tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8733119009232077642012-01-27T18:28:44.034-05:00A forum for critical discussion of contemporary art, performance, and politics.EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.comBlogger1031100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-35553357252707305152011-06-15T17:11:00.002-04:002011-06-16T10:40:00.073-04:00

After much thought, I've finally written my response to Paul Aguirre-Livingston's article Beyond Gay from The Grid's June 9th issue. It's long, but there are so many important issues raised in the original piece and the subsequent dialogue in our community I felt it was necessary. Will Munro, Photo by John Caffery In 1999 when Will Munro started Vaseline, Toronto was given a different take on

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-15806117133294663002011-06-09T13:00:00.002-04:002011-06-09T23:42:34.611-04:00

On June 1, 2011 Sun New anchor Krista Erickson interviewed Canadian dance icon Margie Gillis, ostensibly as part of an “ongoing examination of funding to the arts”. What resulted was an unfortunately typical right-wing attack on the systems that fund arts and culture within our country. Much has already been written about the economic benefits of funding the arts, as well as the fact that it

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-86809910497189173492011-04-30T08:57:00.000-04:002011-04-30T08:57:56.672-04:00

World Stage Embassy members have been contributing writing to Time and Space about the programming in the 2010/2011 World Stage series at Harbourfront Centre. For the final show in the season, Embassy member Peter Kingstone made a video blog instead of a written post. Here's his response to Rwandan company Isoko Theatre's production of The Monument, written by Colleen Wagner and directed by Jen

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-77891850242533246202011-04-16T10:27:00.000-04:002011-04-16T10:27:18.931-04:00

As the house lights came up, I tried to turn and put my coat back on. Instead, I found myself slumped down in my seat with tears streaming down my face. I was sure I had just witnessed a miraculous event. This woman, and her partners, had just defied gravity. They created such energy and emotion without so much as a curl of their lips. These stories I experienced were told through the body; the

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-64768311528263798992011-03-24T13:52:00.002-04:002011-03-24T15:34:20.558-04:00

On the day we all woke up to yet another beautiful but unwelcome blanket of snow Harbourfront Centre brought their Complaints Choir to the Art Gallery of Ontario. The weather was one of the many concerns in the list of complaints elicited from the Toronto community since last fall. Over 1000 were received and World Stage resident composer and lyricist, Bryce Kulak, whittled them down to 60-odd

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-45144555404882764702011-03-03T13:33:00.001-05:002011-03-03T13:34:02.165-05:00

A Dutch company and performance, a French play, and English subtitles. This certainly is World Stage. And to fill in those blanks: Toneelgroep Amsterdam; under the direction of Ivo van Hove; performed by Halina Reijn; in the 1927 monologue La Voix Humaine written by Jean Cocteau. Van Hove is a director of mostly classical texts. But he interprets them through the contemporary and thus, we are

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In his review of Peter Brook’s landmark multi-hour adaptation of The Mahabharata, American director/critic Charles Marowitz posited that if you want to avoid being criticized, create a work that exists beyond the rubric of criticism. This is the potential issue raised when one approaches the work of artists whose aesthetic challenges all of our preconceived notions about the theatrical

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-13906772085157591592011-02-03T16:16:00.004-05:002011-02-03T17:47:03.405-05:00

In a theatre season that has seen a lot of style over substance it was refreshing to attend last night’s opening of Dave St-Pierre’s Un peu de tendresse, bordel de merde! (A Little Tenderness, For Crying Out Loud!) and experience both; the emperor really is wearing new clothes, even if he’s still naked.  Tendresse is part two of St-Pierre's Sociology trilogy – part one being La pornographie des

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-70482196034856032392011-01-28T11:35:00.000-05:002011-01-28T11:35:46.229-05:00

When American writer Harold Brodkey was first diagnosed with AIDS he began to chronicle his journey with a series of essays. His first essay was printed in the New Yorker in Spring 1993, and he continued until his illness left him too feeble to write, as he detailed in his last entries in the late fall of 1995. A compilation of the essays entitled This Wild Darkness: The Story of My Death was

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-42218934852517794982010-11-18T13:30:00.000-05:002010-11-18T13:30:12.546-05:00

They say a picture is worth a thousand words. But in this day and age is a single photo enough to capture something as small as a moment or as vast as an entire war? Perhaps that is all it takes; one look to discard the complexities of a single still image: a child holding a gun, an orphaned Iraqi woman, or a half buried pile of civilian casualties. Presented by Vancouver based company Boca del

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-30325523153117009352010-11-09T20:49:00.000-05:002010-11-09T20:49:52.584-05:00

I thought it very appropriate that the rehearsal space for the boxing opera Voice-Box was a children's ballet studio. I could only imagine that between Nutcracker rehearsals, girls in pink gauze may have peered in to see the fierce women of the urbanvessel collective boxing while singing about “slug fests” or doing push-ups. I wish I could have been there when those young individuals were

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-32449405635814911002010-10-28T09:24:00.001-04:002010-10-28T09:25:35.180-04:00

Inner-City Elites: This term keeps coming up, and I’m curious exactly who it refers to. I live downtown, near the College and Spadina intersection; a picturesque area which boasts a Burger King, the Centre for Addiction and Mental Heath, a Christian Mission as well as the infamous Comfort Zone nightclub. So I hear a lot of downtown residents screaming at night under my window. I'm not

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-73950772969483243312010-10-25T06:03:00.002-04:002010-10-25T06:27:20.267-04:00

There was a funny feeling in the air of Toronto on June 4, 1999. The Mike Harris Conservatives had just won their second majority government, much to the surprise of the average Progressive Torontonian. People sat in bars and coffee shops across the city shaking their heads. How did this happen?, we asked ourselves. Harris is evil incarnate! He’s cut social services, education, arts funding, and

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-76321253240862394602010-10-14T07:36:00.001-04:002010-10-14T07:40:37.697-04:00

We are animals. Language is wild. “Us” absorbs “them”, and “another” is in some way like us even while it is different. Blindness is an essential element of knowledge. The performer dies in order to give value to that which has been degraded and rendered profane. The witness gives value to the sacred by co-creating a privileged moment of communal unity. I was recently reminded of

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-69911936804570016072010-10-14T07:25:00.001-04:002010-10-14T07:26:41.556-04:00

Over the next few months there will be some guest writers posting reviews on the site. The writers are members of the Embassy - an artist and audience development initiative offered as part of the World Stage series at Harbourfront Centre. Embassy members are Toronto-based artists and arts makers involved in local performing arts communities. As participants in the programme they have access to

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-12125707132420588892010-08-16T11:53:00.000-04:002010-08-16T11:53:59.740-04:00

Homegrown Written by Catherine FridDirected by Beatriz Pizano Presented by The Homegrown Project Set & Lighting Design: Trevor SchwellnusSound Design: Thomas Ryder Payne Assistant Director: Navneet RaiFeaturing: Keith Barker, Lwam Ghebrehariat, Omar Hady, Shannon Perreault, Nabeel Salameh, Razi Shawah Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace I could chastise Don Peat and the Toronto Sun for the great

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-22745762985037716032010-08-11T10:05:00.001-04:002010-08-11T10:53:31.563-04:00

Foster Child Play Written by Alex NapierDirected by Philip McKee Presented by Island School Composer: Katie StelmanisFeaturing: Nika Mistruzzi, Jackie Rowland, Vanessa Dunn Presented at Hub 14 Playing: August 11th 8:00 PMAugust 12th 8:00 PMAugust 13th 8:00 PMAugust 14th 8:00 PMAugust 15th 2:00 PM Of course this play features my beloved lady love Nika Mistruzzi. It was also assembled by treasured

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-44032183963952804412010-08-04T11:18:00.000-04:002010-08-04T11:18:50.964-04:00

I’ve never written for the Toronto Sun, but it must be fun coming up with all those flashy covers. Words like “Perv”, “Killer”, and “Terrorist”, (especially when spelled with exclamation points!!!) are great for grabbing people’s attention and keep the paper flying off the stands. Photos of scantily clad women also do the trick. My personal favourite is when they combine a photo of a partially

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-16375177559207814662010-08-04T11:10:00.000-04:002010-08-04T11:10:22.289-04:00

Though it’s unlikely you’ll ever find yourself in a game of Dungeons and Dragons with Nina Arsenault, if you do, make sure you don’t break character. “I’ve always taken performance very seriously,” laughs Arsenault. “Even during my brief flirtation with DnD in high school, I always insisted people stay in character for the whole game.” Arsenault always played high-priestess characters. “The evil

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-15920510331156327062010-05-21T15:26:00.000-04:002010-05-21T15:26:06.490-04:00

If a Canadian and an American get into a conversation that lasts more than five minutes, inevitably the topic of healthcare is going to come up. I’m having coffee with American ex-pat author Thom Vernon, now a Toronto resident, to talk about his new novel, The Drifts, which was launched by Coach House Books earlier this month. But in predictable fashion, we’ve started our discussion with the

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-34075771674866707552010-03-31T08:58:00.000-04:002010-03-31T08:58:11.234-04:00

In September 2010, Ontario children from grades one to eight will have a new physical and health education curriculum. The provincially-mandated program includes comprehensive information on healthy eating habits, maintaining a physically active lifestyle, and reducing the spread of common illness through personal hygiene. The curriculum also contains detailed anti-bullying information. Children

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-55045606207647824672010-02-22T12:25:00.004-05:002010-02-22T17:34:01.810-05:00

This past weekend, while I was waiting for my take-out pizza to be heated up, I picked up a copy of the latest issue of NOW Magazine to read the cover story on dance legend Peggy Baker. It seems like every time I read NOW, I’m reminded again and again why I never read NOW. This week’s issue is no exception.After his article on Baker, Glenn Sumi produces a list of some of the city’s top

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-78355208039200493182010-02-22T11:45:00.002-05:002010-02-22T11:47:07.789-05:00

Rogers and Hammerstein's beloved musical Oklahoma! has charmed audiences around the world for almost seventy years. The tale of handsome farmhand Curly MacLain and his courtship of innocent farm girl Laurey Williams, has garnered critical praise, numerous awards, broken records on Broadway, and grossed millions at the box-office. The show is so frequently performed, in professional, community,

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-78330865175909672302010-02-22T11:42:00.002-05:002010-02-22T11:44:49.421-05:00

On Friday February 12, local performance artist and provocateur Keith Cole announced his plan to run for mayor in the Toronto municipal election next October. Amidst cheers, as well as some shocked faces, he told the crowd that it was time for change."For the last six years I have felt that this city has been nothing but a long, dry hack of a cough," he said. "In 2010 we actually have the

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-60725230759533708112010-02-22T11:38:00.002-05:002010-02-22T11:41:34.667-05:00

You’d be hard-pressed to find an artist more prolific and hard-working than d’bi young. The 32-year-old Jamaican-born, Toronto-based, queer dub poet, writer and performer has recorded four albums, published two books, contributed to numerous compilations, written half a dozen plays, won two Dora Awards and performed on stages across the Americas and Europe. She is the founder and artistic

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-74180443266123292272009-11-26T06:15:00.005-05:002009-11-26T06:31:34.080-05:00

Talking MasksWritten and Directed by Adam SeeligPresented by One Little GoatFeaturing: Richard Harte, Jane Miller, Andrew Moodie, and Cathy MurphyNovember 13th-28th, 8pmTickets 416-915-0201Last February Norman and I saw Adam Selig’s production of Someone’s Going to Come by the mysterious Norwegian Jon Fosse. It was the best thing that either of us had seen in the city in a long, long time, and

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-66375426626046094372009-11-25T08:30:00.008-05:002009-11-25T09:05:10.029-05:00

At a recent meeting in Montreal, Conservative Heritage Minister James Moore told arts groups that they need to diversify their sources of funding in order to continue to exist. “It can't be just private sector, it can't be just government. We have to have a multi-pillared approach [so] that we have more economic shock absorbers to help organizations as they plan for the future,” he said. I know

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-32618559039464368732009-11-18T12:08:00.004-05:002009-11-18T12:24:54.429-05:00

The Silicone DiariesWritten by Nina ArsenaultDirected by Brendan HealyPresented by Buddies in Bad Times at Talullah's CabaretNovember 14-22, 8pmTickets: 416-975-8555www.artsexy.cawww.ninaarsenault.comPhoto by David HaweNina Arsenault, I think, is 6 foot 2. She has tumbling red hair that tangles above her shoulders, a perfect waspy ski-jump nose and too-green green eyes. The roundest hips, the

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-11345949955487953512009-10-16T06:11:00.006-04:002009-10-19T06:28:16.624-04:00

I try really hard not to hate Mormons. But with events in the US over the last few years it’s pretty hard not to. I was in California for the Proposition 8 decision this past spring and knowing that the Church of Latter Day Saints donated more money than anyone else to the cause of reversing marriage equality in that state got me pretty riled up. The LDS was also responsible for quashing

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-7525386033038793002009-10-14T03:58:00.009-04:002009-10-23T09:50:52.762-04:00

The Crossing GuardWritten by Daniel KarasikDirected by Anthony FurreyPresented by Tango Co. and Peanut Butter People at the Tarragon Studio SpacePlaying: October 13-17 8pm, Saturday 2:30pmTickets: 416-531-1827 or www.tickets.tarragontheatre.comThe Walworth FarceWritten by Enda WalshDirected by Mikel MurfiPresented by Harbourfront CentreFeaturing: Michael Glenn Murphy, Tadhg Murphy, Mercy Ojelade,

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-66738414520371229202009-10-12T05:03:00.006-04:002009-10-14T04:40:53.020-04:00

BASH’d: A Gay Rap Opera Written & Performed by Chris Craddock & Nathan CuckowDirected by Ron JenkinsMusic by Aaron MacriPresented by Theatre Passe MuraillePlaying October 15th to 31stTickets and Information: 416-504-7529 or www.passemuraille.on.caI can’t remember when I first met Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow – as a theatre artist in Alberta, you pretty much know everyone else. In January of

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-88126361632809456142009-09-23T04:03:00.013-04:002009-10-14T04:42:25.333-04:00

Written and Directed by Bobby Del RioPresented by Del Rio and Jason MorneauFeaturing: Ryan Moleiro, Jessica Salgueiro, Jonathan Shatzky, Julie Tesolin, Bahia Watson, and K Trevor Wilson.Playing September 17 through Oct 4, Tuesday to Saturday, 8pm. Sundays, 2:30pm.Tickets $10, Sundays PWYCPlaying at 970 Queen St W, Unit 7Ticket reservations: torontotheatretrilogy@gmail.comNobody does

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-56624194962393646502009-08-16T11:51:00.005-04:002009-10-14T04:50:20.995-04:00

Greenland Written by Nicolas BillonDirected by Ravi Jain Presented by The Greenland CollectiveFeaturing Claire Calnan, Andrew Musselman Presented at Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace Playing:August 14th 10:00pm August 15th 4:00pmLooking to dramatize what is universal means wandering into ground that’s as treacherous as it is well-trodden. And here we find Greenland, Nicolas Billon’s suite for

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-62448564316334313122009-08-13T09:55:00.004-04:002009-10-14T04:43:46.298-04:00

Windows Written by Liz PetersonDirected by Alex Wolfson Presented by Ammo Factory Featuring: Amy Bowles, Chad Dembski and Liz Peterson Presented at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace Playing: August 14th 4:30pm August 15th 8:30pm Ammo Factory works on staging depictions of what goes on in the mind, and the company wears its late-century New York experimental theatre influences on its sleeve

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-22019866641030080372009-08-11T18:19:00.002-04:002009-10-14T04:50:58.600-04:00

Say Nothing, Saw Wood Written and Performed by Joel Thomas Hynes Directed by Lois Brown Presented by Resource Centre for the Arts Company Presented at Factory Studio Theatre Studio Playing:Thursday August 13 8pmFriday August 14 10pmSunday August 16 4pm In researching this review, I googled Joel Thomas Hynes and found an interview on YouTube about one of his other works, the novel Right Away

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-62484492097997239092009-08-10T22:42:00.006-04:002009-10-14T04:50:58.602-04:00

The Epic of Gilgamesh (up until the part when Enkidu dies) Written by Erin Shields Directed by Gideon Arthurs Presented by Groundwater Productions Featuring Frank Cox-O'Connell, Carlos Gonzalez-Vio, Ieva Lucs, Richard Lee, Lindsey Clark, and Lisa Karen Cox Presented at Theatre Passe Muraille MainspacePlaying:Thursday August 13 6:30pmSaturday August 15 12:30pmSunday August 16 8:30pmI know

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-68017155889096925882009-08-09T10:43:00.004-04:002009-10-14T04:50:58.604-04:00

Every Time I See Your Picture I Cry Written and Performed by Daniel Barrow Presented at Theatre Passe Muraille, Main Space Playing August 9th 6:30pm August 11th 8:30pm August 14th 8:30pm August 15th 2:30pm The Art of Catching Pigeons By Torchlight Written and Directed by Jordan Tannhill Presented by Suburban Beast at Rolly's Garage, 124 Ossington Avenue Featuring: Amelia Sargisson, Marika

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-67228280822805764562009-08-08T10:38:00.004-04:002009-10-14T04:50:58.605-04:00

under the parrot/over tennesseeWritten and Performed by Val Campbell and Gail HanrahanDirected by James Fagan TaitPresented by Theatre in Exile, Theatre Passe Muraille BackspacePlaying:Sunday August 9 6pmTuesday August 11 8pmThursday August 13 6pmSaturday August 15 2pmSunday August 16 6pmThe moment I started to enjoy under the parrot/over tennessee was about halfway through, when suddenly the two

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-35183098369742636242009-08-04T23:50:00.006-04:002009-10-14T04:50:58.607-04:00

Chris: I’m intrigued by the fact that you make musicals, which is a form we associate with things like “The Lion King” and countless annual pop-culture centred Fringe productions. What is it that draws you to this form? Is it just because musicals are so damn gay?Alistair: Mother Teresa is fond of equating suffering with a transcendent experience and I suppose I feel the same way about music.

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Chris: This show is based on true events. Why was it personally important for you to tell this story in a theatrical form?Dave: When I first encountered the details of the Larry King murder I was floored. Unable to even think or more or speak. It affected me in such an unexpectedly profound way that I spent all of 2008 constantly wanting to grapple with it in my writing, but unable to because

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-42748147656754231822009-08-04T23:13:00.008-04:002009-10-16T06:01:48.158-04:00

Chris: Although the show is set in the 1920’s there’s something timeless about the way it addresses the experience of the artist—namely wanting to do something that you’re passionate about but not having enough time to dedicate to it because you’re working so hard to make ends meet. Can you talk a bit about your own experiences of this and how (and if) you manage to balance the two?Maev: Luck,

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-46932710392059888022009-07-15T11:43:00.005-04:002009-10-14T04:52:42.526-04:00

36 Little Plays About Hopeless GirlsWritten and Directed by Aurora Stewart de PeñaPresented by Birdtown and SwanvilleFeaturing: Rebecca Applebaum, Lauren Bride, Jolene De Voe, Sochi Fried, Cara Gee, Julia Lederer, Donna Maloney, Laura McCoy, Nika Mistruzzi, Monique Moses, Liz Peterson, Aurora Stewart de Peña, and Nicole Stamp.Presented at Bread and Circus. 299 August AvenuePlaying:Wednesday

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-64480702599560392152009-07-12T18:29:00.003-04:002009-10-14T04:53:38.293-04:00

The ParticularsWritten by Matthew MackenzieDirected by Vahid RahbaniPresented by Second Body ProductionsFeaturing Alex McCooeyePresented at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace, 30 Bridgman AvenueAlex McCooeye plays the narrator of Matthew Mackenzie’s one-man The Particulars, as might the refugee a bio-mechanics class, who, having escaped from Stalin’s tentacles finds himself in a differently brutal

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-91017828523322037262009-07-12T18:19:00.003-04:002009-10-14T04:54:51.309-04:00

Red MachineWritten by Brendan Gall, Michael Rubenfeld, and Erin ShieldsDirected by Chris Hanratty, Geoffrey Pounsett, and Christopher StantonPresented by The RoomFeaturing James Cade, John Gilbert, Paula Jean-Prudat, and Tova SmithPresented at the Lower Ossington Theatre, 100 Ossington AvenuePlaying:Sunday July 12th 7:00pmNotes of brave intentionality rescue this uneven, first performance by

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-87018870267031030212009-07-10T09:38:00.003-04:002009-10-14T04:55:11.556-04:00

Like Father, Like Son? Sorry.Written and performed by Chris GibbsPresented at Factory Theatre Mainspace, 125 Bathurst StreetPlaying:Friday July 10th 4:00 pmSaturday July 11 5:45 pmI have watched Chris Gibbs' career for 10 years now - from his wildly successful street performance duo Hoopal, through sold-out solo shows on the Fringe Festival circuit, to steal-the-show type roles in local hits

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-50259538350436126792009-07-07T21:55:00.005-04:002009-10-14T04:55:45.082-04:00

ToysCreated by Winston SpearPresented by DancycleFeaturing Winston Spear, Freddie Rivas, Andrew ChapmanPresented at Factory Theatre Mainspace, 125 Bathurst StreetPlaying:Wednesday July 8th 9:15pmFriday July 10th 5:45pmSaturday July 11th 11:30pmToys delivers what it promises. Toys. Lots of them. In fact watching this show is a lot like watching kids play - and I mean that in a good way. It

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-71221635132193115372009-07-06T16:01:00.004-04:002009-10-14T04:56:17.141-04:00

Icarus ReduxWritten By Sean O'NeillDirected by Sean O'NeillPresented by Open Season TheatreFeaturing Jonathan Whittaker and Alex FiddesPresented at St. Vladimir's Theatre, 620 SpadinaPlaying:Monday July 6th 3:15pmWednesday July 8th 8:00pmThursday July 9th 3:30pmFriday July 10th 11:30pmSunday July 12th 12:45pm Nika, Lauren, Laura, Sarah and I were watching the first instalment of Anne of Green

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-29137087046813410322009-07-04T23:07:00.005-04:002009-10-14T04:57:07.740-04:00

A Singularity of BeingWritten By T.BertoDirected by Ed RoyPresented by the Quantum Co-op and Keith FernandesFeaturing John Blackwood, Soo Garay, Elizabeth Saunders, David Tripp, and Clinton WalkerPresented at the Tarragon Theatre Mainspace, 30 Bridgman AvenuePlaying: Monday July 6th 8:00pmTuesday July 7th 3:00pmThursday July 9th 12:00pmFriday July 10th 8:45pmSunday July 12th 5:15pmA Singularity

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-10849132099092329182009-05-15T09:30:00.003-04:002009-05-15T09:41:31.739-04:00

Irondale Theatre, Brooklyn, New York May 1st-9th, 2009 How Soon is Now? cast: Cass Buggé, Stacie Morgain Lewis, Stephen O’Connell, Daniel Pettrow, Lucy Simic, Omar Zubair How Soon is Now? collaborators (2004-2009)—Associate Artists: Ciara Adams, Cass Buggé, Cameron Davis, Jeff Douglas, Chris Dupuis, Kevin Jaszek, Stacie Morgain-Lewis, Daniel Pettrow, Kevin Rees, Robert Tremblay. Core Artists:

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-41121559799831467332009-04-16T10:28:00.003-04:002009-10-14T05:00:31.679-04:00

The Exchange Rate Collective's Show Appetite was one of my favourite pieces at Summerworks two years ago, so I was happy to see the company was remounting the show this week. I got in touch with creator/performers Claire Calnan and Adam Lazarus to talk about the show.Appetite plays April 16 through April 26, 2009 at Theatre Passe MurailleCreated by The Exchange Rate Collective and presented by

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-78236620999045314012009-03-30T15:20:00.002-04:002009-10-14T05:02:06.111-04:00

I caught up with Small Wooden Shoe Artist Director Jacob Zimmer to chat about Dedicated to the Revolutions, a show he's been working on for over three years which opens at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre this week.Dedicated to the Revolutions plays March 31st through April 12, 2009 at Buddies in Bad Times TheatreProduced by Small Wooden Shoe with the assistance of One Yellow Rabbit's High

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-63347247794823996352009-03-05T11:45:00.004-05:002009-10-14T05:02:40.781-04:00

By all accounts it shouldn't work. Mimi a Parisian clown (AKA actor/improviser Rebecca Northan) has been stood up for a blind date and so she turns to the audience to find a guy who can fill the second chair at her cafe table. For the next ninety minutes Mimi and her man play out a series of scenes that follow the course of their first evening together. The potential for something like this

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-58163836717235651112009-01-12T11:09:00.002-05:002009-10-14T05:04:25.891-04:00

I had a really high fever when I saw Double Double Land Land at Gallery TPW. I almost didn't go, even though the venue is a pebble's throw from my front door. I was going to stay home and watch Dynasty, which I have been watching in such a marathon style that I had a dream about Krystle Carrington (Beautiful, extraordinary hair, and a good person deep down inside) last night.However, I'm pleased

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-28624966428997283072009-01-06T22:23:00.003-05:002009-10-14T05:05:36.104-04:00

I sat down with Toronto-based choreographer and visual D.A. Hoskins to talk about his new work Portrait opening at the Theatre Centre this week. Go see it!PORTRAITPresented by the Dietrich GroupChoreography by D. A. HoskinsFeaturing Danielle Baskerville and Robert KingsburyVideo by Nico StagiasSound/Music by Gilles GoyetteLighting by Simon RossiterPresented at the Theatre CentreJanuary 8-11,

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-38626158150479063202008-12-19T16:36:00.002-05:002009-10-16T05:56:42.397-04:00

The Knox College chapel is packed. There are actually no seats available 5 minutes before the start of Classical Music Consort’s Messiah. I have to sit in a single plush chair graciously dragged to the back of the church by the door man. People who arrived after I did seemed to have no problems standing. This was the quietest place that I have ever been, from my solitary spot in the improvised

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-18487944836159757302008-11-16T13:17:00.003-05:002009-10-16T06:02:06.169-04:00

The Harper Conservatives are already prepping for the next election. This article from CBC pretty much says it all. If we don't want to end up living in the United States of Canada we're going to have to come together to fight the great blue wave.

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-29093966690254839052008-11-11T20:21:00.004-05:002009-10-16T06:02:40.235-04:00

Last week the citizens of our great neighbour to the south elected the first African American ever to their highest political office, as well as solidifying control of their left leaning political party over the entire government. Watching the election results roll in on TV from a bar on Queen West I was taken, not just by the level of emotion on screen, but also in the bar I was standing in.

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-17785264526681483332008-11-11T17:50:00.002-05:002009-10-16T06:03:00.239-04:00

Summer is over. Winter is on the way. There is yet another conservative minority government in power. Once again, people whom I did not vote for are running the country, although it’s not quite as bad as it could have been. I have just been rejected for yet another grant. If I’m lucky in the future there will still be grants to apply for. But right now I have to look for work. I have a pile of

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-8220059353301873652008-11-11T17:46:00.002-05:002009-10-16T06:03:30.896-04:00

Before ‘what now?’, another question: what is going on now? A couple of days ago, the federal finance minister announced with mock-sadness that Ontario is officially ‘a have-not province’. Moments later, in a press conference with the provincial finance minister, reporters asked for his comments not on the impact, but on the symbolism of his federal counterpart’s statements. Maybe this could be

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-40063863871269609522008-10-26T18:15:00.007-04:002009-10-16T06:04:38.641-04:00

Presented by Buddies and Crows Theatre in association with Mammalian Diving Reflex Text by Darren O'Donnell Directed by Chris Abraham Featuring Adam Lazarus and Andrew ShaverPhoto by Beth Kates The original production of [boxhead] at the Factory Studio Theatre in 2000 still ranks among the top ten theatrical experiences of my entire life. As a fresh-faced graduate from theatre

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-78706315045041034352008-10-17T13:32:00.007-04:002009-10-16T06:05:06.772-04:00

Choreographed and Performed by Kitt Johnson X-actCo-presented by Dance worksPhoto Credit: Per Morten AbrahamsenAfter a four year absence, Danish dance dynamo Kitt Johnson returns to Harbourfront Centre with her newest solo-work Rankefod. Created as a means of exploring the relationship that human beings have with our primordial ancestors, the piece derives its name from the Danish word for

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-43553728854868942272008-10-13T12:12:00.004-04:002009-10-16T06:06:34.889-04:00

Norway.Today by Igor BauersimaTranslated by Anna KöhlerDirected by Sarah BaumannFeaturing Ieva Lucs and Steven McCarthy The rebels that punctuate human history – Jesus overturning the money changers’ tables, Luther nailing his theses to the church doors, Nietzsche’s late 19th century announcement, “God is dead” – are better known for their gestures than their teachings. Parables, theses, and

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-72844657515599013912008-10-09T15:51:00.003-04:002009-10-16T06:06:54.442-04:00

After fulfilling my civic duty at my advanced polling station I ventured into Nuit Blanche. I took in exhibits, installations and artists all night for free. I may not have found all of the pieces worthwhile, but the energy of streets still filled at 5am with hundreds (earlier in the evening it was thousands) of people searching out and finding art to watch and do was an unusual delight. I know

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-21883077689751245102008-10-09T15:39:00.003-04:002009-10-16T06:07:24.331-04:00

If Stephen Harper can be accused of performing the Empire Lite gavotte with the Bush administration, left-leaning Canadian artists are equally as guilty of an Idea Lite when it comes to their excoriation of Harper’s choices.Recently, the Conservative government knocked a good few million out of the arts coffers. They claimed the reason was to re-evaluate the worthiness of these programs. They

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-45553595346367932732008-10-09T15:18:00.004-04:002009-10-16T06:07:08.434-04:00

So let me get this straight... The bastard Conservatives are anti-gay, pro-censorship, and now anti-art, and we’re just supposed to keep our mouths shut?Hmmm.Here’s an alternative: Fuck you, Stephen Harper.First you try and tell all my gay friends that they shouldn’t have the same rights to marry like you and all your ugly, boring friends. Then you try and decide what kind of art is ‘moral’ and

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-12398105901116151232008-08-14T14:15:00.003-04:002008-09-04T20:51:16.304-04:00

The Emergency Monologuesby Morgan Jones PhillipsDirected by Evalyn ParryPresented by Drinking WellFeaturing Morgan Jones PhillipsMorgan Jones Phillips is big and friendly and tells funny and horrifying true stories from his work as a paramedic, and he has all the unnerving, loquacious energy of the shell-shocked. The night I saw the show he informed us that he had just worked his third nightshift

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-60461826138234387352008-08-11T15:25:00.002-04:002008-08-11T15:34:34.462-04:00

Fewer Emergenciesby Martin CrimpDirected by Brendan HealyPresented by MitchFeaturing Ken Mackenzie, Vahid Rahbani, Erin Shields, Andrew PifkoSinghski is Chad Dembski and Rebecca SinghMaybe the good Pastor's shadow is still covering our bright city, or maybe it's the start of the monsoon season, but I’m still feeling sublime Evil around every corner at SummerWorks. The text of Martin Crimp’s very

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-37409849661607449682008-08-09T11:30:00.003-04:002008-08-09T11:48:25.081-04:00

The Pastor Phelps Project: a fundamentalist cabaretBy Alistair Newton and the members of Ecce HomoDirected by Alistair NewtonMusical Direction by Daniel RutzenPresented by Ecce HomoFeaturing Matthew Armet, Andrew Bathory, Adam Bolton, Raffaele Ciampaglia, Andrea Kwan, Evalyn Parry, Kaitlyn Regehr, Chy Ryan Spain, Kristine Steffansson, Carey William WassIt could not begin better: outside, people

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-47386185944335580092008-08-02T16:51:00.003-04:002008-08-02T19:37:23.965-04:00

It's taken me a while (as it always seems to these days--let's call it "Running on Montreal Time") to respond to Michael Rubenfeld's Summerworks promo video featuring a collection of nightie-clad female Toronto playwrights chatting about their relative hotness and pillow-fighting. Some people think it's funny. Some people think it's stupid. Some people think it's sexist. Personally, I thought

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-54309566558713378542008-07-25T12:14:00.006-04:002009-10-16T06:07:43.979-04:00

So I posed myself this question, ‘What do people like?’ And gave myself the duration of the Fringe festival to answer it. After seeing a lot of Fringe shows there’s a pretty quick and easy list to throw together: hockey fans, beer drinking, waving prairie grasses, (all Canadiana must be lovingly held up and then skewered ironically); Torontonian up-tightness; other Fringe plays; otherness,

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-26233906185016412202008-07-09T11:25:00.003-04:002008-07-09T11:33:18.500-04:00

Acis and Galatea by George Frederic HandelLibretto by John Gay and Alexander Pope Presented by Classical Music Consort from Toronto/New York/LondonAcis and Galatea, based on the story from Ovid’s Metamorphises, is a simple confident and innovative Baroque Masque by The Classical Music Consort. There is a feeling of constant movement, wind and water, as the pastoral is evoked not only in the

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-57305602411525686182008-07-08T13:36:00.004-04:002008-07-08T13:53:09.255-04:00

Bluebeard by Pericles SnowdonPresented by GromKat Productions, Torontoand Take it Back by Jodee Allen and Helen SimardPresented by Solid State Breakdance, MontrealThe atmosphere at the Fringe Festival tent can feel closer to that of a Bruegel market scene than a strait-laced theatre festival. Producers sidle up like pickpockets to slip flyers into your hands. Actors sit gossiping in knots like

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-15238927715411865422008-07-06T12:31:00.007-04:002008-07-08T13:50:05.407-04:00

Hung To Dry by Donna Maloney, Carley Spencer, and Perry HarowitzPresented by RumRaisin Productions, TorontoThough Hung to Dry can be appropriately described as hilarious by anyone’s high standards, the 60 minute show exceeds the expectations of the realm of Saturday Night Live era sketch comedy. Fresh, exciting and original writing and performance by Donna Maloney, Carly Spencer, and Peggy

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-30913986533104612592008-07-06T12:29:00.002-04:002008-07-06T12:31:28.943-04:00

I'm not in Toronto for the Fringe Festival this year, so I've got a couple of other writers prowling the festival, looking for interesting shows to cover. The caveat is that they are only going to write about shows that they like and I'll be posting things daily to the site as they come in.Enjoy!

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-80160990632931389722008-07-01T15:03:00.008-04:002008-07-01T17:23:44.342-04:00

Not that I'm planning to derive all my sources of blog-writing inspiration from there, but this is another response to a posting on the Praxis Theatre blog. The question of Careerism versus Artistic Integrity was thrown forth and there were a pretty broad range of responses. Here's mine: I have to say first off that I have a bit of a problem with this question because it implies a kind of

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-14686676604981649202008-06-28T16:02:00.005-04:002008-06-28T17:21:45.160-04:00

A few weeks back there was a post made to the Praxis Theatre blog, referencing a piece that George Hunka had made on his blog about dismantling the critical apparatus in the theatre world, by either sending all of the critics on one-year vacations or just refusing to let them into our shows. It's taken me a while to figure out exactly how to respond to this, but I'm finally getting around to it.

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-3519428016171218362008-06-18T12:58:00.002-04:002008-06-18T13:17:12.119-04:00

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: June 18, 2008 THE CANADIAN STAGE COMPANY Artistic Producer Martin Bragg to leave after 2008-2009 season - Statement from Martin Bragg, Artistic Producer, The Canadian Stage Company -I am announcing today that our upcoming 2008-2009 season – my 17th with The Canadian Stage Company – will be my last. My current contract with the Company expires in June

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-62612700692061460322008-06-18T10:18:00.002-04:002008-06-18T10:29:27.695-04:00

After the craziness of the FTA settled down, I had the chance to dialogue the Nadia Ross, Artistic Director of STO Union. I caught their new show 7 Important Things, the third section of the 'How Can We Live' trilogy, and decided to pose 7 Important Questions to Nadia about her work, why some people hate what she does, and interviewing piles of Kleenex.Check it out!For someone who has never seen

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-19115212662091492032008-06-16T12:43:00.002-04:002008-06-16T12:56:20.599-04:00

When I made the decision to start blogging about four months ago I spent a long time racking my brain for what to call the whole enterprise. I wanted something that was distinctive and yet all encompassing in terms of the myriad of different issues I wanted to address. I had a few different ideas that I ran past my group of people that I run ideas by and eventually just settled on calling it

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-52354354207460492192008-06-10T17:50:00.007-04:002009-10-16T06:08:07.791-04:00

I've been pretty quiet the last few weeks here. Partially because I have a lot of other things I've been working on, but also because I've been spending a lot of time biking around Montreal. The city of Montreal has created two proper bike lanes that run through the downtown area, one running north/south and the other east/west. When I say "proper" bike lanes, I mean the kind with a concrete

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-14081315859445121242008-05-31T19:07:00.004-04:002008-12-10T01:34:57.644-05:00

Was I ever pumped to see aKabi! I missed the show when it played at Springdance in Utrecht, so I was pretty overjoyed to have the chance to catch it in Montreal. I try not to judge a show based on its poster images, but those shots of the dancers in giant platform shoes were so compelling for me, if only because they brought back fond memories of my rave days. The show was choreographed by

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-42275398279088550202008-05-26T22:43:00.008-04:002008-12-10T01:34:58.456-05:00

Is You Me, the new collaboration between Quebec choreographer Benoît Lachambre and dance artist Louise Lecavalier opened Saturday night at Usine C. The second work co-created by the two artists, after 2006's I is Memory, is not only a stunning piece of dance but also one of the best examples of the integration of dance and video I've seen in a long time.Developed over the last two years, in

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-81595061929274594532008-05-19T23:53:00.007-04:002008-07-01T23:43:06.394-04:00

The Independent Aunties (Evalyn Parry, Anna Chatterton, and Karin Randoja) along with guest director Brendan Healy, are presenting their new show Breakfast at the Theatre Centre until June 1st.Check it out. You'll never think of self-help tapes the same way again.I caught up with the Aunties in the Theatre Centre dressing room to talk about creating collectively, flying fists, and why Louise L.

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-70024953812573462452008-05-17T12:08:00.008-04:002008-12-10T01:34:58.735-05:00

It’s fair to say that director Daniel Brooks (along with his regular designers Julie Fox, Richard Feren, and Andrea Lundy) has created a style of theatre that’s unique to him. Nobody else in Toronto makes theatre that looks quite like Daniel Brooks’ and The Eco Show subscribes to his aesthetic of the last several years: sparse sets, hard-edged surrealist lighting, video projections, and of

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-35264920025976012292008-05-08T14:13:00.006-04:002009-10-16T06:11:10.974-04:00

Check out the latest issue of Xtra Magazine to read the story about Michael Rubenfeld's new play My Fellow Creatures being produced by Buddies and Absit-Omen at Theatre Passe Muraille. The show runs for a limited time May 15-June 1.Read the full interview below!Michael Rubenfeld's new play My Fellow Creatures about a couple of convicted paedophiles in prison together is being produced as part

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-54000083108368955412008-04-26T19:50:00.003-04:002008-04-26T21:06:06.909-04:00

A few weeks back I decided to cave to the God's of Google and allow targeted advertising on my blog. My thought was that readers logging on to catch-up with my latest writings, might be inclined to click some the ads posted along the side of the blog and in so doing earn me a few cents here and there for my writings. Given that I'm covering mostly performance-related matters, I figured that the

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-9961645572089785162008-04-26T18:03:00.015-04:002008-12-10T01:34:59.340-05:00

One might forgive audiences for initially interpreting Colette Sadler's The Making of Doubt as a meditation on high school detention. As we entered the theatre we were greeted with six figures, clad in hoodies, jeans and runners, lounging in various positions of dejected boredom, all facing upstage. As the piece begins we realize that only four of the six figures are in fact alive--the other

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-7942099814410126712008-04-25T19:24:00.005-04:002008-12-10T01:34:59.567-05:00

Caught Sky Gilbert's new musical Happy at Buddies last week. Check it out if you like musicals. And gay stuff. Here's the link to my review of the piece published in Xtra.

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-52635762163208627972008-04-25T17:35:00.012-04:002008-12-10T01:34:59.758-05:00

I caught Iran-born Norway-based choreographer Hooman Sharifi's new full length work God exists, the Mother is present, but they no longer care tonight. Using texts from philosophers including Nietzsche, Barthes, and Handke, as a starting point, Sharifi has created a performance which he calls "a scream about the violence separating us from a world to which we would love to belong".Admittedly,

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-80039066938770851212008-04-21T08:12:00.008-04:002008-12-10T01:34:59.894-05:00

The first night of attending the festival I caught the double bill of Can You Repeat? by Turkish dance artist Ayşe Orhon and Les Sylphides by German choreographer Nicole Beutler. The evening itself, functioned more like a triple bill, as Beutler's piece was bookended with two different versions of Orhon's. Why exactly the two pieces were paired together is a bit of mystery, except that both

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-2602485963317149472008-04-20T08:38:00.003-04:002009-10-16T06:08:34.363-04:00

I've arrived in the Netherlands, and after brief respites at the coffeeshop/sauna I'll be heading to the Springdance Festival to cover some of the shows. Based in Utrecht, a smallish town about 30 minutes outside of Amsterdam, the festival hosts a mixture of Dutch and international choreographers each year, and present some pretty off the wall works. Last year there was a piece with a pregnant

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-38186788371057265582008-04-15T16:23:00.004-04:002008-05-03T15:49:44.878-04:00

When I first launched this blog it was my intention to talk, not just about performance but a myriad of other topics of interest to me. So far, I've confined my writings to a commentary of the goings on on-stage, however today I'm taking a digression to talk about something else that's important to me; Cyclist Rights.Cycling in Toronto sucks. It's one of the most dangerous and badly designed

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-18481596682117375042008-04-12T17:16:00.014-04:002009-10-30T06:55:17.604-04:00

I don't read the papers much, even though I should. I know it's both artistically and journalistically sound to keep up to date with what people are saying about art in the city, but I just never seem to get around to it. Maybe it's because the environmentalist in me can't stand having to deal with all that paper. Maybe it's that so much of the content isn't of interest to me and I have to

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-28600068400351845712008-04-09T18:37:00.010-04:002009-10-30T06:54:04.559-04:00

One of the new features I'm planning to launch here is a series of dialogues with artists called Talking To Chris Dupuis. The first is a discussion with choreographer Ame Henderson of Public Recordings, who's new work It Was A Nice Party is premiering as part of Dancemakers Double Bill #1 along side Michael Trent's And The Rest.Click on the "Read More!" link below for the full conversation.The

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-51425322147743099392008-04-04T10:24:00.009-04:002008-04-13T18:53:12.134-04:00

I was chatting with my friend Adam last night. We haven't been in touch in a while, but he's had a chance to read some of my writings online and called to congratulate me on the venture. "I like what you're doing," he said. "It's really ballsy." "Really? How so?" I wondered. "Well, the fact that you're writing about artists who you one day may work with... I could be risky depending on what

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-7489044739516077122008-03-29T11:22:00.010-04:002008-12-10T01:35:00.330-05:00

As I was watching Filiz Klassen's performance/lecture creation Weathering Architecture at Harbourfront Centre on Friday night, I found myself thinking less about the actual content of the piece and drifting into a meditation on what is happening with performance in Toronto right now. Not that the work wasn't enjoyable; it had a lot of elements I really like. What I was thinking about was how

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-79654997635229095462008-03-27T23:25:00.004-04:002008-04-05T23:32:03.971-04:00

Received the press release below this afternoon.-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: March 27, 2008Natasha Mytnowych Appointed Associate Director of Artistic and Audience DevelopmentNatasha Mytnowych Appointed Associate Director of Artistic and Audience DevelopmentToronto, ON (March 27, 2008) – Martin Bragg,

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-40363210017895288862008-03-24T12:27:00.009-04:002009-10-14T04:40:06.564-04:00

Unless you’ve been living in a media dead zone for the last few months, you’ve no doubt heard the big news from The Canadian Stage Company. Back in February, Artistic Producer Marty Bragg announced that the beleaguered company would lay-off eleven members of its staff, as part of a bid to save the company from financial ruin. Since they are currently running a deficit of $1 million on a $10.7

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-56603391989373120042008-03-16T09:40:00.014-04:002009-10-16T06:00:36.683-04:00

Waiting in the lobby for the start of Anna Chatterton and Juliet Palmer's piece Stitch on Saturday night, I couldn't stop thinking "Holy Shit! I don't know anybody here!" Usually when I'm attending performance events in this city, 80% of the audience is composed of friends, acquaintances, former lovers, and past collaborators. However the sold out crowd assembled at the Lennox Contemporary

EDITORhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05510027692530959761noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-873311900923207764.post-81618979952234654082008-03-14T11:02:00.011-04:002009-10-16T05:59:59.920-04:00

If you've never heard of Annabel Chong before, you're just not up to date on your pornographic pop-culture. The famed wank-flick actress shot to stardom in 1995 when she set the world record for the largest gang bang ever recorded on film--having sex 251 times with 70 different men in the space of ten hours. She once said in an interview that sex was good enough it was worth dying for and

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