tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-64995058165564150362024-03-12T17:09:19.206-07:00VICTORIA THEATRE REVIEWSTheatre reviews in and around Victoria, British Columbia, CanadaMonica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-74876402476126538842022-12-20T12:54:00.006-08:002022-12-20T12:55:40.334-08:00<p><span style="font-family: times;"><b> THIS BLOG CAN NOW BE FOUND AT </b></span></p><p><span style="font-size: large;"><a href="https://victoriatheatrereviews.wordpress.com/"><span> <span> </span></span>https://victoriatheatrereviews.wordpress.com/</a></span></p><p><b><span> <span> <span> <span> <span> <span> </span></span></span></span></span></span>SEE YOU AT THE THEATRE!</b></p>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-31868226804072232052013-12-17T11:09:00.000-08:002013-12-17T14:52:09.403-08:00CRITIC'S CHOICE SPOTLIGHT AWARDS 2012-13 Dec. 17, 2013<br />
<br />
Here are the nominees and winners of the 13th Annual Critics Choice Spotlight Awards. This was a very good season in Victoria with many excellent shows across town. My personal favorites from the nominees below include Casey Austin's performance as Sonya in Blue Bridge's <i>Uncle Vanya</i>, and Tom McBeath's Scrooge in the Belfry's <i>Christmas Carol, </i>both because they tackled iconic roles and made them their own. Amanda Lisman was also a lovely and spirited Eliza in <i>My Fair Lady</i>.<br />
<br />
Direction-wise, Naomi Simpson pulled strong performances out of her cast in Theatre Inconnu's <i>In the Next Room: The Vibrator Play</i>, which was one of the strongest play choices of the season, written by young American playwright Sarah Ruhl. Inconnu's <i>Golden Dragon</i> was a wonderful play as well, by a relatively unknown (in Canada) German playwright Roland Schimmelpfennig...it was fascinating, well-directed by Clayton Jevne and well-performed by the ensemble.<br />
<br />
I thought the Belfry's <i>Red </i>was its best play of last season; although <i>Christmas Carol</i> was a flawless production, I grumped a bit at it taking up a slot in the four show season that, in my view, should be dedicated to contemporary plays. I didn't much care for the Australian play <i>Speaking in Tongues</i> and while the new musical <i>Let Me Call You Sweetheart </i>had its charms, overall the book needs a lot of work. So a mixed bag there.<br />
<br />
Blue Bridge ran a solid summer season; I covered all three shows for CBC Radio's On the Island and enjoyed all of them. <i>Uncle Vanya</i> was good but felt a bit safe to me, and I had a couple of casting quibbles. But as I said above, Casey Austin's work was magnificent and when she was on stage I was content. <i>Brighton Beach Memoirs </i>was lovely and I really appreciated the work of Brian Linds and Sebastian Archibald as father and son, along with Amitai Marmorstein as the younger son and narrator. The show looked great and was well-directed by Janet Wright. <i>My Fair Lady </i>was excellent overall, albeit very long at three hours plus. <br />
<br />
Pacific Opera Victoria had one standout production in Benjamin Britten's <i>Albert Herring </i>which was a delight. The Britten Centenary Festival featured three Britten productions, including this one. I caught all three and enjoyed every one of them, a real sense of community celebration of this great composer. <i>Tosca </i>was well-sung but a bit wobbly in the direction I felt, with the famous final moment of Tosca's suicide not accomplished in a satisfying theatrical way. <i>You're a Good Man Charlie Brown </i>cleaned up in many categories below, and was the standout of the university's Phoenix Theatre season, although many liked <i>Reasons to be Pretty </i>which I missed.<br />
<br />
The best theatregoing experiences I had last season were at festivals, particularly the Belfry's Spark Festival and Intrepid Theatre's UNO Festival. At Spark I loved <i>Little One </i>from Toronto's Company Theatre Crisis by talented Canadian playwright Hannah Moscovitch. Creepy and cool. <i>Oh My Irma</i>, written and performed by Haley McGee and directed by Alisa Palmer, was a wacky delight. McGee is a young actor to watch for...I just saw her in a Green Thumb play by George F. Walker (<i>Moss Park</i>) at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto and she was outstanding. Fearless, intelligent, interesting to watch, vulnerable, all qualities to look for in a good actor that McGee has in spades. The ten minute long mini-plays by local theatre artists and companies at Spark were very good as well, particularly Brian Linds' autobiographical audio play, nominated below.<br />
<br />
But the highlight of my local theatregoing last season was the UNO Festival. I purchased a five show pass and every one of the five I saw were strong, with three out of the five exceptionally so. That is a pretty great track record, and a testament to the fact that UNO is a juried festival. The three I loved were <i>How to Disappear Completely</i>, written and performed<i> </i>by lighting designer Itai Erdal (autobiography and grief therapy as a lesson in light and shadow...stunning), <i>Till Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII </i>by Ryan Gladstone and performed by Tara Travis (in a comic acting <i>tour de force</i>), and <i>Huff</i>, written and performed by Cliff Cardinal. If I had to pick one show from last season as a standout, it was this one. Rarely am I knocked back in my seat, stunned and silent, at the end of a play. It was really difficult to applaud <i>Huff</i>, as applause felt like the wrong response to a play about the life of a young man on a northern reserve. The horrors upon horrors of parental neglect, emotional, physical and sexual abuse, drug and alcohol addiction, the ridiculousness of ineffective and culturally insensitive schooling, spiralled us all downward into suicidal oblivion with the narrator. And yet we laughed too, as Cardinal reminded us that the Raven trickster is up to his no-good work in tormenting these characters, and we leave hoping that our protagonist will find the strength to survive his hell on earth. I learned so much from this play, and felt changed by it as a result...and this is what great theatre should do. I have a deeper empathetic understanding of the challenges faced by too many aboriginal communities in Canada, and my empathy has engaged me in seeking political action to address these problems. I hope Cardinal's touring play is having the same effect wherever he goes, proving to me that theatre can, in fact, occasionally change the world.<br />
<br />
Finally, along these lines, I want to acknowledge the remarkable project undertaken by my friend and colleague Will Weigler, working with Krystal Cook and a large volunteer cast to create the walking labyrinth production <i>From the Heart: A Journey into the Heart of Reconciliation</i> last summer. Weigler worked at superhuman levels to bring this community-based theatre production to fruition, and it had powerful effects on many audience members who took it in. I had some issues with the show, particularly with its singular focus on the settler experience of colonization and oppression of First Nations. But Weigler was adamant, following the work of Paulette Regan in her book <i>Unsettling the Settler Within</i>, that settlers have to take on the responsibility of reconciling themselves to the legacy of imperialism before moving into true reconciliation with aboriginal communities. I'm not completely sold on this perspective, and found the show somewhat out of balance as a result, but cannot deny that for new immigrants this process would be valuable, definitely. New Canadians should encounter and come to terms with the history of their new homeland, and theatre can be an effective way to do so. Therefore, even though I feel the play needs some rethinking, it is also well-deserving of the Best New Play Award.<br />
<br />
Happy Theatregoing!<br />
<br />
Monica<br />
<br />
CRITIC'S CHOICE SPOTLIGHT AWARDS 2012-13 <br />
<br />
SET DESIGN <br />
Bill Adams, <i>84 Charing Cross Road</i>, Langham Court<br />
Patrick du Wors, <i>My Fair Lady</i>, Blue Bridge <br />
Christina Poddubiuk, <i>Tosca</i>, POV<br />
Naomi Simpson, <i>In the Next Room</i>, Theatre Inconnu<br />
<br />
Winner: Patrick du Wors, <i>My Fair Lady</i>, Blue Bridge <br />
<br />
COSTUME DESIGN<br />
Nancy Bryant, <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry<br />
Patrick Clark, <i>Albert Herring</i>, POV<br />
Patrick Du Wors, <i>My Fair Lady</i>, Blue Bridge <br />
Shayna Ward & Allyson Leet, <i>You're A Good Man Charlie Brown</i>, Phoenix<br />
<br />
Winner: Nancy Bryant, <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
SOUND DESIGN<br />
Michael Laird, <i>Speaking in Tongues</i>, Belfry<br />
Brian Linds, <i>Story with Sound: A Lucid Moment</i>, Belfry's SPARK <br />
John Mills Cockell, <i>Uncle Vanya</i>, Blue Bridge <br />
Mike Rinaldi, <i>Helen's Necklace</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
Winner: John Mills Cockell, Uncle Vanya, Blue Bridge <br />
<br />
LIGHTING DESIGN<br />
Alan Brodie, <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry<br />
Scott Henderson, <i>Red</i>, Belfry<br />
Giles Hogya, <i>Uncle Vanya</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
Gerald King, <i>Tosca</i>, POV <br />
<br />
Winner: Alan Brodie, <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
DIRECTION<br />
Roger Carr, <i>Miss Saigon</i>, VOS<br />
Clayton Jevne, <i>The Golden Dragon</i>, Theatre Inconnu<br />
Michael Shamata, <i>Red</i> and <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry <br />
Naomi Simpson,<i> In the Next Room</i>, Theatre Inconnu<br />
<br />
Winner: Michael Shamata, <i>Red</i> and <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry <br />
<br />
PERFORMANCE IN A COMMUNITY PRODUCTION<br />
Ensemble, <i>You're A Good Man Charlie Brown</i>, Phoenix <br />
Andrea Macasaet, <i>Miss Saigon</i>, VOS<br />
Odile Nelson, <i>In the Next Room</i>, Theatre Inconnu<br />
Marisa Nielsen, <i>Reasons to be Pretty</i>, Phoenix <br />
<br />
Winner: Ensemble, <i>You're A Good Man Charlie Brown</i>, Phoenix <br />
<br />
PERFORMANCE IN A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION<br />
Casey Austin, <i>Uncle Vanya</i>, Blue Bridge <br />
Oliver Becker, <i>Red</i>, Belfry<br />
Amanda Lisman, <i>My Fair Lady</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
Tom McBeath, <i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
Winner: Amanda Lisman, <i>My Fair Lady</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
<br />
MUSICAL PRODUCTION<br />
<i>Let's Make an Opera/Little Sweep</i>, POV/Belfry<br />
<i>Miss Saigon</i>, VOS<br />
<i>The Sound of Music</i>, VOS<br />
<i>You're a Good Man Charlie Brown</i>, Phoenix Theatre<br />
<br />
Winner: <i>You're a Good Man Charlie Brown</i>, Phoenix Theatre<br />
<br />
BEST NEW PLAY<br />
<i>An Improvised Dungeons & Dragons</i>, Scott Thompson<br />
<i>From the Heart: Enter into the Journey of Reconciliation</i>, Will Weigler & Krystal Cook<br />
<i>Judgement Day</i>, Robin Gadsby<br />
<i>War of the Eagles</i>, Roderick Glanville<br />
<br />
Winner: <i>From the Heart</i>, Will Weigler & Krystal Cook<br />
<br />
OVERALL PRODUCTION (COMMUNITY)<br />
<i>84 Charing Cross Road</i>, Langham Court<br />
<i>The Golden Dragon</i>, Theatre Inconnu<br />
<i>In the Next Room</i>, Theatre Inconnu<br />
<i>You're a Good Man Charlie Brown</i>, Phoenix Theatre<br />
<br />
Winner:<i> In the Next Room</i>, Theatre Inconnu<br />
<br />
OVERALL PRODUCTION (PROFESSIONAL)<br />
<i>A Christmas Carol</i>, Belfry <br />
<i>Albert Herring</i>, POV<br />
<i>My Fair Lady</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
<i>Red</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
Winner: <i>Red</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
FRINGE PRODUCTION<br />
<i>The Adversary</i>, Andrew Bailey <br />
<i>An Improvised Quentin Tarrantino</i>, Paper Street Theatre<br />
<i>The Birdmann in Momentous Timing</i>, The Birdmann <br />
<i>The Twelfth Night in Kabuki Style</i>, Ryuzanji Company <br />
<br />
Winner: <i>The Adversary</i>, Andrew Bailey <br />
<br />
BEST OF THE FESTS<br />
<i>Huff</i>, UNO Festival<br />
<i>Little One</i>, SPARK Festival<br />
<i>Mike Daisey's American Utopias</i>, UNO Festival<br />
<i>Till Death: The Six Wives of Henry the Vlll</i>, UNO Festival<br />
<br />
Winner: <i>Huff</i>, UNO Festival<br />
<br />
THANK GOD THEY WERE COMPS!<br />
<i>Let Me Call You Sweetheart</i>, Belfry Theatre<br />
<br />Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-24937624563710090542012-12-20T13:12:00.000-08:002012-12-20T13:14:54.475-08:00Critics Choice Spotlight Awards and Year-End Theatre ReflectionsAnother year nearly over, and my poor neglected blog has not had a review posted since this spring. Oh well...life happens. Highlights of my theatre-going this year have been generally outside of Victoria. Not to diminish the theatre that I see and review in town, but it is always wonderful to have the chance to see some shows in a larger centre. Earlier this year I saw Robert Lepage's <i>Blue Dragon</i> and Ronnie Burkett's <i>Penny Plain</i>, both of which were running in Toronto in February. How great to see two of Canada's finest theatre artists' works. My vote was for Burkett's dark but often funny end of the world exploration over Lepage's visually beautiful but emotionally cool transnational and trilingual storytelling. <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbSfiRjkfHzx-O-xhO1zRhJ5DFf8gX0IVELQZPl8MXFvWQ7JvRs64o2fJbYNcP6VkqfkKJgk_otBwn5MLb77pkGRD6hwYCg2-uRab9SnHYTjBdZOrOK7WSzwmoZnrJY9Zmgv1xYBJw6x6/s1600/THE-HOUSE-PROD06-151x100.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbSfiRjkfHzx-O-xhO1zRhJ5DFf8gX0IVELQZPl8MXFvWQ7JvRs64o2fJbYNcP6VkqfkKJgk_otBwn5MLb77pkGRD6hwYCg2-uRab9SnHYTjBdZOrOK7WSzwmoZnrJY9Zmgv1xYBJw6x6/s1600/THE-HOUSE-PROD06-151x100.jpg" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Catherine Walker, Niamh Mc Cann and Eleanor Methven in <i>The House</i> by Tom
Murphy, directed by Annabelle Comyn. On the Abbey stage, Thursday 7 June
to Saturday 14 July 2012. Photo - Anthony Woods.</span><br />
<br />
However, the best show I saw in 2012 was at Dublin's Abbey Theatre, on my birthday no less! The play was <i>The House</i> by Tom Murphy, one of over 20 plays Murphy has had produced at the Abbey, Ireland's national theatre. It was 3 hours of Chekhovian Irishness, set in the 1950s when many young people were emigrating to England and North America for better opportunities. We see some of these emigrants as they return for summer visits to a small town where locals are falling on hard times, including a formerly wealthy family now forced to sell their house. With echoes of <i>The Cherry Orchard</i> and <i>Three Sisters</i> (there are three sisters in the de Burca family at the heart of the play), Murphy weaves a tale of ambition, passion, disappointment and despair. The pub scenes felt anthropological in their accuracy portraying that aspect of Irish life. The acting, directing and design work (with a large cast and impressive moving set) were all topnotch. I was riveted throughout, as was my husband, and we felt both entertained and enlightened, that the play had taught us a lot about Ireland and its recent history.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFMrPU6rLnLEWnNOok2sGdW5c-5gKgs-IMuuTzA5KB0-T_vAJdDK0ghLpYE-8UWlkmyjpPK_8J9Y4hBC0j4EVgyYxQyJTRiIF3Z7fwFcvrf0n-S2iFK5JCIguKllc7yIbzCE10FohUYgf/s1600/8179614522_0c89396f8a.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhEFMrPU6rLnLEWnNOok2sGdW5c-5gKgs-IMuuTzA5KB0-T_vAJdDK0ghLpYE-8UWlkmyjpPK_8J9Y4hBC0j4EVgyYxQyJTRiIF3Z7fwFcvrf0n-S2iFK5JCIguKllc7yIbzCE10FohUYgf/s320/8179614522_0c89396f8a.jpg" width="213" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Featuring (L to R): Gerry Mackay (Jacob Marley), Tom McBeath (Ebenezer
Scrooge), and Simeon Sanford Blades (Tiny Tim) in <i>A Christmas Carol</i> /
Photos by David Cooper</span><br />
<br />
In town, I have to admit to feeling this year was a bit so-so, despite the massive hit that was <i>Drowsy Chaperone</i> at Langham Court. <i>And Slowly Beauty </i>swept the Critics Choice Spotlight Awards, as can be seen below, but was a 2011 show. I liked both <i>Red</i> and <i>Christmas Carol</i> at the Belfry this fall, both directed by Artistic Director Michael Shamata, although I have groused about the latter being one of only four mainstage productions when I'd rather have it as an add-on. For me, as fine as show as it is, a sell-out hit (not surprisingly as it has done very well in Toronto and elsewhere in other productions by Shamata), it takes the place of a contemporary play in the season. That quibble aside, it is a pretty seamless show, beautifully cast and performed. Vancouver's Tom McBeath is an excellent Scrooge, Gerry Mackay does great work quadrupling as Jacob Marley and the three ghosts, and many local actors (Brian Linds, Jan Wood, Celine Stubel, Amanda Lisman), a couple more Vancouver-based actors and four charming young actors round out the cast. The show has lovely costumes (although I found the Xmas Past, Present and Future costumes to be a little bizarre, but perhaps accurate to descriptions in the novel) a simple yet effective design, and devotes itself to a well-paced and engaging rendition of this familiar tale. I felt the Tiny Tim death scene was milked a little for its sentimentality, which for me verged a bit too closely to melodrama, and slowed the pace somewhat. But these are nit-picky points in the face of what is obviously a very strong production. <br />
<br />
The only other show that made a significant impact on me this year was one that I was in myself, and therefore am in no place to comment on from a critical perspective. My friend Kate Rubin was invited by prison theatre company William Head on Stage (WhoS) to direct an adaptation of <i>The Hobbit </i>(which she had done herself some years ago for her acting studio's youth ensemble) and asked me to play Thorin, leader of the dwarves. I was cast along with two other local female actors, Bronwyn Steinberg and Anne Cirillo. I have seen and reviewed a number of WHoS shows over the past few years, and was intrigued by what it would be like to be a part of a WHoS project. Well, it proved to be a fascinating, challenging and hugely rewarding experience. Working alongside a group of about 20 inmates, we created a very strong production that was seen by over 1400 people in its five weekend-long run. Kate did a tremendous job directing the show, making excellent use of the difficult high school stage/gymnasium-like space in the institution. We had over half a dozen exit and entry points, all around the space, so that the audience was literally surrounded by the action. Designer Carole Klemm and puppet-master Tim Gosley worked with the guys ("The Guys" being our preferred term for the inmates) to create a post-Apocalyptic and more adult version of this favorite tale, featuring amazing giant spider and eagle puppets. We had no furry feet or elf ears, thank god, and all of us were in contemporary dress. Gandalf wore jeans, a denim jacket and a hoodie...although he had a kick-ass staff he made himself. In this way, the show was attempting to create a Middle Earth made up of "tribes" trying to survive in a hostile environment. Overall, I have to say from my admittedly biased perspective that we pulled it off...audiences seemed to love the show. We held Q & A sessions after each performance, which gave us a good sense of the audience reaction, plus dozens of positive comments were written in a guest book at the front door of the auditorium.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4yVvEF732M7bV7ByEWEqBRgHQztXHskGsRNhwxfLShAtm9ypeCn6sfO7SPgVL3jxhTWWvn4aDH35dXkeKO-yMhrXInljdONRwPJida7gj8eNuxpBj0T241rMF3MUGEm37F0k5JiF64uW/s1600/IMG_3792(1).jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgh4yVvEF732M7bV7ByEWEqBRgHQztXHskGsRNhwxfLShAtm9ypeCn6sfO7SPgVL3jxhTWWvn4aDH35dXkeKO-yMhrXInljdONRwPJida7gj8eNuxpBj0T241rMF3MUGEm37F0k5JiF64uW/s320/IMG_3792(1).jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<span style="font-size: x-small;">Anne Cirillo as Gert the Troll and Monica Prendergast as Thorin the Dwarf in <i>The Hobbit. </i>Photo provided courtesy of William Head Institution.</span><br />
<br />
We were all very proud of what we created together. Half of the cast had never been on stage before, and it was astonishing to see all of the guys' commitment to making the show the best it could possibly be. I learned a lot along the way, about prison systems (largely how broken, dehumanizing and corrupt they can be), prisoners (how totally "human" they are, and generally how hopeful about turning their lives around) and my own attitudes, privileges and abilities. It was a joy working on this show, side by side with these men. I was delighted to get to know them, feel each and every one of them to be a friend, and wish nothing but the best for them. We became an ensemble, we worked hard, came to trust each other deeply, and ended up having a ball. As one of them wrote in the program, the past is over and the future unknown, but "...in this moment, we are free men". That's the power of theatre, the power of the present moment rendered on stage, and it can be freeing. Doing this project reminded me why I love the theatre, as its freeing power took on such literal force in the context of a prison. <br />
<br />
Happy holidays to all, and best wishes for the New Year!<br />
<br />
<b>VICTORIA CRITICS' CHOICE SPOTLIGHT AWARDS 2011-2012</b><br />
<b> </b> <br />
* indicates winner<br />
<br />
SET DESIGN <br />
* John Ferguson and Tamara Marie Kucheran, <i>And Slowly Beauty</i>, Belfry<br />
Ian Rye, <i>Mary's Wedding</i>, Pacific Opera<br />
Mary Kerr, <i>Euridyce</i>, Phoenix<br />
Patrick Du Wors, <i>Little Shop of Horrors</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
<br />
COSTUME DESIGN<br />
* Susan Ferguson & Di Madill, <i>The Drowsy Chaperone</i>, Langham Court<br />
Patricia Reilly, <i>Of Mice & Men</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
Erin Macklem, <i>On The Edge</i>, Belfry <br />
Patrick Du Wors, <i>Little Shop of Horrors</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
<br />
SOUND DESIGN<br />
* Brooke Maxwell, <i>And Slowly Beauty</i>, Belfry <br />
Donna Williams and Alan MacKenzie, <i>The Drowsy Chaperone</i>, Langham<br />
Brian Linds, <i>Of Mice & Men</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
Neil Ferguson, <i>Euridyce</i>, Phoenix<br />
<br />
LIGHTING DESIGN<br />
* Rebekah Johnson, <i>Of Mice & Men</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
Bryan Kenney, <i>Euridyce</i>, Phoenix<br />
Michael Walton, <i>And Slowly Beauty</i>, Belfry<br />
Alan Brodie, <i>Mary's Wedding</i>, Pacific Opera<br />
<br />
DIRECTION<br />
* Michael Shamata, <i>And Slowly Beauty</i>, Belfry<br />
Roger Carr, <i>The Drowsy Chaperone</i>, Langham Court<br />
Brian Richmond, <i>Of Mice & Men</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
Glynis Leyshon, <i>God of Carnage</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
PERFORMANCE IN A COMMUNITY PRODUCTION<br />
* Melissa Blank, <i>A Day in the Death of Joe Egg / Crackwalker</i> [both], Inconnu<br />
Kyle Kushnir, <i>The Drowsy Chaperone</i>, Langham Court<br />
Nick Sepi, <i>The Foreigner</i>, Langham Court<br />
Naomi Simpson, <i>Beauty Queen of Leenane</i>, Langham Court <br />
<br />
PERFORMANCE IN A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION<br />
* Dennis Fitzgerald, <i>And Slowly Beauty</i>, Belfry<br />
David Ferry, <i>Of Mice & Men</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
Gary Farmer, <i>Of Mice & Men</i>, Blue Bridge <br />
Jackie Richardson, <i>Big Mama</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
MUSICAL PRODUCTION<br />
* <i>The Drowsy Chaperone</i>, Langham Court<br />
<i>Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat</i>, Chemainus Theatre<br />
<i>Big Mama</i>, Belfry <br />
<i>Little Shop of Horrors</i>, Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre<br />
<br />
BEST NEW PLAY<br />
* <i>Kitt and Jane<br />Mary's Wedding<br />Cougar Annie Ta</i>l<i>es<br />The Adversary</i><br />
<br />
OVERALL PRODUCTION (COMMUNITY)<br />
* <i>The Drowsy Chaperone</i>, Victoria Theatre Guild<br />
<i>A Day in the Death of Joe Egg,</i> Theatre Inconnu<br />
<i>Euridyce</i>, Phoenix<br />
<i>Shining City,</i> Theatre Inconnu<br />
<br />
OVERALL PRODUCTION (PROFESSIONAL)<br />
* <i>And Slowly Beauty</i>, Belfry<br />
<i>Mary's Wedding</i>, Pacific Opera Victoria <br />
<i>Of Mice & Men</i>, Blue Bridge<br />
<i>God of Carnage</i>, Belfry<br />
<br />
FRINGE PRODUCTION<br />
* <i>Hanafuda Denki<br />Fear Factor: Canine Edition<br />Bookworm<br />The Tenant Haimovitz</i><br />
<br />
THANK GOD THEY WERE COMPS!<br />
* <i>Rookery Nook</i>, Phoenix TheatreMonica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-84900122419973182442012-05-02T09:25:00.000-07:002012-05-02T09:27:26.383-07:00God of Carnage - Belfry Theatre<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<style>
<!--
/* Font Definitions */
@font-face
{font-family:"MS 明朝";
panose-1:0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0 0;
mso-font-charset:128;
mso-generic-font-family:roman;
mso-font-format:other;
mso-font-pitch:fixed;
mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:"Cambria Math";
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
@font-face
{font-family:Cambria;
panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4;
mso-font-charset:0;
mso-generic-font-family:auto;
mso-font-pitch:variable;
mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;}
/* Style Definitions */
p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal
{mso-style-unhide:no;
mso-style-qformat:yes;
mso-style-parent:"";
margin:0in;
margin-bottom:.0001pt;
mso-pagination:widow-orphan;
font-size:12.0pt;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
.MsoChpDefault
{mso-style-type:export-only;
mso-default-props:yes;
font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria;
mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-fareast-font-family:"MS 明朝";
mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast;
mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;
mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;
mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";
mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;}
@page WordSection1
{size:8.5in 11.0in;
margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in;
mso-header-margin:.5in;
mso-footer-margin:.5in;
mso-paper-source:0;}
div.WordSection1
{page:WordSection1;}
-->
</style>
</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXpRLeholFbdm8M5C55fl085m8a3rwg3yBH-r4RuqTnyg7qd4zzATuSq3-z5IzCely_uP9SVuUpM9Ytk7eELljxlb6glJiES3M87aSRXKaI3H0-mhNY18rOfzmUjO0iuE6XhW8TlraTph/s1600/god+of+carnage" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="202" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQXpRLeholFbdm8M5C55fl085m8a3rwg3yBH-r4RuqTnyg7qd4zzATuSq3-z5IzCely_uP9SVuUpM9Ytk7eELljxlb6glJiES3M87aSRXKaI3H0-mhNY18rOfzmUjO0iuE6XhW8TlraTph/s320/god+of+carnage" width="320" /></a></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Photo: Cast of <i>God of Carnage</i> at Belfry Theatre (L to R, Bill Dow as Michael, Sarah Orenstein as Victoria, Vincent Gale as Alan, and Celine Stubel as Annette). Photo by David Cooper.</span></div>
<div align="center" class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: small;"><b>GOD OF CARNAGE REVIEW – APRIL 23<sup>RD</sup>
2012</b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">1. The final show of the Belfry season
is French playwright Yasmina Reza's satirical comedy <i>God of Carnage</i>. Quite a
popular play I understand?<br />
<br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Indeed! As with Reza’s earlier play
<i>Art</i>, also produced at the Belfry, <i>God of Carnage</i> has been seen in Paris, London
(where it won an Olivier for Best New Comedy), New York (where it won the Tony
for Best New Play in 2009) and many other places. It’s playing right now at the
Vancouver Playhouse, in fact, and is (sadly) that theatre’s final production.
The play has been adapted into a film, <i>Carnage</i>, directed by Roman Polanski and
featuring Jodie Foster, Kate Winslet, John C. Reilly and Christoph Waltz. I saw
the play on Broadway a couple of years ago, with Jimmy Smits, Annie Potter,
Christine Lahti and British actor Ken Stott. I’ve also seen the film, so I
arrived at opening night on Thursday to see this play for the third time!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
2. How did director Glynis Leyshon and her company tackle the play, compared to
the other versions of it you've seen?<br />
<br />
</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The Belfry production is a solid one,
if directed with not with as much broad physical comedy as I see the play as
having. This lack of restless, almost animal-like physicality sometimes slows
the pace of the production down. The premise is that two upper middle class
Brooklyn-based couples, strangers to each other, are meeting because one of
their 11 year old sons has hit the other one’s son in the mouth with a stick at
a park, breaking two of his teeth. The meeting is for these parents to agree on
how to deal with what’s happened. Everything starts out very civilized and (of
course) somewhat tense, but all four are on their best behavior. However, this
‘civilized’ response is soon seen as a thin veneer hiding all four characters’
true feelings about this incident, each other, their respective spouses and the
world at large. By the end of this 90 minute one-act play we have witnessed
this quartet of highly unsympathetic people broken down and more than one of
them whimpering that this has been the worst day of their lives. Along the way we see unbelievable mayhem
break loose as signs that the world is really controlled, as obnoxious cell
phone toting lawyer Alan attests to, by the God of Carnage, rather than a more
hopeful vision of humanity triumphing over its basest desires and fears. The play definitely sets out to skewer its
middle class audiences and much of the resulting laughter is due to our
recognition of aspects of ourselves revealed in the abhorrent, childish,
selfish things of which we are all more than capable, under the right (or
wrong) circumstances. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">3. Any standout performances or
particular moments to share?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br />
Leyshon has cast the play very well with local favorite Celine Stubel, and a
trio of exceptional Vancouver actors; Bill Dow as Michael, Vincent Gale as Alan
and Sarah Orenstein as Victoria. All of these four fine actors have their
moments, definitely, although I felt the women slightly outdid the men on
opening night. Celine Stubel has such vulnerability as an actor that she almost
makes us feel a bit of pity for her uptight and privileged character Annette.
And Sarah Orenstein finds the right sense of moral outrage and political
correctness in self-righteous wife and mother Victoria that no doubt many
audience members will squirm in uncomfortable recognition. I would have liked
to have seen a bit more overt class tension between the two husbands, as this
was an effective element of the Broadway version I saw, with one husband clearly
from a more ‘old money’ background and the other a man who has risen above his
working class roots to success. That said, I have no doubt that all four
characters will grow and that the company will find even more comic moments
over the course of the one month run. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">The show looks good with a simple yet
effective set design by John Ferguson that gives us a very modern urban space
with low slung couches and coffee table covered with art books. The large African
sculpture given the focal point upstage signals the kind of primitive tribalism
at work in the play’s theme, although I wonder if it perhaps signals a bit too
much, nevermind in a pretty politically incorrect way? Overall, this is an
entertaining, intelligent, if not profound, exploration of human weakness that
will enjoy a strong run, I am sure.<br />
<br />
4. The Belfry has announced their new season...what's your take on what's on
offer for 2012-2013?</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Arial,Helvetica,sans-serif;">
<span style="font-size: small;">Well, it’s a mixed bag, to be sure,
featuring a new British play, an adaptation of Dicken’s <i>Christmas Carol</i>, an
Australian play and a locally created musical. I’m looking forward to seeing
<i>Red</i> by John Logan, another show I’ve seen on Broadway and a fascinating
portrait of artist Mark Rothko. I’m also intrigued by the play from Australia,
<i>Speaking in Tongues</i> by Andrew Bovell, which promises to be a dramatic take on
film noir. The new musical <i>Let Me Call You Sweetheart</i>, by local composers and
musicians Bruce Ruddell and Bill Henderson, tackles a senior citizen’s memory
loss, which is a very interesting focus for a musical, so that one grabs my
interest as well. I have to admit to being less excited about the prospect of
seeing <i>A Christmas Carol</i> as a mainstage production. I’m sure it will be a fine
show, but my expectation at the Belfry is to see contemporary Canadian and
international plays…I’d prefer to have <i>Christmas Carol</i> offered as an additional
show over the holidays so perhaps a hot new Canadian play might have been
programmed? That said, Shamata is bringing in a summer show starring blues
singer Jackie Richardson, and a studio show from Quebec playwright Carole
Frechette in the New Year, plus lots of great productions in the next Spark
Festival, including a new play by Hannah Moscovitch. So, all in all, plenty to
look forward to coming up next season in the heart of Fernwood.</span></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-37716432584136224642012-03-21T09:28:00.008-07:002012-03-21T11:00:08.701-07:00Playing Catch-up - Best Shows to Date of 2012<div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZBVAGYZVlcsIa2ccgYHzUWjWgn1017HKyOf8hwVQUPf14tk-BBmTobs6xOd5WOihBNMqVUKguEOjg3JJVI3SLo_dBdvkDjN-MdoaA7ilCU6xYmGAkeWzURCFTcCF2Cfyha0vHdrrxawW/s1600/6282683.bin.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjzZBVAGYZVlcsIa2ccgYHzUWjWgn1017HKyOf8hwVQUPf14tk-BBmTobs6xOd5WOihBNMqVUKguEOjg3JJVI3SLo_dBdvkDjN-MdoaA7ilCU6xYmGAkeWzURCFTcCF2Cfyha0vHdrrxawW/s400/6282683.bin.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722408480433843618" border="0" /></a>Ronnie Burkett with his puppet creation Penny Plain.<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHGGXGV7hOLRDkocrDThsjLtKKiYjAJZeZEbl5RwjvpLBZOWOXzaGg1hkMhZjN4CIs4IocgqT1TAzE65UxLw_6jbsS7TvnaWf_RnUXlZ_h7zjSq4RHOGR8xB-79f-BBGJ1jZlGnZe7TLh/s1600/Goodness-700x473.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 270px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgbHGGXGV7hOLRDkocrDThsjLtKKiYjAJZeZEbl5RwjvpLBZOWOXzaGg1hkMhZjN4CIs4IocgqT1TAzE65UxLw_6jbsS7TvnaWf_RnUXlZ_h7zjSq4RHOGR8xB-79f-BBGJ1jZlGnZe7TLh/s400/Goodness-700x473.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722408177469160898" border="0" /></a>Five of six cast members in <span style="font-style: italic;">Goodness</span> by Michael Redhill<br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLS_wUpkEz0cceYjL2EPiVNr8F-Jall8lw0YmK3_IQQ5o7hukX3Ig2085o2FffdS-etwjDLTvqtoyp2h7YFyPPzHdl74SgBPUBagMR1jUDkS3Iuc_GTUt1U9dNRK8BJ07xBvY5jQppylH/s1600/6029750.bin.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 267px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgoLS_wUpkEz0cceYjL2EPiVNr8F-Jall8lw0YmK3_IQQ5o7hukX3Ig2085o2FffdS-etwjDLTvqtoyp2h7YFyPPzHdl74SgBPUBagMR1jUDkS3Iuc_GTUt1U9dNRK8BJ07xBvY5jQppylH/s400/6029750.bin.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722407790643464994" border="0" /></a>Kyle Kushnir as Man in Chair and Allison Roberts as Janet van de Graaff in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Drowsy Chaperone</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOs3rOiOMH9UFPAX0aM6_ysEhZrJ3neMuqU2xXdnBOnVS5gTbhIdqf3K0f6u6c31_R4jejEmDIwCkljBV4B-m0V8U1Wz1vXsZaT408y9dTBCkAvCdxVLSlbDZdcyfSNwXDxhv8Mk9CnNh/s1600/blue_dragon.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 242px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgHOs3rOiOMH9UFPAX0aM6_ysEhZrJ3neMuqU2xXdnBOnVS5gTbhIdqf3K0f6u6c31_R4jejEmDIwCkljBV4B-m0V8U1Wz1vXsZaT408y9dTBCkAvCdxVLSlbDZdcyfSNwXDxhv8Mk9CnNh/s400/blue_dragon.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722407528817510418" border="0" /></a>Marie Michaud and Robert Lepage's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Blue Dragon</span><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxWHGM0uxhnb5-775MdK8-81SPg_PuyPN6cgbKyZbHOi_gGGEoekNBRs9B4RzaKx3eo7d_0wWI2-wZ9KJGJZUVKX5S1ApOvHl5JYAtD3ETnFYYynqUm4W9TBKgOydTFX70C2bgnRTxYLr/s1600/tumblr_m0bry7dqv51qmrca7.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 383px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhhxWHGM0uxhnb5-775MdK8-81SPg_PuyPN6cgbKyZbHOi_gGGEoekNBRs9B4RzaKx3eo7d_0wWI2-wZ9KJGJZUVKX5S1ApOvHl5JYAtD3ETnFYYynqUm4W9TBKgOydTFX70C2bgnRTxYLr/s400/tumblr_m0bry7dqv51qmrca7.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5722406452892257522" border="0" /></a>Four of five cast members in Theatre Inconnu's <span style="font-style: italic;">The Crackwalker</span><br /></div><br />I haven't posted a review since November, much to my horror, and so I'm going to provide some capsule reviews of what I've seen the first quarter of this year. My Top Five to date:<br /><br />1. PENNY PLAIN by Ronnie Burkett (seen in Toronto at Factory Theatre, February 5th)<br /><br />Ronnie Burkett is what the Japanese would call a "living national treasure", one of the most remarkable and original theatre artists in Canada. His marionette shows, which he writes, creates and performs solo, have been seen across the country and internationally for decades. This latest production, <span style="font-style: italic;">Penny Plain</span>, is probably the darkest show I've ever seen by Burkett. It takes place in the weeks and months before the end of the world, in and around a boarding house run by a sweet little blind old lady named Penny Plain. Her pet dog Geoffrey, life-sized and talking, decides to go out into the world for a final adventure. What happens in the time in-between his leaving and the play's final moments involves dozens of characters, all manipulated and performed by Burkett in a dazzling display of virtuosity, who each face the inevitable destruction and death ahead in their own ways. Geoffrey's return in the play's final scene is beyond horrific, as he calmly informs his beloved Miss Plain what will happen next. We are left to consider how savagely nature will reclaim this planet that we humans have so savagely destroyed. A masterful performance, the best show by far this season.<br /><br />2. GOODNESS by Michael Redhill (seen at Belfry Theatre Spark Festival, March 16th)<br /><br />I often prioritize getting to a touring show from Toronto when one lands for a few days in Victoria. Toronto is the theatre capital of Canada and my former home, so I'm well aware that chances are very good these shows will be worth my while. This Volcano Theatre production, directed by seasoned director Ross Manson, does not disappoint. Novelist Michael Redhill uses meta-theatricality to help him spin a story of genocide, revenge, guilt, rage and forgiveness. Six actors are on stage with chairs as the only 'set' present, along with a very few hand props. The narrator who addresses us directly is the playwright himself, and he implicates us in the action, through our watching, as silent witnesses to genocides throughout history. His story weaves back and forth from past to present and there is an extended story-within-a-story which is presented as a factual event reported to Redhill during an interview. The cast is extremely accomplished, both as actors and singers, as traditional songs from Africa and Europe frame a number of scenes. The central question explored in the play is how good people do bad things, a question that has plagued humanity for eons. To Redhill's credit, we are left with no easy answers at the end of this intelligent, moving and thought-provoking play, only more questions and and uneasy recognition of our own complicity in events that may seem very distant from our safe and comfortable lives.<br /><br />3. THE DROWSY CHAPERONE <span class="st">book by Bob Martin and Don McKellar and music and lyrics by Lisa Lambert and Greg Morrison (Langham Court Theatre, January 12th)<br /><br />This is one of the biggest hits of the Victoria Theatre so far. Tons of fun! you can hear my review of it here: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/reviews/2012/01/24/the-drowsy-chaperone/">http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/reviews/2012/01/24/the-drowsy-chaperone/</a><br /><br />4. THE BLUE DRAGON by </span>Marie Michaud and Robert Lepage (Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto, February 2nd)<br /><br />This Lepage show was remounted in Vancouver for the Winter Olympics in 2010 and is now playing in Toronto. As ambitious and filled with over-the-top filled technical Lepage-style wizardry as ever, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Blue Dragon</span> spins a trilingual (French, English and Mandarin, all spoken and surtitled through the show) story of a displaced Quebecois art dealer in Shanghai, a character first created in Michaud and Lepage's <span style="font-style: italic;">Dragon Trilogy</span> in 1985. Pierre is now 50 and in a relationship with a very young Chinese artist named Xiao Ling. All seems well until Claire, Pierre's former lover, arrives with an agenda of her own: to adopt a Chinese baby...and it just so happens that Xiao Ling has fallen pregnant! The narrative is not the strength here, although all three performers have their moments. The star of a Lepage show is the design, and set designer Michel Gauthier has created a stunning two-level set with hidden panels that hide and reveal, and projections that take the breath away as they work with the story to show giant Chinese calligraphy letters twenty feet high emerge onscreen as Pierre writes them onto a scroll. Or dazzling multicolored lights that blur and swirl as Xiao Ling performs a traditional Chinese dance. There are plenty of treats for the eye in this show, which moves toward cinema and away from theatre in my mind. It therefore comes as no surprise that the program being sold in the lobby is a graphic comic version of this tale, which seems well-suited to that visual form as opposed to a good, if old-fashioned, well-made play.<br /><br />5. THE CRACKWALKER by Judith Thompson (Theatre Inconnu, Saturday, March 3rd)<br /><br />Theatre Inconnu continues to present well-chosen, directed (by Inconnu regular Graeme McDonald) and performed series of challenging, often dark, plays. My review is here: <a href="http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/reviews/2012/03/06/crackwalker/">http://www.cbc.ca/ontheisland/reviews/2012/03/06/crackwalker/</a>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-7713082122041960352012-01-03T09:25:00.000-08:002012-01-03T09:42:52.823-08:00Critics' Choice Spotlight Awards 2010-2011<span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsACBZJuBwrnipW4BG5QK2UN9runBZEEl_cdP-nPSjLzZwZsOq6dqId3xn7O9kYM55NKEQAVu7I6QAadpBEyQQvM62rKjQVObrr9PZNXIbhqfn8bwpqzR3V_FGNscFrBYGO0RXFtgUo2S/s1600/spotlight+awards.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXsACBZJuBwrnipW4BG5QK2UN9runBZEEl_cdP-nPSjLzZwZsOq6dqId3xn7O9kYM55NKEQAVu7I6QAadpBEyQQvM62rKjQVObrr9PZNXIbhqfn8bwpqzR3V_FGNscFrBYGO0RXFtgUo2S/s400/spotlight+awards.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5693459590568397826" border="0" /></a></span><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><br />Happy New Year!<br /><br />Here are the Critics' Choice Spotlight Awards for theatre productions in Victoria and Lower Vancouver Island for the season beginning September 2010 and ending August 2011. Awards were selected and voted on by David Lennam and myself (CBC Radio's <span style="font-style: italic; ">On The Island</span>), John Threlfall and Chris Felling (<span style="font-style: italic; ">CVV Magazine</span>), Adrian Chamberlain (<span style="font-style: italic; ">Times-Colonist</span>) and Amanda Farrell-Low (formerly of <span style="font-style: italic; ">Monday Magazine</span>).<br /><br />Congratulations to all nominees and winners!!!<br /><br /> </span><style> <!-- /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:3 0 0 0 1 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman";} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-size:10.0pt; mso-ansi-font-size:10.0pt; mso-bidi-font-size:10.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-fareast-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:35.4pt; mso-footer-margin:35.4pt; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;} --> </style> <p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style=""><u>CRITICS CHOICE SPOTLIGHT AWARDS WINNERS 2010-11</u></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><u><span style="mso-bidi-"><br /></span></u></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight:normal"><span style="mso-bidi-"> </span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>SET DESIGN</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Judith Bowden, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cinderella</span> (Pacific Opera Victoria) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Nancy Bryant, <span style="font-style: italic;">Rodelinda</span> (POV)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Narda McCarroll, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Trespassers</span> (The Belfry) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Janet Munsil & Megan Newton, <span style="font-style: italic;">Influence</span> (Intrepid Theatre)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: Narda McCarroll, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Trespassers</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span> </b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><i> </i></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>COSTUME DESIGN</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Judith Bowden, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cinderella</span> (POV)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">David Hardwick, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wizard of Oz</span> (Victoria Operatic Society)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Cat Haywood, <span style="font-style: italic;">Twelfth Night</span> (Phoenix Theatre)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Erin Macklem, <span style="font-style: italic;">Influence</span> (Intrepid Theatre)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: David Hardwick, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wizard of Oz</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>SOUND DESIGN</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">John Gzowski, <span style="font-style: italic;">It's A Wonderful Life</span> (Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Miles Lowry, <span style="font-style: italic;">Influence</span> (Intrepid)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Joelysa Pankanea, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside</span> (Belfry) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Tobin Stokes, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Cryptogram</span> (Belfry)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: Joelysa Pankanea, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>LIGHTING DESIGN</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Bonnie Beecher, <span style="font-style: italic;">Cinderella</span> (POV) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Kerem Çentinel, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Trespassers</span> (Belfry)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Itai Erdel, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside</span> (Belfry) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">David Ferguson, <span style="font-style: italic;">Influence</span> (Intrepid)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: Itai Erdel, <i style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside<br /></i></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><i style="font-style: italic;"><br /></i></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>DIRECTION</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Mark DuMez, <span style="font-style: italic;">The 39 Steps</span> (Chemainus Theatre Festival) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">David Ferry, <span style="font-style: italic;">Inside</span> (Phoenix)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Linda Hardy, <span style="font-style: italic;">Twelfth Nigh</span>t (Phoenix)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Brian Richmond, <span style="font-style: italic;">Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?</span> (Blue Bridge)<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: Brian Richmond, <i>Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?<br /></i></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><i><br /></i></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>PERFORMANCE IN A COMMUNITY PRODUCTION</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Kesinee Haney, <span style="font-style: italic;">Twelfth Night/Yerma</span> (Phoenix)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Clayton Jevne, <span style="font-style: italic;">Moscow Stations</span> (Theatre Inconnu)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Kyle Kushnir, <span style="font-style: italic;">Elizabeth Rex </span>(Victoria Theatre Guild, Langham Court) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Chelsea Tucker, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Wizard of Oz</span> (VOS)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: Clayton Jevne, <span style="font-style: italic;">Moscow Stations</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>PERFORMANCE IN A PROFESSIONAL PRODUCTION</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Jennifer Clement, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Trespassers</span> (Belfry)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Brian Dooley, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Trespassers</span> (Belfry)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Vincent Gale, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Cryptogram</span> (Belfry) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;">Meg Tilly, <span style="font-style: italic;">Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?</span> (Blue Bridge)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: Meg Tilly, <span style="font-style: italic;">Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" ><span style="font-style: italic; "> </span></span><p class="MsoNormal" style="font-style: italic; font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;"><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>MUSICAL PRODUCTION</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">2 Pianos, 4 Hands</span> (Belfry)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone </span>(Atomic Vaudeville)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">[title of show] </span>(Urban Arts)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Wizard of Oz </span>(VOS)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>BEST NEW PLAY</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Chalk</span>, by SNAFU </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Influence</span>, by Janet Munsil </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Inside</span>, by Daniel MacIvor </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Son of Africville</span>, by Justin Carter</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: <span style="font-style: italic;">Inside</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>OVERALL PRODUCTION (COMMUNITY)</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Elizabeth Rex</span> (Langham) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Inside</span> (Phoenix)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Laramie Project </span>(Langham)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Twelfth Night</span> (Phoenix)<br /></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: <span style="font-style: italic;">Twelfth Night<br /></span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>OVERALL PRODUCTION (PROFESSIONAL)</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">2 Pianos, 4 Hands</span> (Belfry) </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The 39 Steps</span> (Chemainus)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">The Trespassers</span> (Belfry)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? </span>(Blue Bridge)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: <span style="font-style: italic;">Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf?</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>FRINGE PRODUCTION</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Giving Into Light</span> (DancingStorySinger)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Grim & Fischer: A deathly comedy in full-face mask </span>(Wonderheads)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">SmartArse</span> (Rob Gee)</span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="font-style: italic;">Tara Firm and the Lunar War Chronicles</span> (Launch Pad)</span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><br /></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>WINNER: <span style="font-style: italic;">Grim & Fischer</span></b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;"><br /></span> </b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b>THANK GOD THEY WERE COMPS!</b></span></p><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><br /></b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > </span><p style="font-family: arial;font-family:times new roman;" class="MsoNormal" ><span style="font-size:130%;"><b><span style="font-style: italic;">Death of a Clown</span> (Phoenix/Itsazoo)</b></span></p><span style="font-family: arial;font-size:130%;" > <br /></span>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-87969959928634182892011-11-27T16:37:00.000-08:002011-11-27T17:21:54.259-08:00Beauty Queen of Leenane and Jitters Reviews - November 21st, 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegqQihZIidiaSUFDVqEhs3Oe_pe3MxveNmSbc2lK3gnwi-K7lHU9jFJGts16j-J0bpFhER-Bh1uP-PiSlxu1OsM8Kd1TaFxNoJs4qAcalQUEpV-vwwpCS4u9rffG_szHRrpePYJKYoBdN/s1600/Belfry-Production1.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 279px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgegqQihZIidiaSUFDVqEhs3Oe_pe3MxveNmSbc2lK3gnwi-K7lHU9jFJGts16j-J0bpFhER-Bh1uP-PiSlxu1OsM8Kd1TaFxNoJs4qAcalQUEpV-vwwpCS4u9rffG_szHRrpePYJKYoBdN/s400/Belfry-Production1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679848176852735682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDtDeCedqsEVegVidilNFLN8J0lhqbPx9eTefvLfKfkZNgF3OdmJa8QsrEwbe0WBqlt4G2fFNyqFHrN5QkO_KhYxdaA8QIBIz53TebSkcKuQyvaqrDhbl-WE26-7FUyukGYyxkkvDzXaH/s1600/jitters"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNDtDeCedqsEVegVidilNFLN8J0lhqbPx9eTefvLfKfkZNgF3OdmJa8QsrEwbe0WBqlt4G2fFNyqFHrN5QkO_KhYxdaA8QIBIz53TebSkcKuQyvaqrDhbl-WE26-7FUyukGYyxkkvDzXaH/s400/jitters" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679848077454745682" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP0Za_jDeXbBiuFPmoOZZM72HKmQxQyF6haUGNjvD1OTGegAS1meILNQp22vchEMu3JTNTb07BAjF65HhFPce-HF6fl1BQQ0etkAiGLEAy4kZo_9aSSThwmEkHIFDCYhzHBGbvDvXl81k/s1600/beauty-poster.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 331px; height: 400px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjwP0Za_jDeXbBiuFPmoOZZM72HKmQxQyF6haUGNjvD1OTGegAS1meILNQp22vchEMu3JTNTb07BAjF65HhFPce-HF6fl1BQQ0etkAiGLEAy4kZo_9aSSThwmEkHIFDCYhzHBGbvDvXl81k/s400/beauty-poster.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679847574440307362" border="0" /></a>Images, Top to Bottom: (L to R) Norman Browning as Phil, Kyle Jespersen as Robert, Ted Cole as George (kneeling) and Gerry Mackay as Nick (standing) (Credit: David Cooper); (L to R) Ted Cole as George, Jason Clift as Tom, Laurie Paton as Jessica, Norman Browning as Phil, Kyle Jespersen as Robert (in rear) (Credit: David Cooper); poster for <span style="font-style: italic;">The Beauty Queen of Leenane</span><br /><br />1. A busy week last week with two new shows opening at the Belfry and Langham Court. Both shows are comedies, I understand, but very different from each other...what can you tell us about them?<br /><br />Two very different comedies actually. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Beauty Queen of Leenane</span> is an early play from Irish writer (who actually grew up in London and still lives there, but was born of Irish parents from County Galway). This play certainly sets the tone and style for many of McDonagh’s future plays, which often feature sharply satiric portrayals of rural living in Ireland, and also often contain violence as a key element. The humor is very much there in McDonagh’s razor-sharp writing, which I happen to love, and his characters are always strong, even in the midst of what can become horrific events. <span style="font-style: italic;">Beauty Queen</span> centres around a highly toxic mother-daughter relationship that ends very, very badly as 40 year-old spinster virgin daughter Maureen tries one last ditch attempt to land a man and break away from her poisonous and ever-needy mother Mag. We find ourselves laughing as much in shock as in humor at the way these two women rip into each other, but by the end of this two-act play the laughs stop as Maureen takes action to prevent her mother from destroying her dreams. At the Belfry, we have a far more civilized comedy of manners, really, that pokes quite gentle fun at the egos and insecurities of the theatrical profession. Mounted by the Belfry as a fitting tribute to the late playwright David French, who passed away last year, this comedy gives us, act by act in this three-act play, a disastrous final rehearsal of a new play, the backstage further disasters that befall the company on opening night, and the after-effects of all this the afternoon following the play-within-a-play’s opening as the company reviews the reviews.<br /><br />2. So let's focus on <span style="font-style: italic;">Beauty Queen of Leenane</span> first...how did director Judy Treloar and her production team deal with this black comedy?<br /><br />Treloar shows her deft hand as director, as seen many times at Langham Court including last season’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Elizabeth Rex</span>. The back and forth between mother and daughter that forms the core of the play is handled exceptionally well, and Treloar has done what any director must do and has cast these two central roles with actresses who seem born to play these parts: Naomi Simpson shines in the role of Maureen and offers a portrayal that is equal parts tough as nails and fragile as cut glass, a terrific performance; Elizabeth Whitmarsh, a less experienced actress than Simpson, really surprises here and gives an effective portrait of a deeply-embittered woman. Both women are supported by Bill Adams as Pato Dooley, a potential love match for Maureen, and Paul Wiebe as Pato’s younger brother and reluctant messenger boy. While I felt the men’s work was slightly less well-realized than the women’s, I did like Adam’s quiet presence in his role…even though he is not quite the 40 year old burly building site laborer called for in the script, he plays the role with a nice energy and focus. Paul Wiebe is a young actor with lots of energy and is appealing onstage, but still needs to find the particular rhythm required to make an Irish dialect play flow, as he sometimes stepped over his acting partner’s lines. Perhaps he will find this over the course of the run. The set is well-designed, as always, by Bill Adams, whose sets are always a treat to see. I had a few complaints about sound cues which occasionally are too loud and would prefer the radio sound to come through an onstage speaker rather than play in the house, which becomes distracting for an audience when the radio music runs right through a climactic scene.<br /><br />3. Now let's shift to the Canadian comic classic at the Belfry...how does that production manage the remounting of this 30+ year old play?<br /><br />The strength of this remount of French’s love letter to the theatre is in its three central characters as played by three seasoned actors: Dean Paul Gibson as cantankerous and alcoholic Irish-Canadian Patrick Flanagan; Laurie Paton as Canadian actress/star Jessica Logan who has played Broadway and is now returning to the Toronto stage before her light dims; and Norman Browning as Phil Mastorakis, an older actor who has never managed to learn his lines properly, or to cope with stage fright. Watching these highly-skilled actors do their thing—under the capable hands of Patrick McDonald’s direction and a lovely revolving set design from Charlotte Dean (stay to watch it revolve during an intermission)—is the highlight of this show, in my view. These three core characters continually bicker and complain, as does everyone else in this dysfunctional ensemble, but in the end, all’s well that ends well, as the Bard would have it. The supporting cast all do just fine in their respective roles, particularly Ted Cole as constantly beleaguered director George Ellsworth and Kyle Jespersen as more than slightly neurotic playwright Robert Ross. The final four roles in this nine-person cast are all handled well, but are not particularly rewarding to play, as they are relatively thinly-sketched characters. In fact, my one issue with <span style="font-style: italic;">Jitters</span> is the play itself. I saw a production of the play in Toronto many years ago, but my husband had to remind me last week that we had seen it way back when. Usually, my habit is to rapidly forget most films, but to remember plays very well. The reason I think I forgot seeing <span style="font-style: italic;">Jitters</span> twenty-odd years ago is, quite frankly, because it is not a very memorable play. While it is charming enough, and elicits some laughs along the way, in my view it fails to dramatically deliver on its implied promise of the first two acts. Unlike the similarly-themed British comedy <span style="font-style: italic;">Noises Off</span>, which eventually does show us how badly things can go when absolutely everything goes wrong in a performance, <span style="font-style: italic;">Jitters</span> skips over the climactic opening night and instead gives us an anticlimactic Act 3 that has the cast bickering at the same level as the day before, after a successful opening night. My response to this is to feel a bit of a letdown, as though French couldn’t quite bear to present the nightmare vision that proves to be beyond hysterical in <span style="font-style: italic;">Noises Off</span>, one of the funniest shows I’ve ever seen. So, while audiences might chuckle along in <span style="font-style: italic;">Jitters</span>, and certainly will have the chance to admire three very fine Canadian actors doing their thing, overall I found myself wondering what better vehicle might this company be appearing in rather than this. One of French’s (better) dramatic plays, for example, such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Leaving Home</span> or <span style="font-style: italic;">Of the Fields Lately</span>?<br /><br />4. Are you willing to recommend one over the other for busy listeners?<br /><br />That’s actually an easier task than it sometimes is for me. I can thoroughly recommend Martin McDonagh’s black comedy in this production with great performances by the lead actresses, but with the caveat that potential audience members should be prepared for some quite devastating violence late in the play. While <span style="font-style: italic;">Jitters</span> is for me not a play for the ages, this is a strong production featuring mostly Vancouver-based performers we rarely get the chance to see here in Victoria…go see them at work as the main reason to go to the Belfry, and I’m sure you’ll enjoy smiling along to the somewhat clichéd but affectionate portrayal of life in the theatre.Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-71161924020052207732011-11-14T13:32:00.000-08:002011-11-14T14:06:10.005-08:00Review of Mary's Wedding - Monday, November 14th, 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbRftpwdRCNlQ_6Xx-DuoepfhC_jQYpAjWEuaMabrVCeDjgb3rY4-ZzgQzSejScJ3jP41DszqYHGeFyU-Z9dw2yI9EenRg6TVGJ3QfeguKmqxbaIFpk-Zsx3XyqvFn4S7e9H4I3q1DuMd/s1600/POV+5702005.bin.jpeg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 273px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgqbRftpwdRCNlQ_6Xx-DuoepfhC_jQYpAjWEuaMabrVCeDjgb3rY4-ZzgQzSejScJ3jP41DszqYHGeFyU-Z9dw2yI9EenRg6TVGJ3QfeguKmqxbaIFpk-Zsx3XyqvFn4S7e9H4I3q1DuMd/s400/POV+5702005.bin.jpeg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674974141869730946" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgzrXLlea6Rk4rebn2gHFXAgC9JGtQZ_k_dqMaOJi1XxCnn5bMVNzUHqf4flS3mduHA1JuYzIy4yDAYDr4HN-iiZfXRp87d7IdKP1SUfCN0mDFtSRAozepqBBwiwJ9nQlEzsxA6z7jV43/s1600/WEB-marys-weddi_1339612cl-8.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxgzrXLlea6Rk4rebn2gHFXAgC9JGtQZ_k_dqMaOJi1XxCnn5bMVNzUHqf4flS3mduHA1JuYzIy4yDAYDr4HN-iiZfXRp87d7IdKP1SUfCN0mDFtSRAozepqBBwiwJ9nQlEzsxA6z7jV43/s400/WEB-marys-weddi_1339612cl-8.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5674974048567079378" border="0" /></a>Photos, Top to Bottom: POV Chorus and Betty Wayne Allison as Mary in <span style="font-style: italic;">Mary's Wedding </span>(Credit: Bruce Stotesbury, <a href="http://timescolonist.com">timescolonist.com</a>); Thomas Macleay as Charlie (in shirt at top), Alain Coulombe as Sergeant Flowerdew (in hat at right), and Betty Waynne Allison as Mary in <span style="font-style: italic;">Mary's Wedding </span>(Credit: David Cooper,<a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/lest-we-forget-opera-breathes-new-life-into-marys-wedding/article2231054/"> http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/music/lest-we-forget-opera-breathes-new-life-into-marys-wedding/article2231054/</a>)<br /><br />1) There's been a lot of anticipation around this world premiere of a brand new commissioned opera at the POV. What was your take on this project?<br /><br />I was quite surprised when the POV project was announced and Stephen Massicotte’s two-hander play was chosen. The play is a dialogue between young Saskatchewan farm boy Charlie and his his girl Mary back home, told in flashback two years after the end of the war, in 1920. Mary is dreaming the night before her wedding, and we see her dreams played out for us, her memories of her first love Charlie and his time in the trenches and cavalry of World War I. She doubles up as Charlie’s platoon Sergeant Flowerdew, so we get the sense of her being with him “over there” through this third character. The play is quiet, filled with the mostly unfulfilled idealized longings of first love, and the inevitable loss and letting go. Wow, I thought, how do you turn a small and intimate play about love, war and loss into anything that might work on a larger stage and in the larger performance form of opera?<br /><br />2) How did the production deal with these issues of adaptation?<br /><br />The solution of course, was the addition of an actively involved dramatic chorus, which composer Andrew MacDonald adds and director Michael Shamata uses well in this adaptation. The play is filled with Charlie’s letters home to about his experiences in France. These scenes become much more vivid when we see a platoon of soldiers and hear them singing their way into battle. Sergeant Flowers, as Charlie calls Flowerdew (a real historical figure), becomes a separate third character in the opera, but Mary is seen close at hand through all of these war scenes, right in the trenches with these men, as only dreams can allow. This dreamlike effect transfers very well into an opera format, which generally deals with larger-than-life themes, plots and characters. Certainly, the themes of love, war, loss and grief are large enough for an opera, even if the canvas that Massicotte (who created the libretto from his play) paints is intentionally small scale, concerned as it is with the intimacies of this young couple. So audiences need to be prepared to see a less typically grandiose narrative than seen in Wagner and Rossini—and one that is very Canadian in its historic representation of Canadian troops in the First World War—but is nonetheless a story that still packs an emotional punch. Andrew MacDonald’s music is fairly non-melodic and tonal, as he is a contemporary composer, and this may frustrate opera traditionalists. While his music did not make a huge impression in me overall, it was extremely well-played and sung, and I thought some of the orchestration of the chorus was excellent at key moments in the production.<br /><br />3) How did you feel director Michael Shamata and the design team did in their respective tasks?<br /><br />Shamata showed his skills to best effect in staging the show in a fluid way that kept both the eye and attention held. He is well-supported with an elegant design from Ian Rye, and lovely lighting by Alan Brodie. Shamata choreographs the chorus to portray many people and events, although I wondered if it might have been possible to more realistically evoke the sense of the Lord Strathcona Regiment’s ill-fated cavalry charge late in the opera. The central characters and chorus mime horse-riding and show the charge using good use of slow motion, but the lack of any horselike imagery took away some of the power of this climactic moment for me. Perhaps I have been spoiled by having seen the British National Theatre’s amazing production <span style="font-style: italic;">War Horse</span> last year in London? That play, also set in the Great War, has horses sent to the front played by life-sized puppets, and that powerful presence of doomed animals on the battlefield is lost in <span style="font-style: italic;">Mary’s Wedding</span>. But despite this one missing element, overall the chorus is incorporated seamlessly into the dialogue between Mary and Charlie, and they bring to life Mary’s memories of an afternoon tea in her small town, as well as the departure of the town’s men for war, and Charlie’s terrible descriptions of battle, injury and death.<br /><br />4) Were there any standout performances?<br /><br />This is Ladysmith-born and UVic-educated soprano Betty Waynne Allison’s role of a lifetime, as she is onstage throughout the two and a half hour long show, and her voice nor presence never faltered. A lovely performance, genuine, nuanced and beautifully sung. Tenor Thomas Macleay makes his POV debut as Charlie Edwards and plays him with bravado and sensitivity, even if his voice cannot quite match the power of Ms. Allison’s. Bass Alain Coulombe brings gravitas to his portrayal of Sergeant Flowers, and a resonant voice to the role. Timothy Vernon conducts the Victor Symphony with his usual passion and panache, and the orchestra is in fine form, as ever.<br /><br />5) What's the take-away from this opera?<br /><br />I think it is something to celebrate, the premiere of a homegrown Canadian opera, based on an already celebrated Canadian play. While the contemporary score will interest some more than others, it is a very polished and eventually quite moving musical interpretation of the ancient themes that can be found in all opera: What it means to both love and to lose, and (perhaps) to survive and move on.<br /><br />NOTE: <span style="font-style: italic;">Mary's Wedding</span> continues tonight, Wednesday and Friday night this week, plus a Sunday matinee, all at the McPherson Playhouse. Tickets are available at 386-6121 or online at www.pov.bc.caMonica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-23228146418295862572011-11-02T19:36:00.000-07:002011-11-02T19:56:07.078-07:00Review of Gormenghast at William Head on Stage - October 31st<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2t1gCTfVf4xuTR0hoIvNXs48AHb7_MfXBVy1wpC_2FZ7dNcHNTL446wHUditIswD1tRWLmuN-db8R9WKIvYhrntsf9xGnwINsGDmLiROk_keZ1MuWnJriE-oeZpQLv4haFjEpNnsM_CN/s1600/cbc2"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 225px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEig2t1gCTfVf4xuTR0hoIvNXs48AHb7_MfXBVy1wpC_2FZ7dNcHNTL446wHUditIswD1tRWLmuN-db8R9WKIvYhrntsf9xGnwINsGDmLiROk_keZ1MuWnJriE-oeZpQLv4haFjEpNnsM_CN/s400/cbc2" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670595816400435970" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EkuKiMLRr-_6e2elgIEaqeUXAJwpNHUcUvT_TRH9Tk_E_EDcBjVtZmE-4ZNhLYo030NJomVcc7KkwT8kv-RBwLx5Qmrsl5zbTwrIuIhiyjEquN9Jie87y4USuB9u3Ytli1xx-y1EzIzH/s1600/cbc1"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg_EkuKiMLRr-_6e2elgIEaqeUXAJwpNHUcUvT_TRH9Tk_E_EDcBjVtZmE-4ZNhLYo030NJomVcc7KkwT8kv-RBwLx5Qmrsl5zbTwrIuIhiyjEquN9Jie87y4USuB9u3Ytli1xx-y1EzIzH/s400/cbc1" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5670595697996618738" border="0" /></a>Top to Bottom: Kate Rubin as Gertrude, Countess of Groan in WHoS production of <span style="font-style: italic;">Gormenghast</span> <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/theatre/a-spellbinding-performance-behind-bars/article2217411/print/">http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/arts/theatre/a-spellbinding-performance-behind-bars/article2217411/print/</a>; Ingrid Hansen as Fuchsia Groan and JR as Steerpike in same (<a href="http://themarble.tumblr.com/post/11564185379/gormenghast-kcs-review">http://themarble.tumblr.com/post/11564185379/gormenghast-kcs-review</a>.<br /><br />1. The 50th production of William Head on Stage's [WHoS] thirty year history is an adaptation of British novelist Mervyn Peake's trilogy <span style="font-style: italic;">Gormenghast</span>. What can you tell us about this novel and its move from book to stage?<br /><br />Writer Mervyn Peake was also a well-known artist, book illustrator and poet. He suffered a nervous breakdown while serving in WWII, and no doubt the horrors of war, and the Holocaust, are partly behind his rendering of a stagnant and suffocating society portrayed in the <span style="font-style: italic;">Gormenghast</span> trilogy. The watchwords of the inhabitants of this vast and isolated castle, located in a place that is never fully defined, is “No Change”. When young Titus Groan is born as the 77th Earl of Gormenghast, things do begin to change as he grows up to be a young man who rejects the mindless rituals of the castle and longs for freedom beyond the castle walls. His <span style="font-style: italic;">doppelganger</span> in the novels is Steerpike, a kitchen boy with dreams of revolt who rises up through the castle ranks and threatens to take everything away from the Groan family, unless Titus and his family can stop him in time. The trilogy is often called fantasy, but there is not really any magic in the story, and a more correct genre might be gothic, with is grotesque, satirical and even surreal elements. Considered a major literary achievement in post-war British literature, the books have been adapted many times into radio and TV formats, and more recently as a stage adaptation by John Constable, which is the adaptation being used in WHoS’ production.<br /><br />2. Sounds like a challenging choice for the inmates at William Head to take on...how does director Ian Case do with all of this?<br /><br />I think this is a very fitting choice for a prison theatre production, especially given its overall theme of Freedom vs. Tradition. The longing of young Titus to break free of the castle that dominates his life is a powerful metaphor when spoken and performed by an inmate. And the changed mantra “No Change” also cannot help but resonate more deeply when performed in the context of a federal correctional institution. That said, it is not an easy story to tell, as it is quite convoluted. John Constable’s adaptation does away with many minor characters and subplots, but nonetheless it is a challenge for both performers and audiences to make sense of this strange tale. Luckily, local director Ian case (who has directed out at William Head in the past, most recently with the successful production of <span style="font-style: italic;">Macbeth</span>) does an excellent job of crafting a production that is effectively cast and performed. Three actresses from Victoria play the female roles (although one brave inmate does play a role in drag!), and the production is strengthened by the confident presence of Kate Rubin as Gertrude, the Countess of Groan and Titus Groan’s mother, Ingrid Hansen as Titus’ older sister Fuchsia and Michelle Chowns as one half of Titus’ twin aunts Clarice and Cora. While none of the inmates are trained actors, which makes hearing every word sometimes an issue, each one of them is clearly deeply invested in their characters and in the story they are telling. This is in itself a major achievement that I am always so impressed to see at William Head on Stage…the clearly very high level of commitment to each production.<br /><br />3. What was working well in the show for you?<br /><br />I enjoyed the overall design of the show very much. The set is made up of three grey castle towers, each with a screen on its front side. A ramp goes down from the stage to the ground level, so actors can use the floor level for some of the action of the play. On the screens, overhead gel projections often appear with simple animations that tell us where we are in the castle, or what a character is doing, like unlocking a door, or climbing a wall, or walking down into the castle’s cellars. When an actor is behind these screens, the use of shadows also becomes a very effective element that Case employs creatively throughout. Also, sound effects are made live backstage and these add suitable background elements that work well to evoke the castle’s atmosphere. Finally, the costumes are very well done, and look suitably both aristocratic-shabby and strange...the women’s costumes are especially effective, as are the use of puppets to show how much the Countess Groan loves her menagerie of cats and birds more than her family, at least in the first part of the play. I did find things a bit confusing at the top of Act One, but the plot soon started to make sense as the characters were introduced. The only other problem I encountered was some slow pacing, as often there were a couple of beats or more between one scene and the next that could have been tightened up, or perhaps covered by some transitional music. However, these are minor complaints, and overall I had a very enjoyable night out behind the razor barb-wired fences at William Head.<br /><br />4. How does the future look for William Head on Stage, given the Harper government's crackdown on crime...will rehabilitative arts programs like this one be at risk?<br /><br />I am always inspired, as a theatre educator myself, by how meaningful and powerful an experience it is for the inmates who participate in WHoS shows. Their notes in the program clearly state how putting on a play is an opportunity for each of them to step out of their comfort zones, to escape the drudgery of prison life, and to learn valuable lessons about the necessity of cooperation and communication when rehearsing and performing a play. This program is the longest-lived prison theatre program in Canada. I don’t know what the future holds for WHoS, and mostly due to the institution moving from medium to minimum security a few year back, the organizers are only now ably to put on one show a year. But it is clear to me every time I go out to see a WHoS that this is the best kind of rehabilitative experience, and offers a strong alternative to the punitive and retributive policies that we know generally don’t work very well. I hope the administration of William Head and the government continues to support programs like WHoS, for everybody’s sake, not just for the sake of those involved…it says something good about all of us, I think.<br /><br /><br />NOTE: <span style="font-style: italic;">Gormenghast</span> runs until November 12th at William Head Federal Institution. Tickets are available at ticketrocket.org or 250-590-6291. No person under 19 years old will be admitted.Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-18428323028877140312011-09-27T10:51:00.000-07:002011-09-27T11:18:44.500-07:00AND SLOWLY BEAUTY AND SHINING CITY REVIEWS - September 26th, 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohtm_gAxfPwuVHgxCZ_YBQhRqalujTKNVIHHw_PA7f0TLWkwclrfD1ZaSeroET595W72ertw-WhoI84aDjbV2RrKuWnCz2hRTUB1sWnNhU6Kba-cF66AcVSXALoTAMOhK5kTM5mpnlEVI/s1600/SC3"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 244px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhohtm_gAxfPwuVHgxCZ_YBQhRqalujTKNVIHHw_PA7f0TLWkwclrfD1ZaSeroET595W72ertw-WhoI84aDjbV2RrKuWnCz2hRTUB1sWnNhU6Kba-cF66AcVSXALoTAMOhK5kTM5mpnlEVI/s400/SC3" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657103638993290642" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8benUxZURVceScVak9-jOmbR67hSXRcyE4x8W_eIRQGVL_d3q93kysz6LztoBAnS2r7bRMEEw0bNEW89WgBRjHVGPau02KW5Savcr-YAcsEnuw0KpnsRG32sRPf7cCFwarV_aA1_BqiUL/s1600/SC2"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 190px; height: 185px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8benUxZURVceScVak9-jOmbR67hSXRcyE4x8W_eIRQGVL_d3q93kysz6LztoBAnS2r7bRMEEw0bNEW89WgBRjHVGPau02KW5Savcr-YAcsEnuw0KpnsRG32sRPf7cCFwarV_aA1_BqiUL/s400/SC2" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657103544766281474" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPe_dfXBKSpFtQk4Kx-aA7MpoK3Hd01ekH6VGNi9Z_yNKwpzAhBQF35kU27RiQ3T7ZSytW-4R-zS77Ycs7OhBNkgcWaZbBQG8DlPSVQh2qw39_suHiDHwZ8vvefbywoG2sAM-I3gWo7lH/s1600/ASB3"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 276px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgVPe_dfXBKSpFtQk4Kx-aA7MpoK3Hd01ekH6VGNi9Z_yNKwpzAhBQF35kU27RiQ3T7ZSytW-4R-zS77Ycs7OhBNkgcWaZbBQG8DlPSVQh2qw39_suHiDHwZ8vvefbywoG2sAM-I3gWo7lH/s400/ASB3" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5657103266410620690" border="0" /></a><br />Photos, Top to Bottom: Martha Plimpton as Neasa and Brian F. O'Byrne as Ian in the Broadway production of Shining City (2006); Oliver Platt as John and Brian F. O'Byrne as Ian in same (<a href="http://theater.nytimes.com/2006/05/10/theater/reviews/10shin.html">http://theater.nytimes.com/2006/05/10/theater/reviews/10shin.html</a>); Celine Stubel, Caroline Gillis, Dennis Fitzgerald and Mary-Colin Chisolm in <span style="font-style: italic;">And Slowly Beauty...</span>(<a href="http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Superior+cast+deftly+handles+tricky+play/5453403/story.html?cid=megadrop_story">http://www.timescolonist.com/entertainment/Superior+cast+deftly+handles+tricky+play/5453403/story.html?cid=megadrop_story</a>)<br /><br />1. The theatre season got off to a start last week with shows opening at the Belfry Theatre and Theatre Inconnu. What were your impressions?<br /><br />I was very happy with both of my trips to the theatre this week. As an experienced theatregoer I was rewarded by both of these new productions. One of them tells its story through a combination of text and movement, French-Canadian playwright Michel Nadeau’s <span style="font-style: italic;">And Slowly Beauty</span>, the second one through the ancient art of storytelling, in Irishman Conor McPherson’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Shining City</span>. So audiences are challenged by getting into the slower rhythm of theatre that is more interested in the journey than the destination.<br /><br />2. You mentioned that Conor McPherson is one of your favorite current playwrights...what makes his plays work so well?<br /><br />Well, I admit to a weakness for Irish plays and playwrights, there is such a delicious use of language in my favorite Irish plays…think of George Bernard Shaw, JM Synge, Brian Friel, Martin McDonagh…and Conor McPerson all have terrifically engaging stories to tell and they tell them so well. McPherson’s early hit play, <span style="font-style: italic;">The Weir</span>, was set in a village bar where some locals entertain themselves by telling ghost stories to a woman, new to town. But it turns out that she has the best ghost story of all to tell. His subsequent play <span style="font-style: italic;">The Seafarer</span> is a highly amusing black comedy that presents a particularly Irish working class twist on the Faust legend, when the Devil decides to join a group of mates playing poker on Christmas Eve. This playful interest in the occult and supernatural is also seen in <span style="font-style: italic;">Shining City</span>, his 2004 play. This spellbinding play follows a newly minted therapist and defrocked priest named Ian as he tries to make a new life in Dublin. His interaction with one patient, John, turns on this widower patient’s story of being haunted by the ghost of his dead wife. Interwoven with lengthy scenes, mostly in monologue form from John, are scenes that tell us more about who Ian is, why he left his girlfriend and young baby, and the choices he must make. This excellent production at Theatre Inconnu works very well in the intimate Little Fernwood Hall space and features strong performances from its cast. Michael Shewchuk always impresses and does so here; Dustin Finerty finds his stride with the locacious John and makes us care about this sad and guilt-ridden man; and Christina Patterson as Ian’s girlfriend Neasa and James McDougall as young male prostitute Laurence handle well their respective scenes. Regular Inconnu director Graham McDonald pays attention to what matters in this story, and doesn’t fail to deliver this haunting play’s chilling surprise by its end.<br /><br />3. Now let's turn to the English language premiers of this Quebec play<span style="font-style: italic;"> And Slowly Beauty</span>...your reaction to this production?<br /><br />This play had me in its synopsis in describing the tale of an unhappy middle aged man who finds reason to carry on after going to see a production of Anton Chekov’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Three Sisters</span>. Belfry artistic director Michael Shamata choreographs this production as much as he directs it, with a company of six actors, five of whom morph into many roles to support the journey of Mr. Mann. This Everyman figure—dissatisfied with his mundane government job and alienated from his wife and children—is beautifully rendered by newcomer to the Belfry, Dennis Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald has a slightly sad, slightly clownlike face that allows him to take in the beauty of Chekov, of theatre, of art, and (eventually) of the meaning and meaninglessness of life, and respond in ways we can relate to. The play is an homage to the power of art in general, here represented in the theatre epiphany that pushes the naive audience member Mr. Mann to rethink his life in profound ways. It is also theatrical in its storytelling, with five actors walking in endless circles around Mr. Mann, sliding off chairs, and sliding into another costume, as they give us clear and crisp portraits in a fully realized world. This is all exquisitely presented in Shamata’s tightly constructed and effectively visual interpretation, well supported by his more than able cast. This cast includes local favorite Celine Stubel, who charms as always, and equally strong work from Mary-Colin Chisolm, Caroline Gillis, Christina Murray and Thomas Olajide. The show also features a sharp and evocative design by John Ferguson and engaging background music by <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone’s</span> composer Brooke Maxwell. This is not your everyday theatre piece, it is intentionally fragmented in form, although scenes become longer and richer in the second act, and the use of silence is unusual in most contemporary theatre. But it offers real rewards in its sincere contemplative consideration of the truism that great art can change our lives.<br /><br />4. Sounds like the beginning of a promising upcoming season...lots to look forward to...any recommendations?<br /><br />Quite a few, in fact. The next show at the Belfry is the classic Canadian comedy <span style="font-style: italic;">Jitters</span>, which should be great fun, as will Martin McDonagh’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Beauty Queen of Leenane</span> at Langham Court. And of course I can’t wait to see Langham’s production of Broadway hit <span style="font-style: italic;">The Drowsy Chaperone</span>. The Phoenix is doing a beautiful play by American Sarah Ruhl called <span style="font-style: italic;">Eurydice</span> in the new year, and there’s a new show at William Head, an adaptation of Mervyn Peake’s satirical and fantastic <span style="font-style: italic;">Gormenghast</span>, directed by Ian Case and opening next month. Inconnu continues its history of interesting programming with revival of 1960’s drama Peter Nichols’ <span style="font-style: italic;">Day in the Death of Joe Egg</span> in November. Plenty to look forward to, so go out and support local theatre!<br /><br /><br />NOTE: <span style="font-style: italic;">And Slowly Beauty</span> continues until October 23rd at the Belfry. Tickets are at 250-385-6815. <span style="font-style: italic;">Shining City</span> plays until October 8th. Tickets are at 250-360-0234 or ticketrocket.orgMonica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-61723711840000193252011-07-11T09:09:00.002-07:002011-07-11T09:34:22.822-07:00Ride the Cyclone and Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf Reviews - July 11th, 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFvmF9ir1XXZwT8dC67BGJBZxWJPDRQlRAK3HvG5gf0MM0yg68hcCKZtcIAsjHRltQUOEKGdNpeHdbZwaK-b_rXHn7WqYmF3A7Evf2-f7_qRTgV_7eFq_dIjlQhqTkdRVYNF_6lUXFImF/s1600/5183CT06SGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 300px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgMFvmF9ir1XXZwT8dC67BGJBZxWJPDRQlRAK3HvG5gf0MM0yg68hcCKZtcIAsjHRltQUOEKGdNpeHdbZwaK-b_rXHn7WqYmF3A7Evf2-f7_qRTgV_7eFq_dIjlQhqTkdRVYNF_6lUXFImF/s400/5183CT06SGL._SL500_AA300_.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628132423880647282" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UZZMh_QOFpLXQym9cD_8IaHXghQSmJv7lTdv9RVLP9UJ5JVBgYiimE5oZp3enlYt4HBAW_rir_7IM59RHbFlbnpQZaLFBjvUX95cANLg7D9cVvPw_pxmXtCCiwgRw4RFY2Mjwof9kqQ0/s1600/page15tilly.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3UZZMh_QOFpLXQym9cD_8IaHXghQSmJv7lTdv9RVLP9UJ5JVBgYiimE5oZp3enlYt4HBAW_rir_7IM59RHbFlbnpQZaLFBjvUX95cANLg7D9cVvPw_pxmXtCCiwgRw4RFY2Mjwof9kqQ0/s400/page15tilly.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628132354688787186" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdNv9soUzTdOB5tL_jfuD8vOo1cBImMi_EVXSmKd06pQGSpIHDOaZSLVxoqN7XCOXj5d8gGZTWXmeMkFH5c2igVXmpc2bHLk-mCjki27dfkbDpLZ4EnvNYc8gpsO0iRuuYvVQxtJshyphenhyphenEI/s1600/RidetheCyclonepx468.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 346px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvdNv9soUzTdOB5tL_jfuD8vOo1cBImMi_EVXSmKd06pQGSpIHDOaZSLVxoqN7XCOXj5d8gGZTWXmeMkFH5c2igVXmpc2bHLk-mCjki27dfkbDpLZ4EnvNYc8gpsO0iRuuYvVQxtJshyphenhyphenEI/s400/RidetheCyclonepx468.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628131402688962274" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6Q1pg1sM7XOZd7JCZN5kTQRT_s7ymV4ce0bBKM_TgbNRjyHQSClM_yz1Nhq3F66G5FPzFMFcTXbb2xyQNtNu0RKVu873B97k3iMC3Se9KSm0PE3g8nrB-IurM_5uJeHw5O9m5gh2oCgP/s1600/cyclone-for-web.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 266px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEih6Q1pg1sM7XOZd7JCZN5kTQRT_s7ymV4ce0bBKM_TgbNRjyHQSClM_yz1Nhq3F66G5FPzFMFcTXbb2xyQNtNu0RKVu873B97k3iMC3Se9KSm0PE3g8nrB-IurM_5uJeHw5O9m5gh2oCgP/s400/cyclone-for-web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5628131314094849730" border="0" /></a>Images, Top to Bottom: Movie poster for <span style="font-style: italic;">Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf,</span> with Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor; Meg Tilly as Martha in the Blue Bridge Theatre production (Credit: David Bukach); Sarah Jane Pelzer in <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone </span>(Credit:www.atomicvaudeville.com) ; Cast of <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span> (Credit:www.belfry.bc.ca)<br /><br />1) You saw two shows that opened last week; Atomic Vaudeville's <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span> at the Belfry Theatre and Blue Bridge Theatre's <span style="font-style: italic;">Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf</span> at the MacPherson. Let's begin with the musical at the Belfry...I understand this locally created hit show is heading back out on tour?<br /><br />Yes, this dark but very funny musical about a group of dead teens entertaining us from the afterlife has played to enthusiastic audiences in Victoria and Toronto over the past couple of years. It was a hit at Toronto’s Summerworks Festival last year and will be going back for a run at Theatre Passe Muraille this fall. The show will also play in Vancouver and Whitehorse. Like Jacob Richmond’s previous play <span style="font-style: italic;">Legoland</span> with Atomic Vaudeville, also directed by Britt Small, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span> deals with disaffected and alienated young people whose lack of ability to fit in earns them both laughs and sympathy. <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span> is a musical, with songs by local musician Brooke Maxwell, that presents a mechanical carnival sideshow fortune teller who proceeds to narrate the sad tale of six teens killed in a tragic roller coaster accident in Uranium City, Saskatchewan. These dead young people then come bursting onstage to share with us their deepest dreams and desires, thwarted by untimely death, in a series of monologues and songs.<br /><br />2) What did you think of it in its newest version?<br /><br />Unfortunately, I was never able to catch earlier incarnations of <span style="font-style: italic;">Cyclone</span>, but I understand that the show has been trimmed down from two acts to one and a couple of characters have been sacrificed along the way. While I would have liked to have seen this longer version, which a number of people on opening night last week were lamenting on losing out loud, this version is tight and bright and carries its audience along on a roller-coaster like ride that never lets up in its high level entertainment factor. The premise is definitely a little weird, but winkingly so, and we’re all in on the joke. The show boasts an excellent cast of mostly grads from the UVic theatre program (Rielle Braid, Matthew Coulson, Sarah Jane Pelzer and Kholby Wardell) with the exceptions of Kelly Hudson and Elliot Loran (CCPA). They all inhabit their various oddball characters with great glee and each one has their moment to shine in the spotlight. The show has the same kind of sardonic self-aware quality that Richmond is known for as a playwright and he and Small stage it very effectively. The music is a mix of various styles from pop to rap to soul, and although none of it is particularly hummable or memorable, it works within the context of the show, with simple but effective choreography by Treena Stubel. I predict this show could go all the way to New York and beyond as it will definitely appeal to hip theatre-going folk who enjoy shows that mix ironic intelligence with straight-ahead good fun, which is what <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span> delivers.<br /><br />3) Now let's switch gears to talk about <span style="font-style: italic;">Virginia Woolf</span>. Most of us can't help thinking about Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton in the film version of this play. Was that a problem for you?<br /><br />Of course it’s hard not to think about iconic performances whenever we see a familiar play, as is this one by Edward Albee. It was the same last summer with Blue Bridge’s production of <span style="font-style: italic;">Streetcar Named Desire</span>…who can’t see Marlon Brando and Vivien Leigh in those leading roles? But all credit goes to Blue Bridge’s artistic director Brian Richmond for yet again giving Victoria audiences fresh-feeling interpretations of classic modern American plays. The biggest risk Richmond took on was convincing retired film actor turned writer Meg Tilly (known for her roles in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Big Chill</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Agnes of God</span> in the 1980’s), who now lives in Victoria, to take on the enormously challenging role of Martha. Well, I’m happy to report that Tilly does very well inhabiting what one critic called the “braying sensuality” of this miserably unhappy faculty wife, trapped in an marriage made up of vicious battles, interminable drinking, serial infidelities and desperate delusions. Tilly finds the necessary fearlessness to playing Martha, and has a very effective physicality, although I found she tended too much to lean her head back on her armchair so that we lost seeing her face as it was tilted upwards. Her emotional shattering in the play’s final act is well done, as we see this supposed harpy for the vulnerable and broken woman she really is inside. Tilly is well-matched with seasoned Vancouver actor Andrew Wheeler as George, a tough role as he plays the foil to the more showy Martha until near the end of the play. But Wheeler is convincing throughout as the milquetoast husband who tolerates his wife’s bitter rages while hinting at rages of his own. When he finally turns the tables and gains the retribution he seeks, Wheeler takes over the stage and offers us the unexpected backbone in this beaten down failed academic. Tilly and Wheeler are well supported by Celine Stubel and Alex Plouffe as the young couple invited over for an unwitting game of “Get the Guests” after a faculty party at the Northeastern college that is the setting of the play. Stubel charms as always in the role of Honey, but also finds the fragility and fear that Honey tries to drown in brandy. Plouffe is a recent graduate of the theatre program at UVic and this is a major challenge for such a young actor, which for the most part he rises to very well (although his supposedly naturally blonde hair looks unconvincing and clearly a dye job!). The set is nicely designed by Carol Klemm and well lit by Rebekah Johnson. And Brian Linds gives us inspired snippets of the Swingle Singers before and after each act that effectively take us into the timeframe of the mid-60’s of the play. This is a tough play, and a very long one, that demands much of both actors and audiences. But it is also a necessary play, like <span style="font-style: italic;">Streetcar </span>and <span style="font-style: italic;">Death of a Salesman</span>, which no one who cares about theatre should miss seeing. We are fortunate that Blue Bridge is making these modern classics available in commendable versions for us here in Victoria.<br /><br />4) Any final thoughts on these two shows, or a recommendation of one over the other?<br /><br />Well, <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span> is a fun and quirky show that clocks in under 90 minutes and has lots of entertainment value. However, if you are up for a more meaningful encounter—and are prepared for a late night out that will clearly demonstrate Edward Albee’s fitting place alongside Tennessee Williams and Arthur Miller as giants of 20th century American playwrights—then you really shouldn’t miss <span style="font-style: italic;">Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf</span>.<br /><br />INFO: <span style="font-style: italic;">Ride the Cyclone</span> continues at the Belfry Theatre until July 17th. Tickets are at 250-385-6815. <span style="font-style: italic;">Virginia Woolf</span> continues at the MacPherson until the 17th as well with tickets at 250-386-6121.Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-82645749994703374812011-05-09T10:37:00.000-07:002011-05-09T16:23:16.504-07:00REVIEWS OF BROADWAY: DECADES IN REVUE AND PORNOGRAPHY - MAY 9TH, 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-_gNd2jNeSNsS5WZ6Kpk_UJiSCk54bl5SGtDYMmhQsdogKTxyH1mLrae-7RRhyphenhyphenvFsZ0GdUsGVo6CUr2iURxY_3cVjAS5ztTBmlIQJV5oX-TIWeQ1VXzQmafsU6f1t8NMHhXULJ9BJ_tC/s1600/1por.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 267px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604774745134424274" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhO-_gNd2jNeSNsS5WZ6Kpk_UJiSCk54bl5SGtDYMmhQsdogKTxyH1mLrae-7RRhyphenhyphenvFsZ0GdUsGVo6CUr2iURxY_3cVjAS5ztTBmlIQJV5oX-TIWeQ1VXzQmafsU6f1t8NMHhXULJ9BJ_tC/s400/1por.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Su_Q-IcjqhQ6XemWj3hJpfvi_PL9F-W-tq1-5OoLsQYX2XUqwnGOZyAk_UJkRokVkO0QpjkTkJQ0nox_PIB8Xh8edpbDcxLMqIVHerM4Eq-NrTI-ahVpbLN2faI36K4D8BxLgg9V6cyv/s1600/1vos.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 258px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5604774147474049874" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg3Su_Q-IcjqhQ6XemWj3hJpfvi_PL9F-W-tq1-5OoLsQYX2XUqwnGOZyAk_UJkRokVkO0QpjkTkJQ0nox_PIB8Xh8edpbDcxLMqIVHerM4Eq-NrTI-ahVpbLN2faI36K4D8BxLgg9V6cyv/s400/1vos.jpg" /></a><br />Photos, Top to Bottom: Cast of Theatre Inconnu's <em>Pornography </em>(Credit: <a href="http://www.theatreinconnu.com/">http://www.theatreinconnu.com/</a>); Jessica McCool in VOS' production <em>Broadway: Decades in Revue </em>(Credit: David Lowes).<br /><br /><br /><br /><div><br />1) I understand you saw two very contrasting shows last week...what can you tell us about them?<br /><br />The Victoria Operatic Society's spring production is a revue of well-known and a few not-so-well-known songs from Broadway musicals, mostly from the 1960s to the present day. The show features a six person onstage orchestra led by musical director Heather Burns and a cast of dozens, both adult and young people, singing and dancing their way through this two hour show. In stark contrast to this light entertainment, Theatre Inconnu new show is a tough-hitting British play called <em>Pornography</em> by Simon Stephens. This play, a collection of mostly monologues and a couple of scenes, performed by a company of eight actors, was written after the London bus and subway bombings in 2005. It is a dramatic investigation of the kinds of disconnection and alienation that can lead to the violence carried out by British citizens against their own countrymen.<br /><br />2) Let's begin with the Victoria Opera Society's <em>Broadway: Decades in Revue</em>. How does it deliver on its promise to survey Tony award nominated or winning musicals?<br /><br />This show, created and directed by Sylvia Hosie in collaboration with choreographer Tara Britt and musical director Heather Burns, offers a loosely organized grouping of songs from the 60s and 70s in Act One and from the 80s through to the present in Act Two. I can appreciate how a revue approach offers an ensemble lots of opportunities to showcase its talent, and this is in evidence here as a number of company members have a chance to shine. Hosie stages the show very effectively, making good use of the central staircase that is the one set piece of the show, and she is more than capable of dealing with the large numbers of people, who are well-choreographed by Hosie assisted by Tara Britt. This is a very enjoyable show, with some excellent musical performances. But I imagine any musical lover will note what is missing in this show; for me, that was more from Stephen Sondheim, who I consider to be the giant of American musical theatre in the past forty years. While I appreciate the popularity of such shows as Disney's <em>Lion King</em> and <em>Beauty and the Beast</em>, Andrew Lloyd Weber's shows, and <em>Mamma Mia</em>, I can't help wondering how many of these more recent Broadway hits will stand the test of time. Personally, I'd walk a mile on my knees for a Sondheim revue, or a revue of Gershwin or Porter tunes from an earlier musical era.<br /><br />3) Any standout performances to mention?<br /><br />There is good work to be seen from a number of performers in the show, although overall I felt the women slightly outdid the men. VOS regular Chelsea Tucker shines in her solo numbers, as do Francesca Bitonti, Pam Miller and Susan Wilkey. From the men I enjoyed John Pugh, Quinn Stevens and Brian Christensen. And I should make mention of excellent solos by young company members Sunny Sheffman, Elizabeth Duncan, Mariah McDonald and Hunter Watson, all of whom assure the future of the VOS is safe as they grow into leading roles. Many costume changes keep the production looking good, and it is well-lit as well. The orchestration could have been a bit tighter and brighter to my ear, but the Sunday matinee crowd I was with seemed to enjoy every minute of this upbeat show.<br /><br />4) Now onto the new show at Theatre Inconnu. It sounds like it's not a play for the fainthearted, is that right?<br /><br />Absolutely. The title alone is enough to put people off and to be sure this is mature and challenging theatre. Theatre Inconnu regular director Graham McDonald has a taste for darker fare, and this play is another selection, like Harold Pinter's <em>The Caretaker</em>, Martin McDonagh's <em>Pillowman</em> and last season's hit <em>Scorched</em> by Wajdi Mouawad, that invites theatregoers to address difficult topics onstage. Playwright Stephens has created a fairly postmodern script in that he does not indicate how the play is to be presented, or in what order, leaving it up to each company to decide how they wish to interpret these impressionistic narratives and scenes of a number of characters living through the first week of July in 2005. This week included the announcement that London was selected to host the 2012 Olympics and the Live Aid concert and culminated in the bombings on July 7th that killed 56 people including four suicide bombers. These events recur woven throughout stories that take us into the lives of a working mother who betrays her boss, a schoolboy who stalks one of his teachers, an old woman who watches pornography on her computer, and a pair of brothers who are drawn into a sexual relationship, among others. One monologue we realize with growing horror is from one of the suicide bombers who is making his way into London the morning of the bombings. He relates what he is thinking to us in a remarkably matter-of-fact way that does not include any mention of motive, only simple daily observations of the people around him and how the plan is unfolding. McDonald directs the eight person ensemble to remain onstage throughout this nearly 2 and a half hour long show, so they become an almost silent chorus that supports each person's story through movement. This is mostly successful, although I did feel that a more judicious use of the actors may have created a bit more variety in the tone and style overall. The company does excellent work with this very tough material, and not one of them backs away emotionally from the challenge. My concerns around their somewhat generic British accents nothwithstanding (and in London accents signal worlds apart, even if people are living literally side by side, so I would have preferred no accents to this choice), and that the pace could drive forward with more anger and urgency, I remained engaged with each actor and his or her storytelling that reminds us how easy it is to fall into isolation and hopelessness in our ironically evermore "networked" world.<br /><br />5) What do you recommend for a listener who wants to head out to the theatre this week?<br /><br />Well, the choices this week seem pretty clear. Musical lovers should head to the McPherson or to the Belfry for a walk on the lighter side with two solid shows on offer at both theatres. Those who prefer their theatre a bit more weighty should venture into the Little Fernwood Hall to catch the final weekend of <em>Pornography</em>.<br /><br /><br />PLUG: The Victoria Operatic Society's <em>Broadway: Decades in Revue</em> continues until May 15th at the McPherson Theatre. Tickets are available at 250-381-1021 or the McPherson Box Office at 250-386-6121. <em>Pornography</em> at Theatre Inconnu continues until May 14th with tickets at www.ticketrocket.org or 250-590-6291. </div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-21633674651641554052011-04-18T10:39:00.000-07:002011-04-18T11:01:27.673-07:002 PIANOS 4 HANDS REVIEW - APRIL 18, 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjwDV2-Zg2_qKYXyIgQ1M4kj29FuZsXyf9BJcq3qg2S0kLnw_dNxFOU5eEBE5gkhg9ksPTms53008niiL1Suf59FVTKsVZ8mrUIW3VIsCE0SoWQ_OL_osoWQ62w6iq5o83zJyo2C6-6-k/s1600/2p_cheers.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 321px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596983694687945970" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjpjwDV2-Zg2_qKYXyIgQ1M4kj29FuZsXyf9BJcq3qg2S0kLnw_dNxFOU5eEBE5gkhg9ksPTms53008niiL1Suf59FVTKsVZ8mrUIW3VIsCE0SoWQ_OL_osoWQ62w6iq5o83zJyo2C6-6-k/s400/2p_cheers.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5AULT7frb40W5j4dulc9Gt35w96kE_wSPqr6nUGhkSh2kji3hK5oJ_7qWgrE6IwmqhDFntg-tLJ0H5V1sYIBPc_3a1k5kgZ0odFRzqLc4ecYhd15drCo28NPU1-dJyd5slj0UrSSAy8Y/s1600/2pianos4hands.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 300px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 202px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596983331816465666" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiI5AULT7frb40W5j4dulc9Gt35w96kE_wSPqr6nUGhkSh2kji3hK5oJ_7qWgrE6IwmqhDFntg-tLJ0H5V1sYIBPc_3a1k5kgZ0odFRzqLc4ecYhd15drCo28NPU1-dJyd5slj0UrSSAy8Y/s400/2pianos4hands.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7ZwIItUB3sGavrgkHGFyWW6YsbImjpPN6oMewqeB7WXxfuRvR4D719Wy5TSB6U7C-HXhkMmKFbb_tH5QE33SPgHmZC2OApYUCsrg5Cf_OTrKohW97zpIzILVWp7_hswZZRS7sjsPut6s/s1600/ab.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 167px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596982569531514338" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjo7ZwIItUB3sGavrgkHGFyWW6YsbImjpPN6oMewqeB7WXxfuRvR4D719Wy5TSB6U7C-HXhkMmKFbb_tH5QE33SPgHmZC2OApYUCsrg5Cf_OTrKohW97zpIzILVWp7_hswZZRS7sjsPut6s/s400/ab.jpg" /></a> <br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhSnHQrzokbHQITSRIdJxmm0FNLqblzSwNQqKeGCO7Cj3gmVq2gCLO6r5aYYslCyUum8WXOS-hQTOyIr_ooCAVygoIKTFrnzAZ0SrQRtf6e1sTmFbXXN5BICJmh7yJBYXYVVHeDtuCtS7/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 240px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 187px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5596981827323543458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgEhSnHQrzokbHQITSRIdJxmm0FNLqblzSwNQqKeGCO7Cj3gmVq2gCLO6r5aYYslCyUum8WXOS-hQTOyIr_ooCAVygoIKTFrnzAZ0SrQRtf6e1sTmFbXXN5BICJmh7yJBYXYVVHeDtuCtS7/s400/aaa.jpg" /></a> Photos, Top to Bottom: Richard Greenblatt as Richard and Ted Dykstra as Ted; Ted Dykstra as Ted and Richard Greenblatt as Richard in the original production of <em>2P4H</em>; Patrick Burwell as Richard and Tom Frey as Ted; Tom Frey as Ted and Patrick Burwell as Richard in the Belfry Theatre production of <em>2P4H </em>(Credit: David Bukach)</div><br /><div><br /><div>1)<em> 2 Pianos 4 Hands</em> (<em>2P4H</em>) has been a smash hit for its co-writers and performers over the past fifteen years. What can you tell us about how this show came together? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Toronto actor-directors Richard Greenblatt and Ted Dykstra had very similar childhoods spent training and practicing to become classical pianists through the Royal Conservatory of Music program. Both were very talented young musicians, yet neither ended up with a career in music; rather, both ended up with very successful careers in the theatre (what this says about theatre as a second-best arts profession I’m not sure I want to get into!) Back in 1994 they got together and created a 20 minute piece for the Tarragon Theatre’s Spring Arts Fair that told the story of this shared history, using two pianos as their framing device. The show was very well-received and was developed into a full length production in 1996 which became the surprise smash of the season at the Tarragon Theatre, winning a number of awards. Mirvish Productions picked up the show which went on to play six months off-Broadway, in London and Tokyo, all to rave reviews. Greenblatt and Dykstra eventually left performing the show themselves, but have stayed connected to the many touring versions that have gone on to play at more than 150 theatres across five continents and to over 2 million people. This makes the show one of, if not <em>the</em>, most successful Canadian theatre production of all time. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2) How does the show work with actor-musicians other than Greenblatt and Dykstra in the roles? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As the play is quite autobiographical in nature, with the two characters named Richard and Ted, I wondered how it would work with others in the role. Certainly, in this production the answer is very well. Patrick Burwell as Richard and Tom Frey as Ted have been touring for some time now and the Belfry brought Richard Greenblatt in for a week of refresher rehearsal before opening night last week. These two actors, who must also necessarily be very competent classical pianists, make the roles their own. Patrick Burwell is more of the straight man here, although each actor plays multiple roles so he does get a chance to play more overtly comic roles throughout. However, I found his scene as Ted’s father, where he threatens to take away his son’s lessons and piano, was one of the best dramatic moments in this generally quite light show. Tom Frey is a gifted comic actor who inhabits all of his many roles with great physicality, and is especially good playing the younger versions of Ted, sitting in boredom and frustration over endless hours of practice, practice, practice. The show clips along at a good pace, and keeps the laughs coming, as we watch these two young pianists suffer through a sequence of eccentric piano teachers, high pressure competitions and battles with their parents. Things get a bit more serious in Act 2, when we see both of them try to get into advanced training programs, one in classical music and the other in jazz, and beginning to come to terms with the limits of their talents. As the show ends, we grasp how these two characters have moved on in their lives to accept that while they may never be the best pianists in the world, the country or the city, they can live with being the best in their neighborhood. And for audiences around the world, that seems to be good enough for us as well. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>3) What does an audience take away from this show...what is the secret of its success? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>As Richard Greenblatt writes in the Belfry program, the Law of Specificity in art dictates that artists need to be as specific as possible in order to potentially achieve universality. There is a huge power in telling our own stories as artists…autobiographical theatre has a long history, from Eugene O’Neill and Tennessee Williams to Spalding Gray’s one-man shows and Pamela Gien’s <em>Syringa Tree</em>. Intrepid Theatre’s UNO and Fringe Festivals are often dominated by these kinds of shows, for better or worse. But a real-life story must contain a way in that allows audiences to connect, to feel like there is something in this true story that they can relate to their own lives. While I am sure that <em>2P4H</em> has had many audience members who have had vivid memories of their own experiences as piano students brought back to them (as my son did watching the show with me last Thursday night), there are many other points of connection in this show. I found myself remembering, for the first time in years, competing in an elocution competition in Regina, Saskatchewan when I was in grade six and seven. I experienced the same kind of terror, pressure, pleasure in performing and winning and frustration in coming in second as Richard and Ted did in their childhood. Anyone who has ever tried to master an instrument, an art form, a sport or a discipline will find both a way to laugh at and remember fondly when seeing <em>2P4H.</em> Obviously, given the enormous success of this show, Greenblatt and Dykstra have tapped into a specific life history that has remarkable universal resonance. I’m very tempted to hop a plane to Toronto this fall to see them remount the show one last time in celebration of its fifteenth anniversary! </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>4) The Belfry has just announced its new season...what can we look forward to next year? </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>Well, first of all we can look forward to not one but two shows over the summer at the Belfry. Jacob Richmond’s hit show <em>Ride the Cyclone </em>is back in July, followed by a greatest hits version of the <em>Mom’s the Word</em> gang (another example of successful autobiographical theatre!) Then we will be seeing a new French Canadian play <em>And Slowly Beauty</em>, a co-production with the National Arts Centre, followed by a welcome remount of a Canadian classic backstage comedy <em>Jitters</em> by the sadly departed David French. These two shows are followed by a new play from Vancouver playwright Michele Riml called <em>On the Edge</em> and a production of French playwright Yasmina Reza’s comedy <em>God of Carnage</em>. It’s wonderful to see two French plays in translation and two plays by women programmed for next season, which looks like another winner for the Belfry. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2<em> Pianos 4 Hands</em> continues at the Belfry Theatre until May 15th. Tickets are available at 385-6815 or online at www.belfry.bc.ca </div></div></div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-5924314672872265882011-03-07T09:15:00.000-08:002011-03-07T09:37:43.552-08:00The Lady in the Van and Influence Reviews - March 7, 2011<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC2sUoqECYUjGiyzMvN0lqO8nC-0WdhLmHuZ_77t-3F6Yw59wLwsdgsbACin8-94GyyilRbWs0cPqIBQQK5sgm03A_EbOaPzV24gkHY02JIf0XRJnIb_wHHjpCXPy2iMXZI98ozXXsvbZ/s1600/The+Lady+in+the+Van.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 398px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgjC2sUoqECYUjGiyzMvN0lqO8nC-0WdhLmHuZ_77t-3F6Yw59wLwsdgsbACin8-94GyyilRbWs0cPqIBQQK5sgm03A_EbOaPzV24gkHY02JIf0XRJnIb_wHHjpCXPy2iMXZI98ozXXsvbZ/s400/The+Lady+in+the+Van.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581391738082168082" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduCRziAjDybhzdoTuvL3I-X9BF0vVx8wSnuuM_gvPfo61UUAYBEQeB-4h07mj8Vpf3gjvxUsnHgWGM7G_6SJsMWBDlko9WW1evJx-cjHPKx06cGcdSf4DSKc7ctjafzIHMVINoxSaOkqk/s1600/ladyinthevan.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 390px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgduCRziAjDybhzdoTuvL3I-X9BF0vVx8wSnuuM_gvPfo61UUAYBEQeB-4h07mj8Vpf3gjvxUsnHgWGM7G_6SJsMWBDlko9WW1evJx-cjHPKx06cGcdSf4DSKc7ctjafzIHMVINoxSaOkqk/s400/ladyinthevan.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581391654906271298" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMGU__LCCywA2YWZsnZI0Fb9FMAPgPSlnQv6w0x7CL0iLzjP5Cen2-iNToNEnf50VBR2mmPPgaofqRmfPQSDfHw_LV4cRdW-As-xjxVXcnbv05z_v15U1ggjx4bt2GCjg_S0evTL_pRPu/s1600/influence2.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 258px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAMGU__LCCywA2YWZsnZI0Fb9FMAPgPSlnQv6w0x7CL0iLzjP5Cen2-iNToNEnf50VBR2mmPPgaofqRmfPQSDfHw_LV4cRdW-As-xjxVXcnbv05z_v15U1ggjx4bt2GCjg_S0evTL_pRPu/s400/influence2.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581390879014138594" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fPqspflsQC2LcNlTlJ6EbuwWd5symMDxi6Xt2JNXmNEGlPWYX8BHJVYrYiB0-WM7OKpO4KJQo_0PXOJAXfuFUmFpyPnryV6_dRqbfSj_Fvk1ltkza5upj72I88SaxHIS2fEJ0707Tn3D/s1600/influence.jpg"><img style="display:block; margin:0px auto 10px; text-align:center;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 385px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-fPqspflsQC2LcNlTlJ6EbuwWd5symMDxi6Xt2JNXmNEGlPWYX8BHJVYrYiB0-WM7OKpO4KJQo_0PXOJAXfuFUmFpyPnryV6_dRqbfSj_Fvk1ltkza5upj72I88SaxHIS2fEJ0707Tn3D/s400/influence.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5581390816183376770" /></a>Photos, Top to Bottom: Alan Bennett and Maggie Smith in the BBC Radio version of The Lady in the Van; Tony Cain as Alan Bennett 2, Sylvia Rhodes as Miss Shepherd and Roger Carr as Alan Bennett 1 in the Langham Court Theatre production of <i>The Lady in the Van </i>(Credit: David Lowes, Monday Magazine); David Radford as Apollo and Karen Lee Pickett as Athena in Intrepid Theatres' <i>Influence</i>; Elliot Loran as Keats and Paul Terry as Haydon in <i>Influence </i>(Credit (both): Darren Stone, Times-Colonist).<div><br />1) The two plays you saw this past week at Langham Court Theatre and Intrepid Theatre had a few things in common…what were they?<br /><br />Both Alan Bennett’s <i>The Lady in the Van </i>and Janet Munsil’s <i>Influence</i> at Intrepid Theatre draw on real life characters in their storytelling. Bennett’s play is based on the true story of his relationship with a mentally unstable elderly woman who lived in a decrepit van on his street and he allowed to move her van into his back garden, where she remained for the last 15 years of her life. Munsil’s play is built around the Romantic poet John Keats’ first encounter with the famous Elgin marbles, taken from the Parthenon and the Temple of Athena in Greece, when they were put on display in the British Museum in 1816. What ties these plays together, in my mind, is a playwright’s passionate struggle for seeking truth and creating art out of this perceived ‘truth’. Bennett himself is in his play, twice over, once as the play’s narrator and again as the remembered Bennett who interacted with the crazy old woman he tolerated and supported, despite receiving little by way of thanks in return. And yet, this difficult and cantankerous woman obviously had a significant effect on Bennett, and perhaps even teaches him some important life lessons. Munsil’s passion is for the big questions of Art with a capital “A”: Where does inspiration or genius come from? Why is art important? How does an artist prevent art from consuming his or her life? So these are two plays that are not afraid to tackle some big questions about art and the meaning of a life.<br /><br />2) Let's focus on <i>Lady in the Van</i> first. How does this play measure up against his more well-known plays such as <i>The History Boys</i> and <i>The Madness of King George</i>?<br /><br />I would say this is a less successful play overall than Bennett’s bigger hits, but it still has a lot of merit. It was originally produced as a radio play, which explains its general lack of dramatic action, with the central role played by the great Maggie Smith and Bennett playing himself. Bennett later rewrote the piece into a stage play. The central role of Miss Shepherd is a fantastic role for a talented senior actress and longtime Langham Court actor, director and producer Sylvia Rhodes fits the bill here extremely well. Her portrayal of the religiously-deluded, filthy, incontinent and yet somehow dignified tramp Miss Shepherd is truthful, funny and ultimately quite sad. She is the main reason to see this show, which is well-supported by Roger Carr as the narrator Bennett and Tony Cain as the Bennett reliving the time spent with Miss Shepherd, and other cast members in smaller roles. Directors Keith Digby and Cynthia Pronick keep things moving along, although I did find there were some pacing issues and some clumsy exits and entrances and a few line issues that will most likely improve over the course of the run. I was somewhat disappointed with Bill Adams’ sparse set design, as his fully rendered sets at Langham are usually a treat to behold. But there is a surprise visual pay-off in store for audiences around the halfway mark, which brought a round of applause on opening night.<br /><br />3) Now let's switch gears to <i>Influence</i>? How does the production do in presenting such heady material?<br /><br />Munsil is one of my favorite contemporary playwrights, as I am always fascinated with the aesthetic and arcane topics that seem to fascinate her. She is interested in the historical workings of art and artists and does a very effective job in this new-ish play (which premiered three years ago in Vancouver) in showing us how the artist’s passion can often be his downfall as well as his glory, with liberal splashes of comedy to lighten the tone throughout. Keats’ mentor, the failed historical painter Benjamin Haydon, shows Keats the remarkable Elgin Marbles for the first time hoping they will spur his apprentice on to greater poetic heights. Elliot Loran as the young Keats and Paul Terry as the maniacally-driven Haydon create a believable relationship and play their roles with clarity and gusto, although Haydon’s endless artistic fervour is a bit wearing on both Keats and the audience alike (much as he was in real life, I am sure!). Yet, we also see the cracks of desperation and grief of an older artist in Haydon who, despite his best efforts, will be largely forgotten by history, and the spark of genius in the young poet that will burn brightly but be snuffed out by tuberculosis all too soon (Keats died at the age of 25). Off-setting this dynamic is a godly visitation by Apollo, Athena and Hephaestus from Mount Olympus. Athena is furious that relics from her temple have been stolen and is seeking revenge. Apollo has descended to protect his new ‘hero’ Keats. Hephaestus, the blacksmith god of industry, comes as Athena’s besmitten bodyguard, but also brings with him a dark foreshadowing of the Industrial Revolution that is soon to arise. Karen Lee Pickett, Ian Case and David Radford do some wonderful work in these juicy and fun roles, but I do feel an audience member who is not familiar with who these Greek gods and goddess are will lose something in trying to sort out their background and actions…perhaps a note in the program here would help, along with some biographical notes on Keats and Haydon. Munsil does reveal who everyone is over the course of her two hour play (which she also directs very well); I am a former English teacher, so I was familiar with both Keats and the Greek pantheon. But I did hear puzzled comments from other audience members during intermission and after the show who were still trying to figure out what was going on. The production is a lovely looking one, with the Metro Theatre transformed into alley style seating on both sides of the stage, so we have an intimate view of the museum gallery where we see three recreated Elgin marbles (no small feat) that form the focus of the set, designed by Munsil, which is also well lit and has an effective sound design.<br /><br />4) Which of these two shows would you recommend to a listener who can only get to one of them? Or perhaps to something else coming up in town?<div><br />Both of these plays take a comic approach to stories that have some quite touching and truthful moments about human nature, relationships and the trials of artmaking. Those who enjoy witty and well-wrought plays will enjoy either of these productions. And there are many more shows coming up this month, an exceptionally busy one in Victoria, with four shows in the Belfry’s Spark Festival premiering over the next two weeks, and the final show of the Phoenix’s season, a much-anticipated new play by Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor. So get out into the spring sunshine (whenever it manages to arrive!) and see some great theatre.</div><div><br />NOTE: <i>Influence</i> continues at the Metro Theatre until March 13th with tickets online at Intrepid Theatre or at 250-590-6291. Next Wednesday's show is Pay What You Can. <i>The Lady in the Van</i> continues at Langham Court until March 19th with tickets at 250-384-2142.<br /></div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-89198139603750954392011-02-21T14:23:00.000-08:002011-02-21T14:48:12.019-08:00Pacific Opera Victoria's La Boheme<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX7_GTf9ELehP4PqU9wJOVPKLYyC5aKUykAU98NmcdjfhEI7RfHogK8vQpFbz4bz2uYdsbtsUY0E0jI0OF_kW2h4dDz8pxyEXbhS1Xo7B5fOl01bxtRb1naHzY5nwQ1vki9qjM5UB1bmX/s1600/aa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 266px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5576274574118208658" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjcX7_GTf9ELehP4PqU9wJOVPKLYyC5aKUykAU98NmcdjfhEI7RfHogK8vQpFbz4bz2uYdsbtsUY0E0jI0OF_kW2h4dDz8pxyEXbhS1Xo7B5fOl01bxtRb1naHzY5nwQ1vki9qjM5UB1bmX/s400/aa.jpg" /></a> Photo: Left to Right; Doug MacNaughton (sitting) as landlord Benoit, Alexandre Sylvestre as Schaunard, Alexander Dobson (kneeling) as Marcello, Giles Tomkins as Colline, and Luc Robert as Rodolfo. Creit: Megan Kamocki, <em>The Martlet </em>(http://www.martlet.ca/martlet/article/opera-set-culture-victoria-through-1930s-paris/)<br /><br /><br /><div>1) Puccini's opera <em>La Bohème</em> is one of the most popular in the repertoire and is performed regularly and repeatedly around the world. What do you think is the secret of its success? </div><br /><div><br />Many listeners will know that the rock musical <em>Rent</em> was based on <em>La Bohème</em>, which testifies to its long-lasting appeal.<br />La<em> Bohème</em> premiered in 1896 and at first was considered by critics to be a less successful opera from Puccini than his first big hit <em>Manon Lescaut</em>. But it gained in popularity with audiences and has since become an all-time favorite of opera lovers. I think the secret lies in in two things: the romantic beauty of its music and the romantic tragedy of its story. Puccini's music in <em>La Bohème</em> sweeps you up into its warm embrace from the moment the doomed seamstress Mimi knocks on her equally impoverished neighbor's door to ask for a light for her candle. This love-at-first-sight encounter involves two gorgeous arias followed by a duet that would melt even the coldest of hearts. The story of this fateful young love moves along at a fast clip in this 2 hour opera, so we soon find ourselves watching this couple split apart and reconcile with yet another beautiful duet where they pledge to remain together until spring arrives. But Mimi's consumption worsens to the point that she returns to Rodolfo's apartment to die and he is left grieving over her body. The simplicity of both the storyline and the characters, two poverty-stricken young Parisian bohemians and their friends, allows an audience to quickly relate to them as they are pulled from real life rather than the more traditional operatic roles of kings and queens, gods and goddesses, or aristocrats. </div><br /><div></div><br /><div>2) This POV production features the Belfry's Artistic Director Michael Shamata directing his first opera. How did he do? </div><br /><div><br />Shamata quite wisely keeps things as simple and straightforward as possible. He and designer John Ferguson move the timeline forward from 1830s to 1930s Paris, which works well. He keeps stage movement to a minimum and gives the singers plenty of space to do what they do best...sing. The relationship between Mimi and Rodolfo, and the secondary one between Rodolfo's friend Marcello and his girlfriend Musetta, are clearly defined and believable. The only aspect that I felt got away from Shamata somewhat was the difficult cafe scene of Act 2. The chorus looked cramped on Ferguson's set and are kept clumped uncomfortably upstage of the cafe so that we didn't get the sense of the characters people-watching from the cafe windows at various passersby. The other set pieces, on a large and impressive revolve, work very well, especially in the garret room occupied by Rodolfo and Marcello, with historic photos of Paris serving as an effective backdrop. </div><br /><div><br />3) I understand that due to tenor Luc Robert falling ill, a replacement for the lead role of Rodolfo was flown in at the last moment for opening night. What was that like? </div><br /><div><br />This was one of those events that makes me realize what an extraordinary art form opera is. When a singer's voice is compromised by illness, as unfortunately happened to tenor Luc Robert, a call is made to locate someone who can immediately step into the role. Luckily, American tenor Gerard Powers was available and flown in from New York to play Rodolfo on opening night. He has played this role a number of times before and amazed the audience with his confidence and wonderful singing, richly deserving the standing ovation he received. When you witness an opera singer achieving this seemingly impossible task with such flare, it is a rare and wonderful experience. </div><br /><div><br />4) What were your impressions of the other performances? </div><br /><div><br />Sopranos Rhoslyn Jones as Mimi and Marianne Fiset as Musetta both gave strong performances in their respective roles. While it may be hard for us to suspend our disbelief that the clearly healthy Ms. Jones is suffering from consumption, she made up for it in filling the Royal Theatre with her powerfully resonant voice. And Ms. Fiset reveled in the feistiness of the mercurial Musetta, working very well with her romantic counterpart baritone Alexander Dobson as Marcello. The small cast is rounded out well with accomplished work from Alexandre Sylvestre as Schaunard, Giles Tomkins as Colline and Doug MacNaughton in two roles as landlord Benoit and Musetta's elderly admirer Alcindoro. The members of the Victoria Symphony sounded fine as always under conductor Timothy Vernon's baton. All in all, a simple but effective rendering of one of the great romantic Italian operas, not to be missed.<br /><br /></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-13702533835998673432011-01-18T12:45:00.000-08:002011-01-18T13:02:01.554-08:00REVIEW OF THE LARAMIE PROJECT - January 17, 2011<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9QaDpWwmbb5zBO591apJeUIuMZP1QK_nlZg7PwOd_9BUrM44FlrXXuatTfcEBuRSJLNKqJldL3rCVX-0kroCfeEx50ESUa6ePtzIEVJgy6ImUfpU8Dt4hQQXB-zLU1UzpKZyS-ei7Sah/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 297px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 373px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563633034834028818" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjn9QaDpWwmbb5zBO591apJeUIuMZP1QK_nlZg7PwOd_9BUrM44FlrXXuatTfcEBuRSJLNKqJldL3rCVX-0kroCfeEx50ESUa6ePtzIEVJgy6ImUfpU8Dt4hQQXB-zLU1UzpKZyS-ei7Sah/s400/aaa.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzPBKxy_8AQNfQfTFCWrizEVIHRe_0ZZkdRDVeCWCzUL7De2bOeDvPaapoMOPPKq-NfIepw_cSlQqRq-7JOwFUdcZsDBLH4gDWBn5QdR-HYLN5mnKugYNMMYYLN-Tmit_42if9CP7SssY/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 286px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5563632076051457314" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhzzPBKxy_8AQNfQfTFCWrizEVIHRe_0ZZkdRDVeCWCzUL7De2bOeDvPaapoMOPPKq-NfIepw_cSlQqRq-7JOwFUdcZsDBLH4gDWBn5QdR-HYLN5mnKugYNMMYYLN-Tmit_42if9CP7SssY/s400/aaa.jpg" /></a> Images, Top to Bottom: Cover of script version of <em>The Laramie Project</em>; cast of the Langham Court Theatre production (from Times Colonist website)<br /><br /><div>1. <em>The Laramie Project</em> is a documentary theatre piece...can you explain briefly what exactly that kind of theatre is?<br /><br />Documentary theatre is a theatre piece, often created collectively by a company of actors, as in this play, and based on documented materials of some kind…interviews are the key material used in this play, but also makes use of news broadcasts, trial transcripts and journal entries written by the members of New York’s Tectonic Theatre Project who traveled to Laramie, Wyoming after the beating death of gay University of Wyoming student Matthew Shepard in 1998. Documentary theatre is really nonfiction theatre in which we are aware of the truth of what we are seeing, that it is put together and presented in creative and theatrical ways, but that the story being told is factual.<br /><br />2. This play premiered in 2000...does it hold up after over a decade in time from the murder of Matthew Shepard?<br /><br />I am sure that director Moises Kaufman and his company could never have imagined how <em>The Laramie Project</em> would take on a long life after their original performances in Denver, Laramie and New York. Since then the play has been performed in dozens of high schools and colleges across North America and around the world. It has become one of the best known plays to tackle the sadly ever-present problem of homophobia and violence against gay people, especially in performances by and for young people, who are in many ways the ideal audience for this story. I saw a production by drama teacher and local actor Alan Penty at Vic High a few years back and found it packed quite an emotional punch when done by teenagers for their own peers. While the timeliness of the events of the play may have faded since 1998, the problem is still with us, and in recent days the bigger problem of violence in America, with the shootings in Tucson, made me see the play through those lenses as well. So I think that there will always be an audience for a play dealing with these real-life issues…particularly, as I said, an audience of young people who can create very intolerant homophobic environments in some schools.<br /><br />3. How did the Langham Court production do with this challenging topic?<br /><br />Director Roger Carr is a retired drama educator and directed the play in his former high school in 2005. I admire him for taking on the challenge of programming <em>Laramie Project</em> into the Langham Court season as it is definitely not the typical play seen there. Carr has chosen to populate the play with a very large cast of 33 actors in total, some of whom double-up on roles to present the over 60 interviews and excerpts from other documents included in this nearly 3 hour production. The show is presented on a bare ramped stage, designed by Julius Maslovat, with multiple side entrances that facilitate getting cast members on and off efficiently. And the upstage end of the ramp features the barb-wire fence that Shepard was bound to in his attack by two young men who were angered by his overt homosexuality. There is judicious use of lighting by Karrie Wolfe, and slides and video designed by Nancy Roach, on the scrim at the back of the stage, which mostly work well. </div><br /><br /><div>While I felt the production was quite strong overall, with some very good work from a number of company members, my main quibble with the production was the choice to expand the cast number from the original 8 to the 33 we see at Langham. Why is this a problem? For me, the theatricality of watching a small company of actors morph themselves into so many different characters is what keeps the play from being basically a staged version of dozens of talking head style interviews. While Carr has staged the show with his usual high level of capability, there is a sameness to the way the four or five Tectonic Theatre actors introduce someone they interviewed and then stand there with a microphone or pen and notebook while another actor comes out to give that interview. This becomes a bit wearing in such a long show, even though I did find myself moved to tears at times simply due to the empathy almost anyone would feel when hearing the details of this murder.<br /><br />4. Were there any standout performances in such a large cast?<br /><br />I was impressed with the work of a number of younger actors in this show, although it also features solid work from more seasoned Langham Court regulars, such as Kevin Stinson, Penelope Harwood, and Eric Holmgren. I really enjoyed seeing all the new faces and work from Sean Baker, Giordana Venturi, Melissa Taylor, Jared Gowan, Joanne James, Gary Garneau and James McDougall. Henry Skey does very well in his role as the bartender who served Matthew Shepard the night of his attack, and Nicole Evans and Gloria Snider do well in one of the very few actual scenes in the play, between the female police officer who was first on the scene when Shepard was found tied to a barb-wired fence outside of Laramie (over 18 tortured hours after being beaten) and the officer’s mother. The whole company is to be commended for the depth of commitment they bring to the play, which is clear and consistent throughout its long running time.<br /><br />5. Any final thoughts on the play or production? </div><div><br /><em>The Laramie Project</em> offers a serious theatregoer much food for thought. My concern is, quite frankly, that Langham Court regulars will stay away because it is such a challenging play, which would be a shame. If the show had been judiciously trimmed down to a shorter running time that might have helped quite a bit, as the first act is 90 minutes right now. And I also hope that this production attracts an audience who needs to hear this story, to have their own values questioned and shaken, rather than the kind of liberal and progressive crowd who will come only to have their values affirmed. </div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-22891457715754001312010-11-29T13:19:00.000-08:002010-11-29T13:40:46.286-08:00REVIEW OF THE LIFE INSIDE – NOVEMBER 29, 2010<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaXeeRDEDr4F3Qi0LJAcvISdnT8bVQZ2MoLqYumSPFUeI0hSSk9WGPBuHXbws0sx7-QS275j9h9ugi9exv5X8EL5_stzVaE8LwMNcBQ_GdbG4O60EB9MYiLSrJGI6uyYFgE8rpuS-rKaB/s1600/jan+wood"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 157px; height: 199px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTaXeeRDEDr4F3Qi0LJAcvISdnT8bVQZ2MoLqYumSPFUeI0hSSk9WGPBuHXbws0sx7-QS275j9h9ugi9exv5X8EL5_stzVaE8LwMNcBQ_GdbG4O60EB9MYiLSrJGI6uyYFgE8rpuS-rKaB/s400/jan+wood" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545086280003778002" border="0" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8htprEWjTHxtZo0wAXj9WZ6jdU8hyphenhyphenKMDH7HUHW-X_zZwqGriYT93aMMAA9Z3kRMVMXhcHyLel3rgW-U_f4oEv9tF9iNkeOnZ7lNaMS6JC8CDkeKtZgxHhcywrgQ-dvl4aVki2vnqJH00i/s1600/girls"><img style="display: block; margin: 0px auto 10px; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 240px; height: 173px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8htprEWjTHxtZo0wAXj9WZ6jdU8hyphenhyphenKMDH7HUHW-X_zZwqGriYT93aMMAA9Z3kRMVMXhcHyLel3rgW-U_f4oEv9tF9iNkeOnZ7lNaMS6JC8CDkeKtZgxHhcywrgQ-dvl4aVki2vnqJH00i/s400/girls" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5545086137553321010" border="0" /></a><br />Photos, Top to Bottom: Jan Wood as The Mother in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside; </span>Elizabeth Duncan as The Eldest Sister, Similkameen O'Rourke as The Youngest Sister and Michaela Holmes as The Middle Sister in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside </span>(Photos by David Cooper)<br /><br />1. <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside</span> is one of the biggest shows in the Belfry's history, with a cast of 19, and has taken over three years in its creation. How does the production live up to this kind of anticipation?<br /><br />I felt very mixed in my response to this show. On the one hand, I admired the quality of the production, the terrific company of actors, featuring a number of local Victoria actors, the musical aspects of the show which were woven into the piece quite seamlessly and supported the storytelling throughout, and the design elements with a lovely painted set and almost note-perfect late 19th century costuming. But, on the other hand, I did feel like there was an awful lot going on up on the small stage of the Belfry and a lot of bodies…perhaps more than might reasonably have been needed in order to tell what is in essence a very small story. So I left the theatre after this quite short 75 minute show with a sense of frustration that a number of actors whose work I admire were constrained in their artistry by the relatively minor roles relegated to them, although I could clearly see a fine ensemble working to the utmost of their professional abilities to tell this sad little story.<br /><br />2. Director James Fagan Tait has made a name for himself in Vancouver for other literary adaptations, in collaboration with musician Joelsya Pankanea, such as <span style="font-style: italic;">Crime and Punishment</span> and <span style="font-style: italic;">Old Goriot</span>. This time he tackles a short play by Maurice Maeterlinck. Adaptations are only as good as their sources...what do you think of this one?<br /><br />It is this source material that for me leads to most of the problems I felt with <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside</span>, adapted from Belgian writer (and winner of the 1911 Nobel prize for literature) Maurice Maeterlinck’s short play, most likely intended to be a puppet play, called <span style="font-style: italic;">Interior</span>. Maeterlinck was a somber fellow who took his art very seriously and he was not very interested in many of the elements of theatre that we take for granted. His desire was for theatre to address the existential question, to portray a solitary human struggling for meaning in his life against all the forces of fate. So in <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside</span> we see two men standing outside the window of a village home at twilight, watching the family inside sitting beside the fire, while they delay the inevitable job they are there to carry out; to deliver the terrible news that one of the family’s children has died that day. And that alone comprises almost all of the action in this play, with the exception of a few flashbacks, all of which is told in dramatic dialogue (mostly between the Old Man and the Young Stranger who has found the body of the child), mime, a bit of puppetry and a talking/singing chorus. Now, just take a moment to compare the amount of dramatic potential in this story, which consists of an hour and ten minutes of waiting for the Old Man to knock on the front door and deliver his news, with the dramatic arc of Dostoyevsky’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Crime and Punishment</span> or Balzac’s <span style="font-style: italic;">Old Goriot</span>. The pace of the show is intentionally very, very measured and controlled, with use of slow motion and repetition to reinforce the sense that we are swirling around and around a small moment in time. To misquote an author even superior to those just mentioned, I am left feeling that <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside</span> has a lot of sound and not much fury signifying…not that much.<br /><br />3. We know about the 'slow food' movement...could this be the beginning of a 'slow theatre' movement, that we should adjust our expectations for fast and slick entertainment and give over to experiences that are more meditative?<br /><br />I’m sure there will be some who consider <span style="font-style: italic;">The Life Inside </span>to be totally their cup of tea. I can see that if you are of a certain temperament and really give yourself over to this slow and measured production by surrendering to its rhythm, you might find it to be quite beautiful, even (at moments) profound. But for those who expect the theatre to do more than take 75 minutes and nearly 20 actor-musicians to explore a moment-before-something-actually-happens, those of us who happen to like drama that is not static in nature (which Maeterlinck felt was needed in theatre) or that reduces excellent actors to little more than puppets (another Maeterlinck-ian desire) are well-advised to know what to expect here. I happen to like theatre that gives actors something to do and I couldn’t help feeling annoyed that there were enough people onstage to give a rousing production of a Shakespeare, or a Greek tragedy, rather than the minimalist story told here. I began to wonder what it would look like as a puppet play, in fact, and also how it would work with a much smaller cast of actors, musicians and puppeteers. The family we peer at through their living room window for much of the show are silent, their actions remarked on for their quotidian quality that we know will be shattered into pieces when they hear the bad news. Why not make them puppets, thus heightening the sense of alienated voyeurism as we watch them, as if they are in another world and we hold their fate in our hands...literally? If Tait had lifted the show to a higher level of theatricality, if he had experimented more adventurously with multiple ways to tell this story, such as more use of puppetry, symbolic movement and meta-theatricality, this might have been a show that succeeded more than the less than successful effort I saw.<br /><br />4. Were there any standout performances for you in this very large cast?<br /><br />The largest role in the show is Richard Newman’s The Old Man and he does a lovely job portraying what little dramatic tension the play holds. His naturally deep voice lends gravitas to the proceedings. I admired UVic’s Jan Wood’s and Theatre Inconnu’s Clayton Jevne’s work as the silent parents for their commitment and deep focus. Rebecca Haas has a beautiful voice which we didn’t hear enough of, as do many others in the ensemble. Elizabeth Duncan plays the drowned child with great sensitivity in her movement and shows a remarkable level of control for one so young. There is lots to admire in this show in terms of its polish, what’s missing for me is the dramatic engine that should move this pretty picture, with its large population, into new territory rather than sit and spin prettily, and a tad preciously, in one place.Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-15932087931148111972010-11-22T18:16:00.000-08:002010-11-22T19:45:28.154-08:00MEMORY OF WATER AND WIZARD OF OZ REVIEWS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl1LBlEmTY0kwJYunonlApxzstALTN7o8QjWXiPmCyPfQLjRJqoHZcim89IKZwSshRoV7pj-erI0Cw8N6EH4Y-kir9pZc1FBZNzsoFhC4J-VM_VcSMY-kzpiopG8sUTxXE-ADeitr56vS/s1600/aa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 107px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 227px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542567933141641922" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjQl1LBlEmTY0kwJYunonlApxzstALTN7o8QjWXiPmCyPfQLjRJqoHZcim89IKZwSshRoV7pj-erI0Cw8N6EH4Y-kir9pZc1FBZNzsoFhC4J-VM_VcSMY-kzpiopG8sUTxXE-ADeitr56vS/s400/aa.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSumhvrhpT60AEH2pGBW2ICGWUR_xjRdU_eg5sfXoKLO6bjr5jSr24UK_XpK1aU4stFssnCZ5fW1lhIvnOTMcmXNmHgxbSf11kfn2pD9-rsN92Pok4mSOwPRyeHKs-ZjMA7PldZd7SuKK/s1600/aa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542567105519315426" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKSumhvrhpT60AEH2pGBW2ICGWUR_xjRdU_eg5sfXoKLO6bjr5jSr24UK_XpK1aU4stFssnCZ5fW1lhIvnOTMcmXNmHgxbSf11kfn2pD9-rsN92Pok4mSOwPRyeHKs-ZjMA7PldZd7SuKK/s400/aa.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgmULr80BAx00mF0sq3NsVAwNlOHryK_rXQ1RoAFzpc4_pX31Iuk-ne1hvYEMyJDQYxXN2JURsX7qNczPUNHaF_yLDlOlk0Ln-R0YqNN0IJDWmihnwQE-deRqdmqz5WGl-OmRePao5zZf/s1600/a.bmp"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 180px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5542565854057090322" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjkgmULr80BAx00mF0sq3NsVAwNlOHryK_rXQ1RoAFzpc4_pX31Iuk-ne1hvYEMyJDQYxXN2JURsX7qNczPUNHaF_yLDlOlk0Ln-R0YqNN0IJDWmihnwQE-deRqdmqz5WGl-OmRePao5zZf/s400/a.bmp" /></a> Images, Top to Bottom: Langham Court Theatre's poster for <em>Memory of Water</em>; movie poster for <em>Wizard of Oz</em>; VOS poster for <em>Wizard of Oz<br /></em><br /><br /><div><em>The Memory of Water</em> continues until December 4th with tickets at 384-2142. <em>Wizard of Oz</em> continues until November 28th at the McPherson Playhouse with tickets at 386-6121.<br /><br />1) This week's theatre-going was a bit lighter for you than last week's, I understand...how so?<br /><br />A lot lighter, yes, after the trials of Rodelinda and Yerma last week it was great to get out to a fairly light comedy at Langham Court and the family favorite musical <em>Wizard of Oz</em> at the Victoria Operatic Society. Shelagh Stephenson’s <em>The Memory of Water</em> deals with a heavy topic, the loss of a parent, in an accessible way by focusing on how grief pushes people into behaviour they would never engage in otherwise. The endless bickering and chips-on-their-shoulders between three sisters who have just lost their mother is the plotline of this bedroom comedy. We watch these three fall apart in various ways as they prepare for their mother’s funeral. <em>The Wizard of Oz</em> requires no synopsis, of course, but the challenge to be faced here is how a staged version of the film can work when almost every audience member knows the 1939 original film and its iconic performances so well.<br /><br />2) Let's begin with Langham Court's production of <em>The Memory of Water</em>. This play won the Olivier Award for Best Comedy in 1997. Did you feel it lived up to this as a successful comedy?<br /><br />This is not a great play, but it is a good play, and played well it crackles right along. I would call the play more of a dramedy, a horrible word but accurate here. There are a number of pretty serious revelations that occur as the three sisters try to pull themselves together long enough to get through their mother’s funeral. One major problem sister Mary has to face is that her mother Vi keeps turning up in ghost form, which is unsettling to say the least. But it does allow them eventually to put a couple of their own ghosts to bed, particularly in regard to a teen pregnancy that was hidden and kept secret for many long years. Although the play has some heavier dramatic elements it does keep the laughs coming. I think an audience can laugh at the recognition that we all tend to lose a grip on ourselves when placed in high stress situations like a death in the family. Drinking excessively may seem like a good idea at those times, but can also lead to amusing loss of repression and some vicious truth-telling between these three sisters, all of whom have their various axes to grind.<br /><br />3) Any outstanding performances to watch out for?<br /><br />The play features strong performances from the three sisters, particularly from Melissa Blank as Teresa, the most repressed of the three…her second act drunken breakdown is worth the price of admission as Blank is a gifted young actor who works very well both emotionally and physically in her role. Lorene Camiade as the successful doctor Mary and Odile Nelson as the flighty Catherine do some good work in their roles as the other two sisters, as does Rob Cruse as Teresa’s henpecked husband Frank. Less successful on opening night were the supporting roles of Mur Meadows as Mary’s married lover Mike and Elizabeth Brimacombe as ghost-mother Vi, both of whom look right in their roles but who would benefit from going more deeply into the emotions they are challenged to portray. Director Angela Henry keeps things moving along quite well but I could do with less of actors facing the audience straight on when making or dealing with some revelation or other, something people don’t tend to do in real life. Theatre for me is about the essential human struggle to communicate, and I like to see actors consistently engaged with each other in that attempt, rather than make it less believable by turning it into a ‘moment’ on stage.<br /><br />4) Now turning to the latest musical offering from the Victoria Operatic Society...<em>Wizard of Oz</em>. How does a staged version work compared to the movie we all know so well?<br /><br />I would have thought it somewhat a fool’s errand to tackle a stage version of this universal favorite, but this VOS show does an outstanding job translating the movie onto the McPherson Theatre stage. The professional experience of director Matthew Howe really shows well here as he has created a show that works on almost every level. He has cast talented and appealing young actors to play Dorothy (Chelsea Tucker) and her three friends the Scarecrow (Sean Baker), the Tin-Man (Chris Newstead) and the Cowardly Lion (Jeffrey Stephen). All four of these lead roles find close to the right balance between staying within the familiar parameters of the film and making the roles their own, as does the remainder of the cast. I did find the younger performers fared slightly better overall than their more senior counterparts, but all of them look quite right in their roles and were more than satisfactory actors, singers and dancers. A large chorus has terrific ensemble numbers as Munchkins, Emerald City citizens and the Wicked Witch’s flying monkeys and henchmen. Musically and visually the show works as well, with effective sets by Guy Chester, colorful costumes by David Hardwick and solid musical direction by Heather Burns. A great show for the whole family. </div></div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-68726573015614932982010-11-15T18:41:00.000-08:002010-11-15T18:56:23.679-08:00RODELINDA and YERMA REVIEWS - NOVEMBER 15, 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBaWv52fHu4Yn4mLkQwBHDoBGhfN3nPfxw5F9i9gPwr8JS8mzaqJZt-V3_m5fxJGfKz5xXmgoj_AzDJCBuShM7k78lZku61vF09yhzLEokuEIwM9bwOKlTtDMdyw4NJjIAbGI6JuGcbMM/s1600/aa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 280px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 180px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539974924478921458" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRBaWv52fHu4Yn4mLkQwBHDoBGhfN3nPfxw5F9i9gPwr8JS8mzaqJZt-V3_m5fxJGfKz5xXmgoj_AzDJCBuShM7k78lZku61vF09yhzLEokuEIwM9bwOKlTtDMdyw4NJjIAbGI6JuGcbMM/s400/aa.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnmckDH8kJiaPRZ5eAlBSVFyxoyP0uZM3dsK8pyTyKm-DZtNLTGGmMZH-5V3t1MM6LI7Q6LBPdIYjIR9YdAE-4PbkosBusGNhFgOi2MUTcXAFlMHAySh6y7RMwNfQ0TmyN0xNU9EoSFne/s1600/a.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 264px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 191px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539974841084513442" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKnmckDH8kJiaPRZ5eAlBSVFyxoyP0uZM3dsK8pyTyKm-DZtNLTGGmMZH-5V3t1MM6LI7Q6LBPdIYjIR9YdAE-4PbkosBusGNhFgOi2MUTcXAFlMHAySh6y7RMwNfQ0TmyN0xNU9EoSFne/s400/a.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx_MasaYSi3YGP15saML6fVYBvd3Gx7M_u8dR5kBeOxs2wuqpMX7o6JequmFa99X-HJ_Wd51Gk-2q13oIzIEfvLbOhfYDkjOXmGrGwW18WTtVhZZvsYJtNshniacuEKRPWfUdGlIWYUxJ/s1600/aa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 186px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539974437938958946" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgxx_MasaYSi3YGP15saML6fVYBvd3Gx7M_u8dR5kBeOxs2wuqpMX7o6JequmFa99X-HJ_Wd51Gk-2q13oIzIEfvLbOhfYDkjOXmGrGwW18WTtVhZZvsYJtNshniacuEKRPWfUdGlIWYUxJ/s400/aa.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd7Z8bhIDnwxFflEQ2dJ8swKIOK__j3RNy7308GoOQpXaLBxtf1UIXJ0bzKtw2DZ2zuHLeBznDUQ6PXj3En8J0_zgpoul-ErnX7yNEsgMnyhyNcqjgzS81rODrX2QDcxLpBaJXzjMrLZY/s1600/a.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 250px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 348px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5539974245928387730" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNd7Z8bhIDnwxFflEQ2dJ8swKIOK__j3RNy7308GoOQpXaLBxtf1UIXJ0bzKtw2DZ2zuHLeBznDUQ6PXj3En8J0_zgpoul-ErnX7yNEsgMnyhyNcqjgzS81rODrX2QDcxLpBaJXzjMrLZY/s400/a.jpg" /></a><br /><br />Photos (Top to Bottom): Nathalie Paulin as Rodelinda and Benjamin Butterfield as Grimoaldo in <em>Rodelinda </em>(photos credit: Darren Stone, Times Colonist); Two soldiers with Nathalie Paulin as Rodelinda; A scene from <em>Yerma</em>; Kesinee Haney as Yerma (credit: David Lowe, Phoenix Theatres)<br /><br /><div><em>Rodelinda </em>continues this week at the Royal Theatre with tickets at 385-0222. <em>Yerma</em> runs until November 27th with tickets at 721-8000.<br /><br />1. Two new shows opened in town last Thursday night and our theatre reviewer Monica Prendergast got to both of them. Both Rodelinda at Pacific Opera Victoria and Yerma at UVic's Phoenix Theatre feature female leading roles...anything else these two productions have in common?<br /><br />The two women who have the title roles in Handel’s 1725 opera and Garcia Lorca’s 1935 play both live in pre-feminist times, of course, both are married and both are striving to free themselves from a situation over which they have little or no control. Rodelinda is a queen and loyal wife who has lost her crown and believes she has also lost her husband through the victory of her husband’s brother in a civil war. Her grief is fully explored throughout the opera and she is considered to be the quintessential portrait of a loving and faithful wife. Yerma is also a loving wife when the play begins, albeit in very different circumstances. She is a simple Spanish peasant woman married to a shepherd and her grief is that they cannot conceive a child. This grief swallows her up so much that by the play’s end she commits a desperate act that makes her almost the polar opposite of the ‘perfect’ wife we see in Rodelinda. But both women are products of their historical times.<br /><br />2. <em>Rodelinda</em> by George Frederic Handel premiered in 1725 but in fact the story in it takes place a long time before then. What can you tell us about that?<br /><br />The story Handel draws loosely upon is of the 7th century Germanic tribe called the Lombards (Longbeards) who fought endlessly amongst themselves for control of Northern Italy. Handel’s opera is quite small in scale, featuring only six singing roles and no chorus, but the emotional canvas he paints on is typically operatically large. Each of the six characters is fully developed, even the servant character of Unulfo, and we hear in detail how each of them responds to the demands made to Rodelinda to accept her husband’s death and marry her brother-in-law. What we see is a society that is tipping toward chaos and anarchy at any moment, and the decisions made by these leaders will affect which way things go. Rodelinda’s decision to accept her captor’s proposal under one terrible condition is a high point of the opera, as is her joyful reconciliation with her husband Bertarido who has been in hiding. What makes the opera most interesting, at least for me, is that Handel has two of the male roles sung by countertenors, a male voice in opera that is close to a female mezzosoprano…in other words, quite high pitched to our 21st century ears. Once I became accustomed to these voices, however, I was quite enthralled with them and both Bertarido and his loyal servant Unulfo have some of the most beautiful arias in the opera.<br /><br />3. And how did the POV's production live up to the challenges of a Handel opera?<br /><br />Director Oriel Tomas and designer Nancy Bryant create a strong sense of a world controlled by barely contained savagery, as seen in the monumental, yet off-kilter, stone castle of a set and the heavy furs, leather and brocade fabrics worn by the characters. Characters are often being spied upon throughout the opera and are constantly maneuvering to get what they want. The cast of this production all do very well in their roles, in both acting and singing. I enjoyed seeing Victoria’s Benjamin Butterfield clearly relishing his portrayal of the usurping brother Grimoaldo and found his conversion late in the opera to be quite moving and convincing. The countertenors Gerald Thompson as Bertarido and Matthew White as Unulfo are both excellent in their roles, and Thompson’s final aria was a showstopper. Bruce Kelly as the villainous manipulator Garibaldo and Megan Latham as Rodelinda’s sister-in-law Eduige both do well with the vocal and emotional challenges of their respective roles. And Nathalie Paulin, a POV favorite, does lovely and affecting work as Rodelinda, especially in the scenes at Bertarido’s grave and when she makes her brother-in-law an offer with conditions she is betting, with very high stakes, that he cannot possibly accept. Timothy Vernon leads the orchestra with his usual flair and the Baroque music sounds as glorious as it should. All in all, another most successful production for the POV, their third Handel opera, and a strong sign that the company is becoming recognized for their commitment to this great composer’s operatic works.<br /><br />4. Now turning to the UVic theatre department's production of <em>Yerma</em> by Frederico Garcia Lorca. I understand Lorca's poetic language can be challenging for anyone to perform, nevermind theatre students...how do they fare in this show?<br /><br />This is tough material indeed, as with Lorca’s other plays <em>Blood Wedding</em> and <em>The House of Bernarda Alba</em> and a few more. Lorca was a young radical artist who paid the ultimate price for his socialist politics by being executed in 1936 during the Spanish Civil War. His tragic death cut off the possibility of more great poems and plays from this passionate man who died at the age of only 38. Lorca’s plays are very poetic in form and take on a nearly mythic or ritualistic quality that often reminds me of Greek tragedy, but that also makes them pretty tough going for undergraduate theatre students. Luckily, theatre department Chair Warwick Dobson has given us a very clear-headed production of this challenging material that makes effective use of music, song, chorus and movement to help a contemporary audience make sense of a play with which many might find it quite difficult to relate. Seeing the character of Yerma as a metaphor for Spain at that point in history—struggling to bring new life (a new republic) into being but thwarted by fate (in reality the military dictatorship of General Franco)—helps us to place the story into the proper context. The production is aided by a simple yet strong set design by theatre professor Allan Stichbury and costumes (that include references to another great Spanish artist, Pablo Picasso) by the always creative design professor Mary Kerr and student Patricia Reilly. I love the use of live music in the show, the flamenco guitar played by Gareth Owen, as it helps to drive the story forward and to give the play the necessary Spanish flavour it needs. The large cast does well overall, with Kesinee Haney as Yerma reaching the necessary emotional peaks and valleys of the role very well, supported by Graham Nathan as husband Juan, Alex Plouffe as a potential rival Victor, Sarah Koury as neighbour Maria, and Hayley Feigs in the demanding role of the Pagan Woman. It may be difficult for us in 2010 to relate to the agonies of a young wife, loved by her husband, but who ends up turning on him simply because he cannot give her a child. For me, understanding what the fearless Lorca was trying to do with his art, to create serious Spanish theatre that took direct aim at the sexual and religious hypocrisy and oppression of his times, helped me to appreciate the deep power, even the profundity, at work in <em>Yerma.<br /></em></div></div></div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-22614717980577101572010-10-05T11:31:00.000-07:002010-10-05T11:50:33.041-07:00Cinderella and Odd Couple Reviews - October 5, 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuPfEIXi0ocOox1Ypw2wy0dMQwPemphb9bcpL2knkvzvzgu9cm-OSP-lWS1Jigbis8mta2ABIFj7XXdN7T2VfN0WMrUX6rCVfsqGDIh-F3emt83zjAKKRoYmQNQ-QO4v-YXvjIQT7c9m0/s1600/aaaaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 220px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 389px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524634339593343810" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgvuPfEIXi0ocOox1Ypw2wy0dMQwPemphb9bcpL2knkvzvzgu9cm-OSP-lWS1Jigbis8mta2ABIFj7XXdN7T2VfN0WMrUX6rCVfsqGDIh-F3emt83zjAKKRoYmQNQ-QO4v-YXvjIQT7c9m0/s400/aaaaa.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxkoh5sQmXFGWh81f7pI8pm22bzofusi9l5emCjwvytjMqOk1xYvY_uwL5Fcq_jUUbhEh2cz45Jg-03JsanrqkOMWXy0aMedClkaOJEswW2YPmQuLbyH0x_1bC8fvEMZuOGrIQunpLVge/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 309px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524633911170258530" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjKxkoh5sQmXFGWh81f7pI8pm22bzofusi9l5emCjwvytjMqOk1xYvY_uwL5Fcq_jUUbhEh2cz45Jg-03JsanrqkOMWXy0aMedClkaOJEswW2YPmQuLbyH0x_1bC8fvEMZuOGrIQunpLVge/s400/aaa.jpg" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisM5l4lYhTYtq-Hri3Mv-iWNXVwcAAAQT5NYVuiUn02KeJf_HlP9k2z2DQIxrMTw2VH_86bunqdoPizInbV_reqKx4mS8QBPe0pEw7J-vRIhv7_Vk-46Og_LqzTfdnHCGDCVogAQI1X-Fk/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 265px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5524633026700838610" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEisM5l4lYhTYtq-Hri3Mv-iWNXVwcAAAQT5NYVuiUn02KeJf_HlP9k2z2DQIxrMTw2VH_86bunqdoPizInbV_reqKx4mS8QBPe0pEw7J-vRIhv7_Vk-46Og_LqzTfdnHCGDCVogAQI1X-Fk/s400/aaa.jpg" /></a> Images, Top to Bottom: Cinderella's ball gown and model of the Magnifico's house, both designed by Judith Bowden (<a href="http://www.pov.bc.ca/">http://www.pov.bc.ca/</a>); Poster design for Langham Court Theatre's production of <em>The Odd Couple: Female Version</em><br /><br /><br /><div>1. We've been hearing quite a lot about the Pacific Opera Victoria's opening show of this season, Rossini's <em>Cinderella</em>. How does the production live up to its advance publicity?<br /><br />When I began reviewing for CBC Victoria's On the Island I agreed to cover the POV’s season even though my area is theatre and not opera. Over the past four years I have come to learn more about opera and to appreciate it much more than before. I have enjoyed a great number of POV’s past productions, but I don’t think I’ve ever had such a good time than at the opening night of <em>Cinderella</em> last Thursday night. The reasons for this lie first in the universal familiarity we all have with the fairy tale <em>Cinderella</em> and second in the comic approach that composer Giachino Rossini and librettist Jacopo Ferretti took in creating this 1817 opera. All the elements of the story are here: the poor abused but lovely and innocent stepdaughter Cinderella (here called Angelina) who loves to read romantic stories in the cinders; her vain and selfish stepsisters and greedy and ambitious stepfather; a noble prince who in this version disguises himself as a servant in his search for his one true love; and a fairy godfather in this variation is a philosopher who calls on higher spiritual powers to help Cinderella triumph over adversity. Regular POV director Tom Diamond draws on elements of traditional British pantomime—including a number of exits and entrances through the audience and characters acknowledging both the audience and the fact that they are ‘performing’ this story with a nod and a wink. This works extremely well from the opening scene, where fairy godfather Alidoro opens a huge picture-book onstage and we see each main character walk straight out of its pages, right through to the final fairytale wedding’s happy ending. This playfulness continues throughout the show and gives the production a suitably light-heartedness without sacrificing any of the musical quality, with Victoria Symphony members sounding wonderful as always under the direction of conductor Guiseppe Pietraroia. The set and costume designs by Judith Bowden in her POV debut were outstanding …inventive and surprising and lovely to look at…I hope the POV will bring her back many times again.<br /><br />2. What were some other highlights of the show for you?<br /><br />Opera singers these days are trained much more as actors and this leads to strong acting as well as singing performances from all the leads in this show, which features a number of POV debuts. Newcomers Brian Stucki as the Prince, Tyler Duncan as his valet Dandini (who has the time of his life pretending to be the prince for a day!), and Marianne Lambert and Marion Newman as the wicked stepsisters were all most effective in both their singing and interpretation of their roles. POV regulars Terry Hodges as the Stepfather Don Magnifico and Chad Louwerse as the fairy godfather Alidoro both played their respective roles with relish and in great voice. But the showstopping performance of this production is seen in the title role of Angelina by Julie Boulianne. What a debut performance this was! Boulianne is heading to the Met next year as well as the Opera Comique in Paris and we in Victoria are lucky enough to be seeing a star on the rise in this coloratura mezzo soprano who sings this role so gloriously and with such accomplishment with this challenging material that the opening night audience waited to rise to their feet as one until when she entered for her curtain call. As a theatre person who is still learning about opera, I feel I caught a glimpse of the kind of particular joy an opera audience sometimes experiences when they see and hear a performance as fine as Boulianne’s and can say, “I saw her first” as they watch her rise in the ranks of great singers. Not to be missed.<br /><br />3. Moving to Langham Court Theatre's production of the female version of Neil Simon's popular comedy <em>The Odd Couple</em>. Why would Simon write a female version of this play?<br /><br /><em>The Odd Couple</em> was a huge hit when it opened on Broadway in 1965, was turned into an equally popular film with Walter Matthau and Jack Lemmon and then a TV sitcom series from 1970 to ’75 with Jack Klugman and Tony Randall. As the saying goes, nothing succeeds like success, so Simon revisited the play 20 years later by rewriting it into a female version. Rather than Oscar Madison the sloppy and slovenly sportswriter who takes in his recently divorced and ultra-tidy and neurotic friend Felix Madison, this version has news journalist Olive Madison trying to live with separated housewife and high school friend Florence Unger. The buddies’ poker night in the original play becomes a girls’ night out Trivial Pursuit game in this version. And the date night with the British Pigeon sisters who live upstairs becomes a date night with the Spanish Costazuela brothers. In both versions, the humor lies in the always snappy and quick-witted dialogue Simon so capably writes and the growing impossibility of these two friends ever being able to live together.<br /><br />4. And how did you feel about the production at Langham?<br /><br />Neil Simon is a quintessentially New York playwright and it can be a real challenge for non-New York, or even non-American actors, to play these roles. The Langham Court production succeeds somewhat in making us believe these characters are New Yorkers, although the accents are wisely not over-emphasized by director Sylivia Rhodes. Shelly Superstein is a small and wiry and very suntanned Olive with an appropriate gravelly voice and Christine Karpiak plays the uptight Florence as constantly fussing, cleaning, cooking and worrying. The scenes between them work quite well, although I think there is more physical comedy for them to find in their characters throughout the course of the run. However, it is essential in this version that the Spanish brothers Jesus and Manolo be convincing and in here we are relieved to have these roles well-played by Brian Adams and Langham regular Wayne Yercha in what I found to be the funniest scene in the show, when they come for dinner and the misunderstandings run fast and loose amongst everyone on stage. The pace of the show is pretty good and may pick up as the company gets more comfortable over the next two weeks. This is not a stellar but is certainly a competent production that will keep you chuckling along if not laughing out loud to the misfortunes of two friends who are simply too opposite to make it work as roommates.</div></div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-10195744015178540192010-09-20T09:40:00.000-07:002010-09-20T19:48:00.269-07:00The Trespassers Review - September 20, 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqWsP_D5PWJx6JywYM6zJtRXgH_JeRjv5LaBoLiGMoJ_6GxffW2R8CL_kyLdJjpmCDQmFOtejq-zvrW6ojxuaH3C2IkAhVjaEQ9zPS-Hk3JtSzb8bv-rwzcBW9WFyneILOzyRDMf5NL30/s1600/arts-trespassersbydavidcooper.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519192704079713746" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhOqWsP_D5PWJx6JywYM6zJtRXgH_JeRjv5LaBoLiGMoJ_6GxffW2R8CL_kyLdJjpmCDQmFOtejq-zvrW6ojxuaH3C2IkAhVjaEQ9zPS-Hk3JtSzb8bv-rwzcBW9WFyneILOzyRDMf5NL30/s400/arts-trespassersbydavidcooper.jpg" /></a><br /><div>Photo: Amitai Marmorstein as Lowell and Jennifer Clement as Roxie in <em>The Trespassers </em>(Photo by David Cooper)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Cj6lz4KoDL5iMMAfCwPVxMcX-7CJrnYloYUJAlEKUsNs6ihSSlba2ZnfuifbHe4JnG4HlIafc26wLBk2RbNy2VdYp7wnDu7h5OLsVywDRbOseBvehgA7yUbwhtPhteTHzTvevd3XS41/s1600/a.gif"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 1px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 1px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5519191200056692834" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgo9Cj6lz4KoDL5iMMAfCwPVxMcX-7CJrnYloYUJAlEKUsNs6ihSSlba2ZnfuifbHe4JnG4HlIafc26wLBk2RbNy2VdYp7wnDu7h5OLsVywDRbOseBvehgA7yUbwhtPhteTHzTvevd3XS41/s400/a.gif" /></a> </div><div><br /><br /><div>1. The Belfry Theatre says that the plays of Canadian playwright Morris Panych have been seen on its stage more than any others. What is it about Panych's plays do you think that makes them so popular?<br /><br />Panych is an actor and director himself and I can’t help but feel that these additional theatre abilities help him in his playwriting. Panych writes plays that must appeal greatly to actors, as he writes very quick and witty comic dialogue and also creates characters who in their ways are very often not quite ‘normal’ and yet who have to deal with bizarre sets of problems. The word ‘quirky’ is often applied to Panych’s work, much to his irritation I’m sure, but it is an accurate word to describe his dramatic world. It’s a world that is recognizable and yet somehow also a little bit askew, things are not quite ‘right’ somehow, either in the protagonists he creates or in the world they inhabit. For example, in Panych’s one-man play <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Earshot</span> (produced by the Belfry some years ago), the main character suffers from highly over-sensitive hearing that torments him as he is forced to listen in on the lives around him. I think this is very much the kind of thing that makes Panych so popular with audiences…we are always delighted to be brought into this world that is not quite like ours and within which most often overly sensitive characters are struggling to cope or to conform to supposedly acceptable norms of behavior. Many of these characters, including in <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Trespassers</span><span style="FONT-STYLE: italic"></span> and a number of one-person plays written for young audiences in the 90’s, are teenagers dealing with challenging situations in their family lives or coming to terms with things like their sexuality or aging and death. The last Panych play seen at the Belfry was the Governor General award-winning <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl</span> in which a young girl named Iris tells us in flashback about the series of events leading up to her mother leaving the family…not a happy plot and yet the play itself is filled with laughs.<br /><br />2. And how does this new play compare to <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl</span>?<br /><br />Unfortunately, I found this new play somewhat derivative of <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">The Girl in the Goldfish Bowl.</span> Like <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Goldfish Bowl, The Trespassers </span>has a teenage main character who tells us the story of what has happened to him. This character’s name is Lowell and whereas Iris in <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Goldfish Bowl</span> has an overactive imagination and may be a bit ADHD, Lowell suffers from depression and bipolar disorder…a tougher set of circumstances altogether. However, also as in <span style="FONT-STYLE: italic">Goldfish Bowl,</span> these kids are in dysfunctional families as the result of impending or actual abandonment by one parent. In this new play, Lowell’s father has left a year ago and Lowell is trying to keep it together with his Christian mother Cash and his atheist grandfather Hardy. But the small interior mill town they live in is in decline after the closing of the mill (partly due to the grandfather’s role as union rep) and the mother is spending more time at church. Lowell spends most of his time with his beloved grandfather and his grandfather’s ‘paramour’ Roxie (a highly entertaining riff on the whore-with-a-heart-of-gold motif) as they try to educate him about the ways of the world. In their working class view, this education involves learning about sex, gambling and how the rich rip off the poor. This is all very engaging and funny but leaves us feeling a bit ‘So what?’ until we hear that Hardy is dying of cancer and wants either his daughter or grandson to help him shuffle off this mortal coil. [Spoiler Alert] This explains why the play is framed as an interrogation by an RCMP officer who seems to be accusing Lowell of murder. As the play proceeds, we see in fragments how this all happened, although we are never certain when Lowell is telling the truth or bluffing as his poker-loving grandfather has taught him to do. The play in its second act becomes a lot more serious as we witness, in very nonlinear and sometimes frustrating partiality, what happens to Hardy after Lowell and Roxie rescue him from the hospital and take him to the peach orchard on the neighbours’ property. The abandoned orchard is ‘Private Property’ and the source of the play’s title as Hardy and Lowell steal peaches as their socialist right. The play ends in a way that felt to me a bit ambiguous (okay, so what actually did happen and if Lowell did kill Hardy, how has this affected him?) and also with a bit too much sentimentalizing of death including vague illusions (or delusions) of angels and reincarnation. So, for me, although I thoroughly enjoyed the show I couldn’t help but feel a bit frustrated and even slightly cheated out of a story that, as fragmented as it may have been constructed (which is fine), felt like some pieces had been left out by the end.<br /><br />3. So the play may not be one of Panych's standouts...but how were the performances?<br /><br />This is the strength of this production, which is very well cast and directed by Ron Jenkins. Lowell is effectively played by UVic theatre graduate Amitai Marmorstein, who has been seen locally in Jacob Richmond’s play Legoland and other shows. Marmorstein looks much younger than his actual age of 24 and looks and sounds very believable as a 15 year old boy. He plays Lowell with sensitivity and often great humor as we see him soaking up his unusual grandfather’s life lessons. However, I was less convinced by his occasional bursts of yelling that seemed to supposedly represent his mental instability. Surely a young person on lithium with this serious condition, who we hear has had suicidal episodes, would appear to be a little bit more ‘unusual’? Perhaps this is underwritten in the play itself. The wonderful role of Hardy is played to perfection by veteran Canadian actor Brian Dooley who gives us a fully rounded and accomplished portrayal of a man at the end of his life who is realizing how small his life has been, and filled with failure, at the same time as he is committed to leaving the best of himself behind in his much-loved grandson. Vancouver’s Jennifer Clement gives us a rollicking and fun-loving Roxie and seems to be enjoying every minute of this over-the-top character. The other two roles in the play are in my view the most unrewarding ones; Natascha Girgis does excellent work as the bereft and increasingly desperate mother Cash but I couldn’t help feeling how stuck her character is, and how little room she has to grow as her job is to be more reactive than active. And the final role of Officer Milton is such an unrewarding part, although played capably enough by Raphael Kepinski, that I began to wonder if it couldn’t be done as an offstage voice interrogating Lowell, as the poor actor is left sitting and watching the action for so long we forget he is there.<br /><br />4. And how did you feel about the other elements of the show...the set the lights the sound...did they add to the overall effect of the play?<br /><br />I very much liked the set design by Narda McCarroll that effectively evokes a peach orchard with dozens of real (or maybe plastic?) peaches and peach-colored globes hanging from the flies and a wooden floor and backdrop that resemble a fruit crate. Kerem Çentinel offers a lighting design that successfully snaps us back and forth from the police interrogation into the various scenes where Lowell’s memory takes us. Brian Linds creates a subtle sound design that effectively underscores the action. So, in the final count, I can heartily recommend this as a well-produced, directed and performed production of a Morris Panych play that may not reach the heights of his best plays but offers plenty of entertainment and things worth reflecting on—the right to die with dignity being the most significant—to make it worth a trip to Fernwood.</div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-85374334882980629292010-07-19T12:33:00.000-07:002010-07-19T14:55:11.662-07:00GOOD TIMBER and IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST REVIEWS - July 19, 2010<img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495737465922621074" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_lhplApZsiLK9O3kFsZz4tUbfISx7O-3kZnr_M8Y5vzddV64Ew14yHZQOvfHSAG1cp5f5_gGYjKfhDP8ZwMyupsviJgvOvfVDh4Hzfq7k8nga1UXQwjuOmToae9SRiaDHJZbY9_1x6k8p/s400/aaaaaa.jpg" /><br /><br /><div><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv7snKyiR1ZXkCXkWzl0860EtmlN4YC2gt606zWNy_STKveteJOouKFkILTTj_Rod-Q3rWpEGNknsVps3Ak17yy2j_jv_iRWLoMkLabCn-oRoveyW-DRvew3bvo1dsPiSkL9VdKuxUMag/s1600/aaaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 283px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5495736026106457106" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhvv7snKyiR1ZXkCXkWzl0860EtmlN4YC2gt606zWNy_STKveteJOouKFkILTTj_Rod-Q3rWpEGNknsVps3Ak17yy2j_jv_iRWLoMkLabCn-oRoveyW-DRvew3bvo1dsPiSkL9VdKuxUMag/s400/aaaa.jpg" /></a> Images: Top - David Radford and Paul Terry in <em>The Importance of Being Earnest</em>; Bottom - The company of <em>Good Timber </em>[Photo credit: David Lowe].<br /><br /><br /><div>1. It's been an exceptionally busy month for summer theatre in Victoria. You saw two very different shows last week. What made them so different from each other?<br /><br />Well, other than one of them being a musical revue and the other one a comedy of manners, what really struck me was the class difference between the two. <em>Good Timber</em> offers a musical portrait of the lives of working class people, specifically the loggers of British Columbia in the first half of the 20th century. <em>The Importance of Being Earnest</em>, on the other hand, gives us a satirical picture of the lives of the British upper classes at the turn of the 20th century, the idle rich who ate lots of crustless cucumber sandwiches. So, quite a jump from one show to the other.<br /><br />2. Let's begin with the musical revue <em>Good Timber</em> at the Royal BC Museum. How does this collaborative project work on stage?<br /><br />I didn’t know what to expect from this collaborative venture between the local theatre production company The Other Guys, headed by Ross Desprez, and the Royal BC Museum. I was delighted with the show, which is an 80 minute musical presentation of the poems of BC’s version of Robert Service, Robert Swenson. I have lived in BC for 12 years, but I am ashamed to say I had never heard of Swenson, who spent time with loggers in the BC forests and wrote poems about their lives. As with Service’s poems about the goldminers of the Klondike, Swenson created an invaluable record of a life that is now mostly lost, the tough work carried out by loggers with little technology to help them fell giant trees in the BC interior. No matter how we feel about logging in general (and in a nice touch, the show begins with an offstage song to the trees and the spirits that inhabit them), we can’t help but be impressed with the amazingly difficult and oftentimes dangerous work these men undertook. The show features a number of Swenson’s popular poems set to music that are performed with great energy and skill by a company of very talented local actor/musicians, all of whom play a number of different instruments. Kelt and Colleen Eccleston, of the folk group The Ecclestons, are in the company, along with musician John Gogo, director/producer Ross Desprez, and actors Mark Hellman and Sarah Donald (Donald was seen in Blue Bridge’s season last summer). Tobin Stokes is the musical director and the show sounds terrific with songs created by various company members, in various musical styles and often with plenty of humor. Behind the small stage in the museum is another feature of the show, a slide and video show created from the BC Archives by John Carswell. These evocative images add a valuable educational element to the show.<br /><br />3. Now for the contrasting production at Craigdarroch Castle. Oscar Wilde's ever-popular comedy of manners seems a good fit...what was it like seeing this play on the grounds of the castle?<br /><br />The play and the castle came into being at the same time, in the 1890’s, and therefore are a great pairing. However, director Ian Case—who has mounted a number of shows in the castle that move from room to room—is doing something new with this summer production. An open-ended tent has been sent up on the castle grounds with the castle itself serving as a backdrop. The production features a number of well-known local actors; Paul Terry as John Worthing, Karen Lee Pickett as his love interest Gwendolyn, Geli Bartlet as Lady Bracknell and Kate Rubin as Miss Prism. The remainder of the company keeps up very well with these more seasoned performers; David Radford as Algernon Montcrieff, Christina Patterson as Cecily Cardew, and Simon Cowie as Dr. Chasuble. Case has directed a faithful version of the play that offers about one laugh for every two lines and clips along at a good pace. The women’s costumes are very attractive and the men’s serviceable and the minimal sets and lights create the needed atmosphere. The night I saw the show there were a few distractions with castle visitors coming out the back door of the castle, clearly unaware a play was being presented, and unwelcome mosquitoes descending at dusk. However, these were minor problems compared to the pleasure of seeing Wilde’s great comedy performed with accomplishment by this company. I was sorry to see a small house at the performance I attended; I hope Victoria theatre-goers will turn out in large numbers this week for the final shows.<br /><br />4. Victoria theatregoers have an embarrassment of riches these days, with more to come. Does this surprise you in the wake of the significant funding cuts to the arts here in BC this year?<br /><br />Yes, this has been an unusually active theatre month in town and another show is opening this week (<em>Billy Bishop Goes to War</em> at the Belfry). The deep funding cuts to arts groups in BC this past year have been severe and very damaging; however, artists and companies will try to survive and create new works, as we are seeing here in Victoria. The major shift is in how much more important a good box office becomes when a company lacks the financial cushion of provincial funding support. That means it is that much more important for theatre lovers to get out and support the productions being mounted…the producing companies’ survival may literally depend on your ticket purchase. Luckily, there are a number of wonderful shows to see, as I have found this past week with these two productions at the museum and the castle. </div></div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-58228726646219036702010-07-14T10:56:00.000-07:002010-07-16T14:24:23.728-07:00A STREETCAR NAMED DESIRE REVIEW July 13, 2010<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27lM7ZMt7CAAukXN8f5pau11Y_ojjAJKEbYy8TlGXNyi1FWgZZ3NnNYCbDDXUZUBCR5wXfkM1mnhGIBMcjMBkXCkpFOOVeV6s-L_3-CH07eGetnyACdAytKER6rsHaYp_d3_hxFVlJDS4/s1600/aaaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 300px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5494617096292895538" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg27lM7ZMt7CAAukXN8f5pau11Y_ojjAJKEbYy8TlGXNyi1FWgZZ3NnNYCbDDXUZUBCR5wXfkM1mnhGIBMcjMBkXCkpFOOVeV6s-L_3-CH07eGetnyACdAytKER6rsHaYp_d3_hxFVlJDS4/s400/aaaa.jpg" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyiLc5fqv_R8hGOqnL7d4rc4SYkyJczVHV-Cb5_MB5KaDS6jq8qVxQ_udWRA06bRs47DnNQzFYYcmBvm4dG_SZOBgZkgAWamzgT8q-tYLzfktXNQTZ0czNS2xnS2slgIIlen7aAdNH_4E/s1600/aaa.jpg"><img style="TEXT-ALIGN: center; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 264px; DISPLAY: block; HEIGHT: 400px; CURSOR: hand" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5493824300861353330" border="0" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyyiLc5fqv_R8hGOqnL7d4rc4SYkyJczVHV-Cb5_MB5KaDS6jq8qVxQ_udWRA06bRs47DnNQzFYYcmBvm4dG_SZOBgZkgAWamzgT8q-tYLzfktXNQTZ0czNS2xnS2slgIIlen7aAdNH_4E/s400/aaa.jpg" /></a> Image: Top: Tim Campbell, Celine Stubel and Thea Gill in the Blue Bridge Repertory production (Credit: Tim Matheson); Bottom: Poster for 1951 movie version of <em>A Streetcar Named Desire.</em><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div>1. Tennessee Williams' <em>A Streetcar Named Desire</em> is yet another American classic play presented by Blue Bridge Repertory Theatre, following last year's <em>Death of a Salesman</em>. How does this production measure up against the 1951 film version, with Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando, that is burned into our memories? A tough act to follow...<br /><br />It is indeed a tough act to follow the Elia Kazan filmed version of this great play, however, it is a play written for the stage first and foremost, so it is a rare treat to see a production of it here in Victoria. Director Brian Richmond offers a clear and clean interpretation of the play that sticks to the essentials, which is all to the good. The set and costume designs by Patrick duWors work very well and I like this set design far more than the somewhat over the top one he did for <em>Death of a Salesman</em> last year. His design gives us a squalid wooden warehouse-like one room apartment in the French Quarter of New Orleans in the 1940s. Stella and Stanley Kowalski are happily married and living together here until Stella’s sister Blanche arrives on their doorstep. Over the course of a number of months, marked by Stella’s pregnancy and childbirth, we see the tensions in this household alternately simmer and boil over. The DuBois sisters come from a dead culture, that of the plantation aristocracy in the south. Stella left the failing family home at 18 and is content with her working-class lot and her sometimes brutish but loving Polish-American husband Stanley. Blanche, on the other hand, clings in desperation to a past that no longer exists and is spiraling ever-downwards into drunkenness and delusion.<br /><br />2. The character of Blanche Dubois is onstage for most of the nearly three hour running time. What did you think about Thea Gill's interpretation of the role?<br /><br />Blanche’s deterioration is provoked by the hostility she develops toward her brother-in-law and how appalled she is that her sister would choose to live with such a man. Her defense system lies in the romantic memories she has of a lost time when she was a southern belle. In this way, Blanche reminds me of Amanda Wingfield in Williams’ <em>The Glass Menagerie</em> who also pines for a lost world in which both women grew up as spoiled and wealthy young women. Thea Gill gives a strong portrayal of Blanche that I appreciated for a particularly tough-minded interpretation of the role. This Blanche Dubois is no pushover and we see throughout the play the terrible choices and mistakes she has made over many years that have led her to penury and her sister’s door. Her monologues are especially effective for their lack of sentimentality, which is a great risk in this role that Gill manages to neatly avoid. Rather, Gill plays Blanche with her eyes wide open to the tragic death of her very young and very gay husband many years ago that was the first step on her road to devastation. Gill is a statuesque woman and not afraid to play Blanche in heels so that she has a kind of ruined majesty about her which quite compelling. Gill is well-supported by the rest of the company, especially Toronto actor Tim Campbell in the challenging “He’s good but he’s not Brando” portrayal of Stanley and by Victoria’s own Celine Stubel as a clear-eyed Stella who calmly informs her shocked sister that she’s staying in her occasionally abusive marriage because of the sex…a scene that audiences in the 1940s must have found difficult to take (although the 1947 opening night audience in New York gave it a 30 minute ovation). Smaller roles include Jacob Richmond as Mitch, a pretty socially-challenged beau for Blanche in this portrayal, but not lacking in honest emotion, and Marci T. House and Christopher Mackie as the upstairs neighbours, the Hubbells, here presented as an interracial couple which I thought worked very well.<br /><br /><br />2. Anything in the production not working as well as it could, in your view?<br /><br />I was sitting in the third row on the left-hand side of the house and found some sightline problems with the stairs on the set that are somewhat blocked for audiences in this section. Also, I’m not sure that the entrance to the apartment is placed well as actors have to negotiate a pretty tight turn to make it in and out as the door opens onto the staircase. However, these slight problems are more than offset by effective lighting design from Kerem Cetinel and a more subdued than usual sound design from John Mills-Cockell. My only other minor complaint is around projection and enunciation..I have a friend who saw the show from about halfway back in the house and complained of missing quite a bit of the text. Most Canadian actors whose work I know, with very few exceptions, would do well to work on their voices, making them more resonant instruments and articulating each syllable of the text with clarity. Williams’ dialogue deserves no less.<br /><br />3. What are your thoughts on the selection of plays that artistic director Brian Richmond is bringing to summer theatre in Victoria?<br /><br />I am delighted that UVic theatre professor Richmond has brought Blue Bridge into being. Most summers in Victoria are limited to the amateur productions of the Victoria Shakespeare Festival or a light musical presented by the Belfry. It is wonderful to see classic American, British and Canadian plays onstage at the McPherson Playhouse, which has sat empty for too long. As a strong supporter of Canadian theatre, I might wish that Richmond consider a Michel Tremblay or a George F. Walker play for next year, as these two Canadian playwrights measure up well as writers of ‘classic’ modern plays, even against powerhouses like Arthur Miller, Joe Orton and Tennessee Williams. These are tough times for the arts in BC, so the fact that Blue Bridge has managed to produce a second season is something to celebrate…and to go out and support.</div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-59079936588137875132009-11-09T10:43:00.000-08:002009-11-09T14:28:55.765-08:00SCORCHED and ROMEO AND JULIET Reviews - November 9th, 2009<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7ejlobmcykqRGv72XvMJYL4FdFqHMSS7TxUJhdyL8abdIH8_uSsFk5HPZy_hsVJlqoylUlkJDkfTxGkBFzr38AxcnsOfQ0xTh1pJDjmkmSJZJwi6hoWTo79shq7O5MU-usgFootBAULP/s1600-h/aaaa.JPG"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402233973049945042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 400px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 311px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgn7ejlobmcykqRGv72XvMJYL4FdFqHMSS7TxUJhdyL8abdIH8_uSsFk5HPZy_hsVJlqoylUlkJDkfTxGkBFzr38AxcnsOfQ0xTh1pJDjmkmSJZJwi6hoWTo79shq7O5MU-usgFootBAULP/s400/aaaa.JPG" border="0" /></a><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-_r8cVTtStehpZuvh1evEMyxRjINmx8We6EsqBCr9_0ZFqxnbfctBJnMG0JfQl9OqfRBK6Hol6DznvE22rvFkU3Pgw9chrOtxKK-feTY5q4g99IpNQVgBNyDpjiqHsZqL5vEpvUnOTfw/s1600-h/aaa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402233796329241762" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 328px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgY-_r8cVTtStehpZuvh1evEMyxRjINmx8We6EsqBCr9_0ZFqxnbfctBJnMG0JfQl9OqfRBK6Hol6DznvE22rvFkU3Pgw9chrOtxKK-feTY5q4g99IpNQVgBNyDpjiqHsZqL5vEpvUnOTfw/s400/aaa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGip8RrA2ItJADi6gWrHBAF6sBCutimECswO4_mYVO_Xpx-8jRMRIkmm7AJ0MClIXFKYFtLcBiD1tftHxjQJ0VGm5vcrOvno1rmGXNzn2XfXtgWep-O4zkaCxbVeGBJ2yeNUDv9IV7uC_B/s1600-h/aaaa.gif"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402177549243094482" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 198px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 297px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGip8RrA2ItJADi6gWrHBAF6sBCutimECswO4_mYVO_Xpx-8jRMRIkmm7AJ0MClIXFKYFtLcBiD1tftHxjQJ0VGm5vcrOvno1rmGXNzn2XfXtgWep-O4zkaCxbVeGBJ2yeNUDv9IV7uC_B/s400/aaaa.gif" border="0" /></a><br /><br /><br /><div><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYzrKKaYMePy3ya03ikX7gpVmbsBCre2W6tgClpf36Ef_mHvzeF7EEYSrEsRruJIibpKhGG6dejpehmXao0Y0U7b4a88TGld1yko3lucd7y2ryjZ1oYpYcLzdzFgacExR8vaV1kXk8yMb/s1600-h/aaa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5402177110330609506" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 231px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 400px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjYzrKKaYMePy3ya03ikX7gpVmbsBCre2W6tgClpf36Ef_mHvzeF7EEYSrEsRruJIibpKhGG6dejpehmXao0Y0U7b4a88TGld1yko3lucd7y2ryjZ1oYpYcLzdzFgacExR8vaV1kXk8yMb/s400/aaa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br />Images: Top, Michael Shewchuk as Wahab and Casey Austin as Nawal in Scorched; Naomi Simpson as Sawda and Casey Austin as Nawal in Scorched; Samantha Richards as Juliet and Matthew Coulson as Romeo in the Phoenix Theatre production at the University of Victoria; Janick Hebert, Sarah Orenstein and Nicola Lipman in the Tarragon Theatre [Toronto]production of <em>Scorched</em>.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><br /><br />1) You saw 2 new shows last week that were written four hundred years and worlds apart. But you saw some interesting connections between the two plays...what can you tell us about them?<br /><br /><em>Scorched</em> is a Canadian play set in both Montreal and the unnamed Middle East homeland of immigrants, mother Nawal and her twin children Simon and Janine. While the country is never named, it is a country that has been wracked by civil war in a manner sadly familiar to the playwright whose family survived the 16 year long Lebanese civil war from 1975-1990. The play begins after Nawal’s death and the reading of her will by an unassuming notary who tells the twins that their mother has left them with a mission: To find their long-lost father and a brother they never knew they had. The play then takes us on an epic journey through Nawal’s life and is interwoven with the searching by Simon and Janine for the long-buried truth.<br /><br />Now, no one would immediately leap to an obvious connection between this recent play and one of Shakespeare’s great tragedies, <em>Romeo and Juliet</em>. While both plays present plenty of sadness, violence and loss brought about by historical enmities, this underlying theme is brought all the more to the fore by <em>Romeo and Juliet</em> director Brian Richmond’s decision to relocate the play from Verona, Italy to the West Bank of Israel. In this way, the feuding families of the Montagues and Capulets become a Jewish family living in inexorable tension with a Muslim family, kept apart by the ineffective UN Peacekeeping forces. In a bid to make the play timely and relevant, Richmond has a Jewish Romeo fall in love with an Arab Juliet. In this way, the ever-present news item of tension and outbreaks of violence and war in the Middle East is seen in both of these very different shows.<br /><br />2) So let's begin with the Phoenix Theatre at UVic's production of <em>Romeo and Juliet</em>. What is working well in the production?<br /><br />Richmond likes to take on large-scale productions and always manages to present a polished and smooth-running piece of theatre. The design elements of set of sand and effective lighting and costumes all look good, although in the sound department there is far too much mood music from frequent Richmond collaborator John Mills-Cockell (who needs to be reminded that film and theatre are not the same dramatic art forms). The two dozen or so students and former students in this production are working well together and make optimal use of the thrust stage in the Chief Dan George Theatre, employing no fewer than eight different entrance and exit locations. The company speaks Shakespeare’s text with clarity, if somewhat lacking in lyricism. And there is lots of physicality in the show, with knife fights, gunplay, exotic dancing and an aerial version of the famous balcony scene. I like the work of a number of student actors in the show, especially the work from senior acting students Matthew Coulson as Romeo, whose work improves in emotional depth over the course of the show, Jay Mitchell as Lord Capulet, Ashley Caron as Lady Capulet and Emily Smith as the Nurse. Richmond likes cross-gender casting and this pays off in the strong work from Natasha Salway as Benvolio. Samantha Richards, one of two alternating Juliets, plays the young girl’s innocence and free-fall into first love very well, although she struggles to find the maturity needed in the latter part of the play. Cam Culham offers a nice turn as Friar Laurence as do Jeff Leard as Mercutio and James Roney as Tybalt. So there is plenty to admire in the show.<br /><br />3) And given your opening comments, what was your response to director Brian Richmond's decision to locate the play in the occupied territories of Israel? Does a Jewish Romeo and Arab Juliet add anything new to our understanding of the play?<br /><br />This is where the production lost me, I’m afraid. I was quite open to this interpretation, but also sensitive to how it would be presented. I am not of Arab extraction, nor am I a Muslim, but I still found the portrayal of drunken Arab Capulets in the party scene difficult to accept. And when the Jewish Romeo and supposedly Muslim (although blond, blue-eyed and curly-haired) Juliet ask the Christian Friar Laurence to marry them, I just became deeply confused. Are the Capulets Arab Christians? If so, why does Tybalt have the Islamic star and crescent moon symbol tattooed on his arm and why do his comrades look like stereotypical Arab terrorists/freedom fighters? My other main concern has less to do with the riskiness of this ‘clash of civilizations’ version and more to do with the lack of logic in this decision. In Shakespeare’s original play, the feuding families are equally upper class; moved to the West Bank or the Gaza Strip, that fundamental equality between the Montagues and Capulets is completely lost. Showing us an apparently wealthy Arab Capulet family in that setting is absurd and patently untrue. There are many very wealthy Arabs in the Middle East, but they do not live in the Palestinian territories. And in those territories, there is absolutely no equality between the Israeli armed forces and settlers and the relatively impoverished Palestinian people who are fighting for their homeland. To show us a version of this deeply troubled part of the world in such a highly simplified, even simplistic way, is to not just confuse an audience, but to also make a political statement that is completely false.<br /><br />4) Let's move to Lebanese-Canadian playwright Wajdi Mouawad's play <em>Scorched</em>, which I hear has been seen in over 100 productions worldwide. What is its great appeal?<br /><br />Mouawad is a fine writer and storyteller and displays these skills many times over throughout the course of this three-hour epic play. There is a lot of text in the play, and even more action, so it is not too much of a stretch to call the play Shakespearean in its scope and ambition. But it is even closer to a Greek tragedy in its structure as a mystery (similar to <em>Oedipus Rex</em> by Sophocles) with an incredibly powerful, even devastating climax. When Nawal’s orphaned twins finally discover the truth of their mother’s past and the reason why it drove her into silence for the last five years of her life, it is unbelievably hard to take, but also dramatically feels deeply right and true. This is one of the finest new plays I have seen in some time and I am grateful to director Clayton Jevne for taking it on and bringing it to Victoria. The show is not perfect, it could use a few more actors to reduce the endless doubling, and it is a bare bones production that could use some of the arts funding that the BC government is snatching back from our artists to create a more visually arresting show. But there is some fine work from Casey Austin in the central role of Nawal, a role that has been played by three actresses in other productions that she tackles all by herself….a remarkable achievement. Other Inconnu regulars Naomi Simpson, Michael Shewchuk, Paddy Crawford and Jason Stevens all do nice work here as well. This is not a show for the faint of heart, but anyone who cares about good theatre should not miss it.<br /><br />5) Any final thoughts on these two productions?</div><br /><br /><div><br />I love theatre that provokes its audience, that wakes us up rather than puts us to sleep. Both of these shows this week offer provocation but of two very different kinds. Whereas <em>Scorched </em>provokes us to think more about the endless cycles of violent retribution that can cause societies to implode, the Middle Eastern version of <em>Romeo and Juliet</em> at UVic presents a mostly mixed-messages vision of this troubled region that causes more confusion and consternation than enlightenment.</div><br /><br /><div></div><br /><br /><div><br /><br /><br /><div></div></div></div></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6499505816556415036.post-29711942076328244742008-09-03T19:28:00.001-07:002008-09-03T19:31:19.849-07:00BOSTON THEATRE REVIEWS<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY486SGH6K96ryKA73D5OEPJD1LI6B4cSy-qh1AzH0diAMsr8GHQ4_FSG_Md5aHiXvXXP9fIfyieMmJrjswoZ3XcwctYlkyskUz371VOARPyLzNAZ-PPFIPamScgS5aTyd9Gm8u_UJ50l0/s1600-h/aaaa.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5241987557774406514" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; CURSOR: hand; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY486SGH6K96ryKA73D5OEPJD1LI6B4cSy-qh1AzH0diAMsr8GHQ4_FSG_Md5aHiXvXXP9fIfyieMmJrjswoZ3XcwctYlkyskUz371VOARPyLzNAZ-PPFIPamScgS5aTyd9Gm8u_UJ50l0/s400/aaaa.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><div>Image: <a href="http://www.bostonathenaeum.org/theatreintro.html">http://www.bostonathenaeum.org/theatreintro.html</a></div><div> </div><div></div><div><span style="font-size:180%;">Please visit my new blog at </span></div><div><a href="http://www.bostontheatrereviews.blogspot.com/"><span style="font-size:180%;">www.bostontheatrereviews.blogspot.com</span></a></div>Monica Prendergast, PhDhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01454655498284694007noreply@blogger.com0