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/
A love story musical for Sondheim fans, Marry Me a Little is playing at Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre
Marry Me a Little is a musical for Sondheim fans currently playing at Tarragon Theatre Mainspace. My phrasing is deliberate. While the music and lyrics are written by Stephen Sondheim, this particular show is a patchwork that was conceived and developed by Craig Lucas and Norman René. Taking songs that were cut from early Sondheim musicals, they’ve strung them together to suggest a bittersweet love story.
Let me set the scene for you: There is a gorgeous loft apartment. Yes, it really is stunning. Ken MacDonald has created an urban bohemian dream—exposed brick, large windows, high ceilings. Into this artsy wonderland, drops a Man and a Woman. They are never named. At first, we don’t know much about them except that they both work in musical theatre—he’s a songwriter and she’s an actress. Continue reading Review: Marry Me a Little (Tarragon Theatre)→
Classic Shakespearean tragedies receive a clever and humorous spin at Toronto’s Hart House Theatre
I was eighteen when I first read Ann-Marie MacDonald’s ode to Shakespeare—Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet). I recall being struck by its humour and cleverness. The play has stayed with me ever since, though I had not seen it performed until now. Having just seen Hart House Theatre’s exceptional production, my appreciation of the play has grown significantly. It’s not just funny and clever; neither of those two words do justice to the sheer brilliance of MacDonald’s award-winning comedy.
I’m compelled to gush uncontrollably, so know that it requires tremendous restraint on my part to handle this review in a professional and dignified manner, but before I can do so, I must first give voice to my enthusiasm: This play is awesomeness incarnate! The premise is both fanciful and fiercely intelligent, the characters are captivating, and the dialogue is so delicious I wish my life were written by Ann-Marie MacDonald! Continue reading Review: Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet) (Hart House Theatre)→
Chaos ensues after a shocking post-mortem reveal in Nude with Violin playing at Toronto’s Papermill Theatre
There is a charming little venue at Todmorden Mills, tucked in beside the Don Valley Parkway—it’s called the Papermill Theatre; I went there last night to see the East Side Players production of Noel Coward’s Nude With Violin. It was a night of firsts for me: first Coward play, first time at the Papermill, and my first experience with the East Side Players. On all counts, it was more than worth the long, cold walk down Pottery Road.
Set in Paris in the early 50s, the play begins just after the death of a famous artist. Like vultures, his socialite family members flock to his studio to leech off his estate. To their chagrin, the late artist left a letter revealing he was a fraud who never painted a single picture. This confession had been left in the hands of his faithful valet—who, during the rest of the play, negotiates with the family to determine if the truth is to be made public or suppressed. Continue reading Review: Nude With Violin (East Side Players)→
Just to clarify: prostitution itself has never been illegal here in Canada, just the activities that surround it—brothels, public solicitation and making a living at it. These are now legal, opening up the possibility of safer working conditions (although new legislation is still pending). And, while attitudes towards the industry have shifted in a positive direction, the stigma remains. Mrs. Warren’s plight is still resonant. Continue reading Review: Mrs. Warren’s Profession (Sterling Studio Theatre)→
Patriotic experimental theatre took over Toronto’s Glen Morris Studio with I Am America
There are productions that have appalled and confused me, productions that have surprised and inspired me, but very rarely do I have the chance to see something that penetrates so thoroughly, challenging my notions of what theatre is. That is what happened with I Am America, which I was honoured to see last night at the Glen Morris Studio Theatre.
