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. 

The Noon Witch at Teatro Live! Beware of Young Women with Baked Goods!!

Photo Credit: Marc J Chalifoux

This past Friday, I took in Opening Night of The Noon Witch written and directed by Stewart Lemoine and presented by Teatro Live! at the Varscona Theatre. It was a fun night of theatre warning of the dangers of young women met at midday with baked goods - you must be careful as they might actually be a witch, trying to fatten you up so you will sink to your death (lured to the water by nixies of some sort). It takes place in 1920s Hungary and we meet first Anatol (Aidan Laudersmith), who has just returned from a long trip exploring the country, and Joszef (Eli Yaschuk), who has quit his long-standing job at a bakery because he can't stop eating the goods. These two have wonderful chemistry together and Laudersmith handles the complex and witty dialogue wonderfully. Yaschuk is brilliant at playing the very quirky Joszef and he has a comedic subtlety that was very fun to watch! The two men have a friend, Sandor (Ethan Long), who they discover has been captivated by what they believe is a Noon Witch going by the name of Tinka (Nida Vanderham). Rescuing him from her clutches becomes paramount, while also avoiding falling into the witch's clutches themselves. There's also an assist in this task from Dr. Katalin Vac (Michelle Diaz) who Anatol happens upon in his journeys. 

Photo Credit: Marc J Chalifoux

It's a clever script and the company has risen to the challenge with set (Chantel Fortin - a pool onstage!) and costumes (Leona Brausen). I had not seen the original 1995 production so I was delighted to see how it all unwrapped. It was also great to see these new young actors on the Varscona stage. They were all recent graduates from various theatre programs. They handled the clever and ridiculous Lemoine dialogue handily and the moments of physical comedy were hysterical. Never will I look at a donut the same way again!  It was a great evening out for surprising and unexpected laughs! 

The Noon Witch plays until March 9, 2025 at the Varscona. Tickets range from $25-$42 and there are Pay-What-You-Can performances. They also have a variety of special event options including wine and cheese, and dinner and a show. You can purchase your tickets here. 

Angry Alan at NLT - So much to talk about...

Brianne Jang BB Collective Photography

Friday night I took in the Opening Night of Angry Alan presented by Northern Light Theatre, directed by Trevor Schmidt and starring Cody Porter. When I attended the season launch for NLT I thought the casting of Porter was so smart, because in just the preview the things that his character (Roger) said were highly inflammatory. Only someone like Porter could play this role and not have everyone dislike (hate?) him and Roger, outright. This was confirmed when I saw the show. 

Roger is disillusioned with his life. It clearly has not gone the way he thought it would. It has not gone the way he felt he was promised - promised by society and it's expectations - and then Roger finds the Men's Rights Movement online. His frustrations with the world (which he finds unfair and inexplicable) are echoed by online persona Angry Alan, whose video rants feed Roger's need for answers. What's to blame? Feminism... it has clearly gone too far. All of a sudden Roger has the philosophy that makes him feel like it's not his fault. He goes down the rabbit hole and it leads to no good. 

I don't want to give all the story away, but it did go somewhere I totally did not expect. Depending on your personal perspective the first 2/3 of the play is really funny, if you forget that some people really believe what Roger is parroting. But at a certain point, you can't help but remember. Clips of some of the worst online offenders for spreading the myths of men's persecutions (I don't want to name them because they don't need any more presence than they already have) can't help but remind you that these predators are filling the heads of men out there with a lot of dangerous garbage. 

Brianne Jang BB Collective
Photography

It was an excellent night of theatre. Porter is spot-on, believable and human, and you get why Roger goes down the path he does. Schmidt's direction leads us through this journey subtly, and the piece as a whole is intensely conversation provoking. I had several conversations with people immediately after the play, and on the ride home, and then throughout the following day - discussing how this brain-washing happens. We're all a bit culpable but most of us won't admit it. Roger talks about how men are conditioned not to share their feelings. He says this more than once. I've heard men in my life (brothers, friends, colleagues) express frustrations and have them brushed aside or belittled or chastised because they are 'white middleclass men who have nothing to complain about because of their privilege'. When someone can't even have the conversation they need to have because they feel belittled or dismissed, all that frustration is going to get bottled up until they eventually explode, or a vacuum is created and there's always some vitriol on the internet to fill the void. With Roger, both happen, and it's not good for him or anybody else.

I'm still thinking about this. I will probably have many more conversations about it. I think we all should, and we all need to be listening instead of shouting. It's so incredibly timely. 

I'd recommend this, but please be prepared to have your assumptions challenged. 

Angry Alan is playing in the Studio Theatre Inside Fringe Theatre Adventures until February 8, 2025. The space is small so get your tickets sooner rather than later. Tickets range from $22-$37 with Pay-What-You-Can and 2-for-1 Nights during the run. You can purchase your tickets here. 

Back in the House after a while...

Immediately after my last post I was struck by something... it was respiratory and it lingered and I had to cancel tickets to several shows I had wanted to catch. I spent about a month literally 'on the couch', coughing and wheezing and sleeping. 

In late November I did manage to catch The Ballad of Johnny and June at the Citadel and it was terrific! I should have blogged but I was not up to full strength. However, I saw this as a reaffirming of the standard of work I believe we should be seeing at a Regional Theatre. My mother liked it so much that she went twice and took my dad to it. That's a ringing endorsement! I took the big buy and he also really enjoyed it and he's hard to please! 

In December I caught It's a Wonderful Life: A Live Radio Play at Walterdale Theatre. The company did a great job tapping into the iconic Christmas story. The cast handily embraced the multiple character voices of a radio play and the look (costumes and set) and sound of the play was very fun and entertaining. I'm hoping we see Ethan Handford, Lacey Edwards, Josh Young and Rob Beeston back on the Walterdale stage. I had never seen any of them before and they were all such wonderful additions to the company, playing multiple roles in the story with much humour and skill! There were also several Walterdale veterans onstage and it was great to see them back!

I'm ready for more theatre in 2025 and saw my first show of the year last night - I'll be blogging about that tomorrow!

Stranger Sings! What a Riot!

Last Friday I went to Opening Night of the absolutely hysterical Stranger Sings presented by DarkStage Productions at the Backstage Theatre. It is what is sounds like it might be, a musical parody of the Netflix show Stranger Things. Like the TV show, it is set in Hawkins, Indiana, where four nerdy tweens play D&D and one of them (Will Byers - a puppet voiced by Melenie Reid, who also plays his mom, Joyce Byers) goes missing on his way home! All the folks you expect to see are there: D&D buddies Mike (Jeremey Zimmerman), Lucas (Jason Wong) and Dustin (Renell Doneza - who does an amazing imitation of Gaten Matarazzo), Steve Harrington with the hair (played by Brian Christenson who also plays Jonathon Byers with a quick switch of a wig and a moor slouch), Nancy Wheeler (Liz Janzen) and best-friend but forgotten Barb (Carly Pettit), Eleven (Jack Hunting), Hooper (Connor Foy) and, of course, the Demogorgon (the clearly never-shy in his life - Lucas Paterson). I mention them all because they are such a fabulous ensemble. No one is weak in this bunch. They all sing terrifically and embrace the camp of the show and handle the fun choreography (Director/Choreographer David Son) expertly! 

I loved this show because I loved Stranger Things. It doesn't recreate the entire show, but it hits the moments and highlights the ridiculousness of the situations. All the cast members clearly understood the assignment - it's obvious they've watched the show and know the mannerisms of their characters and they go for it. Melenie Reid's Winona Ryder as Joyce Byers is simply hysterical, and Carly Pettit is a bang-on Barb. Jack Hunting has Eleven's physicality down to an art. 

I also loved this show because it's a musical theatre fan's treasure hunt! The songs are fun and there's homage to many musical styles. I heard references from Yentl, Dear Evan Hansen, The Muppet Movie and Gypsy! to name just a few! Every single cast member was giving it 100% whether in a solo or an ensemble piece. There were times where they were all singing and it was so fabulous to hear! What a great sound. 

It helps to have seen the show, I would think. My friend even went so far as to binge the first season before going and I think she felt that was a good idea. But if you are a fan of the show, you will not be disappointed. If you haven't seen it, it's not too late to binge and then check out this delightful parody!

Tickets for Stranger Sings are $37.00 and can be purchased here. They have already Sold Out a few performances so buy sooner rather than later. They run to October 26th!

October Theatre - It's all about the Scare Factor... Isn't it?

This October has quite a few cool options for those of you who like your theatre to have a Scare Factor! I must say, the Edmonton theatre community has really risen to the challenge this year! I was happy to catch 2 of them last week!

First up is A Party to Murder at Walterdale Theatre. I quite enjoyed the unwrapping of this Agatha Christie inspired story. It's a layered story and things are not as they seem, and it channels elements of And Then There Were None, but with a more modern take.  I was reminded a bit of Knives Out in that not everyone is who they seem to be. The twists and turns really start coming in the second act and it appears that everyone has a motive for murder, but just who did it is the question. Lots of laughs in this show too, mostly from the deadpan delivery of Erwin Veugelers as former football player, Willy. The whole cast is tight and you can tell that everyone is keeping secrets. When the whole thing spills out you'll be replaying earlier moments to see what you missed!  There's some great stage violence and a bit of blood, for those who like that, and a real sense of 'what will happen next?' at the end. It runs from October 9-19 with tickets running between $20-$30.  The show is directed by Sarah Spicer and features a top-notch cast of 6! Tickets can be purchased here. 

Teatro Live! is presenting The Woman in Black running from October 10-27 with tickets running between $25-$42. In Edwardian London, a young actor helps a lawyer make sense of a long ago encounter with a mysterious apparition who invariably leaves death in her wake. Together the two men conjure the mysterious marshland of northeastern England and its population of haunted characters. The show features Julien Arnold and Geoffrey Simon Brown and is directed by Andrew Ritchie.  This show was excellently executed with jump scares eliciting screams from the audience. The woman in black appears suddenly and in a disturbing way more than once - the magic created by superb lighting.  Ritchie has directed a terrific piece of theatre  that moves (once you get past the first 15 minutes which set up the convention of telling the story). The world is created in a old empty theatre, but it is not hard to imagine that various locations from the busy London street, to the train ride, to the haunted house in question. Even the house itself is simply but powerfully created from a scrim and boxes and a door. A chest becomes a desk and through the power of expert storytelling, we believe it. The inevitability of the horrible ending creates an anguished anticipation and a hope that all will be well with our loved ones too! Tickets can be purchased here. 

There are other shows coming up with a high creepy factor too:

A new company, Putrid Brat, presents The Maids by Jean Genet. Two young women toiling in servitude escape into sensual fantasies of luxury, violence and revenge in Jean Genet’s masterpiece. Loosely based on the notorious and shocking case of the Papin sisters who murdered their employer’s wife and daughter, The Maids explores the line where fantasy and reality blur and the stories we weave become indistinguishable from the truth. The show runs October 24-Nov 3 and tickets are $21.69 with options for PWYC. Tickets can be purchased here. 

Stranger Sings! The Parody Musical is a hilarious ‘upside down’ take on the hit Netflix series – and all its campy 1980s glory. Mike, Eleven, Lucas, Dustin, and the whole Hawkins gang have a night of adventure, thrills, pubescent angst, heavy synth, poor parenting, convoluted love triangles, cheap effects, dancing monsters, and maybe, just maybe justice for everyone’s favorite missing ginger, Barb Holland. The show runs from October 18-26 at the Backstage Theatre. Tickets are $30-40 and can be purchased here. They are selling fast, so move quickly! 

Busy Weekend! Theatre with Catalyst, The Varscona and The Citadel!

It was a busy weekend of theatre for me! Felt like old times! Three performances in three days!

On Friday, I took in The Invisible - Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare presented by Catalyst Theatre at the Eva O. Howard Theatre at Victoria School for the Arts. This was the last professional show i saw before the great pause and much of what I reflected on then, still holds true. You can read my original review here. The show has had some cast changes, but they are still a phenomenal ensemble of actors with no weak links. It's a terrific piece of theatre that reveals stories of women during World War II - stories we don't often get to hear. As I said before, it is one of my favourites from the company and remains so! 

The Invisible runs to October 5th with tickets priced between $26.83-$51.83. You can purchase them here. 

On Saturday, I went to The Varscona Theatre Gala. It was a lovely night with a variety of performers (House of Hush Burlesque, Die-Nasty, Lindsey Walker, and the Jambo Brothers), terrific food, and a silent auction (yes I 'won' something!). It was hosted by Kendra Connor and Jason Hardwick and told us about what was coming up in the theatre this next season. We saw a scene from The Noon Witch which will be part of the Teatro Live! season and Die-Nasty improvised Waiting for Godot: The Musical. All in all a terrific night! If you missed it, and want to support The Varscona either by donating or buying tickets to their shows, you can check them out here.   

My theatre weekend wrapped up on Sunday afternoon with A Streetcar Named Desire at the Citadel Theatre. It is an excellently done production. I will admit, Streetcar is a favourite of mine. I was an ensemble member in a production about 25 years ago, and I have always loved Tennessee Williams' plays. As I mentioned, this production is very well executed. The entire cast is up to the task and Stanley (Stafford Perry) and Blanche (Lindsey Angell) are phenomenal anchors to the piece. I was also particularly impressed by Sheldon Elter as Mitch, who gave a real layered and thought-provoking performance. The show is about 3 hours long, but does not feel long. It moves along and keeps the audience engaged. It's not often that you get to see these classic pieces, and it is nice to see it done so well. They've added live music to the transitions to create the mood and feel of New Orleans in the 1950s. These are all excellently done, but I wondered about whether this was necessary. It's hard to say, because after the show, my companion's first comment was about how much she liked the music! It certainly showcased some tremendous talent!

A Streetcar Named Desire runs to October 13th. Tickets are priced between $40-$125.00 and can be purchased here.