Power, greed, and destruction pave the way for an exploitative system. A dystopian future directly reflects current struggles in Fiya Bruxa’s Ayelen playing at the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace as part of the 2015 Toronto SummerWorks Festival.
Continue reading Ayelen (Fiya Bruxa) 2015 SummerWorks Review
The Hum (A Theatre Gargantua SideStream Cycle with the GzAp Collective), playing at SummerWorks 2015, is a sweet family show about the magic inherent in the natural environment around us. It’s presented by venerable Toronto company Theatre Gargantua, created by and starring Julia Aplin, John Gzowski, and their ten-year-old daughter, Jenny Aplin.
The show was inspired by Jenny’s paintings, and tries to tap into the hum of the Earth. Much like a ten-year-old kid, though, it’s a show that has high aspirations (and a promising opening monologue) but doesn’t quite know what it wants to be yet.
Continue reading The Hum (Theatre Gargantua) 2015 SummerWorks Review
Beyond anything, MacArthur Park Suite: A Disco Ballet is 100% fun. The colored lights production, playing at the Factory Theatre Mainspace as part of the 2015 SummerWorks Festival, is the brain child of lauded writer and performer Ryan G. Hinds and while it is also a love letter to Donna Summer, it is so much more.
Continue reading MacArthur Park Suite: A Disco Ballet (colored lights) 2015 SummerWorks Review
Mexe (pronounced mesh, Portuguese for ‘move’) is part of the Live Art series at this year’s SummerWorks Festival and it may be one of the more exciting and immersive shows you’re likely to see at the festival.
That’s a tall-order statement, which is proper for a tall-order performance. Mexe, created by Maziar Ghaderi, blends capoeira — the Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance — with music, dance, song, and live sound. Bring your headphones (preferably ones with a longer cord or you can rent one for $2) to experience the ‘3D sound’.
Continue reading Mexe: Capoeira X Wearable Technology (Maziart) 2015 SummerWorks Review
There is trouble brewing in Canada. Thankfully, Mapleman: Canuck Crusader by the Woodlands Drama Company is here, playing at the Factory Theatre Mainspace as part of the 2015 Toronto SummerWorks Festival and in conjunction with the Sears Ontario Drama Festival. Continue reading Mapleman: Canuck Crusader (The Woodlands Drama Company) 2015 SummerWorks Review