Uncategorized
2009 Harold Awards are on May 25
By Megan Mooney
- Harold Awards, Monday May 25, 2009 at 8pm
- Canadian Corps Legion Hall (201 Niagara Street)
- Tickets $12 and available at www.totix.ca
Can’t find an active website (the one from last year is down), but the poster is below.
who knew grannie? – CrossCurrents Festival
By Crystal Wood
By Crystal Wood
After watching a reading of ahdri zhina mandiela’s who knew grannie? on the final day of the CrossCurrents festival, my first thought was “AMAZING.”
My second thought was “now, how the heck do I write about it?”
The play, which celebrates the life of Grannie as told by 4 cousins (her grandchildren), is written in “dub.”
What’s dub? Well, that’s what I said.
My Granny The Goldfish – CrossCurrents
By Megan Mooney
By Megan Mooney
I got to go to another CrossCurrents show last night. My Granny The Goldfish is the most recent offering of playwright Anosh Irani. This public reading was a delight to watch. I’d call this play a comedy with substance. But no matter what you call it, it was an evening of much laughter and great fun.
Glengarry Glen Ross at Soulpepper extended to May 16, 2009
By Megan Mooney
For those of you that have not had enough swearing and jaded outlooks on humanity (that is to say, those of you who haven’t had enough David Mamet in your life) it looks like there’s still time!
From the press release:
Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today announced the extension of the company’s production of Glengarry Glen Ross, David Mamet’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play.
Soulpepper’s production was originally scheduled to close on May 9, but due to popular demand and sold-out performances, Glengarry Glen Ross is extended until May 16.
In Mamet’s snapshot of the cut-throat world of real estate, a group of salesmen scramble to lie, cheat and steal their way to the top. In this desperate game of survival, insults and accusations fly in the rhythmic, colloquial style that is Mamet’s signature.
…
Glengarry Glen Ross runs until May 16 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 55 Mill Street, Building 49, in the Distillery Historic District. Tickets range from $28 – $68 and are available by calling the Young Centre box office at 416.866.8666 or by visiting soulpepper.ca.
Although there isn’t a Mooney on Theatre review of the production yet, there are many many many reviews out there. The links to the reviews are below, so check them out and see if this show’s for you.
We’re looking for writers to cover Toronto Theatre
By Megan Mooney
So, we’re looking for writers here at Mooney on Theatre.
All experience levels welcome, and experience with theatre is not necessary (in fact, I’d love to have someone who never goes to the theatre and doesn’t know anything about it – I think that would be a great perspective to have)
If you’re interested or know anyone who might be please email me at megan@mooneyontheatre.com with ‘interested in writing for you’ in the subject line.
Spread the word!
This just in: Baby steals World Theatre Day!
By Megan Mooney
So, since this is a theatre blog, I suspect that you probably thought there’d be at least some content on the blog yesterday (March 27) in honour of World Theatre Day, but no. There was a *cough* technical glitch. Okay, well, by technical I guess what I really mean is, I ran out of time and energy thanks to a wee babe.
What does this all mean? Well, basically it boils down to this: Maxwell Mooney Bourke has stolen World Theatre Day. I will work on having him return it for it’s celebration next week…
Event announcement – Debra DiGiovanni at Club Absolute
By Megan Mooney
From the publicist:
Debra DiGiovanni, the 2007 Canadian Comedy Award winner for “Best Female Comedian” is performing this weekend at Club Absolute (2335 YONGE ST @ Eglington)
Deb is best known for her appearance on NBC’s Last Comic Standing as well a Much Music’s Video on Trial.
For more information please call 416-486-7700
** Note: If you have a show or event you’d like me to post a notice about send me a short blurb, include links to websites if possible. I’m happy to post them. Try to keep it to a short blurb though, not a whole press release please.
Live At The Met – a benefit for The Actors' Fund and the Metropolitan United Church Community Services Programs
By Megan Mooney
A direct copy and past from the Facebook group:
__________________________
Live At The Met
A Cabaret Performance in Support of The Actors’ Fund and the Metropolitan United Church Community Services Programs
How do you solve a problem like harsh economic times?
You grab Baby out of the corner; pick up some boys from Jersey and head on down to the Metropolitan United Church to put on a show that totally rocks!
On Monday March 23rd volunteers from the Toronto casts of The Sound of Music, Dirty Dancing, We Will Rock You, Second City and many more special guests will do exactly that.
The Actor’s Fund of Canada recently celebrated its 50th Anniversary of providing emergency financial aid to assist cultural workers in recovering from an illness, injury or other circumstances causing severe economic and personal hardship. This registered charity receives no government funding and is wholly sustained by support from individuals and entertainment industry organizations.
The actors in Live At The Met hope to stimulate a financial bailout for their fellow actors by doing what they do best – putting on a fabulous show. Not only will they be performing selections from their current shows, but they will also be creating new and exciting pieces that will only be seen in this one night only cabaret. You don’t want to miss this!
Proceeds from Live At The Met will be divided between The Actors’ Fund of Canada and the Metropolitan United Church Community Services Programs which have taken a leading role in serving people who need help in Toronto’s downtown core including the Out of the Cold program which feeds the hungry.
Tickets $30.00
For tickets call 416-363-0331 x 64
Katherine Mansfield – Theatre Smith Gilmore at Factory Theatre
By Megan Mooney
I’m not going to be able to see Katherine Mansfield at Factory Theatre, but it sounds pretty interesting, so let me pass on the information I got from the publicist:
Reasons to check out Theatre Smith-Gilmour, and specifically the show Katherine Mansfield that is playing at the Factory Studio Theatre March 14 – April 5, 2009:
- Theatre Smith-Gilmour is a pre-eminent Toronto theatre companies that produces original works.
- Along with a new title, Katherine Mansfield includes twenty minutes of new material, a new beginning and ending, and many cuts to the original The Mansfield Project script.
- Katherine Mansfield, not only one of the most talented short story writers of her generation, was also praised for her strong feminist writing. She had deep concern for the status of women and most of her characters were women (as is the case with TSG’s production). She employed a feminist approach in both her life and her literature. Her work demonstrates how male sexual and economic dominance, at the time, denied women an independent role. Often, her female characters reject the possibility of independence or are unable to take advantage of it, for example in "The Colonel’s Daughters" (one of the stories featured in Katherine Mansfield).
- Theatre Smith-Gilmour has a very unique creative process and theatrical style. Their development process is collaborative and they often work with the same actors and creative team. Katherine Mansfield an example of their unique creative style as it is written by Dean Gilmour and Michele Smith in collaboration with Claire Calnan and Adam Paolozza. They work with their actors on the source material in order to create a piece. They believe that when a group of artists who have grown together as the work itself has grown not only is the connection with the audience and the impact upon them richer, but the experience for the artists themselves is richer.
- There work appears, for the most part, on a bare stage with minimal props. TSG believe in a type of theatre that exists in the here and now; simultaneously on a bare stage and in the actors’ and audiences’ imagination. The style depends on minimal costuming, set pieces and few props.
- hey are training the next generation. They teach at various institutions, they offer workshops in their unique style, and they even created a new piece, Grimm with the graduating class at Humber College to great acclaim.
- They work has been featured internationally, including Russia and China.
Details:
- Katherine Mansfield plays at Factory Theatre Studio (125 Bathurst Street) until April 5
- Showtimes are Tuesdays to Saturdays at 8 PM; Sundays at 2:30 PM
- Tickets are Thursday $20; Friday $25; Saturday $28 ($5 Student/Senior discount on all tickets)
- Tickets are available through Factory Theatre Box Office at 416 504-9971, on-line at www.factorytheatre.ca or at the door
For more information please visit www.theatresmithgilmour.com
Letters to my Grandma – Theatre Jones Roy
By Megan Mooney
by Megan Mooney
I was thrilled when I heard that I would have the opportunity to see Ansuree Roy on stage again in another THEATRE JONES ROY production. Letters to my Grandma, playing at the Theatre Passe Muraille backspace, is the company’s second production. The first was Pyaasa, a piece adored by many, myself included.