Shows That Caught Our Eye in Toronto the Week of October 10th.
We have some exciting multi-lingual (surtitled) shows on Toronto stages this week, and others featuring secret locations, queer science fiction, and as befitting the approach of halloween… HORROR. This week our editor Lin is here to choose a few shows that caught her eye in red text. Check them out below the cut:
Already Reviewed by Mooney on Theatre:
Brave New World by Aldous Huxley, adapted by Matthew Thomas Walker (Litmus Theatre/KABIN/TPM). Stage adaptation of the novel by Aldous Huxley about a dystopian future society of infinite distractions and what it means to be human. Previews Sep 27-28, opens Sep 29 and runs to Oct 16, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm, Sun 2 pm (see website for other times). $22-$42. At Theatre Passe Muraille. Show Info.
The Watershed by Annabel Soutar (Crow’s Theatre/Porte Parole/La Coop Fédérée). This play follows an artist and a nation struggling to chart a sustainable course between economic growth and environmental stewardship. Previews from Sep 20, opens Sep 28 and runs to Oct 30, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2:30 pm (see website for other matinee dates and times). $22-$65. At Tarragon Theatre. Show Info.
Noises Off by Michael Frayn (Soulpepper Theatre). A misfit company of actors juggle their lines, love lives and lunches just hours before opening night in this classic farce. Opens Sep 21 and runs to Oct 22, see website for schedule. $32-$94, youth/rush $5-$25. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.
Hosanna by Michel Tremblay (Soulpepper Theatre). A drag performer and her partner confront insecurities and illusions about identity. Opens Sep 23 and runs to Oct 15, see website for schedule. $32-$94, youth/rush $5-$25. At The Young Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.
Matilda: the Musical by Dennis Kelly and Tim Minchin (Mirvish/Royal Shakespeare Company/The Dodger). A gifted girl uses her imagination and sharp mind to fight against the cruel and cynical people in her life in this musical based on the novel by Roald Dahl. Opens Jul 5 and runs to Oct 16, Tue-Sat 7:30 pm. mat Wed, Sat-Sun 1:30 pm (no performances Sep 6-11). $38-$139. At Mirvish Theatre. Show Info.
Late Night by Kat Sandler (Zoomer Live Theatre). A millennial female takes over a late-night TV talk show from an old boys club. Previews Oct 6, opens Oct 7 and runs to Oct 23, Wed-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25-$50. At Zoomer Hall. Show Info.
Dead End by Jonny Sun (Theatre Lab). Two survivors of the zombie apocalypse contemplate survival, fear, humanness and their relationship with each other. Previews Oct 5, opens Oct 6 and runs to Oct 23, Tue-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25-$30, preview $15, Tue pwyc. At Factory Theatre. Show Info.
Concord Floral by Jordan Tannahill (Canadian Stage). Teens deal with a mysterious plague they’ve brought upon themselves in this re-imagining of Boccaccio’s Decameron. Previews from Sep 27, opens Oct 4 and runs to Oct 16, Tue-Thu & Sat 8 pm, Fri 7 pm, mat Wed, Sat-Sun 1 pm. $35-$79. At Bluma Appel Theatre. Show Info.
The Numbers Game by The Pulp Collective (The Pulp Collective/Storefront). This six-part serial looks at the gang and race war that tore through Harlem after prohibition ended and organized crime turned from booze to gambling. Opens Sep 29 and runs to Nov 6, see website for schedule. $20 per episode, $35 for two episodes. At The Storefront Theatre. Show Info.
And the rest:
Terzetto. L’Aubergine and Centre francophone de Toronto present a theatrical show for young audiences combining acrobatics, clown and mime. Oct 16 at 2 pm. $13.50, kids 12 & under $5.50. At Fleck Dance Theatre. Show Info.
Hold Mommy’s Cigarette. Shelley Marshall performs her solo dark comedy about life, mental illness and survival. Opens Oct 14 and runs to Oct 23, Fri-Sat 8 pm, Sun 2 pm. $25. At The Full Bawdy Loft. Show Info.
Keffiyeh/Made in China by Dalia Taha (Afsah Theatre). Eight vignettes attempt to find a repressed humanity amongst the invisible forces of occupation in Palestine. Oct 14-16, Fri-Sat 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 4 pm. $15, stu/srs $10. At Beit Zatoun. Show Info.
The (Post) Mistress. Théâtre Français de Toronto and Pleiades Theatre present a play by Tomson Highway, known in French as Zesty Gopher s’est fait écraser par un frigo. A postal worker shares her small town’s gossip and secrets in this solo musical comedy. Performances in English, French and Cree with surtitles (see website for details). Previews from Oct 12, opens Oct 14 and runs to Nov 6, Wed-Fri 8 pm (additional show Tue Oct 25, no show Wed Oct 26); mat Sat 3:30 pm, Sun 2:30 pm. $19-$49. At Berkeley Street Theatre. Show Info.
Tire Swing by Curtis te Brinke (Filament Incubator). Queer science fiction horror story about learning to say goodbye to a fallen friend. Previews Oct 13, opens Oct 14 and runs to Oct 22, Tue-Sun 7:30 pm. $15-$18, preview $10. At Kensington Hall. Show Info.
The Unending. (Convergence Theatre). Three short plays by Julie Tepperman and Samuel Beckett. Oct 13-23, daily at 7 & 9:15 pm (no show Oct 18). $30-$35. At Aunties & Uncles and at two secret locations. Show Info.
Bianca and Finn: A Golden Age Revival. Bianca Heuvelmans and Thomas Finn perform a 1940s/50s-themed variety show, guest appearances by Jeffrey Bowers, Michell Nash and others. Oct 12 at 8 pm. $20, adv $15. At Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. Show Info.
Frolick in the Face of Certain Death. Frolick presents an interactive theatre experiential tour of their haunted “wherehouse” featuring clowns, dancers, swashbuckling pirates, art puppets and more. Opens Oct 8 and runs to Nov 5, Wed-Sun 6-10 pm (no shows Oct 9 or Oct 21). $30, stu/arts worker $15. At Frolick Studio Theatre. Show Info.
How We Are by Polly Phokeev (Mikaela Davies/Polly Phokeev Productions). Two women unravel the complicated lines between romance and friendship, and the grey areas of consent in this evolving site-specific work. Opens Oct 11 and runs to Oct 15, Tue-Sat 7:30 & 9:30 pm. $20-$25. Location revealed with ticket purchase. Show Info.
All But Gone. (Necessary Angel/Canadian Stage). Contemporary musical exploration of the absurd and evocative imagery of Samuel Beckett through a selection of his short plays. Oct 11-Nov 6. Previews Oct 11-12, opens Oct 13 and runs to Nov 6, Tue-Thu & Sat 8 pm, Fri 7 pm, mat Wed, Sat-Sun 1 pm. $39-$69. At Berkeley Street Theatre. Show Info.
Blacktop Sky by Christina Anderson (LOT). This drama examines the intersection of love, violence and community inside a public housing project. Opens Oct 6 and runs to Oct 16, Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 3:30 pm. $30. At Lower Ossington Theatre. Show Info.
Graeme of Thrones. (Starvox Entertainment). Unimpressed by the TV series, a fan looks to recreate his favourite fantasy saga on stage in this Game Of Thrones parody. Opens Oct 11 and runs to Oct 23, Tue-Fri 8 pm, Sat 7 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm. $39.95-$99. At Panasonic Theatre. Show Info.
Pressgang Storytelling: There to Here. Tara Gerami, Kye Fox, Shawn Hogan, Libby Osler and host Graham Isador. Doors 8 pm. $10. At The Garrison. Show Info.
Legends of Horror. Host Dracula leads an immersive theatrical 1.5 km indoor/outdoor walk through the bowels of the historic castle to encounter classic horror figures. Opens Sep 30 and runs to Oct 31, daily every half hour from 7 pm-midnight. $40-$45. Children 13 and under must be accompanied by an adult. At Casa Loma. Show Info.
“Master Harold”…And The Boys by Athol Fugard (Obsidian Theatre/Shaw Festival). A young man struggles with his father and racial tensions in apartheid-era South Africa. Oct 8-23. Previews Oct 8, opens Oct 12 and runs to Oct 23, Tue-Sat 8 pm, mat Sat-Sun 2 pm (no Sat mat on Oct 8). $29.50. At the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Show Info.
Italian Mime Suicides / Three Red Days. (Bad News Days). This double bill explores the loneliness and isolation of artist by society and oppressive regime. Oct 8-23, see website for schedule and details. At The Theatre Centre. Show Info.
Rutas Panamericanas. Presented by Aluna Theatre & Native Earth Performing Arts. Artists from North and South America come together two weeks of theatre, music, visual arts and conversations about performance and human rights in this festival. Oct 5-16, see website for details. At the Native Earth Performing Arts Centre. Show Info.
Turkey Shoot by Alex Dault (Single Thread Theatre). This work of historic fiction imagines a friendship between Anishnaabe holy man Kahkewaquonaby and Scottish surveyor David Gibson in the mid 1800s, and takes place in Gibson’s 180-year-old historic home. Previews Oct 6, opens Oct 7 and runs to Oct 22, see website for schedule. Free w/ museum admission ($8). At Gibson House. Show Info.
Mary Poppins by Richard Sherman, Robert Sherman and Julian Fellowes (LOT). This musical is based on the PL Travers book and the 1964 film. Opens Oct 1 and runs to Nov 20, Thu-Sat 7:30 pm, mat Sat-Sun 3:30 pm. $55-$65. At Lower Ossington Theatre. Show Info.
Norma by Vincenzo Bellini (Canadian Opera Company). A secret love affair brings two enemies together in a time of war in this bel canto opera. Opens Oct 6 and runs to Nov 5, see website for times. $35-$350. At the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.Show Info.
Junie B. Jones The Musical. A delightful adaptation of four of Barbara Park’s best-selling books, brought to life in a genuinely comical (and not strictly-for-kids) musical developed by TheatreworksUSA. Awaken a young person’s desire to read with the sassy little diva, Junie B. Jones, and her adventures in first grade! Oct. 1-16. $29.99-$39.99. At Lower Ossington Theatre. Show Info.
Ariodante by George Frideric Handel (Canadian Opera Company). The three-act opera about of love, honour and deception is performed in Italian w/ English surtitles. Opens Oct 16 and runs to Nov 4, see website for times. $35-$350. At the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts. Show Info.
Listings based primarily on NOW! Stage Listings.