Here is what’s going on in Toronto theatre this week. There are several great shows to catch for the week of September 24th, 2012: ** Shows marked with the double asterisks and in red are the ones that make Wayne, our Managing Editor, wish he could exist in multiple parallel universes so he could check them all out.
Already Covered by MoT
**AMALUNA (Cirque du Soleil). Acrobatics, music, dance and design are used to look at femininity, renewal, rebirth and balance on a mystical island governed by women. Opens Sep 6 and runs to Nov 4. $58.50-$158.50, stu/srs/child from $43.50. Grand Chapiteau Tent, Port Lands, Commissioners at Cherry. cirquedusoleil.com/amaluna.
AVENUE Q by Robert Lopez and Jeff Marx (Lower Ossington Theatre). A college grad moves to NYC and works through the transition to adulthood in this musical puppet show. Opens Jun 22 and runs to Oct 7. $45-$60. 100A Ossington. 416-915-6747, lowerossingtontheatre.com.
BETWEEN THE SHEETS by Jordi Mand (Nightwood Theatre). A parent-teacher interview unravels into a high-stakes drama about family. Previews Sep 18-19. Opens Sep 20 and runs to Oct 7. $13-$40. Tarragon Theatre, Extra Space, 30 Bridgman. 416-531-1827, nightwoodtheatre.net.
**DEATH OF A SALESMAN by Arthur Miller (Soulpepper). Having lost his job in his twilight years, a man confronts his failure to achieve the American dream. Previews Sep 5-7. Opens Sep 8 and runs to Oct 6. $32-$68. Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane. 416-866-8666, soulpepper.ca.
FEBRUARY by Lisa Moore (Alumnae Theatre). A woman deals with the death of her husband when an offshore drilling unit sinks off the Newfoundland coast. Opens Sep 21 and runs to Oct 6. $20, Wed 2-for-1, Sun pwyc. 70 Berkeley. 416-364-4170, alumnaetheatre.com.
HURLYBURLY by David Rabe (Column 13 Actors Company). Four men working in the film industry of 80s LA reflect on their lives while enduring their vices. Previews Sep 19-20. Opens Sep 21 and runs to Sep 29. $15, previews pwyc. Unit 102 Theatre, 376 Dufferin. 416-536-0048, column13.org.
MEMORY IN THE MUD (Words In Motion). This movable drama and tour tells the stories of brick makers, POWs and Depression-era transients who spent time at the Brick Works. Opens Jul 11 and runs to Sep 29. $20, child $10. Evergreen Brick Works, 550 Bayview. ebw.evergreen.ca/whats-on/memory-in-the-mud.
NO GREAT MISCHIEF by David S Young (Tarragon Theatre). Haunted by stories and songs of their Scottish ancestry, two brothers seek to reconcile their past. Previews Sep 11-18. Opens Sep 19 and runs to Oct 21. $48-$53, srs $38-$43, stu $27, previews $21-$24, rush $13. 30 Bridgman. 416-531-1827, tarragontheatre.com.
OBAABERIMA by Tawiah M’Carthy (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre). Imprisoned in Canada, a young Ghanaian talks of his journey across continents, genders, races and sexualities. Previews Sep 15-19. Opens Sep 20 and runs to Oct 7. Pwyc-$37. 12 Alexander. 416-975-8555, buddiesinbadtimes.com.
**PROUD by Michael Healey (Sue Edworthy). A conservative Prime Minister trains a rookie MP to promote his agenda in the third of Healey’s trilogy of plays about Canadian values. Previews Sep 20-21. Opens Sep 22 and runs to Oct 6. $25-$40, Mon pwyc. Berkeley Street Theatre, 26 Berkeley. 416-368-3110, proudtheplay.com.
**ROSENCRANTZ AND GUILDENSTERN ARE DEAD by Tom Stoppard (Hart House Theatre). This absurdist comedy follows the antics of two minor characters from Hamlet. Opens Sep 21 and runs to Oct 6. $25, stu/srs $10-$15. 7 Hart House Circle. 416-978-8849, harthousetheatre.ca.
WAR HORSE based on a novel by Michael Morpurgo, adapted by Nick Stafford (National Theatre of Great Britain/Mirvish). An English boy sets out to find his horse after it’s sold to the cavalry and shipped off to France during WWI. Previews Feb 10-27. Opens Feb 28 and runs to Nov 4. $35-$130, rush $29. Princess of Wales Theatre, 300 King W. 416-872-1212, mirvish.com.
WE’VE TOTALLY (PROBABLY) GOT THIS! Second City presents its fall 2012 revue featuring new sketches, songs and improv about stress and juggling priorities. Tue-Thu 8 pm, Fri-Sun 7:30 pm (plus Fri-Sat 10 pm). $24-$29, stu $15. 51 Mercer. 416-343-0011, secondcity.com.
And the Rest
Abilities Arts Festival (AAF). The festival celebrating diversity, inclusion and accessibility features a multimedia Nuit Blanche installation, stories told through podcast plays, film and more. Opens Sep 20 and runs to Oct 11. $8-$25, many events free. Various venues. abilitiesartsfestival.org.
Antony And Cleopatra by William Shakespeare (Theatre Elusive). The classic tale of love and conquest is brought to life as a testament to female power. Opens Sep 26 and runs to Oct 6. $25, stu $20, Fri pwyc. Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander. 416-975-8555.
Dear Liar by Jerome Kilty (Why Not Theatre). Visiting Bollywood actors Naseeruddin Shah and Ratna Pathak star in this play about George Bernard Shaw’s 40-year association with Mrs Patrick Stella Campbell. Sep 28-30. $44-$88, stu $22. Regent Park Arts & Cultural Centre, 585 Dundas E. 1-800-838-3006, beyondbollywood.ca.
Die Fledermaus Rehearsal (Canadian Opera Company/Culture Days). Public rehearsal of the upcoming productions of the Strauss operetta. Sep 28 at 7 pm. Free. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen W. 416-363-8231, coc.ca.
Freckleface Strawberry The Musical based on the novel by Julianne Moore (Lower Ossington Theatre). A girl’s friends help her to stop being embarrassed about her freckles. Opens Sep 16 and runs to Dec 23. $29-$59. 100A Ossington. 416-915-6747, lowerossingtontheatre.com.
Gay Play Day: A Festival Of LGBT Theatre (Gay Play Day). Short plays by Bruce Harrott, Tina McCulloch, Durango Miller and Darren Stewart-Jones, plus a reading of Sky Gilbert’s new play, Hamilton Bus Stop. Sep 28-29. $15, stu $10. Alumnae Theatre, Studio, 70 Berkeley. gayplayday.blogspot.ca.
I Am An Animal The Dietrich Group presents choreography by DA Hoskins that explores the theme of desire. Opens Sep 26 and runs to Sep 30. $20. The Citadel, 304 Parliament. thedietrichgroup.com.
Il Trovatore by Giuseppe Verdi (Canadian Opera Company). A troubadour and his rival woo a noblewoman while a gypsy plots revenge in this tragic opera. Opens Sep 29 and runs to Oct 31. $12-$325. Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen W. 416-363-8231, coc.ca.
Jitters by David French (Stage Centre Productions). This play-within-a-play looks at the comedic catastrophes of opening night. Opens Sep 27 and runs to Oct 6. $27.50, stu/srs $22. York Woods Library Theatre, 1785 Finch W. 416-299-5557, stagecentreproductions.com.
My Second Smile by Noah Spitzer (Theatre Bassaris). Spitzer performs his solo show about a 16-year-old’s brush with mortality. Opens Sep 25 and runs to Sep 30. $16.50. Factory Theatre, Studio, 125 Bathurst. 416-504-9971, theatrebassaris.com.
sLoE Harbourfront NextSteps presents choreography by Julia Sasso that celebrates the quality and transformation of the body in motion. Sep 27-30. $25-$35. Enwave Theatre, 231 Queens Quay W. 416-973-4000, harbourfrontcentre.com.
Tap Dogs by Dein Perry and Andrew Wilkie (Mirvish). This dance-theatre show features male dancers tap dancing through a construction site. Opens Sep 25 and runs to Sep 30. $25-$89. Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King W. mirvish.com.
The Fine Art Of Murder (Mysteriously Yours… Dinner Theatre). This dinner-theatre whodunit features a Sherlock Holmes mystery. Opens Sep 21 and runs to Dec 29. $66-$71. 2026 Yonge. 416-486-7469, mysteriouslyyours.com.