Fun and “entertaining” tap play takes to the stage in Toronto
Stepping Out, Richard Harris’ 1984 play currently running at the Alumnae Theatre, is what I’d call a “hangout” play. It’s low-stakes, with only mild conflict and very little resolution. Its charm, much like a sitcom, lies in spending time with a group of people over the course of a year or so, told in vignettes from a slowly-progressing amateur tap class attempting to work towards an actual performance. This means the play lives or dies based on how invested you are in the characters and their relationships, and the snappiness of the dialogue. The script’s a bit hoary, but overall it’s fun to step in and hang out for a while. Continue reading Review: Stepping Out (Alumnae Theatre)→
Soulpepper revives the classic courtroom drama, on stage at the Young Centre in Toronto
Jury duty. There may be no better way to understand how people truly are, to see how personal biases and prejudices actually affect an individual, than to sit 12 strangers in a room for a few days straight, abruptly interrupting their lives for that time, and have them unanimously decide a person’s fate in court. It’s why so many people do their best to avoid being summoned for it.
In 1954, playwright Reginald Rose wrote Twelve Angry Men to explore humanity trapped in this microcosm at play: 12 men locked in a room decide the fate of a 16-year-old boy accused of manslaughter. If he is guilty, he gets sentenced to the chair. If he is not guilty, he walks away. The television play was made successfully into a stage play and then later a successful movie. The text has been studied in theatre and English classes for years. To start off the 2016 season, Soulpepper brings Twelve Angry Men to the Young Centre for the Performing Arts stage and it is incredible.
Mirvish celebrates famous orators in Bigmouth on stage at the Panasonic in Toronto
Belgian actor Valentijn Dhaenens is currently taking over the stage at the Panasonic Theatre to deliver the most unique one-man show you’re likely to see in Bigmouth. This show, celebrating famous speeches through the ages and the people who delivered them, was a huge success in Edinburgh and has received great acclaim across the globe. It now makes its debut in Toronto.
The beauty of this show is that Dhaenens not only recreates the famous speech, he embodies the person making it. His tonality, timbre, and body language are matched to the individual speaker, making for an entrancing show. I only wish there was more to it.
Mirvish’s Gaslight, now on the Toronto stage, will set hearts racing
Gaslight, playing at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, premiered in London in 1938 and has stood the test of time. It feels old-fashioned in a good way: a traditional, popular, entertaining play. My friend Janet and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Century Song is a unique experience, on stage now in Toronto
There are no words.
Referring to Volcano Theatre‘s Century Song, now playing as part of the Progress Festival at The Theatre Centre, I mean this literally. Other than a few disparate syllables, the piece, a “music recital” study of ephemeral aspects of the Black Canadian experience over the past century, is completely wordless.
Fun and “entertaining” tap play takes to the stage in Toronto
Soulpepper revives the classic courtroom drama, on stage at the Young Centre in Toronto
Mirvish celebrates famous orators in Bigmouth on stage at the Panasonic in Toronto
Mirvish’s Gaslight, now on the Toronto stage, will set hearts racing
Century Song is a unique experience, on stage now in Toronto