Reviews of productions based in Toronto – theatre includes traditional definitions of theatre, as well as dance, opera, comedy, performance art, spoken word performances, and more. Productions may be in-person, or remote productions streamed online on the Internet.
Last night two friends and I saw The Silicone Diaries – created and performed by Nina Arsenault – at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. I’ve been thinking about the show all day and am still not really sure what to say. Both my friends loved it. Judith said that it was a theatre piece that she would remember forever. Bredgeen identified with the idea of fitting in and being accepted.
The Silicone Diaries is Arsenault’s narrative about her journey from being a gawky young man to being a beautiful young woman. The piece goes far beyond the idea of a woman inside a man’s body. It’s about achieving a perceived ideal beauty and the lengths that one person was willing to go in order to be beautiful.
And she is beautiful. I was surprised at just how beautiful.
A most enjoyable morning in Toronto with hundreds of Grade 2 students and A Year With Frog And Toad
Today is the first time I’ve ever gone to see a play at 10.30 in the morning. The truth is, once you’re inside the theatre it could be 10.30 at night. Not for this production of A Year With Frog And Toad at Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People though: it would have been past bedtime for most of the audience – 4 bus loads of Grade 2 students.
Off the top, A Year With Frog And Toad is marvellous. Great performances from a terrific cast, gently funny dialogue, and lots of singing and dancing add up to a very entertaining show.
There is not much to say about Peter Shaffer‘s seminal classic about one boy’s special sexy horse religion; it pretty well speaks for itself. I was glad to see Hart House Theatre’s production didn’t try to frivolously add to the text and really allowed it to stand on its own, underscored with beautiful staging, design, and soundscapes.
Of course Equus‘s most notorious element is the full-frontal nude scene that is required with the purchase of the rights to the text. However the most subversive element of the show is its potent message of non-conformity.
Elenna Mosoff makes her return to Hart House after finishing a program in the States in Theatre Direction. She has directed past performances at the University of Toronto cultural centre including hits The Rocky Horror Show and Reefer Madness. While she has always been drawn to controversial and slightly raunchier pieces, her interpretations are never gimmicky.
Last night two friends and I saw The Silicone Diaries – created and performed by Nina Arsenault – at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. I’ve been thinking about the show all day and am still not really sure what to say. Both my friends loved it. Judith said that it was a theatre piece that she would remember forever. Bredgeen identified with the idea of fitting in and being accepted.
