Charming Monsters is a play presented by Afterglow Theatre at Toronto Fringe 2013. The drama claims it is a “play about the monster in us all”, using six characters to demonstrate the lust, greed, and violence. The drama takes place in a small town where a too-charming man, Henry, stirs up trouble with the surrounding women.
Even after having watched the play, it is hard to understand what Charming Monsters is about. Is it about the seductions and affairs of Henry, who tries to get into the beds of the whole female cast? Is it about magic and mythology, since Catherine finds herself connected with a mysterious beast? Is it about the trials of sisterhood and the troubles of the more neglected Cassandra?
A physical absurdist show that provides plenty of laughs
The opening night of I Hired a Contract Killer, a production by Randolph Academy, was sold out more than an hour before it started. 10 minutes into the show I understood why. This show is unique, comical, cute and so much fun!
The story, originally a film released in 1990 by Finnish writer/director Aki Kaurismäki is simple: Frenchman Henri Boulanger (Matt Raffy) works a boring desk job for the government. He has no social life to speak of and, when fired, killing himself seems to be a good idea. Unable to do so, he meets shady characters in the back room of a bar who tell him they’ll get it done. The next few days he makes it as easy as possible for the hitman to locate him, until he falls in love with the beautiful Margaret (played by Brittani Byrne) and finds a reason to live. Trouble is, how do you stop yourself from being killed by people you’ve paid to do just that? Continue reading I Hired a Contract Killer (Randolph Academy) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review→
Genesis And Other Stories. Chaotic perfection is the only way I can describe this truly hilarious play being put on at Trinity St. Paul’s United Church by Aim for the Tangent Theatre. This play-within-a-play-within-a-church is about a man whose father dies; to honor his memory, he tries to put on a play about Adam and Eve set in Eden, USA in 1965, and oh my goodness do they ever.
I am wary of one-person shows for I fear the all-too-common phenomenon of an actor desperately trying to show me his or her range. Granted, there is a decidedly actor-ly vibe to It’s Just a Stage We’re Going Through Theatre Company’s production of Just Lift Your Feet at the Robert Gill Theatre. And there is desperation too, but not of the sort I feared. Here is the naked vulnerability of a character who desperately wants to connect to herself and the world in some meaningful way. Continue reading Just Lift Your Feet (It’s Just A Stage We’re Going Through) 2013 Toronto Fringe Review→
A Fun, Smart Play About Queer Theory At The Toronto Fringe Festival
I had really been looking forward to seeing Spoon. The mention of a play in this year’s Fringe that explores queer theory through the lives of a gay couple trying to make sense of gender stereotypes caught my interest. Happily, this play more than delivers on its promise.
