On stage at Toronto’s Berkeley Theatre, a man struggles with a condemning truth

In seeking justice for terrible acts, what do we expect from the people who are guilty? Is it remorse? Is it acknowledgement of their responsibility in the act? Ubu and the Truth Commission, playing at the Berkeley Street Theatre as part of Canadian Stage’s Spotlight South Africa festival, gives the stage to such a figure.

When the South African Truth Commission offers amnesty to those who committed atrocities during Apartheid in exchange for proof the acts were politically motivated and full disclosure of those acts, Ubu (Dawid Minnaar) tries to figure out whether he will admit his guilt and risk punishment or lie and risk getting caught. His struggle is complicated as his wife, Ma (Busi Zokufa), suspects Ubu’s nightly escapades are with another woman but her suspicions may lead her to the truth about her husband. Continue reading Review: Ubu and the Truth Commission (William Kentridge and Handspring Puppet Company) →

“Hallucinogenic” dance piece lights up the Harbourfront Centre stage in Toronto from April 15-18.

Someone I know was born this past weekend, and I’m told that when she was pulled from her mother’s body, the lights in the operating room were all shining very, very brightly. That’s what the world is like: when it isn’t dark, it blazes terribly.

That’s also what the opening of Me So You So Me, a beautiful piece of dance theatre by Vancouver’s Out Innerspace company, is like. Though technically a 60-minute duet, the dynamic between the two dancers is interrupted from the outset by a lively third element—the light.

Continue reading Review: Me So You So Me (Out Innerspace Dance Theatre) →

This one-man show is a “fine debut” for Moose + Moa, a new Toronto-based theatre company.

We all have to deal with loneliness at some point in our lives. For some it’s merely a road bump that we work through and move on from, but we’ve all known that crushing bout of isolation that leaves us curled up in bed listening to the same song over and over again in a twisted spiral of depression and romanticism.

In The Art of Being Alone, Moose + Moa Theatre Company explores this experience in a solid 50 minutes that’s equal parts poignant and hilarious.

Continue reading Review: The Art of Being Alone (Moose + Moa Theatre Company) →

Provocative dance piece has “audience members twisting in their seats” at the Berkeley in Toronto

In Hatched (playing as part of Spotlight South Africa), creator Mamela Nyamza confronts the audience. She hungers; she accuses; she explains; she spites; she learns; she rejects; she implores. Through dance, movement and brief moments of interaction, she explores her own story as a dancer, a mother and an African. She invites us to peer into her soul, just a little bit.

Now, fair warning: this is an uppercase-D Dance show. At one point, a dancer crosses the stage topless, en pointe, balancing a bucket on her head and strewing clothespins everywhere. If that description is making you queasy, you may want to avoid this one. But as someone who normally has trouble plugging into dance, I found I really warmed to Nyamza’s frank, honest, thoughtful and—occasionally—brutal performance. If you can get past the Dance label and connect with the performer, Hatched is a profoundly interesting and rewarding experience.

And if you’re already predisposed to enjoy dance and movement, well, you lucky duck: get yourself to the Berkeley, pronto.

Continue reading Review: Hatched (Mamela Nyamza/CanStage) →

Enjoy burlesque on the stage, and then play boardgames every month in Toronto

On the third Thursday of every month, Toronto is treated to the delightful combination of burlesque and boardgames with Tassels and Tabletop, presented by Nerd Girl Burlesque.

The night begins with a lively burlesque show, which is followed by a giant mountain of board games being brought out for the board game social. It takes place at The Handlebar in Kensington Market, where my show-partner Robin and I enjoyed some delicious food and cocktails while watching the show—if you’re going the cocktail route, I highly recommend the Paloma, as it was delicious.

Continue reading Review: Tassels and Tabletop (Nerd Girl Burlesque) →