Wrestling Jerusalem, a play that tackles the Israel-Palestine conflict plays in Toronto

Have you always wanted to visit Israel but never had the opportunity? Then head down to Toronto’s Berkeley Street Theatre, and take in a performance of Wrestling Jerusalem. Aaron Davidman gives voice to 17 different characters from all walks of life in this play, introducing us to men, women, Jews, Muslims, and soldiers. After seeing the 90-minute play  I had an image of Israel that was vivid, hopeful, empathetic and, hopefully, long-lasting.
Continue reading Review: Wrestling Jerusalem (Sara Schawrtz Geller Productions) →

Toronto’s Outside the March takes on love, sex, technology & the future in a new immersive show

Think back ten or fifteen years ago and remember what dating was like. Who could’ve predicted that today, we’d be able to use apps to swipe and match with dozens of people (whom we subsequently never message), or use geolocation to find someone to hook up with in a set radius, or snap and send nude photos of ourselves that disappear after they’re viewed.

Disruptive technologies have profoundly changed the sociological nature of relationships. Projecting forward, what might the nature of dating, love and relationships look like in the future? That’s the question that playwright Rosamund Small explores in her new play TomorrowLove™, currently being staged in an immersive, site-specific production in Toronto by Outside the March. Continue reading Review: TomorrowLove™ (Outside the March) →

Mirvish presents Broadway-bound original Canadian musical Come From Away in Toronto

***NOTE: All performances are cancelled between Saturday, March 14 through Sunday, April 12 to respect social-distancing requests around COVID -19

Like many people, I’ve been in a miserable funk since the US election. Since that day, the world has become a much darker place and the future looks so bleak. Come From Away, an original Canadian musical playing in Toronto before heading to Broadway, was the balm I needed to soothe the ache in my soul. It’s an unabashedly uplifting story about the triumph of the human spirit in another dark moment in history. By the end of the show I was so moved that I wanted to leap up on my feet and cheer for the goodness of humanity.

After the terrorist attacks on September 11, 2001, the FAA grounded all aircraft across the US and closed American airspace causing hundreds of flights to be diverted. That day, 38 planes carrying 6,579 passengers and crew members were forced to land in the tiny town of Gander, Newfoundland, nearly doubling its population at the time. Come From Away is about the events of that fateful day and how the community of Gander came together to care for these strangers in their hour of need. Continue reading Review: Come From Away (Mirvish) →

Seussical is a bold, colourful, fun show for kids and adults alike, on stage in Toronto

Young People’s Theatre’s (YPT) current production of Seussical was a luminous, high-energy romp that delighted young children and grandparents alike. The story by Lynn Ahrens and Stephen Flaherty amalgamates the story lines of Horton Hears a Who and Horton Hatches the Egg, beloved classics by Dr. Seuss. The show is filled with lively dances, accessible chorus numbers, and Seussian props and costumes. Continue reading Review: Seussical (Young People’s Theatre) →