Getting back into life after a month of conferences...

I know it may not seem like it, but I actually have seen quite a bit of theatre this past month. However, between the shows and the fact that I have spent the past three weekends at conferences (Women's Directing Intensive with Carey Perloff (Banff), imedia (Edmonton), and Community Theatre Summit (Banff)) that I haven't had much time to blog about it all... 

So, this month I saw:

Children of God at the Citadel - A musical about the impacts of the residential school system focusing on one family: a daughter lost, a son damaged and a mother who had no choices at the time but who is trying to help them heal. The music was gorgeous and the production honest and heart-breaking and it ended with one of the most magical moments of hope and invitation that I have ever experienced. It's gone now to WCT in Kamloops. 

Blood of Our Soil by Pyretic Productions - Built from testimonials and personal investigation, this show told about the history of the Ukraine from the perspective of a young Canadian women reflecting on her relationship with her now deceased grandmother. In a way it was two plays in one as the first act was very different from the second in how it told it's story. It was a compelling piece that certainly exposed me to world history I was unaware of. 

Romeo Initiative at Skirts AFire - Did you know that in post war Germany the East Germans cultivated men to romance West German office workers to gather intelligence? I didn't, but now I do. The play was fascinating with it's twists and turns and it demonstrated the complexity involved when romance is combined with espionage. 

Outside Mullingar at Shadow Theatre - A very Irish play about two misfits who live next door but who should definitely be together. Funny, charming and sweet. 

The Ladies Foursome at the Mayfield - Following the death of one of their friends, 4 women play their traditional weekly game of golf. There are many laughs and secrets revealed. Not Norm Foster's best script but a quartet of solid actors lifts it up. 

Do This in Memory of Me at Northern Light Theatre and L'Uni Theatre - Such a great show - great script, terrific trio of actors and excellent direction. Of course I might be biased because I hit a lot of the markers having been raised Catholic with hockey playing brothers. This was funny and sad, and tackled gender roles, and the power of prayer, with whimsy and magic. 

Poison by Wildside Productions at Theatre Network - An estranged couple reunites at the cemetery 9 years after the death of their son. This was a challenging piece - the first third a little uneventful but it picks up and then the last third was very compelling. The acting was strong, but the script itself challenging. Perhaps it's the nature of a translation. 

Anyhow, it looks like a lot to me! 

I am heading into the next month looking forward to seeing:

Betroffenheit (Citadel)

Cleave (Tiny Bear Claws)

Blue Stockings (Walterdale)

Undercover (Citadel)

Slut (NLT)

Going to St. Ives (Atlas - Varscona)

The Silver Arrow (Citadel)

All Shook Up (Mayfield)

There will be more... I just haven't gotten my list yet! 

Cardiac Theatre's Hot Mess and Pyretic Productions' The Other - Sexual Disconnect in the Modern World

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 Cardiac Theatre's Hot Mess.  It was in the basement of El Cortez and the noise from the upstairs restaurant provides an interesting layer to the soundscape of the show.  It feels entirely appropriate for this show that juxtaposes contrasting attitudes toward sex by all four of it's characters. The production is sharp, edgy and unapologetic. It's one of those shows that makes me glad that I am old and not 'out there' because I really don't know where I would fit in the spectrum.

An interesting start to the month of March, which promises to be jam-packed with theatre. I'll be off to Alice Through the Looking-Glass tomorrow night which I think will be a decided contrast to what I have seen already this week!