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 didn’t know what to expect from Living With Henry. Would it be a drama? A comedy? Probably not a comedy, it’s a musical about living with HIV. Was I going to sob through the whole production? Would I enjoy it?
Yes, I enjoyed it a lot. Living With Henry is a drama but is never heavy handed. There are a lot of funny moments but the script never goes for the cheap laugh. The songs blend seamlessly with the dialogue and are there to move the story forward. It all works together perfectly.
Having said that, Between The Sheets – written by Jordi Mand and directed by Kelly Thornton – is terrific. It’s a powerful piece of theatre. The performances by Susan Coyne and Christine Horne were perfect. If you’ve been thinking about seeing a staged reading or a workshop production this is a good place to start. It doesn’t feel like a piece in development. Continue reading Between The Sheets (The New Groundswell Festival)→
OK, I admit it. The reason I went to Ross Petty’s The Wizard of Oz was to see how my almost three-year-old grandson would react to a big theatre production at night. I didn’t like pantomimes when I was a kid and until now had no reason to see Mr. Petty’s annual holiday show.
And? I LOVED IT! I laughed, I cheered, I booed, I clapped, and at the end I hooted and whooped along with the rest of the audience. It was great! An evening of sheer fun! (That’s it for the exclamation points) Continue reading Review: The Wizard of Oz (Ross Petty Productions)→
Shakespeare in Action was formed in 1988 to bring Shakespeare to young people across Ontario. Hopefully young people recognize them for the gift that they are. Today I saw their production of Macbeth and enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed their production of Romeo and Juliet earlier this year.
Most of us know the basic story of Macbeth. Scottish lord hears a prophecy from three witches and – with the help of his wife – turns into a murderous dictator and is finally killed by Macduff. Today I realized that it’s the story of a man who is trapped by his bad decisions and can’t see a way out. Continue reading Review: Macbeth (Shakespeare in Action)→
I didn’t know what to expect from Living With Henry. Would it be a drama? A comedy? Probably not a comedy, it’s a musical about living with HIV. Was I going to sob through the whole production? Would I enjoy it?
