All posts by Sam Mooney

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.

Review: Frances and Marybeth (bracket)Theatre

Caroline Grace Hall, Meaghen Quinn, Matt Wells, Jesse Bond and David Rossin Frances and Marybeth, Factory Theatre Toronto

Frances and Marybeth delivers laughs at Toronto’s Factory Theatre

Frances and Marybeth, a play described to be about, “Two sisters. Three Men. Fourteen litres of milk. One ultimate date night.” by Neale Kimmel premiered at Factory Theatre Studio last night.

Frances and Marybeth is a farce complete with mistaken identities, false identity, and an unexpected guest.

Frances is a spontaneous free-spirit who has spent the past three and a half months on Marybeth’s couch, crying and eating salt and vinegar chips while trying to get over a breakup with her fiance Rick. Marybeth is her cautious younger sister who sells her paint-by-numbers art on craigslist.

After experiencing a “life-moment” at the gynecologist she meets the dashing Antonio in the dairy aisle and invites him for dinner. She persuades Marybeth to invite Paul – who buys her paintings – so they can have a double date.

Rick, her ex-fiance, shows up and hilarity ensues.This is a very funny show.

Continue reading Review: Frances and Marybeth (bracket)Theatre →

Review: The Shakespeare Challenge (Shakespeare in Action)

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Shakespeare in Action does a terrific job with A Midsummers Night’s Dream at Toronto’s Arts and Letters Club

Take a group of dedicated volunteers and interns, add nine community members – not necessarily actors – then add six rehearsals with a professional director, shake it up a bit and you have The Shakespeare Challenge; the first annual (I hope) benefit for Shakespeare in Action.

On Friday night those nine community members performed an abridged version of A Midsummer Night’s Dream at the Arts and Letters Club in Toronto. And performed it well. Continue reading Review: The Shakespeare Challenge (Shakespeare in Action) →

Review: Pomme is French for Apple (Bahia Watson and Liza Paul)

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Bahia Watson and Liza Paul are a delight in their fantastic show Pomme is French for Apple

Bahia Watson and Liza Paul

I had a wretched afternoon and on my way to the car I fell on some ice. Pomme is French for Apple starts at 9 pm – late in my books. Not really the best way to go to see a show; I wasn’t in the most receptive frame of mind.

Thank you Bahia and Liza for turning my day around. Pomme is for Apple is a fantastic show. Hilariously funny!

Continue reading Review: Pomme is French for Apple (Bahia Watson and Liza Paul) →

Interview: Q and A with Dina Martina

Dina Martina is coming to the Flying Beaver Pubaret in Toronto

Because I haven’t seen Dina perform I’ve been reading about her in order to prepare for this. I’m struck by the contrast of the statements I found while doing my research. On the one hand, people clearly adore her. They call her a living legend. On the other hand, they follow the statement of adoration up with the statement that she has no talent.

An article by David Schmader, published in The Stranger, is a perfect example of what I’m talking about. He says:

DINA MARTINA is a living legend. Singer, dancer, raconteur, she is the quintessential post-postmodern celebrity, a one-woman Circus of the Stars. To those who have experienced the magic of Dina, she is a reason to live. To those who have not, she is nearly impossible to explain. … The primary fact that one must understand about Dina Martina — beyond her stature as a superstar entertainer without peer — is that she is in possession of not one shred of discernible talent or grace.

That brought two questions to my mind, first, ‘How does it make her feel?’ and second, ‘What can this performance possibly look like to have both statements made by the same reviewer?’ Continue reading Interview: Q and A with Dina Martina →

Review: Rob Ford: the Opera (University of Toronto Faculty of Music)

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Rob Ford: the Opera played to a capacity house this afternoon at The MacMillan Theatre.  800 people were there according to the Dean of the Faculty, Dr. Don McLean. (No, not that Don McLean.) I arrived at 1:45pm and the line up snaked its way from the lobby doors of the theatre down a corridor, around a corner, outside, back inside , and then down another corridor. They opened the Balcony so there would be enough seats.

Somehow I doubt that everyone was an opera fan; I suspect the subject matter had something to do with the attendance.  Opera fans or not, the audience loved the performance, lots of laughing and lots of applause – and possibly some new opera fans? Continue reading Review: Rob Ford: the Opera (University of Toronto Faculty of Music) →