Nothing Like a Whorehouse on Fire to Warm You Up!

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 personality onstage). The story tells of the development of their unlikely friendship and the ultimate betrayal and disappointment that the friendship wasn't enough. It also spoke to the inequity of their social situations and the advantages that each have. There's no doubt in my mind which of the two women is a true survivor, but I know that both of them employ very different strategies to do so, and although their world views appeared to get closer together, we see that self-preservation gets in the way. Director Trevor Schmidt has shaped a give and take between the two contrasting actors that is believable and hopeful, but then ultimately foiled, and has done so in a way that I shared in the inevitable disappointment.

I'd admired the set (Production Designer - Alison Yanota) before I was even in the theatre as I had seen a photo online. It's even more lovely in person - atmospheric and distressed - much like the relationship between the characters onstage. The costumes further accentuate the contrast between the two women and as a whole - one fiery and one cool - and so the play is a visual treat. Oh, and I loved the huge moon that hangs above the house! 

It's a solid, crackling show, just over an hour, that showcases the best of Edmonton's theatre community - from playwright to actors to designers and director!

The Great Whorehouse Fire of 1921 runs to November 28th. Tickets must be purchased in advance and you can buy them here. 

COVID Rating A+: NLT is selling a reduced capacity house which allowed audiences members to socially distance. Masks are required inside the theatre and sanitizer is provided at entrances. 

What's On and Coming up in Edmonton Theatre

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

After so long, 3 shows in a month seems AMAZING! The Fiancé, The December Man and Garneau Block!

 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, Tenaj Williams and Sheldon Elter), who have all arrived home on the same day. The stakes are raised by the arrival of a new landlord, Ms. Crotch (played by a ferocious Lora Brovold), with strict rules about unmarried ladies living in the building. As with most farces, the First Act served to set up the situation as precariously as possible and the Second Act was where it all payed off. It was an enjoyable afternoon spent out at the theatre where I could laugh and anticipate who would end up with who and what ridiculous circumstance would wrap it all up. I was not disappointed! The script is new and could use a little tightening and the removal of a few anachronistic bits that bumped me out of the story, but the cast do a great job selling every moment. And although the physical comedy in the fights and business are funny, they could also use a bit of judicious editing as they don't always carry the momentum required. As I mentioned, the Second Act is where it all pays off, as more people are added and more doors start getting opened and closed. All in all, this is a nice little show that will make you feel good and get you laughing. 

The Fiancé runs to November 28 and tickets are available here. Tickets range from $30-$108.00.

COVID RATING: B+ (Guests are checked for double vaccination and masked throughout the performance, hand sanitizer is provided in the lobby and entrances, but seats are not distanced and some guests removed their masks to drink and eat in the theatre)

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

Last week I took in The December Man at Walterdale Theatre. It has closed but I did want to comment on the excellent production. The December Man, by Colleen Murphy, tells of the 1989 Ecole Polytechnique tragedy involving the murder of 14 women and injuring others by a lone gunman railing against feminism. The story is told in the aftermath with the effects on one male student Jean (played with sensitivity by Filip Fufezan) who survived the shootings and the guilt that he deals with for not doing more. His parents, played by Christine Gold and J. Nelson Niwa, struggle to help him and their own limitations prevent them from being able to do so successfully. The trio of actors were beautifully committed to their characters strengths and weaknesses, and together there were a believable family coping as best they could with this horrible new reality. And the story, told in reverse order, culminated in a heart-breaking emotional release. The piece was directed with a skilled hand by Alex Hawkins who allowed the cast to weave through the emotional ups and downs realistically. 

The December Man closed this past Saturday, so you can no longer see it. However, Walterdale Theatre's next production is 5@50 by Brad Fraser which runs from December 8-18. Tickets can be purchased here. $25.00

COVID RATING: A+ (Guests are checked for double vaccination and masked throughout the performance, hand sanitizer is provided at entrances, bathrooms are restricted to one person at a time, seats are socially distanced, limited tickets are sold to prevent over-crowding)

Photo Credit: Arthur Mah

Earlier this season I also caught The Garneau Block at the Citadel in the Maclab Theatre. At the time of the Shut-down I think I was about a week and a half from seeing the show, so it was nice to finally catch it on the stage! I'm so happy for these shows-interrupted who are now able to be seen. Some productions over the course of the pandemic were able to transition to online productions, but with this being a play based on a novel by Edmonton's own Todd Babiak, so close to Opening, with a set left intact, I was really happy that they were able to keep (almost) the entire original cast and get the opportunity to share it with the city. I loved the book, so it was cool to see that world recreated onstage in this adaptation by Belinda Cornish. There are differences but the spirit of the story is intact, as are the characters. It was a great afternoon of laughter for me. Stand-out performance, however, must go to Nadien Chu whose onstage melt-down was one for the ages! As a whole, however, the cast was a delightful, well-balanced ensemble. Kudos!

The Garneau Block is no longer running so tickets are not available. 

Since we haven't been able to travel much... Why not go to Destination Wedding? At the Fringe!

 

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 roles (a primary and secondary one). I chose this show because it looked fun and because of the track record of the company and the performers involved and I was not disappointed. The script is slick and witty, and the three main characters are definitely well-defined and relatable, and although they are very different from each other, it was not hard to imagine them as long-time friends. It's more than just a gathering of women over cocktails in an exotic resort, however, as there is a murder/suspicious death. Our job as audience members is to sort through the layered clues to perhaps make a decision about who did what. We don't however, get all the answers. There's an Online Poll you can do after the show to register your guess for the murderer. 

Overall, the show was fun and bitchy - with the patterns of friends who know each other well and who have entertained and irritated each other for years - and although I wanted more answers, I'm totally cool with not knowing everything. It was a great choice for my return to the Fringe!

Tickets are going fast for this one - the performance we went to was Sold Out and many of the performances left have limited availability. You can get your tickets here. 

Also - for those wondering about Covid Safety. The spacing was great in the venue and the line-up. Masks are required inside (except for that one table of ladies who obviously felt it wasn't required for them). There's sanitizer and masks if you forget yours. Even the line-up outside was well spaced. It was nice to see the show, laugh along with others in that special unity of an audience, and not worry about being safe. 

Summer 2021 - A Return to Live #yegtheatre... tentatively... with Macbeth...

 

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 this adaptation tends to lighten the more gory parts with clever songs and provide exposition in humorous ways. There's also low-risk audience participation. On the Preview night, the audience was a little rusty but once their memories were sparked they leapt in. 

Most lovely for me was seeing the three actors joyous response to the applause. I feel for all the #yegtheatre performers who have tried to serve us over the last year and a half with online performances. Finally they can hear our gratitude for the splendid art that they are creating instead of sending it out into the silent void of zoom. 

Next for me is a Fringe show. I'm finding it hard to get back to being around people so I am taking it slow. I'll see a show on Monday and if that goes well, I hope to catch a few more later in the week.

You can catch Macbeth and Much Ado About Nothing at the Fringe. Click the titles for the links to tickets and showtimes. Some performances already show limited availability, so you might want to get those ticket sooner rather than later! 

Tentatively stepping back into the theatre space...

The great pause... that's what we are in, I guess, and for me and many of the people I know, the biggest shift has been the loss of live in-person theatre. For me this was huge because of the amount of shows I normally saw on a monthly/weekly basis. Even with my slowing over the last few years, the shift was noticeable. 

Prior to last night, the last show I saw was Girl in the Machine in March. I don't think I blogged about it because right afterwards everything shut down. I was due to see a show at Shadow Theatre and postponed going due to being tired (how I wish I hadn't done that). I was also mentoring a director at Walterdale and had sat in on some rehearsals just prior to it all stopping. I remember feeling at the time that this was just going to be a few months. With my work at Walterdale we had many conversations about the shows in rehearsal. One was 2 weeks from Opening, the New Works (6 one acts) had just been cast, and the July musical was set to have their first read-through. So many conversations. So many if-then plans (if we can open by this date, then we can still do the show; if we open by this date, then we can do it in concert; if we cancel by this date, then we don't lose the royalties...). At all stages those conversations were heart-breaking, challenging, The various teams were creative. Most of the New Works decided to record zoom readings of their brand new/in-development plays and we were able to share those with our membership on-line. The team for the musical also did a zoom first read-through which allowed them to celebrate the show that would-have-been and hopefully this allowed for some temporary closure for them. At this point we do not know when we will be able to do a musical again (and after reading about this community theatre production of Mamma Mia!, I think we are right to wait). At the Board level we have had many many many conversations about what opening might looks like. We struck a committee to develop a plan to make sure that when we do reopen we are safe for everyone, our members and our audiences. We are definitely erring on the side of extreme caution (we are well aware how many of our audience members fall into the high risk categories). I have said over and over "We do not need to be first!"

So that brings me to last night. Last night I went to a show, in a theatre, with live actors onstage and other people in the house. It was the Horizon Lab at the Citadel, with their first show Where are Your Stories? "You are so brave." said one friend on Facebook. It never once felt unsafe. Certainly if felt different. But compared to a trip to Safeway or Shoppers, it was so incredibly well managed. Clear, explicit directions on mask-wearing and controlled socially distanced seating. An almost religious-ceremony of baptizing our hands with sanitizer on our entry. Everyone in masks. Even the show is kept clean - with a technician sanitizing the deck and set pieces that may have been touched by actors in the previous scene. I did not feel it was bravery to go, because I never felt unsafe in the situation. 

It was so nice to be in the familiar space. To share in applause and laughter with a group of people. The zoom and other online performances have been nice, but there is something about that communion of a live audience. Even the familiar irritation at the audience member in front of my who kept looking at his phone was kind of cool, because the feeling was nostalgic (Ah! I remember this!).  

The show(s) were... interesting, thought-provoking, and generous. They were all very different as you might expect from the varied backgrounds of those involved. Some were more compelling than others. Some were better written than others, Some were better performed than others. Some I understood, and some were a bit confusing. Some were angry, some sad, and some joyful. So, all in all, it was a pretty good night for theatre. 

I hope that the future offers me more of these nights. I'm good with going slowly and safely. I'm just happy to be back in my church. 

February Theatre - And the Theme is Fight the Power!

I've taken in 3 theatrical events so far this month (2 productions, and one reading of a new work) and I am noticing a theme... it's all about fighting against oppression!

The first show I took in was 1984 at Walterdale Theatre (full disclosure: I am Board President of Walterdale). It opened last Wednesday and runs to Saturday, February 15th. The production is a striking adaptation of George Orwell's 1949 novel. I was very impressed with the striking and flawless design of the show and clear direction. It's executed cleanly by it's cast, who do an excellent job creating the dystopia of the world. As Winston Smith, Michael Anderson shifts from disillusioned party member, to brash rebel, and then to a descent into brokenness as he is defeated and tortured by the all-seeing all-knowing Big Brother-led Inner Party. I've never seen 1984 onstage before, and I recommend this production as a worthy adaptation for the stage. 1984 runs to Feb 15th and you can get tickets here.

Photo Credit: Scott Henderson, Henderson Images

I also saw The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare at Catalyst Theatre. It's about 7 women agents of subterfuge who work as a team to help defeat the Nazis in WW II. I've written a longer write-up here. I can summarize to say I loved it! Tickets are available until February 23 and you can click here to purchase them.

Photo Credit: dbphotographics



The reading I attended was at Script Salon - Anahita's Republic by AuTash. It's a piece I know well as I participated in some of the early readings and work shopping of it. It's a brilliant play written by a two Edmonton playwrights about modern day Iran and the challenges of living in a repressive society where not everyone is equal. There's much more to it than that as it also offers comment on western society, but does so in a very human way. I really hope that this piece gets picked up for production soon. I think it tells a story that everyone would benefit from hearing. It was such a delight to hear it read by such talented actors and to hear how far it has grown in the four years of it's development.