the dreamer examines his pillow explores marred and broken relationships at Toronto’s Box Theatre
JR Theatre is presenting the dreamer examines his pillow at The Box Theatre, a small studio space with a lot of gritty character – think exposed pipes and painted-over brick. Since this is another 1980’s John Patrick Shanley play produced in an unconventional space, like Danny & The Deep Blue Sea which I reviewed in November, it’s impossible not to draw comparisons. Both plays feature working class characters trapped in their circumstances but while in Danny & The Deep Blue Sea two people meet and struggle with their histories and situations to let themselves fall in love, in the dreamer examines his pillow we see people whose relationships are old and twisted and torn and no longer resemble love at all.
A candid look at the inner world of pro wrestling, The Heel vs Screwjob is playing at Toronto’s Gladstone Hotel
Now, you’ve probably heard that there’s nothing ‘real’ about the world of professional wrestling. But have you ever stopped to think about the lives of those behind the illusion?
The Heel vs Screwjob is a candid two-part Code White production that chronicles the life of one family during the notorious event in the WWE’s history known by fans as the “Screwjob” – where a famous pro-wrestler was supposedly double-crossed by the franchise’s ownership.
A father’s struggle with Alzheimer’s is paired with urban dance in The Radio Show at Toronto’s Harbourfront
The Radio Show, making its Canadian premiere at the Fleck Dance Theatre as part of Harbourfront’s World Stage season, is more than a dynamic piece of contemporary choreography. It’s the exploration through movement of both the individual and collective memory, punctuated by the iconic rhythms of Motown and the fresh beats of hip hop.
The story is largely based on choreographer Kyle Abraham and his days growing up in Pittsburgh, listening to the only two urban music radio stations on air before they were abruptly silenced in 2009, and supporting his father who was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s at the very same time. His work fuses the two events by mirroring the loss of voice of a community with that of Abraham’s father.
Canadian Stage presents the Toronto premiere of Nina Raine’s award-winning play Tribes.
We rely on tribes to build our sense of identity. Liberal or conservative, iPhone or Android, Leafs Nation, Ford Nation, LGBT, metalhead, vegan; these are groups that people use to identify others who share common values. British playwright Nina Raine’s play Tribes is a timely examination of our bent toward tribalism. In our digital/web culture we increasingly segregate into individual tribes; online communities become echo chambers where we seek affirmation for our world views. But does this reliance on tribalism inhibit our ability to actually connect with people?
360 Screenings’ founders talk love, relationships and their upcoming Valentine’s Day event
Ned Loach and Robert Gontier are the creators of 360 Screenings, a series of immersive and interactive theatrical and cinematic events that take place in repurposed Toronto heritage buildings. The audience does not know the location until twenty-four hours beforehand and the screening is a mystery until clues are presented during the live portion of the event.
Their first event took place in May 2012 and their seventh one, following the theme of Valentine’s Day, takes place this weekend.
If 360 Screenings weren’t unique enough, Artistic Producer Ned Loach and Artistic Director Robert Gontier are also happily married (to each other) and madly in love. I spoke with them about their passion, project and maintaining the work-love balance. Continue reading Preview: 360 Screenings (LOVE)→
