Jess is an East coast transplant to Toronto who stumbled into her love of theatre via her social media gig at Ballyhoo Push Pin Media, and stumbled into review writing via an open call to cover the 2015 Fringe Festival for MoT. In addition to writing for MoT, she also blogs about dating, white supremacy, fat politics, theatre, graphic design, and sex at thejessgillis.blogspot.com. She’s a self-taught freelance graphic designer by trade, and a visual artist by passion. She sells and displays her wares at jessgillis.com. She’s passionate about laughter, anti-oppression, sex workers’ rights, body positivity, vegan food, cycling, good TV, and swimming. If you want to follow her foodie, nail art, and pet sitting posts, you can follow her on Instagram and Twitter @TheJessGillis
Graeme of Thrones brings ambitious hilarity to Toronto’s Panasonic Theatre
(This review probably contains spoilers!) Seeing Graeme of Thrones at the Panasonic Theatre last night was quite an experience for my Game of Thrones-loving soul! What I thought was going to be pure parody turned out to be more.
Graeme (Ali Brice) is just trying to get his play mounted — with no budget, and without getting sued by HBO (where the real Game of Thrones is aired). When he hears that a theatre big-name may be in the crowd, he does his best to entice the “investors” to donate to his show — an homage to the super popular fantasy series based on the books of George R. R. Martin.
This week’s budget-friendly picks include an old-timey variety show, a story about the complications and joys of women’s friendships, queer science fiction horror, and a series of vignettes about the nuances of the Palestinian occupation. Check out the listings below the cut.
Shows That Caught Our Eye in Toronto the Week of October 10th.
We have some exciting multi-lingual (surtitled) shows on Toronto stages this week, and others featuring secret locations, queer science fiction, and as befitting the approach of halloween… HORROR. This week our editor Lin is here to choose a few shows that caught her eye in red text. Check them out below the cut:
According to the program, one of the goals of the show was to present it as “a moving poem, as a journey of emotion rather than pure story.” I found it completely lacking in any cohesive story — or to quote my companion Caryhn, “aboutness” — and I’m not sure that’s a good thing.
This week features one freebie about the isolation of artists, and several other budget-friendly choices which take us both back in time and around the world. Check out the listings below the cut.
Graeme of Thrones brings ambitious hilarity to Toronto’s Panasonic Theatre
This is Why We Live brings collage, poetry, music, and onions to Toronto’s Theatre Centre stage