Fringe Full of Stars is Almost Upon us! Let me help promote your show!

A Fringe full of stars is almost here! The kick off was today and, like many others, I was on my keyboard at 12:00 noon exactly so that I could buy my Double Fringer Pass! I'm glad to say that I got one so that means I have 20 shows to see for sure (and more if people are nice to me and comp me or I scrounge some extra dollars to see a few more - it certainly has been known to happen!)!

Anyhow, I was feeling a little grumpy because earlier this summer a friend chastised me for seeing their Fringe show last year on the last day of the Festival and because of that I didn't blog about it until after the festival was done. Folks, it's a logistics game with a very full spreadsheet, limited time and money, and a very tired Finster! I do what I can, really, and that's why I started the Word of Mouth posts several Fringes ago because I can't get to every show and I want to get the word out about the many, many, many fabulous shows that are out there. 

Anyhow, I may not get to your show, or I may not get to it until the last day of the festival - however, if you want me to blog about your show before the Fringe starts, I invite you to email me at smeep22003@yahoo.ca with the answers to the following questions and a show image and I will spend the next week posting in advance of Fringe to tell people about your show! Once Fringe starts all bets are off, so get yours to me before Wednesday, August 13th. Also, if you want me to see your show in the first couple of days - offer me a comp (just one - I fringe alone) and I will try to fit it in! 

1. Title and Venue of show 
2. Who's in it? Who helped build it? How are they awesome?
3. Why should I (and others) come see your show? (please don't say "to support artists" - I'm doing that no matter what show I see - tell me what I will get out of it - soul shaking tears, belly-laughter, a new understanding of the world, amazing musical experience, etc... please make this about me as the audience member and my experience.)
4. Anything else you'd like to add!

Thanks! I'm planning my Fringe over the next few days so earlier is better for getting back to me! I CAN'T WAIT to see what you have for me to see!

Teatro Live! Closes their Season with a very funny production of The Odd Couple!

Marc J Chalifoux Photography 

Summer is really such a great time for theatre for me! I love it when you leave the theatre and it's still a little light out. Even better when the show is a comedy, like Teatro Live's production of The Odd Couple, which I took in on Friday night. If you are around my age (and even younger since there was a reboot in recent history) you are no doubt familiar with Oscar Madison and Felix Unger (played in this production by Alexander Ariate and Andrew MacDonald-Smith), the mismatched roommates from Neil Simon's play. The two are physical foils, which ups the ante on their character's personality conflicts, and this production puts their physicality to good use, particularly with MacDonald-Smith's height and long legs making seemingly inhuman movements around the furniture and Ariate's flopping on couches. The physical humour alone makes this show tremendously entertaining!

Marc J Chalifoux Photography 

But it's the scenes with the accidental roommate's poker buddies and the Pigeon Sisters that had me the most entertained. Not surprising when you consider the group of assembles artists - all of whom could (and most have) anchor a Teatro show themselves! The poker buddies (Garrett Ross, Matt Busby, Bernardo Pacheco, and Oscar Derkx) give more depth to the recognition of the disparity of personalities between Oscar and Felix, and their banter is very fun to watch and listen to - particularly the contrast between the old (Oscar's toxic waste level of cleanliness) and the new (Felix's immaculate and antiseptic environment). From their reactions, you understand that neither extreme is particularly healthy. 

Marc J Chalifoux Photography 

The Pigeon Sisters, Cecily (Kristin Johnston) and Gwendolyn (Jenny McKillop), add for another level of tension between Oscar and Felix. Oscar is looking for a wingman, but Felix's impending divorce is too new to make him a suitable one. Johnston and McKillop are hysterical as the British girls from upstairs with backcombed hair and synced responses. I was very glad to see them return in the third act! 

There's a lot to laugh about and for those who were fans of the movie and the TV shows, I think it's well worth the nostalgic trip to the theatre. It's a nice reflection on friendship and compromise, but above all makes for a laughter-filled night of theatre on a summer evening! 

The Odd Couple runs until July 27, 2025 at the Varscona Theatre. Tickets range from $25-42 and there are also special event nights, like Pay-What-You-Can on Tuesdays. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Shakespeare In Love at Walterdale Theatre - A fun ride behind the scenes of Romeo and Juliet!

Last night was Opening Night of Shakespeare in Love at Walterdale Theatre. I haven't been to an Opening Night at Walterdale for a while because I found it hard to manage when I had to teach the next morning, but summer holidays and an abundance of sunshine allowed me to make the weekday theatre trip to Verona! I also got to attend this one as proud Mama, as my youngest son, Gibson, was Music Director for the incidental music in the show (it's not a musical, but there are several times when the ensemble sing giving depth to the the soundscape of the show). 

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

It was a terrifically fun night of theatre! I am a big fan of the movie, and have seen the stage play previously, but it was really cool to see the show translated to the intimacy of Walterdale's stage. There are a lot of moving parts to the show and I remarked after to Director Anne Marie Szucs that it must have been like directing a musical as the scenes flit from location to location and the ensemble switches characters as they walk off and on the stage again. The flow of the show was well maintained and was aided brilliantly by the elegant and flexible set design (Brooke Emberley). I particularly loved the clever revolve that switched from balcony to bed to upper floor of the backstage rehearsal area. There was also some very funny choreography (Barbara Mah) that made the ball scene more than just a simple meet-cute for Will (Matt Boisvert) and Viola (Ren Elliot). The world is completed by the beautiful costumes (Cathy Dragon) - some of my favourite outfits were Marlowe's and Queen Elizabeth's; but the panorama and variety of costumes helped to indicate who had the power and who did not in Shakespeare's world!

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images 

The cast is enthusiastic and committed as a whole in telling this story. Standouts for me were Boisvert as Will Shakespeare and Elliot as Viola de Lesseps. The two have a delightful chemistry. Boisvert has most of the heavy lifting in the show, but he attacks it with a true sense of purpose and recklessness that makes you wonder about the 'real' Shakespeare! I also really enjoyed Ethan Handford as Ned Alleyn and Josh Young as Richard Burbage. The energy picked up considerably when the two (playing the best actors of their generation) came into contact with each other. Each had their own brand of swagger that mixed in a 'what will happen next?' kind of way. First timers on Walterdale's stage, John Gaunce as Fennyman and Ian Hicks as Henslowe, were also great to watch and they played off each other well. I hope we see more of them on the Walterdale stage in the future! There are lots of great moments from the rest of the ensemble cast, including the dog (Rain, the night I went).

This is a fun one to watch, particularly for the Shakespeare fan, as there are many references and Easter eggs in the script alluding to famous quotes and almost quotes and situations. And while there are bits of Shakespeare's language in the play, it's all accessible as it's more about the behind the scenes story!

Shakespeare in Love runs to July 19th, with shows at 7:30 pm and a 2 pm Sunday matinee. They have already had one Sold Out performance so I recommend buying your ticket sooner rather than later. The run also features a 2for1 night (Thurs, July 10) and a Pay-What-You-Can Night (Wed, July 16). Tickets are $25-27 and can be purchased here. 

Where You Are at Shadow Theatre - It's where I want to be...

I caught Where You Are by Kristen Da Silva presented by Shadow Theatre this past Saturday afternoon. On the ride over the uber driver asked me about the play and I realized that other that the cast members and knowing that two of them were sisters I really didn't know much about it, but I was confident based on that information that I would enjoy it. I was not wrong!

Marc J. Chalifoux Photography

The two sisters, Glenda and Suzanna (played by Coralie Cairns and Davina Stewart), live together on Manitoulin Island and while they are clearly very different, it is not hard to imagine them being sisters. They have strong chemistry and an easy way of relating to each other. They do a great service to Da Silva's occasionally over-written script. Cairns and Stewart are gifted with making it all seem so real and believable and that this is a relationship with a long history and ingrained patterns of interaction. We meet Glenda, the wilder of the two, with a Something About Mary inspired hairstyle, raccoon eyes, and a heavy metal t-shirt under her bathrobe, and that sets the tone for what to expect from her. Suzanne arrives a little later, impeccably groomed and dressed, returning from church which she attends more for gossip than for spiritualism. They comfortably and humorously bounce off each other and we find out that Glenda's adult daughter Beth (played by the sharp and smart Nikki Hulowski) will be arriving soon for a visit and that there's a potential for conflict as Glenda has a long history of saying the wrong thing! We are also visited by the handsome and handy neighbour Patrick (Brennan Campbell) who the sisters clearly enjoy seeing on a regular basis. He's got his own history which involves being left (near) the altar. Beth arrives and things kick-off. We've also got hints that there is something big the sisters have been keeping from her. I don't want to give it all away, but of course, you have two attractive young actors who are unattached so there's potential there for a liaison, and it's clear that when Beth finds out the secret - she might not be happy about it. Come and see and find all that out. There are many laughs along the way of discovery and the four actors work really well together. Hulowski was terrific. Her reactions to the ridiculousness of her mother and aunt were perfect and wonderfully in the moment. Campbell was charming and kept up with the three powerhouse women on the stage. And, as I mentioned earlier, Stewart and Cairns have a real ease with each other which was so essential to creating that key relationship. 

Marc J. Chalifoux Photography

Now, I say it's where I want to be... maybe not right now, but I can totally imagine hanging with my sister and relating in our own way to each other the way Glenda and Suzanne do. I definitely connected to the situation. And the emotional investment you have in your adult children and their futures also resonated big-time for me. I would say for anyone around my age plus or minus 20 years with a sister you are close to, this is a terrific choice for a night out. The audience agreed with a standing ovation when I saw it. 

Where You Are runs until May 18 at the Varscona Theatre presented by Shadow Theatre. Tickets are $25-$38 and can be purchased here. They also have pay-what-you-can performances. 

Radiant Vermin at NLT - Are You a Good Person? Am I?

Last weekend I took in the opening night of Radiant Vermin presented by Northern Light Theatre in the Studio Theatre at the Fringe Theatre Arts Barns. Holy moly what a show! I had seen a bit at the season launch last spring, and had some ideas about what I was in for, but nothing really could’ve prepared me. What the audience is in for is a little bit of a wild ride! We get a hint of what’s coming in the first scene when Ollie and Jill, a young couple played by Eli Yaschuk and Rain Matkin, tell us that they’ve just experienced the garden party from hell, and then they tell us how they got there…

Photos by Brianne Jang, BB Collective Photography.

Ollie and Jill are a young couple with a baby on the way wanting to move out of their terrible living situation in a run down apartment complex and find their (unaffordable) dream home. After receiving a cryptic letter, they’re approached by Miss Dee (Holly Turner in a striking array of stylish costumes) who tells them they are selected for a special program where they will get their very own fixer-upper house free of charge that they can DIY into their very own dream home. The bones of the house are perfect, and although it needs a lot of work, they jump at the chance because Ollie is very handy and Jill is an interior-design savant. They’ve already warned us that they did terrible things to get their dream house and what follows is indeed a litany of the terrible things they’ve done. Here’s where it gets hard. I don’t wanna spoil anything. Suffice it to say the homeless and itinerant population are sacrificed so that Ollie and Jill can have their dream house. 

Photos by Brianne Jang, BB Collective Photography.

It's fabulously funny, and I was laughing aloud at so many moments in the show along with the rest of the audience. The last 20 minutes is non-stop hysterical and it was hard to stop laughing! Yaschuk and Matkin have brilliant chemistry with each other and both have a physical vocabulary that belies their young years (they are relatively new grads from the MacEwan Theatre Arts Program). Turner is the temptress that pulls no punches. Director Trevor Schmidt has created a show that is tight and dramatic and, did I mention, hilarious. The piece is supported by Matt Schuurman's amazing projection work and tight choreography from Ainsley Hillyard. This is probably the best show I have seen all season... I'm not joking or exaggerating.

Now, it's not just a "fun" show and I haven't wanted to give too much detail because I do not want to spoil anything. It also a play you leave thinking and talking about, providing a great comment on the consumerist society we live in and how those that want and have and get, find it very easy to forget about those that have absolutely nothing. I found myself thinking about my friends with perfect houses (from my perspective) who talked about needing to renovate this room or that room because they were 5-10 years out-of-date... I found myself thinking about how often I order online, just because... It asks the question, What would you do if it would give you everything you wanted? And then it asks, What if you wanted more? Would you do more terrible things? You can donate to the food bank if you're in any way worried about your answer...

Radiant Vermin runs to May 3rd . Tickets start at $37 but there are also pay-what-you-can and 2 for 1 Nights. You can purchase your tickets here. The space is small and this is such a good show, I would grab them quick!

A Visual Feast! After Mourning - Before Van Gogh at Shadow Theatre

Marc J. Chalifoux Photography

I took in the World Premiere of After Mourning - Before Van Gogh by Canadian playwright Mike Czuba this past weekend at Shadow Theatre (presented at the Varscona Theatre). Second only to my love of exploring math and science in plays is the exploration of visual art and artists in plays. With today's modern technology and the ability to include projections, theatres are able to do this in a way that literally immerses the audience in the work of the artist. Indeed the work of Vincent van Gogh is prominent in the play thanks to the wonderful projection design of Matt Schuurman. 

In Czuba's play we are not focused so much on Van Gogh but rather how his brother's widow, Joanna (played by Lora Brovold and Donna-Leny Hansen) works in her life to establish and preserve his legacy. Remember, Van Gogh only sold one painting in his lifetime. His fame and recognition of his genius only came after his death. After husband Theo also dies, Joanna dedicates her life to the legacy of Vincent and also to pass this along to her son, Vincent Willem. 

Marc J. Chalifoux Photography

The play is told in multiple times and we see an older Joanna (Brovold) remembering her past as she struggles with a decision to allow the National Gallery to have Van Gogh's Sunflowers. She looks back on the journey she's had wondering about her choices about when and how to share Van Gogh's art to the world. Brovold is outstanding as the anchor of the show, always observing her past as it's relived onstage, and wondering about whether she has done a good job, and what she might have done without the monumental task she set for herself. Surrounded by the ghosts of her husband Theo (Steven Greenfield) and Vincent (perfectly appointed Andrew Ritchie, who also plays her son Vincent Willem), Joanna deftly navigates the art world where, as she is a woman, she is given little respect.

It's this looking back and wondering about choices that I connected the most with. I would say that Joanna, if she could really look back, should be immensely proud of what she accomplished. For even though she did not make the paintings, it could be argues the rest of us would not know much about them if it weren't for her.  I thought a lot about that as Starry Night and Sunflowers swirled in my vision from the stage. Czuba's play honours not only the artist, but also his champions and protectors.

After Mourning - Before Van Gogh runs until April 6th. Tickets are $25-$38 and can be purchased here. They also have pay-what-you-can and two-for-one performances. 

The Noon Witch at Teatro Live! Beware of Young Women with Baked Goods!!

Photo Credit: Marc J Chalifoux

This past Friday, I took in Opening Night of The Noon Witch written and directed by Stewart Lemoine and presented by Teatro Live! at the Varscona Theatre. It was a fun night of theatre warning of the dangers of young women met at midday with baked goods - you must be careful as they might actually be a witch, trying to fatten you up so you will sink to your death (lured to the water by nixies of some sort). It takes place in 1920s Hungary and we meet first Anatol (Aidan Laudersmith), who has just returned from a long trip exploring the country, and Joszef (Eli Yaschuk), who has quit his long-standing job at a bakery because he can't stop eating the goods. These two have wonderful chemistry together and Laudersmith handles the complex and witty dialogue wonderfully. Yaschuk is brilliant at playing the very quirky Joszef and he has a comedic subtlety that was very fun to watch! The two men have a friend, Sandor (Ethan Long), who they discover has been captivated by what they believe is a Noon Witch going by the name of Tinka (Nida Vanderham). Rescuing him from her clutches becomes paramount, while also avoiding falling into the witch's clutches themselves. There's also an assist in this task from Dr. Katalin Vac (Michelle Diaz) who Anatol happens upon in his journeys. 

Photo Credit: Marc J Chalifoux

It's a clever script and the company has risen to the challenge with set (Chantel Fortin - a pool onstage!) and costumes (Leona Brausen). I had not seen the original 1995 production so I was delighted to see how it all unwrapped. It was also great to see these new young actors on the Varscona stage. They were all recent graduates from various theatre programs. They handled the clever and ridiculous Lemoine dialogue handily and the moments of physical comedy were hysterical. Never will I look at a donut the same way again!  It was a great evening out for surprising and unexpected laughs! 

The Noon Witch plays until March 9, 2025 at the Varscona. Tickets range from $25-$42 and there are Pay-What-You-Can performances. They also have a variety of special event options including wine and cheese, and dinner and a show. You can purchase your tickets here.