I promise you right now that it was not because I really thought that there was any chance of seeing hardcore sex on stage at the Theatre Centre that made me want to see Ghostlight Projects production’s of Debbie Does Dallas the Musical & Hedwig and the Angry Inch.  Honestly! My curiosity was piqued because I really didn’t have any idea how you could bring either of these shows to the stage successfully. Of course, Hedwig started as a stage production, but I didn’t know that at the time.

If you haven’t heard of Ghostlight Projects productions by the way, it’s because they’re brand new. Bringing to the stage versions of two cult movies, (one which features lots of sex, and the other lots of great music),  is an excellent way to introduce themselves to Toronto audiences and hopefully make a name for themselves.

Continue reading Debbie Does Dallas the Musical and Hedwig and the Angry Inch by Ghostlight Projects →

Review will be coming soon, but since it’s closing on Saturday, and since I enjoyed it so much, I wanted to post a note advising you to go see Hedwig and the Angry Inch at the Theatre Centre.  Well worth the trip to Queen west, but take earplugs if you have sensitive ears.

By John Bourke

Carmen Aguirre, the author and performer of the piece, tells the audience at the opening of the show that Blue Box, is not the real title of the show.  The real title is Blue Cunt, but she thought it would be difficult to publicise with that name.  Fair enough, you really shouldn’t say cunt in public.  It’s impolite. Blue Cunt, by the way, is apparently the female version of Blue Balls, which happens when you don’t get enough sex. I had never heard of it before this show – who says you don’t learn anything going to the theatre?

Blue “Box” is part of the 2009 Hysteria Festival at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.  It is a story pulled from Aguirre’s own life experiences.  It tells of a youth in the Chilean resistance, her two husbands, encounters with a “vision man”, making a living as an arts worker in Vancouver, and having visitations from her dead grandmother.

Continue reading HYSTERIA 2009 – Blue Box by Carmen Aguirre →

by John Bourke

This year marks the 30th annual International Festival of Authors (IFOA) held at Harbourfront Centre in Toronto.  Part of this 11 day long event was a tribute on Saturday to Paul Quarrington: A Life in Music, Words, and on Screen.

You might be asking yourself why a theatre website is writing about an author’s festival, but here at Mooney on Theatre we look at the idea of what constitutes ‘theatre’ in a very broad way.  So that it includes a very wide variety of ‘performances’.  Speaking of a wide variety of performances, the tribute to Paul Quarrington seemed to cover all the bases.  It had speeches, live music, the occasional quotes from scripts, and even family slideshows.

Continue reading International Festival of Authors – Paul Quarrington: A Life in Music, Words, and on Screen →