All posts by Dana Ewachow

Dana Ewachow is too shy to order a pizza over the phone, but has no problem writing on the internet. She keeps herself busy and artistically poor by writing news articles, rants, and fiction for the internet. As you may have noticed, she also writes theatre reviews. She enjoys sketch comedies, dark comedies, light comedies, and burlesque. When she isn’t writing, her odd hobbies include: martial arts, throwing hatchets, and trying to cook food that won’t send her to the hospital. Armed with questionable diplomas and a second degree blackbelt, she will surely take over the world.

Review: Ravenscroft (Sterling Studio Theatre Collective)

A hilarious whodunit mystery, Ravenscroft is playing at Toronto’s Sterling Studio Theatre

Ravenscroft (Sterling Studio Theatre Collective) is now playing at the Sterling Studio Theatre. The play written by Don Nigro was adapted into a movie re-named The Manor in 1999 starring Peter O’Toole. Ravenscroft can be described as a mixture of Downton Abbey and Clue, with a lot more laughs and questionable accents.

Six actors filed out onto the small stage of the Sterling Studio Theatre, maneuvering around furniture quietly in strict choreography. There were five women and one man with a majestic mustache. The mustached gentleman was Inspector Ruffing, who was hard-pressed to find the truth about a dead man at the bottom of a staircase in the Ravenscroft manor. Then the lights came on and the mystery was afoot.
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Review: The Keith Richards One Woman Show (Suitcase in Point)

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Deanna Jones’ tribute to rock legend Keith Richards is playing at Toronto’s FIXT Point Studio

The Keith Richards One Woman Show by Suitcase in Point begins with what you would expect. There was a woman on the FIXT Point Studio stage and she loved Keith Richards, the ultimate rockstar from the Rolling Stones. This woman did not just love Keith Richards. She idolized him. He was the rock and roll God that she worshipped with religious fervor and Jack Daniels. As funny of a concept I found this, I was still skeptical of how a super-fan’s obsession for an old junkie guitarist could entertain me for more than five minutes.

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Review: The Woman In Black (Lower Ossington Theatre)

Fear takes hold in the classic The Woman in Black playing at Toronto’s Lower Ossington Theatre

I  have to admit, I was skeptical about seeing The Woman In Black, adapted by Stephen Mallatratt, at the Lower Ossington Theatre. The Woman In Black is an eerie ghost story about a woman who haunts a remote British village. The story is inspired by Susan Hill’s novel, and has been adapted into two films: 1989 and 2012.

I had already seen the new adaptation. The movie really creeped me out, mostly due to the subtle effects. Naturally, not having a film budget or a computer effects team, I assumed the play was going to pale in comparison. I became more confident in my theory as the first act began at a slow pace, with protagonist Mr. Kipps and an actor discussing the importance of showmanship. This play couldn’t scare me. I was sure of it.

Dear God, I was so wrong. Continue reading Review: The Woman In Black (Lower Ossington Theatre)

Review: Far Away (Bad Dress Productions)

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A convoluted play exceptionally acted, Far Away is playing at Toronto’s Dancemakers and the Centre for Creation

I had never seen a show written by the playwright powerhouse Caryl Churchill before. My friend and plus-one prepared me by stating that the show was, without a doubt, going to be confusing. So when I sat down to watch Far Away (Bad Dress Productions) at Dancemakers and the Centre for Creation, I was ready to lose myself in Churchill’s strange dystopia.

Far Away does not follow the path of the average story. Most stories begin in a place of confusion and conflict, then unravel into a neat conclusion. Far Away begins in a place of confusion and continues to tangle as the play goes on. There are no clear explanations. There is no clear conclusion. The play simply takes a rest in its twisted state.
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Review: Savage In Limbo (Bob Kills Theatre)

Bob Kills Theatre’s Savage in Limbo is a heartbreaking story set in a Cheers-esque bar playing at Toronto’s The Downstage

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The opening night of Savage in Limbo at The Downstage began without announcement. The audience was still tittering with quiet conversation when a head slowly rose from behind the stage bar. The bartender (Murk) stared straight ahead with wild eyes. I was right in his line of vision and began to wonder if I was lost in a very twisted episode of Cheers.

And in a way, Savage in Limbo is an odd version of the beloved bar-based sitcom. All the patrons know or know of each other. They confess personal stories and exchange banter. There is even the constant presence of laughter, without the painful requirement of a laugh-track. Even the tagline is reminiscent of a joke: “A virgin, a failed nun and an over-ripe Italian walk into a bar…”.

Continue reading Review: Savage In Limbo (Bob Kills Theatre)