This evening I went to see one of the AlleyPlays being held in the Fringe Club called Change Room by Threshold Theatre as part of the 2012 Toronto Fringe Festival. Threshold Theatre aims at creating theatre which explores the human condition by blending verbal and visual, personal and political, social and poetic aspects.
Change Room is a series of six ten-minute plays performed by one actor at a time. Each of them offer their reflections on the theme of change in an intimate performance space – in this case an 8 by 8 make-shift shed built out of wood and what looks like very thick and solid bristle boards. Each with their own story, the performers share perspectives ranging from the personal to the political in a variety of forms.
Let me first explain that the venue was unbearably hot. In fact, it was suffocating. As the 10-minute performance progressed I noticed tiny beads of sweat forming on everyone’s foreheads. Unfortunately, this really affected my enjoyment of the experience. I tried really hard to focus, really I did. But the fact is that I ended up concentrating mostly on the fact that I thought I was going to faint.
In any case, the performance this evening really was great. Don’t expect to see something very literal and black and white though. It’s a 10-minute show that really forces you to think. So many questions about life and how we perceive it are brought up that you leave the venue, well, changed – or in my case, in serious need of a Gravol.
The great thing about this concept is that you can choose to spare anywhere from 10 minutes to an hour of your time – your choice. Each performance is widely different and changes from night to night. So, if you’re in the mood for something a little unconventional but still entertaining you should definitely check this thing out.
Details
- Change Room plays at AlleyPlays at the Fringe Club at Honest Ed’s (581 Bloor St. W)
- Showtimes are: July 10 06:30 PM, July 11 08:30 PM, July 13 06:30 PM, July 14 08:30 PM
- All Alley Plays are Pay What You Can