A Nice Light Comedy to Keep You Warm - "I Meant What I Said" at Teatro Live

Teatro Live! is currently presenting a brand new play by Stewart Lemoine called I Meant What I Said. It's a bubbly little piece that demonstrates the power of the creation of story. Dinah (played cheerfully and optimistically by Bella King) is approaching her 30th birthday and is experiencing a period of reflection about her life and her purpose. As such, she starts to weave a story that comes to life in front of us. We meet a former friend and current acquaintance, Helen (Jayce McKenzie) who finds herself at a different turning point as her marriage appears to be ending. Dinah also observes Alex (Sam Free) who becomes her boyfriend in the story she creates (is he an actor? or an academic?), and Juris (Eli Yaschuk) a newcomer to the country seeking to converse in order to improve his English. In Dinah's story he also has a tragic past. Added to the mix is The Oddball (Nida Vanderham) who is actually several characters who fill in the world that Dinah creates. It's a very cool little story that roams from coffee shop to upscale hotel bar to academic classroom to wintry high mountaintops. Some is true, some is made-up, but I'm not sure we know entirely which is which. It's definitely about the journey! I had a very enjoyable time and as a playwright, I found the witnessing of the process of creation of story very interesting. I most enjoyed the interplay between King and Yaschuk, as he is such a natural comedian and King's reactions are so truthful. I also loved McKenzie's turn as the tightly wound Helen. This was a big shift from anything I have ever seen her in before and it was fun to watch. 

I also reflected on the five actors that were onstage, as it did not seem that long ago that I observed them as 'the young ones coming up', but now they are firmly established. It's a testament to the investment that the Edmonton theatre community has made to young artists that we can watch them evolve on stages over several years (and hopefully more to come). I certainly look forward to seeing these actors onstage in future projects and was glad to see them as an ensemble in this piece. As I said, it's a lovely comedy that will keep you warm this winter. Definitely worth checking out!

I Meant What I Said runs to March 8th at the Varscona. Tickets are $25-$42 and there are Pay-What-You-Can Nights and other special events. You can purchase those tickets here. 

Photo Credit:  Marc J Chalifoux Photography 

Fringe Full of Stars - Monday brings the BEST SHOW SO FAR! Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things

Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things

Now this is how you tell a scary story! From the pre-set of the cartoonish, but creepy, bed draped in fabric that appear to be covered in skulls, to the first few flashes of light and the quickly revealed tableaux, you know you are in for something really special with Victor & Victoria's Terrifying Tale of Terrible Things. I did not see it when first performed by creators Beth Graham and Nathan Cuckow (pretty sure it Sold Out back then), so other than the imagery of the hollow eyed and sunken cheeked Victorian twins, I didn't quite know what to expect script wise. I think, however, even if you did see it previously, this production would hold up and delight you in a Gothically scary way! 2025's Victor and Victoria and played by Eli Yaschuk and Rain Matkin, who have electric chemistry with each other as was seen earlier in the season in NLT's Radiant Vermin. That chemistry continues with this brilliant show. You do not always expect the level of quality in lighting, set, costumes and the tightness of the performance in a Fringe production. Director Jim Guedo, along with his cast, has delivered a real treat. The ridiculous leg acting alone is worth the price of admission. But seriously folks, it's so incredibly good. It's hysterical, fast-paced, with twists and turns, is at times super scary, and always engaging. I was captivated from the first hilarious moment to the terrifyingly last one! See this show - you won't regret it! 

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!

Great Music & Theatre from U of A and Grant MacEwan U...

Photo Credit: Lindsey Tran,
@understudystudio_

I ticked off one of my bucket list shows this past week! I'm a self-avowed Sondheim lover and thanks to Grant MacEwan University's production of Sunday in the Park with George, I finally got to see a show that has long been on my list. I'm so glad I caught it (it closes today so you might not be able to if you are just reading this now). The music is very-Sondheim and I caught bits that reminded me of Into the Woods and Company, and it is not easy, but this cast did it very well. Lead by Eli Yaschuk as George (George Seurat, the French painter) and Rain Matkin as Dot (his fictionalized model and lover), the young cast of students in the BFA program deliver the show with commitment, enthusiasm and skill. Yaschuk and Matkin are both terrific, anchoring the show musically and emotionally. I hope we see more of them on our city's stages in year to come. And the entire cast delivered my favourite song, Sunday, beautifully.

Photo Credit: Lindsey Tran, @understudystudio_

It's interesting how forward thinking the show was. It seemed like it was meant for this modern age of projections. The lighting, set, costume, and projection designers (Travis Hatt, Ross Nichol, Deanna Finnman, Matt Shuurman) did a phenomenal job of bringing the art to life. After seeing the show I went and rewatched the Tony performance from the original production, which had wowed me at the time I first saw it, and was struck by how much more active projections add to the piece. 

I hope to catch a few more of the MacEwan University shows in the future. We are blessed with so much theatre in Edmonton, we sometimes forget that MacEwan and U of A both have incredible programs offering terrific shows with the future of Edmonton theatre on their stages. 

Speaking of U of A, I also caught a wonderful musical performance by the University of Alberta Music Department featuring their Concert Band and Symphonic Wind Ensemble. The performance was called The Old Sod, and was presented on St. Patrick's Day at the Winspear. It also featured dancers from the Edmonton Ceilidh Dance Academy. It was a terrific way to spend St. Patrick's Day and enjoy some wonderful pieces of music.