Toronto-based choreographer Riley Sims and singer Blunt Chunks collaborate on a new dance show

Amorous Playlist is a multi-disciplinary performance by Social Growl Dance and Blunt Chunks currently being presented by Citadel + Compagnie. The show is a collaboration between two emerging Toronto based artists – artistic director and choreographer Riley Sims and solo singer, Blunt Chunks which explores themes of love, lust, and heartbreak. It’s an informal concert-like experience, which, for me, felt a little too casual and lacking coherence. Continue reading Review: Amorous Playlist (Social Growl Dance/Citadel + Compagnie) →

Choreographer Peggy Baker joins forces with members of Arcade Fire for a multidisciplinary dance show

The world premiere of Peggy Baker Dance Projects’ who we are in the dark is currently being presented by Canadian Stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre. Peggy Baker is one of the luminaries of Canadian contemporary dance. She has had a long career as a performer and as a choreographer, both in Canada and internationally. who we are in the dark is her biggest production to date. The piece is a multi-disciplinary evening featuring innovative movement, music, lighting, and visual art which combine into a feast for the senses. Continue reading Review: who we are in the dark (Peggy Baker Dance Projects/Canadian Stage) →

Blood Tides, performed by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre and presented by DanceWorks, explores and reclaims the experiences of Indigenous women across generations and cultures. Choreographer Santee Smith brought together a team of Indigenous artists from Canada, the US, Mexico, New Zealand, and Fiji in a collaboration that used dance, video, music, and even pottery to create something that felt like a sacred ritual.

Continue reading Review: Blood Tides (Kaha:wi Dance Theatre/DanceWorks) →

A new play set during the aftermath of the Fort McMurray fire is no on stage in Toronto

In May 2016, a fire in Fort McMurray, Alberta burned over 85,000 hectares and displaced the entire city. After the Fire, written by Matthew MacKenzie, and presented by Punctuate! Theatre, Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts and Native Earth Performing Arts at The Theatre Centre, examines the aftermath of this disaster. Through the lens of one extended family, we see the economic, environmental, and, most importantly, the human costs of one of the largest natural disasters in Canadian history. Continue reading Review: After the Fire (Punctuate! Theatre/Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts) →

This site-specific one-hander, on stage in Toronto, is smart and funny but didn’t all add up

Katherine is Not a Communist is a new play written by Katherine Doering and Curtis te Brinke and produced by Epigraph Theatre. The one-woman show, featuring Doering as the title character, packs a lot into 90 minutes. There’s American history, classic Hollywood movies, and witchcraft. It’s a wild ride, but for me, the show didn’t hang together. I thought the different bits were interesting, but as a whole, the show left me confused. Continue reading Review: Katherine Is Not A Communist (Epigraph Theatre) →

Montreal-based RUBBERBANDance Group opened the 2018-19 DanceWorks Mainstage series with Ever So Slightly, choreographed by Artistic Director Victor Quijada. The performance was billed as an “avant world premiere”. And Toronto is lucky to be the first to get a sneak peak at this new work. Though it was sometimes hard to watch, Ever So Slightly was a beautiful and inventive evening of dance. Continue reading Review: Ever So Slightly (RUBBERBANDance Group/DanceWorks) →

Fall for Dance North (FFDN) is a unique festival bringing new audiences in Toronto to dance

Fall For Dance North (FFDN) is a unique festival which aims to bring new audiences to dance. The festival features both established and emerging dance artists from Canada and around the world in several mixed programs. And the tickets are only $15! Although FFDN has been around since 2015, this was my first time attending. I’m kicking myself thinking about all the great dance I’ve missed. The festival truly has something for everyone. Even if you are not already a dance fan, it’s a low-risk way to try out a new art form Continue reading Review: Fall For Dance North →

A play by Toronto’s Daisy Productions puts Shakespeare’s female characters centre stage

Gender and women in Shakespeare are hot topics. In recent years, the Toronto area theatre scene has featured a number of Shakespeare productions with women playing men’s roles. Women have played Lear, Prospero, and Romeo to name a few. Daisy Productions’ new play, Ladies Sigh No More, on stage now at The Red Sandcastle Theatre, is a different take on the role of women in Shakespeare. Instead of playing with casting, Ladies Sigh No More imagines what would happen if seven of Shakespeare’s female characters were put together in one room. It’s a hilariously funny look at the Bard, the afterlife, and female empowerment. Continue reading Review: Ladies Sigh No More (Daisy Productions) →

George Bernard Shaw classic takes to the outdoor stage in Toronto

It’s summer, and once again I am rhapsodizing about the joys of outdoor theatre in Toronto. The city truly has a wide variety of choices when it comes to experiencing theatre en plein air. The Guild Festival Theatre’s production of Pygmalion, currently being performed at Guild Park and Gardens in Scarborough, is yet another reason to grab some insect repellent and head outside for some great performances in a lovely setting. Continue reading Review: Pygmalion (Guild Festival Theatre) →