Always a theatre lover Sam realized in middle age that there's more to Toronto theatre than just mainstream and is now in love with one person shows, adores festivals, and quirky venues make her day.
I don’t do a lot of research before I pick my shows for the Toronto Fringe Festival. I just read the blurbs in the Fringe program and pick the ones that sound interesting. It wasn’t until I sat down to write this that I realized that Zack Adams is actually Australian actor Shane Adamczac.
I have to admit I’m shattered. Does that mean that Zack wasn’t actually on Big Brother 7? Probably. Does it matter? No. The Complete History of Zack Adams is a lovely coming of age story, funny, sweet, and at times sad. It’s a play about the journey to real life.
The Script Tease Project puts on ten different improvised plays over ten days in Toronto
Here’s The ScripTease Project in a nutshell: The National Theatre Of The World (Ron Pederson, Naomi Snieckus and Matt Baram) ask ten well known playwrights to write the first two pages of a play. Pederson, Snieckus and Baram do a cold reading of the two pages and then improvise the rest of the play. They have a bit more help than just the two pages. They’re in costume and there’s a set. Both costumes and set are based on the two pages. Obviously the stage manager has read them.
Monday night’s play was Plants That Kill based on two pages by Maya Ardal.
The characters delight in Home, playing in Toronto’s Distillery District
David Storey’s play Home captivated the audience within the first three minutes. We were laughing even though we really didn’t have any idea what was happening or where the play was set. We knew geographically that it was England; the actors had English accents. Other than that…
And that’s all I’m going to say about the story, any more and I would spoil it.
When I read that The Shipment “dissects what it means to be black in America in this hilarious and shocking play” I immediately wanted to see it. Hilarious racism? Is it possible? Yes, it is. The Shipment is hilarious. It’s only playing until Saturday so get your ticket now. Cancel a prior engagement if you have to. This is one of the most amazing pieces of theatre that I’ve ever seen. Continue reading Review: The Shipment (Young Jean Lee’s Theater Company)→
Tonight my friend Debbie and I saw two short plays by Tennessee Williams. We were at the Cabbagetown venue, The Kiwanis Boys and Girls Club, not a theatre but a good space for theatre. Hopefully we’ll see more theatre here.
