Johnston performs solo as he takes us through a partially auto-biographical story of self-discovery, fantasy, and unexpected grief. Johnston has nothing short of Herculean energy in this 2 part production of The Tenderpits Trilogy, he is a virtuoso of the comedic moment, and his unwavering commitment to his role is what carries us through the more abstract moments of this story.
Be sure to experience Vital Signs, a dance performance in four parts, at the Winchester Street Theatre, Toronto to escape into an unknown world filled with breathtaking movement
Vertical City’s YouTopia is an intellectually stimulating and visually striking theatrical experience playing at Toronto’s Glen Morris Studio Theatre
The set of YouTopia is a stylish and evocative contraption that overwhelmed me as I took my seat in the Glen Morris Studio Theatre. It towers over the audience, this haphazard grid that serves as a mechanism for the sustained existence—not quite life—of our three characters: Kiran, The Engineer and AL.
Kiran is trapped in an arduous cycle of repetition. The structure of her daily routine is sustained by the voice of AL (a computer). She pulls herself along the steel bars of her world and must balance precariously in various parts of the set. AL talks to her throughout—a time-keeper, a monitor, a friend. Kiran, eventually growing dissatisfied with her banal existence, begins to challenge AL. Continue reading Review: YouTopia (Vertical City)→
Breathtaking voices fill this modern take on the classic opera Carmen playing at Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre
These are gorgeous photos, aren’t they? In fact, everything about Loose Tea Theatre’s La Tragedie de Carmen (which played at Buddies in Bad Times) sounds gorgeous – a sultry, 1930s chamber-scale adaptation of Carmen, one of the most enduring and popular pieces of western Opera.
And, luckily, the opera sounds gorgeous as well: Ryan Harper (Don Jose) and especially Cassandra Warner (Carmen) round out an excellent cast of singers. Musical Director Jennifer Tung (who accompanies on piano) has them in fine form, and the effect is helped considerably by how much fun the cast appear to be having on stage.
But though this is a production which sounds gorgeous. I found the experience of watching it to be somewhat less satisfying.
Toronto based Cabbagetown Theatre’s The Reluctant Dragon is a delightful song and dance performance that parents and kids will absolutely love
The Reluctant Dragon is a kid friendly modern adaptation of St. George and the Dragon by the Cabbagetown Theatre Company. In this story, twins stumble upon a terrifying dragon who is not at all what they expected. Performed in a small chapel across from Riverdale Farm, the play makes good use of Cabbagetown’s community charm.
