All posts by Istvan Dugalin

Apart from his (pathological?) obsession with airplane disasters, Istvan is a filmmaker and film enthusiast, but began his creative adventures in theatre. Starting out as an actor, he soon discovered a preference for life behind-the-scenes. He has experience in lighting design, stage management and production management, but his passion is writing and directing. With several short films and an indie feature under his belt, film has been his focus in recent years, but theatre has been calling him back. You see more of his critical writing at his film reflection blog: http://captiveviscera.wordpress.com/

2015 Next Stage Festival Review: For a Good Time, Call Kathy Blanchard (Outside Inside)

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For A Good Time, Call Kathy Blanchard is playing at Factory Theatre for this year’s Next Stage Theatre Festival. Part farce, part family drama, it is wholly satisfying on both counts: this is a story that grapples with broken marriages, mental and physical illness, failed dreams, and hockey. Continue reading 2015 Next Stage Festival Review: For a Good Time, Call Kathy Blanchard (Outside Inside)

2015 Next Stage Festival Review: Graham Clark Reads the Phonebook (Laugh Gallery)

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Graham Clark Reads from the Phonebook is currently playing at the Factory Theatre as part of Next Stage Festival 2015. With a title like that, you’re probably expecting it to be either terrible or very clever. It’s not nearly as clever as I expected, but it’s certainly not terrible. I had a good time and the thirty minutes flew by. Continue reading 2015 Next Stage Festival Review: Graham Clark Reads the Phonebook (Laugh Gallery)

Review: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Red One Theatre Collective)

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Red One Theatre Collective in Toronto invigorates Edward Albee’s classic comedy-drama with dynamic realism

Red One Theatre Collective’s production of Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? is currently playing at The Storefront Theatre and it is a force to be reckoned with. Edward Albee’s comedy-drama about the brutal inner workings of a dysfunctional marriage is over fifty years old now, but you’d never know it. It’s as funny, harrowing and relevant now as it was in 1962.

George and Martha, a middle-aged couple, stumble home from a campus party early one morning. He’s a history professor and she’s the daughter of the college president. They are, to put it mildly, discontented. They invite a young couple, a new professor at the college and his wife, Nick and Honey, over for a post-party gathering at their home. It all starts out civilly, but as the liquor flows and secrets are revealed, things turn vicious. Continue reading Review: Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (Red One Theatre Collective)

Review: Macbeth (Sterling Theatre Company)

Toronto’s Sterling Theatre Company’s take on Macbeth is equal parts “Thrilling” and “Sensual”

touchedMACBETH -1-0242217Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s bloodiest tragedies, is Sterling Theatre Company’s season opener in their new shared (with Unit 102 Players) venue, The Theatre Machine. What an innovative and compelling take on the classic tale!

Set in a post apocalyptic environment where the Illuminati strives to gain ultimate control over society, we’re given an intriguing perspective on Shakespeare’s tale of a brave general and his wife who are driven to murder and madness by greed and ambition. Continue reading Review: Macbeth (Sterling Theatre Company)

Review: Spin (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre & Outspoke Productions)

Spin, playing at Toronto’s Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, is a multimedia tribute to feminism and cycling

It was certainly worth the effort—braving the first real snowfall of the season—to catch Evalyn Parry’s tribute to cycling and feminism: Spin. Playing at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (where it premiered three years ago before its national tour), Spin is a multimedia performance that had me tapping my feet, dabbing my eyes and yearning for the chance to hop on a bike and change the world. Continue reading Review: Spin (Buddies in Bad Times Theatre & Outspoke Productions)