Fringe Festival
Exposure (Theatre Symbiosis) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Nadaa Hyder
Exposure is a play that contains two simultaneous stories set in different times with very different people. A young girl and her father are in the 1940s, and a young couple are in present day.
Exposure provides an interesting light on the way that photography has changed, but also the ways it has remained the same in our lives.
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Toronto Fringe Buzz for Thursday July 14, 2011
Here’s the latest Toronto Fringe Fest buzz we’ve been hearing around town. If you’ve got any scoop to share, feel free to post it in the comments section below!
Shows with sold-out advance tickets for performances
The following shows have completely sold out their advance tickets. Half of the seats for every Fringe performance are available for advance sales, the other half can only be purchased in-person starting one hour before the show so if you still want to see any of these shows, we suggest getting there VERY early and lining up.
Kim’s Convenience
Shotgun Wedding
Patron’s Picks
If the show you want to see is sold out, don’t fret! Patron’s Pick Performances are one last chance for you to see them. On July 17th, each venue will have an encore performance of the most attended show at that venue. The best news? 100% of the tickets will be on sale in advance. Patron’s Pick tickets go on sale Friday, July 9 at 5:00 pm. To book tickets, call 416-966-1062 or book online at http://www.fringetoronto.com.
Mini-reviews from our contest winners
Every day we have been offering readers a chance to win tickets to Fringe performances. Some of them have kindly provided us with thoughts on the show they attended. Thank you, dear readers! Here are some of the comments we received:
Cancer Can’t Dance Like This
“Dan Stolfi combines some dance, some caricature and some confessional in an honest account of his struggle with cancer. I really enjoyed the diary readings that were written as he went through the treatments. That’s where the show shone. The caricatures of the parts of his body affected by the cancer fight leaned a little too far toward cartoon Italian stereotyping for me and I had to struggle to find the value in them. Others easily did see a lot of humour in them and laughed heartily.”
Gravestone Posse
“You get to watch a radio program. A skilled cast, keyboard player and sound effects tech present a comic melodrama with some outrageous punning. A complex story line from the wild west , and actors frequently changing their hats literally and figuratively demand that you pay good attention. Sit up front and you’ll find clues about pelvic massage, the tumbleweed grapevine, zombies, and who shot the sheriff but not the deputy. Worth the walk to station CIUT at Hart House.”
Mister Baxter
“I really enjoyed Mister Baxter. Considering that I saw the 10:30 PM show at the end of a stressful day, I stayed completely engaged throughout — not always true for me at late-night shows! Having teachers in the family and knowing of a couple of incidents paralleling Mr Baxter’s, the story that was the catalyst to the whole piece really touched me. I enjoyed that no definitive verdict was given on the incident — only the fall-out from it. I recommend this to everyone looking for a strong ensemble piece at the Fringe.” – J
P-Dale
“We had a great time watching P-Dale. The story was very well told by 4 main and a couple of additional actors, who did a wonderful job portraying a bit about people’s lives growing up in Parkdale (or was it Richmond Hill?) and some of the problems people face. We particularly loved Twizzle who had some great lines and did a fabulous job of acting the part of a gangsta rapper. Only thing missing perhaps was their pants not being worn down at their knees. The writing, directing, and acting was all very well done by everyone. The play did a good job of combining humour, a bit of rap, and interaction with the audience with some very serious subject matter. It was definitely a show we would recommend to any fringers who want to experience a very interesting and unique Toronto neighbourhood.” – Eve-Lynn
The Last ROCK ‘n Roll Show
“Hi energy and hi volume from the four musicians and front man Jeff Jones. A mini rock concert, their songs tell the band’s ups and downs with emotion. As counterpoint, the notorious female rock critic (Dayna Chernoff) chronicles her volatile love/hate relationship with rock music, and skewers a few rock star types for the audience’s enjoyment. We attended a Monday afternoon gig! The crowd will surely take it up a few notches for the evening performances.” - P and J
The Travelling Salesman & His Magical Suitcase of Desires
“Commedia dell’arte is great for children’s theatre with its broadly drawn characters that boldly state their intentions all in bright coloured clothes and this show was terrific. From the first entry of the salesman to the curtain call of the doctor the audience was drinking in every moment. Marcel Dragonieri playing the salesman was very engaging. There’s always a true gem or two at KidsFringe and this certainly qualifies as a gem.”
Mickey & Judy
Loved the show! Michael Hughes is a vocal gem with incredible storytelling abilities. His story was touching and hilarious.
ab intra (Bonnie Compagnie) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Nadaa Hyder
ab intra at the Tarragon Theatre is an amazing dance performance. There are three props – a desk, a chair, a floor lamp – three acts and three dancers – one for each act.
Each dancer focusses on a different part of their body, one with beautiful yet incredibly eery expressions. One with unusual hand and arm movements that seem disjointed and alienated. And one with wild hair and (sometimes) immobile legs.
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Fringe for Free! Toronto Fringe ticket giveaways for shows playing on Friday July 15th
Want free tickets to 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival shows? Enter below for your chance at winning a pair of tickets. There are six shows playing this Friday to choose from.
Choose from the following shows playing this Friday:
A Different Woman: A True Story of a Texas Childhood - To be entered into the draw for a pair of tickets to the 4pm show on Friday at St. Vlad’s Theatre (Venue 7) please send an email to contests@mooneyontheatre.com with the subject line “A Different Woman: A True Story of a Texas Childhood contest” by 7pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011.
Halcyon Youth - To be entered into the draw for a pair of tickets to your choice to the 6pm, 6:30pm, or 7pm show on Friday at Givins-Shaw Public School (Site-specific at 180 Shaw Street: Venue 27) please send an email to contests@mooneyontheatre.com with the subject line “Halcyon Youth contest” by 7pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011.
The Cage - To be entered into the draw for a pair of tickets to your choice to the 7pm show on Friday at George Ignatieff Theatre (Venue 6) please send an email to contests@mooneyontheatre.com with the subject line “The Cage contest” by 7pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011.
Beast - To be entered into the draw for a pair of tickets to the 11:15pm show on Friday at Factory Studio Theatre (Venue 13) please send an email to contests@mooneyontheatre.com with the subject line “Beast contest” by 7pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011.
Theme Park - To be entered into the draw for a pair of tickets to your choice to the 11:30pm show on Friday at Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (Venue 10) please send an email to contests@mooneyontheatre.com with the subject line “Theme Park contest” by 7pm on Thursday, July 14, 2011.
See below for details on each show and how the contest works:
Scienceography: dances of physiology, entomology and psychology (Pocket Alchemy) 2011 Toronto Fringe Reviews
Scienceography: dances of physiology, entomology and psychology presented by Pocket Alchemy is a very interesting undertaking. The choreographers have tried to merge together the world of science and dance as well as focusing on the journey of a mayfly. At times it works wonderfully and is beautiful to look at, but I found it to be too slow in pace to keep my attention. Read the rest of this entry »
Raton Laveur (Fracas Theatre) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
I always enjoy when a play opens with blood all over the set, especially if it includes a carpet rolled up, intimating a dead body of someone – or something – inside.
Raton Laveur is, apparently, the French word for raccoon. Phil and Lily have moved to a new city and Phil, who is obviously a bit mentally unwell, has developed an obsession with raccoons. In fact, he thinks one raccoon in particular is stalking him and his obsession has become very, very violent. Read the rest of this entry »
Shotgun Wedding (Quixotic Theatre & The Carlos Bulosan Theatre) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Wayne Leung
Shotgun Wedding is a ridiculously fun jukebox “mix tape” musical featuring pop R&B music from the early 1990s. It’s a site-specific performance that takes place in the Alexander Park Community Centre. Read the rest of this entry »
Bloom (Steam Powered Theatre) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Adam Collier
Because Fringe offers super late night performances, to really experience the festival for me means attending at least one.
So, I felt a sort of duty to make my way to the Bathurst Street Theatre for a performance beginning at quarter-to-eleven. The show happened to be Bloom. A company called Steam Powered Theatre is producing the work, which, I learned in line, is an adaptation of a book of poetry by Michael Lista that shares the title.
The 5th Element (Catalyst) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Samantha Wu
I love So You Think You Can Dance. There’s my confession for the day. I love the combination of movement and expression with passion, commitment, heart (and I’m starting to sound like Mary Murphy, but there will be no hot tamales in this review) that creates dance. I love expression through dance, so when I read about The 5th Element dance performance; I had to experience it for myself. Read the rest of this entry »
Progressive Polygamists (Two Wrongs That Write) 2011 Toronto Fringe Review
By Sonia Borkar
Progressive Polygamists starts off on a really sweet note. Mercy-Eve (Emmelia Gordon) and Eden-Grace (Pippa Mackie) walk in through the same doors as the audience, carrying baskets filled with cookies and hand them out to everyone. I’m in before the show even starts. Read the rest of this entry »