Gian has been a contributor to MoT since June 2013. Other than a couple of theatre history electives in university, Gian’s main theatre experiences date back to his childhood days when he would accompany his parents to shows at the Elgin Theatre or Princess of Wales Theatre. His fondest memory is seeing Les Mis as a child and being in awe of the larger-than-life costumes and musical numbers. When seeing a show, he loves pieces that come from a sincere place of truth – that tell a heartfelt story. During the day, he’s a Toronto Copywriter and Search Marketing Specialist. You can connect with him on both LinkedIn and Twitter. Twitter: @gian_verano
In the English language, there are certain words you never expect to see together. And while these oxymorons may at first seem puzzling, they can often be quite thought-provoking as well. Tender Napalm is a critically acclaimed British play making its Canadian debut at this year’s SummerWorks Festival.
True to its name, this Phantasmagoria Collective production was heart-warming yet explosive – a juxtaposition of the contradictory themes of passion and loathing, allegory and bittersweet reality. But then again, love – which is the central theme of this production – is never straightforward anyway.
Can you ever love somebody too much; so much so that it hurts just thinking about them? And have you ever been in a relationship where every moment you’re together is like a volatile mix of passion and regret, but apart you feel like you’re nothing?
Faking Bad is for the fans, at Toronto’s Bad Dog Theatre
It has often been said that the sincerest form of flattery is imitation. But the most hilarious form of flattery is parody. Faking Bad is Bad Dog Theatre’s comedic take on the AMC hit drama series, Breaking Bad.
Staying true to the television show’s cannon, Faking Bad similarly chronicles a terminally-ill high school teacher’s foray into drug dealing in order to provide financial stability for his family. But unlike the original series, this parody (currently playing at the Comedy Bar) takes a sharp U-turn into the realm of nonsensical slapstick folly.
Tucked away in an alley behind Toronto Landmark, Honest Ed’s, there’s a celebration of art and life going on. Now in its third year, Visual Fringe is a collection of 16 art vendors and exhibitors that showcase the non-theatrical creativity of Toronto Fringe.
With subject matter dealing from more traditional paintings to hand-crafted jewelry as well as one vendor that retails one-of-a-kind lapel pins modeled after caricatured human faces -it’s the perfect place to enjoy visual masterpieces and shop for truly unique pieces of art. Many vendors are also donating a portion of their proceeds back to the festival.
Everything is based around the concept of pop-up-shops, so vendors and exhibitors alternate the time and dates they’ll be occupying the Fringe Club. For a full listing of times and dates, check out this PDF.
It has often been said that being marginalized is the same as simply being invisible. Your opinions matter for very little and, often, people don’t even realize you exist.
Inspired by interviews with Toronto’s homeless population, The Invisible City journals a mysterious epidemic where, all of the sudden, people just start vanishing into thin air. Currently playing at St. Vladimir’s Theatre, this Toronto Fringe show explores the theme of what it actually means to live on the periphery of mainstream society.
