This is Why We Live brings collage, poetry, music, and onions to Toronto’s Theatre Centre stage

This is Why We Live — produced by Open Heart Surgery Theatre, and on stage now at The Theatre Centre — is a multi-lingual collage, combining dance, live music, and poetry. It draws inspiration from the poems and art of Polish poet Wisława Szymborska.

According to the program, one of the goals of the show was to present it as “a moving poem, as a journey of emotion rather than pure story.” I found it completely lacking in any cohesive story — or to quote my companion Caryhn, “aboutness” — and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.

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Antigonas, now on the Toronto stage, is “a vital declaration”

A few days ago, in a stunning, whisper-close and unexpected defeat, the population of Colombia voted down a referendum that may have seen peace with the insurgent FARC, a conflict with the Colombian government which has resulted in millions of deaths. Each of the women performing in Antigonas: Tribunal de Mujeres from Tramaluna Theatro, presented as the opener to this year’s third edition of the RUTAS panamericanas International Performing Arts Festival at the Daniels Spectrum Artscape, has experienced more than her fair share of death.

Their sons, siblings, fathers, entire families and friends have been falsely accused, imprisoned, and murdered by their own government. The play they produce for us takes the form of a trial, and is a gripping cri de coeur that honestly defies criticism, but results in a stunningly effective plea for peace. Continue reading Review: Antigonas Tribunal De Mujeres (Tramaluna Theatro) →

Concord Floral explores peer pressure in a microcosm of teen life on stage in Toronto

There are three main reasons why I was originally drawn to Concord Floral, on stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre at the St Lawrence Centre for the Performing Arts until October 16th. First, its focus is on teen life in suburban Vaughan, Ontario, which was exactly where I spent my teenage years. Second, it’s written by Jordan Tannahill who is pretty much the IT playwright of the here and now. He picked up a slew of Dora Awards for Botticelli in the Fire & Sunday in Sodom, a show he presented earlier this year with Canadian Stage that simply blew me away. Third, the transformation of the Bluma Appel Theatre, placing the audience on bleacher style seating directly on the stage looking down on the performers, intrigued me and I had to see it for myself.

Having experienced the play and now understanding what it really is — a teen horror flick on stage, reminding me a lot of the movie Unfriended, just in time for Halloween — I see both the emotional underpinnings of the bullying and peer pressure that comes with the territory of being a teenager, and the darkly twisted joy of  Concord Floral itself.

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