In 49th Day by athena kaitlin trinh, produced by Theatre ARTaud at the 2020 Next Stage Theatre Festival, a young woman (trinh) travels from Canada to Vietnam to fulfill the ritual requirements for her deceased grandmother (Diana Tso). The titular number of days refers to the length of time rice and offerings are brought to the altar for the dead.
Swearing up a storm and wrecking the ritual order, granddaughter is torn between a desire to honour her grandmother and to rage at her for her departure. She’s desperate to have one final, parting moment of connection with a woman and a culture both ever-present and distant to her. Highly specific yet universal, her story is a familiar one to many grandchildren of immigrants: she has Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, but admits her limited knowledge of those cultures’ languages and histories runs from rudimentary to almost non-existent, respectively.
Troublesome DNA has left her with titanium in her spine to help hold her head up. She also uses a seriously cool power chair to transport her around the stage, making loops with vigour and grace.
Shows that Caught Our Eye in Toronto for the Week of December 30, 2019
For me it has been that weird holiday week. You know the one where you don’t really remember what day of the week it is, and PJs are the outfit of the day… after day… after day? And it has been glorious fun, with the kids playing with all of their new toys. Except the Lego spread all over the carpet. One missed piece at clean-up can ruin your night (ouch!!)
But it’s also time to put on pants and get back to a regular sleep schedule so I can function at work next week (okay… after New Year). And the best way to get motivated to go out is to make some plans to go to the theatre. It’s my week to let you know what has caught my eye, so take a look at my picks in ‘red’. Spoiler alert – it’s pretty family-friendly! It’s a great week to take kids to get some theatre experience!
Mooney on Theatre wishes you all a very Happy New Year! See you next decade!
Second City presents family friendly musical comedy for the holidays
The Second City presents What the Elf?! a family-friendly musical comedy show that reminds us it’s never too late to pursue our dreams. This production of What the Elf?! is based on a 2015 script (written by Leslie Seiler), re-worked and directed by Nigel Downer in collaboration with the ensemble cast. While revolving around the journey of Santa’s elves and reindeer, this show provides some life lessons for humans of all ages.
Tried and true remount of family-friendly version of A Christmas Carol in its 13th year
The holiday classic, A Christmas Carol, is back at Soulpepper in its thirteenth season. Scrooge, the loveless and stingy character, played by Joseph Ziegler for the past eleven seasons of its run, gives even more meaning to my favourite holiday insult: “Bah humbug!”
Second City presents family friendly musical comedy for the holidays