Office politics clash with a newfangled business lingo in The Memo playing at Unit 102 Theatre in Toronto
Anyone familiar with the language of business knows that it can get a little… dramatic. Corporate lingo has this amazing way of charging forward impressively — driving results to generate insights for maximum value, and so on — without actually saying anything.
Vaclav Havel’s hilarious 1965 comedy The Memo, in a new production by Thought for Food theatre company at Unit 102 Theatre, addresses the nonsense of office jargon, and though utterly absurd, it’s spot on. Desk jockeys be warned, however: this ain’t “The Office.” The Memo is a darker comedy than that, and it kind of hurts.
The Canadian Opera Company brings Queen Elizabeth I’s later years to life in Roberto Devereux at Toronto’s Four Seasons
Roberto Devereux by Gaetano Donizetti tells the story of the tragic end to the celebrated rein of Elizabeth the First. The set for the Canadian Opera Company’s 2014 production is a reconstruction of the historic Globe Theatre. During the overture, surtitles were used to provide the audience with historical context and the audience was treated to a charming tableau wherein Shakespeare directs the Queen herself in a production of A Midsummer Night’s Dream. Continue reading Review: Roberto Devereux (Canadian Opera Company)→
The struggle of Gen Y vs the career market is tackled in Unemployment Unanimous at Toronto’s Mixed Company Theatre
Theatre that’s successfully interactive and relatable isn’t the easiest feat to perform, but Project Boomerang, Mixed Company Theatre’s emerging artists collective, does a solid job of building an experience that’s thoughtful, immersive and truly entertaining.
A workshop production that tackles the ever-talked about issue of Millenials and their stigma of laziness and entitlement, Unemployment Unanimous is performed like a support group for Gen Y-ers. A mock 12-step program to help young people forgo the perils of unemployment and work towards the goal of finding that elusive career.
The Playwright Project presents Drunk Enough to Say I Love You, a story of romance and politics at Toronto’s Downstage
Passionate, independent theatre, being introduced to a playwright and a new theatre space for the first time: it must be Playwright Project time again in Toronto! This year four plays written by Caryl Churchill are being mounted by four companies at The Downstage. I hope I can fit all four into my schedule.
So far I’ve been fortunate enough to enjoy Drunk Enough to Say I Love You with my friend Ron, and I loved it. Let me tell you why.
The classic game receives a song and dance treatment in Bingo the Musical playing at the Toronto Centre for the Arts
The audience sits with rapt attention, but their eyes are not on the stage. Each person stares at their lap, listening for their number. The air is tense as the caller announces “B12, N43, O70”. Then the silence is interrupted with a triumphant shout: “BINGO!” There is a moment of disappointment as the rest realize their luck is lost, but the lights go back up in the Toronto Centre For the Arts theatre and Bingo: The Musical by Encore Entertainment goes on.
Bingo: The Musical, directed and choreographed by Larry Westlake, is exactly what you would expect from a musical about a game that is popular with senior centers. It is not a heart-wrenching drama questioning humanity and the meaning of existence; the show is a musical with a simple premise that is blown-up to poke fun and entertain. The jokes are cheesy, the songs are catchy, and the scenario is more than a little odd. Continue reading Review: Bingo The Musical (Encore Entertainment)→
