Finster Finds

Seeing as it's opening night for the return of the Citadel's in-person A Christmas Carol , I thought I would highlight some of the shows that are available to Edmonton audiences this month. There are a few different things to entertain you and get you in the holiday mood!  First is the aforementioned  A Christmas Carol   onstage in the Citadel's Maclab Theatre. It's a relatively new adaptation from Alberta playwright David van Belle set mid-century with Ted Dykstra playing the curmudgeon Scrooge. It features many local theatre favourites, with Julian Arnold as Marley and Patricia Zentilli as Emily (not Bob) Cratchit. It's filled with live performances of music from the era and shakes up the traditional story. Carol is a family favourite and is recommended for children 6+ to adults of all ages.  Remember to bring your donation for the Food Bank as this is an opportunity to give while you get a great night at the theatre! A Christmas Carol is onstage now until Decemb...

Twilla MacLeod and Sue Huff in The Great Whorehouse Fire of 1921, Northern Light Theatre.  Photo by Ian Jackson, Epic Photography. This past weekend I ventured back out for another theatre experience - this time I visited the Varscona Theatre to see Northern Light Theatre's production of The Great Whorehouse Fire of 1921 . Inspired by true events in Big Valley, Alberta the play (by Linda Wood Edwards) speculates on a friendship of sorts between Mrs. Hastings, the Madam of the Whorehouse (played with sparkling acidity by Sue Huff) and Mrs. Smith, a local woman who runs a home for unwed mothers (portrayed with delicate curiosity by Twilla MacLeod). I haven't seen either of the two actresses onstage before but they are terrific foils for each other ( well, I think I saw Huff in a directing project at U of A over 30 years ago when we both were students there - I can't remember what - but I do remember being a little in awe of this tiny person with the larger than life personali...

The Fiancé - The Citadel - Nov 6-28 Metronome - WWPT (Backstage Theatre) - Nov 11-21 The Great Whorehouse Fire of 1921 - NLT (Varscona) - Nov 18 - 28 Jason Kenney's Hot Boy Summer - Grindstone Theatre - Nov 10 - 21 A Christmas Carol - The Citadel - Nov 27-Dec 23 5@50 - Walterdale Theatre - Dec 8-18

 Yep, theatre is back. Some theatres are a little more back than others, and some are more distanced than others. Some are picking up where they left off, and some are showing new things. I took in three shows in the last month and it feels so strange to once again be out and about doing what I love! I'm still cautious, but it was nice to have moments in a darkened theatre where I both laughed and cried.  Photo Credit: Nanc Price Most recently ( yesterday afternoon ) I took in the new work, The Fiancé , in the Citadel's Shoctor Theatre.  With  The Fiancé  , penned by Holly Lewis ( wife of Artistic Director Daryl Cloran ), we were treated to a brand new farce taking place at the end of WWII. It featured local Edmonton theatre artists both on and off stage and it was a fun romp as the sweet and cake-loving Lucy (Helen Belay) and her tough no-nonsense sister Rose (Patricia Cerra) managed the comings and goings of Lucy's three wartime fiancés (Farren Timoteo, T...

  Hey Everyone! After not being able to go last summer ( but still buying the t-shirt for the Fringe that Never Was ) , I was at the Fringe once again yesterday! I arrived a little early to meet up with my Fringe-going partner Anne Marie, and grab a Green Onion Cake (no Fringe is complete without at least one) . I was very happy that the gated entry was changed to Pay-What-You-Will as I do not think I could have justified the cost otherwise as I was really just in it for the green onion cakes. I am and have always been an Innie (Indoor shows) when it comes to the Fringe, but I do understand the challenges of trying to run the Festival and wanting to compensate those outdoor artists without the increased physical contact of passing the hat.  Anyhow, about the SHOW! I chose Destination Wedding presented by Whizgiggling Productions , directed by Trevor Schmidt and featuring Michelle Todd, Cheryl Jameson and Kristin Johnson. It was a fun show, with each of the actors playing two ...

  So... I saw a show this week... in person... it was outside... a return to a live theatre space. It felt good.  On Wednesday evening, in Louise McKinney Park, I took in the Preview performance of Freewill Shakespeare's Macbeth.  Responding to Covid, the company presented an adaptation written for 3 actors, which was shorter, with streamlined sets and costumes, to better fit into the Fringe and other locations. There's also a similar production of Much Ado About Nothing adapted for 5 actors, but I haven't had a chance to catch that one yet.  It was so nice to be in an audience sharing the experience of live theatre, and this was a terrific choice as it was brisk and lively and quite funny. The three actors (Nadien Chu, Rochelle Laplante, and Laura Raboud) were skilled with the Shakespeare as well as the quick script. Three natural comedians, they played well with and off each other. Those that know Macbeth can be reassured that the essentials are covered, but...