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.
Three people’s lives intertwine in the face of a horrific crime in Frozen on stage at the Box Theatre in Toronto
Standing in the lobby of the Box Theatre (which was essentially on the street) I was trying really hard not to reel off bad puns about being cold and waiting to see En(live)n’s production of Frozen. Needless to say I was relieved that the small theatre space was not cheap with their heating.
Frozen looks at three people’s experiences with forgiveness, remorse, and their ability to change. The characters’ lives begin to intersect when Nancy’s 10-year-old daughter disappears on her way to her grandmother’s house. Some 10 to 20 years later, we hear the story of how these characters’ lives touch. Ralph is convicted of abducting and murdering an unspecified number of children – Nancy’s daughter is one of them. Agnetha is studying serial killers. Continue reading Review: Frozen (En(Live)n Productions)→
The works of Caryl Churchill are featured in this year’s Playwright Project starting with A Number at The Downstage
The Playwright Project is both a celebration of influential playwrights and a showcase for indie theatre companies here in Toronto. This is the third installment since the festival began in 2012. The project brings several theatre companies together to mount selected works from a particular playwright. This year’s choice is Caryl Churchill.
The Protestant Reformation and a famous painting set the scene for a mystery in A God in Need of Help at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre
The Protestant Reformation was a schism in Western Christianity in the sixteenth century which divided the Holy Roman Empire into two religious factions, the Roman Catholics and the Protestants. Some Protestants were iconoclasts, who believed that any graven images of God (i.e. something painted or sculpted) should be destroyed.
The sixteenth century. The Protestant Reformation. Roman Catholics, Protestants, iconoclasm, and the blessed Mary. Woven together into a single production, you may not expect these subjects to form a detective-style mystery. Yet that’s exactly what you get in A God In Need of Help, and the result is, for the most part, enjoyable theatre.
Three of history’s most notorious names in propaganda gather in Dinner with Goebbels at Toronto’s Red Sandcastle Theatre
Going into act2studio WORKS‘ production of Dinner With Goebbels I can’t deny I was nervous. Watching a play about Karl Rove, Joseph Goebbels and Edward Bernays having dinner together is a challenging and intriguing idea, but also one that requires some very careful navigation on behalf of the playwright to make sure it doesn’t dissolve into an uncomfortable caricature.
The good news is that for the most part the script is well written and fascinating, giving an hour long lesson on the art of propaganda and three of its most infamous practitioners that, on its own, shows that playwright Mark Leith knows his subject matter.
Celebrating innovative works from emerging local companies, The Theatre Centre in Toronto presents this triple bill
The Toronto theatre scene is amazingly robust and diverse. From minimalist slice-of-life pieces to over-the-top theatrical spectacles, our city plays host to a dazzling array of productions hailing from every slice of the population.
The result is a collection of three eclectic shows, presented in succession that explore a wide gamut of thought-provoking subject matter – making for a truly memorable night of top-class theatre.
Standing in the lobby of the Box Theatre (which was essentially on the street) I was trying really hard not to reel off bad puns about being cold and waiting to see En(live)n’s production of Frozen. Needless to say I was relieved that the small theatre space was not cheap with their heating.
