Monthly Archives: February 2012

Seeds

Seeds is a politically-charged hybrid of theatre, journalism and science

Presented by Crow’s Theatre and Porte Parole
Written by Annabel Soutar
Directed by Chris Abraham

Eric Peterson in Seeds. Photo by Guntar Kravis.

Annabel Soutar’s Seeds, the engrossing new docudrama now on stage at the Young Centre for the Arts, is based on the four-year legal battle between biotech giant [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

High Life

The latest Soulpepper production of a classic heist play is criminally, emotionally Canadian

By Ava Baccari
Written by Lee MacDougall
Directed by Stuart Hughes

Mike Ross, Michael Hanrahan, Oliver Dennis and Diego Matamoros. Photo by Michael Cooper.

In pursuit of faithful story rendering, the all-star cast of Canadian Lee MacDougall’s High Life in the latest Soulpepper production has let themselves [...]

Posted by Ava Baccari in Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dani Girl

This magical, heartbreaking new musical is a modern fairy tale
By Ava Baccari
Book and lyrics by Christopher Dimond
Music by Michael Kooman
Directed by Richard Ouzounian

Gabi Epstein in Dani Girl. Photo by Susan Benoit.

In that unambiguous, disarming manner through which children perceive the world, the nine-year old eponymous character in the new musical, Dani Girl, probes: “If prayer [...]

Posted by Ava Baccari in Theatre | Tagged , | 1 Comment

Potted Potter

Toronto audiences fall under the spell of British comedy duo Dan and Jeff
Written and  performed by Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson Turner
Directed by Richard Hurst

Jefferson Turner and Daniel Clarkson in Potted Potter.

Potted Potter: The Unauthorized Harry Experience explores all seven Harry Potter books in 70 minutes. The parody is the brainchild of Daniel Clarkson and Jefferson [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Dani Girl Q&A: Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond

Gabi Epstein and Jonathan Logan in Dani Girl. Photo by Susan Benoit.

Michael Kooman and Christopher Dimond‘s Dani Girl returns to the stage this month in a new co-production by Show One Productions and Talk Is Free Theatre. Directed by Toronto theatre critic Richard Ouzounian, and starring Jeff Madden, Amanda LeBlanc, Jonathan Logan, and Gabi Epstein, [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , , , | 1 Comment

Hughie

Alley Theatre Workshop gambles to win with Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie
Presented by Alley Theatre Workshop
Written by Eugene O’Neill
Directed by David Ferry

Michael Kash in Hughie. Photo by Alley Theatre Workshop.

Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie takes place in a shabby New York City hotel lobby circa 1928. Presented by Alley Theatre Workshop, the moody two-hander directed by David Ferry is [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Pomme Is French For Apple

Pomme pomme girls: Liza Paul and Bahia Watson breeze out at the Tranzac

Liza Paul and Bahia Watson. Photo by Zahra Siddi @ zahrasiddi.tumblr.com.

Pum (n): West Indian slang for a woman’s private parts (short for pum pum).
Liza Paul and Bahia Watson have uncovered a real gem with Pomme Is French For Apple: an honest, intelligent and [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

In The Heights

Dancap Productions brings some Latin heat to chilly Toronto 
Presented by Dancap Productions
Music and Lyrics by Lin-Manuel Miranda
Book by Quiara Alegria Hudes
Directed by Thomas Kail

Cast of In The Heights. Photo by John Daughtry.

Stories about hardworking immigrant families living in North America–Ins Choi’s Kim’s Convenience, for example–are guaranteed crowd pleasers in a culturally diverse city like Toronto. [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Pomme Is French For Apple Q&A: Liza Paul and Bahia Watson

Liza Paul and Bahia Watson. Photo by Zahra Siddi at zahrasiddi.tumblr.com.

When two fun-loving friends as accomplished as Liza Paul and Bahia Watson come together to create a show named after the West Indian word for a woman’s private parts (pum), you know it’s a performance worth seeing.
Toronto theatre scenesters will likely know Paul as the associate [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Alley Theatre Workshop Q&A: Michael Kash

Michael Kash as Erie Smith in Hughie. Photo by Alley Theatre Workshop

Eugene O’Neill’s Hughie has only been performed a handful of times, most notably by Al Pacino on Broadway in 1996. The two-character, one-act play is now on stage in Toronto, presented by Alley Theatre Workshop (ATW), and starring Dora Award-nominated actor and ATW artistic [...]

Posted by Lauren Gillett in Theatre | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

A Brimful Of Asha

The (un)marriage plot: Ravi Jain’s collaborated stage production proves that sometimes, mother doesn’t always know best
By Ava Baccari
Written and performed by Asha and Ravi Jain
Directed by Ravi Jain

Ravi Jain, Asha Jain. Photo by Erin Brubacher.

Canadian actor Ravi Jain has an impressive laundry list of accomplishments in the theatre world, both in Canada and abroad, including [...]

Posted by Ava Baccari in Theatre | Tagged , , | Leave a comment