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. 

Fringe Reviews: FETCH and BUYER AND CELLAR

Fetch (by Cat Walsh)

Interloper Theatre

Venue 28 - The Playhouse

My first show of the 37th Fringe was a good choice. A fascinating tale of two Hannah Morgans that plays with possibility and probability. The Hannahs (Lora Brovold and Cat Walsh) narrate their eerily similar yet significantly different lives to relate a story that leaves you wondering what really happened. Guided by an interpretation of the Schrodinger's Cat Theory and a mysterious stuffed dog called Mr. Anderson, you will be drawn into the parallel and diverging stories. It's great story-telling that is unpredictable and engaging. The writing is excellent and the performances compelling. 

Buyer and Cellar

Next Stage Productions

Venue 10 - Have Mercy Acacia Hall

I was fortunate to be invited to a Preview of this one-man show about the mall in Barbra Streisand's basement. Gregory Caswell plays the fictional lone employee of the mall which is used to display the many things that Barbra has collected over her life. It's full of funny, laugh-out-loud moments with humour specially designed for the musical theatre lover and for anyone who is a fan of Streisand.  Caswell is charming and believable as the 'real person' in the presence of the larger than life diva and he is the perfect guide to the world of the superstar's mall. He also deftly channels several other characters from boyfriend Barry, to James Brolin, to the great Babs herself. 

The Magic is in the Unwrapping... Let the Light of Day Through at Theatre Network

I saw a play last night I wish I had written.  This happens every once in a while when I go see a new work.  I marvel at the work the playwright did.  I wonder, "How will I ever know how to do that?" That's how I feel about Collin Doyle's new play Let the Light of Day Through now playing at Theatre Network.  The script is so elegant and tight and funny and honest and it feels effortless as we experience it.  I don't want to say too much, because much of it's brilliance comes in the way the story is unwrapped.

We start in the now of Chris (Lora Brovold) and Rob (Jesse Gervais), a couple in their thirties and then swoop along with them as they portray each other's parents and co-workers and themselves when they were younger.  We experience their growing relationship thinking we know how it will go because we have already met them in an older form.  It begins with a lot of laughter. A LOT of laughter.  Brovold and Gervais have great chemistry and play off each other so well, always staying real as they take us from hilarity to sadness. Each of them shows a flexibility that is impressive as they veer from point to point in time and space and character.  In one night of theatre I had some of my biggest laughs and destroyed a myriad of tissues with my crying. Now that's a play.  The set (Cory Sincennes) and lighting (Scott Peters) seem simple at first, but there is much more there than first appears.  For the lighting, it is about what is hidden in the shadows and what is shown in the light and for the set, it is about what is hidden behind those walls. Director Bradley Moss has worked well with all these brilliant components creating a piece that will make you laugh and break your heart and finally give you peace.