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/
This action-packed story, perfect for any Toronto commuter, is playing at the Storefront Theatre
I spend at least two hours of every day on the TTC; it is a fundamental part of my Toronto life. Now, you don’t have to be so intimately familiar with local transit to enjoy Special Constables, but if you have grown up with the Red Rocket and know its quirks as well as those of an annoying roommate, then Circlesnake Productions‘ latest show will be a transcendent experience.
Beautiful dance brings the story of Adam and Eve to life in Paradise Lost playing at Toronto’s Fleck Theatre
There is something quite extraordinary happening at Harbourfront Centre’s Fleck Dance Theatre. The Janak Khendry Dance Company’s production of John Milton’s Paradise Lost is masterfully executed and utterly captivating. I have never read Milton’s epic classic, nor am I particularly interested in dance, so I was amazed at how firmly this show held me in its grip.
Paradise Lost tells biblical story of Adam and Eve and their expulsion from the Garden of Eden. The story, I’m sure you know, goes something like this: Satan, having been banished from Heaven, uses his powers of seduction to fool Eve into eating the forbidden fruit from the tree of knowledge. She then convinces Adam to do the same. The two are deeply ashamed, clothe themselves to hide their nakedness, and are cast out of paradise. The story is embedded in our collective psyche. Continue reading Review: Paradise Lost (Janak Khendry Dance Company)→
A musical journey of self-discovery, Pieces of Me is playing at the Theatre Passe Muraille
I love musicals, but they’re tricky beasts. I love how effortlessly they can whisk me away to the land of melodrama, to a place where it doesn’t seem weird for people to drop their briefcases and burst into song, yet they can so easily become awkward or ridiculous. There are many moments in Deon Denton’s Pieces of Me (which opened last night at the Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace) that transported me with whimsical abandon, but they are sometimes disjointed from the rest of the action.
I enjoyed the flashy dance numbers, but spent most of the first act rather discomfited regardless. The songs are not, in my opinion, particularly memorable. They are uptempo and fun, but they are bouncy even during the story’s gloomy patches which disrupts the emotional reality the songs should enhance. But deeper than that, I found the implications of the story itself—at first, anyway—quite troubling. Continue reading Review: Pieces of Me (Promise Productions)→
Hart House Theatre’s take on Twelfth Night is endearing but leaves much to desire for Shakespeare aficionados
Twelfth Night is not my favourite Shakespeare comedy, but it was the first I ever read. Back in ninth grade, I was introduced to the Bard with this sweet, saucy, and sometimes cruel tale of mistaken identity, trickery, and frustrated lovers. Hart House has staged a handsome production that showcases a beautiful set and lively performances.
The show is never boring, but neither is it particularly inspiring. Director Matthew Gorman has placed the action in a contemporary setting—a British-style pub. The aesthetic of khaki pants and woolen sweaters creates a homely atmosphere that put my companion and I in mind of Mumford and Sons. Continue reading Review: Twelfth Night (Hart House Theatre)→
Two couples struggle with a living past and a lifeless marriage in Where’s My Money? at Toronto’s Sterling Studio Theatre
On a cold and rainy night, I make my way down a dark and narrow road to the Sterling Studio Theatre. I take my seat, surrounded on all sides by an audience of ghouls. A musician with a pale white face and ratty clothing plays the blues. The stage is blanketed by fog. Has this play been hijacked by Halloween revelers?
