Author Archive
Review: A Really Bad Play (FroMast Productions)
By Mira Saraf
A Really Bad Play is actually really great and plays at The Pia Bouman School in Toronto
I can go on and on about plays I dislike, that are poorly executed, or just find awkward, but writing about a play I loved is probably one of the hardest things to do. This is the challenge I face now.
In this case the play was poorly executed – on purpose. A Really Bad Play (by FroMast Productions) was performed in a small theatre close to Dufferin and is about a play that is, well, really bad, written and executed by Mark Tipps (Daniel Stolfi). He appears to think that both he and the play are genius.
Review: Macbeth (Hart House)
By Mira Saraf
As most of us have read Shakespeare in high school there are generally no surprises in plot with modern day performances. The real magic with Shakespeare is how it’s recreated. This is especially the case since we don’t speak English the same way he did at that time; the more a performance can help us connect with the story, the better.
While sitting at the Hart House Theatre, waiting for Macbeth to begin, I started skimming the program, and came across the Director’s notes. The following words caught my eye: “Harold Bloom suggests that we are able to relate to Macbeth on a level unmatched by any other Shakespearean hero. At first that seems unlikely since most of us aren’t so murderously ambitious, and yet we have all, at some point, made choices that we would describe as going against our nature.” Read the rest of this entry »
Review: In The Pines (Red One Theatre Collective)
By Mira Saraf
Before going to see In The Pines (Yabu No Naka Co-Op, Campbell House Museum and Red One Theatre Collective), staged at the Campbell House Museum, I read a two-three-sentence blurb about it, that completely undersold the show (in my opinion). That said, I’m not sure there are a lot of words that would accurately convey how good it was.
It is based on the classic Rashomon tales by Ryunesuke Akutagawa. It is the tale of a violent crime, told in testimonial form from various different perspectives. It is composed completely of monologues, as none of the characters ever interact with each other.
Review: The Tale of a Town (FIXT POINT)
By Mira Saraf
I saw Fixt Point’s The Tale of a Town last year – and thoroughly enjoyed it. It was very different from any other show I’d ever seen – organic, honest with a perfect blend of wistfulness and humour for times past.
When I heard the show was being re-mounted, I knew I had to see it again. As I looked around at the other audience members, I thought how many of them were unprepared for the experience that lay ahead of them – I already had a good idea of what was to come.
Review: Survival of The Fiercest (Shawn Hitchins)
By Mira Saraf
The performance area of Shawn Hitchins’ Survival of The Fiercest, (staged at Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times) felt more like an upbeat bar than a theatre performance.
Patrons sipped on drinks, chatting animatedly among each other. The music was peppy, and the lights sort of disco-esque with a glittering ball twirling round and round.
The performance had an opening act – Lindy Zucker, a friend of Shawn Hitchins – in a witty and entertaining critique of a book that Hitchins allegedly forced her to read: The Woman I was Born to Be an autobiography by Susan Boyle of Britain’s Got Talent fame. Read the rest of this entry »
Theme Park (David Jacobson) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Mira Saraf
Theme Park is a dark comedy about a terrible ride accident at Super-Duper Mega-Marine Coaster World – and a gunman-hostage situation that follows it. A detective and his sidekick attempt to diffuse the situation.
Writer-Actor David Jacobson creates a fairly complex story with very little – his body, his voice, and just a few chairs as props. He brings a great deal of energy to the show – funneling it into creating six-odd characters.
I Remember Mama (Tough Titty Productions) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Mira Saraf
I Remember Mama is one-woman show is Julia DeSotto’s tale of the three women that influenced her life and character the most – her Italian grandmother, her Estonian mother, and her Scottish Mother-In-Law.
It conveys how these relationships shaped the people she and her children are today. Sprinkled with song and dance, and plenty of impersonation, she makes us laugh, clap, tap our feet, and occasionally tear up.
Brother Andre’s Heart (Duchess Productions) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Mira Saraf
Set amidst Quebec separatists movements, and awkward coming of age, Brother Andre’s Heart examines the tale of three somewhat awkward youngsters, learning to push the boundaries of their comfort zones, and living and learning.
It is a warm funny story about a few socially challenged film makers who spend more time watching Star Trek than scriptwriting or shooting. They speak as if they were aboard the Enterprise, and everything becomes a coordinated crew based effort. By everything, I mean not much. These people can barely make it to the corner store to buy milk.
Mary’s Wedding (Brantbury Fair) 2011 Fringe Review
By Mira Saraf
Mary’s Wedding is more somber and an actual narrative than most of the other Fringe shows I’ve seen this year. Presented by Brantbury Fair, the World War I love story of Mary and Charlie was in equal parts charming, moving, and sad.
It is the night before Mary’s wedding and the entire sequence is a dream. It’s not just any dream, it’s a recurring dream that Mary has had since losing the love of her life to the Great War.
Memories and fantasy blend together, as Mary’s subconscious combines the actual experiences they shared with secondhand accounts of letters he wrote her. Some experiences in her dream are completely made up. Peter, for his part, sees Mary everywhere and in everything he sees and does.
She Said What Happened (She Said What) 2011 Fringe Review
By Mira Saraf
She Said What Happened is the perfect pick me up for a bad day. In fact now that I think about it, I can’t say enough about how much I loved this show. You walk into a theatre with a large stage with three clothes racks on stage. The racks feature a variety of colourful outfits and props.
The girls make an entrance amidst flashing lights, and some impressive dance moves, followed by an introduction that had the audience in stitches by the time they were through. Featuring dancing, a crazy assortment of costumes, and three extremely talented women, She Said What Happened is akin to watching an episode of Saturday Night Live.