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) →

Burning Doors is a difficult but deeply relevant play, now on the Toronto stage

Burning Doors, performed by Belarus Free Theatre, and currently being presented as part of the 2018 Luminato Festival is not an easy play to watch. In fact, if I had to describe it in one word, I would choose “painful.” It covers painful subject matter, and the performers must be in physical pain for large parts of the evening. But in spite the pain I felt watching it, I think it was an important play to see. Burning Doors highlights the power of art as political resistance. At a time when there seems to be an unending list of things to protest, it shines a bright, harsh light on both the risks and the necessity of doing so. Continue reading Review: Burning Doors (Belarus Free Theatre/Luminato) →

“Dark and raw” dance and storytelling piece takes to the Toronto stage

Although billed as a contemporary adaptation of one of the most famous ballets, Swan Lake/Loch na hEala, performed by the Irish company Teac Damsa as part of the 2018 Luminato Festival, is a far cry from that classic. There are no tutus, no Tchaikovsky score, no pointe shoes. Instead, we are given a powerful fusion of dance, Irish folk music, and storytelling which takes Swan Lake as its inspiration but reimagines it as a modern tale of depression, sexual violence, and, ultimately, redemption. It’s a powerful piece of theatre. Continue reading Review: Swan Lake/Loch na hEala (Luminato/Teac Damsa) →

Interactive murder mystery now on at the Campbell House Museum in Toronto

The 6^th Degree, currently being presented by The Lighthouse Troupe at the Campbell House Museum, is not your traditional evening of theatre. There’s no stage, there’s no curtain, and there is no real audience. It’s an interactive murder mystery where the audience members are the detectives. My companion and I had never participated in anything like it before and, all in all, we had a lot of fun. Continue reading Review: The 6th Degree (The Lighthouse Troupe) →