them. I also purchased a potion vial for my goddaughter, who accompanied me this evening from Wuthergloom’s ‘lovely’ assistant Camille (Emma Mackenzie Hillier). Dressed as a ghastly-looking, yesteryear Las Vegas cigarette girl right out of ‘Rocky Horror,’ Camille carries around the ‘merch’ to hawk to unsuspecting audience members. A few don’t bite. Music from a pre-recorded calliope can be heard throughout the pre-show. There is an unsettling, eerie feeling just looking at the set. Some objects are covered. These will be uncovered throughout the show. There are shrunken heads with what look like masks of the varied frightening creatures and monsters that can be found in Wuthergloom’s ‘Field Guide to Monsters’ (which he shamelessly continues to plug throughout the show) Wuthergloom/Woolfe sits hawkish in the corner upstage right and stares as the audience enters. The look in his eyes is ominous. He reminds me of one of the outlandish circus freaks from Ray Bradbury’s ‘Something Wicked This Way Comes’. He is shuffling a deck of cards or tarot pack to help pass the time. Designer Melanie McNeill accoutres the Doctor in blood-red and black striped pants. His black top hat has seen better days. He wears a black vest and a white open-collar shirt. His running shoes are large. The white makeup on his face is a perfect combination of a cross between a skeleton and a banshee. This opening night production is often wickedly satirical, with piercing jabs at some contemporary references in the local Toronto/Ontario provincial scene. One most notable was the state of theatre companies applying for grant money from the provincial Ford government. There is audience participation, so beware. It won’t matter if you’re sitting in the first few rows or not because Wuthergloom/Woole scans the audience for victims…oops…volunteers. Side note: It’s fun if you volunteer to go up on the stage. Eric Woolfe is a bedevilling Dr. Wuthergloom. His comical timing in narrating child-eating faeries and the cigar-smoking Kapre of the Philippines remains a riot. The grisly puppets used during the performance wickedly showcase Woolfe’s terrific vocal work in establishing individual personas. The story of Edward Mordrake, the man with Two Faces is hilarious. Woolfe’s magic tricks are also impressive. I sat in the second row, and there were moments where an ivory-looking egg disappeared and reappeared. How was that done? Final Comments: I didn’t know what to expect when I arrived at ‘Here There Be Monsters’. I suspected there would be ghost stories and tales of the dead to be told. I didn’t expect to laugh and have as much fun as I did. ‘Here There Be Monsters’ is a terrific show to experience as the sun sets earlier, the cooler weather beckons and rust-coloured leaves tentatively hang from tree branches. Great fun, but don’t bring the wee ones. There is s some adult humour and language depending on Woolfe’s improvisations at the particular moment. Running time: 75 minutes, no intermission. ‘Here There Be Monsters’ runs until November 5 at the Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen Street East, Toronto. For tickets, https://eldritchtheatre.ca/tickets/ ELDRITCH THEATRE presents DOC WUTHERGLOOM’S ‘HERE THERE BE MONSTERS’ Created and Performed by Eric Woolfe Produced by Adrianna Prosser Costumes Designed by Melanie McNeill Previous Next BACK TO TOP

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back 'Mno Bimaadiziwin' (The Good Life) with Barrie, Ontario's Theatre By the Bay Theatre By the Bay Studio House Photography Joe Szekeres Normally I’m not one immediately to stand for an ovation after a live performance unless I have been truly moved by what I’ve just seen. Even though we were on our feet for the remarkable final scene of ‘Mno Bimmaadiziwn’ now onstage at the Orillia Opera House (I won’t disclose why), I made sure this select ensemble company of artists was immediately acknowledged for the highly moving production I had just witnessed by remaining standing and offering the applause they most certainly deserved and earned. According to the Programme Notes, Theatre by the Bay Artistic Director Iain Moggach asked playwright Ziigwen Mixemong what kind of show would it be if she were offered something by the company? She replied that she had a desire to write a show about healing, one that opened the rest of our community’s eyes to the world and experiences that she knows. These last eighteen months have ashamedly kicked me to become consciously aware of the struggles of our Indigenous people especially considering what has occurred historically at Canada’s residential school system. At the talkback following the show, Mixemong kindly spoke of the fact that if all of us can begin our journey to understand our Indigenous family members just by listening to and hearing the story we were about to see, then that is an important first step for all of us to take. Her request was personally met from me with many emotions and feelings of shame, acceptance, nobility, pride, and honour. Ziigwen wanted to tell the story of people whom she knows and “to give audiences a chance to interact with real Indigenous people, all while trying to demonstrate the collective trauma and the resiliency that helps us rise above it.” And we do see real people here as this strong ensemble cast naturally and convincingly reveal so many destructive social issues of suicide, drug abuse, illegitimate pregnancy, and unfair treatment of LGBTQAI members within our Indigenous peoples. I certainly hope this striking production set in Orillia might tour the province sometime soon because it is one which I believe must be seen by many of us (and our young people) as we continue to move forward with Truth and Reconciliation of our Canadian Indigenous brothers and sisters. We must use the QR scanner to access the online programme. I understand why this is done for Covid protocols of health and safety, and for the fact it also cuts down on paper consumption. My only thought is for those who do not have a phone with a QR code scanner. Might it be possible to have some print programmes available for these patrons? In any case, the programme contains important information about the production which I strongly advise audiences to read before hand. ‘Mno Bimaadiziwin’ explores briefly the lives of characters as they prepare for a sweat lodge ceremony. I’m going to be honest and say I had no idea what it was and I’m pleased to have learned it here. A Sweat is a spiritual undertaking that allows participants to speak directly with the Spirit Realm, giving thanks and petitioning for help and support. As a practicing Catholic, I made a connection of the Indigenous sweat ceremony to the sacrifice of the mass in which we too give thanks and also petition for help and support. There is so much to admire in this production. For example, the soundscape at the top of the show most certainly piqued my curiosity and interest. At one point there is the sound of a beating heart and I thought I also heard breath exhaling and inhaling which was highly effective as I felt my own breath exhaling and inhaling simultaneously. Mathew Magneson’s choice and selection of musical accompaniment effectively heightened many of the emotional moments throughout the play. Samantha McCue’s Set Design attractively utilized the playing space on the stage. Along the back wall is a silhouetted outline of various shapes of buildings which I’m assuming represent Orillia. There is a blue tent centre stage with an open entrance. Various props and set pieces stage left and right offer ample opportunities for vantage sight lines from where I sat in the auditorium. Echo Zhou’s sharply focused lighting design on the moments where the characters broke the fourth wall and talked to the audience nicely captured my attention to where it was needed. Herbie Barnes’ compassionate direction of Mixemong’s realistic script kept the story’s pace flowing smoothly. Once again, this decent ensemble cast narrated their individual stories with resonant precision and control of their monologues which, in turn, maintained my consistent interest in preparation for the sweat which took place inside the blue tent (which we never saw). Instead, the script focuses on events prior to and emerging from the ceremony. Final Comments: ‘Mno Bimaadiziwin’ remains a must see for all of us to begin our process in reconciling and healing with our Indigenous family members. Inspirational and stirring. Running time approximately one hour Production runs to October 3, 2021, at the Orillia Opera House, 20 Mississauga Street West, Orillia. For tickets, please call (705) 326-8011 or visit www.orilliaoperahouse.ca . Cast: Jordan M. Burns, Trina Paula Moyan, Pesch Nepoose, John Roldan, Brianne Tucker MNO BIMAADIZIWIN by Ziigwen Mixemong Presented by Theatre by the Bay, Barrie, Ontario Artistic Director and Producer: Iain Moggach Director: Herbie Barnes Production Manager: Karen Elizabeth Technical Director: Claude Labrecque Stage Manager: Barry Cook and Assistant Stage Manager: Ashley Frederick Set and Costume Designer: Samantha McCue Lighting Designer: Echo Zhou Props Master: Brenda Thompson Sound Designer and Composer: Mathew Magneson Set Builder: Diane Frederick Cultural Consultant: Kelly Brownbill Previous Next

Where music, song and dance all contribute to an enjoyable plot on stage Back Inside American Pie Now on stage at the CAA Theatre, Credit: Dahlia Katz. Pictured: Mike Ross on piano during performance. Joe Szekeres “A chillin’ docu-concert. Part educational and part entertaining, ‘Inside American Pie’ rocks the CAA Theatre. The roof-raising audience appreciation in applause nearly brings the house down. One can’t help but hum along to the songs.” The line ‘the day the music died’ from the iconic 1971 ‘American Pie’ by Don McLean refers to the 1959 plane crash that killed rock and roll legends Buddy Holly, Ritchie Valens and the Big Bopper. McLean’s nostalgic and iconic song continues to be debated for its sometimes-vague line (mis?) interpretations. Artist Mike Ross and co-creator Sarah Wilson (Ross acknowledges his wife/producer, Nicole Bellamy, too) take the song’s nostalgia to the next level. They want to decode its possible meanings. In his Programme Note, Ross writes that the docu-concert is really what it implies—a collision of context interpretation and song delivered directly to the audience. Ross writes he developed this format mostly at Soulpepper, where he was given space to make mistakes and figure things out. On this opening night at the CAA Theatre, Inside American Pie’s 90-minute docu-concert aims to unravel the mystery behind the iconic 1971 song. Ross and Wilson select specific songs from the ‘60s and ‘70s that may have influenced McLean while writing ‘American Pie.’ Does this docu-concert format work? Yes. Wonderfully. Lorenzo Savoini’s concert design works well in placing Ross stage right on piano. Performers Alicia Toner, Brielle Ansems, and Greg Gale are centre stage, with Kirk White on drums upstage. Lighting designer Simon Rossiter perfectly accentuates those solo moments, most notably in Brielle Ansem’s rendition of Creedence Clearwater’s Revival’s ‘Bad Moon Rising.’ At the top of the show, Ross shares that his interpretations of ‘American Pie’ reflect are derived from his research. He encourages audience members to speak with him if they know something he might have overlooked. Led by Ross on piano, the four PEI musician ensemble accompaniment sounds terrific. They’re chillin’. Several of Ross’s arrangements are memorable: the opening ‘Come On, Let’s Go’ by Ritchie Valens, John Lennon’s ‘Imagine’ and Bob Dylan’s ‘The Times They Are A-Changin.’ Acknowledgements to Sound Designer Sergey Varlamov to ensure the song lyrics can be heard. Ross is also an incredible pianist. There’s a moment when he stands and plays with remarkable gusto and spirit. Ross’s joy in sharing his music becomes contagious. That same joy infects the audience, who nearly bring the CAA house down with their roof-raising applause. That moment is forever etched in my mind. Final Note: Again, in his Programme note, Ross describes the process of a docu-concert as alchemy that involves back-and-forth collaborations with great people who lent their gifts to a meeting ground for music, design, story, and documentary. The key word is gift. Harmony House, in partnership with Mirvish Productions, presents a most welcome gift as spring approaches. The gift of song and storytelling. When these two elements are superbly combined in this five-person ensemble, the result is a memorable theatre experience. Give yourself a gift and go see ‘Inside American Pie.’ Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no interval/intermission. ‘Inside American Pie’ runs until March 30 at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge Street, Toronto. For tickets: mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333. DAVID AND HANNAH MIRVISH present the HARMONY HOUSE production ‘INSIDE AMERICAN PIE’ created by Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson Producers: Harmony House, Nicole Bellamy and Mike Ross Music Director/Arranger: Mike Ross Set Designer: Lorenzo Savoini Lighting Designer: Simon Rossiter Sound Designer: Sergey Varlamov Stage Manager: Rob Harding Performers: Mike Ross, Alicia Toner, Brielle Ansems, Greg Gale, Kirk White Previous Next

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back Trident Moon Now on stage in the Guloien Theatre at Crow's Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto Credit: Dahlia Katz. Pictured l-r: Mirza Sarhan (back to camera), Zorana Sadiq, Imali Perera, Afroza Banu, Muhaddisah and Anusree Roy. Joe Szekeres “Difficult to watch at times for its violently suggested implications in word and thought. Stunning in its visual staging and presentation. The compelling ensemble work these women deliver drives the plot forward with visceral believability.” ‘Trident Moon’ is set in the back of a transport truck speeding through the newly developed country of India. The time is 1947, set during the Partition of India. It was a traumatic division of British India into two independent dominions: India and Pakistan. The violence was drawn along religious lines by British colonial authorities, and it led to one of the largest mass migrations in history- Hindus and Sikhs moved to India, and Muslims to Pakistan. Three Muslim women have been abducted by three Hindu women. Are they all going somewhere to be killed? Are they going to freedom? The horror behind these questions hovers in the air. The opening night production is stunning in its visual staging. Jawon Kang creates an eye-catching raked set design that resembles an oil-on-canvas framed by delicate, gossamer-like fabric. Michelle Ramsay’s selection of soft lighting during the pre-show beautifully highlights this fabric. She is also quite clever, as our eyes follow what appears to be smouldering embers amidst ashes on the floor, shifting our admiration from the admiration of the oil on canvas painting to an entirely different frame of reference. Ming Wong’s costumes aptly reflect the era of war and violence once again. Romeo Candido’s sound design is vividly clear, and at one point, a particular sound effect startled me, which is a good thing considering I wasn’t expecting it. Anusree Roy’s gut-wrenching script is sometimes difficult to watch. There are violent implications in words and thoughts, from guns being waved around to terribly nasty comments about one of the characters who is developmentally challenged. One of the characters, a pregnant woman, goes into labour. While this occurs, she takes a blunt knife to remove a bullet from a stomach wound while the truck continues bouncing along rocky roads. Where this woman finds the strength to do all this might seem incomprehensible. There is a sadistic sexual moment involving the horrible soldier Lovely (Mirza Sarhan). It’s sickening even to begin thinking about something like this occurring. Nevertheless, this discomfort is precisely why we go to the theatre. It jolts us from the complacency that can develop regarding our reasons for attending. However brutal that moment involving the soldier and one of the women remains, it is deftly handled with trust in director Nina Lee Aquino and Intimacy Director Cara Rebecca. Aquino’s staging in the confines of the transport truck emanates a permeating sense of suffocation, adding to the growing tension between the two groups of Muslim and Hindu women. The powerful ensemble work drives Trident Moon’s plot forward with visceral believability. Thankfully, there are moments of levity to balance the intense dramatic moments, but they’re quick, and we’re right back into the thick of the moment. I can’t help but think about how timely it is to include ‘Trident Women’ in Crow’s season this year. For one, it is International Women’s Day, which honours women's strength, bravery, and resiliency worldwide. Playwright Roy’s script does that. These women live through atrocities that none of us can even begin to think about. Are these scripted events improbable or unbelievable? As someone who has never suffered the atrocities of war, I can’t say, nor should I. ‘Trident Moon’ is an opportunity to acknowledge the bonds of humanity that link women together. Although the play is set in 1947, the women in Roy’s story would likely be classified as migrants today. Do the hardships faced by the women in Roy’s tale differ from those endured by individuals who have been deported back to the countries they fled in search of survival today? I don’t believe so. Word to future audiences: Please, please make sure your cell phones and mobiles are turned off. We were about four-fifths of the way through the plot. I recall leaning forward in my seat because I was engrossed in the compelling ensemble work before me. And a cell phone alarm goes off. My guest grabbed my arm quickly because she, too, was brought out of the moment as I was (and I’m sure others around me were). This tremendous cast did not allow that blunder to affect them at all. Please see ‘Trident Moon.’ Pay close attention to its complex plot. The characters give essential information about themselves and their relationships to each other, and it’s easy to get lost if you’re not focused. Just make sure your mobile devices are turned off. Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission/interval. The production runs until March 30 in the Guloien Theatre at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto. For tickets: crowstheatre.com or call the Box Office at (647) 341-7390. A Crow’s Theatre and National Arts Centre English Theatre Co-production TRIDENT MOON by Anusree Roy Directed by Nina Lee Aquino Set and Props Designer: Jawon Kang Costume Designer: Ming Wong Lighting Designer: Michelle Ramsay Sound Designer and Composer: Romeo Candido Singer: Hrishov Sarker Stage Manager: Tamara Protic Performers: Sahiba Arora, Afroza Banu, Sehar Bhojani, Michelle Mohammed, Muhaddisah, Prerna Nehta, Imali Perera, Anusree Roy, Zorana Sadiq, Mirza Sarhan Previous Next

Dramas encompass the human response to a created life situation on the stage. Back The Rez Sisters The Stratford Festival David Hou David Rabjohn Congratulations to The Stratford Festival for insightful creativity in developing live theatre for a covid world. A soaring brilliant white tent was only a part of the unique outdoor experience that subtlety embraced social restrictions. The Festival could have found simple vehicles that would easily adapt to required new measures. They went the other way. With courage and boldness the festival produced Tomson Highway’s 1986 searing story of ‘The Rez Sisters’, a complex and weighty play concerning the lives of seven sisters on a Manitoulin reserve. Highway’s already distinguished writing is further elevated by an ensemble cast of diverse talent, energy and unremitting power. We first meet Nanabush who stumbles on stage, unkempt and ill, crawling under a tarpaulin and sits, eyes furtive and suspicious with birdlike movement, skillfully played by Zach Running Coyote. Going through wild throes as a sickly patient, he sets the stage for tragedy and suspicion throughout the story. Nanabush develops into a kind of muse or indigenous Greek chorus symbolically reflecting many of the more horrific moments of the sisters’ lives. Running Coyote’s brilliant physicality offers the choreography that punctuates the many struggles on the reserve. Pelajia is the first of the slow train of sisters on stage – some actual sisters, others half sisters or sisters-in-law reflecting the close-knit community. Played with crackling energy by Jani Lauzon, she is a contractor equally comfortable with both hammer and knitting needles. Like many of the sisters, she hates the reserve and longs for a better life, perhaps in Toronto. Her sister, Philomena (Tracey Nepinak) can be both dark and brooding (she longs to know anything about the child she gave up) and equally hilarious as she also longs for the gleaming porcelain toilet bowl that is her holy grail. Annie Cook, played joyfully by Nicole Joy-Fraser enters frantically and is teased for non-stop energy as she yearns for a singing career. The complexities of relationships start to form as we meet Marie-Adele, perhaps the most tragic figure, played by Lisa Comarty, who has fourteen children and is clearly dying of cancer. She stole her sister Annie’s boyfriend and the wounds are still raw. Scenes begin to break down into raucous battles as various tensions are exposed and fight director Anita Nittoly’s remarkable choreography mirrors the many conflicts. The cacophony of anger rises, while lights flash until it is halted by Zhabooningan. Played subtlety and sympathetically by Brefny Cariboo, Zha is intellectually disabled and has been horribly raped by two white men. She is embraced by her sisters and is adopted by the unpopular Veronique (Christine Frederick) who portrays her dark character with both meaness and hope for more understanding. Bingo becomes the epicentre of dreams, hopes, and delusion. Never far from their minds, bingo is not a social occasion. It is the vehicle for moving forward in big or small ways – that shining toilet, a huge new stove, or an entire island of life. Learning of “the biggest bingo in the world” the sisters put their conflicts aside and plan a masterful odyssey to Toronto. A leitmotif of marching, they make their way to Toronto, experiencing obstacles and pain reminiscent of their reservation lives. The bingo day climax ends with an audience participation surprise, the hollowness of smashed dreams and ultimate death. The circle returns to Manitoulin. Some part of this tragedy slightly softens anger and hate. Sophie Tang’s set design offered a thrust stage with multiple surprises. Each of the many chairs was unique – sometimes representing the fourteen children, other times cleverly manifesting a symbolic prison. The translucent tarp diversly served as hospital bedding, a babe in arms, or a funereal shroud. Wayne Kelso’s sound design was delicate and haunting – rash only when it had to be. Director Jessica Carmichael wielded a heroic baton. She found a delicate balance between letting her dynamic ensemble spin and create at will and finding a focus that roots the story. Ms. Carmichael’s own recent pain gives authority and intimacy to this production. Using all the tools offered by Tomson Highway – Cree or Ojibway language and indigenous dance – she made us understand the circles of living. As mentioned in the program, this production properly gives a nod to recent tragic discoveries and young people who now yearn for a better future as the sisters do. Some circles should remain and some circles should be broken. Upon discovering Emily’s pregnancy, Zha creates slivers of mirth as she sneaks up on her friend and says hello to the little unknown. What an honest way to peer into this world – with both unrelenting sadness and with mirthful silliness. ‘The Rez Sisters’ by Tomson Highway Produced by The Stratford Festival Players – Brefny Caribou, Lisa Cromarty, Nicole Joy-Fraser, Irene Poole, Jani Lauzon, Kathleen MacLean, Tracey Nepinak, Zach Running Coyote Director – Jessica Carmichael Sound Director – Wayne Kelso Set and lighting design – Sophie Tang Fight director – Anita Nittoly Stage manager – Bona Duncan Tickets at stratfordfestival.ca Previous Next

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Beatriz Pizano Looking Ahead Tanja Tiziana Joe Szekeres Near the conclusion of our conversation, Beatriz Pizano talked about the passion she recognizes in emerging artists and how important it is to nurture it, especially as we look ahead and move forward out of this pandemic. I must say that Beatriz herself is one deeply passionate lady about her work and craft. I highly respect learning more about her and the work she has accomplished over the past twenty years through Aluna Theatre. Beatriz Pizano (Actor/ Director/Playwright) is the founder and Artistic Director of Aluna Theatre. Over the last twenty years, she has built Aluna into an international company recognized for its unique approach to creation, its daring political work, and its experimentation with multiple language productions. Her bold performances, in English and Spanish, are marked by a distinct theatrical language drawing from the heritages, cultures, and languages from across the Americas. Aluna’s original productions have earned them 29 Dora Mavor Moore nominations and 11 wins. She has received a number of prestigious awards including the John Hirsch Prize, the Chalmers Fellowship, K.M. Hunter award, 100 Colombianos and Colombiano Estrella. She is the first Colombian actress to win the Toronto Critics award and a Dora for her performance in Blood Wedding. She has been recognized twice by the Colombian government (President Santos and President Duque) for her work as a promoter and a mentor to the Latinx artists living and working in Canada. In 2019 she was named of TD Bank’s 10 Most Influential Hispanic Canadians. We conducted our conversation via Zoom. Thank you so much for adding your distinct voice to the conversation, Bea: It’s a harsh reality that the worldwide pandemic of Covid 19 has changed all of us. Describe how your understanding of the world you know and how your perception and experience have changed on a personal level. Well, to tell you the truth, Covid has been difficult in some things but at other levels for me, I was craving a pause. I haven’t had a rest. After running a company for 20 years, I needed to think where we are going now. There are changes that needed to happen. We struggled so hard as a diverse company. I was exhausted because as a tiny company we don’t ever get the funding needed to run. For example, I only have one full time person in twenty years, which is me, to run the entire company. The rest are all contract workers. That instability because with me just running Aluna and having to do everything for the company was challenging. I was working seven days a week and I was very tired. Before the pandemic, I was very lucky to get one of the Canada Council Grants, the New Chapter Grants, which was a large amount. I’ve never seen that amount of money before to fulfil my dream of working in a piece called ‘The Solitudes’ inspired by ‘One Hundred Years of Solitude’ by Gabriel Garcia Marquez. It was the first time I fulfilled my dream of working with a collective of women for an extended period of time. We worked over two years, working several times a year for a month, then another three weeks in building that beauty of process. So, after this experience, I felt like I couldn’t go back to a period of three weeks and go, go, go again. So, for me, it was a much-needed time of reflection personally. I love being home. I have a garden and working in it. I’ve made gigantic personal changes in my life, so I needed time to just sit. I also travel a lot with the Festivals as a presenter. I travel six months of the year and was always going, going. So, suddenly, for someone like me who has a personality of constantly being on the quick move all the time, I was at home. It was great at the beginning, but for me it has been an important time of reflection personally on who I want to be as an artist, and where do I want to go from now as a more mature artist. I’ve done all these things, and now success and all those things do not matter to me in the same way. I’m looking for a deeper soul now, what do I want to speak about now. I want to now move into the art of living. I’ve written so many plays about things that were important to me. I’ve started a new project, but I don’t know what it is I want to say yet so I’m going slowly. For me, the pandemic has given me this opportunity to reflect on how to implement these changes, how they are going to manifest, and how will Aluna deal with these changes. With live indoor theatre shut for one year plus, with it appearing it may not re-open any time soon, how has your understanding and perception as a professional artist of the live theatre industry been altered and changed? Theatre will never disappear, but it needs to adapt and speak to the times. Digital theatre will never be going away, but how is it going to evolve moving forward? As theatre artists we have to be in the here and now. Technology is the world of the new generation coming forward. These digital tools will not go away. If something is introduced, it will become part of the medium that we know. Soheil Parsa is directing ‘The House of Bernarda Alba’ next year, fingers crossed (and I’m crossing my fingers too because I want to see this production). When we look at this piece, this Lorca piece is so deep and profound as it’s about intergenerational trauma among the women. We’re not doing the ‘Bernarda Alba’ that everyone does. The company was very important because it coincided with the cries for social change and equity and being a part of that conversation in seeing how we move forward from now on. When I began the company there were five of us who are Latinx artists no more than 10 and now there is a beautiful community of artists who are very strong and emerging. I’m thinking now as I move forward, and I begin to think of whoever wants to take over the company. I accepted the role of Artistic Director when I took over the company 20 years ago, and now when it’s time for me to move forward, I’m now thinking about strong Latinx artists who can take over. I want to leave a home of strong artists, that was my dream. I want to leave a world full of strong opportunities in this company for a community of artists. As a small company, Aluna does not always think in terms of ticket sales. Instead, we see the audience as part of the process and in communion with the actor. That is so important. I’m known to give tickets away to those who cannot afford to see theatre because it’s important to introduce as many as possible to the theatre. Sometimes it’s hard to separate the artistry from the personal side because my work for 20 years was focused on Aluna. I was once asked if I had any hobbies, and I couldn’t state that I had hobbies. Everything I did was my art, and I wasn’t able to separate between the two. At times, it’s hard to separate the two. As a professional artist, what are you missing the most about the live theatre industry? Rehearsing in person. I’m about process. I work in a style of process, improvisation and discovering until you find things and throwing myself in the room. I’m a very physical actor. To embody the human body with the text is so critical in the process. It’s not the same on Zoom to feel and to connect with another actor. I need to be in the room with others. We were in rehearsal for ‘Bernarda Alba’, but I was turning the character into a stereotype because I was not in my body. It’s so hard to make that connection with another actor through Zoom. I never abuse the moment when the actor is in communion with the audience or with another actor. If you as actor can make the audience breathe with you, that is magical. I miss breathing in the same room with other actors and audience. Oh my God, I miss a lot of things. As a professional artist, what is the one thing you will never take for granted again in the live theatre industry when you return to it? People. Artists need to be paid well and people need to be compensated really well. After Equity removes fees etc, sometimes actors are left with $12, $13, $14/an hour and I’m thinking, “Seriously?” There are actors who have been working for 20, 30 years and they’re earning below minimum wage? This doesn’t make sense. This is inhumane. This has to stop. Let’s compensate people well. I don’t know who created this system we currently have in place in the theatre. Over the years, we work people to the bones for opening night. When the actors leave, the director, crew and designers stay. Creation is such an act of opening the soul and I don’t understand why people are staying around when the actors leave. That can’t be justified anymore. For instance, some companies have implemented there must be at least two weeks of technical rehearsal in the theatre. When I work with Soheil, he has at one week before previews of tech in the theatre. When you don’t have a lot of money as many smaller theatres may not, you cannot do that. At Aluna we give at least one week of tech in the theatre because it moves the play faster and better for the actors. For me, I don’t know how I’m going to do it as a producer, but that practice of working people to the bone must end. Let’s compensate people adequately and fairly. Throughout this pandemic we have been paying people way above scale. People need to be paid daily rates because they work so hard. Describe one element you hope has changed concerning the live theatre industry. I don’t think it has changed, but there must be an awareness that the system we have been working with was not working for a lot of people. The work ahead is really hard. It will also be very exciting because there is a beauty in the multiplicity of artists and voices that we will soon hear. It’ll be hard because there is the unknown ahead, but with this multiplicity and diversity of voices, Canada will become an exciting artistic place. Canada already is because I’ve travelled to other places, but we need to come out of these boxes. Theatre has become a business on behalf of this illogical thinking because for some people it’s not a business. For some, theatre may be a social movement so we cannot put it under the same thing because it is looked at differently by many people. The conversation is changing but we have a lot of work to do. I don’t believe anything has changed yet. This is a process. Explain what specifically you believe you must still accomplish within the industry. Oh my God! I don’t know why you’re making me so emotional, Joe. (and Bea and I share a laugh) So many things. On a personal level, I’m still striving for so many things as an artist, and that’s making sure I have the time to prepare and to put it in my process. In this urgency to get things done, I don’t take short cuts, and I don’t respect the sanctity of the art form if I did that. It requires time through dedication through playwrighting and acting. I also want to learn so much more about directing, about playwrighting, about acting. The only way you learn is by doing it with opportunities. What I want to do is make sure I can create those opportunities for others as well, especially in the diverse and marginalized communities that have had very little opportunity to work. You don’t get better if you don’t work at it. That’s the reality. With every project I take on, I have this saying: “All I knew today. Tomorrow I will know more things.” If I can go to sleep at night and say, “Yes, Bea, you did everything you knew today. The reason why I didn’t do anything different is because I didn’t know it yet.” But tomorrow after completing that project, I will know more because I will have learned more. Some artists are saying that audiences must be prepared for a tsunami of Covid themed stories in the return to live theatre. Would you elaborate on this statement both as an artist in the theatre, and as an audience member observing the theatre. I’m actually avoiding anything that talks about Covid. No. I don’t want to write about Covid at all. I think what people will crave is truth and connection as audiences. I do think works have to be very truthful. There may be pieces that go against the conventions as people love these interactive pieces today. My desire is the opportunity for theatre to return to truth and not fabricate stories. People want connection. Have the guts to go and perform in a park without the comforts and lights. That is breaking things down. Audiences will be demanding a lot from the artists when we return, and I think that’s great. The industry has to remember and allow that it’s not about tickets. We may have to do theatre in very unconventional places as we, the audiences and artists, return and emerge into this new understanding of the world. I’m looking forward to be challenged as an artist and audience member. So no, I will NOT go and see anything that deals with Covid. As an artist, what specifically is it about your work that you want future audiences to remember about you? That I believed deeply in everything I did to the bones. I cannot do something that I did not believe in. Hopefully people will recognize my complete commitment with every cell in my body what I’m doing, how can I pretend for others to join me on the journey. To learn more about Aluna Theatre, visit www.alunatheatre.ca ; Facebook: @AlunaTheatre; Twitter: @AlunaTheatre. Previous Next

What makes a comedy work - plot, characters, setting and theme. Back 'Vierge' by Rachel Mutombo Now onstage at Toronto's Factory Theatre Now onstage at Toronto's Factory Theatre David Rabjohn A new play, ‘Vierge’, written by first time playwright Rachel Mutombo opened this week at the Factory Theatre in Toronto. An interplay between the themes of the stresses of recent immigration and the confusing dynamics of teenage life, this lively production delves deeply into these sensitive issues. The strength of this play comes from four impressive performances that keeps the audience fully engaged. Although we would call this an ensemble, the driving force of the story and the acting comes from the character of Divine played by Shauna Thompson. Ms. Thompson’s performance was captivating in that every range of emotion was on full display. Divine, a strong young Christian, is given a large responsibility in running a small ‘group’ of teenage girls in bible study. Only three girls show up with various agendas and attitudes. Yvonne Addai plays a cheeky Grace Katende while JD Leslie plays her sister Sarah and their relationship seems sour from the beginning. Although Grace and Sarah have recently immigrated from the Congo, Divine and her new friend Bien-Aime (Kudakwashe Rutendo) also have roots in the Congo. Chaos is not far away as Divine is treading water trying to keep the program together while the others are irreverent and gossipy. Horrific stories and undercut relationships are mined through the lens of teenage enthusiasm and angst. A riotous teenage drinking party, set in the church itself, brings to conclusion a very sad story. Ms. Addai’s performance drips with saucy irreverence – sex is just a joke. Many “watch the hand” moments were her signature as well as some striking dance moves that would shock a priest. Her sister Sarah (JD Leslie) is more brooding and sarcastic – her crushing eyes belie much sadness and heartache. Ms. Rutendo’s portrayal of Bien-Aime is perhaps the most complicated. The daughter of a retired minister, she acts throughout the play as an intermediator taking on leadership roles and befriending Divine. But a subtle devilish undercurrent is palpable and Ms. Rutendo pins the audience to their seats with a late monologue describing a shocking past – sincerity is still up for grabs. There are many sides to Bien-Aime – even her beautiful name has the sound of enemy in it. As in any dramedy, Ms. Mutombo’s dark play sparkles at times with hilarious wordplay. Recently from the Congo, Grace and Sarah struggle with some English phrases. Highlights include sexual partners who “spin” instead of “swing” and the confusion of a “rifle” wedding instead of a “shotgun” wedding. The writing near the end seemed somewhat thin. It appears incongruous that Divine, a self-described virgin, a non-drinker and a committed Christian would within a period of 48 hours become a blacked-out drunk and wild party girl. Teenagers do arc wildly, but that seemed too much. The issue of hypocrisy was effectively raised with more subtlety earlier in the play. A creative piece of directing came from Natasha Mumba with the riotous party scene near the end. We feel the heat of the party but we see only one-half of the partygoers. Some imaginative blocking and wild choreography set the raucous tone. Ms. Mutombo’s notes suggest that this is an “exploration of identity.” She has achieved that goal and the phrase certainly is the very definition of being a teenager – especially in a difficult world. ‘Vierge’ by Rachel Mutombo Performers: Yvonne Addai, JD Leslie, Kudakwashe Rutendo, Shauna Thompson Director: Natasha Mumba Set Design: Rachel Forbes Lighting Design: Jareth Li Production runs through April 30, 2023. Tickets: factorytheatre.ca Previous Next

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A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Mikaela Davies Theatre Conversation in a Covid World Mark Binks Joe Szekeres I am extremely thankful Mikaela Davies sent me a friend request several months ago as I admired her work in ‘The Last Wife’ at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre. Our Zoom call sometimes went off topic today as we found the questions below led to other questions and comments that I hadn’t even considered, and that was alright as Mikaela told me at one point during the interview to bring them on. Mikaela Davies (she/her) is an actor, director and writer. She is a graduate of the 2020 CBC Canadian Film Centre's Actors Conservatory. She spent two years performing at Soulpepper Theatre and four seasons at The Stratford Festival where she performed the leading role in The Changeling. She is a graduate of the Soulpepper Actor’s Academy, Stratford Festival’s Michael Langham Conservatory for Classical Direction and Canadian Stage’s RBC Director Development Residency. Davies is the inaugural recipient of the Jon Kaplan Canadian Stage Performer Award; she holds a Sterling nomination for Outstanding Comedic Performance as the lead in Miss Bennet at The Citadel and a META nomination for Outstanding Supporting Performance in The Last Wife at The Centaur. She has worked closely as a dramaturge with Robert Lepage and Jillian Keiley. She has directed and co-created a handful of award-winning plays with Polly Phokeev including How We Are, The Mess & Earth 2.0. Thank you for the conversation, Mikaela: In a couple of months, we will be coming up on one year where the doors of live theatre have been shuttered. How have you been faring during this time? Your immediate family? I’ve been okay. I’ve been really lucky that my family and friends have been healthy and safe so that’s brought a lot of peace of mind. I’m also pretty lucky that my partner and I don’t have kids yet so I cannot understand how difficult it must be for parents with young kids at home trying to do their work and help them through school. My hat goes off to them. So challenging. Given my health and everyone around me and not having this extra burden, it’s been okay. It’s hard, it’s a hard time for everybody. I do feel lucky. It’s pretty scary to hear of the numbers going up and down and up daily. How have you been spending your time since the theatre industry has been locked up tight as a drum? Well, when Covid first started I was quite lucky that myself, Hailey Gillis and Polly Phokeev, we were commissioned through Crow’s Theatre to work on a musical. We’re working on this adaptation of Mikhail Bulgakov’s ‘The Master and Margarita’, workshopped at The Stratford Festival. We were able to spend a good chunk of time just throwing ourselves into that so that was a really nice project to have. Polly Phokeev and I, we also work on our own writing projects together. We’ve had a history of making theatre together and now we’re exploring what it might be like to make a tv series so we’ve working on the draft of a pilot about a mission to colonize Mars. The other thing I have a lot of time for, which I’ve never really been able to do, is to take a breath and look around and breathe. I’ve always been a go, go, go artist and so in many ways this has afforded me a great pause. I’ve spent some time camping with my partner. We were van camping. We were sleeping in the back of his van. When the cases were low, we went out to British Columbia to see his family and we drove back across the country staying in national parks. I’ve never done that. I’ve never seen those parts and parks of Canada. That was the highlight of my year for sure. It was magical. The late Hal Prince described the theatre as an escape for him. Would you say that Covid has been an escape for you or would you describe this near year long absence from the theatre as something else? This is a good question. Speaking personally, Covid has allowed me to take a bit of a breath and a pause and to spend some time living and thinking about things, and as an artist I think that’s a useful thing to do. Sometimes we’re so caught up in making art, making art, making art, making art that we forget to live. I’m speaking for myself here. I’ve felt very grateful for that aspect of it. The kind of escapism that I imagine Hal Prince is referring to in theatre to me is a very different thing than the really dark, complicated time that Covid has brought on so many of us. To me, going to the theatre is an escape. I’m reading this incredible book right now by Tana French. She’s an Irish mystery writer and that feels like an escape. I’m thinking about these characters when I’m not in the book, my mind is going to them, I’m trying to figure out the mystery, that’s escapism. Covid is the opposite of this. Instead, it has shined a fluorescent light on the inequities of society, the drastic differences of the qualities of life of someone who makes $200K+ a year versus someone who makes $20K a year. Covid hasn’t been an escape. It might have been nice if it was, but no. I’ve interviewed a few artists several months ago who said that the theatre industry will probably be shut down and not go full head on until at least 2022. There may be pockets of outdoor theatre where safety protocols are in place. What are your comments about this? Do you think you and your colleagues/fellow artists will not return until 2022? (Mikaela chuckles) Okay with the caveat that I’m not a doctor so I really have no business making any predictions on this … I cannot imagine the theatre on an institutional level will be back to anything close to its capacity until 2022 or later. There’re two things to consider: a) when the theatre can legally come back in a safe way and b) everybody’s personal safety level. When will audiences feel safe to return because everyone will be at different starting points. I think we’ve got a long haul yet, but I’d love to be wrong. The question every artistic director asks is how to get young people to attend the theatre and become subscribers. Yes, our seniors make up a good deal of our audiences, but this may not be the case when theatres are legally allowed to re-open again. Well, one of the first things is to mount work that young people can relate to. Ya know, sometimes we think of theatre as medicine that can become inaccessible to younger people. I remember my parents taking me to museums when I was a kid, and I was thinking, “Oh, God, I don’t know if I like this. I don’t know if I’m engaging with this.” It doesn’t mean the work wasn’t incredible, it just means I didn’t understand it at the time. It didn’t speak to me and what I was going through at that time. The question is how to get young people excited about theatre and the answer is to program productions that speak to them and exploring and navigating so we can push those boundaries in their minds. I had a discussion recently with an Equity actor who said that theatre should not only entertain but, more importantly, it should transform both the actor and the audience. How has Covid transformed you in your understanding of the theatre and where it is headed in a post Covid world? I was speaking with a director and how we might be able to put on this play through a Covid lens. We tasked ourselves with re-reading this play and imagining it in a Covid world. One of the things that struck me as possibly so exciting is seeing two characters come together and embrace and kiss each other and how electric that might be in a world where that’s not allowed if you’re not in the bubble. Like anything that happens in our world and the societies around us, it can’t help but inform the way we see things. I imagine there will be a renewed sense of chemistry and intimacy in our work to come once we are safely allowed to put these things on. I think seeing two people from different families come together and give each other a hug or any sort of physical touch will hit us in a different way than it ever would have before since we took it for granted. The late Zoe Caldwell spoke about how actors should feel danger in the work. It’s a solid and swell thing to have if the actor/artist and the audience both feel it. Would you agree with Ms. Caldwell? Have you ever felt danger during this time of Covid and do you believe it will somehow influence your work when you return? This touches on tricky territory as we’ve seen through the #metoo Movement and the Black Lives Matter movement. Somebody’s idea of danger might be another person’s experience of abuse. I think it’s really important to say that you have to have everyone’s permission and consent to create that kind of environment. If you do, then I think it’s a fantastic thing to thrill yourself as an actor and for the audience and to seek that kind of danger as that’s the aliveness of theatre we all want to experience. I had that feeling of danger in reading Arthur Miller plays and when I performed in ‘The Changeling’ at the Stratford Festival. An artist can feel when an audience is in the palm of their hands and that’s exciting. The late scenic designer Ming Cho Lee spoke about great art opening doors and making us feel more sensitive. Has this time of Covid made you sensitive to our world and has it made some impact on your life in such a way that you will bring this back with you to the theatre? I certainly feel more attuned to everything around me. Not being able to see family or friends starts to wear on you and you have a greater understanding of mental health and anxiety. I’m a highly sensitive person so noise, feelings, it’s all mixed up for me and this time of Covid has turned it up. God, I hope I do bring this sensitivity when I return to the theatre. Again, the late Hal Prince spoke of the fact that theatre should trigger curiosity in the actor/artist and the audience. Has Covid sparked any interest in you about something during this time? Has this time away from the theatre sparked further curiosity for you when you return to this art form? I love that. I love the fact he said theatre should spark curiosity. I think curiosity is the thing we need to build bridges in this time. When you can start to cultivate that in yourself with people who have radically different sets of beliefs than you do, you can be curious about them. You can begin to open doors and make those connections. I think that’s fantastic Hal Prince talked about the fact curiosity is one of the facets of what theatre should do. I spent a lot of time being curious about the police to be honest and how those systems worked for some people and not for others. What does that mean about a society if we are to continue a system that is discriminating against any BIPOC person? That’s been a huge learning curve for me. I watched this fantastic Zoom play reading by Ali Joy Richardson called ‘Dad’ through Studio 180. It was directed by Ann-Marie Kerr. It was so well done. One of the things I thought was so effective was it happened over Zoom but they utilized the platform of Zoom as part of the piece. In the actual play, Ali adapted it. This was a phone conversation just like you and I are right now, and we all got to be a fly on the wall during this conversation. I love ‘fly on the wall’ moments so I’m curious to see how people have been able to adapt that even while theatre can’t happen in the live space they’ve been able to take this form and make it exciting, and present, and right now. You can connect with Mikaela at Instagram: @mikaelalilydavies and Twitter: @MikaelaLily Previous Next

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Here at ‘Our Theatre Voice’, we discuss all things in live theatre sincerely. We welcome disagreements with thoughts and ideas, but will never tolerate, acknowledge or publish anything hurtful, malicious or spiteful. ABOUT US Here at ‘Our Theatre Voice,’ we discuss all things in live theatre sincerely. We welcome disagreements with thoughts and ideas, but will never tolerate, acknowledge or publish anything hurtful, malicious or spiteful. The views and opinions expressed on OUR THEATRE VOICE are those of the authors. They do not necessarily reflect the policy or position of Joe Szekeres (Founder, Editor and Publisher) or any other persons published on or associated with OUR THEATRE VOICE. Read More Follow us on our Socials Don't miss a thing Join our mailing list Subscribe Now

What makes a comedy work - plot, characters, setting and theme. Back 'Rosencrantz and Guildenstern Are Dead' by Tom Stoppard The Neptune Theatre production now onstage at The CAA Theatre, Toronto The Neptune Theatre production now onstage at The CAA Theatre, Toronto Joe Szekeres “A Voice Choice." "Led by the glorious performances of Dominic Monaghan and Billy Boyd, ‘Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead’ becomes one of those productions a theatre lover must experience. Highly respected Canadian theatre artists in supporting roles accredit this master class in acting. Do not miss this one.” Tom Stoppard's sharp, thrust-and-dagger dialogue sounds oh-so-good in Halifax’s Neptune Theatre production of Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead. I never realized just how good it truly sounds. Avail yourselves of this opportunity. It’s the world of Shakespeare’s ‘Hamlet.’ Although you don’t have to be thoroughly familiar with the story, here’s a quick recap. Hamlet’s father has died under suspicious circumstances, possibly murder. The late king’s brother, Claudius (uncle to Hamlet), is now ruler and has married Hamlet’s mother, Gertrude. Hamlet is morosely sickened by what has happened and plans to ‘attack the conscience of the (new) king’ and entrap Claudius to confess the murder. Claudius asks Hamlet’s friends Rosencrantz and Guildenstern to follow Hamlet, speak with him, and then report on what has been said. In Stoppard’s play, the story is told from the perspectives of the central characters Rosencrantz (Dominic Monaghan) and Guildenstern (Billy Boyd), who, as the title indicates, end up dead. The script veers in and out of the ‘Hamlet’ tale when the central characters are not on stage. There’s an amusing, sometimes esoteric take on the Bard’s tale in Stoppard’s, at times, playfully absurdist script. For one, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are trying to remain ahead of Stoppard’s Hamlet (Pasha Ebrahimi), and that becomes a task because the young man is cunning and intelligent. Additionally, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern playfully confuse their own identities and use the other’s name to identify themselves. Jeremy Webb's direction remains intelligent and astute because he ensures the characters are continuously grounded in their motivations and intentions. He always keeps the audience on its toes as we watch the machinations play out in front. Webb’s staging becomes a chessboard. Throughout the many discussions from all the characters on the meaning and understanding of reality, their existence, and life and death, the characters listen intently and move with purpose and reason because of what was just said. Set Designer Andrew Cull has captured a striking visual look on the CAA stage that is continually moving. Free-flowing curtains, a few furniture pieces and moveable designs of metal intertwining risers become reminders of where the story occurs, whether on board a ship or in a theatre. Deanna H. Choi’s sound design caught my ear during the pre-show. There’s a tremendous sense of unease with the eerie reverberation sound resonating throughout the auditorium. Kaelen MacDonald’s costumes are effective replicas of the era that caught my eye, especially when lit by Leigh Ann Vardy’s subtle lighting design of brightness and shadows. What was a nice touch? Along with the opulence of some clothes, I could see the dirt and tear, mostly Monaghan and Boyd's blue and green costumes. Performances become master classes in acting delivered by theatre artists who showcase their talent with enthusiasm and élan. That’s what makes this opening production a Voice Choice. Monaghan and Boyd remain in complete synchronicity with each other akin to the central characters from ‘Waiting for Godot.’ At times, Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are confused about who each of them is or how they got to the situation in which they find themselves. It is their reaction to this absurdity that provides laughter. Monaghan’s Rosencrantz is the more physical of the two, while Boyd’s Guildenstern is philosophical and chatty. The rapid rat-a-tat delivery of their dialogue remains continually at a breakneck speed. When they speak slower during heightened dramatic moments, the intensity becomes heightened. For example, at the top of the show, Monaghan and Boyd play a game of heads or tails with a coin. Watching the back-and-forth banter between them about statistics and probabilities of landing the coin in a specific pattern is terrific. Their reactions and intentions are impeccably timed for a particular effect, whether comic or dramatic. There’s more of that throughout the nearly three-hour running time, so sit back and relish two actors who know what they’re doing and do it well. Remarkable supporting performances by a gelled ensemble of renowned Canadian theatre artists play The Tragedians. Michael Blake is a towering Leading Player who participates in this same delicious back-and-forth banter with the central characters. Walter Borden becomes a regal and majestic Polonius. Raquel Duffy’s Queen Gertrude is snappy. Helen Belay’s Ophelia is sweetly confused. Pasha Ebrahimi effectively captures a brooding mystery about his Hamlet, one that veers very close to the edge of snapping but never crosses the line. And Another Thought: I’ve never seen the 1990 film, so it merits a look sometime soon. In his Programme Director’s Note, Jeremy Webb writes that Stoppard encourages every production of the play to approach it fresh and not treat it like a museum piece. That has been accomplished in this Neptune Theatre transfer. Magnificently. Gorgeously. Beautifully. With this stellar cast now onstage to April 6, please do anything you can to get tickets. It is a moment in the theatre not to be missed. Running time: approximately 175 minutes with two intervals. Photo credit: @stoometzphoto ‘Rosencrantz & Guildenstern Are Dead’ runs until April 6 at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge Street, Toronto. For tickets, visit mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333. David Mirvish presents the NEPTUNE THEATRE production of ROSENCRANTZ & GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD by Tom Stoppard Directed by Jeremy Webb Set Designer: Andrew Cull Lighting Designer: Leigh Ann Vardy Sound Designer/Composer: Deanna H. Choi Costume Designer: Kaelen MacDonald Movement Director: Angela Gasparetto Stage Manager: Christine Oakey Performers: Dominic Monaghan, Billy Boyd, Mallory Amirault, Helen Belay, Michael Blake, Walter Borden, Drew Douris-O’Hara, Raquel Duffy, Pasha Ebrahimi, Jonathan Ellul, Santiago Guzmán, Jacob Sampson, Erin Tancock. Previous Next

“The Pandemic Profile series stemmed from a friendly checkin in on professional and Equity based theatre. The profiles continue...” Welcome to Profiles “A friendly check-in on professional and equity-based theatre artists .” Profiles Gallery Marshall-Pynkoski-and-Jeannette-Lajeunesse-Zingg- Sandra Laronde Hannan Younis and Rakhee Morzaria Jonathan Wilson Julia Nish-Lapidus, Hallie Seline, Cameron Laurie Rachel Cairns Elena Belyea Meghan Lindsay Andy Massingham Kim Blackwell Chris Tolley and Laura Mullin Linda Kash Megan Follows Jamar Adams Thompson Eponine Lee Rob Kempson Rose Napoli Frances Koncan Iain Moggach Lynn Slotkin Rodrigo Beilfuss Arkady Spivak Brett Christopher Naishi Wang and Jean Abreu Soheil Parsa Gregory Prest Damien Atkins Eric Woolfe Michael Man Sergio Di Zio Katie Kerr and Matt Stodolak Paul Constable and Steve Ross Louise Lecavalier Maev Beaty Shauna Thompson Gerard Gauci Michael Mori Slava Polunin Ins Choi Cliff Cardinal Rebecca Northan 郝邦宇 Steven Hao Walter Borden Matt Baram and Naomi Snieckus Dawn Jani Birley and Ramesh Mayyappan Jeremy Smith Marie Beath Badian - Playwright Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill Krystin Pellerin Tracy Michailidis Tim Leyes_edited_edited Show More

We would like to thank the following artists for their endorsements. With their love and support, Our Theatre Voice can make a difference. Home Acknowledgements Endorsements News Profiles This Month's Reviews Review Archives Search More Thank you to the following artists for their endorsements. Jayme Armstrong What a pleasure to chat with Joe... One of the best interviewers I’ve come across with fabulous questions about creating theatre during a pandemic and the state of the industry moving forward. Drayton Entertainment & Enchanted Entertainment Steffi DiDomenicantonio Joe is so much fun to talk to and asks some awesome questions. I love talking about theatre and it's always nice to meet someone who likes to as much as I do. Artist and Performer in Toronto Company of ‘Come from Away’ Liz Callaway I am so appreciative of all the work Joe did in preparation of my profile and the other ones he has compiled. His attention to detail in the many points of our conversation, and in the other profiles I've read online, as well his caring manner made it easy for me to open up and share my thoughts on how I, as a performing artist am faring during this tumultuous time of the worldwide pandemic. I applaud his continued work in serving the theatre industry. Cynthia Dale I had a wonderful time speaking with Joe. He is a smart, kind and joyous man who loves our industry as much as I do. He made it easy to open up about the wonders and struggles of being a performer. I applaud his endeavours and say ’Bravo’ to all he is doing to remind us all about the magic of life in front of behind the footlights… Street Legal, Stratford Festival Michael Cerveris I had the distinct pleasure to be interviewed by Mr. Szekeres and, in addition to genuinely enjoying our conversation, was delighted with the finished piece. It accurately captured our discussion in a highly readable form. More importantly, his appreciation and respect for the theatre and concern for its future made the whole experience very worthwhile. Tony Award winner Mitchell Marcus Thank you for keeping the fire burning. Rick Miller Joe Szekeres has earned an important place in the Toronto theatre ecology, bringing commitment, curiosity and intellectual honesty to his … reviews. I’m grateful for his support of my work, both as a solo artist and as a co-director of Kidoons stage productions. BOOM, MacHomer : The Simpsons Do MacBeth Sergio Di Zio Joe Szekeres reached out, early in this pandemic, to feature me in his Artists in Isolation series of interviews. I thoroughly enjoyed our talk over Zoom. His questions provided an excellent opportunity for some self-examination of what an artist can aspire toward during Covid-19 and what gifts and challenges its struggles might bring. His curiosity is genuine, and his kindness is welcome in this unique and surreal time. And the feedback I received from friends who read the piece was that they could hear my authentic voice, which, in my opinion, is the highest praise of the interviewer. Flashpoint, Coal Mine Theatre Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill Intelligent. Engaging. Thought-provoking questions. Always a pleasure to be interviewed by a pro who does their homework and is truly interested in the person they are talking to. On the journalistic front, Joe is a rock star! Craig Lauzon I’ve done a lot of interviews and almost always you can’t wait for them to be over. Not with Joe, he actually knows how to talk to people and put them at ease…we could have chatted all afternoon. The Royal Canadian Air Farce, Soulpepper Amy Keating Collaborating with Joe was an absolute pleasure. He is thorough, passionate and highly knowledgeable about all things theatre. I felt engaged, taken care of, and heard during my time working with him. Raoul Bhaneja Remarkably, during such a dispiriting time in the theater, the majority of this pandemic so far, Joe took the time to speak to numerous theatre artists, including myself, to inquire about our state of mind and work. I not only appreciated the opportunity to be profiled but I enjoyed reading the profiles of my peers. An excellent contribution and chronicling of our theatre scene.

A talk with a professional artist about their career. Back Jamie Mac Looking Ahead --- Joe Szekeres Holding these conversations with many professional theatre artists this last year have been enlightening and informative where we’ve also shared in some good laughs and smiles. Artist Jamie Mac certainly made me laugh in reading his answers for his dry wit and subtle poking that put a smile on my face. We conducted our conversation via email. I’m quite thankful Jamie made the time to add his voice to the conversation. I look forward to the time when I am able finally to say hello to him in person once we emerge from this pandemic cocoon of the last sixteen months. He was scheduled to perform at the Stratford Festival last summer when Covid hit. I look forward to seeing his work back onstage there when it’s safe for all of us to venture indoors to sit down and watch a live production. Jamie submitted his brief bio to me. I’m going to place it here because his wit made me smile on this Saturday morning: “Jamie Mac was born on an island incorrectly identified by Giovanni Caboto as newly found. He studied the speaking of words and the movement of the body at a university with a toppled statue. Full time he collects money from the government, helps the neighbours with chores, reads books, plays basketball, makes fun videos with his friends, and auditions into a void of silent apathy. The majority of his creative life has been centralized around a man named William. He sometimes re-evaluates this decision. One day he’d like to go to the moon.” Thank you, Jamie, for contributing to the discussion: It’s a harsh reality that the worldwide pandemic of Covid 19 has changed all of us. Describe how your understanding of the world you know and how your perception and experience have changed on a personal level. Apparently, scientists estimate the entire global mass of the SARS CoV-2 is less than 10 kilograms. Something you could fit into a cargo-pocket did all this. That puts a new spin on the phrase “there are no small parts…” Also, I’ve been thinking, when individuals, groups, communities, political figures, and even whole countries make poor decisions, it really does fundamentally change the course of history forever. If Jagmeet Singh didn’t needle Trudeau to up the funds to Canadians, I really don’t know how I would have survived. If Trump didn’t… well… you can fill in the blank there. If I didn’t hit the animal on the highway the other day, I might not have been paying attention when the child fell into the road 5 minutes later. Everything is so brutally linked, and we all have such a responsibility not to make idiotic decisions; the plates of the future are so precariously balanced. (And I feel awful about the roadkill, still. The child is fine.) With live indoor theatre shut for one year plus, with it appearing it may not re-open any time soon, how has your understanding and perception as a professional artist of the live theatre industry been altered and changed? Yeah, live theatre should be the last thing to return. We should miss it terribly, achingly, so we can rededicate ourselves to its value. Honestly, the world really was not valuing it. We inject Netflix into our faces and doze off into obscurity. Let’s get back to live people engaging our actual active imaginations. I want to do some beautiful skits in the rubble of lost potential. As a professional artist, what are you missing the most about the live theatre industry? Words, man. Woooords. Gathering together and speaking about ideas is kind of the highest function people have. It’s like, the best thing we do… sometimes. And the great thing is: some writers are actually good, and that’s magic when that occurs. Oh! And every now and then, some foolish director actually says that I get to speak those words… to other actors… in front of an audience! Like, wow. What kind of fantasmagorical world is this!? That’s privilege, that is. So. It’s the ‘live’ part I miss most – like best. As a professional artist, what is the one thing you will never take for granted again in the live theatre industry when you return to it? Once, I had an actor absolutely shower me in spit for about 45 seconds, multiple times. It was a close intimate impassioned speech. It was… My. Own. Personal. Hell. But I would have done that every day of 2020 - luxuriating in the spittle like a shampoo commercial - instead of sitting around in my fuckin’ house. So yeah… passionate actor spit. That’s my answer. Describe one element you hope has changed concerning the live theatre industry. This is just me, and probably not what is going to happen, but I think people should complain less, and argue more. Respectfully. Yes. Always. But I sense we all tiptoe around too much, and no one really fights for great ideas. It’s very Canadian. I want everyone to speak up, be wrong, get corrected, learn, and fight another day. If we trust that no one is necessarily wholly defined (as a person) by some previous utterance – and make space for people to grow, they might. It is a deep form of personal respect to demand the best from each other. Let’s continue to get things gloriously wrong. That’s the only way to make things more better (as the late, yet incandescent, Ian Watson used to say.) Explain what specifically you believe you must still accomplish within the industry. Surprising myself. Acting faster than I can decide, and really discovering. Some artists are saying that audiences must be prepared for a tsunami of Covid themed stories in the return to live theatre. Would you elaborate on this statement both as an artist in the theatre, and as an audience member observing the theatre. It seems an evolutionary imperative for people to do ‘plague stories’. There’s a really weird chapter in one of Moses’ books detailing how to diagnose and treat different spots, and pox, and plague on peoples’ bodies. I don’t recommend it, but I suppose it was helpful at the time, pseudo-scientifically or anecdotally. Even the phrase ‘opening Pandora’s box’ (or jar) is a warning story about releasing sickness. Evidently, we have to tell these stories, or we’re dead. Mercifully, Shakespeare didn’t write about being stuck in his house… and instead delved into humanity, and conscience, and malevolence, and tragedy. So, good writers hopefully know the difference between being ‘current’ or reaching for timelessness. Nothing will suck more than the sound of an audience groaning under their masks at a brutal social-distancing joke. I’ll probably fall into the trap myself, if anyone ever hires me again. None of us are immune from being relentlessly lame. (See what I did there.) But there is always a place for a good allegory, just let’s not put Zoom on stage if we can avoid it, yeah? As an artist, what specifically is it about your work that you want future audiences to remember about you? I’m still wrestling with the possibility that to serve a story properly is to be forgotten. I don’t know if that’s true or not. It’s either one of these two: 1) Risk being terrible attempting to be great, or 2) Risk being forgotten in the service of the story. I probably go back and forth on those ideas, depending on the part. I would love for people to think I was intensely versatile over the course of my career, but I also would want audiences to feel I was deeply human, whatever that might mean. I just want them to laugh despite themselves, and cry if they needed a cry. But like, the rest is up to the subconscious muse of the writer. You can check out Jamie Mac’s Twitter and Insta handles: @JamieMacLive. Previous Next

A Canadian look at an important part of our culture and history. Back Bâtardes by Chloé and Jade Barshee (English translation: Bastards) Theatre Passe Muraille Jules Bédard Joe Szekeres I really wanted to make a connection to this production of belonging, but alas. Sigh! I was really hoping Chloé and Jade Barshee’s ‘Bâtardes’ would make a comment on how important it is for all of us to feel we belong somewhere in a community not divided by race, creed, colour but by who we are as individuals. There were so many positive things going for the play initially that I thought, okay, three times going to be the charm to conclude Passe Muraille’s #BeyondTO series. For one, because I knew the production would be in French with English surtitles, this would have been my opportunity to put my undergraduate knowledge of French to work without looking at the surtitles but knowing I could if I didn’t catch everything. Additionally, I liked reading the e-zine presented for each of the three productions as important information was given as a focus along with the online house programme. When I read in the e-zine that Jade was asked the question where she was from as a child in her grade school, she realized the ignorance of the person who asked the question. When I taught Core French to grade/elementary school years ago, that context (d’où viens-tu?) was part of what we had to teach to the kids. Obviously, this syntax formatted question must now be handled sympathetically as context is so important, even though our woke world today tells us context does not matter in any case. Upon entering the auditorium Sarah-Jeanne Doré’s visually simple set design would allow me to focus on the action of the play. William Couture’s video design of the adorable young Barshee girls and their parents in everyday momentary life situations at least showed me there was a sense of belonging within this family of a Tibetan father and Québecoise mother. I really liked the preshow spot lighting of what appeared to be a transistor radio on the stage. Jonathan Léo Saucier’s costume designs nicely delineated the characters of the Barshee girls at different points in their lives. The school outfits were perfectly fitted for the girls. Mathieu Beauséjour’s monster costume worked extremely well for me as I felt this was the kind of entity that a young child could conjure up in her mind if something (or someone) was bothering her. I especially liked Chloé and Jade Barshee’s introduction to the audience as the top of the show. I bought them entirely as they became truly believable young girls at school just through the various idiosyncrasies of young people both artists adopted. But how did my interest and focus on the story wane? It was the presentation of the English caption at the top of the set. Yes, I have some working knowledge of the French language, but it has been years since I’ve actually sat in a classroom either to teach the language or to focus my attention either in hearing or listening to the language. It became so frustrating for me as the play progressed and I began to lose interest in the plot and any kind of connection I was to make to the characters. From my seat near the back of the house, the font size remains abysmally tiny to read. I kept squinting my eyes (and I wear bifocals) and looking at the top of the set to catch what was being said especially in some of the charged dramatic moments. When it didn’t improve as the show continued, I gave up in trying to keep up. At one point, the girls are speaking one right after the other that sometimes the captioning didn’t keep up with the pacing of the dialogue. That became clear to me with my limited French knowledge and again I continued to lose focus in what was being said. Please, Nina Okens, Sean Baker, and Elizabeth Morris, make the font size larger so audiences can follow the action. Here, in Toronto, neither everyone has a working knowledge of French nor is fluently and/or functionally bilingual. I get that an English translation may not be able actually to express the emotional impact of a line or thought spoken in French. At one point, the term ‘pure laine’ is used, and I remember discussing that terminology in French as a Second Language Faculty of Education classes many years ago and debating that it could not be translated and mean the same thing in English. But it’s a shame that an important play like ‘Bâtardes’ does not have the emotional impact as it should. Running Time: approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Covid Protocols in effect. ‘Bâtardes’ runs to June 4 at Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Avenue, Toronto. For tickets, call 1-416-504-7529 or visit www.passemuraille.ca . BÂTARDES written and directed by Chloé et Jade Barshee Artistic Consultant: Patrick R. Lacharité et Phillippe Cyr Dramaturgical Consultant: Pascal Brullemans Video and lighting design/Stage Manager: William Couture Costume Designer: Jonathan Léo Saucier Set Designer: Sarah-Jeanne Doré Sound Designer: Ariane Lamarre English Captioning: Nina Okens Captioning Operator: Sean Baker Captioning Consultant: Elizabeth Morris Cast: Chloé Barshee, Jade Barshee, Mathieu Beauséjour Previous Next

What makes a comedy work - plot, characters, setting and theme. Back Madame Minister Produced by Barrie's Talk is Free Theatre and now on stage at 142 Colllingwood Street. Produced by Barrie's Talk is Free Theatre and now on stage at 142 Colllingwood Street. Joe Szekeres “Comical. Funny. Laura Condlln shines.” During the pre-show discussion on Saturday evening for Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman's clever adaptation of ‘Madame Minister’ (based on Branislav Nusic's 1929 THE CABINET MINISTER'S WIFE), the question arose whether the production was a farce or a comedy of errors. I harken back to my undergraduate years and the terminology I learned therein. It’s true ‘Madame Minister’ could be considered one or the other. For me, ‘Madame Minister’ becomes an intelligent drawing-room comedy that employs sustained humour to drive the story forward while resonating with modern influences and references. Throughout Corbeil-Coleman’s adaptation, the sustained humour in the contrast of thoughts and ideas swings back and forth like a pendulum. Set in a beautiful historical home in Barrie, ‘Madame Minister’ is a family's story (according to the TIFT website) in uncertain times. It’s a play about power and prestige. It’s a play about a mother, Zivka Popovic (Laura Condlln), the wife of a Belgrade politician. Ironically, while the setting for the audience takes place in a sumptuous entrance hallway, Zivka has come to her Aunt Savka (Gabi Epstein) to borrow money to pay bills and make ends meet. Word arrives that the government has fallen. The side of Zivka’s husband is now in power. Word has come that Zivka’s husband has been made Minister, so she now believes she will be called ‘The Minister’s Wife.’ Zivka thinks all her troubles will be gone with this new title and begins acting like a ‘minister’s wife’ should – highbrow and upper class. Zivka has never liked her daughter Dara’s husband, Ceda. Now that the family has improved its social status, she wants to find her daughter a new husband. Ceda, played by Nolan Moberly, is a musician, and their relationship adds a humorous subplot that will eventually resolve itself. Meanwhile, Zivka has grand ambitions for herself, particularly involving the charming Doctor Ninkovic, portrayed by Cyrus Lane. In a brilliant comedic moment, Ninkovic attempts to seduce Zivka, which becomes hilarious due to his switching between English and French. He speaks English with a thick French accent, while his French sentences are delivered with a strong English accent, creating a delightful contrast. The plot humorously intensifies, sometimes complex, leading to a satisfying conclusion. Layne Coleman directs Corbeil-Coleman’s modern-sounding dialogue with spirit. It’s a good choice to stage this production in a historical home. Audience members enter this historic Barrie home through a side entrance that leads into a spacious open-concept kitchen. We are guided to a sitting area for a pre-show discussion. Afterward, the audience moves to the front hallway, where the performance space is in the center, with seats on both sides. It’s a little tight. There were moments from my seat when my sightline was blocked at the top of the show from seeing Epstein’s Aunt Savka for a bit. Elegant wooden panel doors are typically closed and opened by the quick-witted housekeeper, Anka (wonderfully portrayed by Mariya Khomutova with a definitive sultry and sexy sharpness). Great care has been taken to ensure attention to detail, both in the visuals and the reality of the world that Corbeil-Coleman captures in her script. For example, Varvarfa Evchuk makes lovely choices for the ladies' stunning dresses and has impressive selections for men's attire. The topcoat Cyrus Lane wears is quite striking from where I sat in the house. As Mrs. Nata, Gabi Epstein dons a gorgeous form-fitting emerald knockout of an outfit. Evchuk has also chosen props appropriate for the era, including a floor-length circular mirror and a chaise lounge. Laura Condlln delivers a remarkable performance as Zivka. She embodies the genuine spark of a determined individual who, as director Coleman notes in the program, “lived in a time when women were not granted much power except the force of their own possibilities.” Earlier, during the pre-show conversation, there was a discussion on whether Zivka could be considered the ‘King Lear’ of comedy. That’s an interesting thought as there are moments when Condlln waves her arms, throws her head back, and speaks loudly. There are some spirited on-stage appearances and characterizations from notable Canadian theatre artists. Cyrus Lane becomes a riot as a Frenchman with difficulty speaking the language. Mariya Khomutova is the all-knowing, sassy, sexy maid/housekeeper, Anka. Gabi Epstein beautifully skewers the high society of the day as Mrs. Nata. Final Thoughts: It was incredibly cold the night I attended ‘Madame Minister.’ I didn’t want to miss the performance. A few emails exchanged with Arkady Spivak earlier in the day encouraged me and assured me the weather would be fine. So, off I ventured with a friend. Barrie’s Talk is Free productions always inspire me to discuss what I’ve just seen. That’s one reason you should attend. ‘Madame Minister’ runs until December 7 at 142 Collingwood Street, Barrie. For tickets: visit www.tift.ca or call (705) 792-1949. KIM KIELLER & FRED STRANGWAY and PETER KOETSIER & WENDY WINGFELDER present ‘MADAME MINISTER’ adapted by Charlotte Corbeil-Coleman. From Branislav Nusic’s ‘The Cabinet Minister’s Wife’ translated from Serbian by Cintija Asperger Directed by Layne Coleman Assistant Director: Shaquille Pottinger Production Manager: Maya Royer Stage Manager: Meghan Speakman Assistant Stage Manager: Alysse Szatkowski Set & Costume Design: Varvara Evchuk Performers: Noah Beemer, Laura Condlln, Aidan DeSalaiz Gabi Epstein, Brittany Kay, Cyrus Lane, Mariya Khomutova, Nolan Moberly. Previous Next

What makes a comedy work - plot, characters, setting and theme. Back 'Christmastown' by Briana Brown WORLD PREMIERE Now on stage to September 1 at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street Now on stage to September 1 at Port Hope's Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street Joe Szekeres "Am I the Grinch for stealing Christmastown?" The world premiere of Briana Brown’s ‘Christmastown’ (billed as a farce about making magic all year long) has script challenges. It needs another solid revision. Some of the implausible and unsettling plot unravelling has gaping holes. Am I the Grinch for stealing Christmastown because I’m not charmed by the story? I'll talk more about this shortly. ‘Christmastown’ takes place in fictional Kringle, Ontario, in a gas bar/convenience store, the centre of cultural activity. It’s run by widow Nora (Alison Deon). Her sassy daughter Adeline (Mirabella Sundar Singh) also assists in the daily running of the store. Nora is desperate for a much-needed vacation and wants to take her daughter away on holiday. Where she would like to go becomes part of the bits of humour throughout the show. According to the show description, Kringle, Ontario, is in a rut. Well-meaning town reeve, Mary (Deborah Drakeford), devises a tourism development plan to celebrate Christmas all year round, and the town thinks it’s a great idea. Several locals have second thoughts about this decision two weeks and a heat wave later. Jeff (Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski) and his partner are in the midst of adopting a child. Sam (Darrel Gamotin) is the local handyperson who is sometimes a bit slow in picking up on things but has a heart of gold and possibly an eye for Nora. Christy Bruce plays several people entering and exiting. There are some admirable dramatic elements of the show. Visually, Anna Treusch’s gorgeous set design amply fills the Capitol Theatre stage with many grocery items and holiday/Christmasy tchotchkes one might find in a convenience store. One can purchase lottery tickets and drop off dry cleaning in the store. There is an office on a raised floor with a see-through window where the audience can watch action play out silently. Treusch’s costume selections are colourful re-creations from the Christmas and holiday season. For example, Drakeford adorably resembles an elf in her ruby red costume. Shepherd-Gawinski’s gingerbread costume made me smile when I finally recognized how he was dressed. I laughed aloud at Alison Deon’s first costume where she wears socks and sandals. There’s always that proverbial question of whether to do that or not. Jareth Li’s lighting nicely envelops the mood in each scene. Jeff Newberry’s sound design is sharply executed for the odd-timed joke. I quietly laughed a couple of times at innuendo most evidently related to the season's commercialism. There were also amusing moments in the office when we could watch what was happening behind the window but not hear the dialogue. But that is just the bare bones of my enjoyment with the play. Mostly, I do not find the script of ‘Christmastown’ charming and making magic all year long as billed. That is unfortunate because I should. The opening night performances do not sound natural on stage. The actors appear to shout at each other periodically, occasionally making me lose interest in the plot. There are moments where actors crawl around on all fours, and I could not connect to why they were scripted? directed? to do that. It's frustrating and confusing, especially since I’ve seen some of these artists do solid work on other stages in Toronto and outside the GTA. Growing up a baby boomer, I remember with fond admiration how hokey Christmas films and stories were, and that hooked me. That occurs in ‘Christmastown.’ Kringle, Ontario, is an adorable name. Seeing all the holiday stuff on stage in August makes me smile. Watching Deborah Drakeford’s initial fastidiousness as Mary who ensures everyone complies with the town edict is initially amusing. Good theatre helps an audience to grow in understanding just like a young child grows to adulthood from strong, positive influences. Hopefully, as adults, we recognize in our hearts when it’s time to see things from a child’s perspective and when it’s time to see things as an adult. Even the heart of the Dr. Seuss Grinch grew three times larger from its normal size when he finally understood the true meaning of Christmas. My heart did not grow at the end of ‘Christmastown.’ Brianna Brown’s current text focuses solely on the superficial and, dare I say, even a woke ideological understanding of what Christmas means. The play’s current ending subtly mocks those who practice and believe in what Christmas truly means to the faithful. The implication arises in the dialogue that Christians are to be scolded and reminded not to forget there are other faith holidays besides Christmas. That becomes unsettling as someone who practices Catholicism because I haven’t forgotten about the other faith holidays. I don’t believe (at least I hope and pray) that playwright Brianna Brown intentionally sets out to be hurtful in the script. But we live in a world where implied concerns are addressed all the time by everyone for any given reason. I feel strongly about calling out the subtle and implied mocking of Christianity and why the script requires another revision. To return to the question asked earlier: Am I the Grinch for stealing ‘Christmastown’ because I’m not taken with the story? Absolutely not. As an educated Catholic and Christian in the faith, I’m going to stand up and call out something that needs to be addressed, if need be, for clarification. The need is there. One doesn’t have to remind educated Catholics and Christians of other faith holidays during December and January. We know. Canada was founded on Judeo-Christian principles. Educated Catholics and Christians should call it out if the theatre mocks those who celebrate Hannukkah. The same goes for those mock celebrations of Ramadan or Diwali. Why is there a need to focus on the subtle (or intentional) mocking of Christianity through the theatre as ‘Christmastown’ implies? We don’t see many produced plays that mock celebrations like Ramadan or Diwali. Or, if there are, should the theatre also behoove to give equal time to subtle mocking of other religious faiths? Let’s be careful of this slippery slope. Running time: approximately two hours with one interval/intermission. “Christmastown” runs until September 1 at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street. For tickets, call the Box Office at (905) 885-1071 or visit capitoltheatre.com. THE CAPITOL THEATRE presents the World Premiere of ‘Christmastown’ by Briana Brown Directed by Rob Kempson Composer and Sound Designer: Jeff Newberry Set and Costume Designer: Anna Treusch Lighting Designer: Jareth Li Stage Manager: Kat Chin Assistant Stage Manager: Jeff Soucy Performers: Christy Bruce, Alison Deon, Deborah Drakeford, Darrel Gamotin, Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski, Mirabella Sundar Singh (Photo Credit: Sam Moffatt. L-R: Mirabella Sundar Singh, Deborah Drakeford, Alison Deon, Darrel Gamotin, Adrian Shepherd-Gawinski) Previous Next