Arigato, Tokyo brings elements of Japanese Noh Theatre to the Toronto stage

The section on Japanese Noh Theatre I took in theatre school has finally come in handy. Daniel MacIvor’s Arigato, Tokyo, playing at  Buddies in Bad Times, uses forms of Noh Theatre in the story of Carl Dewar, a cynical novelist who indulges in wanton sex and drug use to stave off his loneliness. Dewar travels to Japan for a book tour and the play is peppered with readings from this fictional novel, passages that show both disdain and deep longing for romantic love. Continue reading Review: Arigato,Tokyo (Buddies In Bad Times Theatre) →

A charming and kind Circus of Amazing Fleas from Toronto’s Theatre Direct

First, readers will be grateful to know that the charming Buster Canfield has not, as actual flea circus ringmasters sometimes would, harnessed the fleas in fine metal wire collars to wear for the rest of their lives. I feel relatively confident that Theatre Direct wouldn’t permit it; they don’t seem the type. Nor indeed are there any fleas in his act at all, as there typically aren’t in the case of modern flea circuses – instead, there are magnetics, elastics, sleight-of-hand, patter and pure showmanship.

The form as it exists today is an opportunity for a performer to show any number of performance talents, including comedy for certain, and flea circus is having a bit of a resurgence along with storytelling and knitting, other older pastimes and entertainments that still have a lot of good times left in them.

Continue reading Workshop: Buster Canfield & His Circus of Amazing Fleas (Theatre Direct) →

The Whipping Man is educational, historical – and captivating – theatre, at Toronto Centre for the Arts

I watched Whipping Man on opening night at the Toronto Centre for the Arts accompanied by our founding editor Megan Mooney. Generally I don’t make the trek out to North York – or close enough – for a show. There’s plenty of great theatre I can watch in the downtown area but, considering that Megan really wanted to see this show, directed by her idol Philip Akin, I knew I would be in for a treat and I was!

When the show started I was sitting there with my notebook discreetly folded in one hand and a pen in the other. I didn’t write a single word for the first 45 minutes at least, since at intermission the page was blank and my hand was full of smudged ink. I decided not to bother with the notes. The show is so intense and sucks you in from the moment the lights go down. Continue reading Review: The Whipping Man (Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company/Obsidian Theatre) →

Contemporary dance show Half Life Motel explores an array of moving themes

Half Life Motel, a collaborative effort of Flightworks and Blue Ceiling Dance, happens to be my first foray into Toronto’s contemporary dance scene. Presented by the DanceWorks CoWorks series at the Dancemakers Centre for Creation, I was enthralled by the deft skill of the dancers and impressed by their intensity. A show comprised of three separate pieces by three different choreographers, Half Life Motel tackles a varying array of themes in interesting and sometimes perplexing ways.

The first piece, entitled Centennial Motel and Rest is an exploration on the theme of falling. Choreographed by notable dance artist Karen Kaeja, and danced with verve by Diana Rose and Suzanne Liska, I found their partnering to be at times both tender and sensual. Sharp jerky movements mixed with fluid moments of balance and trust made Rose and Liska most interesting to watch. There is a lot of intricate floor work and, of course, falling, sometimes synchronized, and it brought me into the notion I think Kaeja was attempting to convey. Falling is a lot about timing, but also about support, its presence and absence.

Continue reading Review: Half Life Motel (DanceWorks CoWorks) →

Clowns against the war at University of Toronto’s Studio Theatre

Death Clowns in Guantanamo Bay playing at U of T’s Studio Theatre has a lot of good ideas, a lot of good actors, and a few moments of genuine innovation. My guest and I both had a soft spot for clowning, for political themes and for unconventional approaches to theatre–and this company takes good, hard swings at all three.

The clowning is wonderful. Their success in other areas is more mixed.

Continue reading Review: Death Clowns in Guantanamo Bay (Centre for Drama, Theatre and Performance Studies/The Blacklist Committee for Unsafe Theatre) →