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.

Theory – Staged Reading – The New Ideas Festival – Alumnae Theatre

By Sam Mooney

Long title, isn’t it?

I saw Theory by Norman Yeung, a wonderful staged reading, on Saturday as part of The New Ideas Festival at Alumnae Theatre.  I didn’t go planning to review it but it was so terrific that I decided to write about it – and about staged readings.

Theory is a beautifully written play about a film course, a professor, her students, technology, new media, and privacy. There wasn’t really a set.  There were chairs for the actors and for the person who read the stage directions.  Each of the actors had a script and read from it.  They read as if they were performing, not as if they were reading.  It really is like a radio play.

You may be asking yourself “what is a staged reading?”

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The New Ideas Festival 2010 – Week One – Alumnae Theatre

by Sam Mooney

New Ideas Festival 2010 This is the 22nd New Ideas Festival hosted by Alumnae Theatre Company, so you know that they’re doing something right.  The Alumnae website describes it better than I can: “The New Ideas Festival is a juried, three-week annual festival of new writing, works-in-progress and experimental theatre, with a different program of plays each week, and a staged reading on Saturdays at noon. It runs from March 10 – 27, 2010. There are 18 scripts in the Festival this year – something for everybody: long ones, short ones, funny, sad, tension-filled, silly, and some surprises that we won’t give away.”

It’s a juried festival so you know that it isn’t going to be a crapshoot – every show will have some merit.  Of course, they may not all be to your taste.

This week, there are 4 plays, listed below in order of presentation:

  • JOIN THE CLUB by Suzanne Courtney & Leora Courtney-Wolfman • Directed by Stacy Halloran
  • AN INKED HEART by D.J. Sylvis • Directed by Heather Keith
  • A VERY DIFFERENT PLACE by Carol Libman • Directed by lindi g. papoff
  • ASHES TO ASHES by M.P. Fedunkiw • Directed by Maureen Callaghan

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Toronto March Break 2010- Theatre Arts Activities for Grandparents and Kids

By Sam Mooney

As I started looking at what’s on in theatre for Toronto kids this March break, I found myself wishing that I was a kid – or that my grandson was older so I could do some of these things with him.  You don’t actually have to be a grandparent to enjoy the various activities and performances.

We’re looking at activities that fall into two broad categories – day camps and workshops, and performances.  Some are free, some are cheap and some aren’t.

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talk – Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company – Jane Mallett Theatre

By Sam Mooney

Talk at Jane Mallett Theatre

Until tonight, all I knew about talk was “Clashing views about the Middle East conflict threaten a friendship in this drama.” I expected that it would be difficult to “ignore” the politics and concentrate on the theatre.  I also expected that it would be, if nothing else, an interesting play.

Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company’s production of talk at the Jane Mallett Theatre is not only interesting, but a wonderful evening of theatre. The play entertained me, left me with a lot to think about and didn’t hit me on the head with a hammer.

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Rebecca Northan in Blind Date – Harbourfront Centre

by Sam Mooney

Rebecca Northan in Blind Date

When I first heard about Rebecca Northan’s Blind Date last year the idea made me feel a bit squeamish.  Blind Date is an improvised show where Northan – as Mimi – picks a man from the audience as her blind date for the evening after her arranged date is a no show. Definitely cringe potential.

Then I heard so many good things about it that I really wanted to see it, but it was sold out. So when I heard the show was coming back to Toronto – to the Harbourfront Centre as part of World Stage…

…obviously I had to see it.  And so should you.  It was a wonderful evening.

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