Finster Finds

It's been a ridiculously busy few weeks (and still is) for theatre in the city! The good news is that there is much to see, the bad news is you can't get to all of it. I've managed to take in a few shows that still have a few dates left in their run and a few that are closed and there's a few others I wish could get to but there aren't enough days... Ones You Can Still Catch That I've Seen: Anxiety - Theatre Yes If you are into immersive theatre and theatre that is less traditional you shoudl definitely check this out. I can't give much detail because I had to sign a waiver, but it definitely was a complete theatre experience. Unsettling at times and it likely challenges every audience member in a different way. Be prepared for about a 2 hour experience. Wear comfortable shoes and don't dress too warmly. Runs to Dec 4. Fen  - Trunk Theatre (at the Varscona) A challenging, untraditional piece of theatre by Caryl Churchill ( Cloud Nine, Top Gi...

This week I am very excited for the Opening of Red at Walterdale. I saw the play several years ago at the Citadel and loved it. This month, I will see it again at Walterdale 3 times. That's because my husband is playing Mark Rothko in it. It's an awesome task, even more so for him because by day he lives far away from the world of art making his living as a Pharmacist. That is not to say he doesn't have an appreciation for things artistic. He is a phenomenal singer and has been onstage in several musicals, usually playing the bad guy, or the angry guy, because he's huge (6'5") and has a even bigger voice. The bigness helps for Rothko, at least I imagine it will, as Rothko certainly did not have a small personality. He also frequently buys art from local artists - things he likes. He has little pretension in that area.  All of us in the house have been helping him prepare, running lines, giving pep talks, discussing art, letting him sleep, so I am excited ...

The theatre season has begun! I can tell because my calendar is getting busier over the next few weeks. This makes me happy.  In the heyday of kicking off the season officially at the Citadel, I still managed to squeeze in Witness to a Conga at the Varscona (Teatro La Quindicina). I had seen this show in it's original presentation several years ago at the Fringe. I liked it then, but was puzzled by it as I wasn't sure what it was trying to say. The current production, however, was simply wonderful. Sometimes a play needs to marinate a bit, I guess. The design helped considerably but also the show itself seemed more gelled. It was touching and funny and Andrew MacDonald-Smith's journey through his life to his wedding is full of depth. It runs until October 15th so you can still catch it! It makes for a delightful yet meaningful evening of theatre.   We've opened two shows at the Citadel so far this season! The first (Curious Incident) closed yesterday, but...

It's here and it's open and it's onstage - The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time at the Citadel. When I first heard we were doing the show I was so excited. I was a terrific fan of the book and had heard tremendous things about the stage play so to have it produced here was something I was really looking forward to. It did not disappoint. Overall, the experience is complex technically combined with grounded story-telling. It evokes the book, while still being it's own animal. Kudos to the cast and creative team for finding a way to tell the story in their own way (the conceptual design is quite different from the Broadway and London productions). What I took away from it, however, beyond the amazing projections and clever way the set represents Christopher's brain and the wonderful commitment to telling the story by the actors, was how it made me see Christopher. It made me actually see this wonderful unique human being who just happens to be neuro...

A return to the the Fringe grounds last night and encounters with different people (who have seen A LOT - Yay!) and here are some new Word of Mouth recommendations! The Dragon Mustache Party The Seminar with Madge & Taffy Nashville Hurricane Bella Culpa Shakespeare's Sirens Curious Contagious Off Book: The Musical Mama's Boy Saltwater Moon Prepare for the Worst 'Til Death Falling Awake Scaramouche Jones Unfortunately, some of these shows have finished their run for this Fringe, so if you are inspired to see any of them check the schedule quickly to make sure you don't miss them!

I've hit seven more shows since Saturday.  It was supposed to be 8, but lesson learned, never schedule a 90 minute drama at the end of a five show day... my old brain couldn't handle it so I headed home early on Sunday. Still, 4 shows is a good measure of a day during the fringe. Here are some highlights of the last two days of Fringe: Half the Battle - The premise is very clever and Owen Bishop commits wholeheartedly to the world of two men in one body in this piece. Lacing historical fact with fictionalized characters, this show is a funny and touching one/two man show. CLIMB - Interesting juxtaposition of taped narrative and circus aerial. I was fascinated. I think there is more that could be done here in terms of connecting the movement and the story, but I was engaged. My appreciation for dance helped a lot in understanding *contemporary circus* as shown here. The F Words - Although it starts a little slow, once it gets rolling this show is full of laughs. Ther...

A few more Word of Mouth recommendations coming your way! Porn & Pinochet Three Men in a Boat The Flying Doctor What Gives? Hedwig and the Angry Inch 5 Step Guide to Becoming German Night Hawk Rules The Fall of the House of Atreus: A Cowboy Love Song Talking Dirty The Panto Girls Scaramouche Jones The Dragon Lots of variety! Lots of great shows! Hope you can catch some!

As part of my Fringe experience and because I can only get to see so many shows, I like to talk to people in line-ups and at the beer tent and on the grounds and ask them what shows they'd recommend based on what they've seen. The only requirement is that they can't recommend the show they are actually in/involved with themselves (if they are an artist).  I try, however, to talk primarily to the people who are primarily audience members. Anyhow, here's my first round up of WORD OF MOUTH recommendations: Prepare for the Worst Trail and Error Never Swim Alone Talking Dirty The Red Shirt Diaries Gordon's Big Bald Head Call Me Kirk The Darling Family Watermelon Girls Saltwater Moon Airswimming Scaramouche Jones CLIMB The Ballad of Frank Allen Cowboy: A Cowboy Story I'll be collecting more all week, so if you see me, please give me your recommendations!

Just shutting down Saturday night and I have taken in 9 shows and am feeling pretty good about what I've seen. Highlights include the following: Never Swim Alone - Such a strong script by Daniel MacIvor delivered flawlessly.  Even if you've seen it before, it's worth checking out. The casting is perfect, the acting connected, and the direction tight and sharp. It's as if everyone on the stage is breathing together - they are so in sync. It's down at the French Quarter at Rutherford School. If I gave stars, I would give this one 5! Bat Boy: The Musical - A talented cast and a very quirky, edgy, out-there musical. I'm a little amazed at what you get with your fringe dollars with this one! Highlights are Nadine Veroba as Meredith (the mother) and Mark Sinongco as Edgar (the bat boy), but this whole cast commits 110% to the camp required and they have the vocal chops to deliver big sound. It's not a show I could direct, but I am glad Amanda Neufeld has th...

It is no secret that I am a fan of musicals, I've been in over 30 of them and have directed about 15 or so, in fact, I've even written a couple of them, so I'm partial.  Fringe is always interesting for musicals because the format is generally shorter so you get the opportunity to see some shows that might not be done in the regular season. You also will get song cycles, and more edgier pieces, and those are certainly up on the docket for this Fringe. Here are a few that have caught my eye: If you are looking for something that you might not see on the main stages you could check out Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Strathcona High - BYOV 27) produced by Scona Alumni Theatre Co. It's directed by Linette Smith and features Chris Scott and MacKenzie Ruerink as well as a gang of talented young triple threats. The Scona Alumni Fringe shows tend to sell out fast, so you might want to get to the box office quick on this one. Another outside the box choice would be Straight E...

Back at it today with the Program and my calendar... It's going to be tough but even if I don't get to them all, I will come out a winner! Here's a few more shows that are catching my eye: Cowboy: A Cowboy Story - Accidental Humour, Edmonton, CA - Garneau Theatre Guaranteed to be the show that brings me closest to laughing so hard I pee my pants, you cannot go wrong with Accidental Humour. I've said it before, these guys are the best at merging theatre with film and their wacky sense of humour and understanding of genre is phenomenal. Might even be the one we go to for our 20th Wedding Anniversary. Trail and Error  - Northern Sabbatical Productions, Edmonton, CA - Old Strathcona Public Library A New Work from Linda Wood Edwards - I'm in! Plus it's got the oh-so-charming Ellen Chorley in it - Sign me up again! We Were Dancing: Two Short Plays by Noel Coward - Bright Young Things, Edmonton CA - Varscona Theatre It's the pedigree of the cast an...

I guess it's a good year for me to not have any Fringe shows of my own as it gives me more time to see things! And as I waded through the Fringe Program my list of shows started to grow exponentially as I turned the page, at least that's how it felt. So here's a few more on my " I think I want to see that show " list: Letting Go of Alone  - Soul Productions, Edmonton CA - Old Strathcona Performing Arts (Venue 8) When you combine Jake Hastey of Toy Guns Dance Theatre and the talented Nadine Veroba and Justin Kautz then I really don't think you can go wrong. A new work merging dance and live music exploring relationships in the modern age. This one is definitely on the top of my list. CLIMB - Deathbench Productions, Bellingham USA - Westbury Theatre (Venue 1) The write-up says: Using striking visuals and unexpected humour, CLIMB fuses breathtaking aerial circus performance with four connected narratives set to an original score. I'm intrigued to se...

The Unsyncables by Rebecca Merkley looks like it's going to be a very funny hour of entertainment. The cast of 4 features some very hilarious women and, always a fan of new work and new playwrights, I'm intrigued to see what Rebecca Merkley has written. She's always hysterical when she's onstage so it's going to be fun to see what has come from her brain! Description:  A love letter to the 90's, this heartwarming comedy celebrates the world of pre-teen friendships. Mary has decided to form her very own synchronized swimming squad. Her quirky team hope to make a big splash at a local competition, but trouble arises when Mary runs into her former teamates. H2-Uh-Oh! Starring:  Alyson Dicey ,  Maddy Knight ,  Kristin Johnston Snelgrove  and  Brianne Jang .  Written and Directed by:   Rebecca Ann Merkley BYOV Venue #41, Rutherford School.  Half the Battle  is another new work from a new playwright, Owen Bishop, who is also starring in...

It's a strange feeling for me this summer. After a few summers in a row with multiple Fringe shows, I find myself with the luxury of just haivng to watch shows this year! Sont' worry, I have enough things outside my theatre life to keep me busy, but I am looking forward to seeing A LOT of Fringe Shows! I thought I would do a few profiles on shows that I am hoping to take in! First Up: Confessions of a Middle Aged Drama Queen -  a new work written and performed by local Edmontonian Erika Conway, is a comedy about self discovery, overcoming obstacles and managing a desire to meet a hot strapping fireman! I've seen Erika onstage several times over the past few years and she has an electric personality and charisma as well as terrific comedic timing.  I'm excited to see what she has done in her first foray as playwright! To be or not to be a Drama Queen…. that is the question!                         ...

Where have I been? Well, for the last 11 weeks or so, I have been in rehearsal for Chess at Walterdale. It's a complicated show with a lot of moving pieces, gorgeous but challenging music, and a cast of 23+3 (we have 3 young ladies playing Young Florence). I have been blessed with a wonderful cast - I do not know how many times the creative team has said to ourselves, "We really cast some very nice people" - and that doesn't always happen (but I will not tell any tales now). Tonight is the 2nd and final Preview, with Opening Night on Wednesday, July 6th. Last night proved that they just needed an audience as it came even more alive with the reactions from the house.  Chess is a show that I have wanted to do for a long time. I probably wasn't ready until a few years ago. The music is some of my all-time favourite and we have been blessed with a terrific cast who can really do it justice. I can thank Sally Hunt, our Music Director, for making sure that's ...

This past weekend, we took in not one, nor two, but THREE musicals all within the span of about 27 hours! We also squeezed in a meeting with a contractor and piano lessons so we really maximized our time! We started on Friday with ELOPE's production of City of Angels.  This is one of my all-time favourite shows to sing and I was very pleased with the production I saw.  It's a show that suggests a huge proscenium with flys and trucks and revolves as it switches from real life to the story of film so I was curious how it would play on the Faculte St. Jean stage. They did marvelous job making it all work. Kudos to the cast for handling the challenging music, particularly the super tight Angel City Four and the stellar leads - Jason Hlus, Trevor J, Monica Roberts, Andrea Graham, Erin Vandermolen-Pater and James Toupin. It was great to see the show on stage again (I haven't seen it in over 20 years) and have it live up to my memory. On Saturday afternoon, I finally made m...

Sometimes theatre lifts you up and makes you leave inspired and joyful... sometimes the people on the stage are a cautionary tale about what 'not to do'... I had a little streak of theatre that was more the latter.  So odd that it all clumped together. The first was The Supine Cobbler presented by Maggie Tree. Excellent direction and acting, a terrific soundscape, and a really cool concept allowed for some laughter as the Western trope was played to the max in the most unusual of circumstances - the waiting room of an abortion clinic. I would have liked to have seen the concept applied to a more compelling situation as there never really seemed any obstacles to the outcome and the whole play seemed to serve more as public therapy. I left no more or less shaken in my belief that legal, safe abortions must happen but that they are not something to be rejoiced about. And there were attitudes expressed by the characters that bothered me: a trio of women laughing gleefully about ...

Over the last little while I went to two Opening Nights at local theatres.  The first was The Passion of Narcisse Mondoux a co-production of Northern Light Theatre and L'Unit Theatre.  A unique experience as the play is performed by the same actors (Brian Dooley and Manon Beaudoin) on alternate nights in French and English. It's a lovely little piece about a widower Plumber who has set his sights on a recently widowed women who he has always been in love with. They are very different, but Narcisse Mondoux (Dooley) is doggedly persistent and flexible to achieve his goal. It's a script that subtly deals with preconceived notions of roles men and women and the power of "love" to allow those notions to bend and shift. The humour is familiar and sprinkled liberally throughout and the two actors convey a soft and believable affection for each other. The show runs until April 9th at La Cite.  Check the link above for which performances are in English and which are i...

April bring with it Auditions for Chess, the show I am directing for Walterdale Theatre. So I had to take a little time to look ahead and plan my theatre options.  There are quite a few good options but fortunately not as many as the past two months.  Rehearsals make it hard for me to see stuff! Anyhow, here are a few things I am looking forward to: Northern Light Theatre's The Passion of Narcisse Mondoux : Narcisse Mondoux (played by the always excellent Brian Dooley) retired Master Plumber, sets out to woo the recently widowed Laurencienne Robichaud — at her husband's funeral. This is a co-production with L'Uni Theatre and will alternate between performances in English and French - how cool is that?! I'll be taking in the English show for sure, and I hope to fit in the French version.  The Citadel Theatre's Other Desert Cities : A sharp, smart comedy-drama about family secrets unearthed. When I read this script a few years ago I wished I could be in i...

Well, those are my recommendations.. Shadow Theatre's A Picasso is a wonderfully sharp, funny, intelligent piece about Picasso in Paris during World War II. It's themes centre around censorship and art as a political weapon and compromising values in the face of the horrific power of the Nazis. Julien Arnold as Picasso and Alana Hawley as a German cultural attache go toe-to-toe in this two-hander. I saw the play at the Fringe a few years ago with Shannon Blanchet and Arnold and loved it then. This remount is just as sharp and the new dynamic between the actors makes it worth seeing a second time. A Picasso runs to April 3rd at the Backstage Theatre. In the Roxy Performance Series, Wild Side Productions presents  The Realistic Jonese s. I did't know what to expect and I think that is the best way to see this show, because it is truly unexpectedly and unpredictably funny. Two couples, both Joneses, live on the same street and deal with illness and each other. You wi...

Hey, so I was away for the last week of February.  Immediately before that, I saw a few shows but had no time to write about them before I left, so I thought I would do a quick re-cap.  All of them have closed, but that doesn't mean you can't check out the next show from these companies! The Early Bloomer by Jana O'Connor presented by Concrete Theatre I didn't bring my sons to this, because I thought it was for little, little kids but I wish I had.  This was truly a show that could have the moniker 'suitable for ALL ages'.  The story deals with a group of young buds in a garden who are all worried about how they are growing - too fast, too slow, not the right away.  It's applicable to the little ones because of the wonderful physical comedy and silliness, but it's also really timely for those pre-pubescent and those in the thick of it.  The line about their stems getting fuzz would have made my boys hysterical! And for adults, particularly those wi...

There's a lot on the go this month for theatre.  The start of the month is jam-packed with indie theatre options so there's really no excuse to stay home! As I mentioned in an earlier post, I've already taken in Hot Mess and The Other , two of the indie options on the docket. Next up for me is Alice Through the Looking-Glass at the Citadel.  I'm looking forward to seeing the Super-Star Edmonton-cast of this show which promises to embrace the topsy-turvy sensibility of the Lewis Carroll story. The costumes and set are fantastic (designed by Bretta Gerecke) and the scenes I have seen as part of the media call looked very cool.  Can't wait to see the Jabberwocky and the Walrus and the Carpenter come to life! I studied both of the Alice books in University and kind of want to re-read them to refresh my memory... I'll be taking in 2 more shows this weekend. A little musical treat with Wish You Were Here by the Plain Janes and then a hard 90 degree turn wi...

So, um guys, I'm older than I look... These shows were a little bit of a shock to my system... I've kicked off March with 2 shows that underscored that for me, both of which look at sexual disconnect in the present day. The first was Pyretic Productions (with Good Women Dance) The Other. The Other tells the story of Sharon (Amber Borotsik), a white girl raised in Bombay by a cheating father and loyal mother, who returns to Alberta to discover the secrets of making pickles and choosing to only have relationships with men who are already married. Her otherness in the world prevents her from really forming commitments and leaving her disconnected. The piece was accented with movement by a chorus of 5 women. The choreography is interesting, and the show feels more like a dance piece than a theatre piece. If you like theatre that's a little more abstract which also incorporates music and dance to augment the story telling, you will like this. The next show I saw was Ca...

A few months ago I posted something on FB about liking to learn my history from novels or plays as opposed to textbooks. A lot of people indicated that I was wrong, but as I was expressing a preference, not a fact, I didn't worry about it too much.  But recently I have seen 3 shows that illustrate what I meant (or felt).  These shows, without being dry historical pieces, allowed me to understand and feel a little more what someone else's history was. The Gay Heritage Project , now playing at the Citadel under February 27th, is a wonderful exploration of what Gay Heritage is and what it is to be gay (at least in Canada). It's layered and through a tight tumble of a variety of scenes, the 3 gifted actors (Damien Atkins, Paul Dunn and Andrew Kushnir) managed to leave me with a better understanding of what it is to be gay.  It's sometimes hysterically funny, sometimes serious, sometimes sad, and very real and personal. I had an epiphany that I hope I will hold onto. ...

Last night I took in We're Not Afraid (part of the Made In Edmonton Series at the Citadel) presented by Rapid Fire Theatre.  The show is an improvised homage to Who's Afraid of Viriginia Woolf? (currently running on the Citadel mainstage).  It's not a sloppy copy, but rather leans on the relationships, style and themes of the show along with suggestions from the audience to produce a very funny evening of improv. The cast is the cream of the RFT Crop, featuring Amy Shostak, Matt Alden, Joleen Ballendine and Ben Gorodetsky and they were certainly up the task of delivering the deliciously biting and irreverent parody.  Armed with suggestions of a Funeral, The Moon Landing, and Ventriloquism they really went for it and man-oh-man was it funny! You don't have to have seen Who's Afraid of  Virginia Woolf? to enjoy it either. Most of us are somewhat familiar with images of Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton to get us to where we need to be to 'get' what is be...