Strapless is a sketch comedy revue featuring a quartet of performers. It’s playing at the George Ignatieff Theatre as part of the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival. The all-female cast performs a series of sixteen sketches covering a range of topics, including the good, the bad and the ugly of relationships, pop and performance culture, and what women (and men) want. Continue reading Strapless (Nutmeg Creations and Strapless Comedy) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review
The Art Of Traditional Head-tying is written and performed by Kanika Ambrose and is playing at St. Vlad’s theatre as part of the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival. The Art Of Traditional Head-tying begins when Rosie returns to her home country Dominica to teach a series of workshops on the dying art of traditional head-tying. Not only are we audience members to Rosie’s experiences during her visit home, but we are also members of her workshop.
Continue reading The Art of Traditional Head-tying (The Coal Pot) 2014 Toronto Fringe Review
Watching Glory Die is written and performed by Judith Thompson and is playing upstairs at Berkeley Street Theatre. The play is based on the story of Ashley Smith, a teenager who was put in prison for assault and held there until she choked herself to death with a ligature. Ashley Smith was the victim of systemic abuse and negligence and stands as a testament to the ineffective and deleterious prison system in Canada.
Continue reading Review: Watching Glory Die (Canadian Rep Theatre)
Vinegar Tom is a thoughtful, evocative addition to Toronto’s Playwright ProjectVinegar Tom is Neoteny Theatre’s contribution to this year’s The Playwright Project featuring plays by Caryl Churchill and running exclusively at The Downstage. Vinegar Tom is the story of several women and their intersecting lives. It is set in England some time between the medieval and early modern periods at the height of the witch-hunt.
The play is divided into scenes in which character relationships are explored. Mother and daughter Joan and Alice live together near a dairy farm run by Margery and Jack. Relations appear strained when gluttonous Joan requests yeast from austere Margery. Added to this strain are Jack’s attraction to Alice and his unsolicited sexual advances. Alice and her friend, Susan, speak frankly about their desire and sexual agency. The unfortunate young neighbour, Betty, is branded an hysteric by the doctor because she feels pressured to marry a man she does not love.
Tensions rise when a series of mystical and/or inexplicable events occur. Margery’s butter fails to come, her bread doesn’t rise and her calves get sick. John suffers from erectile dysfunction and Susan miscarries after taking a potion from the ‘cunning woman’, Ellen. In this culture of superstition and fear, witchcraft becomes the scapegoat and accusations fall on the faultless with grave and gruesome consequences.
Continue reading Review: Vinegar Tom (Neoteny Theatre/The Playwright Project)
Muse is playing for a limited time at Sterling Studio Theatre and it is comprised of thirteen discrete monologues linked by a common thread: art and the artist’s muse. The monologues are short, all less than five minutes. Some are from the perspective of the muse, telling us why they like or don’t like being the artist’s inspiration. Some are from the perspective of the artist, who describes with neurotic zeal the agony and the ecstasy of their craft. There are moments of tenderness, dread, terror and humour. Continue reading Review: Muse (Little Black Afro Theatre Company)