This Thursday and Friday, Tapestry Opera presents a workshop presentation, or “beta-premiere of Selfie, a show that sets the social media generation to contemporary opera. We asked Artistic Director Michael Mori to give us a picture of what’s in store for the audience.
Canadian Comedy Award Winner James Gangl brings his hit one-man Edmonton Fringe show, In Search of Cruise Control, to the Second City John Candy Box Stage this weekend. With dramaturgy and direction by Fringe favourite Chris Gibbs, the show is the true story of Gangl’s attempt to give his teenaged nephew the sex talk.
We asked writer and perfomer Gangl a few questions about the upcoming production:
Continue reading Preview: In Search of Cruise Control (James Gangl)
The Play’s The Thing, presented by Soulpepper for the third time in the company’s 17-year lifespan, is a big airy cream-puff of a play; a juicy, over-ripe peach that is nonetheless a treat. Written by Ferenc Molnár (known for Liliom, the basis for the musical Carousel) and adapted in 1926 by P.G. Wodehouse of Jeeves and Wooster fame, it’s not a deep play, but it doesn’t pretend to be. Rather, it’s a play about plays, a delightfully sly send-up of the conventions and form of the well-made play, with a dollop of farce on top. Its references are irreverent, its artifice the most natural thing in the world.
Around this time last year, I had never seen a single episode of Star Trek, though as a small child, I’d humoured my friend’s request that I be Dr. Crusher in our playground games. I had no idea what the fuss was about. Now, I’m four episodes away from the end of The Next Generation, having spent more obsessive time with the good doctor, Captain Picard, and Lt. Commander Data than I’d care to admit. To mitigate the horror of finishing the series, I was eager to watch The Dandies perform their latest installment of Holodeck Follies, an improvised Star Trek adventure with songs and special guests.
Site-specific shows don’t get more specific than the front porches of your friends and neighbours. That’s the idea behind Porch View Dances, a series of short contemporary dance works developed by Karen and Allen Kaeja of Kaeja d’Dance: it enlists community members and their porches and front lawns, the public-facing aspect of their living spaces.
These brave neighbourhood volunteers perform choreography by professional dance artists. Now in its fourth year, the award-winning show has branched out to Ottawa, Kitchener, and Moncton. It’s very approachable, being run by donation, and takes the audience on a charming walking tour through Seaton Village, a cosy neighbourhood just steps from busy Bathurst and Bloor.