White People Problems, as defined by comedian Louis C.K., is “when your life is so amazing, that you make shit up to be upset about”; like when you lose the hood ornament on your Mercedes or when your polo tournament gets rained out. Soulpepper’s production of A. R. Gurney’s play The Dining Room is essentially two hours of White People Problems. Continue reading Review: The Dining Room (Soulpepper)
World Stage is known for producing non-traditional theatre that eschews conventions of plot and characterization. All Our Happy Days Are Stupid, a home-grown play by Sheila Heti, is no exception. Famously considered “unstageable” for many years, it’s been taken on by Jordan Tannahill, a local artist whose star is rapidly rising. The result is a quirky show with cartoonish comedy, a piecemeal plot with absurd undertones, and charming (if scattered) meditations on the nature of happiness.
Continue reading Review: All Our Happy Days Are Stupid (World Stage)
With an audience of only sixteen people, Janek Turkowski’s Margarete, curated by SummerWorks for the Progress Festival, is an exceptionally intimate presentation. I was made to feel like an invited guest. After accepting an offer of coffee, I took my seat in front of Turkowski, who greets each member of this small gathering.
The set-up is very cosy. Amidst some cushions and a throw rug, the audience sits just a few feet from Turkowski and his odd assortment of props: some spools of 8mm film, two projectors (one film, one digital) and his laptop. Over the course of an hour, we will learn a little something about the mysterious Margarate… and even more about our own imaginations. Continue reading 2015 Progress Festival Review: Margarete (SummerWorks)
I mentioned this in yesterday’s play listings, but it’s worth noting again – there’s a lot of shows happening in Toronto this week. And it just so happens that a lot of them are rather affordable! Some celebrate the fact that it’s almost Valentine’s Day. There’s a few cool period pieces – and a whole theatre festival on this week! Check them out below. They’re all available for $25 or less! It’s kind of like an all you can eat theatre buffet, to some extent.
Continue reading Cheap Theatre in Toronto for the Week of February 10th, 2015
There’s an absolute ton of shows opening in Toronto this week – some because it’s Valentine’s Day, but in general, it also seems to be a ripe week for theatre-going! You can take advantage by checking out our list of shows playing in the city below – anything highlighted in red with two asterisks is highly recommended by our Editor, Samantha.
Continue reading Toronto Playlistings for the Week of February 9th, 2015