The 34th Rhubarb Festival is on....

For two weeks, over 100 local and international artists transform Buddies in Bad Times Theatre into a hotbed of creativity and experimentation, sharing new ideas in contemporary theatre, performance art, dance, and music with adventure-loving audiences. This year's Festival Director Laura Nanni brings you some great entertainment and thought provoking theatre. Here are a few stills from some of the highlighted shows this year.  

Fay Slift and the Three Bears
 Ladybear Extraordinaire Fay Slift stars as Goldilocks in a high-drag, choose-your-own-adventure take on this familiar fairy tale.

created and performed by Trixie & Beever with John Paul Kane and Kaleb Robertson | directed by Lindsay Barton | choreographer / outside eye Kitty Neptune | costume design Atom Cianfarani | make up design and photography David Hawe | set and prop design Nina Bunjevac.

 And Dirty Plotz  a one-night only event TONIGHT.  An ensemble of female performers take on the historical exclusion and erasure of women in art and social justice movements.

curated and hosted by Alex Tigchelaar | featuring Jess Dobkin, Christine Pountney, Keisha Scott, Laura Kane, Hoa Nguyen and Zoe Whittall | choreography by Cat Nimmo

 

 Also, Graceful Rebellions is on this weekend.
 Meet Laily, Wazma, and Zenat. Each have a story to tell. Each suffer for joys divine and destructive and all have much to lose. Can an Afghan woman gain power under the rule of man?

written and performed by Shaista Latif | directed by Evalyn Parry | YCU Director Evalyn Parry
image by Kai Wa Yapp

You should also check out All The Ladies. This visceral dance performance builds and deconstructs ideas of femininity inside the frame of an all-female fight club.

choreography by Sasha Kleinplatz | interpreters Kelly Keenan, Rosie Cantin and Angie Cheng

Disco Hospital where you can experience a new queer shamanism in this performance ritual that combines therapeutic touch and sonic therapy. Participants are invited to bring an offering in exchange for this experience. Disco Hospital  is part of the one-to-one series which are held off-site at 519.

artist and clinical sonician Andrew Zealley.

These are just a few of the shows and events going on at Buddies over the next two weeks.  Be sure to check out the whole first week schedule here, and next week's schedule here.  Rhubarb is not like other festivals. There are plenty of different ways to see performances, you rarely see only one show, you’re travelling from place to place, and you often end up seeing something you never expected. Here’s a handy cheat sheet to help you decide what you want to see, and explain how you go about seeing it – all of the headings refer to the colour-coded bars you see in the show descriptions

Week One & Week Two Programs. These 12 shows run for an entire week, Wednesday to Sunday evenings, in one of the two performance spaces at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre. At any given point, there are shows happening in both spaces, so when you arrive at the theatre pick the show you want to see first, and 30 minutes later when it’s done you can either stay where you are or move to the other space for your next performance. A $20 Evening Pass gets you in to the entire night of programming.

Special Presentations. These shows are special events that happen after the regular program for one or two nights only. Admission to Special Presentations is included in your Evening Pass.

Mobile Works. These are special performances designed for public spaces, and happen in various locations around the city. The location of each performance is included in its show listing above, and some of them either travel or take place outside so remember to bundle up. All Mobile Works presentations are free.

The One-To-One Performance Series. These are intimate performance designed for a single performer and one audience member at a time  – they all take place offsite at The 519 Church Street Community Centre. When booking your ticket, think of it like making an appointment: you can call ahead to our box office to schedule your personal time with an artist, or you can drop in to The 519 and see what’s available (a certain number of tickets for every performance will be held for drop-ins). Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can.

Young Creators Unit. These are 30 minute solo performances from four emerging voices that have been mentored through our Queer youth Arts Program. Performances take place every Saturday and Sunday beginning at 6PM. Each weekend features two different artists and your ticket gets you in to both performances. Tickets are Pay-What-You-Can.

Finally, a special note. The Faroe Islands will also be taking place offsite at The 519. While not a One-To-One performance, it is staged in an intimate environment for 10-15 people per show. Tickets to this Special Presentation are Pay-What-You-Can.

Preview: A Brimful of Asha

Returning to The Extra Space at Tarragon is a season highlight from last year, A Brimful of Asha. We haven't seen the piece yet but we have heard through the community that performances are strong and the humour plentiful. Check below for details or click here for tickets:

Show Description/Press Release:

This acclaimed (and very Canadian) laugh-out-loud true story returns after a sold-out extended run this past season. Real-life mother and son, Asha and Ravi Jain, tell the tale of how Ravi’s parents planned a surprise trip to India to intercept him on his vacation and arrange his marriage. Ravi resents the intrusion but, as far as his parents are concerned, it’s time for him to get a wife.

The title A Brimful of Asha comes from a song written by British alternative rock band Cornershop (www.cornershop.com) in 1997 and is based upon the history of film culture in India. Asha is my mother's name. In Hindi it means Hope. This play is about the challenges that arise out of the hope for happiness that you want for your parents (or for your kids).

A BRIMFUL OF ASHA

A Why Not Theatre Production

Written and performed by Ravi Jain and Asha Jain
Directed by Ravi Jain
Set Design by Julie Fox
Lighting and Video Design by Beth Kates (Playground Studios)
Production Manager Joey Morin
Interview Videos by Kate Fraser and Nabil Shash (Heartist Productions)

Preview: The Arsonists

The Arsonists, a funny yet dark post-war farce, is on stage now at the Bluma Appel Theatre.  Featuring a live band performing original music, and some stellar vocal performances, this is a one-of-a-kind show that’s sure to heat up your holidays.

This show has been generating serious buzz with local critics. And is a definitely must see this season. The cast sizzles in their dynamic roles: don’t miss the chance to see Michael Ball, Christine Bougie, Dan Chameroy, Sly Juhas, Sheila McCarthy, Fiona Reid, Justin Rutledge, and Shawn Wright on stage.

Check out the Canadian Stage's website for show info, tickets, videos, design images and more.

BONUS: There's a pre-show chat with set designer Ken MacDonald this Tuesday at 7:15 pm. Free with your ticket to that night’s performance.

Preview: Lord of the Flies

Opening next Thursday November 22nd, at the Lower Ossington Studio Theatre is the classic Lord of the Flies.  If you have never seen this play or read the book then you do not want to miss this opportunity to see this incredible show at one of Toronto's hottest new theatres.

Lord of the Flies tells the story of a group of school boys who are the only survivors of a deadly plane crash. Stranded on a desert island with no adults and no rules, their fragile sense of civilization quickly crumbles in this dynamic exploration of power, democracy, and the dichotomy of good and evil.

Lord of the Flies runs from Nov 22nd - Dec 9th.  Click here for tickets and click here to see all of LOTs offerings this season.  They have a great line-up of family friendly shows and great date night offerings.  

Weekend Theatre Picks

Looking for a show to see this weekend?  Well look no further than Tarragon Theatre's Miss Caledonia. A one woman show developed and performed by Melody A. Johnson, Miss Caledonia, was first seen at the 2010 Summerworks Festival where it was a critical hit.  This time around Ms. Johnson brings her much developed piece about small town life and 1950's pageantry, to Tarragon until November 22nd.  The show has been a hit with local critics and audiences.

Miss Caledonia  is the story of a small town girl with big time dreams.  Peggy Ann idealizes Debbie Reynolds, and wants to become a star too.  And just like her idol she dreams of being discovered while competing in beauty pageants.  A timely and well developed comedy Ms. Johnson soars in Miss Caledonia.  

Miss Caledonia  written and performed by Melody A. Johnson
musical accompaniment and original score by Alison Porter
and directed by Rick Roberts and Aaron Willis
Click here for ticket information and performance information.


Also this weekend at Soulpepper are two very different offerings.  Samuel Beckett's classic but bleak Endgames  and Alligator Pie  a family friendly and life affirming adaption of work by classic children's poet Dennis Lee.  Both shows opened at The Young Centre of Performing Arts last weekend and run for several weeks.  Click here for information for both shows.

Endgame - Directed by Daniel Brooks
Featuring Diego Matamoros, Eric Peterson, Maria Vacratsis and Joseph Ziegler

Alligator Pie - Poems by Dennis Lee
Created by and featuring Ins Choi, Raquel Duffy, Ken MacKenzie, Gregory Prest and Mike Ross

Preview: My Name is Rachel Corrie

On the heels of the dismissal of the Corrie family's civil lawsuit, Hart House Theatre will be presenting the controversial play that explores an extraordinary young woman's singular experience in a region most of us only know from the news. My Name is Rachel Corrie opens on the historic Hart House Theatre stage on Wednesday, October 17th, 2012 for a limited run.

In March 2003, 23 year-old American student, Rachel Corrie, was crushed to death by an Isreali Defense Forces bulldozer in the Gaza Strip while trying to stop the demolition of a Palestinian home. My Name is Rachel Corrie is a controversial, passionate and stunning account of a girl who sought to discover the human impact of her own country's foreign policies on people thousands of miles from her home. Since its sold-out opening in 2005, My Name is Rachel Corrie has acted as a catalyst for discussion and continues to spark heated debate.

Taking on the role of Rachel Corrie is Montreal native Amelia Sargisson. Most recently, Amelia appeared in the premiere of Daniel Karasik's award-winning play Haunted at the 2012 SummerWorks Festival. Other recent credits include bringing to life five characters in the 2012 Toronto FringeKIDS show, Water, and reprising the role Jackie in Daniel Karasik's The Innocents (Tarragon Theatre) which she oringinated at the 2010 SummerWorks Festival. Other highlights include appearing in an adaptation Michel Tremblay's La Duchesse de Langeais (2011 Toronto Fringe Festival, NOW Magazine Outstanding Ensemble); The Madonna Painter (Centaur Theatre); down from heaven (Imago Theatre, Cartes Premières Award for Best Actress); co-creating and performing in The Art of Catching Pigeons by Torchlight (SummerWorks Festival, Spotlight Award). Amelia also spent five seasons performing with Shakespeare-in-the-Park and is currently co-creating The Besetting of Reena Virk with fellow members of the Subtle Vigilance Collective. Amelia is a proud graduate of Ryerson Theatre School.

Award winning director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu returns to Hart House Theatre to direct My Name is Rachel Corrie. She made her inaugural directing debut at the historic theatre with the production of Ntozake Shange's For Colored Girls Who Have Considered Suicide/When the Rainbow is Enuf'. Mumbi is the founding Artistic Director of IFT theatre and has worked with Canadian Stage, Volcano Theatre, Obsidian Theatre, DvXT and The AfriCan Theatre Ensemble. Currently, she is working at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival as the the Assistant Director for the world premiere of renowned Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor's The Best Brothers. Mumbi is a graduate of the University of Toronto and York University.

U of T's Performing Arts Leader Since 1919 - Hart House Theatre is not only a cultural hub for the University of Toronto but a cultural destination for the city. Under the direction of Artsitic Dorector Jeremy Hutton, we are dedicated to developing dynamic productions for a diverse and discerning modern audience with a roster full of the best emerging theatrical talent this country has to offer. The Art Deco theatre has cultivated and featured some of the country's finest actors, directors, playwrights and designers, including Raymond Massey, Dora Mavor Moore, William Hutt, Donald Sutherland, Norman Jewison, Lorne Michaels, and more recently Andre Sills and Tyrone Savage. Recent productions include The Night of the Iguana, Cabaret, Equus, Jerry Springer: The Opera and Macbeth.

My Name is Rachel Corrie

Taken from the writings of Rachel Corrie
Edited by Alan Rickman and Katharine Viner
Directed by: Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu
Starring: Amelia Sargisson
Set and Costume Design by: Mariuxi Zambrani
Lighting Design by Sarah Masikka
Video and Sound Design by: David Mesiha

October 17 - 20, 2012
at Hart House Theatre (7 Hart House Circle)

 Performances:
 Wednesday - Saturday at 8PM


Ticket Prices:
 Adults $25; Student & Seniors $15
 $10 Student Tickets every Wednesday
Tickets can be purchased at UofTtix Box Office by phone, 416.978.8849, online at www.uofttix.ca or in person.

Soulpepper's The Royal Comedians

On stage now at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts is Soulpepper's production of The Royal Comedians.Russian master Mikhail Bulgakov delves into the opulent world of eighteenth-century France with an extraordinary consideration of the life of French dramatist Jean-Baptiste Poquelin, better known as Molière. Dramatist, actor, theatre manager, lover, and scoundrel, Molière shrewdly crafts his own legend while battling the forces that hunger for his downfall.  We are very excited about this one as it is a departure from Soulpepper's predominantly 19th century theatrical canon.  There is also a large number of Soulpepper academy students involved.  Critics have been hard on the production but with all of the company's talent and the dramatic and challenging play it is definitely an exciting opportunity for the company.  

Directed by László Marton
Featuring Akosua Amo-Adem, Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster, Raquel Duffy, Rong Fu, Michael Hanrahan, Stuart Hughes, Qasim Khan, Sarah Koehn, Justin Many Fingers, Diego Matamoros, Hannah Miller, Gregory Prest, Harveen Sandhu, Paolo Santalucia, Cliff Saunders, William Webster and Daniel Williston

Click here for ticket information and to see the entire line up for the remainder of the 2012 season.  

September is for Soulpepper

After a fantastic summer of festivals and high octane spectacles we're excited to get back to our theatrical roots, so to speak, at Soulpepper.  The company returns this week from a month long hiatus with five fantastic shows.  We will be featuring all five of them here on the EAP blog, in the next few days.  Among the lineup are Soulpepper favourites Death of a Salesman and The Crucible as well as offerings from Mikhail Bulgakov, David Mamet and Neil Simon.  Tonight is the re-opening of David Mamet's Speed The Plow.  

Speed the Plow utilizes a distinctly Mamet style and gives savage insight into the morals (or lack thereof) involved with producing Hollywood blockbusters. The show sees two executives gamble their integrity for profit, only to be complicated by a surprise dissenting perspective. In Mamet's hands, quaint notions of loyalty, integrity, and straight talk become mere pawns in this scathing comedy.  Like all Mamet shows this is a play for mature audiences only.

We are also really excited about the re-opening of Neil Simon's The Sunshine Boys. In this hilarious comedy the popular vaudeville duo of 'Lewis and Clark' is invited to reunite after 12 years for a television special, it appears to be a can't miss proposition, except for one problem: they can't stand each other. Simon's laugh out loud comedy provides an  insightful look inside what happens when the spotlight shifts away and life crowds in. 

These two very different shows once again demonstrate Soulpepper's remarkable ability to present award winning drama and sidesplitting comedy. They are a truly talented and diverse theatre troupe and continue to be one of EAP's absolute favourite Toronto mainstays.  

Angelwalk Announces 2012/13 Season

Angelwalk Theatre, Toronto's leading producer of Off-Broadway musical theatre, announced its exciting 2012/2013 subscription season. Launching the season will be the Canadian Premiere of Ordinary Days, a co-production with Winnipeg Studio Theatre. The second production in the subscription series is the hit Off-Broadway musical, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change, a co-production with KooGle Theatre Company. New this season, Angelwalk Theatre will also be producing three one-night performances to showcase some of Canada's top musical theatre artists: Dianne and Me (featuring Elena Juatco), from Justin to Kelly (with Justin Bott and Kelly Holiff), and Villains & Vixens (starring Jayme Armstrong, Jay Davis, Kevin Dennis, George Masswohl, Adrienne Merrell, and Astrid Van Wieren). All productions will be presented at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, where Angelwalk Theatre is a company in residence. Also new for Angelwalk Theatre's fourth season, is the addition of its inaugural Artist Advisory.

Ordinary Days is an exciting and touching new musical by Adam Gwon about four young 20-30 year olds whose lives intersect as they search for fulfillment, love and happiness. When Deb loses her most precious possession - the notes to her graduate thesis - she unwittingly starts a chain of events that turns the ordinary days of four New Yorkers into something extraordinary. Ordinary Days made its world-premiere at the Roundabout Theatre in New York City in 2009 to rave reviews. "Full of idiosyncratic charm" (Time Out New York), Ordinary Days contains an emotionally powerful score with lyrics that are "arrestingly poetic" (LA Times). Remotegoat London gave the show five stars and calls it "one of the best musicals I have seen all year". Ordinary Days will run from November 29 until December 9, 2012.

Ordinary Days will be directed by Winnipeg Studio Theatre's Artistic Director, Kayla Gordon (Winnipeg's Spring Awakening, The 25th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee, Altar Boyz), with musical direction by Paul De Gurse (Winnipeg's My Mother's Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding, Avenue Q, Title of Show) and choreography by Brenda Gorlick (Winnipeg's Urinetown, The Producers, Altar Boyz). Set and costumes will be designed by Scott Penner (Stratford's Cymbeline, Angelwalk's I Love You Because) with lighting design by Siobhán Sleath (Angelwalk's I Love You Because, Hart House's Cabaret). The cast will star Justin Bott (Angelwalk's Title of Show, Songs for a New World; Hart House's The Great American Trailor Park Musical), Jay Davis (Angelwalk's I Love You Because, The Rose Theatre's The Last Five Years), Connie Manfredi (Winnipeg's Avenue Q, Spring Awakening), and Clara Scott (Angelwalk's Off-Broadway On Stage, The Lower Ossington Theatre's Spring Awakening, Reefer Madness).

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is the second-longest running musical in Off-Broadway history, running for 12 years and 5003 performances. With book and lyrics by Joe DiPietro and music by Jimmy Roberts, I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change is presented in the form of a series of vignettes connected by the central theme of love and relationships. The show is everything you have ever secretly thought about dating, romance, marriage, lovers, husbands, wives and in-laws, but were too afraid to admit. "Hilarious...the most entertaining show on or off Broadway" claims Gannett Newspapers, while Newsday says "if this show were a blind date, you'd feel relieved, grateful and pleasantly surprised," and The Star-Ledger calls it "a great date show, a perfect mating dance, it's 'Seinfeld' set to music!"

I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change was produced by KooGle Theatre Company in the summer of 2012 and Angelwalk Theatre is delighted to be building upon this success in the upcoming co-production. I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change will be directed by Evan Tsitsias (Acting Up Stage Company's Edges, Summerworks Festival's Strange Mary Strange, Aftershock) and will feature the cast from the original KooGle Theatre Company production: Christopher Alan Gray (Stratford's Inherit the Wind, The Sound of Music; Theatre Aquarius' Toad!), Dean Hollin (Theatre Aquarius, Drayton Entertainment, Stirling Festival), Leslie Kay (Theatre Aquarius, Sunshine Festival, St. Lawrence Stage Co.), and Alison O'Neill (Hart House's Bare; Lower Ossington Theatre's Pinkalicious). I Love You, You're Perfect, Now Change will run from May 14 until June 2, 2013.

This season, Angelwalk Theatre will undertake a new initiative to showcase Canadian musical theatre talent on stage. Its brand-new performance series will feature Canadian musical theatre artists in three one-night shows. Dianne and Me stars award-winning actress Elena Juatco (Angelwalk's I Love You Because; Canadian Idol Top Ten Finalist) in a one-woman show directed by Luke Brown (Theatre Aquarius' Bittergirl) and written by Ron Fromstein (2012 Toronto Fringe Festival's One in a Million). Winner of the 2009 Canadian National Playwrighting Award and "a must see" at the 2011 Vancouver Fringe Festival, Dianne and Me will be performed on September 19, 2012. from Justin to Kelly features Justin Bott (Title of Show, Songs for a New World) and Kelly Holiff(Hairspray, Finding Love in Strange Places) in an intimate and exciting evening of musical bliss on October 3, 2012. Villains & Vixens showcases the talents of Jayme Armstrong (Angelwalk's Title of Show), Jay Davis (Angelwalk's I Love You Because), Kevin Dennis (Talk Is Free's Assassins), George Masswohl (Young People's Theatre's Seussical), Adrienne Merrell (Angelwalk's The Last Five Years), and Astrid Van Wieren (Mermaid Parade's This Wide Night) in a musical feast of some of Broadway's most infamous Villains and Vixens, performed on February 20, 2013.

Angelwalk Theatre is also pleased to announce the inaugural members of its new Artist Advisory, a group established to serve as a sounding board for Angelwalk Theatre and to help guide and shape future artistic strategies and decisions. Inaugural members of the Artist Advisory include: Mark Allan, Anthony Bastianon, Justin Bott, Jay Davis, Gabi Epstein, Darcy Evans, Tim French, Elena Juatco, Jeff Madden, Jeigh Madjus, Mike "Nug" Nahrgang, Erica Peck, Scott Penner, Janna Polzin, Stephen Ross, and Jennifer Walls.

SummerWorks is Here - Don't Miss It

Phew, more theatre and performance art fun is here.  The SummerWorks Festival kicked off last night, with a fantastic party and live music at The Great Hall.  This years festival features 41 productions, plus the new  Live Art series and an exciting expansion to the Music Series.  This year there is definitely something for everyone.  We couldn't possibly cover it all but Now Magazine has committed to covering the entire festival so be sure to check in with reviews and show announcements there.  Here's Now's Starting off SummerWorks article which ran this week.

Though we wont be at every show and concert there are definitely a few that should not be missed.  A number of the festival highlights are in the much expanded Music Series, this year. Up first is the Hawksley Workman and Christina Barry collaboration The Gods That Come on Saturday night at The Theatre Centre, at The Great Hall.

Hawksley, for those who don't know is one of Canada's best indie pop musicians, and I've thought for a while that his style and creativity would be well suited for the stage.  Add to that, powerhouse director Christina Barry of 2b theatre production company and you've got yourself a winning combination.

Also part of the Music Series is Blood Ties - Musical Works in Concert.  Conceived and directed by up-and-comer and EAP friends Anika Johnson and Barbara Johnson.  This show features EAP regular Jusitn Bott and is musically directed by one of our great friends Jeffery Newberry.  Blood Ties  is a darkly funny chamber musical in one act based on the true story of four friends who must clean up after a suicide.   Blood Ties runs at The Theatre Centre, at The Great Hall Tuesday August 14th at 9pm.

For CBC Radio 2 fans Buck 65 may not ring a bell but you'd be sure to know Drive host Rich Terfry.  Rich has been performing as hip hop artist Buck 65 for over 2 decades.  He makes his SummerWorks debut Wednesday the 15 at 10:30.

EAP is also really excited about some of the Theatre events this year.  Most notably Voodoo Theatre Company's award winning Extinction Song. A one man play about a child's retreat from reality into an imaginary world.  A world of wolves who help save him from his real life alcoholic father.  This is a touching portrayal of the childish spirit and hope, which will pull at even the tightest heartstrings.  Extinction Song runs at Theatre Passe Muraille

Friday August 10th at 5:30 pm.
Sunday the 12, at 3:00 pm.
Wednesday the 15th at 8:00 pm.
Friday Aug. 17 at 8:00 pm
Saturday Aug. 18 at 5:30 pm.
and Sunday Aug 19th at 12:30 pm.


Hoping for something a bit more lighthearted?  France, or the Niqab promises to be a funny, sexy romp of physical humor.  Defense Attorney and high-heel devotee Tabatha is about to risk it all and find out what her heels have in common with the Islamic niqab.  France, or the Niqab plays at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Saturday Aug 11th. at 8:00 pm.
Monday Aug. 13th. at 10:30 pm.
Friday Aug. 17th. at 10:30 pm.
Saturday Aug. 18th at 3:00 pm.
and Sunday Aug. 19th at 8:00 pm.

In addition to the Theatre and Music series this years SummerWorks festival also features late night acts at the Performance Bar.  Click the link for information about the Performance Bar line up.

And last but certainly not least, this year the SummerWorks festival introduces the Live Art series.  As part of the Live Art series Toronto icon Nina Arsenault presents 40 Days + 40 Nights. In the first 29 days of this performance (closed to the public) Nina spent 4 days in isolation in total darkness, 5 days fasting and 3 days without sleep. Inside heightened emotional states she rendered drawings in charcoal and began to design an elaborate decadent cloister for 40 Days + 40 Nights.

She also gave up Facebook, sex, and financial support from her “sugar-daddy.”

The sacred space she created is filled with her drawings and artistic collaborations with Bruce LaBruce, Istvan Kantor, and Jordan Tannahill, meditations towards a contemporary language of lived spiritual beliefs. Nina’s sculpture ‘Pure Form with Blood and Silicone’ will also be on display.

During the final 11 days of this experiment, open to the public, Nina will continue her spiritual actions.

However, visitors to the installation/ gallery can also choose to participate in Nina’s recreation of Marina Abramovic’s ‘The Artist is Present’, listen to a story called ‘The Ecstasy of Nina Arsenault’ about
her surgical/spiritual quest for youth… or simply talk to her (in sacred confidence.) Available for viewings and free of charge from 9:00 pm to 5:00 am throughout the festival.  

These are just a few of this year's offerings.  We will continue to update you here about shows that generate buzz, shows we love and shows you might want to skip.  Check out the full schedule and here for buying tickets.  See you at the SummerWorks Festival!

Shakespeare in High Park

"Shakespeare in High Park [is] an indispensable summer fixture"

 - NOW Magazine

"an uproariously good time" 

 - Mooney on Theatre

"3.5 out of 4 stars"

 - The Globe and Mail

A Midsummer Night's Dream has been on for a few weeks in High Park and it is a definite must see this summer.  With the weather expected to be gorgeous all week and Fringe drawing to a close this might be the perfect time to get out to the West End for a summer classic.  

Fringe Starts Next Week

It will be an exciting 4th of July in Toronto this year.  No we aren't celebrating American Independence, we'll be celebrating Toronto Theatre with the start of the 2012 Fringe Festival.  Check out the line-up here.  Be sure to get a subscription package before they are gone!  This is one of the highlights of summer so don't miss it.  We will be blogging all festival long about shows and other events.  So be sure to check back about what is going on at Fringe 2012.  

More News on Gass's Dismissal from Factory

Richard has written a follow up to his story about Ken Gass being let go as the Artistic Director at Factory Theatre.  Here is his piece about the public reaction to Gass's dismissal.

http://www.thestar.com/entertainment/article/1216985--petition-urges-reinstatement-of-ken-gass-at-factory-theatre

A Word on Dancap's Demise

Sunday morning as I read Richard's Toronto Star article I could not help but feel truly sad that Toronto is lossing Dancap Productions.  The company, which began bringing shows to Toronto audiences five years ago, will wind down its operations after the summer season, and their wildly successful tour of Jersey Boys ends in the fall.

 By all accounts Dancap, and its novice founder Aubrey Dan were just too ambitious. His efforts to establish a second big brand musical theatre entity in Toronto simply failed to turn a profit.  Dan himself said in an exclusive interview with The Star that, "[Dancap] will be stepping back and re-evaluating our involvement in the theatre business."  It is a big loss,  but boy was it fun.

Over the years Dancap has had a few notable successes. No success was a big, perhaps, as Jersey Boys, which ran uptown at the Yonge Centre for two years. The show launched a Canadian cast, made a few stars, and went on to tour the country.  In fact, the tour of Jersey Boys doesn't wrap until October.  A fitting end for the company.

But their were other memorable moments as well. Seeing Next to Normal at the Four Season's with Broadway legend Alice Ripley, stands out.  As does the company's original tour of South Pacific.  But what sticks out most to me, was the excitement I felt five years ago when Dancap burst onto the scene and promised to bring more shows and more variety to Toronto audiences.

Now don't get me wrong Mirvish Productions IS Toronto theatre, and we couldn't be happier that they represent Toronto to the international theatre community, and bring amazing work to audiences here.  But I couldn't help feeling proud of my adopted city when Aubrey decided that Toronto was ready for more big budget theatre.  And I thought Toronto was too.

Unfortunately, Dancap could not make it work.  Who knows where the blame should lie for Dancap's failure, maybe there is no blame to be had.  But it is a sad day in a city that was once considered tops behind London and New York in international theatre rankings.  At this point it might be hard to place Toronto in even the top five theatre cities in North America. Certainly there have not been many out-of-town previews or development of new work with an international audience in the past several seasons.  Those are markers of a thriving theatre industry.  Of course there have been other successes recently.  Theatre 20, with its star power and unique mandate might prove lasting, and Angelwalk and  Studio 180 spring to mind as torch bearers, but they are both decidedly more low key than Dancap.

These are only my opinions,  but not many would argue that it was nice to see a bit more variety in the stuff coming in from out of town.  I don't think Mirvish would have brought Next to Normal or  American Idiot as Aubrey did. They certainly seemed to pass on Tony winner In the Heights  which Dancap produced this season.  Additionally having Dancap around made Mirvish better.  Would Mirvish have gambled on Spring Awakening if Dancap wasn't nipping at their heals? Who knows? Memories of their great shows and enthusiasm will have to sustain us until someone else brave enough comes along to challenge and diversify theatre in Toronto again.

Thanks for the memories Aubrey.  

Preview: The Game of Love and Chance

Justin and I are super excited to see the official opening night performance of The Game of Love and Chance at CanStage this evening. This super fun boy-meets-girl romp has been thrilling audiences in Montreal, and now it has arrived in Toronto.  The play, in a new translation by award winning playwright Nicolas Billon and directed by Canadian Stage Artistic & General Director, Matthew Jocelyn runs at the Bluma Appel Theatre until May 12th.

The Game of Love and Chance follows Silvia (Trish Lindström) whose aristocratic father, Monsieur Orgon (William Webster), has arranged for her to marry a nobleman named Dorante (Harry Judge). Skeptical about love and marriage, and having never met Dorante, Silvia decides to trade places with her maid, Lisette (Gemma James-Smith), to get a sense of his true self. Her father agrees to play along but doesn’t tell her that Dorante has the same idea and plans to meet Silvia disguised as his servant, Arlequino (Gil Garratt). Monsieur Orgon tells his son Mario (Zach Fraser) of the plan
and they both delight in the ensuing hilarity. An abstract, mirrored set designed by Anick La Bissonnière enhances the illusions created by each of the characters, and magnifies the farce and confusion surrounding love, identity and intentions.

 Marivaux’s Le jeu de l’amour et du hasard (The Game of Love and Chance) was first performed close to 300 years ago in Paris. It was originally written for the troupe of Italian actors known as “les comédiens-italiens”, whose theatrical tradition was based largely on commedia dell’arte techniques of Italy in the 17th century. Jocelyn’s contemporary retelling of this builds on the gymnastic and exceptionally theatrical performance style of this group of actors, peppered with comedic moments highlighted through the witty banter and emotion of the text and Billon’s translation.

Check out this video below for a sneak peak.  And click here for ticket information.  See you at the theatre!


VIDEO: The Centaur Theatre presents The Game of Love and Chance

Preview: Shrek The Musical

Dancap's season continues with Shrek the Musical, on now until April 1st.  This is a very limited run of a great family-friendly show.  If you have seen the films, or even if you haven't you will be in for a real treat with this one.  Shrek is the story, of a swamp dwelling ogre, who's miserable life is turned upside-down by a loveable donkey and a princess, as he goes in search of the deed to his swamp land.

The movie is delightful and the musical is sure to be even better.  With great costumes, sets, choreography and characters this one will be a joy to parents and children of all ages.

For ticket information click here or call the box office at 416.640.0172.  

Harbourfront Centre News: Hatch presents Mortified

The Harbourfront's 2012 HATCH season continues with MORTIFIED.  HATCH is the Harbourfront Centre's performing arts residency program, and this year they have collaborated with dancer/choreographer Jenn Goodwin and visual artist Camilla Singh.  The pair have created MORTIFIED, an experimental experience of movement and mayhem. The two utilize mediums unfamiliar to them, like cheerleading, drums and tap dance, to connect with the audience and to facilitate a renegade concert.  Throughout,Goodwin and Singh use their new skills to explore themes of tension and transition with an eye towards emotional states of being.

“We like the uncertainty that’s contained in this way of working,” says Singh. “It has lead to a method of being able to read the information that’s contained in something like a state of anxiety rather than being by controlled it, says Singh.

*Jenn Goodwin is from Burlington, Ont. She grew up playing with Barbie, listening to Black Sabbath, hosting make-out parties in her parents’ basement, and falling in love weekly. She moved to Montreal and received a BFA at Concordia University in Contemporary Dance with a minor in Video, and was at once thrilled and horrified by the amount of rolling around on the floor. Her dance work has been performed all over Canada, NYC, Amsterdam, Australia and Brussels. She was twice nominated for the KM Hunter Award in dance. Her short dance films have been screened at festivals across Canada, NYC and Europe. She also programs art and performances for Toronto Special Events, including Nuit Blanche.

*Camilla Singh builds things faithfully to her ideas and not always to a recurrent medium or form, and she shares Catherine Opie’s view that “…it’s transgressive just to try to live your life the way you actually want to live it.”  Singh left her role as curator of Toronto’s MOCCA to experiment with materials in her studio and probe the questions that had formed around the experience of working in an office for decade. She is currently researching and producing a series of uniforms for curators called Uniforms for Non-Uniform Workwhich will comprise a solo exhibition at the Art Gallery of York University in 2013, curated by Emelie Chhangur. 

*HATCH 2012 runs from April 14 – May 5, 2012. Patrons can purchase a HATCH pass (includes tickets to all four productions) for $40, individual tickets for $15, or students/seniors/arts professionals $12. Visit the Harbourfront Centre website or call the box office at 416. 973.4000 for more information.  Following each HATCH presentation, there is a Q&A and opportunity to engage and interact with the artists, as well as a post-show reception.

*ABOUT HATCH Now in its ninth year, HATCH is a key initiative in Harbourfront Centre’s mission to develop local artists and their unique practices. HATCH mentorship provides resources and professional assistance to contemporary artists looking to explore a new element of their practice. By giving the space and time for this to happen, Harbourfront Centre hopes to develop and grow the best new work coming out of Toronto. This season’s guest curator is Toronto-based performance artist Jess Dobkin.

*Information from the Harbourfront Centre Press Release 

SummerWorks News: S.L.I.P Applications Available Now

For the fourth year SummerWorks is offering aspiring Arts Managers the opportunity to participate in their Leadership Intensive Program (S.L.I.P.)  This two week intensive is for emerging arts professionals with a specific focus on business and management.  The S.L.I.P program is designed to coincide with the SummerWorks Festival and will take place this summer from August 9-19th.

Applications for S.L.I.P are available on the SummerWorks website here.

If you have ever dreamed of producing or managing in the performing arts this is a unique chance to explore the world of theatre arts business, in a hands-on and dynamic environment.  Past points of focus have included: Professional Etiquette, Marketing, Publicity, Grant Writing, Fundraising, Touring Logistics, Financial Planning, Artistic Directing and How to Do Everything at Once.


There are some requirements for applicants which can be found by downloading the pdf. application at the above link.  There is also a $25.00 application fee.  The deadline for applications is April 6th.

Preview: The Happy Woman

Opening tonight at the Berkeley Street Theatre is Nightwood Theatre's World Premiere of The Happy Woman.  This darkly comic play looks at how a middle-class family suppresses truth to maintain a happy veneer for the outside world.  The show is in previews tonight and tomorrow and opens officially March 7th.  The Happy Woman runs until March 24th.  Monday through Saturday 8pm, matinees Wednesday at 1:30 pm and Saturdays at 2pm.

Tickets are $22 - $46.

The Happy Woman  is written by Rose Cullis.  
Directed by Kelly Thornton

Click here for ticket information or to buy tickets online.  Or call 416.368.3110

Mirvish 2013 Subscription Season Announced.

Mirvish Productions has announced the subscription shows for next season, and there are a lot of great show to get excited about.  Not only is Mirvish bringing the multi-Tony award winning The Book of Mormon, but Sister Act and La Cage Aux Follies will also be landing in Toronto next year.  Plus a whole lot more!!!!


Click here to see the full line-up and to get special early bird pricing on subscription tickets.  Official tour dates have not been announced yet but expect to see the full season line up soon.