“[W]e get to watch in interest mitigated by horror as Carrie guides her young and impressionable viewers through the world of bigotry hidden behind righteousness.”

Excerpted from press release:

Blotter Productions is proud to announce that their production of Carrie’s Little Lambs will debut at the Toronto Fringe Festival in July of 2015 and includes a book written by Dave McGinnis and music and lyrics by Brook McGinnis.

Carrie’s Little Lambs focuses on Carrie (played by Brook McGinnis), who hosts a children’s television program dedicated to instilling what Carrie considers to be values in the young. Over the course of this single episode of her program, we get to watch in interest mitigated by horror as Carrie, played by stage veteran Brook McGinnis, guides her young and impressionable viewers through the world of bigotry hidden behind righteousness.

It might be less horrific if it wasn’t so reflective of so much.

Showtimes:

• July 02 at 06:30 PM
• July 03 at 01:15 PM
• July 04 at 07:00 PM
• July 05 at 03:00 PM
• July 06 at 08:15 PM
• July 08 at 05:45 PM
• July 11 at 12:30 PM

Venue: Factory Theatre Studio (125 Bathurst St)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo by Brook McGinnis.

“Their large-­scale shadow puppetry is quirky and beautiful, like an early National Film Board animation performed live before your eyes.”

Excerpted from press release:

Crows are re-­dreaming the world. Is the future all it’s cracked up to be?

Caws & Effect is a modern fable that explores the unexpected consequences that arise after a crow plants a magical seed. The story is told using handmade layered projections, puppetry, masks, and an original musical score. All aspects of the show are created and performed by two artists: Mind of a Snail’s Chloe Ziner & Jessica Gabriel. Their large-­scale shadow puppetry is quirky and beautiful, like an early National Film Board animation performed live before your eyes.

Mind of a Snail is a shadow puppetry duo currently based out of Vancouver B.C. Since 2003, Chloé Ziner and Jessica Gabriel have been developing a multilayered style of visual storytelling using overhead projectors as their main light source. They have created work for organizations such as Vancouver Art Gallery, Telus World of Science, Persephone Theatre (Saskatoon) and many more. They have also performed at theatre & arts festivals including Summerworks (Toronto), Winterlab (Victoria) & Fringe Festivals all across Canada.

Showtimes:

• Fri July 3 ­10:30pm
• Sat July 4 ­ 9:15pm
• Sun July 5 ­ 8:45pm
• Tue July 7 ­ 1:15pm
• Wed July 8 ­ 12:00pm
• Fri July 10 ­ 11:00pm
• Sun July 12 ­ 3:30pm

Venue: Factory Theatre (125 Bathurst St)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo by Chloe Ziner.

“[S]he is a crowd favorite of burly Miners and Grandmas alike, and everyone in-between. Known to take an audience on a journey from witty to heartbreaking then back to laugh riot.”

Excerpted from press release:

Jenny Hamilton will travel over 4 thousand km to make you laugh!

Coming from the Yukon, Canada’s True North, Jenny makes her solo debut at the Toronto Fringe.

Jenny Hamilton is a stand up comedian from Canada’s true north, the Yukon. Jenny has been entertaining people for decades, the last 7 years with a mic in her hand. Performing from Alaska to Australia, she is a crowd favorite of burly Miners and Grandmas alike, and everyone in-between. Known to take an audience on a journey from witty to heartbreaking then back to laugh riot.

Jenny brings her original and personal comedy to her shows. Growing up and living in the Yukon as an out and proud queer has given her a different perspective of the world. A facetious skewed view.

Founder and performer with the Yukon Gold Comics, a rag tag group of diverse stand up comedians from Whitehorse, fans have been asking for a solo show. Klondyke…Stand Up Straight from the Yukon is her breakout show as a single performer.

Comedy that is quick, witty and more often than not, down right filthy.

Showtimes:

• Friday July 3rd 7pm
• Saturday July 4th 11pm
• Monday July 6th 2:45pm
• Tuesday July 7th, 8:45pm
• Thursday July 9th, 2:15pm
• Saturday July 11th, 9:45pm
• Sunday July 12th, 2:15pm

Venue: Tarragon Theatre Mainspace (30 Bridgman Ave.)

Tickets for all Fringe productions are $10, $12 in advance. Tickets can be purchased online, by phone (416-966-1062, business hours only), in-person from the festival box office located in the parking lot behind Honest Ed’s, (481 Bloor West), or — if any remain — from the venue box office (cash-only), starting one hour before showtime.

The festival offers a range of money-saving passes for committed Fringers; see website for details.

Be advised that Fringe shows always start exactly on time, and latecomers are never admitted.

Photo of Jenny Hamilton by Gary Bremner.

Cabaret song and dance sheds light on the Israel-Palestine conflict, on stage at the Toronto Theatre Centre

Acting Up Stage Company has paired with Why Not Theatre to present Ballad of the Burning Star, a unique production from Theatre Ad Infinitum. The production is a drag cabaret performance about an unlikely topic: the Israel-Palestine conflict.

Yes, the subject matter is one of the bigger hot button topics of late, so putting song and dance, glitz and glam, mascara and high heels around that is a highly controversial move. Some may find this offensive. However, everyone should find this as something to talk about.

Continue reading Review: Ballad of the Burning Star (Acting Up Stage Company and Why Not Theatre) →

This Simpsons-themed musical, on stage at the Aztec Theatre in Toronto, misses the mark

Outside the March presents a musical about everyone’s favorite yellow-skinned family — The Simpsons — in Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play. The production features favorite characters, classic lines, music, and yes is “post electric” in that the entire show is done without the use of standard lights.

The concept has taken Toronto by storm. Everyone is talking about it and filing into the Historic Aztec Theatre en masse. It should be amazing! It should be, in a word, ehhhhhxcellent!

Continue reading Review: Mr Burns: A Post-Electric Play (Outside the March) →