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.
You might be wondering why Mooney on Theatre is covering the IFOA. We believe that author readings are akin to staged play readings or to monologues. Not a lot of lights and music but they definitely engage the imagination and entertain. Person + stage + material+ audience = theatre.
The Ansersen Project – presented by Canadian Stage at the Bluma Appel Theatre – is written and directed by Canadian theatre icon Robert Lepage. I’m a wee bit embarrassed to admit that this is the first of Lepage’s plays that I’ve seen. It seems like the Canadian equivalent of admitting that you’ve never been to Stratford to see a show. (Oh, wait, I haven’t ever been to Stratford to see a show.)
Yves Jacques played all three roles and was amazing. His transformations from one character to another were seamless. The Andersen Project is the story of Frederic, a Quebec songwriter who is hired by the Paris Opera to write a libretto for a children’s opera based on The Dryad – a story by Hans Christian Andersen. Arnaud is the Director of the Paris Opera who has hired Frederic. Rashid is the Moroccan janitor who cleans the booths in the peep show that’s in the building where Frederic is staying. Continue reading Review: The Andersen Project (Canadian Stage)→
I was supposed to see Misadventures of a Massage Therapist on the opening day of Fringe but thanks to weird TTC diversions I was 2 minutes late. I wish I had managed to see the show then so that I could have recommended it earlier.
Jason Brasher is a very funny massage therapist who still has his day job. A good thing because that’s where he gets his stories. The only downside to having him massage you would be if he told stories while massaging. You’d be laughing too much to relax and you’d have your legs crossed trying not to pee your pants.
(At Mooney on Theatre we seem to use the pee your pants index as the measure of comedy.)
Today was my day to see dance. I have to admit that I saw more dance today (2 Shows) than I’ve seen in the last 20 years.
The Domino Effect is a “..mixed program of urban and contemporary dance”. I enjoyed the show but I can’t say that I’ll be racing out to see more urban and contemporary dance.
The Plank is an aerial dance show. My daughter saw Femmes du Feu perform last year and told me to go and see The Plank. I have to admit that she told me about aerial dance so I had some idea what to expect – and am glad I went.
Some of their dancing is on the stage but most of it is above the stage on ropes, a moon, an anchor and a brass pole. Some of the rope dancing made me think of human macramé. And it looked like fun. One warning – don’t try this at home!
There were a couple of times during the show when Holly Treddenick and Sabrina Pringle (the Femmes du Feu) swing back and forth out over the audience. It looks as if they just miss the people in the front row.
I went with a friend who said how nice it was to see something that you just have to watch, no dialogue to follow, you can just pay attention to the movement.
The Plank