Playing in Toronto, Kiss is a surprising, powerful show that could dive a bit deeper

Guillermo Calderón’s Kiss, presented by Theatre Smash and ARC and now playing at Canadian Stage’s Berkeley Street Theatre, is a show that goes from 0-60 at lightning speed. Audience members are initially treated to a chuckle-worthy melodrama featuring an intense love quadrangle, seemingly inexplicably set in Damascus.

But not all is as it appears to be, and the twists and turns of the play rapidly change it from soap opera to something much deeper. Kiss is a powerful show that will keep you thinking about it long after the actors have left the stage, but its deceptions and pointed commentary prove to be both its greatest strengths and its greatest weaknesses.

Continue reading Review: Kiss (ARC and Theatre Smash/Canadian Stage) →

Canadian Stage presents Jack Charles’ powerful show in Toronto as part of Spotlight Australia

I had never hear of Jack Charles before seeing Canadian Stage Company’s production of Jack Charles V. the Crown. Now, I will never forget him. Charles is a 74-year old famous and infamous Australian Aboriginal actor. He is famous for his award-winning film and television career that has spanned over four decades. He is infamous for an almost equally lengthy career of thievery in support of a severe heroin addiction. Continue reading Review: Jack Charles V the Crown (Canadian Stage Company) →