Jeffery (Capricorn 9 Productions)

rehearsal 1Toronto’s Capricorn 9 presents Jeffrey a play set in the ’90s during the AIDS crisis

Jeffery is a play by Paul Rudnick that tells the story of a gay man who has sworn off sex while living in New York amid the AIDS crisis in the ’90s. The script both embraces and defies the stereotypes of gay men at the time. Capricorn 9’s production of Jeffery at Red Sandcastle Theatre has plenty of distractingly rough edges but, at times, it still manages to find the confusion and exuberance of the era.

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Review: Macbeth: Walking Shadows (Shakespeare in the Ruff)

Puppet Macbeth is an “outstanding, fresh take” on Shakespearian tragedy in Toronto parks

This is not the first time that I’ve seen puppets speak the words of Shakespeare, but this is the first time that I’ve seen such a well-done Shakespearean puppet show for adults. With a winsome blend of humour and sorrow, Shakespeare in the Ruff’s Macbeth: Walking Shadows is one of those productions that truly deserves to be called innovative in my opinion.

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Review: Keeper (Fine Wine Theatre)

Keeper, a new play by Tanisha Taitt, debuts at Toronto’s Artscape Youngplace

When I walked into the small room at Artscape Youngplace to watch Fine Wine Theatre’s Keeper, I was greeted with one of my favourite quotations hanging on a wall as part of the set. It is a variation of the Buddhist maxim, “In the end, what matters most is how well did you live, how well did you love, and how well did you learn to let go.” Keeper, whether by accident or design, touches on each to a powerful emotional effect.

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