All posts by Wayne Leung

Wayne Leung (1981-2019) Wayne was the Managing Editor of Mooney on Theatre from 2012 - 2019 and will be sorely missed. His death from an apparent heart attack was a loss not just to Mooney on Theatre, but also to the Toronto Theatre Community at large. You can read our publisher Megan Mooney's tribute to him here here. Wayne was a writer, editor and corporate communications professional who was thrilled to be a part of the Mooney on Theatre team. Wayne loved theatre ever since his aunt brought him to a production of Les Misérables at the tender age of ten . . . despite the fact that, at that age, the show’s plot was practically indiscernible and the battle scenes scared the bejeezus out of him. Wayne’s current list of likes ran the gamut from opera, ballet and Shakespeare to Broadway musicals, circus and Fringe theatre. Outside of the theatre Wayne’s interests included travel, technology and food.

Murderers Confess at Christmastime (Outside the March) 2013 SummerWorks Review

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Outside the March has become a perennial favourite at SummerWorks. The company has presented acclaimed shows at the festival the past couple years including their wild roller coaster ride of a production, Terminus, last year.  Their offering this year is Murderers Confess at Christmastime, and if Terminus was a roller coaster, this show is more like a fun house; a dark, twisted ride. Continue reading Murderers Confess at Christmastime (Outside the March) 2013 SummerWorks Review

Review: Angels in America (Soulpepper)

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Toronto’s Soulpepper presents Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes

If I were to describe playwright Tony Kushner’s Angels in America: A Gay Fantasia on National Themes in one word it would be “monumental”. All three definitions of the word apply to the work; “great in extent or size”, “great in importance”, but also “serving as a monument”. Angels in America is widely recognized as a landmark of queer theatre and one of the most important dramas of the late 20th century. Continue reading Review: Angels in America (Soulpepper)

Mooney on Theatre Recommends – 2013 Toronto Fringe Festival

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This past weekend Mooney on Theatre sent its dedicated team of 18 writers and 5 editors to cover all 141 shows* in this year’s Toronto Fringe Festival! With the sheer number of shows available at the festival, picking the ones you want to see can be a daunting task.

Of course, one of the best ways to enjoy the Fringe is to not overly plan it out and just go and take a chance on something that happens to be playing at a given time; it’s only ten bucks and about an hour of your time and you may discover something you think is amazing.

If you’re still feeling a bit overwhelmed by the number of shows at the Fringe and are looking for a place to start, we’ve asked our staff to tell us about their favourite shows they’ve seen at this year’s festival. We hope our staff picks can help you navigate the Fringe.

If you’ve seen something you think is amazing that you think others should go see please let us know by leaving a comment.

Happy Fringing!

Mooney on Theatre Staff Picks – 2013 Toronto Fringe Festival Continue reading Mooney on Theatre Recommends – 2013 Toronto Fringe Festival

SQUAT: A Super Secret Back-Alley Musical (Watch the Elbow) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review

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Producing a musical is hard. It’s about an order of magnitude more complex than mounting a straight-play. Doing a musical well on a shoe-string Fringe budget is an incredible challenge, one that Watch the Elbow has taken up to present SQUAT: A Super Secret Back-Alley Musical as part of the Toronto Fringe Festival. I have to say, I’m really impressed by the results.

Continue reading SQUAT: A Super Secret Back-Alley Musical (Watch the Elbow) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review