All posts by Allison Gerson

Review: who we are in the dark (Peggy Baker Dance Projects/Canadian Stage)

Photo of Kate Holden, Sarah Neufeld, Mairi Grieg, and Sahara Morimoto in who we are in the darkChoreographer Peggy Baker joins forces with members of Arcade Fire for a multidisciplinary dance show

The world premiere of Peggy Baker Dance Projectswho we are in the dark is currently being presented by Canadian Stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre. Peggy Baker is one of the luminaries of Canadian contemporary dance.  She has had a long career as a performer and as a choreographer, both in Canada and internationally. who we are in the dark is her biggest production to date.  The piece is a multi-disciplinary evening featuring innovative movement, music, lighting, and visual art which combine into a feast for the senses. Continue reading Review: who we are in the dark (Peggy Baker Dance Projects/Canadian Stage)

Review: Blood Tides (Kaha:wi Dance Theatre/DanceWorks)

Photo of Kaha:wi Dance Theatre in Blood Tides

Blood Tides, performed by Kaha:wi Dance Theatre and presented by DanceWorks, explores and reclaims the experiences of Indigenous women across generations and cultures. Choreographer Santee Smith brought together a team of Indigenous artists from Canada, the US, Mexico, New Zealand, and Fiji in a collaboration that used dance, video, music, and even pottery to create something that felt like a sacred ritual.

Continue reading Review: Blood Tides (Kaha:wi Dance Theatre/DanceWorks)

Review: After the Fire (Punctuate! Theatre/Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts)

Photo of Louise Lambert, Jesse Gervais, Kaitlyn Riordan, and Sheldon Elter in After the FireA new play set during the aftermath of the Fort McMurray fire is no on stage in Toronto

In May 2016, a fire in Fort McMurray, Alberta burned over 85,000 hectares and displaced the entire city. After the Fire, written by Matthew MacKenzie, and presented by Punctuate! Theatre, Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts and Native Earth Performing Arts at The Theatre Centre, examines the aftermath of this disaster. Through the lens of one extended family, we see the economic, environmental, and, most importantly, the human costs of one of the largest natural disasters in Canadian history. Continue reading Review: After the Fire (Punctuate! Theatre/Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts)

Review: Katherine Is Not A Communist (Epigraph Theatre)

Photo of Katherine Doering in Katherine is Not A CommunistThis site-specific one-hander, on stage in Toronto, is smart and funny but didn’t all add up

Katherine is Not a Communist is a new play written by Katherine Doering and Curtis te Brinke and produced by Epigraph Theatre. The one-woman show, featuring Doering as the title character, packs a lot into 90 minutes. There’s American history, classic Hollywood movies, and witchcraft. It’s a wild ride, but for me, the show didn’t hang together. I thought the different bits were interesting, but as a whole, the show left me confused. Continue reading Review: Katherine Is Not A Communist (Epigraph Theatre)

Review: Ever So Slightly (RUBBERBANDance Group/DanceWorks)

Photo of RUBBERBANDance Group in Ever So Slightly

Montreal-based RUBBERBANDance Group opened the 2018-19 DanceWorks Mainstage series with Ever So Slightly, choreographed by Artistic Director Victor Quijada. The performance was billed as an “avant world premiere”.  And Toronto is lucky to be the first to get a sneak peak at this new work. Though it was sometimes hard to watch, Ever So Slightly was a beautiful and inventive evening of dance. Continue reading Review: Ever So Slightly (RUBBERBANDance Group/DanceWorks)