Samantha is both a writer and a fan of the arts and has been able to find numerous ways to pair the two. Aside from being an editor here at Mooney on Theatre, she's a photojournalist for Been Here Done That, a travel, dining and tourism blog that focuses on Toronto and abroad and previously for Lithium Magazine, which got her writing and shooting about everything from Dave Matthews Band to Fan Expo. She's passionate about music, theatre, photography, writing, and celebrating sexuality -- not necessarily in that order. She drinks tea more than coffee, prefer ciders over beers, and sings karaoke way too loudly. You can follow her on various social media including Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
What do Alliser Thorne from Game of Thrones, Oscar Wilde, a glass slipper, a Roald Dahl classic, Elvis, and Prince Charming from Shrek have in common? They’ll all be making appearances during the upcoming Mirvish season. On Monday, ticket holders and subscribers filled the Royal Alexandra Theatre for a sneak peek hosted by Luke Kempner from Upside Downton — and to be treated to a few select performances as well.
Take a look under the cut to see what the new season has in store.
Mexe (pronounced mesh, Portuguese for ‘move’) is part of the Live Art series at this year’s SummerWorks Festival and it may be one of the more exciting and immersive shows you’re likely to see at the festival.
That’s a tall-order statement, which is proper for a tall-order performance. Mexe, created by Maziar Ghaderi, blends capoeira — the Afro-Brazilian martial art and dance — with music, dance, song, and live sound. Bring your headphones (preferably ones with a longer cord or you can rent one for $2) to experience the ‘3D sound’.
The Emancipation of Ms. Lovely, playing as part of this year’s Toronto SummerWorks Festival, is a fantastic coming of age one-woman story. Through this 80-minute show, you get to know Lovely and journey with her as she explores herself as a young black woman learning to love the different curves of her own body and searches for more meaning and satisfaction out of her sexual encounters.
It’s a story that any woman, especially women of colour, can relate to — in particular when bridging cultural conservatism and expectations with personal exploration and sexual liberation. It’s a story I’m particularly thankful I had the chance to see.
Return Home, playing as part of this year’s SummerWorks Festival, is a story of two women — one an Indigenous Anshinaabe woman from Quebec (played by Emilie Monnet) and the other an Indigenous Palestinian woman born in exile (Dima Alansari). Their lives and histories become intertwined with the help of Raven (Carlos Rivera), an Indigenous Mixteco from Mexico whose spirit-like presence weaves through both women’s lives. This is a story of what each woman can learn from the other other told in vignettes, movement, projections, sound and music.
There’s a lot to absorb in this 75-minute piece playing at The Theatre Centre, and aside from a few bumps along the way, it’s an intriguing ride.
Better Angels: A Parable, playing as part of this year’s SummerWorks Festival, is a play that will make you angry — righteously angry. You will spend the hour fuming, shifting in your seat (and not only because you’re in the backspace at the Passe Muraille), wishing comeuppance and seeking vindication. For all these reasons, Better Angels is worth watching,
