Monthly Archives: August 2019

Review: Jacqueries Part 2 (Jacob Niedzwiecki)

Immersive theatre meets dance in this piece set in a technological surveillance State

Photo of Mateo Galindo Torres by Vish Hansa in Jacqueries Part 2 - image of silhouetted person leaning on elbows on a box, surrounded by more boxes Exciting and immersive, Jacqueries Part 2 transforms the Citadel + Compagnie theatre into a stark surveillance state. Mixing technology, dance and audience engagement; coder and choreographer Jacob Niedzwiecki leads the audience through this beautiful yet grim world.

Harsh lighting and strict paths made of banker boxes and barrier belts lead you to stern-faced performers. They ask if you are comfortable giving up your phone and passcode.

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Review: 2019 Your Dance Fest Program 1 (random acts of dance)

Jenn Edwards in Your Dance Fest

Annual Dance Festival Features Performances and Workshops

random acts of dance has taken their third annual Your Dance Fest to Wychwood Theatre at Artscape Wychwood Barns. The event offers accessible, intimate views of various styles of dance, and is a wonderful ode to the possibilities of expression through movement.

The event features dance workshops and two dance performances repeated throughout the festival: Program 1 and Program 2. Each of these consists of four original dance pieces choreographed and is performed by a roster of artists. I watched Program 1, which featured contemporary dance.

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Review: The Ends of the Earth (Don’t Look Down Theatre Company)

Man in jeans and blue shirt standing in front of ocean from Don’t Look Down Theatre Co’s. excellent The Ends of The Earth at Alumnae Theatre

Acting takes centre stage in this many-charactered play

The Ends of the Earth – playing at Alumnae Theatre – is a bold choice for Don’t Look Down Theatre Company’s first on-stage production of 2019. Written by Morris Panych and first produced in 1992, it’s a Canadian play that isn’t particularly Canadian. The setting isn’t specified; it could be anywhere with a coastline. This production is set in the present, but it could as easily be set in the early 1990s when it was first produced, or in the 1950s or even the 1920s.

There are a couple of things that date the play. It’s two hours long, 2 hours and 15 minutes with an intermission. In this day of 60 to 90 minutes plays and short attention spans (mine included), that’s a long play. There are 20 characters with lines in the play; 20! That’s a lot of characters.

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CHEAP THEATRE FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 19, 2019

Five Shows Under $25 in Toronto this Week

Hey Mooney parents! And grandparents, aunts, uncles, guardians… If you’re anything like me with my kids, you’re running pretty low on ideas to keep them occupied for the last couple of weeks of summer vacation!  So to help you out, this week we’ve got some budget-oriented suggestions for fun, family-friendly theatre experiences for the young (and young-at-heart) in your life. Something you may appreciate, if your wallet looks anything like mine, by this time in the summer – after things like big-budget activities and day camps. Take a peek below at some suggestions for theatre that will be engaging and entertaining no matter your age!

Under the cut are 5 fun, family-friendly live theatre experiences in Toronto with ticket prices of $25 or less (okay, one is $27.00 but it’s close enough, right?!? And there’s water cannons!), playing the week of August 19th, 2019. All of these shows are perfect for the budget-conscious theatre enthusiast! Experience quality Toronto theatre without the strain on your wallet! Continue reading CHEAP THEATRE FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 19, 2019 →

Worry Warts Performance (Convergence Theatre) 2019 SummerWorks Review

Picture of Julie Tepperman in Worry Warts by Aaron WillisWorry Warts, presented by Convergence Theatre at the 2019 SummerWorks Performance Festival, is an experience in two parts; the first, detailed in a previous review, included a short interview and activities about the things that keep your heart rate up and your eyes open at night.

The company then took the 147 recorded interviews and cut excerpts of them together to create a performance piece, or “sharing,” for the last weekend of the festival. Interviewees received a ticket to the performance, booked separately, with limited tickets available to others. It’s fascinating to hear what other people are nervous about, and the “sharing” feels like just that – an attempt to make us feel less alone in our fears.

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