Back Ted Sperling Looking Ahead Laura Marie Duncan Joe Szekeres I got the chance to travel to New York and Broadway figuratively when I interviewed Ted Sperling. I’m always appreciative of the opportunity to speak with American artists. I learned a few things about Ted even before I begin to share what he has coming up and in store for audiences shortly. From Ted’s personal website (which I will include at the conclusion of his profile) he is a multi-faceted artist, director, music director, conductor, orchestrator, singer, pianist, violinist and violist. He is the Artistic Director of MasterVoices and Music Director of the recent Broadway productions of My Fair Lady, Fiddler on the Roof and The King and I, all currently touring nationally and internationally. A Tony Award winner for his orchestrations of The Light in the Piazza, (which was marvelous when I saw the OBC several years ago, Ted is known for his work across many genres, including opera, oratorio, musical theater, symphony, and pops. Mr. Sperling recently appeared as Steve Allen in the final episode of Season Two of “The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel.” When I was in New York several years ago to see the Original Broadway company of ‘Titanic’, Ted appeared in this production. Starting May 7, this week marks the launch of a new online concert series Ted has created with Dreamstage Live: Broadway Stories and Songs. Each Friday night (with a repeat stream Saturday afternoon) Ted hosts a Broadway star for an intimate hour-long concert of songs from shows old and new, interspersed with anecdotes from their shared experiences on stage and off. Before I began the interview below, I asked Ted how the ‘Broadway Stories and Songs’ came about. He said it was born out of ‘Music Never Sleeps NYC’. It was a 24-hour music program with everybody recording remotely when the pandemic hit. Ted said he contributed two Gershwin songs. There was a lovely response from the program according to him. Since the response was positive, a new platform Dreamstage Live started, and Ted was asked to put together a Broadway series. And there are some talented artists who will participate: For Ted, the experience was “joyous being in a room with someone to be able to make music and not do it remotely and send recordings away and wait to get them back. To be spontaneous to make beautiful sounds in a beautiful room on a beautiful instrument has been nourishing and long needed.” A big part of the ‘Broadway Stories and Songs’ are the stories that will be shared along with the songs in the one-hour concert. There are around 9-10 songs for this concert, generally speaking. In a way, this format for Sperling is harder than a full-length program because you have to be really picky and finds things that connect with each other and connect with you, and have a nice flow. Along with some Broadway favourites, each of these concerts will allow the artists and Ted to explore some new repertoire. Ted and I conducted our conversation via Zoom. Thanks again for adding your voice to the conversation: It’s a harsh reality that the worldwide pandemic of Covid 19 has changed all of us. How has your understanding of the world you know changed on a personal level? I’m even more grateful for the opportunities I’ve had, proud of what I’ve been able to achieve, and curious to see what will be next. During this year, I have not taken this year off. In some ways, I’ve been working harder than ever because everything takes more planning and effort when you have to do it this way. And I branched out into making short films. I’ve made one before as a director long time ago. Now, by the end of this pandemic season, who knows when the actual end of the pandemic will be, in this year from April – April, I will have produced 23 musical short films and directed close to half of those. It’s been a great new experience for me. With live indoor theatres shut for one year plus, with it appearing now that Broadway theatres will slowly re-open in mid September 2021, how has your understanding and perception as a professional artist of the live theatre industry been altered and changed? Well, so many things have happened during this year in addition that were in motion before the pandemic but have crested now. I think there are a lot of question marks, certainly a big push in the desire for fairness and opportunity and good behaviour (reference to the recent Scott Rudin’s behaviour). So, I think that’s going to be very much at the top of people’s minds when we go back to work And I think it will be an adjustment period for all of us. Personally, I believe there will be a great hunger for live theatre and for any kind of live performance that’s actually the way we used to enjoy it in a crowded room. I think it’s still the reason people go to the movies as opposed to watching them at home alone. There’s something about a shared experience, cheek by jowl, with strangers that we crave. To have been deprived of it for over eighteen months really for Broadway, I think there will be a lot of pent-up energy and a lot of pent-up enthusiasm that I’m hoping will just come bursting forth. As a professional artist, what have you missed the most about live theatre? I think the camaraderie. It’s why I went into that area of music to begin with. Putting together a show or even performing a show on a nightly basis is such a large basis group effort, and you build a temporary family. But it’s a family of friends, and I personally look forward to being with them on a daily basis whether it’s in rehearsal or performance. I really like the rehearsal process. No matter what kind of show you’re working on, whether it’s an old one or a new one, it’s like solving a varying complex puzzle, but doing it with friends. It’s like sitting down with the New York Times Sunday crossword for an extended period of time when there might not be an exact right answer. It’s all a bit of educated guess work. It’s a lot of collaborative thinking. It’s a lot of compromise and I just really enjoy that process. It’s why I love working in the theatre as opposed to say being a recitalist. At one point, I aspired to be a member of a string quartet, but after spending a summer doing that, I realized it was a little too confined for me to be with the same three people. As a professional artist, what is the one thing you will never take for granted again in the live theatre industry when you return to it? (Ted laughed) Well, so many things, I think. Giving somebody a hug. Being able to walk outside and just breathe fresh air. And I guess an audience. These concerts we are doing for thr Broadway series which you mentioned in the introduction to my profile are done for a remote audience, so we don’t get that feedback in the moment. We have to pull on our experience of performing these songs before. I love making recordings. I love the concentration and trying to get it absolutely perfect, but with these concerts we’re going for the opposite. Even though there is an essentially a beautiful room with microphones like a studio, we’re imagining the audience with us and forgiving ourselves for any little mistakes we might make for the sake of the spontaneity and the joy of being in the moment. Explain what specifically you believe you must still accomplish within the industry. I have a lot of ambitions still. I’ve always been sort of a restless artist trying to push myself into new territory. I’ve been directing as well as music directing now for around twenty years. But when I started that, that was a whole new adventure, but I think I still have a lot to learn and a lot to explore in that way. I’d like to do more of it. Directing these films and producing these films has been a wonderful new avenue for me, and I’d love to keep expanding that way. I’m also interested in trying my hand at writing. I have to carve out some calm space in which to do that which has been a real challenge, even in this time. So, I think I have a lot still to explore, a lot to give, a lot to find out about myself and I hope I have a nice long time to find that out. Some artists are saying that audiences must be prepared for a tsunami of Covid themed stories in the return to live theatre. Would you elaborate on this statement? Is it an important one OR are Covid themed stories possibly the last stories that both artists and audience members would like to see in the theatre? I don’t have a crystal ball, no one does. I think, though, that I have some good instincts. For example, the big project that I’ve been working on this whole year is this video production I mentioned to you called ‘Myths and Hymns’. When I conceived of it last March/ April, I knew it was going to take me a while to get something on the air, to actually have a finished product. So, I tried to imagine, as an audience member, what would I be interested in seeing six months in the future because people were already creating art right away on the internet. But I knew that it was going to take me awhile. I don’t want to be doing what people are doing right now. I want to be doing what people are hungry for in six months, nine months from now, a year. We didn’t know how long this was going to take, but I was pretty sure we weren’t going to be able to perform live for a year. So, I think I predicted well. And the piece I produced has elements to it that feel fresh and worth tuning into. And certainly some of them have drawn inspiration from our live in Covid, but I personally will be relieved to be free of this pandemic. And so, my gut is people will want to move on. They’re not going to want to look back. I may be wrong, but during the AIDS epidemic and after, there were many AIDS related plays. The question with musicals is that it often takes years to get done from conception to performance. In the old days, Rodgers and Hammerstein could take a book about World War 2 and written during World War 2 and have it on Broadway just a couple of years after the war. ‘South Pacific’ was very timely. Even ‘Showboat’ adapted very quickly and came out not that long after the book. These days, it more often takes four years. So, if you can imagine us in four years still wanting to be discussing Covid musically, you may be a better man than I am. (And Ted and I laugh) I don’t know. We’ll see. We’ll see. I imagine artists will find ways to talk about it so I guess that’s what will keep it fresh. As an artist, what specifically is it about your work that you want future audiences to remember about you? That’s a really good question, and I should have had a bit of time to formulate a beautiful answer. I think that I would people to relish my joy, to experience my joy in making music and theatre. I pick my projects carefully because I know they’re going to require a full investment of my time and thought. So I want to be able to embrace them fully and love them. So, when I’m picking material for my Group Master Voices or when I’m signing on to a new show, I want to give it that litmus test. Will I want to be fully devoting my interest and time months from now, years from now doing it eight times a week. So, I pick things that I really like. And I hope that really comes across in my performances and my productions. I’ve been told that by people that when they see me conducting that I love it and that I’m having fun. And I do think that should be an element of any good performance. And along with that, I hope there’s a sense of warmth in my music making and directing. I feel like that’s an important quality for me. That’s what I want my art to hold is caring, warmth and deep emotion. So that’s what I push myself towards every time. To learn more about Ted, visit his website: http://www.tedsperling.net/ Previous Next

Back Peter Pasyk The Self Isolated Artist David Cooper Joe Szekeres I’ve met Peter twice in Toronto theatre lobbies since I’ve begun reviewing for On Stage Blog. Both times he was a true, modest, and unpretentious gentleman. The first time was at Factory Theatre. I had waited to speak to one of the actors after the production. Keep in mind I hadn’t met Peter at that time, but I had reviewed one of his shows at Soulpepper several weeks earlier in the summer. There was this dignified looking man who spoke to an actor. This classy guy was Peter. I waited while Peter finished what he was saying to the actor. When he sensed I was waiting to speak to the actor, Peter graciously stepped back and made me laugh by saying, “There are others here besides me.” While I was asking my question, I could sense Peter was paying careful attention to what I was saying and then what the actor said. I remember we had left the auditorium together. Peter asked me my name and what publication I wrote for. I was so surprised when he said, “Joe, yes, I read your review for the production I had directed at Soulpepper. I’m Peter Pasyk.” And I was equally touched he said he has been reading my articles and browsing through the On Stage site. Wow! This highly sought-after young director who has worked at Stratford, Shaw, Tarragon, Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre and Canadian Stage read my review and was perusing On Stage. I was honoured and flattered to say the least. The second time we had met again was several weeks later at Factory in the lobby before the performance began. Once again, this dignified gentleman came up to me and started chatting with me as if he had met me before. When I introduced myself, he said, “Yes, I’m Peter. We met here last time.” Well, I turned mortification red in eight shades of embarrassment and wanted to hide. Peter laughed and said not to worry as we are constantly meeting people all the time at the theatre. I promise you, Peter, when ‘Hamlet’ premieres at that gorgeous new Tom Patterson Theatre in Stratford I will not forget!!!!! We conducted our interview via email: 1. How have you and your family been keeping during this two-month isolation? We’ve been keeping as well as we can, thanks for asking. It’s actually an exciting moment in time for us because my partner and I are expecting a baby in July. So that has kept us busy and focused. But of course, its been hard and strange too. Being pregnant, we wish we could be getting together with family and friends more often but that’s not really possible for now. But we have each other and that’s most important. 2. What has been most challenging and difficult for you during this time personally and professionally? What have you been doing to keep yourself busy? For a while there, both personally and professionally, there was a kind of mourning. I think that’s what it boils down to really. I have been mourning the loss of the daily routines and interactions I took for granted, and I have been mourning the best laid plans I had set out for myself and my future. But there is a kind of sweetness and clarity in grief too. I am forced to reckon with my values and appreciate the not-knowing as well as the simple pleasures. As far as keeping busy, I cook a lot. I read. I write. I subscribed to the Criterion Channel to watch great art house cinema and learn from the master directors. And I’m always cooking up future theatre projects in my head. You know, I’ve heard some folks talk about being bored. I have never really experienced boredom. It just doesn’t afflict me. I’m always curious about something or working something out in my head. As a director, every experience and every observation and every interaction is fodder for my craft. And there is so much to learn at this moment about each other. I have found in myself a greater capacity for empathy - and empathy is probably the single most critical skill of a director because we have to see the world from multiple perspectives. 3. I interviewed Antoni Cimolino several weeks ago, and he spoke very highly of you and your work in preparation of bringing ‘Hamlet’ to the Festival this season which has now been postponed. Antoni is still declaring this slate of plays will go, but it just depends on the situation with Covid. How are you doing regarding all the work you had been preparing for ‘Hamlet’ only to have everything come to a grinding halt? We were in advanced stages of rehearsal with Hamlet, and about to go into tech. I was in such awe of the company. I could hardly contain my excitement for sharing their work with audiences because there was some really fresh and unexpected things happening. And though it’s frustrating I know that none of that work will be wasted. The creative process is resilient. And at any time I trust we can pick our momentum back up again. I know this from touring productions: a show can easily start to feel far away but as soon as you start up again there is this sense memory that kicks in. Of course, ‘Hamlet’ is so much a play about reflecting the present moment that in some ways the production will naturally evolve with the times. But that’s the exciting part. But also ‘Hamlet’ is only one part of what is an exciting landmark season for the Stratford Festival. I am looking forward to the day that all these shows can be shared with the public, and that everyone will be able to experience the new jaw-dropping Tom Patterson Theatre. 4. In your estimation and opinion, do you foresee COVID 19 and its results leaving a lasting impact on the Canadian performing arts scene? Well, it’s easy to speculate in any direction but speaking of the longer term I tend toward optimism. Ultimately, I trust that this prolonged pause in our being able to congregate and commune in large groups will make theatre and performing arts more vital and sought out by the public eventually. By the time theatres open again I don’t think anyone will make the argument “why would I go out when I can watch TV at home?”. That said, it’ll likely take some time (and a vaccine) before we can congregate again and in the interim it will be a difficult time for many artists who are unable to make a living. 5. Do you have any words of wisdom to build hope and faith in those performing artists and employees of The Festival who have been hit hard as a result of COVID 19? Any words of sage advice to the new graduates from Canada’s theatre schools regarding this fraught time of confusion? I don’t think anything I can say will alleviate those hardest hit. But I do believe that storytelling is almost as old and as necessary for survival as fire. So, storytelling will not go away. The way we do it may need to adapt. But of all those affected I feel most for young adults and new graduates because it is such a fertile time. So many firsts to be experienced, now interrupted. But to be honest, I’m counting on this new generation of artists to lead the way of innovation and to find new ways of presenting theatre that can adapt to the times. There is nothing more valuable than the gumption of youth. 6. I’ve spoken with some individuals who believe that online streaming and You Tube presentations destroy the theatrical impact of those who have gathered with anticipation to watch a performance. What are your thoughts and comments about the advantages and/or values of online streaming? Do you foresee this as part of the ‘new normal’ for Canadian theatre as we move forward from COVID 19? Yes, I’ve heard a lot of conversation about this, but I think the premise of the argument is confused. Online content and live theatre are each unique medium. They are both storytelling mediums and both share an audience but neither can ever replace the other. I applaud those artists that are pivoting their creative efforts to online formats. Everyone has their own way of dealing with a pandemic and anyone who manages to be creative and productive at this time is winning in my books. And to go back to something I was saying earlier, I think that when we are given the go-ahead to return to theatres there will be a considerable uptick in the popularity of live performance. 7. What is it about the performing arts that still energizes you even through this tumultuous and confusing time? The sound of an entire audience giving an involuntary collective gasp. With a respectful acknowledgement to ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ and the late James Lipton, here are the ten questions he used to ask his guests: 1. What is your favourite word? Love 2. What is your least favourite word? Impossible 3. What turns you on? Laughter 4. What turns you off? Bullying 5. What sound or noise do you love? Wind through trees 6. What sound or noise bothers you? Mosquitoes 7. What is your favourite curse word? Kurwa (Polish is my first language and it’s great for cursing) 8. Other than your current profession now, what other profession would you have liked to attempt? Chef 9. What profession could you not see yourself doing? Insurance 10. If Heaven exists, what do you hope God will say to you as you approach the Pearly Gates? “Are you ready for an adventure?” Previous Next

Back 'The Musical of Musicals: The Musical' by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart Presented by Theatre on the Ridge and now on stage at the Scugog Shores Museum Village, 16210 Island Road, Port Perry. Credit: Shannon Widdis L-R: Steven Suepaul, David Cardinal, Laura Murphy, Kayla Rankine Guest writer Geoffrey Coulter actor, director, adjudicator, arts educator "Opening night wobbles still make ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical’ a fluffy, fantastical farce of a show." Who doesn’t like a good musical?" Who doesn’t like a show that parodies good musicals? Port Perry’s Theatre on the Ridge continues its summer festival with Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogarts’s crafty parody ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical’ that walks a fine line between poking fun at and paying homage to some of the most popular composers of the twentieth century. You don’t have to be a musical theatre fan to enjoy this production’s luscious lampooning of Broadway’s best – but it’d certainly help if you are. The small-scale musical is a good fit for the company’s outdoor venue, requiring only a single set, one piano, a few props and four actors. It’s structured into five acts: ‘Corn!’ (parodying Rodgers and Hammerstein), ‘A Little Complex’ (Stephen Sondheim), ‘Dear Abby’ (Jerry Herman musicals in the manner of HELLO, DOLLY and LA CAGE AUX FOLLES), ‘Aspects of Juanita’ (Andrew Lloyd Webber) and ‘Speakeasy’ (the bawdy, gritty world of Kander and Ebb). Each revue-style sketch is essentially the same, centering around youthful ingenue June (Laura Murphy), who can’t pay the rent to her villainous landlord, Jitter (Steven Suepaul/David Cardinal). Will her boyfriend/admirer Willy (David Cardinal/Steven Suepaul) come to her rescue? And what good advice will her older friend/neighbour Abby (Kayla Rankine) be able to offer? This opening-night production is a lot of fun. It features tuneful songs, jokes, and groans aplenty performed by a dedicated cast that really sells the shenanigans. The format steals from the ‘Forbidden Broadway’ series mocking mega-musicals since the early 1980s. Make no mistake – you need to know your musicals to get the gist of what’s going on. Fortunately, I do – mostly. Unlike ‘Forbidden Broadway’ which replaces recognized classic tunes with hilarious new lyrics, ‘Musical’s’ tunes are skewed, played as ‘sound-alike’ versions – similar to the original without being the original. This is where the non-musical theatre folks may be left scratching their heads and wondering what show is being riffed. Additionally, the five vignettes segue into each other without the benefit of a narrator or storyteller. I was missing some pre-show context, pouring over the program in vain, looking for something to identify each segment, composer and song being roasted. If you don’t know your musicals well, this omission might confuse. Though initially clever, this follow-through threadbare theme of not being able to pay the rent starts to feel strained, obvious and contrived by the end of the first act. What the book and music lack in structure, the cast and artistic team more than make up for in enthusiasm and a dedicated desire for everyone to have a good time, themselves included. Carey Nicholson’s set design is simple and functional – an upstage framed curtain lit like a theatre marquee provided practical entrances and exits. While occasionally wobbly, the frame effectively masked the backstage area. Small props such as chairs, easels, and shoes (to name only a few) are easily brought off and on. Nicholson does triple duty as costume designer, placing the performers in a simple base of black T-shirts, dresses and pants. From here, the cast adroitly slip in and out of additional hats, vests, capes (again to name a few), identifying their musical personas and variations from one vignette to the next. Lyle Corrigan’s direction is fast-paced and fun. He places his dynamic cast effectively on the stage and has coached them well on when to ham it up, go more tongue-in-cheek or just bask in the silliness. I appreciated the upstage riser, providing levels in various scenes. Hats off to Corrigan’s unabashed inclusion of the backstage crew as on-stage helpers, dangling strings of plastic birds and swinging a plastic chandelier before crashing down to the stage. I am not a fan of backstage crew visible during a show, but I almost wanted to see more in this campy sendup. Corrigan’s lighting design is a kaleidoscope of colours and hues, aptly enhancing the mood in each scene. Musical Director Carol Salamone is a star on the keyboard. Not only is her accompaniment spot on, but she also deftly creates excellent ensemble harmonies and ensures focused, clear articulation on vowels during solos and duets. Karin Mahoney’s choreography nicely enhances each segment simply and effectively. However, the finale ‘Done’, a parody of ‘One’ from ‘A Chorus Line’ disappointingly lacked precision compared to some other numbers. Undoubtedly, this cast of uber-talented community theatre veterans will prop up the pace and find their stride as performances continue. As ingenue June, Laura Murphy is sweet and innocent with a pretty voice and spot on comedic timing. Her ‘Liza with a Z’ spoof in Act 2 garners lots of laughs. David Cardinal as boyfriend Willy and evil landlord Jitter is a formidable and funny baritone. His country-bumpkin romantic lead as he riffs ‘Oklahoma’ in the opening Act 1 number ‘Corn’ is delightfully goofy. Steven Suepaul, also playing Jitter and boyfriend Willy, is hilarious without taking himself one bit seriously. He seizes his villainous personas with glee – a great voice and lively to watch. Kayla Rankine as Abby has a joyful command of all her over-the-top characters (LOVED her ‘Follow Your Dream’ in the style of ‘The Sound of Music’ and her delicious ‘Did I Put Out Enough’ in the style of ‘Mame’). Rankine shows her full range as a dramatic soprano and powerhouse belter. The cast work well together, and all have tremendous power in their vocals; however, when the entire ensemble of mic-ed-up big voices starts belting out their tunes, the amplification is a tad overpowering, sadly sacrificing some of the intimacy. The Theatre on the Ridge tent has great acoustics. I’m sure these voices would sound fine without enhancement in such a small space. ‘Musical of Musicals: the Musical’ requires some serious staying power and extended energy levels from this cast. Keeping this train rolling at full steam for almost two hours is no easy feat. The cast lost much of its steam on this opening night throughout the second act. Like a tire with a slow leak, scenes seemed to be moving slower, and cues were not as tight. Again, I’m sure the pace will become propped up once the run catches its breath and shows continue. Despite its structural flaws, Theatre on the Ridge’s production of ‘The Musical of Musicals: the Musical’ is hugely enjoyable. It’s a fluffy, fantastical farce with a cast that shines individually and as a group. If you’re a musical theatre buff, you’ll find this show a gem of clever lyrics, puns and stabs at some of the most prolific composers. Summer theatre the way it should be. Running time: approximately one hour and 45 minutes with one interval/intermission. ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical’ runs until July 27 at the Scugog Shores Museum Village, 16210 Island Road, Port Perry. For tickets: theatreontheridge.ca or call (905) 431-0977. THEATRE ON THE RIDGE presents ‘The Musical of Musicals: The Musical!’ by Eric Rockwell and Joanne Bogart Directed by Lyle Corrigan Musical Director/Pianist: Carol Salamone Choreographer: Karin Mahoney Lighting Design: Lyle Corrigan Lighting Operator: Ari Leroux Sound Design: Lyle Corrigan Sound Operators: Lyle Corrigan and August Hofbauer Props/Costume Design: Carey Nicholson Stage Manager: Amanda Cook Performers: David Cardinal, Laura Murphy, Kayla Rankine, Steven Suepaul Previous Next

Back The Crossover from non-Union to Union actor/artist" Peter Mazzucco and Tony Nappo share their thoughts Headshots provided by Messrs. Mazzucco and Nappo Joe Szekeres The term ‘professional actor’ is bandied around so much that it has often confused me. Anyone can call themselves an actor, and the first two questions asked if you do: “What have you done?” or “What have I seen you in?” If someone hasn’t heard of anything you’ve done, then most people may think you’re nothing. What I have learned about the world of the ‘actor’: one does not have to hold any conservatory or post secondary education to become a member of CAEA (Canadian Actors’ Equity Association) or ACTRA (Alliance of Canadian Cinema, Television and Radio Artists). If a non-Equity or non ACTRA company contracts and pays non-union individuals to perform, then those actors are technically involved in a ‘paying gig’ and, in that case, are free to call themselves professional if they wish to do so; however, being a member of one of these two labour unions means you are paid union status (which is higher) compared to non-union status. A quick re-cap on these two terms: CAEA is the membership/labour union to which the professional live theatre actor and stage managers belong to perform in union shows here in Canada. ACTRA is a Canadian labour union representing performers in English-language media in film, television, radio, and all other recorded media. Some professional artists are members of both and/or perhaps only one. I also understand there are stringent rules regarding credits attained to gain union status but, for the sake of this article’s length, I won’t bother delving further here. I was recently reminded by a union artist who told me if someone wants an actual career as an actor, then that person must become a member of either CAEA or ACTRA. From his understanding, there’s no way around it. For this article, let’s define career as someplace where the actor will go for work whether it’s to a film or television set or to a live theatre. Credit for this personally learned fact came from Toronto based resident and Union actor, Tony Nappo. He also writes a weekly column for Intermission magazine called ‘Nappoholics Anonymous’ which features twelve random thoughts. Take a look at his column online when you get a chance as it led me further into the world of this complex being. Recently I had the opportunity to have a Zoom call with him and Durham Region resident and non-union actor Peter Mazzucco to gain their perspectives on the challenges of crossing over from non-union to union to legitimize, to be thought of, and to call yourself an actor, as Mazzucco wishes to do. Mazzucco grew up in Etobicoke while Nappo was raised in Scarberia (that’s Scarborough, Ontario to outsiders) and what you see and hear from both these boys is what you get in humour, wit, temperament and yes, the occasional colourful language. I respect that as this is who these guys are. There are no pretentious airs about either of them at all as they kept me grounded during the conversation where Tony playfully said at one point: “Just trying to bust your balls as we did in Scarborough, Joe. You’re doing fine.” Peter and Tony are close in age and knew of each other where they attended the same post secondary institution, (The Scarborough campus of the University of Toronto), but never graduated. Both recalled a similar incident on campus which changed their career paths completely. They were both tapped on the shoulder from Cathy Smith, Movement and Voice teacher at the Scarborough campus, who stated they were wasting their time there and to pursue studies further elsewhere. Mazzucco was flattered with the compliment from Smith but declined as he was content with what he was doing at the time. Nappo, however, took the advice and enrolled in Manhattan’s American Academy of Dramatic Arts programme, completed it, and returned to Canada to begin his successfully rewarding career. For me, it was an interesting process to see how they became connected once again. While wrestling with the question of becoming a union actor for quite some time, Mazzucco values Tony’s experience and agrees with the latter’s advice that “this is a fucking hard industry”. Mazzucco didn’t originally start his post secondary studies immediately in the Arts. He always had a fascination with film but went via a completely different route for personal reasons. He attained dual citizenship and wanted to study theatre at LAMDA in London, England. He later credits the arts as a creative form to which he was drawn when he was in his twenties. Nappo originally came to the Scarborough campus to study English literature. The opportunity to study theatre came later as he jokingly said at one point: “It was a way to meet women back then.” I had heard of Tony’s name over the years and realized later I had seen his performance at Toronto’s Canon Theatre as part of the Mirvish series in a terrific production of Yasmina Reza’s ‘God of Carnage’. I personally had the chance to meet Tony when he appeared in a fiery production at Soulpepper of Stephen Guirguis’ ‘Jesus Hopped the A Train’. Both guys have opted to stay the course and continue their involvement in the arts despite this pandemic and the harsh reality it has brought the industry to a standstill. They recognize the key for success is having a good agent. Peter had one, dropped that agent, and then legendary Casting Director Gloria Mann (whom Mazzucco calls ‘wonderful’) wanted to get him an agent after she booked him on one of the shows she was casting. For personal family reasons, Peter did not seek an agent, and Gloria said she would be his ‘agent’. She booked him two lead roles on two separate shows in the process. They still keep in touch and although she’s not his agent, Peter holds great respect for Gloria. Mazzucco’s day job is in the corporate world. Nappo has worked non-stop during the pandemic under the strictest Covid-19 protocol standards. As a working union actor, Tony makes a healthy living in television and film during the year. When he has nothing to do, he does painting of any type (house/office/touch ups). Peter point blank stated how he would love to become a member of either CAEA or ACTRA but has had experienced some challenges to achieve these goals. For example, members of ACTRA or CAEA may apply for non-union jobs without their union knowing. Again, Peter wanted to clarify that not all do it, only some. He doesn’t like that because he doesn’t just get to go to ACTRA auditions as a non-union actor, but Peter lets it go because he gets enough acting gigs each year to keep him happy. He shared something rather amusing that happened recently. Peter was told he could earn his ACTRA status on a film, if he chose to do so, by appearing semi-nude in one scene. Did he do it? “No, I chose not to do that” he said with a chuckle and offered no explanation because neither he nor I felt one was necessary. In his 40s, Peter was so disheartened by what he was seeing in the corporate world that he quit a lucrative job and decided immediately to pursue his passion in becoming an actor. The challenge? He never discussed with his wife what he wanted to do. If you are in a relationship: “Never, ever, make rash decisions like this without consulting your spouse or partner first. My best year as an actor was $9400, embarrassing, but true as it was not enough to pay the bills around the house.” Nappo fondly recalls his first Equity show at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre: ‘Paradise by the River’ written by Vittorio Rossi in 1998. Tony had met Vittorio where he had seen him in a couple of films, nothing major. When actor Richard Zeppieri wasn’t available for ‘Paradise’, Rossi thought of Tony for the role instead. Tony auditioned and called this first Equity show a great experience in a real house with audiences that were more than just family and friends. Up to this point, Tony had only done some Summer Works shows, even a Fringe and Rhubarb. He was working a lot in film and tv at the time playing what he called ‘bullshit, nothing roles’. In the Festival shows, Tony said he was playing a couple of interesting things, but his focus hadn’t been on theatre at all. He then realized that if he wanted to do anything on stage, any acting that was more than three lines or holding a gun, he had to act on stage. It was a joy to be on the stage for this momentous occasion in his life as Tony was getting paid to do something for which he was passionate. Does Mazzucco hold any regrets that perhaps he should have taken that same route to Manhattan as Nappo or to LAMDA when he had the opportunity? “No, I don’t have any regrets at all as I got married and my wife and I have a beautiful daughter. I also turned down a lead role in a TV drama funded by the CBC for family reasons. The drama was nominated for three Canadian Screen awards. Family responsibilities plus work responsibilities placed that part of my life on a different shelf at that time.” Now that his daughter is in her teens, Mazzucco continues his involvement in the arts through participation in community theatre and in short films because he doesn’t want to look back on this part of his life with regret knowing he wanted to perform but didn’t do it. Several years ago, I’d seen his work in Whitby Courthouse Theatre’s poignantly moving production of ‘August: Osage County’ and in ‘Mambo Italiano’ where Peter was nominated for a community theatre Thea award (the highest achievement for community theatre performance in Central Ontario) for his performance. And I found what Tony had to say next enlightening for me regarding involvement in community theatre and non-union work. While he doesn’t make a point of attending non-union or community theatre, Tony reminded Peter and me that if you just want to act, remain non-union. Tony is the first person to admit he doesn’t judge people and is aware that, yes, there are probably some good non-union actors out there; however, if you want to make any money, to make credits in theatre that count, if you want to be seen in ‘shit’ on stage that people attend and go to, you have to go union. If you don’t, it’s not like you’re a nobody or your work isn’t valuable or you’re nothing, but it doesn’t carry the same weight. Tony acknowledged that he tries to support his friends and what they’re doing and doesn’t care wherever they’re doing it either non-union or community. He has seen some good work outside the union and spoke of a nice little show he saw in Hamilton a couple of years ago, but Tony is not interested in it, doesn’t seek out non-union work or community theatre or wouldn’t do it because union acting is what Tony does for a living. Tony also firmly stated that he’s not against people who perform in non-union/community theatre shows, but the assumption is “The best people are performing on union stages.” At the same time, there are some union productions Tony does not attend. The Stratford Festival is one he acknowledged where nothing there interests him at all either. Tony is interested in what he wants to do and the people he wants to work with, and that’s the stuff he primarily focuses on – watching people he respects, watching people he wants to work with, keeping track of theatres that interest him. He’s not going to work for no money through non-union or community theatre because he can’t afford it. Tony finished by saying it doesn’t mean that he doesn’t respect the work that is done on the non-union/community theatre stage or certain professional stages, it just means he chooses not to follow it, and doesn’t offer any explanation for it. I don’t seek out Tony’s reason because none is necessary. Peter got involved in community theatre to get his feet wet again after being involved in it while at university. He spoke about some work he performed at Alumnae Theatre; however, he sees his involvement in community theatre coming to an end. Both he and Tony spoke about some of the non-union Toronto houses that produce good work, and Alumnae is one. Another one both guys spoke of was the Leah Posluns Theatre. At the end of the day, Tony states that an actor should act and, until Peter gets to act on the union stages, he should act on ‘whatever fucking stage he wants’ because an actor is always learning, and always growing especially since Peter has been in the corporate world for over twenty years. Once this pandemic is lifted, Peter is quite serious about becoming a member of both CAEA and ACTRA because he wants to have a career that he enjoys and loves. This is not to say that the union actor will have a cozy life. Here in Canada, it is difficult to be an actor and rich and famous, unlike Hollywood, California. Earlier in summer 2020, I held an interview with Lucie Arnaz Luckinbill where she stated the industry at times is not all sunshine and autographs. There are down times where a union actor/artist may not work at all and that’s scary in not knowing money is coming in to live on. Tony bravely and honestly spoke about some of his personal struggles and demons he has overcome throughout his career. I thanked him for his candour in sharing them with Peter and me. And I can’t wait to see his next project whether it’s on stage or in film. I plan to follow Peter Mazzucco’s journey carefully from non-union/community theatre performer to union actor. Previous Next

Back 'The Lehman Trilogy' by Stefano Massini and adapted by Ben Power Now onstage at Toronto's Bluma Appel Theatre Credit: Dahlia Katz Joe Szekeres ‘An epic drama of an informative and entertaining theatre experience.” An epic three-act, three-hour, two-intermission play, ‘The Lehman Brothers’ follows the lives of three immigrant brothers when they arrived in America in 1840. As the years progressed, the brothers and their descendants founded a banking/investment firm right through to the company's collapse in the major recession in 2008. Three actors play the three brothers and all the roles, from their children to their grandchildren. Canadian Stage’s production is visually extravagant, thanks to Dana Osborne’s expertly framed period costumes, Steve Lucas’s intently focused lighting design and Camellia Koo’s vast set design of epic proportions. The production features three of our country’s finest artists: Ben Carlson (Henry), Graeme Somerville (Emmanuel), and Jordan Pettle (Mayer). Henry is referred to as The Head. Emmanuel is known as The Arm, while Mayer is known as the Potato. Directed with a clear purpose and vision in seeing the grand machinations of the world of finance by Philip Akin who knows a thing or two about creating a theatrical experience, ‘Lehman’ resonates not just with Americans or Canadians but with anyone who dreams big and is willing to put everything on the line to achieve that goal. Henry, Mayer, and Emmanuel are Bavarian Jewish immigrants with big plans. In the first act, they succeed in the cotton industry in Alabama. However, the arrival of the American Civil placed a kibosh on their cotton industry with the rightful eradication of slavery. The second and third acts involve forming and expanding the brothers' investment/banking firm. Granted, I don’t understand everything about the world of finance that I probably should at this stage in my life. Some of the information shared in the dialogue proverbially went in one ear and out the other as my brain went into plot overload. Nevertheless, the precarious highs and lows of the banking industry and all the interconnectedness therein are admirably captured on stage. This CanStage production makes for an informative and entertaining theatre treat. Carlson, Somerville and Pettle are extraordinary. They command the stage in their primary and, subsequently, their secondary roles with grit and determination. Each presents a character of sharp and vigorous detail, and as Akin writes in his Director’s Programme Note: “[the brothers came to] a place where dreams can be achieved if you work hard/where opportunity is all around you if you can only see it.” One memorable segment is Pettle’s recreation of the voices of several people. A necessary comic moment to help balance the heavy drama, but it accurately shows how Pettle, Somerville and Carlson always remain in grounded control of their performances. The first line of the play – “He had been dreaming of America”, for some reason, made me think of Arthur Miller’s tragic Willy Loman, the failed salesman who dreams of corporate America and how he wanted to walk out wealthy from it, but sadly doesn’t. This connection remained as I listened to Stefano Massani’s wordy play (with Ben Powers’ adaptation) unfold before me. I couldn’t shake the connection to Willy Loman from my mind as it became further emphasized in studying Koo’s extensive set design. There was so much to study, but I couldn’t because I didn’t want to distract my attention from the story’s action. Nevertheless, the connection to Willy is heightened by seeing the feet of what appeared to be individuals from long ago running along the apron of the stage. Do these feet belong to all Willy Lomans from long ago upon whom the story of the Lehman Brothers is built? At first, it’s shocking to see these appendages, especially watching Pettle, Carlson, and Somerville ascend and descend the set’s varied reconstructions. Further careful consideration makes a lot of sense that it just might be what Koo intends. I also wondered if she was making a critical connective comment to the First Nations Peoples and their first footprints upon which the lives and businesses of North America are set today. Final Comments: A visual solid historical commentary of the wonders and blunders of corporate America punctuated by strong performances. Go and see it. A talkback or pre-show chat might also be advantageous. Running time: approximately 3 hours with two intermissions. ‘The Lehman Trilogy’ runs until December 2 at The Bluma Appel Theatre, 27 Front Street East. For tickets, visit canadianstage.com or call 416-368-3110. CANADIAN STAGE presents the Canadian premiere of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY, written by Stefano Massini and adapted by Ben Power Director: Philip Akin Assistant Director: Jordan Laffrenier Set Designer: Camilla Koo Costume Designer: Dana Osborne Lighting Designer: Steve Lucas Sound Designer: Miquelon Rodriguez Movement Designer: Alexis Milligan Dialect Coach: Jane Gooderham Cultural Consultant: Diane Flacks and Miriam Borden Stage Manager: Matthew MacInnis The Cast: Ben Carlson, Jordan Pettle, Graeme Somerville Previous Next

Back Nora McLellan Moving Forward ---- Joe Szekeres Performing artist Nora McLellan made me laugh quite a bit during our one hour Zoom conference call. She has certainly tried to stay positive in these long eight months. Well, Nora, please keep up your sense of humour in looking at things as sharing it with others is a gift indeed. I’m quite impressed with Nora’s background as a Canadian performing artist. She acted in JOHN for THE COMPANY THEATRE. Additionally, she has performed in some outstanding productions including AUGUST: OSAGE COUNTY at the Arts Club in Vancouver, THE MATCHMAKER at The Stratford Festival, MRS. WARREN’S PROFESSION and GYPSY at The Shaw Festival, and THE STONE ANGEL at Canadian Stage and London, Ontario’s GRAND THEATRE to name a few. Thanks again, Nora, for an enjoyable discussion and conversation: It has been an exceptionally long eight months since the pandemic began, and now the numbers are edging upward again. How are you feeling about this? Will we ever emerge to some new way of living? I was thinking about what it would be like the first time we go to a theatre and we see somebody shake hands or stage. Or hug on stage. Will it be a period piece, or will it be shocking? Will it be a sense memory? So these are the kinds of questions that occupy my thoughts when I go for walks. I think about those little noticing details. What we are in right now is the new way of living, I guess I would say. For me, living in Niagara means I am able to go for walks in the country. When I go to see my guy in Toronto, we try to go on interesting urban hikes. Two weekends we went to Downsview Park, an urban park where the airbase was. I hadn’t been here before. There were other people around but we were miles away from everyone as we walked. So, this new way of living means it’s quiet, I will say that (Nora laughs). Some new way of living is here right now. How have you been faring? How has your immediate family been doing during these last eight months? How have I been doing? There have been some personal struggles but I’m doing okay. I’ve been doing an astonishing amount of walking for me, at least 5-6 miles a day. So that is something that I feel I have to do, I feel as if I have to go walking daily. I’ve got headphones and listen to the CBC or podcasts or just take off all the external accoutrements and just listen to the sounds of the birds. It’s been very interesting. I got home in March and I’ve been really watching the seasons. Because I’m not usually here as much as I am this year, I’ve seen the same trees go through spring, summer, fall and then descending into winter. And I guess I’m going to be here to see your spring again aren’t I, Tree? (she says with a laugh and so do I) There are colleagues of mine in horrible situations in terms of health and personal things. My ‘chosen’ family are in Louisiana, Oakville, and Alberta. My guy Ted has his job as a Systems Administrator. He’s working from home 9-5 Monday – Friday in Toronto. Everybody just seems to be plodding along. My family are my closest friends that I picked. As an artist within the performing arts community, what has been the most difficult and/or challenging thing for you professionally and personally? During this time, it would be the lack of routine from working. Luckily, I have been working a lot in recent years. I miss that – warming up in the theatre, working on the text, the camaraderie. I miss watching other actors work or at work. I miss how a director works. I love Tech Week and I miss Tech Week. Some of us from Vancouver once a month will participate in Zoom calls and just to talk stuff. I miss the critical thought about the work. The thing about theatre is we’re filled with stories of all kinds. The short answer: “I miss it all.” Were you in preparation, rehearsals, or any planning stages of productions before everything was shut down? What has become of those projects? Will they see the light of day anytime soon? Yes, I was. I’m sincerely hoping that some of these projects will continue in the future. Fingers crossed, here’s hoping. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time? I am Ontario Councillor for Actors’ Equity Association. We have a lot of meetings and depending on how many committees I’m on, I’m busy in reading a lot of documents. Walking and Zoom therapy! Any words of wisdom or advice you might /could give to fellow performers and colleagues? What message would you deliver to recent theatre school graduates who have now been set free into this unknown and uncertainty given the fact live theaters and studios might be closed for 1 ½ - 2 years? Well, I don’t know necessarily if I’m a very wise person. At Equity, there’s a Mental Health Wellness Task Force, and the committee has been calling on the senior members of Equity to check in on how they’re doing. Many of the more senior members are saying: “We’re used to this uncertainty, this pause. It’s the young theatre graduates you should be contacting.” For the graduates, this time of the pandemic is a crash course in how to live in uncertainty and how to keep going. I’m incredibly impressed by my colleagues and how they have shifted to other professions in the interim while staying firmly planted in the live theatre/entertainment industry. And my colleagues have adapted to the digital world and how that adaptation has now become a part of theatre. The astonishing amount of people from across the country who have the ability (which I don’t and which is why it impresses me) to sit down and decide to discover how they can still create during this time of shutdown in the industry. I don’t have that ability. Someone has to tell me to do something, and I do it. For the young creators out there, talk about being put into a box and punch your way out of it. This is the time to realize, “Okay, I’ve been put into a pandemic lockdown box. How do I punch and do something?” It’s an extraordinary time and to the young performers I say, “if you’ve got it, go for it.” Do you see anything positive stemming from Covid 19? Yes, I do. The ability to take care of each other and to be kind to each other. In the arts community, I find them to be a very caring group. It seems right now that when our friends and colleagues are going through difficult times on top with the isolation, there is a great desire to reach out. That kindness, support, and idea for being thrilled for a colleague when a part is offered to them is rewarding. It’s not much of why didn’t I get that role or that part? Instead, it’s triple fold excitement for our colleague who was offered work in the industry during this time. The professional and community theatres are caring groups. Ted was involved in community theatre. It was important for him. I think the world of community theatre – people who donate their time for weekend and evening rehearsals do it for the love of it. They are a caring group. They really love what they’re doing, and it is this hope that I see stemming from Covid. Do you think Covid 19 will have some lasting impact on the Toronto/Canadian/North American performing arts scene? There’s been such a huge shift in the arts world, and a well-timed shift. There’s a new generation. I think the people that are showing that kind of leadership – the festivals have all demonstrated that. I’ve been seeing things happen right across the land. It’s incredible to me that I was streaming a show from the Arts Club in Vancouver the other night, watching Natasha Mumba in ‘acts of faith’ the other night. I was streaming something from California the other night that involved an acting lab from my teacher, Uta Hagen. I see a lasting impact in a deeper connection we will make with each other when we’re allowed back into the room and the performance space and utilizing the digital techniques and elements that were already in use. A few years ago, at the Blyth Festival, I saw ‘The Last Donnelly’ co-created by Gil Garratt and Paul Thompson with beautiful slide and digital work by Beth Kates similar to live music mixing in concerts. I think this is the future and it is fascinating. Some artists have turned to You Tube and online streaming to showcase their work. What are your comments and thoughts about streaming? Is this something that the actor/theatre may have to utilize going forward into the unknown? Believe me, as a Councillor for Equity, this is an ongoing discussion especially these days. It’s a new world. I’ve seen some incredible work. One of the first things I saw in lockdown was a terrific performance at Factory Theatre with Kevin Hanchard in HOUSE. It worked. It was as if Kevin was talking to us. Then I saw Daniel McIvor, the playwright of HOUSE, perform the play in Cape Breton in August. Wonderful production with Daniel as well. Two streamed productions that were incredibly different, but that’s the mark of a great play. That kind of stuff has been eye opening. The Stratford filmed productions have been a tonic for us. I’ve also seen live concerts at Shaw where we were socially distant. Something that I truly miss as I was watching a streamed performance the other night – I miss being in the audience. I miss the shared experience. I miss being with Ted and knowing that we, as an audience, collectively receive something together that particular night. I still get it when I watch a performance digitally but being with people in the room is really something that cannot be replaced. We’re both on the same page, but ACTRA and EQUITY have to figure out the compensation element which is wobbly. People want to get out to do something but not being paid….it’s such a challenging issue right now. Despite all this fraught tension and confusion, what is it about performing that Covid will never destroy for you? Destroy? This question sounds like such a Game of Thrones kind of thing. (Nora laughs). To me, I’m just getting warmed up. I hope I’m part of the Canadian Theatre fabric when we all get out of this pandemic. What cannot be destroyed is my desire to be on stage. I feel like I’m just in the wings ready. I’m hoping I speak for so many of colleagues. Our love of telling stories and being part of the ritual of theatre – there’s nothing like it. Previous Next

Back Aaron LaVigne Canadian Chat Bond Theatrical Joe Szekeres Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice’s ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ is on its 50th anniversary tour. Where did the years go? It might seem a bit odd to see the production as we enter Advent and the Christmas season for Catholics and Christians, but this is a milestone…fifty years. I must thank artist Aaron LaVigne who plays Jesus in this production that comes to Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre for taking the time to be profiled for this series. He is an actor-singer-songwriter originally from Cincinnati & based in NYC. He is honored to be playing the iconic role of Jesus in the 50th Anniversary production of Jesus Christ Superstar! Theater Highlights: Broadway: Spider-Man. Off-Broadway: RENT. National Tour: RENT. Regional & Concerts: tick,tick...BOOM!, Jesus Christ Superstar, Civil War. Aaron writes, performs, & tours his original music & is available on all major streaming platforms. B.F.A. Northern Kentucky University. We conducted our interview via Zoom. Thank you so much for your time, Aaron. I’m looking forward to seeing the production in Toronto: Could you share the names of one teacher and one mentor for whom you are thankful. Ooooo, this is tough. We’re going to go with some OG situations here. Okay, I could not, not thank Miss Connie Saho, La Salle High School in Cincinnati, Ohio, my high school Drama teacher who, when I was a Senior, I got the bug to start doing all this stuff. She’s been pushing me to try and do this since my freshman year, and I finally did it when I was a Senior. One mentor? Oh my gosh…let’s see here…….oh, man, oh, man, oh man…I could go with another teacher in college. I’m thinking of one. I would have to say Joe Conger at Northern Kentucky University. When I first started doing theatre, he was the Chair of the department even though he never taught me. He was an amazing mentor for me and put up with all of my young antics and guided me in spite of who I was. I’m trying to think positively that we have, fingers crossed, moved forward in dealing with Covid. How have you been able to move forward from these last 18 -19 months on a personal level? How have you been changed or transformed on a personal level? Oh my God, that is a loaded answer. I think, generally speaking, my tolerance for bullshit has gone down quite a bit. I think there were a lot of things that happened during the pandemic where a lot of skeletons came out of a lot of closets. Through social media we figured out who some people were and who some weren’t. I’ve learned to take a step back from things that I couldn’t tolerate because I don’t think it’s a way to live anymore. I don’t want to be angry or upset with things that I can’t control or don’t have any say over. I just look for the good in the people around me. That’s been my biggest change, and the other one is to be a little more forgiving of everyone and for who we are under such tough circumstances. This has been a long time since this has been going on, and for lots of people who lost jobs and many industries, including mine, I think a little tolerance and a little patience goes a long way. I’m trying to take that with me and I’m hoping people around me will also practice that if I have influence on anybody at all. How have these last eighteen months of the pandemic changed or transformed you as an artist professionally? Well, I understand where you’re coming from, but I think these two questions for me are intertwined. I bring so much of myself to my artistry and commitment to it. As an artist I have empathy for the world especially for ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ and for the role I’m playing. The role requires a lot of getting knocked down in order to portray a decent version of this character. The world is fucked up right now and needs some healing and understanding, and in this particular production I try to bring that healing and understanding to my work everyday. I keep that focus because when you’re in the theatre you have to realize everyone is wearing a mask. We’re just not filling up theatres, and I don’t know people’s experiences with Covid. Many have got sick and have died. I cannot assume anything about people in the audiences out there and they can’t assume anything about me. But I can empathize with somebody out there who probably lost somebody to Covid. There’s a whole new world in which we are living right now that we have to recognize, at least I have to be able to recognize, and make that part of my reality at this point. In your professional opinion, how do you see the global landscape of professional theatre changing, adapting, and morphing as a result of these last 18 months? I think we’re seeing it right in front of our eyes. Even with our Equity union, it came out with certain protocols for performing during the pandemic. There were all these different ideas Equity and the producers had and were trying to make something happen along the way. The more they looked at it and the more watching the numbers and the waves of infection, everyone realized they required a vaccine and waited for it. Even within that there are still strict protocols – there are no backstage tours. I’m not doing any live press events as it’s all done virtually over Zoom or the phone. There are strict testing protocols for us as company members and for audiences. People still show up at the stage door for kind words of congratulations or for autographs and pictures. It’s discouraged but if we are out there we try to maintain our distance as best we can. We’re in the middle of this evolution and as it keeps going and the numbers go down and we learn to manage the virus better, I think we’re going to have to deal with this for a little while. The fact we’re doing live shows, live music and live theatre is coming back, we can see light at the tend of the tunnel. I think there’s going to be some ups and downs but there’s an evolution we’re in the middle of right now. Eventually we will get there. What intrigues/fascinates and excites Aaron LaVigne post Covid? Hmmm…post Covid? Oh wow. Hmmmm. I’m in a place in my life where the pandemic taught me to take care of myself first a little bit more. With self care, things then fall in line around you versus trying to take care of other people, or take care of your job or try to serve something without serving yourself in a way that helps you and lends better results. That fascinates and intrigues me. For me, I’m just trying to take care of myself more in regard to physical and mental health. For me, it’s opened my mind to say I don’t have to be a certain way anymore to subscribe to anything on a list as a person. That transcends me just being a theatre artist or a songwriter, I’m seeing that is a vital option for the rest of my life. At least I’m feeling that a lot more, and Covid taught me that. What disappoints, unnerves and upsets Aaron LaVigne post Covid? I’m all for independent thought. I’m all for freedom of speech and for all these things we have, these inalienable rights we have as humans, as Americans. There’s something that bothers me the most when someone doesn’t know something and they presume to know something, more so than an expert who knows something. These individuals who don’t know something sometimes speak louder than those who know something. That really bothers me and disappoints me for the bad information being spread and then perpetuating it. I don’t have any patience left for people who spread bad information and perpetuating it. It’s so easy to find bad information these days. With this tour being the 50th anniversary of ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’, how have audience reactions been so far? What is one message you hope audiences will take away from this production? Reactions have been great from audiences. It’s been really special to be able to perform this story again. Most people know the story of ‘Superstar’, but our version of the show is really fun and I think audiences are reacting in such a positive light. At this time right now in Covid, people just want to be entertained. They want to see a big band, the lights, the choreography and to hear the singers sing, scream, emote and do all of the things they do. The first time I was in a rehearsal hall with my cast was overwhelming to sing the show all the way through from top to bottom. Very overwhelming. I had to step out of the rehearsal hall for about ten minutes to compose myself and take a breath and re-evaluate everything in that moment. I’m very grateful. I think we’re doing a really great job as a cast, as a company. We hold each other in a place where there’s a bit more love and protection surrounding our company. The one message I hope audiences will take away…hmmm… that’s a tricky one as there are a lot of themes running through the show. I’m trying to answer from the show’s point of view, and not my point of view. Hmmmm…. “Hold a little bit more space for other people. Hold more space than you normally would for others.” RAPID ROUND Try to answer these in a single sentence. If you need more than one sentence, that’s not a problem. I credit the late James Lipton and “Inside the Actors’ Studio’ for this idea: If you could say one thing to one of your mentors and teachers who encouraged you to get to this point as an artist, what would it be? “I wish I would have listened to you earlier.” If you could say something to any of the naysayers in your career who didn’t think you would make it as an artist, what would that be? “Hey, how’s it goin?” (Aaron says this with a gleeful wicked smile that sends me into laughter) What’s your favourite swear word? “Fuck”. You can use it in any context, funny or angry or animalistic. It’s a great word. What is a word you love to hear yourself say? Ooooo….”Thank you.” What is a word you don’t like to hear yourself say? “No” With whom would you like to have dinner and discuss the current state of the live North American performing arts scene? President Barack Obama, by far. What would you tell your younger personal self with the knowledge and wisdom life experience has now given you? Hmmm…. “Take a breath, open your mind, open your heart.” With the professional life experience you’ve gained, what would you now tell the upcoming Aaron LaVigne from years ago who was just in the throes of beginning a career as a performing artist? “Enjoy the ride.” What is one thing you still wish to accomplish both personally and professionally? Geez…. Personally, what do I want to accomplish personally? I don’t even know…maybe have kids someday. That is something I’d like to accomplish and enjoy. Professionally? I just want to be happy doing what I’m doing. Name one moment in your professional career that you wish you could re-visit again for a short while. Hmmmm…. Wow!!!! Hmmmmm…. I worked in Hawaii for a few months as a guest artist on a cruise ship and I worked one day a week. I could go back to that moment for awhile. It was awesome. What is one thing Aaron LaVigne will never take for granted again post Covid? Any of it. All of it. I don’t take anything for granted as of this point. So much gratitude. Would Aaron LaVigne do it all again if given the same professional opportunities? Fuck, yeah!!!! (and both he and I go into laughter) You can follow Aaron on his website: www.aaronlavigne.com and on Instagram:@aaron_lavinay The 50th anniversary tour of “Jesus Christ Superstar’ is slated to run at Toronto’s Princess of Wales Theatre November 30 – January 2, 2022. For further information and to purchase tickets online, visit www.mirvish.com . Previous Next

Back Charlotte Moore Moving Forward Zak Kearns Joe Szekeres The first time I saw Charlotte Moore’s name was in the early 90s up at Town Hall 1873, Port Perry, Ontario. I saw her headshot on the wall, and someone had told me she had given a concert there sometime earlier. It was in 1990 when I had travelled with the Borelians, a local theatre group from Port Perry, to see a live production of ‘The Rocky Horror Picture Show’. I had seen it on film but never done live. I’ll always remember being told during a live performance of ‘Rocky’, the audience could shout whatever they wanted but not to throw things. It was in this production where I saw Charlotte play Janet. That year, Charlotte won the Dora Mavor Moore Award (named after her grandmother) for Janet. And I missed seeing the extraordinary production of ‘Cabaret’ at London, Ontario’s Grand Theatre in which Charlotte appeared. Darn it all! This production was slated to tour the show, but who knows what will happen with the theatres closed. I really hope I get to see this particular production. From one of her answers, you’ll see Charlotte has appeared at Drayton. I haven’t been there to review productions as of yet, but am hoping when it is safe to return to the theatre. Charlotte answered the questions via email. Thank you so much for participating: It has been an exceptionally long five months since we’ve all been in isolation, and now it appears we are slowly emerging to some new way of living. How have you been faring? How has your immediate family been doing during this time? I was alone for all of lockdown and that was very challenging. About a month ago my daughter moved back in with me so now I have someone else to cook for, which is vastly preferable! My other daughter was in that 4th year class at Sheridan that got shut down on Friday the 13th. They were all pretty devastated by the way their last year was cut so short and their final productions cancelled. I found in the beginning I was very skittish about going out, and when I did the number of people not observing protocols was maddening! I did a lot of driving for the Sewing Army that Diana Coatsworth formed to make PPE for hospitals, Homes, Clinics, etc, and then I borrowed a sewing machine so I could make the masks and scrub caps in bulk myself (a typical order would be 25 scrub caps or 50 masks). This really gave me a sense of purpose and made me feel much better about things. Felt like I was contributing instead of just hiding. As a performer, what has been the most difficult and challenging for you professionally and personally? All the cancellations. The friends I won’t/don’t get to see, the stories we won’t get to share. Also, as a person who was living alone until very recently, the lack of the companionship you get at work was pretty devastating. Were you in preparation, rehearsals, or any planning stages of productions before everything was shut down? What has become of those projects? Will they see the light of day anytime soon? Oh, yes. I was supposed to do “42nd Street” for Drayton (one of my favourite places to work) - we were gonna play Cambridge and then July in Grand Bend (which is spectacular that time of year). With a director I adore. All these very large singin’ and dancin’ shows will be, I’m sure, the last things to come back. Don’t know how long we’ll have to wait for that. Probably a couple of years. Quite bummed about it. And we were going to go back into rehearsal next month for the remarkable production of “Cabaret” we did at the Grand Theatre last year for a national tour! That’s been “postponed”, but I honestly don’t know how we can do our Show in the New Reality – it was VERY interactive. We were on top of and in the midst of the audience, so... What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time? As I said – making and delivering the masks and scrub caps to all the various places that have requested them. I also am learning the script for an existing one-person show to keep my mind working. Going on weekly Distance Walks with various friends – that really helped with the isolation. I also have done a great deal of Zoom Yoga! My favourite teacher works out of Charlottetown... Any words of wisdom or advice you might /could give to fellow performers and colleagues? What message would you deliver to recent theatre school graduates who have now been set free into this unknown and uncertainty given the fact live theaters and studios might be closed for 1 ½ - 2 years? I truly wish I had some advice to give! And the message I gave my daughter was: “This really sucks! What a way to have to start your journey – with everything on hold! It sucks!” I will tell you that the same daughter has decided to devote this time to her Side Hustle – she's going back to school for the next year to get a diploma in a practical field – she's getting her Esthetician’s Licence! I think that’s genius! So maybe that’s my advice – we all need to find another purpose. Maybe it’s just some way to make some money, but this being in Limbo thing is very bad for our mental health. Do you see anything positive stemming from Covid 19? All the revelations that are coming out about the systemic racism in our industry have been shocking and necessary. Very necessary. So we can’t go back to that. And maybe we have all learned to be a little kinder to one another. Do you think Covid 19 will have some lasting impact on the Canadian/North American performing arts scene? Definitely. It’s a very scary time, with entire seasons of large Arts Organizations being cancelled. I think a lot of people may be forced to find other industries to work in, which makes me very sad. But I do feel that this strange time has given everyone out there a stronger appreciation for the Arts in general. I really do. Some artists have turned to You Tube and online streaming to showcase their work. What are your comments and thoughts about streaming? Is this something that the actor/theatre may have to utilize going forward into the unknown? I was a huge watcher of livestreams when the whole thing started. They kept me company in a very lonely time. I’ve kind of started thinking of them as a separate art form, to be honest. They can’t replace live anything, but they are a platform for people to at least make some music! That being said, I do worry about giving it all away for free... Despite all this fraught tension and confusion, what is it about performing that Covid will never destroy for you? All of it. It may have put all our lives and careers on “hold”, but it can never take away the shows we’ve already done, the music we have already made. I am grateful that I’m older and have so many great experiences to look back on. I feel really badly for the young people – like my daughter – who were just starting out and have had to jam the brakes on. Doesn’t seem fair at all. Previous Next

Back 'The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It" written and performed by Cliff Cardinal A David Mirvish and Crow's Theatre production onstage at Toronto's CAA Theatre Dahlia Katz Joe Szekeres Background: In the fall of 2021 at Crow’s Theatre, I saw Cliff Cardinal’s smouldering ‘William Shakespeare’s As You Like It, a radical retelling’ which turned out to be a bait and switch. It was all a ruse. We were asked not to give the surprise away. I did not see ‘As You Like It’ but instead bore witness to Cardinal’s Land Acknowledgement. Was I happy about this bait-and-switch then? Absolutely not. In this time of truth, then reconciliation, this dramatic ploy did not sit well with me. I remember the variety of responses, and many were justifiably annoyed and rightly so. I counted myself among those annoyed. I get it – the bait and switch were done on our First Nations people. The atrocities and the horror at that time of the residential schools, the Catholic Church and children who were taken away from their families. Having the spirit of the First Nations beaten out of the people. Yes, this historical truth is a terrible time in Canadian history. We can’t ignore it. Cliff Cardinal allowed me to experience that same emotional impact if only for a few moments while our First Nations peoples lived with this emotional turmoil for years. But I refused to participate in the ruse at that time. When people asked me what I thought of the production, all I said was I did not see ‘As You Like It’. I saw something else and was not happy about it. If this 2021 production might be a possible indication of what is to come in future First Nations plays, how are we ever going to reconcile if we are continually pummelled and made to feel some kind of responsibility for something over which we were not present and had no control? Would ‘truth, then reconciliation’ ever be possible with our First Nations people? I held my breath in wondering if I would feel the same upon seeing tonight’s opening of this subtle evolution of the 2021 work, according to Chris Abraham, Crow’s Artistic Director and co-conspirator of the play. The Mirvish production: Gorgeous deep red curtains adorn the stage with footlights running along the apron. During the preshow soundscape, I heard birds twittering in what I imagined to be a beautiful pastoral setting akin to that in Shakespeare’s ‘As You Like It’. These are all dramatic elements that have been maintained. Cliff Cardinal enters with much applause. He is dressed comfortably in the clothes one might wear in going to have a beer with someone and just shoot the breeze about everything or anything. He’s thankful he has the opportunity to share the story with the Mirvish company, but Cardinal does one thing. He changes the title so there’s no implication or misunderstanding at all that we are involved with another ruse again. Thank you for doing that. Cardinal amiably set me at ease as he introduced what this performance would entail – a land acknowledgement about stolen land which became a metaphor to remind us to be grateful for Mother Earth. With his impish grin (which set me at ease) he still tells us how he hates land acknowledgements as he considers them patronizing. But we’re still spreading awareness of them everywhere. The question is – who should deliver these acknowledgements? I don’t have an answer to this. However, when I listen to another acknowledgement, I will certainly find out who is delivering it. Personally, in this Mirvish/Crow’s production, there’s something different compared to 2021. Cliff Cardinal doesn’t appear to reflect such a brooding intensity. Mind you, he’s still angry and rightfully as he should be because he gives us much to ponder. For example, why didn’t Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau do more when he could have done more? Why didn’t the Catholic Church do more than it did? Times and context were so different compared to now. These are questions that I hope to delve further into as I try my best to place them into context for my own understanding. Another question was raised that I don’t recall from 2021 – Are we acknowledging the land or the majestic people who wanted to live in equilibrium with nature and Mother Earth? Again, I don’t have an answer to this but it’s one that I will sit with for quite some time to think about. Final Comments: ‘The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It’ is that much-needed Canadian history lesson. I hope its messages and emotions will be heard and felt, especially in age-appropriate school settings. The production is justifiably thought-provoking and often unnerving. Listen, just listen, to what Cliff Cardinal has to say. This is the first step. Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. ‘The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It’ runs to April 2 at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge Street, Toronto. For tickets, www.mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333. DAVID MIRVISH & CROW’S THEATRE Present ‘The Land Acknowledgement or As You Like It’ Written and Performed by Cliff Cardinal Creative Co-conspirator: Chris Abraham Lighting Designer: Logan Cracknell Stage Manager: Jennifer Stobart Previous Next BACK TO TOP

Back Brenda Robins Moving Forward Tim Leyes Joe Szekeres Even before I started reviewing for professional theatre, I had the good fortune to see Canadian performer Brenda Robins in many productions of Toronto theatres over the years. I continually like to make reference to Soulpepper’s moving production of Thornton Wilder’s ‘Our Town’ where Brenda performed along with some of Canada’s finest actors. Again, I saw Brenda in a thrilling production of ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’ at Toronto’s Canadian Stage Bluma Appel Theatre. She has also appeared in several Canadian television productions including CTV’s ‘Flashpoint’ (one of my top five favourite shows) and CBC’s ‘Heartland’. A bit of online research enlightened me that Brenda has appeared across our country in some fine shows and theatres. She and her husband, actor Patrick Galligan, live in Toronto. I will profile Patrick in another article shortly: It appears that after five exceptionally long months, we are slowly, very slowly, emerging to a pre-pandemic lifestyle. Has your daily life and routine along with your immediate family’s life and routine been changed in any manner? Mostly, I feel as though I’m in the middle of a ‘between gigs’ scenario. As actors, we are lucky in that we are not unused to being out of work from time to time. In the past, we have planned a vacation if we were looking at a stretch of time off. Now, a coffee with a friend, in a park, is a big adventure and something to plan my day around. Small things are taking on more significance. Were you involved or being considered for any projects before the pandemic was declared and everything was shut down? Not a one. Just before everything shut down, I had wrapped up several days on a TV gig out west. For that, I’m grateful because it put some extra money in the bank. Earlier in the year I worked on a web series that’s hoping to shoot a second season. I’m not sure when that is going to happen. Describe the most challenging element or moment of the isolation period for you. Did this element or moment significantly impact how you and your immediate family are living your lives today? I feel most frustrated for my son who has completed his Master’s degree and, under normal circumstances, would probably be working in his dream career. Now he’s applying for any kind of work he can get – along with thousands of other people. What were you doing to keep yourself busy during this time of lockdown and isolation from the world of theatre? Since theatres will most likely be shuttered until the spring of 2021, where do you see your interests moving at this time? I’ve been doing a lot of sewing, gardening and writing: a kind of Bronte sisters’ existence. I’ve collected a lot of vintage fabric over the years and so I’ve been sewing cushions, cushions and more cushions. Couch candy, that I was hoping to sell at our local fall fair. The fair is not happening, and the cushions have taken over a room in our house and there seems to be no end in sight…. Any words of wisdom or sage advice you would give to other performing artists who are concerned about the impact of COVID-19? What about to the new theatre graduates who are just out of school and may have been hit hard? Why is it important for them not to lose sight of their dreams? That’s a hard one. I think the new graduates might fare well. Hopefully, they still have a burning desire and ambition and this period may prove to be a time of real creativity. I worry more for actors with young families and mortgages. I wish words of wisdom could ease their burdens, but I’m not convinced of that. It’s going to be a very difficult few months for some people. Sorry – not very sage advice. Do you see anything positive stemming from this pandemic? Some very creative new work is going to come out of this period, I’m sure of that. And maybe by the time we get back into our theatres we will have a greater appreciation of the power and potential of live performances. In your informed opinion, will the Canadian, Broadway and Californian performing arts scene somehow be changed or impacted on account of the coronavirus? I just hope theatres survive. Time will tell. What are your thoughts about streaming live productions? As we continue to emerge and find our way back to a new perspective of daily life, will live streaming become part of the performing arts scene in your estimation? Have you been participating, or will you participate in any online streaming productions soon? I think streaming is a different beast altogether. I’m enjoyed some of the work I’ve seen online, but it’s not the same as the experience one has watching a live performance. What is it about performing you still love given all the change, the confusion and the drama surrounding our world now? I look forward to performing again, in a theatre, with an audience. I find gathering in a space with a group of strangers and sharing a communal experience to be very moving. With a respectful nod to ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ and the late James Lipton, here are the 10 questions he asked his guests at the conclusion of his interviews: a. What is your favourite word? It’s two words actually – ‘Quelle Emboutiellage’ which means ‘What a traffic jam”. It’s such a satisfying sequence of syllables. I like saying it to describe anything extraordinary (another good word) b. What is your least favourite word? I’m not sure…I mean, I really don’t have an answer for that. c. What turns you on? A really good action movie. d. What turns you off? Bullying…and impatience e. What sound or noise do you love? Waves f. What sound or noise bothers you? Car horns g. What is your favourite curse word? Fuck h. What profession, other than your own, would you have liked to attempt? If I had the talent, I would have liked to be a visual artist. Large canvases. i. What profession would you not like to do? A podiatrist. j. If Heaven exists, what do you hope God will say to you as you approach the Pearly Gates? “Head straight through to the left. Your friends and family are waiting.” Previous Next

Back Is God Is by Aleshea Harris, Canadian Premiere Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre (formerly Berkeley Street Theatre) Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre (formerly Berkeley Street Theatre) Joe Szekeres At times Tarantinoesque while at other times spaghetti westernish, Aleshea Harris’s ‘Is God Is’ fiercely tackles the quest for retributive justice One of the elements of live theatre that I have so dearly missed is how its immediate visual impact can deliver such intense emotions that have left me breathless. These visual impacts can say so much in so little and can say so much in a lot. The visual impacts of Aleshea Harris’s opening night ‘Is God Is’ became a hell of a jarring ride that I so desperately wanted to finish watching because I became invested in the lives of each of these characters, their warts and all, and I wanted to see what happened to them. And just like in any Quentin Tarantino film or the Sergio Leone 60s spaghetti westerns, things don’t always end up the way they should. And that’s the appeal of these two aforementioned film genres which made people go to the movies. And that’s why you should get yourselves to ‘Is God Is’, a blistering mythic tale of a quest to right wrongs that were committed. Director Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu’s programme note explains some important elements of which we are not to lose sight: “‘Is God Is’ takes the experiences of Black women and Black people and mythologizes them and creating a story that is …fuelled with a propulsive action that most certainly brings this story to life.” Otu’s creatively innovative and imaginative vision thrusts this quixotic tale to become a powerhouse and provocative thriller with first class performers who seize their scenes with great aplomb. But underneath this layer lies a societal issue of importance to remember. A reminder though this opening night performance was difficult both to watch and to hear as there are some implied nasty moments and some true to life actions where violence occurs. Yet when I shut my eyes momentarily because I didn’t want to envision what was happening, merely hearing and listening to the action just heightened the scene exponentially in my mind even further. There are disconcerting times throughout the 90-minutes where I found myself either laughing or smiling and then recoiling wondering why that was amusing. For me, that’s the sign of good drama when we can be made to feel uncomfortable in what we are watching. And we keep watching for that very reason. Twins Racine and Anaia (superlative performances by Oyin Oladejo and Vanessa Sears) receive a letter to visit their mother identified as She (tour de force work by Alison Sealy-Smith) who never leaves her hospital bed as she suffers from burned singed flesh caused by her ex- husband (unnerving work by Tyrone Benskin) identified as Man who has now re-married. The matriarchal order comes from She: “Make your Daddy dead. Dead. Dead. Dead” since he is responsible for both her physical burned scars and theirs when the twins were babies. Racine and Anaia literally take their mother at her words and the carnage quest for revenge begins from the Dirty South to the Hollywood Hills. Letting no one stand in their way, Racine and Anaia uncover the secrets of the mysterious fire that tore their family apart decades earlier. ‘Is God Is’ though is not just merely a story simply of revenge. It has festered for years caused through familial and societal neglect and abandonment whereby the experiences of the play’s characters become “unapologetic and free” as Director Otu stated in her Programme Notes. Remarkably impressive supporting work both on stage and behind the scenes make ‘Is God Is’ an unforgettable production. As sleazy, drunken lawyer Chuck Hall, Matthew G. Brown creepily made my skin crawl. Sabryn Rock as Man’s second wife, Angie, inherently just knows something is not right but continues living the life she knows. My Co-operative Education student and invited guest laughed out loud at Angie hollering at her two sons, Scotch (Savion Roach) and Riley (Micah Woods), to help bring the groceries up from the car as she said that is true to life what it’s like in trying to get young boys to help with the groceries. Again, my Co-Operative Education reiterated how she has real personal experience with her younger brothers. In speaking further about Scotch and Riley, I smiled in recognizing the ironic and humorous connection playwright Harris makes between Racine and Anaia and Man’s twin sons with Angie. A few moments of needed comic relief for me in this scene where Roach as Scotch swimmingly eats up his moment in proving he’s going to be the next rad rap writer, but realistically isn’t. Micah Woods’s amusing fascination with making and eating arugula salad continues to offer once again that much needed few minutes to laugh before the story continues its narrative a la Greek mythology. Raha Javanfar’s lighting design beautifully and stark neon and white fluorescent glows both heighten while subtly underscoring dramatic moments, when necessary, especially when there is the suggestion of blood, oh so much blood. Ken MacKenzie’s functional set design of the two gates worked well in framing the story like a book. As the audience is introduced to the various chapter titles of this myth, the gates both open and close like a child’s storybook as the sisters travel in meeting people. Laura Warren’s Projection Designs of the various locales effectively introduced the locale setting and the title of the chapter. Ming Wong’s costumes suitably delineated the various characters and their idiosyncrasies. Final Comments: Sometimes aggressively assertive in its storytelling with moments of essential humour, the strength of this ‘Is God Is’ lies in its denoting the voices of marginalized individuals who so desperately crave to be heard in a world that doesn’t appear to listen and hear society’s inherent problems and issues. Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. Covid protocols in effect at the theatre Production runs to May 22 at the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street Toronto. For tickets, visit www.canadianstage.com or call 416-368-3110 IS GOD IS by Aleshea Harris Canadian Premiere An Obsidian Theatre Company, Necessary Angel Theatre Company and Canadian Stage Co-production Directed By Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu Assistant Director: daniel jelani ellis With Tyrone Benskin, Matthew G Brown, Oyin Oladejo, Savion Roach, Sabryn Rock, Alison Sealy-Smith, Vanessa Sears, Micah Woods Stage Manager: Emilie Aubin Assistant Stage Manager: Ada Aguilar Lighting Designer: Raha Javanfar Set Designer: Ken Mackenzie Sound Designer: Thomas Ryder Payne Costume Designer: Ming Wong Video Designer: Laura Warren Movement Director: Jaz 'Fairy J' Simone Casting Consultant: Hannah Antaki Previous Next

Back Welcome to 'Our Theatre Voice' A Long Awaited Launch Joe Szekeres Joe Szekeres April 19, 2022 Welcome to ‘Our Theatre Voice’. First off, an enormous thank you to Grade 12 Co-operative Education student, Elodie Hraynyk. I wouldn’t have had a clue on how to format and to set up this website without her assistance and knowledge in knowing which buttons to push, where to click or whom to contact. Elodie’s continued interest in helping me to build this website and for keeping me calm and rational when I got confused kept me laughing and from wanting to pull out what little hair I have left on my head. Well, I never thought I would have my own theatre website, but here it is. A memorable and personal experiential journey now begins. First, a huge thank you to two individuals who have encouraged me in pursuing this task - Will McGuirk from Durham Region’s Slowcity and Chris Peterson from On Stage Blog. Thank you both for the encouragement, the opportunity to write, the opportunity to make many mistakes and learn from them and, most importantly, TO KEEP GOING in writing reviews and commentaries. The next thank you goes to critic Lynn Slotkin. I’ve read many of her reviews over the years and have always respected her well-regarded look on all things theatre-related. I’ve taken two review writing workshops with Lynn through the now-defunct Theatre Ontario. She has been my go-to when I’ve had inquiries and questions about the professional live theatre scene in Toronto and beyond. Lynn, thank you for the continued and valued feedback. I also wish to thank Aisling Murphy from Intermission Magazine for the productive and encouraging feedback. When I say the journey has been memorable, that it has truly been. We all have our stories with Covid. I wish to thank those professional theatre artists who agreed to share some of their life stories in their profiles through OnStage Blog. I also wish to thank those artists who endorsed my work on said Profiles. One of my plans for this site is to continue highlighting the professional artist here in ‘Our Theatre Voice’. Finally, as we slowly emerge from this pandemic with potential future waves, it is so vitally important that we continue to support professional and local live theatre within our cities and communities. David Rabjohn and I here in Ontario will keep you posted on the dramatic scene while East Coast blogger and reviewer, Aaron Kropf, will showcase the work of artists out there. Wishing everyone all good things theatre-wise as we move forward. Joe Founder, Editor and Publisher of ‘Our Theatre Voice’ Previous Next

Back Jesus Christ Superstar Now on stage in the Springer Theatre at the Thousand Islands Playhouse, 185 South Street, Gananoque Credit: Randy deKleine-Stimpson. Pictured in foreground: Nico Solarte as Judas. In background: Michael Cox as Jesus and Melissa MacKenzie as Mary Magdalene. Joe Szekeres “A co-production with Thousand Islands Playhouse and Western Canada Theatre that understands Jesus Christ as counter-cultural in the past and present. Some fascinating and clever directorial choices create visually beautiful pictures and emotional moments.” The 1000 Islands Playhouse bills its co-production with Western Canada Theatre as an “explosive, dynamic telling of the last week of Jesus’ life, full of iconic music, exhilarating dance, and stirring performances. [Superstar is a ‘quintessential rock musical] story of passion and betrayal following the exuberant faith of Jesus’ followers, the betrayal of Judas, and the devastating finale.” Loosely based on the Four Gospels of the Passion of Jesus Christ (Michael Cox) in his last week of life, much of the plot of ‘Superstar’ centers on the brooding disciple Judas (Nico Solarte), who becomes dissatisfied with how Jesus steers his disciples. (ADDENDUM: I have received word from Artistic Director Brett Christopher the sound issues have been fixed and that the artists can be heard. Wonderful news.) There’s good stuff happening on the Springer stage in telling this iconic Catholic-Christian story, both vocally and in performance delivery. There are moments when Andrew Lloyd Webber’s haunting music and Tim Rice’s poignant lyrics convey a direct message. When this happens, it becomes electrifying as I can feel the hair on my arms and the back of my neck stand right up. Music Director Clare Wyatt captures the vocal intensity nicely in the moving rendition of 'Gethsemane.' 'Judas's Death' becomes mesmerizing as the technical elements of sound, design, and actor performance all come together to highlight the wayward disciple's final complete understanding of Christ's influence and the perils of his going against it. This co-production effectively showcases Christ's enduring influence as counter-cultural, both in the past and present. It's truly electrifying when it occurs. The intimate stage at Springer Theatre is well-suited to Robert Sondergaard's scaffold set design, featuring three significant exits and entrances that are used to purposeful advantage. Unlike in a large auditorium where scaffolding might obstruct the view, the audience can easily see the characters' facial expressions as they enter. There is no need for teleprompters to watch the action. Sondergaard's lighting shades are often sharply focused, incorporating shadows and darkened areas to underscore a scene's mood. This is particularly noticeable in the second act, during the scenes in the Garden of Gethsemane and the 39 Lashes when the soldiers carry out their commanded actions towards Jesus. Stephanie Kong has done her homework in costume designs and made confident choices. Michael Cox's blue shirt symbolizes international peace, which is quite fitting. Nico Solarte's dark-coloured costumes depict a brooding young man. The earth-tone colours worn by the ensemble members are also a good choice. The apostles are portrayed as working-class, ordinary men, and their costumes of subtle tears and gentle rips reflect that, another good choice. Nicol Spinola's choreography is executed with precision. There is thoughtful consideration behind the ensemble's movements when the lyrics are heard. The staging of Christ attempting to heal the lepers remains captivating. Director James MacDonald sculpts a clear and clever vision that brings Christ to the people, not the other way around (as Christians are called to do). MacDonald uses effective stage techniques to show the audience where they are in the story. For example, during the Last Supper, ensemble members hold a white linen tablecloth to give the illusion of a table being present when it is not. The '39 Lashes' remains visually breathtaking. I put my pen away in my notebook and watched with simultaneous fascination and repulsion. The energetic and lively ensemble enters from the back of the house at the top of Act One for ‘What’s The Buzz.’ That’s a solid choice because the audience can’t help but not get involved in the euphoria. That also occurs in ‘Hosanna.’ Rob Torr's Pilate is a standout in the show. Torr sings with clear restraint, and his strong intensity and physical presence show that he should not be provoked. Oliver Castillo delivers a playful and campy King Herod. Melissa MacKenzie remains a comforting Mary Magdalene, despite her true nature. However, there are moments in MacKenzie's vocal delivery where she over-emphasizes the vibrato of her voice. It becomes distracting and takes away from the impact of the lyrics. Nico Solarte delivers a rock-star standout performance as Judas. His passionate portrayal of despair and anger truly shines. Michael Cox also impresses with his portrayal of The Christ, exuding subdued regality and charming charisma. The final image of ‘The Crucifixion’ is indelibly etched, with Cox divinely capturing the full implication of the Biblical reference: “It is finished. Father, into your hands, I commend my spirit.” The conclusion of the production is convincingly uplifting, and as a practicing Catholic, it resonates deeply in my heart, reminding me that death is not the end. A Final Thought: In his Director’s Programme Note, MacDonald writes how ‘Superstar’s’ messages of love, forgiveness, acceptance and peace are at the heart of the story. Yet these messages can also be pulled apart by those threatened by them or seek to use them to their own ends. This co-production beautifully highlights MacDonald's former thought. I hope the Playhouse has reached out to all local Christian/Catholic parishes to invite parishioners to share in a story that still needs to be experienced in our troubled world. Running time: approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes with one interval/intermission. ‘Jesus Christ Superstar’ runs until October 27 at the Springer Theatre, 185 South Street, Gananoque. For tickets, visit 1000islandsplayhouse.com or call (613) 382-7020. THE THOUSAND ISLANDS PLAYHOUSE, in co-production with WESTERN CANADA THEATRE, presents JESUS CHRIST SUPERSTAR Music by Andrew Lloyd Webber and Lyrics by Tim Rice Director: James MacDonald Music Director: Clare Wyatt Choreographer: Nicol Spinola Set/Lighting Designer: Robert Sondergaard Costume Designer: Stephanie Kong Sound Designer: Steve Marsh Stage Manager: Laurel Oneil Band: Clare Wyatt, Michael Capon, Sean Donaldson, Alex Panneton, Winston Vinh Performers: Michael Cox, Nico Solarte, Oliver Castillo, Melissa MacKenzie, Alex Wierzbicki, Lauren Bowler, William Lincoln, David Michael Moote, Rob Torr, Jillian Mitsuko Cooper, Ryan Maschke. Previous Next

Back 'TINA: THE TINA TURNER MUSICAL' Book by Katori Hall With Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins Now onstage at Toronto's Ed Mirvish Theatre. Credit: Matthew Murphy & Evan Zimmerman for MurphyMade, 2022. Pictured: Zurin Villanueva as Tina Joe Szekeres ‘This North American tour’s engaging story reminds us of the resiliency of womanhood. Simply the best is one way to describe this tour. Zurin Villanueva is a temptress in song and movement as Tina.” Toronto Star Culture reporter Joshua Chong recently wrote a pre-show article for the North American tour stop in Toronto about the role of the beloved Rock ‘n Roll Queen: “The role is so demanding that…the part (of Tina) is split between two actors, Zurin Villanueva and Ari Groover, with each performing four of the eight shows.” After a sensational opening night with Villanueva in the role, I most certainly understand why that decision was made. Tina Turner's role is physically and vocally demanding. The artist rarely leaves the stage. Sometimes, the actor may leave with a flourish and reappear in another costume or stylized hair. Ah, the magic of the theatre. When it’s good, it’s good. When it’s grand, it’s grand. This production is grand. Simply grand. No, wait, it’s simply the best. The Mirvish website describes the show as an inspirational woman breaking barriers and becoming the Queen of Rock ‘n Roll. It truly is just that. The story begins when the mega superstar is about to go on stage for one of her concerts. We find her quietly reciting a Buddhist chant. Next, the story flashes back to her hometown of Nutbush, Tennessee, where a young Tina-born Anna Mae Bullock (Brianna Cameron, at this performance) sings joyfully at the local community church gathering, much to the embarrassment of her mother Zelma (Roz White). Zelma and her husband, Richard (Kristopher Stanley Ward), do not get along. When he physically assaults her, Zelma takes Anna Mae’s older sister, Alline (Natalia Nappo, at this performance), leaving the young Anna Mae to be raised by her Gran Georgeanna (Carla R. Stewart). Years later, Gran encourages the young and hopeful Anna to go to Memphis to record an album. Anna goes to St. Louis to stay with her mother and sister, Alline (Shari Washington Rhone, at this performance). The impressionable Anna Mae has rarely experienced nightlife in the big city, so she and her older sister go to a nightclub where Ike Turner (Deon Releford-Lee) and his band are playing. Anna Mae is encouraged to get up on the stage and sing with Ike. He becomes enamoured with the young woman’s voice and then goes to Zelma to ask permission for Anna Mae to join the band. Ike then changed the young woman’s name to Tina Turner and the band's name to the Ike and Tina Turner Revue. The story continues with the downward spiral of a highly possessive and jealous Ike, who becomes enraged over Tina’s popularity before and after marriage. This is most evident when manager Phil Spector (Eric Siegle) wants to record Tina solo. The second act involves the divorced and struggling Tina Turner, who does her best to make a comeback in the industry and her tenacity in wanting to do so. Her manager, Rhonda (Sarah Bockel), stands by the icon. With Roger Davies (Dylan S. Wallach), an Australian producer and fan of Tina, he becomes her new manager. Rhonda stays on as Tina’s sister and confidante. Erwin Bach (John Battagliese) is also introduced. Is he a possible love interest? This touring production becomes a tremendous visual cornucopia feast for the eyes, thanks to Mark Thompson’s dazzling set and costume designs. Thompson fully uses the Mirvish stage, especially for the mini concert at the end. As the audience enters, there is a huge scrim on the stage showcasing Tina’s beautiful brown eyes. Make sure you look carefully in the eyes—the right pupil resembles a crucifix, while the left is a star. A most apt and essential Christian juxtaposition is here before the performance begins. Tina feels an inherent gratitude to God for his glory in her career. Jeff Sugg’s projection designs effectively create a specific heightened emotional ambience when needed. Bruno Poet’s lighting is crisply sharp. For the most part, Nevin Steinberg’s sound design is solid. Once again, there are some sound imbalances between the orchestra and singers, most notably in those Turner song lyrics I didn’t recognize. Hopefully, that can be rectified. Spoken dialogue can be heard. The creative team is to be applauded for its attention to detail in vocals and performances. Director Phyllida Lloyd smartly keeps Katori Hall, Frank Ketelaar and Kees Prins's book plot moving forward at an acceptable pace where the action never feels rushed. Scene transitions are smooth as the cast moves set pieces in and out. Anthony Van Laast’s choreography remains exciting and heart-pumping in the opening number ‘Nutbush City Limits.’ Nicholas Skilbeck’s musical arrangements and additional music majestically work while Music Director/Conductor Dani Lee Hutch joyfully raises the roof in several of the musical numbers: ‘River Deep-Mountain High’ and ‘I Don’t Wanna Fight No More.’ Some glorious onstage work is performed with tremendous commitment and passion. As young Anna Mae Bullock, Brianna Cameron soars in her falsetto voice in the church choir number and during the mini-concert at the end when Villanueva invites the young girl out. Carla R. Stewart is a matronly Gran Georgeanna. Roz White’s Zelma is a fighter who will not endure any mistreatment whatsoever, which becomes an ideal in the young Tina’s life later. As Tina's manager, Sarah Bocke’s Rhonda becomes the trusted confidante and sister/friend women believe they need. Potential love interest John Battagliese’s Erwin Bach makes me realize that the power of love can strike individuals whenever it can and does. Age does not control it at all. Deon Releford-Lee delivers a first-class, convincing performance as a frightening, beast-like brute, Ike Turner. The staging of Turner’s attacks on Tina, while not graphic, still manages to capture the horror and fear she must have felt against this man. Zurin Villanueva is a temptress in song and movement, just like Tina Turner. The vocals soar to the heights of the Mirvish theatre. She has the ‘Turner’ hair. Zurin adopts the hip gyrations as the audience watches the individual fringes swivel on the trademark gold lamé dress she wears at one of the concerts. But we don’t see an exact Vegas replica of the music icon. Instead, Villanueva genuinely focuses on a broken and battered woman who learns that she has only herself and her instincts to rely upon. Tina realizes in her resilient assertiveness that she gets to call the shots, and she’s more than happy to do that. That’s the beauty of ‘Tina: The Tina Turner Musical.’ And that’s the reason why everyone should see it. And Another Thought: The mini-concert is terrific and worth staying. I saw people leaving right after and not acknowledging this fine company at the curtain call. To future audiences: please don’t do that. Running time: approximately two hours and forty minutes with one interval. The production runs until July 28 at the Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria Street, Toronto. For tickets: mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333. Previous Next

Back Idomeneo Opera Atelier at the Ed Mirvish Theatre Mirvish Site Joe Szekeres As this opening night production was my first visit ever to an opera, I will be honest in stating that I had no idea what to expect. Yes, a bit of trepidation and some hesitation as well - Would I get it? Would I enjoy it? Would I return to see another opera? Much reflection last night on the GO home and today has led me to understand that Sir Lloyd Webber’s ‘The Phantom of the Opera’ pales horribly in comparison to this remarkable genre. I hold no background whatsoever in opera so I will not make any comments on the singing except to say that it was exceptionally superior to anything that I have heard before. I will make comments on the theatricality and the staging of the production. A quick review of the synopsis of ‘Idomeneo’. This Greek hero (an exquisitely vocal Colin Ainsworth) is forced to choose between the life of his son, Idamante (electrifying work by mezzo soprano Wallis Giunta) and a promise made to Neptune, the god of the sea (an impeccably buffed Douglas Williams combined with his flawlessly vocal bass baritone). Throughout this tale, the audience is also introduced to other characters involved in love triangles, broken hearts and chance meetings all sung in glorious arias with every inch of the stage used for a striking and emotional impact for the eyes, the ears and the heart thanks to Marshall Pynkoski’s careful direction. In an opera, I discovered that even a slight movement of a singer or dancer can convey nuanced character development within seconds. Visually, this production of ‘Idomeneo’ excels. Jeannette Lajeunesse Zing’s choreography of the dancers is marvellously impressive and fluid. Michael Gianfrancesco’s stunningly gorgeous costume designs made me pay careful attention to each principal singer and dancer. Jennifer Lennon’s lighting design was tautly sharp to superb effect. For me, tremendous emotional impact was felt from the clearly defined spot light for an aria in one moment while in the next I was swept away in a lush palette of colours for special effects in entire company movements. Gerard Cauci’s set design immediately captured my attention when I sat down before the performance began. I was immediately transported to another world from long ago and I wanted to enjoy every moment I was there. An opulent and lavish scrim painting of stormy waters made me note every single colour I wanted to take in before the performance began. Further paintings of a three-dimensional setting of a palace room with burgundy red walls created a world of ornate taste. In Act Three, Mr. Cauci’s scrim colour design of the outside of the palace with fountains suggested the hopes that all will be well with all as the story and plot progressed. I have always wanted to hear soprano Measha Brueggergosman sing and one item on my bucket list was ticked opening night. Her performance of Elettra is divine. Meghan Lindsay’s Ilia is sweetly demure in her growing affection and eventual burning love for Idamante. In the third act, Ms. Lindsay’s vocal work was wonderfully demonstrated in a moment where she will do anything for Idamante and his love. One of the highlights of the evening for me was hearing the breathtaking work of the Chorus under Daniel Taylor’s Chorus Master. At one point, I was so engrossed with the action on stage at the top of the production, I couldn’t figure out where the chorus was singing. My guest gave me a slight nudge and told me to look up in the boxes Stage Left. Wow! How did they enter so quietly before their moment to sing? Nice work indeed to not draw attention to themselves. Final Comments: Would I attend another opera in the future? Yes, I probably would, but I would most certainly try to read as much as I can about the plot before I attend. When I return, I know that I won’t feel hesitation in wondering what I am about to see. If I did have one very minor quibble as a first-time attendee at an opera, it would be the fact that I was trying to pay close attention to too much all at once. At times, I felt as if my brain, thoughts and ideas were in overload as I was trying to cram in so much to remember from this experience. I’m certain I won’t feel this same way the next time I attend. If you’ve never attended an opera, I invite you to at least try a different experience. It was an enjoyable evening. I might not have got everything from the story, but at least I appreciated very much what I saw presented before me. ‘Idomeneo’ runs to April 13 at The Ed Mirvish Theatre, 244 Victoria Street, Toronto. For tickets, please call 1-416-872-1212 or visit www.mirvish.com . Running time is 2 hours and 55 minutes with one intermission. ‘Idomeneo’ is performed in Italian with English surtitles. The Cast: Colin Ainsworth, Measha Brueggergosman, Bradley Christensen, Wallis Giunta, Olivier Laquerre, Meghan Lindsay, Douglas Willliams. Conductor: David Fallis, Director: Marshall Pynkoski, Choreographer: Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, Set Designer: Gerard Gauci, Costume Designer: Michael Gianfrancesco, Lighting Designer: Jennifer Lennon. Previous Next

Back 'Frankenstein Revived' by Morris Panych. Music by David Coulter. Based on 'Frankenstein' by Mary Shelley Now onstage until October 28 at Stratford Festival's Avon Theatre Credit: Cylla von Tiedemann. Foreground: L-R: Marcus Nance as the Creature and Charlie Gallant as Victor Frankenstein. Background: Laura Condlln as Mary Shelley Joe Szekeres A daring and risk-taking world premiere adaptation of a classic novel. Morris Panych’s world-premiere adaptation of the young Mary Shelley’s 1818 science fiction/horror novel becomes a uniquely challenging one to stage. The poet Lord Byron initially encouraged fellow vacationers stuck inside a Lake Geneva villa during a rainy summer vacation to write a ghost story. The young Mary Godwin (soon-to-be wife to Byron) won the contest with this story of the brilliant student and budding scientist Victor Frankenstein, who sought to overstep the power and majesty of natural order by creating life alone and in secret. Over the years, literary scholars have deemed ‘Frankenstein’ a science fiction and a tale of horror. There’s truth in this statement. It’s a story of poetic exposition juxtaposed with an emotional array of personal feelings. But what makes this opening night world premiere one to which (borrowing from Arthur Miller) attention must be paid? Not a word is spoken throughout this engaging production. Instead, it’s told boldly through highly stylized choreographed dance movements that create haunting visual images long after the curtain comes down. During his university studies, budding scientist and brilliant student Victor Frankenstein becomes obsessed with Death. He devises a technique to give life to non-living matter. He tests this technique using body parts stolen from corpses in graveyards to build a Creature. Victor gives life to this being through electricity. Unfortunately, things go awry when Victor becomes shocked by what he has done. The Creature soon sees himself as hideous, as does everyone who comes in contact with him. Scarred by this understanding of the cruelty of human behaviour, the Creature vows to destroy all who mean a great deal to Victor: his wife, Elizabeth, his younger brother, William and his friend, Henry Clerval—even the building of a companion that the Creature demands of Victor will not suffice. However, Panych’s ‘Frankenstein Revived’ is more than a horror and sci-fi tale. It becomes a solid visual warning about obsessive and ruthless idealism, which still permeates the twenty-first-century world as we know it today. In his Director’s Note, Panych dutifully recognizes this production “is a composite of many things…but not made by one person alone. As a creative force we are a collection of essential parts, pieced together by our imagination.” The human imagination soars to the Avon Theatre rafters on this opening night. Panych’s fitting tribute respectfully recognizes other invaluable artistic contributions in creating a terrific macabre world onstage. Even the Elements of Nature (excellent work by a most skillfully trained ensemble of performers all dressed in black) underscore the dangers of obsessive and ruthless idealism. Ken MacDonald’s set and Kimberly Purtell’s lighting designs artfully showcase this world of the macabre. For example, the moon’s orbits are beautifully highlighted throughout the show. These orbit projections reveal how some might have believed human behaviour is strongly affected by this natural process. The striking visual image of a hospital/cadaver gurney brightly spot lit during the pre-show reminds us that all is not well in the world we are about to enter. Jake Rodriquez’s sound designs remain clear throughout. Dana Osborne’s costumes are solid replications from the era. David Coulter’s Music Direction and composition eerily heighten the building intensity of the suspenseful plot in wondering what’s coming next as the action unfolds. Seeing the gurney and hearing the pre-show music eerily reminds me that one is entering a world where something just does not seem correct. One of the production highlights is the demanding work of Movement Director Wendy Gorling and Dance Choreographer Stephen Cota. Such meticulous and necessary precision means these actors must remain in tip-top shape. And they most certainly are. Nary hands nor feet seem out of place in the Elements ensemble as they become necessary instruments that convey tremendous passion in their onstage fluidity. Laura Condlln, in her portrayal of Mary Shelley, becomes like a circus ringmaster, controlling and directing the show's events for effect. A writer also controls and directs what will be added to the page to create a specific effect. For example, at the top of the second act, Condlln stands centre stage where, like a ringmaster, she sets the Elements of Nature where she wants them to be. It’s a striking moment to watch this all unfold visually. As Victor’s younger and mischievous brother William, Garrett McKee nicely brings that wink of youthful play for a few moments. William’s death occurs off-stage. When Victor brings on the young lad’s body, there is complete silence throughout the house at this horrific realization of what has occurred. Kyla Musselman’s Elizabeth, Victor’s loving and devoted wife, is also horrifically taken at the hands of the Creature. Musselman shows her youthful joy at her wedding to Victor, which makes the audience believe there may be hope for happiness for the scientist. Alas, this is not to be as the audience horrifically witnesses the young woman’s murder onstage. A sense of paternal goodness emanates from Sean Arbuckle as D’Lacy, the old blind man who can only show kindness to the Creature since he cannot see what the being looks like. Devon Michael Brown’s Henry Clerval portrays a genuine friendship with Shelley’s protagonist. However, men can feel as profoundly emotional as women, and losing his friend brings Victor to his wit’s end again. As the story’s protagonist, Charlie Gallant’s Victor appears visually and youthfully strong as he goes off to pursue his studies. His character arc remains credible as he brings his story of how sad it is to a rightful conclusion. Marcus Nance’s performance as the Creature is absolute perfection. Nance is wholly grounded in the moment and embodies many feelings and emotions ranging from pity, pathos, regret, and vengeance. His scene with Sean Arbuckle’s D’Lacy heartfully showcases two unique individuals who yearn and recognize in each other how life has scarred them. This moment of personal connection is then woefully thwarted, with more lives lost. Final Comments: ‘Frankenstein Revived’ becomes an Honours masterclass in performance and movement. Actors must utilize and incorporate their bodies instead of language to tell a story. Audiences participate in learning to read human physicality instead of relying on words. A new challenge, indeed. Theatre audiences should always be challenging themselves. It makes attending even more worthwhile. Is it worthwhile to see ‘Frankenstein Revived’? Yes, it is. See it. And another thing: I sat in Row J on the aisle and had a perfect vantage point where I could see the visual images and pictures of Panych and his creative team. However, I could not see the expressions on the faces of the actors as I was too far back. I didn’t need to sit up close as the artists performed what they were supposed to do. If future audiences like to see the expressions on the actors’ faces, I’d advise sitting closer to the stage. Be aware that you may not capture the overall visual picture presented onstage. P.S.: As a retired secondary school English teacher, I would endorse seeing the production with students, especially if they study the novel. Seeing the production live would reflect at least one of the Ministry of Education document expectations. Running time: approximately two hours with one intermission. ‘Frankenstein Revived’ runs until October 28 at the Avon Theatre. For tickets, visit stratfordfestival.ca or call the Box Office at 1-800-567-1600. FRANKENSTEIN REVIVED by Morris Panych with Music by David Coulter Based on ‘Frankenstein’ by Mary Shelley Director: Morris Panych Music Director: David Coulter Movement Choreographer: Wendy Gorling Dance Choreographer: Stephen Cota Set Designer: Ken MacDonald Costume Designer: Dana Osborne Lighting Designer: Kimberly Purtell Composer: David Coulter Sound Designer: Jake Rodriguez Performers: Eric Abel, Sean Arbuckle, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Laura Condlln, Amanda De Freitas, Mateo G. Torres, Charlie Gallant, Eddie Glen, McKinley Knuckle, Gracie Mack, Ayrin Mackie, Anthony MacPherson, Heather McGuigan, Garrett McKee, Spencer Nicholas McLeod, Kyla Musselman, Marcus Nance, Trevor Patt, Jason Sermonia Previous Next

Back 'Macbeth - A Tale Told by an Idiot' Adapted and Performed by Eric Woolfe Produced by Eldritch Theatre and now onstage at Red Sandcastle Theatre Courtesy of Eldritch Theatre Facebook page Dave Rabjohn Should a classic tale of evil and violence be the subject of parody and buffoonery? A new and unique production unfolds this week at the always alarming and provocative Eldritch Theatre at the Red Sandcastle Theatre in Toronto. Shakespeare’s bloody and shocking “Macbeth” is the perfect vehicle for this theatre always awash in horror, magic, trickery and ghastly puppetry. “Macbeth – A Tale Told by an Idiot” is adapted and performed by the multi-talented Eric Woolfe whose talents do include the design of the former mentioned abhorrent puppets. Should a classic tale of evil and violence be the subject of parody and buffoonery? – that question would advance a range of opinions. But Woolfe’s self-deprecating tone and his ability to balance elevated soliloquys with momentary satirical quips gave us entertaining insights to Shakespeare’s work. Melanie McNeill’s set design fleshes out the macabre from the beginning. A motif of mysticism is described through bloody babies, Ouija boards, ugly skulls and torn tartan. Eric Woolfe is, at times, cartoonish as part Uncle Fester and part Curly. With his puppets, he tells the well-known story of three brooding witches who manipulate the ambitious Macbeth and send him head long into the demise of murder, treachery and bloody infanticide. The pasty, fat-faced Macduff becomes the avenger. The murdered friend Banquo is portrayed as a naïve teddy bear along with a mini-bear as son Fleance. The three witches are cleverly portrayed as almost one three level puppet – a nod to the theory that the witches and Macbeth are actually one entity. They stir up the original prophecy of the crown and then muddy the waters with promises that become hollow. Lady Macbeth’s puppet is dark and brackish – her original strength quickly oozing. Woolfe’s theatrical capacity includes brilliant voice work. He plays Macbeth but also voices the variety of puppet characters. Macduff’s thick brogue and the whining of the witches are highlights among others. As mentioned, there is a veneer of puerilism throughout as Woolfe finds momentary humour in the otherwise ugly revulsion of Macbeth’s acts. The only moment of comic relief in the original play – the porter’s speech – is thoroughly sent up. Shakespeare purists might scoff, but Woolf did do justice to many of the famous soliloquys with superb renderings. Woolfe inserts fun with parlour style card and coin tricks which appear somewhat tawdry. Having said that, his use of coin tricks that leap off the face of his dead wife while he is performing the ‘Tomorrow’ speech was an eerie reminder of how Woolfe finds that balance between the risible and Shakespeare’s majestic solemnity. Although I found no mention of who was responsible for the brilliant soundscape and sound effects, the work should be acknowledged. Especially when paired with puppetry, the sound effects enrich the performance. Highlights include the comic snoring of the drunken guards and the ominous sound of the hacking down of Birnham wood. The earlier mentioned purists may revolt, but Shakespeare’s brilliance has been interpreted in thousands of ways over the centuries. This rendering was both entertaining and thoughtful. “Macbeth – A Tale Told by an Idiot” by William Shakespeare. Adaptation by Eric Woolfe Performer: Eric Woolfe Director: Dylan Trowbridge Set and costume design: Melanie McNeill Lighting: Gareth Crew Performance runs through – February 24, 2024. Tickets: www.eldritchtheatre.ca Previous Next

Back 'The Full Monty' Now on stage at Port Hope's Capitol Capitol Theatre Credit: Sam Moffatt Pictured: some of the ensemble in the final strip moment. Joe Szekeres “A story of unconditional love and acceptance. Yes, it’s fun. Yes, you’ll laugh. But ‘The Full Monty’ has so much more going for it that must be experienced live.” Adapted from the 1997 British film, ‘The Full Monty’ tells the story of six unemployed steelworkers in Buffalo, New York, who are low on cash and facing limited job prospects. Their relationships with significant others (wives, girlfriends, partners, and friends) remain on tenterhooks, too. The musical speaks volumes today about relevant themes that have never really disappeared from modern society: body image, gender biases, societal pressures to conform, financial pressures, and toxic masculinity. These are struggles to which everyone has connected at least once, making the characters' experiences understandable. At the top of the show, the audience hears a performance of GIRLS’ NIGHT OUT at a local bar where Chippendale dancers perform. Best friends Jerry (Gaelan Beatty) and Dave (Daniel Williston) spy on the women's behaviour and are astonished at what they witness. After speaking with Keno (Alex Wierzbicki), one of the scantily clad dancers, Jerry and Dave devise an idea to make some quick cash. They find four other guys, each with their own unique personalities and struggles: Ethan (Darren Burkett), Horse (Gavin Hope), Malcolm (Jacob Macinnis) and Harold (Ian Simpson), to develop a one-night-only show where they will perform a strip show. We witness the guys rehearsing, their nerves palpable. Will the show be successful? As the story unfolds, their feelings of inadequacy and fears of ridicule remain firmly rooted. Yet, they bravely push forward, their personal lives unfolding in front of the audience. Ultimately, the guys become the talk of the town, and the question is asked of them—will they go the full monty (take it all off for everyone to see)? And do they? You’ll have to see this ‘Full Monty’ for yourselves. But why this one? Is Port Hope ready for a show like this with all its innuendo? It sure is judging from the audience I saw and heard on opening night. But it’s not going to be for everyone. One man sitting in front of me had his head lowered and appeared somewhat uncomfortable while watching the show. He didn’t stand at all during the curtain call and didn’t applaud. His wife, however, was on her feet, smiling and loudly applauding what she had just experienced. Director and choreographer Julie Tomaino says the time is right to bring ‘The Full Monty’ to Port Hope because it’s fun, funny, hilarious and has heart. She’s right. We need a story like ‘Monty’ to make us smile and sometimes give us a good belly laugh. I did just that with some of the clever-sounding songs and dialogue. ‘The Full Monty’ shows us very real people who do not have six-pack abs and washboard stomachs. Tomaino cast genuine-looking performers of all body shapes, sizes, and temperaments who had not been pulled out of Vogue, Playboy or Playgirl magazines. (Do these still exist?). These actors tell ‘Monty’s’ story with humour, warmth, compassion and heart. That’s why you should see the show. Julie Tomaino understands a thing or two about the direction of musical theatre. Last fall, I saw ‘Once,’ directed by her, at Gananoque’s Thousand Islands Playhouse. It was a moving piece of theatre, and I kept my eye on waiting to see what she would be doing next. Good things come to those who wait. And I’m glad I did. I’m not disappointed in the least whatsoever with ‘Monty.’ Tomaino’s direction remains tight. She keeps the story’s pace clipping along nicely, never feeling rushed or hurried. Her choreography remains what it is to be. These guys are not professional dancers, so there’s no need for pinpoint accuracy. They’re ordinary schlubs, out to try something daring in their lives. The final strip number is just that – a dare or what we call YOLO (You only live once). These guys are out to have fun. In the meantime, that sense of fun spills over to the audience. Scott Penner’s design of various props, from wall urinals to hanging punching bags to guitars, nicely establishes a particular scene without needing many sets to be pushed on and off. Joyce Padua has selected some bright colours that women would have worn back in the 90s. The men are dressed comfortably in jeans, dress pants and shirts – until the bright red bikini briefs are revealed, drawing raucous audience laughter. Jareth Li’s lighting design incorporates a shadowy effect to heighten the dramatic intensity, especially in one moment between Darren Burkett’s Ethan and Jacob Macinnis’ Malcolm. Paul Moody’s terrific-sounding music direction is one of the show's highlights. Whether or not Sound Designer Emily Porter worked closely with Moody to ensure the lyrics to the songs could be heard, let’s say that I’m pleased that even balance has been effectively maintained. There were a few moments when I didn’t hear all the lyrics, but it was opening night. I’m sure that the balance will be fixed this week. Some spirited numbers get the audience up on its feet. The final in Act 2 – ‘Let It Go’ - did just that. Horse’s ‘Big Black Man’ is another moment where performer Gavin Hope has the audience right in the palm of his hand. His smile says it all during the song. There are also some heartfelt moments when the men reveal their vulnerabilities to each other touchingly. This is the other highlight of the evening: watching trained actors perform appropriately and for us, the audience, to respond in kind. It’s not unmanly to be moved by seeing other men open up their feelings. Donna Garner’s cigarette-smoking, boozy-broad and piano accompanist Jeannette is terrific. Garner combines the perfect amount of sass in her Act 2 Showbiz Number. It’s garnished with the exact peppered attitude of a woman who takes no crap from anyone. Gaelan Beatty’s moments with August Fox (who plays Nathan) are convincing. As the central character, Jerry, Beatty delivers a grounded and balanced emotional performance in moving back and forth between the comedy of wanting to go on stage to strip versus wanting to do what’s best for his boy, Nathan. The young August Fox is one to watch in the future. He listens intently and responds appropriately in each scene when he is present. The father-son moments between Gaelan Beatty’s Jerry and young August Fox as Nathan are compelling, most notably in ‘Breeze Off the River,’ when father watches his son sleep. Jacob MacInnis’ Malcolm is shy, quiet and reserved. Malcolm cares for an aging and cantankerous mother who might be suffering from some form of dementia. Throughout the verbal abuse, MacInnis delivers a quiet, reserved and stoicism in his performance, knowing that he is caring for his ailing mother the best way he knows how. In his ‘You Walk with Me’ with Darren Burkett, Ethan is proud to admire just how much Malcolm has given up to care for his mother. Their friendship begins its formation on that solid note. Ian Simpson’s Harold is standoffish because his job in the plant is above the other workers. He can’t get chummy, and Simpson nicely exhibits that quality when first introduced. But like the other workers, Simpson is let go from his job and is afraid to tell his wife, Vicki (Julia Juhas) because she likes the good things in life. Gavin Hope’s broad-shouldered and husky-sized ‘Horse’ heightens the hilarity behind trying to see if what is said about a ‘Big Black Man’ is true. Daniel Williston delivers a memorable performance as Dave, who wears his heart on his sleeve. Williston’s Dave is someone who always wants to do the right thing. He wants to be a good husband, a good friend, and a good citizen. someone who has been hurt many, many times in his life, and he wonders if it’s due to his size. Jamie McRoberts’ Georgie (Dave’s wife) importantly underscores one of the themes of ‘The Full Monty’ in ‘You Rule My World.’ It’s Dave, whom Georgie loves, and that’s all. And Another Thought: Julie Tomaino hopes the audience will embrace the characters with as much love as the creative team and actors did in preparing for the opening. This message of love permeates a few of the shows I’ve seen over the last while—not the gratuitous, activist, shouting, exploitative side of supposed love, but the side of wanting what’s best for the other person, unconditional love without expecting anything in return. That’s another reason to travel to Port Hope to see this ‘Full Monty.” To the man sitting in front of me on opening night: I’m sorry you may have felt the way you did and chose not to see things from a different angle (as the message in Stratford Festival’s LA CAGE AUX FOLLES tells audiences to do). Even Atticus Finch advises Scout to climb into someone else’s skin and walk around in it. It’s essential to do that. Running time: approximately two hours and 15 minutes with one interval/intermission. ‘The Full Monty’ runs until July 28 at the Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street, Port Hope. For tickets: (905) 885-1071 or visit capitoltheatre.com. CAMECO CAPITOL ARTS CENTRE presents ‘The Full Monty’ Book by Terrance McNally. Music & Lyrics by David Yazbeck Directed and Choreographed by Julie Tomaino Music Direction by Paul Moody Lighting Design by Jareth Li Costume Design by Joyce Padua Set Design by Scott Penner Sound Design by Emily Porter Stage Manager: Jessica Severin Band: Paul Moody (piano), Tami Sorovaiski (bass), Matt Roy (guitar), David Schotzko (percussion) Performers: Gaelan Beatty, Darren Burkett, Autumn-Joy Dames, August Fox, Donna Garner, Gavin Hope, Julia Juhas, Jacob MacInnis, Jamie McRoberts, Ian Simpson, Tahirih Vejdani, Alex Wierzbicki, Daniel Williston Previous Next

Back 'True Crime' a co-creation by Torquil Campbell and Chris Abraham in collaboration with Julian Brown Crow's Theatre presents the Castleton Massive Production Credit: Dahlia Katz. Pictured: Torquil Campbell Joe Szekeres "A VOICE CHOICE" A formidable storyteller with a passion and fondness for words and their sounds. According to the Crow’s Theatre website, actor/musician (Stars/Memphis) Torquil Campbell made his stage debut in ‘True Crime’ when it originally premiered at Streetcar Crowsnest in 2017 when the building first opened. I didn’t see the show then so I’m unable to make any comments about his performance. However, if this opening night of Campbell’s return to Crow’s indicates what I missed that first time, I’m glad the theatre gods aligned the stars in perfect harmony. Campbell delivers a splendid bravura performance. The play runs until Sunday, May 7. A Crow’s press release gives important background information: “First chronicled in Vanity Fair’s “The Man in the Rockefeller Suit” in 2008, TRUE CRIME is the story of the real-world con man, the notorious Clark Rockefeller who successfully posed as a scion of the famous dynasty for well over a decade. Torquil Campbell wants to try him on for size. The audience learns Rockefeller now serves a near-life sentence in a California state prison. Along with this information, Torquil takes a deep dive into the bizarre real-life story behind notorious German conman Christian Gerhartsreiter for a mind-twisting encounter with an artist obsessed with faking it.” Torq and (Crow’s Theatre Artistic Director) Chris Abraham have delightfully conspired to co-create a crime story of mysterious twists, turns and fabrications which have me constantly wondering what would transpire next in the plot. There’s no set or lighting designer listed in the programme, but credit is given to Production Designer Remington North. The setting for ‘True Crime’ works beautifully in the main auditorium. It appears as if I’ve entered a slightly hazy, smoke-filled coffee house setting where the audience listens either to music, song, poetry, or stories. Stage lights mysteriously will rise in intensity and gradually fade throughout the play. There are approximately several round tables in front of the stage where some audience members sit. On the rectangular stage is a music stand from which Torq will read the script spiritedly. There is a microphone reminiscent of the ‘40s. A keyboard/piano is upstage and a chair from which Julian Brown plays the guitar. Clad in blue jeans and a dark shirt, Campbell reads spiritedly from a script placed on a music stand in front of him. A couple of times he moves around the front of the auditorium shaking hands with several audience members as another character. There are several moments where he sings some songs, and what top-notch vocal delivery. Just hearing Campbell sing is a strong reminder to get tickets if his band is ever in Toronto soon. Campbell remains an extraordinary raconteur and singer throughout the 90-minute sans intermission one-man solo show with finely subtle musical accompaniment by Julian Brown. A couple of times he moves around the tables in front of the stage assuming the voices of Christian and Clark and shaking hands with several audience members. At one point, Campbell refers to the late ‘80s television show ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ with trench coat-wearing and hushed baritone-voiced host Robert Stack. I remember watching this show with my late brother. We were both riveted to the screen as Stack recounted stories either from long ago or not so long ago of supposed true crimes that took place. Stack knew how to lure audiences in weekly. He was a good actor and knew how to control a story and perhaps fabricate elements to keep up the weekly ratings. Whether or not these ‘Unsolved Mysteries’ stories were true, we didn’t care. My brother and I were entertained for a good hour of good storytelling and that’s all that mattered then. ‘True Crime’ appears to be a true story. As Campbell narrates and speaks to the audience with tremendous vivacity, he appears determinedly resolute in wanting the audience to discover the truth of what happened to Rockefeller and Christian and those involved. Or does he? Is Torquil Campbell doing the same thing as Robert Stack? Is ‘True Crime’ a true story? Campbell hooks me right at the top of the show. He remains resolute in his investigation of the story of Clark Rockefeller. A top-notch performing artist, Torq’s narrative voice and acute impersonations make me want to hear and trust everything I see. But like any good storyteller or raconteur, sometimes Campbell’s decisions and choices lead the audience to consider that what we might see and hear on the surface is not what really happens. Or does it? That’s the reason to come to Crow’s Theatre and discover for yourself. Final Comments: This is my first time seeing Torquil Campbell perform. A formidable storyteller, his fondness for words and their sound remains exemplary. ‘True Crime’ is my Voice Choice. Go see it. Running time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. ‘True Crime’ runs until May 7 in the Guloien Theatre at Crow’s Theatre, 345 Carlaw Avenue, Toronto. For tickets, call the Box Office (647) 341-7390 or visit crowstheatre.com. CROW’S THEATRE Presents The Castleton Massive Production Created by Torquil Campbell and Chris Abraham in Collaboration with Julian Brown The Company: Torquil Campbell, Co-Creator, Performer Julian Brown, Composer, Musician Chris Abraham, Co-Creator Remington North, Production Designer Previous Next BACK TO TOP

Back Esie Mensah Looking Ahead Mikka Gia Joe Szekeres A recent conversation with Dora nominated choreographer and dance artist Esie Mensah certainly opened my eyes to what is occurring in the world of the professional performing artist especially in moving forward to ensure inclusion, equity, and diversity of and for all members. June 1 will mark two important dates – the first is the premiere of the upcoming short film ‘Tessel’, commissioned by Fall for Dance North and Harbourfront Centre. National in scope, this short film features 14 Black dancemakers from across Canada in a crucial conversation on what it means to be an artist in this unprecedented historical time. The second marked importance for June 1 is the one-year anniversary of ‘Blackout Tuesday’ where organizations around the globe publicly committed to institutional change to help the Black community. ‘Tessel’ was conceptualized and directed by Esie Mensah, so I felt it was important to highlight the prolific work of what she has captured. I was quickly introduced to her work through a CBC Arts Segment on her work as a choreographer and dancer, but it was her TED Talk “My Skin was too dark for my profession, so I changed the story” which caught my attention: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgGQv4efnI8 To begin our conversation, Esie let me know her immediate family has been doing well and in her words: “So far, so good.” They haven’t been hit too hard, but she is sadly and consciously aware how this medical epidemic has affected each of us in some way. Her family are healthy and when it has been allowed, they have been able to see each other on different occasions when they could. At one point during our conversation, Esie re-iterated what many of us are hoping – we “keep looking to the horizon where it feels safe for everybody, but we’ll see how things go the next few months…even years.” Such true words spoken. Just like many artists to whom I’ve spoken throughout this pandemic series, Esie’s professional world also came to a halt as many of her upcoming projects or solo works were either cancelled or postponed to who knows when. And like many of the artists, Esie felt it was a really good question in asking her what she has missed the most about performance during the lock down. She paused for a few moments before she responded. To dance is her first love, and what does she miss the most: “There’s a feeling that you get when you’re on stage live…because I’ve been choreographing so much, I wasn’t always performing and dancing, but there’s that synergy, that energy you get when you’re either creating in a room with people or you’re on-stage dancing with people and the audience is receiving you. The faces to me are such an invigorating and affirming experience as a dancer.“ I was grateful how Esie felt comfortable in speaking about the TED Talk and how her skin was ‘too dark’ for her profession, so she changed the narrative to keep moving forward. She spoke candidly about some of the limitations she encountered early in her career: “I attended George Brown College for the Commercial Dance Programme. That first year I came out of school, I felt the doors opened up and I experienced what I thought the potential of my career could have been. After that first year and over the next two and three years, I realized the reality of the business that I was in as a dark-skinned black woman. What I noticed through the work (since I’ve been in this for so long) was that people place a commodity over dark skin and for whatever reason, they don’t think it’s the same value as somebody with lighter skin.” I’m going to be honest and say that I was rather surprised by Esie’s revelation and I listened intently as she continued: “I had people bluntly tell me that, yes, they think you’re too dark for this music video, and that video was for black artists…when I was applying for a four-month contract in China, same thing, well they really, really love you, but they just think you’re too dark for television…this was the first time I had to contextualize and swallow someone telling me, very candidly, that you’re too dark so we can’t take you. It’s almost as if you could change that one thing the doors would open.” Conversations like this were something Esie said she was used to swallowing, but it wasn’t until giving her TED Talk that this was an issue and real problem. Clearly, this shook the foundation she was on, and it became the catalyst she was on that pushed her to be so good, so amazing, so undeniable that her shade was never be an issue so that people can’t say they want to hire her despite her shade. In other words, I want to hire her because it’s her and that her shade is never an issue. This issue has been a roller coast for Esie as “this issue made me feel very, very small, marginalized or pigeon-holed because of it which, now her skin colour is my superpower.” And as we continued our conversation, I saw how she is a determined and strong woman who took agency in her own hands to carve out her path as a professional artist regarding these limitations of skin colour. What she has done specifically is “to become my own boss, essentially.” I wanted to quote Esie directly for the rest of the questions I asked her because it’s important to read her voice in her own words: How else specifically have you taken charge of your professional artistic journey and path: Becoming my own boss started when I was in the commercial dance scene because I recognize throughout those two to three years where I was waiting for somebody to call me and waiting for somebody to say that I was good enough or if somebody cancelled then I got in for the certain jobs that were coming out, and I was like that I can’t be sitting here waiting for the next job. I want to be in charge of my own life. That was the shift of me in becoming more of a choreographer. As the industry shifted and I shifted, I began more intrigued to tell my own stories and say the things I had experienced, the questions I wanted to have answered or that I wanted to explore through art making, through dance, through theatre. When I was in school at George Brown, I did some acting, but for the amount I’m doing now has just been absorbed through working in theatre. I was really intrigued by it. My first production was a dance play I was writing. That was my first experience in creating my own stories, real true experiences doing work at Harbourfront Centre. Friends of mine were saying I should take this experience and start applying for grants and building my own shows. I was trying to figure out what I wanted to do. My first impulse was to start writing, and I did and started creating stories to ask questions about as a first-generation Ghanaian child, my parents come to Canada, but nobody ever desires to go back. To me, we can’t really be surprised by the fact that our home countries are not progressing because all of the knowledge is now in the diaspora. That was the first set of conversations and that transformed into ‘Shades’, the next thing that happened because of a movie film I had done – I had done the ‘Rocky Horror Picture Show’ remake that had come into Toronto a number of years ago. A friend of mine and I both got the film roles at the audition and we were questioning how many black girls were going to be on the project. There were four of us they seemed to like, and we didn’t think we would get it, and we did. I remember talking to the assistant choreographer. He overhead us at the audition. He quizzed and asked why we would say this, and we told him something like this never happens, having four black girls on a project that are medium to dark toned, never happens. He was shocked and he’s been working in the business for decades. This is a huge conversation about ‘shadeism’, and I know I can’t change everyone’s mind on it but If I can get people to question it, and the ‘why’ behind it, that I think is really important. I am looking forward to seeing ‘Tessel’ Tell me about this short film and why it is so important for you as a person, as an individual and as a professional artist. This short film project was a springboard to everything that has been going on over the past year and beyond. I hit a point last year and recognized as an artist and creator that the space for conversation may not always be there for everybody. When Ilter Ibrahimof from Fall for Dance North called me, he wanted to do something to amplify Black voices. I said, “Great!” Well, if we’re going to do that, I need to bring people together in conversation, and that’s it not just centered in asking people to film themselves and splice something together. I wanted there to be depth and truth. I work as an Artistic advisor, so I’m working in the equity, diversity and inclusion stream that has been popping up over the last year for everybody especially within arts organizations. When I recognized being entrenched in that conversation is that we all have questions, and some people are scared to ask those questions. Some people are scared to step forward with an ignorance to say I don’t know; I didn’t know about your experience; I didn’t know what it was like what you went through. The majority of the artists in the film didn’t know each other which was wonderful, so everybody is meeting new people. The whole group hasn’t met officially yet because some artists came on two different days. Over those two days, we ended up with a seven-hour conversation, and it was so humbling. People needed the space to talk, to chat and knowing people are feeling the same thing I’m feeling and understood my experience. What does it mean now to amplify Black voices? It can mean different things to different people. For me, within my community and my close circle, conversation was the thing that pulled me through last year. I started a group chat with some friends, and it gave us space to have honest, candid conversation. If we’re going to take steps to change, we really need to be more attuned to those conversations and open to hearing the truth of those conversations. For me, giving Black artists a chance to speak and getting our artists to really listen was so important. Now these were the words of only 14 dancers and people We’re not speaking for all the Black community across Canada. We are saying there is a commonality of everyone’s experiences of pain, a heaviness but there’s also a lot of joy and being able to find freedom through movement. Having this conversation and being pushed forward through dance shifts it for people. Talking about racism is never easy but to hear from people and see their bodies move or stillness in looking at the camera, that solicits a response from the audience altogether. We’re starting to see the person behind the skin, behind the artist. We’re seeing the reality and I hope this leaves a lasting impression with the film. How do you see ‘Tessel’ continue to challenge the global discourse on race? With a lot of my work, there’s been that consistency of sparking a conversation. I really want there to be a conversation and want people to feel inspired to come together and discuss. This is the first time we’ve had Canadian dance presenters on one project. This has never happened before, and so I hope everybody continues to understand the urgency and that it takes continual work consistently to open up new doors and allow other people to fill in the gaps that are present. I hope there’s some real honesty and perk up from people. I hope can receive that honesty. Talking is important, but also the listening is far more important. As we slowly emerge from this pandemic and look toward the future, what is it about your work that you would like future audiences to remember about you? Hmmmm… I would hope that future audiences can feel changed from my work, and that it’s an experience. It’s not merely coming in to watch a show or film, it’s an experience they can take with them and it sparks change, a way to care, to love people more, to be more empathetic. I hope my work inspires growth and that the seeds I plant within my work that I hope it continues to flourish in people’s lives. I hope that stays consistent with my work. ‘Tessel’ premieres June 1. Please go to www.harbourfrontcentre.com to learn more how to access the film online. Previous Next

Back 'Women of the Fur Trade' by Frances Končan Now onstage at the Aki Studio in Toronto's Daniels Spectrum Kate Dalton L-R: Kelsey Kanatan Wavey, Cheri Maracle, Lisa Nasson Joe Szekeres “A 21st-century Canadian history lesson that hooks its audience initially with humour in its quest to begin recognizing the truth of what actually happened. Strong performances marked by an assured and confident direction.” The time is eighteen hundred and something something. The setting is on the banks of a Reddish River in Treaty One Territory, Winnipeg, Manitoba today. At first glance, playwright Frances Končan’s ‘Women of the Fur Trade’ is hilarious. Set inside a fort, three uniquely distinct women of voice and character use twenty-first-century slang to share their views of life, love, and the ‘beefcake’ hottie of the day, Louis Riel (Jonathan Fisher). The married European settler Cecilia (Cheri Maracle) sits in a rocking chair in the centre. Cecilia sometimes becomes a referee between the other two in their discussions. She sometimes exudes a maternal instinct between the two and harbours an attraction to Thomas Scott (Jesse Gervais), Riel’s assistant. Métis Marie-Angelique (Kelsey Kanatan Wavey) sits in her rocking chair to Cecilia’ s right. Marie-Angelique is Riel’s number-one fan. She becomes smitten with him and will do anything to meet her heroic idol. Ojibwe Eugenia (Lisa Nasson) sits in her rocking chair to Cecilia’s left. When we first meet her, Eugenia is sullen; she struggles to understand why men behave as they do. Eugenia wears her heart on her sleeve. Her facial reactions usually indicate her internal feelings throughout most of the story, but that all changes as the story continues. Through a series of misguided letter correspondence and people pretending to be someone they’re not, ‘Women of the Fur Trade’ becomes an opportunity for Toronto audiences to see a Canadian historical satire of survival and cultural inheritance shift perspective. Končan’s script utilizes humour nicely to propel the story forward. This is smart because the modern vernacular dialogue hooks the audience into listening to what these women tell us. Some wonderfully staged moments also bring laughter. Floating down from the flies are Canada post baskets into which the women place letters to be mailed. At one point, a FedEx basket floated down, which brought laughter. The women also use sock puppets, and there’s one with a noticeable male appendage. The mix-up in the letter correspondence provides the impetus to ponder the subtextual meaning. I did not see the Stratford summer/fall 2023 production under Yvette Nolan’s direction or the Ottawa January 2024 production under Renae Morriseau’s direction, so I don’t have any reference points as a comparison. At the talkback, we were told Morriseau was suddenly called away due to a family situation. Kevin Loring directed the Toronto production, and Joelle Peters was the assistant director. The play takes some poetic licence in its Canadian history lesson. I am the first to admit shamefully that I can’t recall much about Riel’s influence in Canadian history. Hence, I researched before and after the production to refresh my memory about this iconic figure. There’s a great deal to admire about this production. For one, the visual look remains top-notch courtesy of Vanessa Imeson’s colourful and distinct costumes for each of the five characters. When I sat down, Lauchlin Johnston’s scenic design, set on risers on wooden slats in a diamond shape, caught my eye. The units of ribbons along the back wall are striking. The black-and-white pictures of men on the back wall became a sharp and stark reminder of a truth that I am prepared to admit—our Canadian history has been seen and told from the perspective of white males. These individual photographs look genuinely realistic. These men could jump out of the picture frames and take over the fort—credit to Candelario Andrade for creating this stunning visual effect. A second glance at those pictures on the back wall reminds us that the men in these photos look privileged in their dress and comportment; this is another vital fact to remember about ‘Women.’ Kevin Loring directs the Toronto production with an assured hand. He doesn’t allow the comic moments to overshadow the simmering tension the women experience as they sit and wait in the fort for news of any kind, especially the planned Rebellion. Under Loring’s capable hands, Cheri Maracle, Kelsey Kanatan Wavey and Lisa Nasson actively and attentively listen to each other from their rocking chairs. There’s nothing static as these ladies speak to each other with genuine conviction. They’re entirely grounded in their belief systems and ensure that others know exactly where they stand on issues. As Louis Riel, Jonathan Fisher is a bit of a drippy jerk. His Riel is haughty, pompous, and arrogant. Jesse Gervais’s Thomas Scott becomes an appropriate foil to Fisher’s Riel. Gervais is fastidious and particular in his performance as Scott when he wants to ensure Riel’s fan mail has been answered. Gervais and Kanatan Wavey’s seduction is excellent fun, and they never overplay the moment. One theatrical highlight involves the black and white pictures hanging on the back wall. Not only is that moment handled carefully in its execution, but it also becomes an impressive visual image I can still picture in my mind two days later as I complete this article. The Toronto production of ‘Women of the Fur Trade’ is admirable, but the question remains—is it necessary for audiences to see it? Yes, it is for its solid theatrical presentation. But there’s more in this production. Frances Končan’s vital Canadian history lesson reminds us to continue listening, paying attention, and hearing the First Nations' stories while ensuring they are never forgotten. And Another Thought: During the talk-back session, I asked if there would be a student matinee performance of the production. There is one. I don’t know about others. As a retired secondary school teacher, I agree wholeheartedly that young people should see this production. Teachers and parents, be advised that some adult situations are involved. I’m not one for censorship, and I don’t believe Končan’s script should be doctored in any way for student matinées. Nevertheless, teachers and parents, prepare young people before they come to the theatre. Running time: approximately one hour and 50 minutes with no interval/intermission. ‘Women of the Fur Trade’ runs until April 21 in the Aki Studio at the Daniels Spectrum, 585 Dundas Street East. For tickets, visit www.nativeearth.ca or call (416) 531-1402. WOMEN OF THE FUR TRADE by Frances Končan Original Direction: Renae Morriseau Revival Director: Kevin Loring and Assistant Director: Joelle Peters Stage Manager: Jackie McCormick Lighting Designer: Jeff Harrison Scenic Designer: Lauchlin Johnston Projection Designer: Candelario Andrade Costume Designer: Vanessa Imeson Sound Designer/Composer: MJ Dandeneau Performers: Kelsey Kanatan Wavey, Cheri Maracle, Lisa Nasson, Jonathan Fisher, Jesse Gervais Previous Next

Back 'Annie, The Musical' Saint John Theatre Company, Saint John, New Brunswick Courtesy of Saint John Theatre Company Aaron Kropf Annie Brings the Sun Out Today in our world which is still Covid laden Saint John Theatre Company wrapped up their 2021/22 season with the family favourite Annie. After coming out of a pandemic I cannot think of a show that could have been more fitting. The need for optimism found in Annie is greatly needed as we move forward and put the last two difficult years behind. This performance was made even more special because I brought along my 5-year-old daughter who was buzzing with anticipation for this show all day. Annie is based on the popular comic strip of the day 'Little Orphan Annie'. She is an orphan who continually hopes for the day for her mother and father to come back to get her while she tries to escape the tyranny of orphanage owner Ms. Hannigan. Grace Farrell (a pippy performance by Pippa Wennberg) shows up to take one of the orphans to live with billionaire Oliver Warbucks where many lives are changed resulting a typical happy ending of early musicals. Even if you might not be familiar with the show itself, I’m sure you know a few of the popular songs including ‘Hard Knock Life’, ‘Tomorrow’, ‘You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile’, and ‘Easy Street’. The cast was wonderful with Bertis Sutton as the stoic Oliver “Daddy” Warbucks. His change from businessman focused on maintaining his wealth during the depression to the man who falls for Annie’s charm and ultimately does all he can to ensure her happiness was solid. Ms. Hannigan was wickedly devilish while in the hands of Jen Downey. Finally, Lauriane Pelletier as the titular character couldn’t have been better cast. She embodied all aspects of the plucky Annie and has a beautiful singing voice. My daughter exclaimed that her favourite part of the show was Annie, and really loved her songs. A slight quibble I do have with the text, however. While hit song and dance numbers are jammed into the first half before intermission, the pacing drags slightly in the second half. The quibble I had does not lie with the actors nor the director or musical director. Instead, the book and music don’t hold the same intensity and vitality as the first Act. Despite this minor inconvenience of the text, Director Scott Thomas managed to make the show sparkle and leave audiences full of optimism. What a spectacular way to end a delightful season. Congratulations to all those involved in bringing this production to the stage; it’s unfortunate that this production had such a short run. 'Annie' was a delight and I couldn’t have wanted more from this production. Oh, and by the way, my little girl loved it too. Previous Next

Back A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline Capitol Theatre, Port Hope Sam Moffatt Joe Szekeres Crazy for Patsy Cline A lovely evening at the theatre with an ending that I knew was coming but it still hit all the feels. What an incredibly smart decision Port Hope Capitol Theatre Artistic Producer Rob Kempson made in selecting ‘A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline’ to open the summer 2022 season. And what a delightful treat to bring audiences back to the theatre. Although I’ve never seen the show before, there were moments when I could feel a big ol’ smile slide right across my face. There was a couple who sat in front of me, and the lady was swaying back and forth with her hands in listening to the music. I looked across the aisle and saw another lady doing the same thing. You go, girls. I hope more audience members do that as the show continues. Once again, the power of theatre reached inside and touched these two ladies. I wish we weren’t wearing masks because it would have been wonderful to see the smiles on their face. I was glad Rob Kempson (director of ‘Closer Walk’) spoke to us before the performance began because he gave some noteworthy information that I believe theatregoers should be aware. For the Capitol’s production, Anna Treusch’s Set and Costume Designs were particularly constructed for this performance run only to June 26. Sometimes, touring productions or productions may state that sets and costumes have to be consistent as per the wishes possibly of writers. Not here. Kempson unmistakably cares about this show because he has paid loving attention to so many particulars to ensure realistic believability. There is a definite purpose and a reason behind why the plot progresses in the way it does. He has surrounded himself with some very fine artists who have done their job, quite admirably I might add. Treusch’s set and costumes are exquisitely breathtakingly bathed in colour. I’ve never been to the Grand Ole Opry and would love to get there sometime. For some reason, I felt as if I was looking at the Opry stage. I couldn’t take my eyes off the set when I sat down as I just studied where my eyes went all over drinking it in slowly. The production is set on risers. At Centre stage, there are circular risers with the top slightly raked to allow for visual purposes when Cline sings. Stage left is the four-piece band. Stage right is the radio station where DJ Little Big Man sits. Nick Andison’s Lighting Design meticulously captures a grandiose feeling of the playing space which is effectively lit for each of the numbers where Cline moves on the stage to sing. Kudos to Ben Whiteman’s Sound Design as I could clearly hear each word of each song. This is one area for which I will nitpick because songs tell stories and if an audience cannot clearly hear a song lyric, they are missing part of the story. Treusch’s costume designs for Patsy Cline are striking to behold as attention has been paid to minute details in fabric, hues, tones and style. The band is dressed in solid bright colours with fringe either along the bottom of their shirts or under their elbows to their arms. Dean Regan’s story is billed as “A stunning tribute to one of country music’s greatest stars.” That it is, but it’s also a sweet, poignant story that didn’t veer towards the melodramatic near the end if you know what happened to Cline. It’s 1963 when we meet WINC D J Little Big Man (primo, top-notch work by Tyler Murree) who introduces many of the musical numbers before Cline sings. Murree also sings many of the commercial radio jingles and tells sometimes corny or hilarious jokes to the audience which allows for Michelle Bouey, as Patsy Cline, to change into her costume backstage for the next song. Murree also gives important contextual historical information to frame the song for the audience as well. As Patsy Cline, Michelle Bouey divinely captures the soulful and spiritual sound and persona of the 60s country music songstress with confidence . There are some lovely tunes in the first act, but it is in the second act where Bouey sings the numbers for which Cline will always be remembered. I closed my eyes during ‘Just a Closer Walk with Thee’ as I wanted to hear both the music and the words of the song. ‘Always’ brought a tear to my eye as it was a timely anthem sung for Cline’s mother and for all mothers as far as I’m concerned. ‘Crazy’ gave me goosebumps just listening to Bouey’s soaring vocal work. What also makes this production work are the shared moments between Bouey and Murree. While she lovingly croons and harmonizes at the microphone or anywhere on the stage, he never upstages her at all. If it’s a fast-paced song, Murree moves in time to the music. If it’s a slow-moving ballad, his focus is on Bouey all the time. These are artists who get how to listen and respond truthfully to each other. Jeff Newbery’s splendid music direction combined with the stellar four-piece band complements the story told. Final Comments A delightful evening at the theatre. This ‘Closer Walk with Patsy Cline’ is not to be missed. Running time: Approximately one hour and 40 minutes with one intermission. As of this article, Covid protocols are in place. Please call the theatre if you need further information regarding protocols and mask wearing. ‘A Closer Walk with Patsy Cline’ runs to June 26 at the Capitol Theatre, Mainstage, 20 Queen Street, Port Hope. For tickets, call 905-885-1071 or visit capitoltheatre.com. A CLOSER WALK WITH PATSY CLINE by Dean Regan Sanctioned by the Patsy Cline Estate Director: Rob Kempson Music Director: Jeff Newberry Set and Costume Designer: Anna Treusch Lighting Designer: Nick Andison Sound Designer: Ben Whiteman Stage Manager: Sarah Miller Band: Tom Leighton (Keyboard/Organ), Jason O’Brien (Bass), Matt Ray (Guitars), Matthew Machanda (Drums) Artists: Michelle Bouey and Tyler Murree Previous Next

Back Thousand Islands Playhouse presents 'THE SOUND OF MUSIC' Now onstage at The Springer Theatre Randy deKleine-Stimpson Joe Szekeres A Rote and Paint-by-Numbers staging of the classic. This 'Sound of Music's' rushed pacing and dialogue challenge the production The setting is Salzburg pre-World War 2, the historical backdrop of the Nazi rise to power in Austria. We are almost all familiar with The Sound of Music’s story. Maria Rainer (Ellen Denny), a postulant nun stands out from the other sisters at Nonnberg Abbey due to her daydreaming, tree-climbing, and torn dress. She even waltzes on her way to mass and whistles on the stairs. Mother Abbess (June Crowley) sends Maria to work as a governess for widower Georg von Trapp (Eric Craig) and his seven children. Maria wants to reunite Captain von Trapp with his children who yearn for their father's attention but struggle to connect with him emotionally. She captures the children’s hearts while connecting with them through the power of music. Captain von Trapp is pursuing a relationship with Baroness Elsa Schraeder (Alison J Palmer) whose close friend, the children’s uncle, entertainment impresario Max Detweiler, (Rob Torr) is captivated by the children's singing talent under Maria’s tutelage and is intent on featuring the Von Trapp Family Singers in a prestigious music festival. Meanwhile, Captain von Trapp may be developing feelings for Maria. The visual presentation of the tale is lovely. Brandon Kleiman’s striking set design features eight columns with two accompanying staircases on stages left and right, leading to a central playing area with three descending steps. The proscenium center stage is especially noteworthy, serving as both a window in the von Trapp house and a stained-glass window at Nonnberg Abbey in various scenes throughout the show. A program note states the inspiration for the set design came from the Springer Theatre, which served as the Canoe Club during 1938 and both world wars. This is a clever and thoughtful touch. Andre du Toit’s lighting nicely complements Kleiman's set, particularly during the scenes at the Abbey in the beginning and towards the end when the von Trapps are in hiding following their concert. Joshua Quinlan, the Costume Designer, is responsible for replicating the clothing style of pre-World War 2 as accurately as possible. He has done an excellent job, especially in creating the children's play clothes (famously crafted from Maria's bedroom drapes) and concert attire. Maria's wedding dress is also appropriately simple and elegant. Mike Doherty’s sound design provided good clarity in the first act. I could hear the dialogue and lyrics perfectly, which has been challenging with some musicals I’ve reviewed over the years. Unfortunately, there were some technical issues with actors’ mics near the end of Act 2 but, overall, the sound in the Springer for this production seems significantly improved. Performance-wise onstage, I was less enthusiastic. At this opening-weekend matinee, I was taken aback by how the show galloped headlong at a frantically rushed pace which compromised the emotional core of the piece. For instance, when the children sing for Elsa Schraeder, I watched Captain von Trapp's reaction to hearing music in his home for the first time since his wife's passing. Eric Craig didn't fully let that moment sink in or resonate. The actors in the scene spoke their text with quick precision, but as an audience member, I expected some emotional depth that wasn’t there. I wanted to feel the widower’s grief and regret. Unfortunately, no emotion came through for me. This was essentially true for a good part of the show; dialogue and song lyrics whizzed by, perfectly memorized but delivering little heart. It's true that ‘The Sound of Music’ is a long show (this performance lasts two and a half hours with one interval), so keeping track of time is a reasonable concern. Nevertheless, Director, Naomi Costain, is responsible for ensuring that the storytelling resonates with the audience regardless of timing. With largely presentational staging, mostly blocked downstage-centre, and all very hurried, Costain steers this production emotionally far from the sweet sentimentality of the beloved story we know from the film. The challenge for the actors telling this story should be to convey credible, sometimes poignant emotions that resonate with the audience. Unfortunately, it looked like Costain hadn’t given clear, connected human motive for movement or songs, from one point to another, other than serving to move people around on a stage. As a result, there’s a “we go here now because we’re told” feel to the proceedings that makes it somewhat like watching a paint-by-number being completed… sure, it’s kind of pretty, but is that all? As an audience member, like most familiar with the classic story, I hoped to witness the characters we know come to life. They’re not there yet. Only when Rob Torr’s terrific Uncle Max brings his flourish of bravado and depth of pathos to the stage is this production somewhat elevated. Six of the seven children have been double-cast. However, no program notation informs us who we see for any given performance. Neither are young actors given bios, which is odd since the kids are (let’s be honest) one of the reasons we want to see the show. The children acquit themselves well is all I can offer without knowing more about whom I saw onstage. I would like to suggest that a program insert or an announcement listing the names of the children performing at any given show would be well deserved. Running time: approximately two and a half hours with one intermission. ‘The Sound of Music’ runs until August 67 at The Springer Theatre, 185 South Street, Gananoque. For tickets call 613-382-7020 or visit www.1000islandsplayhouse.com . THOUSAND ISLANDS PLAYHOUSE presents THE SOUND OF MUSIC Book by Howard Lindsay & Russel Crouse; Music by Richard Rodgers and Lyrics by Oscar Hammerstein Director and Choreographer: Naomi Costain Music Director: Anthony Bastianon Set Designer: Brandon Kleiman Costume Designer: Joshua Quinlan Lighting Designer: Andre du Toit Sound Designer: Mike Doherty Performers: Ellen Denny, Eric Craig, June Crowley, Rob Torr, Alison J. Palmer, Mary Kelly, Sarah Strange, Annie Ramos, David Talbot, Marcia Tratt, Hadley Mustakas, Robbie Fenton, Curtis Sullivan, Douglas Hughes, Gareth Davies, Brittany Miranda, Jamie Murray, The Children: Micah Garvin/Matthew Fournier; Amara Nanji/Charlotte Stroud; Scarlett Belanger/Isla Oatway; Reid Nicholson/Malcolm Jager; Emilie Lord/Bria Dubey; Yvette Lord/ Brea Oatway Previous Next

Back 'HADESTOWN' The North American Touring Company. Now onstage at Toronto's Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King Street West Credit: T. Charles Erickson Centre: Nathan Lee Graham and the North American touring company of 'Hadestown' Joe Szekeres A Voice Choice for the glorious-sounding vocals and harmonies that soar past the Royal Alexandra roof. The Hadestown North American touring company held its Canadian premiere on July 7 at Toronto’s Royal Alexandra Theatre. According to the touring website, the production is en route to Ottawa after the Toronto stop. There’s nothing hellish about this heavenly cast whatsoever. It’s a Voice Choice for the glorious-sounding vocals and harmonies that soar past the Royal Alexandra Theatre roof. Nathan Lee Graham is Hermes, the god of the Underworld, and serves as the narrator of the story of the young Orpheus (J. Antonio Rodriguez) and Eurydice (Hannah Whitley). Hermes introduces all the characters to the audience who will soon play a part in the lives of the young lovers. Eurydice and the Fates (Dominique Kempf, Belén Moyano, and Nyla Watson) inform the audience of the severe weather conditions and famine. Orpheus is the ward of Hermes who introduces the lad to Eurydice and immediately says he will marry the young girl even though they are both poor. Eventually, Eurydice goes to work in hell like industrial version of the Greek Underworld to escape poverty and the cold. In the end, it is Orpheus who comes to rescue her. Persephone (Maria-Christina Oliveras) soon arrives in the Underworld to celebrate summer. During this time, Eurydice begins to fall in love with Orpheus. Hades (Matthew Patrick Quinn), Persephone’s husband, arrives soon after to take his wife back to Hadestown, Hades’ underground factory, where there is never-ending labour by the workers. Eventually, the stories of the two couples - Persephone and Hades, Orpheus and Eurydice – intertwine with Hades, the ruler of the Underworld, deciding if Orpheus and Eurydice are to remain together forever. The touring production features powerful imagery that begins with Rachel Hauck's scenic design, which effectively captures the gritty and smoke-filled ambiance of a New Orleans speakeasy. It makes me yearn to experience the real thing someday, even for a half-hour. Bradley King uses individual spotlights during the pre-show and performance to create an eerie and haunting effect. Michael Krass' costume designs are also noteworthy, perfectly reflecting each character’s unique qualities. The production ranges from quiet love ballads to stirring choral and movement ensemble numbers. Even if someone does not have a strong background in Greek mythology, there’s no need to concern yourself if you think you might get lost. Leave yourselves enough time during the pre-show to read as much of the Programme as possible. There is important information regarding the production and some important glossaries about the meaning of the various Gods in the show. The exceptional vocals and top-notch orchestral arrangements certainly deserve recognition. Liam Robinson, who served as the Music Supervisor and Vocal Arranger, as well as Michael Chorney and Todd Sickafoose, who worked on the Arrangements and Orchestrations, Eric King as the Music Director, and David Lai as the Music Coordinator, are all responsible for the incredible sound that seamlessly complements David Neumann's stylized choreography and movement. The musical number "Way Down Hadestown" by the Company in Act 1 is a breathtaking showstopper combining the work of each of the aforementioned individuals. Not only have Director Rachel Chavkin and Anaïs Mitchell (Music, Lyrics and Book) created a fantastic tale of Greek mythology that appeals to a twenty-first-century audience, but also there is an essential connection to some timely social issues that currently wreak havoc on the world we know. For example, our current climate crisis centers prominently and remains a critical element of the story. In the Programme note, Mitchell speaks about “finding beauty and bravery which become causes for celebration even in hard times. There’s beauty in the struggle for a better world even if we can’t yet see the result of that struggle.” Mitchell's observation is accurate in acknowledging that we all face struggles in life, especially as we navigate the constant transitions and uncertainties brought about moving forward out of the pandemic. This exquisite group of artists portrays the essence of beauty and courage of their struggles in the two-and-a-half-hour performance which seems to pass by in an instant. As the narrator Hermes, Nathan Lee Graham exudes elegance and effortless grace on stage, dressed in what appears to be a dazzling Hermès silver suit. He opens the show with a sleek gesture to undo the button on his suit jacket with great theatrical style. Meanwhile, Matthew Patrick Quinn is captivating as Hades, dressed in a striking black pinstripe suit. His commanding and silky basso singing voice demands attention, and his stage presence as the Underworld patriarch instinctively exudes a powerful sense of foreboding adding to the character’s depth and intrigue. J. Antonio Rodriguez and Hannah Whitley are sweet as the dreamer Orpheus and world-weary Eurydice. Their performances of emotional ballads like 'All I've Ever Known' and 'Promises' are beautiful. Maria-Christina Oliveras is a stunning and sultry Persephone, and her ‘Livin’ It Up on Top’ with Hermes and Orpheus remains steamy. The ensemble is also terrific to watch and hear during this number. In Act 2, the Workers' Chorus generates compelling visualizations while reprising 'Way Down Hadestown' and in the musical number 'If It's True'. Final Comments: A must-see to hear, to watch and most importantly to experience. This ‘Hadestown’ is joy, tremendous joy. Go see it. Running time: approximately two and a half hours with one intermission. ‘Hadestown’ runs until August 20 at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, 260 King Street West, Toronto. For tickets, visit www.mirvish.com or call 1-800-461-3333. HADESTOWN Music, Lyrics and Book by Anaïs Mitchell Developed and Directed by Rachel Chavkin Music Supervisor and Vocal Arrangements: Liam Robinson Choreographer: David Neumann Scenic Design: Rachel Hauck Costume Design: Michael Krass Lighting Design: Bradley King Music Director: Eric Kang Performers: Nathan Lee Graham, Maria-Christina Oliveras, Matthew Patrick Quinn, J. Antonio Rodriguez, Hannah Whitley, Dominique Kempf, Belén Moyano, Nyla Watson, Jordan Bollwerk, Shavey Brown, Ian Coulter-Buford, KC Dela Cruz, Courtney Lauster, Colin LeMoine, Cecilia Trippiedi, Sean Watkinson, Racquel Williams Previous Next

Back Chris, Mrs. - A NEW HOLIDAY MUSICAL Now onstage at Toronto's Winter Garden Theatre Credit: Max Power Photography. Pictured: Liam Tobin, Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane and the ensemble Joe Szekeres “In a world so desperately longing to smile, we need ‘Chris, Mrs.’ to put a tuneful song in the heart accompanied by tripping the light fantastic dance numbers.” The world premiere of ‘Chris, Mrs.’ ticks all the boxes on the proverbial rubric scoring sheet of a Hallmark Christmas film. The story begins in the big, busy city where widower Ben Chris (Liam Tobin) is not in the Christmas mood at all. He leverages his late parents’ lodge for a work promotion. But this is a problem as Ben’s brother, Charlie (Kale Penny), still runs the lodge. Charlie feels a sense of connection to the lodge in memory of their parents. To convince his brother it’s best to sell, Ben decides to go to the lodge and takes with him his socialite, bitchy and arrogant girlfriend Vicki Vandrelle (Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane), and his three children, teenage daughter Claire (AJ Bridel) and twins, Samuel and Samantha (Lucien Duncan-Reid and Addison Wagman at this performance). The twins discover a ring in their father’s suitcase and write a letter to Santa asking for assistance. Magically, Holly Carmichael (Danielle Wade) appears. Her name says it all. Holly is full of Christmas spirit. She is a seasonal employee at the lodge. Holly and Ben have met over the years, but there is no connection. However, through misadventures, a twisted ankle, mischief and personal heart longings, everything wrong becomes right again. Sometimes cheesy and corny in a few puzzling plot elements? Yes. Boy meets girl after many years and re-kindles relationship. Yes. Snow falling at the end with everyone standing around a Christmas tree with love in the air and a song in their hearts? Yes. Is there anything wrong with any of that at this time of year? Absolutely not. It’s Christmas, and I don’t want to be a Grinch. You shouldn’t either. A quibble I have with this opening night production, and I’m sure it will be rectified immediately, is designer Ranil Sonnadara’s uneven sound balance between the singers and the orchestra throughout most of Act One. From where I sat in the house, I could not hear the lyrics in most chorus numbers and found it frustrating. I know I lost important plot information. Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane has quite an exhilarating vocal number (‘Vicki’s Lament’) to close off the first act, which moves the plot forward in her ‘scheme.’ Again, I could not hear one word in her song as the orchestra overpowered. Things were somewhat better in Act Two as I could hear the lyrics for most of the numbers. There’s much to appreciate about the opening night production. Cory Sincennes’ costume and set designs emblazoned the set in various traditional holiday colours. Mikeal Kangas’ lighting design nicely focuses attention where it needs to be. I was rather impressed with some of Greg Dougherty’s technical direction. The tree lighting at the end of Act Two is quite clever. I smiled as I watched how the ice skating was handled on stage. What is also impressive is the breakneck speed at which the ensemble moves set pieces smoothly in the variety of settings for the story. A good choice was made not to place the stage in complete darkness each time, which would have wholly brought the audience out of the story’s fluid pacing. Choreographer Sarah Vance creates several visually appealing high-stepping dance numbers. Katie Kerr’s tight direction keeps the pacing fluid and moving. Her and Music Director Matt Stodolak's lyrics are uniquely clever and cheery. One example is Claire’s ‘All I Want for Christmas,’ where a particular ‘play on a word’ kept me smiling throughout the entire musical number. The ensemble dance work of George Absi, Carla Bennett, Devon Michael Brown, Shelley Kenney, Heather Kosik and Jason Sermonia remains one of the production's highlights. Sarah Lynn Strange is bubbly and effervescent as Candace Brown, Ben’s secretary. Lucien Duncan-Reid and Addison Wagman are adorable as the troublemaking twins at this performance. Their finding of the ring also reminded me of comic moments from classic Disney films. Mark Weatherley captures the essence of the season's magic as Nick, who sets Holly on the right track when uncertain about what she should do regarding Ben. Weatherley’s silver fox look also sets Candace’s heart fluttering. Andrew Broderick and Henry Firmston are credible in their onstage work as respective nice guys Cole Jackson and Tim Penner, who also get what they deserve by the end of the story. As brothers Charlie and Ben, Kale Penny offers a solid juxtaposition in character development to Liam Tobin, especially when the truth outs in the second act with the arrival of the potential buyers of the lodge. As Claire, AJ Bridel’s lovely singing voice resonates and is poignant in her rendition of “All I Want for Christmas.” Liam Tobin and Danielle Wade are appealing as ‘Christmas-crossed’ lovers who finally recognize the truth of what each means to the other. I couldn’t help but smile again as all appeared right in the world as the entire company sang ‘Different This Year.’ Again, a tad cheesy and corny, but who cares? It’s Christmas. We need to smile in our world right now. Final Thoughts: Thank you to Katie Kerr and Matt Stodolak for sharing their dream of having a place in the Canadian musical theatre canon. Yes, ‘Chris, Mrs.’ is a holiday treat this year. Go and see it with your loved ones. I look forward to seeing what their company BOLDLY PRODUCTIONS has planned. Running time: approximately two hours with one intermission. ‘Chris, Mrs.’ runs until December 31 at Toronto’s Winter Garden Theatre, 189 Yonge Street. For tickets, 416-366-7723 | 1-800-708-6754 or visit CHRISMRS.com. BOLDLY PRODUCTIONS and The Winter Garden Theatre PRESENT The World Premiere of ‘CHRIS MRS. – A NEW HOLIDAY MUSICAL’ Music, Book, and Lyrics by Matthew Stodolak & Katie Kerr Director: Katie Kerr Musical Director: Matthew Stodolak Choreographer: Sarah Vance Set & Costume Design: Cory Sincennes / Associate: Beyata Hackborn Lighting Design: Mikael Kangas Sound Design: Ranil Sonnadara Stage Manager: Jessica Severin Production Manager: Greg Dougherty Band: Matthew Stodolak, Ben Kersey, Tom Skublics, Steve McDade, Karl Silveira, Dave Patel, Peter Bleakney Performers: Liam Tobin, Danielle Wade, Eric Abel, George Absi, Carla Bennett, AJ Bridel, Andrew Broderick, Devon Michael Brown, Finn Cofell, Lucien Duncan-Reid, Henry Firmston, Isaac Grates-Myers, Shelley Kenney, Heather Kosik, Kale Penny, Jason Sermonia, Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane, Sarah-Lynn Strange, Addison Wagman, Mark Weatherley Previous Next

Back 'Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo' by Rajiv Joseph Now onstage at Crow's Theatre in association with Modern Times Stage Company Dahlia Katz Dave Rabjohn A biting new production of Rajiv Joseph’s ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo’ has opened at Crow’s Theatre in association with Modern Times Stage Company. Could there be a past due date stamped on this production which has painfully sat on the shelf for many Covid months? Emphatically no! This play explodes, baffles and mesmerizes from all four corners of the stage. Artfully directed by Rouvan Silogix and charged with breathtaking performances, this play might be called whimsical if it wasn’t so painful. Set in the midst of the Iraq war in Baghdad, a captive tiger bemoans her predicament while satirizing her fellow inmates who have foolishly wandered away from the war-torn zoo and city. Teased by an American soldier, the tiger tears off his hand and is in turn shot dead by a second soldier, Kev. Throughout the balance of the play, the tiger’s ghost haunts Kev into insanity and suicide. The insanity of war is exposed by Tom (Andrew Chown), with a newly fashioned prosthetic, who harbours a gold-plated handgun and toilet seat looted from the mansion of Uday Hussein – the son of the dictator. Misadventures continue between Tom and Musa, a creative gardener turned interpreter for the American army. A series of inevitable tragedies underscore the insanities of war. The performance of Christopher Allen is astounding and riveting. He moves easily through fear in the desolate and dangerous city to overwhelming angst as he is haunted by the tiger. Anguished screams haunt even the audience. His acting versatility is unmatched as his ghost becomes more evocative and philosophical while playing the Greek chorus to the mayhem around him. Kristen Thomson’s performance as the tiger is equally powerful. Thankfully lacking a loud Halloween costume, subtlety underscores the strength of the tiger’s observations, commenting on the parallels and contrasts of the human and animal world. Strength comes from Thomson’s subtle staring from time to time as her head and neck quietly move as a pensive animal’s would. A very slight lumbering in movement conveys indifference and is enough to contrast with the humans’ erratic movements. Ahmad Moneka, along with some beautiful singing in act two, artfully plays the gardener turned interpreter who is caught in the middle between two warring factions. His topiary work of various animals hanging from the theatre's heights reflect the majesty of his creations and the horrors of war as some of them are damaged. Stinging interactions between himself and the ghost of Uday, coolly played by Ali Kazmi, hint at repulsive crimes committed against his sister, genuinely played by Sara Jaffri. The theatre in the round scheme, invoked by designer Lorenzo Savoini was brilliant and intimate as no seating was higher than four rows. Potent lighting and sound (by John Gzowski) paired robustly to remind each scene that the war was ever-present . It is the dynamic of incongruity that makes us ache. Examples of this dissonance include the buffoonery of masturbation in a formal army interpreter’s office. The ridiculousness of eyeing a fortune on a toilet seat. A leper with an empty first aid kit. The ghost of a young girl with half her face blown away cries from one eye – the jest is caught in our throats. How different are countries from animals? The hunger for oil, wealth or power is not much different from the want of rice or meat. From Iraq to the Ukraine, Rajiv Joseph’s startling message is sadly universal. ‘Bengal Tiger at the Baghdad Zoo’ by Rajiv Joseph Performers: Christopher Allen, Andrew Chown, Mahsa Ershadifar, Sara Jaffri, Ali Kazmi, Ahmed Moneka, Kristen Thomson Director: Rouvan Silogix Set and lighting designer: Lorenzo Savoini Costume designer: Ming Wong Sound designer: John Gzowski Crow’s Theatre: Runs through November 6, 2022. Tickets at: www.crowstheatre.com Previous Next

Back Orphan Song by Sean Morley Dixon World Premiere at Toronto's Tarragon Theatre Cylla von Tiedemann Joe Szekeres This ‘Orphan Song’ resonates, but I had to play close attention to this challenging production. Please don’t misunderstand when I say the opening night performance of Sean Dixon’s ‘Orphan Song’ is a challenging one. Challenging how and what we think are good and necessary, and we need to be challenged constantly all the time regarding discussion of worthy artistic endeavours. ‘Orphan Song’ is truly worthy of sound, intellectual discussion and Tarragon will hold talkbacks following certain performances. I would strongly encourage future audience members to partake in those talks and to read the theatre Resource Guide and programme available. I wished I could have listened for a few minutes to a talkback following the play. The synopsis: In 40, 027 BCE, a grief-stricken Homo-sapiens couple Gorse and Mo (Beau Dixon and Sophie Goulet) adopts a Neanderthal child called Chicky (Kaitlin Morrow). Language separates the parents from the child, only then to separate mother and father. In other words, how does one love when it is difficult to communicate? Communication using what kind of language since the play is set BCE? Will it be standard English? Two challenges for me. In the Programme Playwright’s Note, Dixon states ‘Orphan Song’: “is an exploration of what it means to take responsibility for a child at all costs in a dangerous world.” He and his wife in 2014 adopted a girl and recall the struggle of forging attachment to her but don’t say how long this struggle occurred. His daughter is now 9. Since I’ve never raised my own children, here’s where I knew I would pay close attention to the story. The other challenge? Oral language takes on an entirely new meaning in ‘Orphan Song’ and that’s where I found the provided Resource Guide invaluable. Briefly, the English spoken in the play is derived from a list of 200 words considered basic to every language known as the Swadesh List. So, I really had to pay close attention to the dialogue and words spoken as it would be very easy to get lost if attention span wandered. And this is where I can make a personal connection since I was a Core French as a Second Language teacher at the beginning of my teaching career over thirty-five years ago in utilising a list of 200 words and phrases basic to a conversational understanding of the language. What makes ‘Orphan Song’ so deserving of a post discussion is the way director Richard Rose and this singular cast melded Dixon’s script together to explain how does one love an adopted child when there are difficulties in communication. Did it work for me, though? Was the play worth doing? These were the two questions I pondered on the GO train ride home. Yes, ‘Orphan Song’ did work soundly for me. I probably would have arrived at that decision earlier if there was a talkback to help guide some of my thinking. Graeme S. Thomson’s set, Jareth Li’s lighting and Juliet Palmer’s sound designs immaculately recreated the suggestion of eras and eras long ago. Upon entering the auditorium, I really liked hearing the sound effects of the gulls and birds. The hanging burlap fabric of meticulously and carefully painted Cro Magnon and Neanderthal rock was sharp. The dimly soft focused lighting thankfully did not pierce my eyes. Tree branches and sticks lined across the front of the stage which also nicely evoked a strong sense of the era. Charlotte Dean’s costume designs appropriately captured what I had envisioned from seeing pictures about the outfits worn from this specific era. Once the performance began, I was fascinated with the marvelous eye-opening introduction of the ensemble called Pipers who incorporated music and fantastic use of puppet mastery. I would really like to acknowledge Kaitlin Morrow’s work here in the latter. I found myself mesmerized in watching how the strong ensemble manipulated the puppets while blending, at times, unusually high-pitched trilling sounds which affectionately grew on me after awhile. There is further puppetry in the production as well from tiny, adorable hedgehogs to large, winged attacking and ferociously looking pterodactyl like birds. Absolutely breathtaking to watch this tight knit ensemble incorporate gigantic and subtle body and head movements. I can’t even begin to imagine the initial rehearsal process with the cast, Rose, Dixon, and the oral language issues because there must have been some obstacles which had to be overcome. It did take several minutes to accustom my ear to listening, hearing and then processing the message delivered, but I got used to it and was able to understand most of what was being said. There are two moments where standard English is used to help with plot delineation. Richard Rose is a gifted director and his clear vision of focusing on the universal and emotional elements of adoption remained solidly intact. Juliet Palmer’s musical direction and incorporation of melodic sounds subtly underscored tension and interest thanks to some terrific ensemble work of individuals whom I will name at the end of the article. Beau Dixon offers a towering patriarchal presence as Gorse. (Spoiler alert) Sophie Goulet’s matriarchal Mo tugged at my heart strings in the second act when she plans to leave the family and the others desperately search for her. (End of spoiler alert). The grandmotherly Gran’s Terry Tweed becomes that wise and sage figure for whom we all search in times of desperation and change. Kaitlin Morrow’s work as Chicky was one of the performance highlights for me. When the audience first meets them, there is an adorable, playful quality sound which emanates from Morrow in their trilling as they strive to communicate with the others. That sense of feeling that Chicky belongs through attachment which breaks and then re-forms and breaks again did play at my heart. Final Comments: At this moment in time, we now live in a world where listening and hearing one another becomes of extreme importance in relationship building. Through a visually captivating production to the eye and to the ear, ‘Orphan Song’ required me to pay close attention, to listen and to hear what others are trying to tell me about family, about communication and about love. There’s so much going on in the use of the language that perhaps I may have to pay a second visit. In any case, come listen to this song. Worth a visit to Tarragon. Production runs approximately two hours and ten minutes with one intermission. Covid Protocols in effect. ORPHAN SONG by Sean Morley Dixon (World Premiere) Directed by Richard Rose Set design by Graeme S. Thomson Lighting consultation by Jareth Li Costume design by Charlotte Dean Musical direction and Sound design by Juliet Palmer - voiced and created collaboratively by the cast and composer. Puppet mastery by Kaitlin Morrow Stage management by Sandy Plunkett Apprentice Stage Management by Alysse Szatkowski Performers: Heather Marie Annis, Beau Dixon, Sophie Goulet), Phoebe Hu, Germaine Konji, Ahmed Moneka, Kaitlin Morrow, Kaitlyn Riordan, Terry Tweed, Daniel Williston Production runs to April 24, 2022, at the Mainspace, Tarragon Theatre, 30 Bridgman Avenue, Toronto. For tickets, visit www.tarragontheatre.com or call 1-416-531-1827. Previous Next

Back Dylan Trowbridge Looking Ahead Tim Leyes Joe Szekeres In the early stages of the pandemic in 2020, my discussions with most Canadian, American, and European artists led me to understand just how their professional lives have become forever changed and dramatically altered. In all honesty, I’m still wondering how this pivot back to the indoor live theatre will look for them and their colleagues as necessary worldwide social movements have spotlighted the need for change. I first came across Dylan Trowbridge’s name in the early stages of GhostLight. All of the co-founders of GhostLight wanted to create a space to keep the theatre community active, inspired and connected while the industry was shut down. During the last few days, theatre news from Broadway indicates the theatres in Manhattan will be open this fall. Still no word about the indoor Toronto and Ontario theatres. Yes, there are pockets of outdoor theatre and I for one am pleased to hear this news, yet still Canadians wait when we can all return indoors. You’ll see from Dylan’s responses he has tried his best to remain positive and to keep moving forward. From the University of Toronto website: “[he] is a Toronto-based actor, director and teacher who began his career at the Shaw Festival where he played the title role in Christopher Newton’s production of Peter Pan. Other Shaw Festival credits include leading roles in The Lord of the Flies, The Matchmaker, Widowers' Houses, The Coronation Voyage and Rutherford and Son. Dylan made his West End debut in 2009, playing Neil Kellerman in Dirty Dancing at London’s Aldwych Theatre. He also spent two seasons at the Stratford Festival, appearing in Mary Stuart, Measure for Measure, Titus Andronicus and The Grapes of Wrath. Additional theatre credits include: Tribes, Julius Caesar (Canadian Stage), Taking Care of Baby (Critics Pick Award for Best Supporting Actor), the English language premier of Wajdi Mouawad’s Tideline (Factory Theatre) and Tiny Dynamite (Theatre Smash). Dylan is a founding member of Theatrefront, with whom he co-wrote and performed in Return (The Sarajevo Project), earning a Dora nomination for best new play. Film and television credits include The Handmaid’s Tale, Anne with an E, V Wars, Impulse, American Hangman, Dark Matter, Private Eyes, Alias Grace, Orphan Black, Bomb Girls and Hemlock Grove. As a director, Dylan’s productions of The Harrowing of Brimstone McReedy and Space Opera Zero! for Toronto’s Eldritch Theatre have earned multiple Dora nominations, and one win. Other recent directing credits include Herringbone and The Yalta Game (Talk is Free Theatre) and Every Brilliant Thing starring Gavin Crawford (Festival Players). Dylan is the Artistic Associate of Theatrefront, the Associate Artistic Director of The Festival Players of Prince Edward County and the Co-Founder/Co-Creative director of GhostLight, Canada’s online platform for mentorship in the theatre (ghostlight.ca).” We conducted our conversation via email as Dylan is an extremely busy family man. Thank you for taking the time to add to the conversation, Dylan: The doors to Toronto indoor live theatre have been shut for over a year now with no possible date of re-opening soon. How have you and your immediate family been faring during this time? Thanks for asking this, Joe. While this has been a profoundly challenging time, I have tried my best to seek silver linings where I can. I’ve got two amazing kids, and I have spent a lot more time with them over the last year than I would otherwise have been able. When everything shut down last March, I took the opportunity to teach my youngest son how to read. We had a great time with it, and we never would have been able to do that under normal circumstances. We established some fun family traditions during the pandemic: Thursday night campouts in the living room (or on the balcony in the summer). Takeout and old episodes of ‘Survivor’ on Friday nights. Because there are four of us and a dog packed into a condo, I have been fortunate to avoid the massive challenges of isolation that so many people have had to deal with over the last year. We’ve tried to make it fun however we could. About indoor live theatre shut for over a year, there is a void for sure. More than anything I have missed the social interactions, the ridiculous jokes and meeting new people. I miss the event of theatre. The anticipation when the lights go dark. The thrill of audience and artists sharing a space. How have you been spending your time since the theatre industry has been locked up tight as a drum? I’ve tried to keep busy! A few days before all the theatres shut down, Graham Abbey and I had opened a production of ‘The Winter’s Tale’ at U of T. We’d had such an inspiring experience working with these students, and we were discussing the possibility of creating more training and mentorship opportunities in the near future. Then when March 13th hit, and, like everyone else, all our immediate theatre plans evaporated. Graham called me and we began a conversation about building an online platform for theatrical mentorship. We wanted to create a space that would keep the theatre community active, inspired, and connected while the industry was shut down. Through that conversation we laid the groundwork for what would become GhostLight (www.ghostlight.ca ) Alongside co-founders Stephen Barnard, E.B Smith and Adrianna Prosser, we spent the next several weeks developing this platform, recruiting mentors and creating our launch event Friday Night at the GhostLight (featuring Margaret Atwood, Adrienne Clarkson, Torquil Campbell, Colin Mochrie). In May we launched our first series of free classes lead by some of the great theatre artists in this country, and we continued to do so throughout 2020—offering 19 classes to over 300 students. Then, in September, Graham and I returned to U of T to teach Advanced Performance: Mainstage Drama. In that class we created two digital theatre pieces: an adaptation of A Midsummer Night’s Dream and Rosamund Small’s play ‘Tomorrow Love’. It was a great opportunity to explore the possibilities that exist when creating theatre online. I also shot a couple of Film and TV projects: ‘Marry Me this Christmas’ for the Bounce Network and ‘Titans’ for HBO Max. In April I directed a new play workshop for Alberta Theatre Projects (a company I have long admired), and a “First Day Read” for Talk is Free Theatre. I also work with Festival Players of Prince Edward County (https://www.festivalplayers.ca ) as associate AD. We are busy planning an exciting season of outdoor theatre, music, dance and comedy for July and August. The late Hal Prince described theatre as an escape for him. Has covid been an escape for me or would you describe this year long absence from theatre as something else? I think he must have meant that theatre is a great escape from ordinary life, and that I can understand and relate to. Theatre allows us to live in wonder and to transcend the ordinary This year-long absence from theatre has not been an escape for me though. It definitely has caused me to reflect and re-evaluate my life and my work in a healthy way. As actors and theatre artists, so much of our identity is wrapped up in our creative lives. This year forced me to cultivate an identity outside of those parameters. I have learned that while I love being an actor, I don’t need to base my sense of worth upon it. It’s also taught me to keep an open mind about what theatre is, and what it can be. The popular opinion (and I totally understand it) is that theatre is defined by live assembly in a physical space shared by actors and audience. But this year has taught me to challenge that. We are storytellers. When the traditional parameters of our story telling are taken away from us, how do we adapt? I have been profoundly moved by digital theatre. I have been wowed by digital visuals in online plays. I have laughed heartily. I have witnessed beautiful, genuine connection between actors over Zoom. I have witnessed student actors deepen their understanding of the craft in an online classroom. So, while it hasn’t been an escape, it has been enlightening, transformative and satisfying. I’ve interviewed a few artists several months ago who said that the theatre industry will probably be shut down and not go full head on until at least 2022. There may be pockets of outdoor theatre where safety protocols are in place. What are your comments about this? Do you think you and your colleagues/fellow artists will not return until 2022? My understanding of this virus and the various vaccines is limited, so anything I say here is complete speculation. My instinct is that it will be at least a year before people are attending theatre in a way that resembles to what we are used to and accustomed. Once we get everyone vaccinated, it will take some time for audiences to gain the confidence to gather in large groups again. My hope is, in the meantime, theatre-makers will be inspired to get creative with their approach to alternative strategies. I started my career doing outdoor theatre in Montreal. There is a magic to it when it’s done well. And it can attract non-traditional audiences. I think we will also see companies getting innovative with hybrid models of theatre: a live performance in a real theatre with a tiny audience and live streamed to a greater audience in their homes. I’m curious about how this challenge can create new models of theatre. The advent of Zoom theatre has opened up performance possibilities that transcend geography. While I don’t expect we will return to ‘normal’ in 2021, I am confident that this obstacle will lead to innovative approaches that could transform the way we create and attend theatre. I think theatre historians will look back on 2020-2021 and expound on on its vital transitional moment in the way we create theatre. The most important thing in all this? All levels of government must prioritize supporting arts organizations. As things stand, there is no scenario that will allow us to generate the ticket revenue sufficient to meet our costs. If we want a thriving performing arts sector on the other side of this pandemic, it is vital that we keep companies afloat. How has Covid transformed you in your understanding of the theatre and where it is headed in a post Covid world? What our industry has endured over the last 14 months will forever change the way we create theatre, and the way audiences experience it. The most important moment we have experienced as a result of Covid is the reckoning that took place, and continues to take place, at arts institutions across this country. The closure of theatres created an opportunity for theatre artists to shine a spotlight on the systemic inequity and racism that has been taking place in our theatres and cultural institutions. I believe that a positive, permanent transformation has begun to take place. I anticipate that we will continue to see healthy, innovative leadership models evolve because of this, and that will affect everything from programming, to process, to casting and hiring practices. With regards to how we will create theatre in a post-pandemic world, my hope is theatre artists will be inspired to devise work that celebrates what makes the medium unique: liveness, gathering, collaboration and imagination. Great theatre can be like a party or a concert. It should be an event. Unpredictable. Dangerous. Exhilarating. I expect that there will be a greater urgency to the work we do and a hunger in the audiences that experience it. Have you felt danger during this time of Covid and do you believe it will influence your work? In 2006 I created a play with actors from Bosnia called ‘Return: The Sarajevo Project’. These artists grew up during the war in Bosnia and experienced legitimate, tangible threats to their lives every single day for several years; it affected everything. Their work was raw, spontaneous, and unpredictable and I learned a great deal from being on stage with them. I have not experienced that kind of sustained and palpable danger. Covid has been frustrating, stressful, and inconvenient. It has posed a threat to my livelihood and my ability to pursue my dreams. But it would be inauthentic to suggest that I have a deeper understanding of danger that I will bring to my work as a result of this. The word I keep coming back to is “urgency.” I will create theatre with more urgency when this is over. I’ll make up for lost time. I’ll relish the opportunities to collaborate with great artists in a shared space in front of an audience. I’ll enjoy it more. I’ll play more. And I won’t take one second of it for granted. Has this time of Covid made you sensitive to our world and has it made an impact on your life in such a way that you will bring it back to the theatre? In 2019 I suffered a serious concussion while rehearsing a play. I was unable to act on stage for the entire year. Then I lost a very close friend to a tragic accident. And then Covid hit. These three events permanently altered the way I see the world. Life and health feel much more fragile now. Everything we experience is raw material for the work we do. I hope and expect that these challenging events will have a positive impact on my work as an actor and director. Once again, the late Hal Prince spoke of the fact that theatre should trigger curiosity in the actor/artist and the audience. Has Covid sparked any curiosity in you about something during this time? Has this time away from the theatre sparked further curiosity for you when you return to this art form? Covid has intensified my desire to do three things that I have been unable to do: traveling, creating theatre and socializing. I want to meet new people and see new places. I think that our work requires us to feed our imaginations by seeking out a multitude of perspectives and pursuing new experiences. That’s what I plan to do as soon as I am able to do so. Follow Dylan on Instagram: @dylantrowbridgeyyz Previous Next

Back Marie Beath Badian, Filipino Canadian playwright “You can’t take anything for granted that there is going to be an audience.” Caroline Mangosing for Vinta Gallery Joe Szekeres Marie Beath (pronounced Mary Beth) Badian is a Canadian Filipino performing artist whose plays have been commissioned by The Blyth Festival, The Stratford Festival, Prairie Theatre Exchange, and Toronto’s Young People’s Theatre. (www.mariebeath.com ). Like any writer, she thinks very deeply about all her characters before she puts pen to paper. Commissioned by The Blyth Festival, Badian’s play ‘Prairie Nurse’ opens Saturday, July 15, at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre. This play, along with ‘The Waltz’ (a terrific production staged at Toronto’s Factory Theatre earlier this year), is part of a multi-generational story spanning fifty years and set in rural Saskatchewan. The third, ‘The Cottage Guest,’ is in development 2.0 and has just been finished in draft form. Badian had a workshop on ‘Guest’ in February of this year. The litmus test is to be in a workshop of the play and listen to the actors. If the characters are speaking in the way Badian imagined in her head, that’s a huge relief. ‘Guest’ needs a bit of tweaking and Marie Beath is hoping the play will hit the stage in the next couple of years. We had conducted our conversation several weeks ago, and at that time, rehearsals for ‘Prairie Nurse’ were just getting underway on June 26. Badian would miss the first day of rehearsal because it was her ‘kiddo’s’ (I like that) Grade 8 graduation. Sometimes, the family unit must take priority, and I’m all for that. Badian had completed her training and received her diploma from Toronto Metropolitan University. She was the second last of the diploma programme. She graduated in 1999 and then grandfathered into the Bachelor of Fine Arts in 2007. Does Marie Beath consider herself a Toronto girl at heart: “Oh, yeah. I was born and raised in Scarborough. I didn’t move very far. I’ve been living downtown since 1997. [Toronto] has always been my home and will always feel like that when I’m away.” Badian calls it an exceptional privilege to return to live theatre. It’s still tremendously unique to sit in the audience beside people and experience the play. For her, it feels incredibly novel and fleeting. There’s joy in seeing people’s faces once again. Badian does not take this generosity in this return to the theatre for granted. To decide to attend the theatre is a crucial choice. Before the lockdown, Marie Beath was feeling exhausted. Sitting in a theatre felt like a chore, and she now feels guilty that she went through that experience: “You can’t take anything for granted that there is going to be an audience.” Marie Beath and I both agreed on this point strongly. At one point, we wondered if the lockdown meant the end of the live theatrical performing arts because we are not essential workers. That’s the reality regarding sacrifice and heroism among the healthcare essential workers in the grand scheme of things. Her mother was a nurse for forty years and Marie Beath worked at the Ontario College of Nurses for a long time. The community of nurses has always been a part of her community’s lifeblood. Knowing that their diaspora and the family legacy of these front-line individuals put into perspective what essential work truly meant, especially essential work for the soul. On its website, the Capitol Theatre describes the plot of ‘Prairie Nurse’ as a laugh-a-minute comedy of confusion based on a real-life story. The story involves two Filipino nurses who come to work at a small-town Saskatchewan hospital in the late 1960s. Cultural clashes, personality differences, homesickness, and the amorous but dim-witted goalie from the local hockey team complicate the women’s lives and create chaos at the hospital. Add a doctor more concerned with fishing than his patients and an overly romantic candy striper. ‘Prairie Nurse’ is based on the true story of Badian’s mother’s immigration to Canada. Confident that 'Prairie Nurse' is being well taken care of under Megan Watson's direction, the playwright is adjusting to the unusual experience of having one of her plays performed multiple times. Badian considers it a privileged position in Canadian theatre and is always amazed when her work is produced. Even with 'Prairie Nurse' no longer a world premiere, Badian still feels the same jittery excitement as before. She is over the moon with the cast the director has assembled. It’s unique and exciting, and she was delighted to hear who they were after the fact. Megan and Rob Kempson (Capitol’s Artistic Director) have been so thoughtful about the casting process of the play. What’s delightful about all productions of ‘Prairie Nurse’?: “It gets to introduce me to new people in the Filipino diaspora that I hadn’t known before and that there is work for them. I don’t know the two actors who are playing the nurses. I think they are fairly recent grads. What’s exciting first is that this production [at the Capitol] marks the ten-year anniversary of ‘Prairie Nurse’. It’s also exciting that these two ladies who were in school when the play premiered now understand there is work for who they are authentically as part of the diaspora.” For many years, Marie Beath has been friends with Rob Kempson. She is impressed with how he and Erin Pierce (Capitol Theatre’s Managing Director) have made their values of the live theatre performing arts come to fruition and how exciting it is to be part of the season. Badian holds Canadian actor Deborah Drakeford in high esteem and is thrilled to have her involved in the production as the ornery head nurse at the hospital. She’s a chain smoker at the hospital in the sixties, becoming a riot as the play unfolds. What is a message Marie Beath hopes audiences will take away after seeing ‘Prairie Nurse’?: “Joy, the joy and the laughter that I feel is so inherent about the story. I hope audiences will also take away a different perspective of the period piece of the fabric of Canada in 1967. It’s a gentle and loving way to remind people of the value of the Filipino diaspora in health care. It’s a way to reflect health care that if we have ever experienced health care in Canada, it has been at the hands of a Filipino caregiver.” ‘Prairie Nurse’ begins performances July 14 and runs to July 30. All performances take place at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street, Port Hope. For tickets call 905-885-1071 or visit capitoltheatre.com. To learn more about Marie Beath Badian, visit her website: www.mariebeath.com . Previous Next

Back Matthew MacKenzie 'This was a Covid romance where my wife Mariya were able to get married and welcome our son into this world, against all odds.' Credit: Nastya Gooz. Matthew appears with his bride Mariya Joe Szekeres What an interesting name for a theatre – ‘Punctuate! Theatre’. This name caught my eye immediately and I wanted to find out more. And there is more. Recently I received a notice about Punctuate Theatre’s touring production of the world premiere of ‘First Métis Man of Odesa’ that will run in the Franco Boni Theatre at Toronto’s Theatre Centre. Punctuate bills the production as a ‘romantic comedy for an unpredictable world.” ‘First Métis Man of Odesa’ is now playing in Kamloops BC until March 25. The production then travels to Toronto at The Theatre Centre from March 30 – April 8. It will then travel to Edmonton’s Citadel Theatre from April 22 – May 13 with its final stop in Vancouver from May 25 – June 4, 2023. Written by Matthew MacKenzie and Mariya Khomutova and directed by Lianna Makuch, this world premiere according to Punctuate’s website is “based on actual events. This captivating real-life love story is set against the backdrop of the COVID pandemic and the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Award-winning playwright Matthew MacKenzie joins forces with his wife, award-winning Ukrainian actress Mariya Khomutova, to tell the story of their COVID courtship and share an intimate perspective on the personal impacts of the war in Ukraine.” I had the opportunity to conduct an interview via email with Matthew MacKenzie. He trained at Montréal’s National Theatre School in their Playwriting Program led by Brian Drader: The name ‘Punctuate! Theatre’ immediately captured my attention. Could you tell me about its genesis? "I was not with the company when it was founded, but my Managing Director Sheiny Satanove says “The name Punctuate! Theatre was a collaborative effort between the five founding members. In their initial meetings, they determined what type of theatre they were interested in making - subversive, relevant, and thought-provoking. It was important to them (and still is to the company today) to use our productions to give audiences something to think about, to ‘punctuate’ their thoughts. From there the name was born!” In your professional opinion, how have the changes from the worldwide pandemic affected where you see Punctuate! Theatre headed in future. "The changes forced us to stop touring our work for a couple of years, but we are happy to be touring the country again in ‘23 with ‘First Métis Man of Odesa’. One of the exciting things to come out of the pandemic is a virtual Indigenous playwriting unit we have formed with our partners: the Pemmican Collective. It went so well during the height of the pandemic that we decided we wanted to continue with it into the future. We are currently supporting the development of fifteen Indigenous projects through the unit." Tell me about the plot of ‘First Métis Man of Odesa’ to whet future audience appetite. "The play follows my partner Mariya Khomutova and my love story from a meeting during a theatre workshop in Ukraine, to Mariya visiting me in Toronto, to me returning to Ukraine, where I met Mariya’s parents in the magical city of Odesa. Two days after I flew back to Canada after that trip, Covid really hit, and countries closed their borders–so we suddenly didn’t know when we would be able to see one another again. A month after that trip, we learned that Mariya was pregnant. So I had to figure out how to fly across the world in the midst of the pandemic and sort of sneak into Ukraine. I was able to do this after we had been apart for four months and we married on a perfect summer morning in Odesa. Back in Canada, we had to jump through many bureaucratic hoops, with Mariya finally accessing healthcare shortly before the birth of our son, Ivan. We were just about to return to Odesa for our son to meet his grandparents there when the Russians launched their full-scale invasion. Since that time, when pretty much everyone my wife has ever known has had their lives turned upside down, we have welcomed my mother-in-law Olga and contended from afar with the horror Putin is unleashing on Ukraine." From the release I received, the play was presented as a radio play at Factory Theatre during the height of the lockdown in 2021. It was written by you and directed by Nina Lee Aquino. This March, 'First Métis Man of Odesa' makes its on-stage debut and offers a continuation of the initial story told in the radio play. Have you made any major changes from the radio play script to the one that will be presented this month? "The big difference is that Russia had not invaded Ukraine when we did the radio play, so the effects the invasion had on Mariya and I provided the inspiration, both dark and hopeful, for the second half of the play." It has been wonderful to return to the theatre even though we are still in Covid’s embrace. Again, in your professional opinion, why is it important for audiences to see ‘First Métis Man of Odesa’? "This was a Covid romance, where Mariya and I were able to get married and welcome our son into this world, against all odds. I think people will respond really positively to a good news story coming out of this terrible time. And much like Covid, the invasion has had a profound impact on our lives but has been something out of our control. I think seeing the human side of how the invasion has affected people will really resonate with folks." Once the run of the play has concluded at the Theatre Centre, what’s next for Matthew MacKenzie? "I’ll be travelling to South Africa to participate in a residency in Johannesburg at The Centre For The Less Good Idea, where I will be developing a new play titled Genital Posturing Of The Vervet Monkeys Of South Africa." To learn more about Punctuate Theatre, visit www.punctuatetheatre.com . To purchase tickets for the Toronto production at The Theatre Centre, call 416-538-0988 or visit www.theatrecentre.org . Previous Next

Back Al James The Self-Isolated Artist IMDB photo by Jon DeLeon Joe Szekeres As a practicing Catholic, I’ve always liked the phrase ‘By the Grace of God’. I passionately believe it is through the Almighty’s grace that, sometimes through goodness and sometimes through surprises, our lives have been lovingly and carefully determined for us. Enter Al James and his family. Al, his wife Kathy, and their two children Frances and Henry, attend the same Catholic Church I do. The James’s have attended this Church longer than I was. When I started attending several years ago, I noticed there was one little guy who used to peer around his father when the priest entered from the back of the Church. With the biggest smile on his face, this little dude waved to the priest and reached out to touch him. The priest always called him by name and waved back to him. Other parishioners around me always smiled when they saw this selfless response. I recall asking a person next to me who the little guy was and found out his name was Henry. Several weeks go by. After church one day, the parish priest was talking to a gentleman and I was waved over. The priest said this man was looking to speak to someone from my school, but Father knew I had an interest in drama. This gentleman who was talking to the priest was Al James. The priest turned to me and said, “Joe, you have an interest in drama. I was looking for Mike, but you can answer Al’s question. Joe, this is Al. Al, this is Joe. Talk!” And the priest immediately left us alone. In a few seconds of stunned silence, because I don’t believe either of us expected it, I looked at Al. He looked back at me. We both let out a huge laugh. And a wonderful friendship started from that point. There are many things I respect about Al. His Catholic faith and immediate family are the most important elements in his life. He is a devoted Catholic who also takes his career as an actor very seriously. Over the years we have spoken about the industry and about our communal faith. 1. How have you, Kathy, Frannie and Henry been doing during this time? Actually, we’re managing quite well during this period. We are fortunate enough to be able to continue working and, for the most part, have not been too affected by this pandemic as far as daily routine is concerned. Obviously having the kids at home during the day has been a big adjustment, but we managed to make the transition in stride. 2. Were you involved in any industry projects when the pandemic struck? I wasn’t involved in any projects when it occurred. 3. Have there been any personal or professional challenges for all of you during this time? Personally, I’ve welcomed the time spent at home among my books and guitars and have been enjoying the time spent with the kids, but I’m aware that this has been a trying time for many. The most challenging part of this isolation period for me has been trying to take it one day at a time instead of trying to determine what the near future or distant future may hold in store. 4. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time? I’m continuing to work on the creative projects I’ve begun and am also getting in more time for my daily prayer devotions, studies and reading. 5. What advice might you give to other performing artists who have been hit hard by this turn in world events? I’m not one to be giving out advice, but if I were to add anything to the attempts to help ease or comfort those during these difficult and challenging days, I’d invite my fellow artists to reach out to those who are worse off and stay in touch with them. I’ve been contacted numerous times from fellow colleagues asking how I’m doing and if my family and I are well. It’s brought me a lot of comfort to hear from them, and I’ve also reached out to others as well. 6. Do you see anything positive stemming from COVID-19? I believe lots of positive things can come from this if we allow them to come. As I mentioned earlier, the need to reach out to those whom I regularly wouldn’t think to contact has shown me that, in future, I don’t need a time of crisis as an excuse to connect or re-connect with others. 7. From your experience, do you see any changes in the Canadian performing arts scene on account of COVID-19? I don’t know how the industry will be affected, at least not in the long run. Whether any permanent changes will occur may depend on the duration of the general ‘lockdown’. 8. Many artists are turning to streaming/online performances to showcase/highlight/share their work. Any advantages to doing this? Disadvantages? Are you doing or will you be doing any of this? I’ve had a couple of self tape auditions for voice over gigs and I assume this will continue and most likely increase over time. I think it’s a good idea to be prepared for more ‘at home’ auditions. 9. What is it about performing that you still love which hasn’t been affected by this pandemic? Live performance on stage is what I love more than any other format. The shared energy and dynamics of performing in front of a live audience has always been my favourite. I love how every performance is different. As a nod to ‘Inside the Actors’ Studio’ and the late James Lipton, here are the ten questions he used to ask his guests: 1. What is your favourite word? Supernatural 2. What is your least favourite word? Spiritual 3. What turns you on? A hint of wit and sarcasm in a woman 4. What turns you off? A lousy sense of humour 5. What sound or noise do you love the most? Laughter 6. What sound or noise bothers you when you hear it? Pop Music 7. What is your favourite curse word? Motherfucker 8. Other than your current profession, what other profession would you have liked to try? Writer 9. What other profession could you not see yourself doing? Politician 10. When you arrive at the Pearly Gates, what do you think God will say to you? “Not yet” Previous Next

Back George Masswohl Moving Forward Selfie Joe Szekeres Performing artist George Masswohl has graced Canadian stages in highly charged performances over the years. I had the opportunity to see him play opposite Fiona Reid in a solid production of ‘Sweeney Todd’ at Canadian Stage. A little tidbit of information I also discovered. George sang the title role of ‘Sweeney Todd’ off stage for Vancouver Opera at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre when the actor playing the titular role developed vocal issues. Wow! I applaud George’s dedicated professionalism to ensure a quality production for the entire community. Recently, until the pandemic was declared, George also appears in some little play in Toronto with packed houses called ‘Come from Away’ where he plays Claude, the mayor of Gander, plus other roles. By the way, the Toronto company is extraordinarily wonderful, so if you haven’t seen this production make sure you do when we can all return. I’ve had the opportunity to interview some of the Canadian and Broadway cast members for this column, and ‘Come from Away’ is one show I do want to see again. George is also a member of The ROWDYMEN, a band dedicated to the preservation and the propagation of the vibrant music of the people of Newfoundland. Hopefully, the band will play somewhere in Toronto when it’s safe for all of us to return. I also discovered from his Facebook page that George studied English Language and Literature at my alma mater, The University of Western Ontario (Go, Stangs!) Excellent choice, by the way. We conducted our conversation via email. Thanks for the conversation, George: It has been an exceptionally long eight months since the pandemic began, and now the numbers are edging upward again. How are you feeling about this? Will we ever emerge to some new way of living in your opinion? If I’m being perfectly honest, I feel differently from moment to moment. As things drag out, and confusion reigns, despair and hope come in waves. But so far, I’ve always managed to come back to hope. I renew this effort every day. That is my current way of living. I’m keeping it in the moment. How has your immediate family been doing during these last eight months? It’s been tough on my family. My partner and stepson and I have all been shut down. She is a dancer and yoga teacher and he was working, variously, as an usher at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, at an escape room business, and at the Beer Store – which is a filthy job in an environment where most patrons seem to be non-compliant vis a vis Covid protocols, and management less than vigilant. Almost all of these have become impossible for me now. Beyond our household, it’s even tougher. My sister struggles with the new difficulties in her already difficult work as a counsellor at a women’s shelter and with caring for our 90-year-old aunt, who lives with her. In addition to all of this, we are still in the aftermath of having lost our mother last year after a long and difficult series of illnesses. Having said all of this, we are remarkably upbeat and, as mentioned above, fiercely committed to coming back to hope, finding the joys where they can be found…and doing our damndest to incorporate fun into our days wherever we can. As an artist within the performing arts community, what has been the most difficult and challenging for you professionally and personally? The part of me that thinks it’s over…that 35 years of constant hustle has come to a dead end. Watching my colleagues, all at different phases in their journeys, going through similar angst. Trying to imagine, at age 53, what I’ll do for the rest of my life if that part of me, heaven forbid, is right. Were you in preparation, rehearsals, or any planning stages of productions before everything was shut down? What has become of those projects? Will they see the light of day anytime soon? I was working on recovering from hip replacement surgery to return to my cherished community and the role that I love in the Canadian company of ‘Come From Away’. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time? I have been working with my band, ‘The Rowdymen’ with Greg Hawco and Gerry Finn. It has been a saving grace for all of us. Not a money maker at this stage, but it has kept me creative, and for that and them, I am very grateful. Any words of wisdom or advice you might /could give to fellow performers and colleagues? What message would you deliver to recent theatre school graduates who have now been set free into this unknown and uncertainty? I think it’s best for me to defer to their wisdom and ingenuity. The smart money in this business has always subscribed to the credo that the best way to ensure your employment is to create your own work. If they were to ask me for advice, I think I’d offer that up, and encourage them to do whatever they can to reimagine and rebuild the industry. I’d also pledge to continue to do the same – and pledge my support. Do you see anything positive stemming from Covid 19? Oh, well, there has to be something. Can I tell you in a year? Do you think Covid 19 will have some lasting impact on the Toronto/Canadian/North American performing arts scene? You better believe it. Many theatres, like many other small businesses, have shuttered forever. Our associations are tapped out and struggling to maintain relevance in a desert landscape. Funding is stretched beyond previously imaginable limits. Our artists are suffering immeasurable psychological stresses. On top of it all – and not surprisingly as it has ever been thus – much of the rest of society seems blind to the connection between the content they voraciously consume and the value of the artists who create it. Some artists have turned to You Tube and online streaming to showcase their work. What are your comments and thoughts about streaming? Is this something that the actor/theatre may have to utilize going forward into the unknown? I’ve been involved in quite a bit of it, mostly as fundraising for various entities struggling to survive. I’m not sold on it as a vehicle for theatre. We need communal experience…book clubs, concerts, poker games, choir, sports, church, THEATRE. Having said that, I’ll be involved in a live stream on Boxing Day. Stay tuned. 😉 Despite all this fraught tension and confusion, what is it about the art of performance that Covid will never destroy for you? My creative spirit. The fire of creativity in me is burning hotter than it ever has. I went through a bunch of years where, for various reasons, I didn’t care about anything. I was telling everyone I was retired – and they were starting to believe me. But even through that, I was, somehow, able to preserve an ember to carry forward. I never really know quite how, but I know that I have an undeniable drive to survive. My creativity is at the centre of that flame. To learn more about The Rowdymen, visit their Facebook page: The Rowdymen, Twitter: @TRowdymen Instagram: @The_Rowdymen Previous Next

Back Rod Carley Theatre Conversation in a Covid World Ed Regan Joe Szekeres I’ve known of Rod Carley’s work for over twenty-five years. In February 1987, I had seen his performance as Algernon in Whitby Courthouse Theatre’s production of ‘The Importance of Being Earnest’. Whitby had also obtained a grant to hire Rod as the director of their Youth Group production ‘The Lion, The Witch and the Wardrobe’. The Oshawa Little Theatre had also hired Rod to direct its production of a good production of ‘Dancing at Lughnasa’. Rod is an award-winning director, playwright and actor from North Bay, Ontario, having directed and produced over 100 theatrical productions to date including fifteen adaptations of Shakespeare. Rod is the Artistic Director of the Acting for Stage and Screen Program for Canadore College and a part-time English professor with Nipissing University. He was the 2009 winner of TVO’s Big Ideas/Best Lecturer competition. His first novel, A Matter of Will, was a finalist for the 2018 Northern Lit Awards for Fiction. His short story, ‘A Farewell to Stream’ was featured in the non-fiction anthology, 150 Years Up North and More. I’ve just finished his second novel Kinmount and will post a review at the conclusion of Rod’s profile. Thanks to Nora McLellan who encouraged me to read Rod’s book and to Rod for writing it and for taking a few moments to chat with me about the state of the arts going forward from a Covid to a post Covid world: In a couple of months, we will be coming up on one year where the doors of live theatre have been shuttered. How have you been faring during this time? Your immediate family? Health wise, I’m okay. I had to cancel two directing projects and an acting project as well as my fall reading tour for my new novel KINMOUNT. My immediate family is in good health. Fortunately, I’m based in North Bay, ON. This region has a small number of active cases. Teaching, Netflix, (not to be confused with teaching Netflix), family, the arts, books, the cats, Zoom chats with friends, doom scrolling, my writing, and connecting with the theatre and writing community on social media have been helping me get through COVID. Together although alone. When one of us is having a hard day, the rest jump in with words of encouragement and hope. “No one gets left behind,” is our unofficial motto. After ten months in, everyone is weary from daily COVID battle fatigue and uncertainty of the future. Each day feels like trying to herd a different cat. How have you been spending your time since the theatre industry has been locked up tight as a drum? As well as an author and free-lance director, I am the Artistic Director for the Acting for Stage and Screen Program at Canadore College - a training program I created in 2004 due to the lack of actor training north of Toronto. Because of the small number of COVID cases in this region, we have been able to keep 70% of our acting classes in the classroom, practising physical distancing and wearing masks. We are one of the few actor-training programs in the province that hasn’t had to switch entirely to on-line delivery. I’ve been doing a lot of writing. My new novel KINMOUNT was published this past October. Launching a new book smack dab in the middle of a pandemic is not for the faint of literary heart. Using the new COVID lingo, I “pivoted” and did a virtual launch (one positive was the number of friends who were able to attend from across the country and internationally). My publisher and I have relied heavily on social media to market the book. I’m also in the final editing stage of a new collection of interconnected short stories entitled Grin Reaping. I’ve done quite a few Zoom readings at online literary events. Last April, I retaught myself to play the accordion and posted regularly on social media to put a little light and humour into people’s days…or drive them further over the edge. The family tabby cat, Hilton, amuses me to no end. Our other older cat, Zoe, passed away in September. Last summer, I created a series of social media posts featuring Hilton and Zoe called “Respect for Mewing,” a purrfect parody on Uta Hagen’s “Respect for Acting.” Their antics might even lead to a book. I’ve also watched some very resourceful theatre companies move their programming online. Tarragon Theatre’s staged reading of David Young’s Inexpressible Island at the start of the pandemic was particularly well done – the six actors speaking out of the darkness in their respective spaces captured the isolation of the piece. I’m looking forward to watching Rick Roberts’ online mythic adventure Orestes, directed by Richard Rose, this coming February. Still, nothing can replace live theatre. There is a sanctity to what we do as theatre artists. People gather together to experience things that can’t otherwise be experienced – not unlike what happens in a church or synagogue. There’s an elevation, a nobility, and a feeling of sanctuary. Arthur Miller said, “My feeling is that people in a group, en masse, watching something, react differently, and perhaps more profoundly than they do in their living rooms.” The late Hal Prince described the theatre as an escape for him. Would you say that Covid has been an escape for you or would you describe this near year long absence from the theatre as something else? COVID is a restriction rather than an escape. In the theatre, flight-within-restriction is the director’s goal. A director has to know all the resources and limitations they are working with. Only then can they know in which direction freedom lies. Ironically, for me, it’s become a working metaphor for coping during COVID. I’ve interviewed a few artists several months ago who said that the theatre industry will probably be shut down and not go full head on until at least 2022. There may be pockets of outdoor theatre where safety protocols are in place. What are your comments about this? Do you think you and your colleagues/fellow artists will not return until 2022? Dr. Fauci was recently quoted in The New York Times as saying he believed that theatres could be safe to open some time in the fall of 2021 – as long as 70% to 85% of Americans were vaccinated by then. Will those percentages apply to Canadian theatres? The quality of a theatre’s ventilation system and the use of proper air filters will play a vital role. Theatregoers may need to continue wearing masks. Strict hygiene protocols will need to be in place. Reduced capacity of seating has been another roadblock in the financial viability of reopening. Fauci believes theatres will start getting back to almost full capacity of seating. Another possibility is to ask audience members to show proof of a negative virus test –as required by some airlines. I am currently directing an online college production of David Ives’ All in the Timing, scheduled to go up in April 2021. I hope my colleagues and I will be able to direct live productions by the spring of 2022. Even with the vaccine, however, we will have to see if audiences feel comfortable returning to the theatre. Post-COVID, it may take awhile until they feel fully safe. I had a discussion recently with an Equity actor who said that yes theatre should not only entertain but, more importantly, it should transform both the actor and the audience. How has Covid transformed you in your understanding of the theatre and where it is headed in a post Covid world? A quote from my new novel KINMOUNT: “For nearly four thousand years, theatre had survived religious persecution, war, plague, the rise of television, AIDS, CATS, funding cuts, and electronic media.” (KINMOUNT – Part Two: Madness, Chapter 8, p. 173) But can the theatre survive COVID? My response is, “Yes.” We've probably all heard somebody say that come the End of the World, the only survivors will be the cockroaches. Cockroaches have been around for over 300 million years - so they've outlasted the dinosaurs by about 150 million years…and they are tough little creatures. They can survive on cellulose and, in a pinch, each other, and they can even soldier on without a head for a week or two - and they're fiendishly fast as well as many of us have discovered opening an apartment door and turning on a light. They have the reputation for being survivors - living through anything from steaming hot water to nuclear holocaust….and, when they do survive Armageddon, they will probably be performing theatre! There is something of the scrappy cockroach in every actor. Theatre has survived a variety of “end of the world” scenarios since its earliest beginnings. From the stone ages, men and women have been telling stories by enacting them even when no language existed. Ancient Greek theatre still inspires us, and it continues to be staged in all the languages of the world. In Ancient Greece, we had an empire ensconced in domestic barbarism and military adventurism. Yet, it was the theatre that reformulated the debates of that era with humanity and intelligence and put those qualities back in the air we still breathe more than 2,000 years later – and theatre will do that again post-COVID. Starting in the Dark Ages, actors were forbidden the sacraments of the church unless they foreswore their profession, a decree not rescinded in many places until the 18th century. Can you imagine the great French playwright Moliere collapsing on stage to his death and being denied the last rights? King Louis the 14th had to intervene to grant Moliere a Christian burial. Actors were treated as heretics for nearly 1,300 years! They know about tenacity and survival. During the 1950’s the world lived under the threat of an atomic war capable of ending life on earth. It was an age of anxiety and stress. The theatre was heavily influenced by the horrors of World War II and the threats of impending disaster. Serious questions were raised about man’s capacity to act responsibly or even to survive. Anxiety and guilt became major themes. Probably more than any other writer, Samuel Beckett expressed the postwar doubts about man’s capacity to understand and control his world. Now, “the end of the world” really was around the corner but it didn’t stop theatre. The cockroach artists kept holding that cracked and broken mirror up to man’s doubtful nature. We may see post-COVID theatre addressing similar issues – the fall of the American Empire, climate change, reconciliation, and so many other pressing societal ills – coupled with a need for humour and escape. I think there might there be a backlash coming against digital technology. The human soul is screaming for meaning. How much spiritual hunger and alienation can we bear? Theatre is genuine communication and not short form twitters and tweets. An audience is alive in the same space where the actors testify the truth of their characters. Any place where you are in that kind of public forum, breathing the same air, the truth will come out. The late Zoe Caldwell spoke about how actors should feel danger in the work. It’s a solid and swell thing to have if the actor/artist and the audience both feel it. Would you agree with Ms. Caldwell? Have you ever felt danger during this time of Covid and do you believe it will somehow influence your work when you return to the theatre? We live in a dangerous era now where the arts are being seriously questioned. In an uncertain economy, the arts are often among the first things to be eliminated from discretionary spending. The fall of the American Empire is rife with danger. The rise of right-wing fascism is beyond scary. In many articles, the pandemic has been compared to Shakespeare and the plague. In this excerpt from my novel, KINMOUNT, down-and-out-director Dave Middleton talks to his acting company at the First Reading of his production of Romeo and Juliet: “Romeo and Juliet was the first play to be produced in London after the infamous Black Death of 1592 to 1594 wiped out close to a third of the population,” Dave explained. “All the theatres were shut down for three years. Images and references to the plague permeate the play such that the plague itself becomes a character—much the way Caesar’s ghost haunts and dominates Julius Caesar. The plague struck and killed people with terrible speed. Usually by the fourth day you were dead. The time frame of Romeo and Juliet moves with a similar deadly speed, from the lovers’ first meeting to their deaths.” “I can’t imagine waking up on Saturday and being dead by Tuesday,” said Miranda. “The plague underscores all that happens, mirroring the fear and desperation of the characters’ individual worlds,” said Dave, adopting a sombre tone. “I’m pretty sure most of us have lost someone to cancer.” The company nodded uncomfortably. “We can only imagine the dreadful immediacy of Romeo and Juliet when it was first performed for an audience who had each lost family and friends to the plague. Here was a play referencing that very loss and terror.” Dave circled his troops; his director’s passion, despite himself, as infectious as the plague he was referencing. “What a gutsy and attention-getting backdrop for the love story that unfolds in the wake of Ebola, the opioid epidemic, Lyme disease, HIV, not to mention the scourge of cancer, we know what this fear is like.” Dave had hit a nerve. “By using the original setting and its plague components,” Dave explained, “our production will serve as an analogy for today. We will play the humour of the first three acts to its fullest until the “plague” of deaths begins. We will explore the passion and exuberance of youth, the need to live every day as if it was your last, because it very well could be. Your life expectancy is thirty.” “Whoa,” said the taller stoner. “Like I’m already middle-aged. That sucks, dude.” “It does,” said Dave. “You have no idea what will happen when you start your day. You could be killed in a duel, run over by horse-drawn cart, be accidentally hit on the head by a falling chamber pot, or drink water from an outdoor fountain, toxic with bacteria boiling in the summer heat, and catch the plague.” (KINMOUNT- Part One: Meeting, Chapter 7, pp. 48-49) Similar to the plague, COVID has reinforced the transience and fragility of our existence. We really do have to embrace the moment because the future is more uncertain than ever. Post-COVID, this reality will serve as a backdrop for much of the theatre that will be created, whether consciously or unconsciously. The late scenic designer Ming Cho Lee spoke about great art opening doors and making us feel more sensitive. Has this time of Covid made you sensitive to our world and has it made some impact on your life in such a way that you will bring this back with you to the theatre? As a theatre artist, I’ve always been sensitive to the world – it’s in my DNA. Theatre has a responsibility to society – to educate, enlighten, and, hopefully, change. Theatre has been doing that for centuries. The theatre has always been, at least for me, about rekindling the soul and discovering what makes each of us human – it is the touchstone to our humanity. It is the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being. It speaks to something within each of us that is fleeting and intangible. And we feel less alone. Given our present circumstances, we need this more than over. The power of stage is enormous because it is real. We all live in what is, but we find a thousand ways not to face it. Great theatre strengthens our faculty to face it. Theatre provides for the psychic well-being and sanity of a society. We will need it more than ever post-COVID. In Shakespeare’s day, great plays were thought of as mirrors. When you see a play, you are looking into a mirror – a pretty special mirror, one that reflects the world in a way that allows us to see its true nature. We also see that it not only reflects the world around us, but also ourselves. This two-way mirroring means that learning about great theatre and learning about life go hand in hand. And it means that finding beauty and meaning in great theatre is a sort of proving ground for finding beauty and meaning in life. Again, the late Hal Prince spoke of the fact that theatre should trigger curiosity in the actor/artist and the audience. Has Covid sparked any interest in you about something during this time? Has this time away from the theatre sparked further curiosity for you when you return to this art form? The need to tell stories of what it is to be human remains crucial to me – stories about who we are, why we are, where we came from, and what we may become - with curiosity and hope. Stories that challenge the right-wing capitalist patriarchal hegemony. I will continue to revisit relevant older works with a fresh lens, making them accessible to today’s audience. I am committed to developing new works by Northern Ontario voices. For years, I have been working on an adaptation of Shakespeare’s Julius Caesar based on Pierre Elliot Trudeau, the FLQ and events surrounding the October Crisis of the 1970. In my interpretation, Caesar is, of course, based on Trudeau and, in the transported setting, he is assassinated in Ottawa by members of the FLQ as an act of revenge in the wake of his handling of “Black October.” The adaptation would involve both official languages and would employ colour conscious casting. It might never to see the light of day. I am also looking into creating podcasts for my new short story collection. I am in the early outlining stages of a new novel that will be a comic tale of writer’s block, the chopping block, ghosts, and ghostwriters. Rod Carley’s headshot by Ed Regan. Follow Rod on Twitter: @carley_rod and/or visit his website: www.rodcarley.ca . My review of Kinmount: KINMOUNT REMINDS US OF THE IMPORTANCE OF AND FOR THE ARTS NOW MORE THAN EVER While reading Rod Carley’s Kinmount, I couldn’t help but make a comparison of it to Miguel Cervantes’ Don Quixote for the literary term I remember from my second year undergraduate course at the University of Western Ontario - picaresque. I loved the sound of that word then and It still like the sound of it today. Just to review this term – A picaresque hero is a charming fellow who battles sometimes humorous or satiric moments and episodes that often depict in real life the daily life of the common person. Much like Don Quixote’s fight with windmills, Carley’s protagonist (Dave Middleton) is a professional theatre director who has been hired by oddly eccentric producer Lola White to direct a community theatre production of Shakespeare’s Romeo & Juliet in Kinmount, Ontario. Dave ends up battling with oddball characters, censorship issues, stifling summer weather and shortage of monetary funds in his quest to ensure the production is staged the way he believes Shakespeare had wanted it to be staged. I reluctantly admit I had no clue where the town was as I’ve no reason to attend so I had to look it up on a map. Okay, once I saw where it was located, I will also be honest and state I didn’t know if I even wanted to visit the town as Middleton describes it as “Canada’s capital of unwed mothers under the age of twenty…kids having kids. And the rest are grammatically challenged and wear spandex. And that’s just the men.” I do sincerely hope Middleton’s description of the real town is tongue in cheek. Thankfully Carley tells us at the end of his book that he “chose the name simply because of the comic noun and verb combination. For no other reason” as “The real-life Kinmount is a lovely spot nestled in the beautiful Ontario Highlands and home to a population of five hundred friendly highlanders and summer cottagers.” Since I am a theatre and Shakespearean lover of language Kinmount, for me, became a touchstone of the crucial importance the arts provide us especially now in this time of shutdown, lockdown, and a provincial stay at home order of the worldwide pandemic. If we have been involved in community theatre productions, Kinmount becomes a hilarious remembrance of those moments when we all stoically wondered if the show would ever come together given the ‘behind the scenes’ world of egos, divas and divos, and oddballs just to name a few. Carley’s style never becomes pedantic but instead a playful reminder of those who select to participate in theatre, whether professional or community, just why we keep returning to this dramatic format. It is for the love of the spoken word. Rod and I spoke briefly via FaceTime about the ending of Kinmount and how touched I was at the final actions of protagonist Dave Middleton. Given the veritable struggles Dave must endure throughout the story, sometimes comical, sometimes frightening, he reveals a compassionate, human side that we must all never forget that we too can be like Dave in stressful times. It’s worth a visit to Kinmount. Kinmount now available at Latitude 46 Publishing (www.latitude46publishing.com ), Indigo, Amazon and your favourite bookseller. I picked mine up at Blue Heron Books in Uxbridge, Ontario. Previous Next

Back 'The Darkest Dark' adapted for the stage by Jim Millan and Ian MacIntyre and based on the book by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion Now onstage at Toronto's Young People's Theatre Credit: Dahlia Katz. L-R: Craig Lauzon, Ziska Louis, Aurora Browne Joe Szekeres There’s no need to fear this ‘Darkest Dark’ Wonderful! Absolutely wonderful! ‘The Darkest Dark’ is remarkably feel-good storytelling for its fine performances underscored by Jim Millan’s skillful direction. It’s the summer of 1969 as the world waits for the Apollo 11 lunar moon landing. We are on Stag Island at the Hadfield cottage. We meet nine-year-old very precocious Chris (Ziska Louis) having a rather realistic dream. Chris would one day like to become an astronaut. The problem though, he’s afraid of the dark and his friends Herbie (Xavier Lopez) and Jane (Hannah Forest Briand) don’t know of this secret. At the top of the show, Herbie and Jane are part of Chris’s realistic dream. Dad (Craig Lauzon) and Mom (Aurora Browne) purchased the cottage so they could all enjoy the season together. Chris has an older and sometimes bossy sister, Cindy (Evelyn Wiebe). Along with Chris, Herbie and Jane also hold their own fears of the dark which they keep hidden from each other. The friends spend a great deal of their time playing all kinds of make-believe games and stories. They even come up with the idea of putting on a play involving the lunar landing of Apollo 11 in July of that summer. To help pass the time and to get Chris interested in other things, his Mom and Dad hire local hippie Keith (Shaquille Pottinger) to instruct their son and his two friends how to canoe safely as there was some trouble on the water last summer. Chris’s older sister, Cindy, takes quite a particular interest in Keith which leads to some hilarious moments. I turned nine in August back in that ‘summer of ‘69’ so I was keen to walk into the Ada Slaight auditorium to see what greeted me. Hot Damn! What a hell of a trip back in time. So many memories came flooding to me as I looked at that set and listened to the ‘groovy’ musical soundscape of radio tunes that blared in cars. I couldn’t take my eyes off that stage as there was so much to explore from Anna Treusch’s magical 3-D pop-up setting of the Hadfield cottage right down to watching the rustling trees slightly moving in the breeze courtesy of Daniele Guevara’s video design. Many realistic-looking period props certainly brought me back to 1969. I especially liked the Radio Flyer red wagon. Bonnie Beecher’s selection of gorgeous warmly lit colours on the cottage walls evoked a sense of warm summer temperatures. I even remember wearing those same kinds of shorts both Chris and Herbie wore so thanks to Anna once again for that reminder. Deanna H. Choi’s terrific musical soundscape was absolute perfection. I found myself humming along to the Stones’ ‘Magic Carpet Ride’ and ‘Hot Fun in the Summertime’ and sure as hell was hoping for other audience members my age to do the same thing. Jim Millan and Ian MacIntyre have delightfully adapted Commander Hadfield’s children’s book for the stage with many surprises along the way. Although there are several set changes where the previous plot action stops dead, a terrific decision was made to divert attention away and place our focus elsewhere. Set pieces were seamlessly moved in place by some of the cast with nary the sound of squeaky wheels. I especially liked some of the magic created on the stage thanks to David Ben’s consultantship. What Ziska Louis accomplishes in movement with a tiny ball of light ethereally lights up the stage with tremendous grace and beauty. Jim Millan directs the production with uber charisma. He treats the young Chris Hadfield’s story and his fear of the dark with the utmost charm and warmth. And what a cast Millan has assembled. Craig Lauzon and Aurora Browne are believably credible as Chris’s dutiful parents who selflessly do everything they can to try and break their young son’s fear of the dark. The moment when Chris rings the bell to alert his parents to come to the bedroom is a riot, and what Browne does with that damned thing left me in laughter. Lauzon’s turn as a CBC reporter describing the Apollo 11 lunar landing for some reason reminded me of some of his shtick on ‘The Royal Canadian Air Farce’ which I religiously watched each Friday night. At one point, I was amazed at how Lauzon was able to get out of his reporter’s suit and right back into his dad’s costume in a matter of seconds. Bravo. As Chris’s older sister, Cindy, Evelyn Wiebe has that perfect amount of sassy, bossy and flippant attitude of a teen who thinks she knows it all. Her depiction of a space monster in Chris’s mind is terrific and Wiebe looks like she’s having a good time at that moment. Shaquille Pottinger’s hippie Keith is totally rad (yes, I know that’s a tired cliché). I liked the fact Keith likes theatre when he learns the kids want to put on a play in preparation for watching the Apollo landing on television. Pottinger’s look on his face when he tells the kids his taste in theatre was a solid juxtaposition to what the hippie image stood for. Xavier Lopez and Hannah Forest Briand offer most enjoyable performances as the young Herbie and Jane. The youthful grins on their faces certainly made me smile each time they appeared on stage. It felt personally reassuring that Herbie and Jane’s fears of the darkest dark are not uncommon at all among young people. At one point, I’m sure we’ve all experienced Herbie and Jane’s fears. Whether it was intentional on the part of co-writers Millan and MacIntyre, I thought it was a wonderful tribute to name Chris's friend after Herbie Barnes, Artistic Director of YPT since the world premiere of the play takes place at this theatre. Ziska Louis delivers a heartfelt performance as the young Chris Hadfield. Here is an actor whom I would like to keep an eye on in the future as Louis always remains completely compelling on stage, from narrating Chris’s space adventures to us while in bed to actually living them out in his dreams. Final Comments: A terrific family outing, ‘The Darkest Dark’ is the perfect choice to introduce young people to the wonders of live theatre. One of my picks. Go see it. Running time: approximately 70 minutes with no intermission. ‘The Darkest Dark’ runs to April 2 on the Ada Slaight Stage in Young People’s Theatre, 165 Front Street East, Toronto. For tickets call the Box Office at (416) 862-2222 or visit youngpeoplestheatre.org. YOUNG PEOPLE’S THEATRE PRESENTS THE WORLD PREMIERE ‘The Darkest Dark’ Based on the Book by Chris Hadfield and Kate Fillion Adapted for the Stage by Jim Millan and Ian MacIntyre Director: Jim Millan Magic Consultant: David Ben Set and Costume Designer: Anna Treusch Lighting Designer: Bonnie Beecher Sound Designer and Composer: Deanna H. Choi Video Designer: Daniele Guevara Stage Manager: Laura Baxter Cast: Hannah Forest Briand, Aurora Browne, Craig Lauzon, Xavier Lopez, Ziska Louis, Shaquille Pottinger, Evelyn Wiebe. Previous Next

Back A Resilient Conversation Artist Alana Bridgewater and Necessary Angel's Artistic Director, Alan Dilworth Dahlia Katz Joe Szekeres A resilience project, you say. Both artist Alana Bridgewater and Necessary Angel Theatre’s Artistic Director Alan Dilworth believe the time is perfect for one right now. For long time meditation practitioner Dilworth, ‘The Resilience Project’ seed came from a growing and mounting perception of cultural anxiety that pre-dated the Covid crisis and the pandemic. Once the pandemic hit, so much change was happening and the experience of loss hitting home for many people, at the very moment where we could no longer gather. Alan recognized that many of the lives of his artist friends and colleagues had tremendously changed and shifted. He kept asking, “Where can I help?” as there is so much uncertainty and anxiety in our lives right now. Alan wanted to create some space and connection in the uncertainty and anxiety. “The opposite of anxiety is space and connection.”, he said. “When I look at the people around me, the artists, many of whom I love and admire, I’m trying to make some space for these individuals, and to create opportunities for them to make connection possible in their work despite the many obstacles at this time.” Alana calls the Resilience Project “amazing”. When Alan reached out to her to see how she was doing and offered her this project, Alana reiterated, '“It is resilience. It is about standing through all of this, facing it, dealing with it, experiencing it and living it.” As a female black artist in this volatile time, she was dealing with Covid personally and the many emotions and fears of isolation in not allowing her to be able to hug her immediate family members nor to see people. Like all of us, what appears to be a claustrophobic time in our homes was heightened even further as we couldn’t turn away from the news cycle that we were all watching. For Alana, it became overwhelming when, on the news cycle, many people were finally seeing what others have been experiencing for so long in their lives - and a feeling of perpetually wondering if there was ever a way out. I had to let this latter part of Ms. Bridgewater’s statement sit with me. These last four months have been stressful for all of us, but for the most vulnerable it has been extraordinarily painful. Part One of The Resilience Project is called “The Stillness Room” created by Alan in 2016 as a pilot at Soulpepper before the company went to New York during a really stressful time. Alan knew how he could help theatre workers recognize what stillness and silence can do for the human being in a room collectively together while under intense pressure in the lead up to the Big Apple. This process successfully ran for two years at Soulpepper. When Alan then went to Ontario’s Stratford Festival to direct the second of Kate Hennig’s trilogy (The Virgin Trial), actors were experiencing the mid season anxiety crunch. Would they be hired again at the Festival next year? Alan piloted The Stillness Room at Stratford where it got a real draw once again, and the coaching staff utilized The Stillness Room with The Conservatory Training. Thus, the creation of a virtual Stillness Room. To re-iterate from a release I had received, “The Stillness Room is a coming together to experience the calming and quietly transformative qualities of stillness, silence, and connection. It is fifteen minutes of stillness together.” You don’t necessarily have to be of or from the theatre to participate. There is no teaching involved as people just come together to sit in stillness. Part Two of this project is the “Resilience Project Shorts”. It was in a Zoom meeting with Michael Wheeler of ‘Spider Web’ show where Alan experienced that proverbial ‘aha’ moment. As artists, we respond artistically and creatively to the world whether it is digital or non-digital. Alan’s body of work lies in and is all about ‘the live moment’ and the artist encountering the tools to create this live moment: the audience, the moment, the space, other artists. The question then became “How do we, as artists, respond to this moment since we love the theatre so much? Over the past few months, Necessary Angel has commissioned a series of digital shorts to capture how artists are experiencing and interpreting their reality and meaning in the moment of commission. The series, which will be ongoing, will premiere with work from Marie Farsi, Sina Gilani and Azad Imanirad, Tehseen and Aasim Jaafri, Erin Brandenburg, Alana Bridgewater, and Meegwun Fairbrother. There is a third plan (or Part Three) that Alan affectionately called ‘Who Knows’. According to him, Necessary Angel is waiting, listening and will respond as more changes unfold. To access the Resilience Project link, click https://www.necessaryangel.com/the-resilience-project. Previous Next

Back 'Mary Poppins' Now onstage until May 26 at the Imperial Theatre, St. John, New Brunswick Credit: Andrew Finlay Pictured: Pippa Wennberg and Bertis Sutton Aaron Kropf “A spit spot terrific family production” The latest offering from Saint John Theatre Company is a real treat for everyone in the family. Mary Poppins soars at the Imperial Theatre for one weekend only. With brisk ticket sales, you will want to grab yours before they are all gone. Mary Poppins is a familiar story full of songs that had the audience tapping their toes and clapping along. The story follows a magical nanny (Pippa Wenberg) who comes not only to help the Banks children, Jane (Ellie Clark) and Michael Banks (Joshua Birnbaum), but also their parents, George (CC Humphries) and Winifred (Tracy Ross). With the help of Jack of all trades Bert (Bertis Sutton), Mary teaches the children many lessons about life and growing up. Because of Mary, the Banks family gets to meet a wide range of characters, including a lovely scene with the Bird Woman (Ellen Snider), whose rendition of “Feed the Birds” was one of many highlights from the show. The programme does not list a specific set designer. Dave Belyea is listed instead as the Set Construction lead. His simplistic set design of a few pillars and a central staircase surrounded by an archway relies heavily on projections to move from one London location to the next. Some of these projections added to the whimsy of the story. It is vital that when looking at projections, mainly when you include them in gags and highlight a character, you don’t heavily favour one side of the stage over the other. My daughter and I were seated on the far left of the auditorium, which wasn't an issue for the majority of the time. However, a few things were difficult to see because many of the gags, including the painting of Queen Victoria, were set far left on the stage. Most of these were done on the left pillar, so those sitting on the left side were lost. Chelsea Cusack, a regular delight in Saint John Theatre Company productions, was deliciously vile as George Banks’ firmer nanny, Miss. Andrew. Her Brimstone and Treacle is precisely what you look for in a traditional Disney villain. One cannot talk about Mary Poppins without mentioning “Supercalifragilisticexpialidocious.” It is incredible how a group of people that size could remain totally in sync while performing that choreography - no better way to wrap up Act One. The chimney sweeps in “Step in Time" ended in thunderous applause. I know my 7-year-old will be talking about this number for some time. Let's not forget about Bert and Mary. These iconic characters, deeply ingrained in our hearts by the Disney film, are a challenge for any new interpretation. Yet, Bertis Sutton (Bert) and Pippa Wennberg (Mary Poppins) have not only met this challenge but have also infused their own charm and wonder into these roles. Their performances are a testament to their talent and dedication, making this show a delightful nostalgic masterpiece. Don’t miss Mary Poppins by Saint John Theatre Company at the Imperial Theatre until May 26th.You will leave the theatre happier and likely humming a tune or two. This is the best Saint John Theatre Company has been; do not miss this show. Previous Next

Back '9 to 5, the Musical' presented by Saint John Theatre Company Imperial Theatre Drew Murdock Aaron Kropf After a day’s delay owing to an illness in the company, Saint John Theatre Company’s final 22/23 Main Stage offering of ‘9 to 5 the Musical’ opened Thursday evening at the Imperial Theatre. It is the crown jewel of the Saint John Theatre Company season. It’s not many times one goes to the theatre where there’s a strong opening night buzzing and even rarer to know that everyone in the packed house had a blast. 9 to 5 the Musical is the story of three women; Violet, Doralee, and Judy who have had more than enough of dealing with their sexist, egotistical, and bigoted boss Franklin Hart Jr. Daydreams of tormenting Hart go from that to reality, as the three women continually find ways out of sticky situations. The set was kept simple with three large pillars that moved and turn to quickly move from one scene to the next. A few desks moved on and off stage when needed. And the piece de resistance: the best use of video to help set the scenes including narration at the beginning and end of the show by the one and only Dolly Parton. Keeping the set simple made for snappy scene changes and kept the show moving at quite a clip. What a company of talented artists this is. Led by three talented women Kizzy Kaye (Violet), Andrea Paddock (Doralee), and Jen Downey (Judy), each made the roles their own, which can be a challenge given the pedigree of those that came before them both on screen and stage. Bertis Sutton embodied the perfect amount of charm and slime needed to pull off Franklin Hart Jr. The show is full of great tunes created by Dolly Parton allowing each character to have a moment to shine. Two moments in the show really stood out. Jen Downey’s rendition of “Get Out and Stay Out” will bring you on a roller coaster ride of emotion. It’s hauntingly beautiful and Downey makes it seem easy. The subtlety with which she performs this number makes it that much better. The other moment, one that I know I will not soon forget, is “Heart to Hart” performed by Chelsea Cusack as Roz. Not only is it a great number for Cusack to really show off her dazzling voice but lets her show off her comedy chops. This was a number that brought the house down, and I’m sure it will do that at each performance. 9 to 5 the Musical is a spectacular way to wrap up a season. It’s guaranteed to be a fun-filled night out at the theatre. The show runs through May 28th (including a new matinee added) at the Imperial Theatre. Visit imperialtheatre.ca for tickets and other information. Previous Next

Back 'La Cage Aux Folles' presented by The Stratford Festival Now onstage until October 26 at the Avon Theatre, 99 Downie Street, Stratford. Credit: David Hou. Pictured: Steve Ross as Albin playing Zaza Joe Szekeres “La Cage Aux Folles’ firmly rooted messages of belonging, acceptance, family and love speak even louder in the wokeness of the twenty-first-century world. At times delightfully over the top, Sean Arbuckle and Steve Ross head a terrific cast that struts and sashays with lots of glittery oomph.” The year is 1978, mid-August in St. Tropez. The evening begins at the La Cage Aux Folles nightclub. Proprietor Georges (Sean Arbuckle) welcomes the audience. While Les Cagelles, the audacious drag chorus line, struts its stuff onstage, Georges frantically searches backstage for Zaza, his headliner. Zaza is Albin (Steve Ross), Georges’ twenty-year-old long-time spouse. Zaza/Albin was locked in his dressing room. He fears he is getting old and won’t be a valued part of the nightclub and Georges’ life. The couple's unique twentieth-century living accommodation is turned upside down with the arrival of Jean-Michel (a dashing James Daly), Georges’ adult son, from a one-night stand. Jean-Michel announces he is engaged to Anne (a winsome Heather Kosik), the daughter of ultra-uber-conservative parents Eduoard Dindon (a first-rate, stuffy, boorish Juan Chioran) and his wife Marie (a fine looking and vocal sounding Sara-Jeanne Hosie). I always smile at the couple's surname because its literal translation in English means ‘turkey’ and fits Edouard exceptionally well, especially at the end of the musical. For twenty-one hours, Jean-Michel asks Georges and Albin to play it ‘straight’ for his soon-to-be in-laws, as Anne is nothing like her parents. It’s going to be a challenge like no other. From stripping Georges and Albin’s apartment of all things reminiscent of their lifestyle to their flamboyant maid/servant Jacob (impeccable work by Chris Vergara), will Georges and Albin be able to keep their promise to Jean-Michel without complete chaos erupting in their lives? Brandon Kleiman (Set Designer), David Boechler (Costume Designer), and Kimberly Purtell (Lighting Designer) splendidly create a visual feast of eye popping colours washed in heavenly lighting. Purtell’s lighting captures the sparkle and dazzle of Boechler’s extraordinary work in the selection of nicely fitting suits for the men and the dazzling gowns worn by Zaza/Albin. Kleiman’s set design suggests the grandiose opulence of the nightclub setting while purposefully establishing that it is one of the places where Georges and Albin feel at home. Franklin Brasz’s top-notch musical direction resonates superbly in the Avon Theatre. At one moment, he captures the bubbly effervescence of nightclub life, and then there is a touching duet between Georges and Albin while a performer lovingly plays a concertina in the background. A shout-out of recognition to Sound Designer Brian Kenny, as the balance between the orchestra and performers is perfect for hearing every lyric. Cameron Carver’s choreography is exciting to watch. Director Thom Allison discusses the message of love in his Programme Note. I’ve only seen a handful of productions of ‘La Cage’, and this current Stratford version is probably the only one that emphasizes love's importance. I’m not referring to the sexual gratification of love from all the twenty-first-century activist idiocy, not at all. The love in ‘La Cage’ stems from genuine and selfless concern and a desire for only the best for another person. It’s the selfless love of not expecting anything back in return. That sounds rather Christian to me. Allison references the Christian theme again when he references Billy Joel’s “I couldn’t love you any better/I love you just the way you are.” There’s my reason why ‘La Cage’ is worth doing and seeing in the twenty-first century. This cast is one of the reasons why we attend productions at the Stratford Festival. Leading this marvelous cast are Sean Arbuckle and Steve Ross as Georges and Albin, the same-sex couple who have stuck together through life’s struggles in wanting to be together at a time when their relationship would have been frowned upon. A vibrant theatrical ringmaster at the top of the show, Arbuckle’s Georges is akin to Kelsey Grammer’s prim and properness of Frasier Crane. Ross remains adorably cuddly as the flamboyant Albin but thankfully does not park himself on that proverbial over-the-top radar of gayness. His closing Act One number, ‘I Am What I Am,’ remains rooted in complete conviction of emotional intensity ranging from frustration, hurt, anger and resentment. Ross selects moments to pause dramatically while his eyes and face reveal his internal experiences - a marvellous conclusion to Act One. And Another Thought: Near the end of his Director’s Note, Thom Allison reiterates once again that ‘La Cage’ is about a loving family struggling for each individual’s acceptance and understanding. For Allison, that sounds pretty ‘normal.’ I’m going one step further. Thanks, Thom, for saying that. Christian families also struggle for acceptance and understanding. These gifts of the human heart are ones to be passed on to our young people. Bravo to this company for keeping woke activism out and simply presenting a human, familial story of the heart for us all. Running time: approximately two hours and 45 minutes with one interval/intermission. ‘La Cage Aux Folles’ runs until October 26 at the Avon Theatre, 99 Downie Street, Stratford. For tickets: stratfordfestival.ca or call 1-800-567-1600. The Stratford Festival presents: LA CAGE AUX FOLLES Book by Harvey Fierstein Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman Based on the play by Jean Poiret Director Thom Allison Choreographer Cameron Carver Music Director Franklin Brasz Set Designer Brandon Kleiman Costume Designer David Boechler Lighting Designer Kimberly Purtell Sound Designer Brian Kenny Make-Up Designer Dino Dilio Drag Consultant Justin Miller Fight Director and Intimacy Director Anita Nittoly Performers: Sean Arbuckle, Steve Ross, Eric Abel, George Absi, David Ball, Josh Doig, Jordan Goodridge, David Andrew Reid, Aidan deSalaiz, Ayrin Mackie, Chris Vergara, James Daly, Heather Kosik, David Ball, Juan Chioran, Sara-Jeanne Hosie, Starr Dominigue, Kevin ‘Koovy’ McLachlan, Alexandra Gratton, Jason Sermonia, Jeremy Carver Jones, Amanda Lundgren, Jamie Murray Previous Next

Back Pipeline by Dominique Morisseau Now onstage at Toronto's Soulpepper in the Historic Distillery District Dahlia Katz Joe Szekeres A production of high calibre quality that left me speechless at the conclusion. To be so heartily welcomed back to Soulpepper after a two-year, too long absence with a production that left me speechless at the conclusion made me realize just how much I have missed this precious gift of live theatre in our lives. What a smart choice Soulpepper made in staging Dominique Morriseau’s ‘Pipeline’ to invite us back to the theatre. This top-notch cast led by Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha’s secure visionary direction constructively deals with an issue that, I believe, has eluded the twenty first century educator which Akosua Amo-Adem mentions in her Programme Artist Note: “How can we do better as a city to ensure that all our young Black kids have a chance to reach their potential in the space where they spend the most amount of time?” This is a question front and centre in my teaching career from 1984- 2017. Amo-Adem also refers to the title of the play in her Note. To fall down the pipeline means some youths have perhaps made poor educational choices which could tarnish their future. From my professional experience as a 33-year Catholic educator, this is not the goal for any teacher to see young people fail. If young people have made a poor choice, we as teachers, should be able to help students realize there are other alternatives they can choose to succeed and get out of the hole and not dig in deeper. Teachers are not perfect by any means. Seeing ‘Pipeline ‘reminded me of this very fact. It engaged a few personal memories in my own mind, (sometimes where I realized I didn’t handle the situation as best as I could) on how I dealt with several black students. More about this in a moment. Lorenzo Savoini’s Set and Projection Design with Kimberly Purtell’s whispered lighting are visually strong upon entering the auditorium. Hanging centre stage is a long rectangular school black board with a table in front that to me looked like a teacher’s desk. A door stage right is angled to make it appear as if that is the entrance to a classroom. Behind the blackboard is a bed made which ultimately becomes Jasmine’s dorm room. The rotating stage allows for easy movement of set pieces. Sound Designer and Composer Lyon Smith appropriately selected a song by Yasper for the opening soundtrack: ‘Birds Fly Higher Than the Moon’. The final moment between the central character and her son finely reflects this strongly felt emotional sentiment. We are introduced to Nya (a knockout performance by Akosua Amo-Adem), a single mother who teaches high school English in an inner-city school. Nya sends her son Omari (Tony Ofori) to a private school because she just knows and understands that opportunities for young black men like him do not exist in the public school system. When Omari becomes involved in a school incident that ultimately threatens to get him expelled, Nya must confront the brimming rage within the young man and the reasons that led him to this point. As the troubled, young man who tries his best to keep his seething rage under wraps, Tony Ofori offers a subtle and strongly controlled performance of deeply felt emotions. Omari’s girlfriend, Jasmine (Chelsea Russell), instinctively just knows which buttons to push to make Omari either open up completely to her or to close himself off at all costs. What I liked about Russell’s work was the fact she deliberately has chosen not to turn her performance into the typical needy girlfriend who always wants her guy by her. Instead, Jasmine has Omari’s back continually, and Russell beautifully reveals this loyalty especially in her head-to-head confrontation scene with Nya at the school. We are also introduced to Omari’s father and Nya’s ex husband, Xavier (Kevin Hanchard). Both Hanchard and Ofori have established a credibly natural synchronicity in juxtaposition of their strained father son relationship which kept me on the edge of my seat at one point. I honestly thought a physical fight would have taken place on that stage between the two of them. Believable to watch and to hear these two performers go toe to toe as I got caught up in the passion of the moment. Playwright Morriseau also weaves a subplot into this main story where she duly makes her opinion of the American public school system duly known. As a retired Catholic school teacher for 33 years, once again I was on every single word uttered about these comments regarding the North American public school education system. We meet Laurie (Kristen Thomson), a colleague of Nya’s, who remains positive even after she was absent from her work on account of one of her students physically assaulting her. Thomsen says at one point under a most trying of plot circumstances that she has given her life to her work and her students. Thomson’s bang on natural portrayal of an educator who believes she is doing the best she can under one of the most stressful moments in her career made me both empathize and sympathize because all teachers have been there and experienced what Laurie does in the play. We also meet security guard of the school, Dun (Mazin Elsadig). There appears on the surface a playful chemistry between he and Laurie. She makes a comment to him that possibly might be construed as a tad inappropriate in our woke world today, but what this early introduction work for me was the fact that Thomson and Elsadig are strong actors to establish immediately in their demeanour that context meant everything, and that Dun and Laurie meant nothing in this playful ribbing. This initial context within their introduction to the audience scene became even more profound for me after Laurie is accused of grave unprofessionalism in her dealing with some students. Elsadig’s delivers a monologue that captivated and riveted my attention to every single word he uttered to Nya and Laurie. A terrific scene at that point. Now where I realized I didn’t handle the situation with several black students as best as I could. It occurs the first time I hear poet Gwendolyn Brooks’s ‘We Real Cool’ read aloud by Amo-Adem. I remember teaching that poem to my Grade 11 English classes and using the provided Teacher’s Manual for assistance. The poem’s reiteration throughout the performance underscored it’s an anthem for the voice of young black youth. That I remember teaching to my classes. However, where I felt I did a disservice was not knowing there are two versions of ‘We Real Cool’. The first (the one I used to teach) was simply written in one stanza form. I had no idea this version was not the one Brooks intended but was used for educational purposes or, as alluded to in ‘Pipeline’, a ‘white’ version of the poem. There is another form of ‘We Real Cool’ which Brooks did not write in this simple stanza form. Instead, the lines of the poem are placed on the page in an altering format and when the poem is read aloud, the voice of these young black men in the Golden Shovel Pool Hall becomes totally different. We begin the process of listening to the voice of black youth in this latter version. I truly wished I had known this as I have a new found appreciation of the poem. Final Comments: A couple of weeks ago, I had seen at Why Not Theatre ‘An IMM-Permanent Resident’ where an audience member at the talk back told the actors that border service agents should see that production. I’ll buy that and go one step further. Seeing ‘Pipeline’ and its messages is something all educators should do as well. Dominique Morisseau’s ‘Pipeline’ becomes that important conduit discussion starter to begin to listen and to hear (and sometimes to back off, as Omari tells his mother) the voice of black youth. Running Time: approximately 1 hour and 40 minutes with no intermission. Covid protocols in effect. ‘Pipeline’ runs to May 8 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, 50 Tank House Lane in the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Theatre at Toronto’s Historic Distillery District. For tickets, visit youngcentre.ca or call1-416-866-8666. To learn more about Soulpepper, visit www.soulpepper.ca . 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Back Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg and Marshall Pynkoski A 'life-changing' experience for these ultra-chic Co-Artistic Directors of Opera Atelier Photo of Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg and Marshall Pynkoski courtesy of Opera Atelier website Joe Szekeres To have the opportunity to speak again with Co-Artistic Directors of Opera Atelier, Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg, was personally and highly energizing. I hold no background in opera or dance, yet these two art forms have intrigued me since I began reviewing. I'm grateful Marshall and Jeannette, two classy individuals, continue to reach out to me to attend Opera Atelier performances and encourage more audience members to become intrigued by opera and dance and their theatrical form. Pynkoski stated if audiences aren’t entertained, then the company must re-examine what they are doing since entertainment is the goal for all audience members and not just a select few. I spoke with Marshall and Jeannette a couple of weeks before Christmas as they were quite excited to share some very important news about their ‘life-changing’ experience in Versailles, France. In April 2022, when they were directing and choreographing a new production of Grétry’s 'La Caravane du Caire' for Opéra de Tours, Marshall and Jeannette received an email from Laurent Brunner, Directeur of the Opéra Royal and of Château de Versailles Spectacles, asking if they were familiar with Marc Antoine Charpentier’s opera, ‘David et Jonathas’. Marshall and Jeannette have listened to Charpentier’s opera for over a decade and have always marvelled at the invention and power of this example of the seventeenth-century biblical drama. I smiled when Marshall said there must be some plans afoot with this simple request, especially with the proliferation of work he and Jeannette have accomplished with Opera Atelier. What they might consider simple became uber mega wonderful for me in hearing what had happened. Château de Versailles Spectacles had already planned and scheduled a major concert performance and CD recording of Charpentier’s ‘David et Jonathas’. However, due to the appearance of a very significant donor, the project had suddenly been catapulted into a fully staged production. The set was to be designed by the great French designer Antoine Fontaine and his son Roland, with lighting by the equally celebrated Hervé Gary. Perhaps most exciting of all, the costumes were to be designed by the greatest living French couturier, Christian Lacroix. Additional donors came on board through the organization known as ADOR (Les Amis de l’Opéra Royal). A DVD deal was signed, and the set design grew in size and complexity as the project expanded to include eight dancers (including two of the Artists of Atelier Ballet), nine on-stage chorus, eight superb principals, including the internationally renowned tenor Reinoud Van Mechelen as David, soprano Caroline Arnaud as Jonathas, and bass-baritone David Witczak as Saül. They were joined by a forty-piece orchestra on period instruments (Ensemble Marguerite Louise) and a large off-stage choir under the baton of the young superstar French conductor Gaétan Jarry. What’s more, this was the first time in its history that the Royal Chapel (still a consecrated space) was used as a theatre. Marshall and Jeannette accepted this “enormous undertaking in a very, very short time but such an exciting project that it was out of the question that anyone would say no.” Jeannette stated they had about twelve days to put together a two-hour opera. Normally there is a much longer rehearsal time (at minimum a four-week rehearsal), but over the years the two of them and Opera Atelier have learned to streamline the process with nine hours a day of non-stop rehearsal with short meal breaks. Everyone barely slept over this time. I could hear a bit of nervous laughter in her voice as she recalled wondering if it would all come together. It did as Jeannette added: “It was a wonderful success. It was an over-sold-out house. Everyone performed beautifully, and the production was well received both by the public and the press. There was highly informed press from the United States, England, France, and Germany. People also flew in from Israel to see the production.” Marshall also shared no one stopped working. Microphones could not be set until after 11 pm because there was so much natural light that came into the chapel because of the window. The creative team had to wait until it was night and then wait for the ambient light from the Chateau to be turned off and the rehearsals to finish. And the piece de resistance for Marshall and Jeannette? At the After Party in the Salon of Hercules, they received confirmation ‘David et Jonathas’ will now travel to Potsdam in addition to future performances in the Royal Chapel on a regular basis. There is the release of the CD and DVD of the production in 2023. I sit here as I finish this article and am astonished at Opera Atelier’s tremendous worldwide influence gently steered and guided by Pynkoski and Lajeunesse Zingg. I continue to marvel at Opera Atelier performances and look forward to seeing what they have planned. And so should all of you. To learn more about Opera Atelier, visit www.operaatelier.com . Previous Next

Back Cynthia Dale Moving Forward --- Joe Szekeres Let’s count ourselves lucky, Canada, that we have an eloquent and articulate Cynthia Dale who opened her compassionate heart and soul to me in our conversation about how she has been faring during this worldwide pandemic. I remember watching her work on CBC’s ‘Street Legal’ during my undergraduate years, but I had no idea how diverse her stage performance resume was until I reviewed it myself. At the Stratford Festival, I saw her work in a poignant ‘Miracle Worker’ where Cynthia played the tenaciously resolved Annie Sullivan. Ms. Dale was also touching in her portrayal of Maria Rainer in ‘The Sound of Music’. Most recently, I saw her work in an astonishing production of ‘Fun Home’ through the Mirvish series where I freely admitted that I wiped tears from my eyes at the end. Cynthia and I conducted our conversation via Zoom. Thank you so much, Cynthia, for this opportunity and I hope to speak to you in person soon: It has been an exceptionally long five months since we’ve all been in isolation, and now it appears we are slowly emerging to some new way of living. How have you been faring? How has your immediate family been doing during this time? Actually, I don’t feel like we’re emerging at all. I beg to disagree on that. The numbers are horrendous in Ontario today (and Cynthia is correct on this account as the number have been rising the last few days). I feel like on pain of death people will feel like we’re emerging. It’s been an interesting time. I have a low-level rung of anxiety all the time. It’s like a low-grade fever that’s there all the time because I think it’s just there in the world. There’s no doubt that in the beginning there was an overwhelming amount of sadness and fear, and I don’t have the same amount of that anxiety, fear and sadness as I had. I still have incredible caution. I’m also not a fan of the term ‘new normal’. I don’t know what that means. We will never go back to the way life was, I don’t think. It will just be different. As far as the industry I’m in, I understand there are film and tv productions and things getting back and filming, but under such incredible circumstances. Theatre has not gone back and cannot go back, and it will be so long before that can happen, and this makes me incredibly sad. The term ‘new normal’ is a sugar coating and fake. If this has taught us anything, it’s to be incredibly honest in every single situation with every single person at every moment because there’s no time left. For years, we’ve heard use the good china, burn the good candles…people, what are you waiting for? Do it now, honey, c’mon, enough already. As a performer, what has been the most difficult and challenging for you professionally and personally? Well, I guess they sort of bleed together because the most challenging thing for me was to sing again, in fact. I couldn’t sing. I lost my voice. My heart, I couldn’t sing. I was too sad. I was too in fear. I locked it all down and I didn’t sing for five, six months. I had no real desire to do it. I don’t sing just for the sake of singing as there’s a goal in mind. I didn’t have a thing I was working towards because ‘towards’ was just a big question mark. Koerner Hall wasn’t going to happen so I didn’t have to work on those. And so, personally it was just all I could do to open my eyes every morning, thank God for the day, thank God for my health and go from there. That was it. It was a matter of putting one foot in front of the other, and all I could plan was what was for dinner, that’s all. That’s the only plan that could happen for thousands, millions of people. We couldn’t plan anything else. It was just a matter of taking care of yourself, taking care of your family, and just getting through. That morphs and changes and you plant flowers, you help move your son into his own apartment and all those things, and life goes on. And I started to sing again, thank God, in August. But it was an interesting process. People would send notes on Twitter, other singers would comment and say, “I tried to sing today and all I could do was sob.” And that’s what was happening. I sobbed every day for four months, like everybody in the world. People just cried, a lot. And it wasn’t about feeling sorry for myself, it was just a matter of this is all really hard what’s going on in the world. And if you are at all an empath and feel what’s going on in the world, you are aware of it. I knew everybody was having the same problem I was having. So many other singers and people were having the same problem, so I didn’t feel weird or awed. I actually felt there was a great group of us around the globe feeling like this or that. And slowly, slowly, slowly, I listened to my body, I listened to my spirit, l listened to my heart, and I knew I would sing again at some point, but I didn’t push it. I didn’t have to because there was no gig coming up. And when the possibility of something coming up, I started to sing again. I wasn’t different from so many performers, really. I have friends who are on Broadway, friends who are in shows in Toronto, and they literally walked out of their dressing room one night, and their stuff is still sitting in their dressing room. It’s like everything is frozen in so many areas of the world. People who left their offices back in March, their desks are still exactly as they were, the coffee mug, the pictures of the family, the ‘to do’ pile. People didn’t know how long this was going to last or that this was going to happen. I wasn’t different from everybody else. Everybody is still feeling this and I’m not ashamed to say it’s been really hard. The richness of my garden and family and cooking, (and thank God I love to cook), all of that, my goodness what would we do without it? Were you in preparation, rehearsals, or any planning stages of productions before everything was shut down? What has become of those projects? Will they see the light of day anytime soon? I wasn’t actually filming or rehearsing anything, but I was supposed to be doing a production of ‘Follies’ this fall in October at Koerner Hall, a concert version. That was in the world, in my psyche and in my body in thinking about it, rehearse, learn the music. That inevitably got stopped. I had a few other music concerts and gigs to sing at but other than that, no. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy during this time? I walk a lot but Peter (Mansbridge, retired newscaster from CBC) and I don’t walk together. We walk in our own spaces, listen to our own audio books. I paint, I love to paint and that for sure got me through the first eight weeks. I painted a lot. I’ve always been a big reader. I read a lot. Binge watcher of TV and goodness knows I’ve watched a lot more now than I have before. We all sort of do what we do, to keep busy, happy and fulfilled. I’m loving singing right now and that’s a good thing. The singing is just for me right now. It’s a funny time, isn’t it? Any words of wisdom or advice you might /could give to fellow performers and colleagues? What message would you deliver to recent theatre school graduates who have now been set free into this unknown and uncertainty given the fact live theaters and studios might be closed for 1 ½ - 2 years? Even before all this whenever I’ve mentored, taught, lectured, I’ve always said to theatre students, “Get a Business Degree”. You are a business! You are a business and you’re going to have to know how to pay your agent, pay your taxes, maybe start a theatre company, pay a publicist. Do all those things and you need to have that ability. It’s great you can do a triple time step, that’s wonderful; it’s great that you can sing a high C and know five Shakespeare monologues, but you also need to know the nuts and bolts, and that has absolutely nothing to do with you may want to do something else in life, or you should have a back up plan. I don’t believe that it’s not about that, at all. You, yourself, are the backup plan, and so you need to fill up yourself with knowledge and with stuff that gives you opportunities because you may turn 40 and get sick and tired of having $350 in the bank which is what a lot of actors and performers have. You don’t go into this industry for money. If you’re lucky and click on TV or film, you might make some money, but you need to know more. And so, I would say to anyone even before Covid and the pandemic. Now, I say it even more. I have friends who are the leading players in some of the top shows in the city who are working now at the liquor store. They have to pay the bills. These people were making top dollar in the theatre, one of the most coveted jobs in the theatre scene, and they have to do something else now. There’s nothing wrong with that. It’s a noble thing to pay your bills. You need to be able to diversify. In our parents’ generation, they did one thing – teachers, plumbers, accountants. They did one thing, hit retirement and that was it. Now, young people do this, and they do that. It’s not an either or. They can be incredible photographers and have a great career and take 8X10 photographs for headshots, and they’re kick ass dancers and singers and work all the time at the Stratford Festival. People do lots of things – they have a web design company during the day and work at night on Broadway. Younger people do more things and different careers. They don’t do one career for 30 years anymore like our parents did. It’s a different thing. If you’re 21 and coming out of theatre school, I might say, “You may not want to do this in twenty years time, or ten years. You may, as it’s a calling and there’s no doubt about it, but that doesn’t mean you don’t have to stop any passion you have for something else. It doesn’t lessen your ability to be an actor or a singer or a dancer. It enhances it. It fills you up more.” I guess that’s what I would say. Do you see anything positive stemming from this pandemic? (with a slight laugh) Yes, sometimes, the question is, ‘Does it outweigh the negatives in my mind?’ Staycations instead of travelling. Lots of things, but the question to me is does it outweigh. I’m not a negative, downer type of person so I can’t live in the place of it’s all that. I have to believe the good that will come out of this will outweigh the bad. It’s really hard to think of that though with all of the people who have died, all the people who have lost someone. It’s really hard to believe that the good could ever outweigh it. I’m a keener, a Pollyanna, but it’s really hard to believe in the face of the sadness. Do you think Covid 19 will have some lasting impact on the Canadian/North American performing arts scene? Devastating. Absolutely devastating. I can’t imagine how some of these larger theatres are going to continue. Just North America alone…Think of the touring companies. How do you do that? How do you entice people back? I don’t see how you entice people back into a theatre until there’s a vaccine, and a safe vaccine at that. I can’t imagine people wanting to sit beside someone. It’s one thing to get on an airplane and sit beside someone to travel across the pond. Yes, it’s longer than a two- or three-hour theatre show. I don’t want to sit in the theatre and wear a hazmat suit. I don’t want to sit in a theatre and think my two or three hours of potential enjoyment are at the cost of potentially getting sick or getting someone else sick. It’s the opposite of the enjoyment and the magic of theatre. I don’t want to sing in fear. I can’t sing in fear. I can’t sing afraid. And singing is one of the worst things for transmitting it, right? And so, I don’t want to sing or be in an environment where someone could get sick or I could get sick or bring it home to my loved ones. I think it’s going to be a long time. I think there will be shows that were up and running that won’t be running again be that in Toronto or definitely on Broadway. It’s almost a given in the West End. Just this week Andrew Lloyd Webber came out again and said some of his shows just won’t come back that were playing. It’s going to be years and years before recovery. I think of those school touring programs. They seem so small but they’re so important. How do you get them back? For some kids, that’s their first inkling of theatre. That spark, when they lie their head on their pillow and think, “My God, something changed in me today.” Or they sit at the dining room table over dinner and tell their parents, “Please, I want to take a dance class, or I want to learn to play the saxophone.” This ripple effect has stopped-there will be none of that. My dearest friend is a Grade 8 teacher and all those extra things like band practices, choir, stuff related to the arts has just stopped. Those kinds of things are truly heartbreaking to me. That’s a black hole that’s going to be felt for so long, the missed opportunity of inspiring a kid to be in the arts. That’s gonna happen and we won’t feel it for 10 or 15 years. That breaks my heart. I always felt the most important time at The Stratford Festival was the fall season when all the school groups arrived to watch a play. This is the audience of tomorrow. These are the ones who will keep coming to Stratford and keep the Stratford Festival alive when I’m long gone. They’ll be here, they’ll be bringing their kids here. Those audiences, those shows, gone. That breaks my heart. Some artists have turned to You Tube and online streaming to showcase their work. What are your comments and thoughts about streaming? Is this something that the actor/theatre may have to utilize going forward into the unknown? No, it’s not really my thing. In the beginning, the first six, eight weeks, I co-hosted a show with Tom Jackson called ‘Almighty Voices’ that was singers. Tom kept asking me to sing, and I said, “Tom, I can’t sing but I’ll co-host with you.” Once, in honour of someone who had passed, a group of us sang ‘Amazing Grace’. But other than that, it’s not my thing. I don’t play an instrument. I can’t accompany myself. It’s too hard figuring out how to link me with the orchestra in Edmonton which were all options. I’ve watched some live stream shows. I don’t count watching ‘Hamilton’ when it played. It wasn’t a live streamed show, it was a filmed version and I could watch that every single day for the rest of my life. It’s not my favourite way to watch. It’s a different thing. It’s not theatre. There’s nothing wrong with watching television or going to the cinema, but it’s not theatre. (Cynthia then links her fingers together) Theatre is here (left fingers), the audience is here (right fingers) and the magic is in between the two. It’s what happens right there. It’s in the ether. It’s ‘that’ thing called ‘it’, and ‘it’ doesn’t come across on film or in television. It’s a different thing and thank God it is. You can’t describe it. Despite all this fraught tension and confusion, what is it about performing that Covid will never destroy for you? (pause) You’re going to make me cry…(pauses)… It’s a funny thing, I turned 60 this year and I don’t have the same ambition as I’ve had for the last 45 years of my life. And I’m aware of that in my body. It’s changed, it’s morphed. I don’t feel like I’m done yet, but I don’t feel like “It’s the be all or end all” or “I have to be performing.” Believe me, I’ve asked myself this question many times as I sit up here in my little office. This is where I sing. I check in – what is it…it’s not about the vocal cords because singing for me is so much more than the vocal cords. Where is it in my body that I still love to perform or still feel like I want to? I did a show called ‘Fun Home’ in Toronto (side note: I saw it and cried at the end). I found it interesting at that point in my life I was more nervous (almost sick) for the opening night of ‘Fun Home’ than I was the ten years of opening nights at the Stratford Festival. It didn’t matter. I found it interesting and I think about it and why was it that particular opening night of ‘Fun Home’. That show cost a lot to do and to live, and all of us paid for it every night but happily to pay it. I’m prepared to pay it still. I don’t have to pay it as often as I used to do. It’s not because I don’t want to as I’m still prepared to do that and give that. Thank God, that’s come to me because there aren’t a lot of parts for 60-year-old broads, that many that you really, really want to do. And so, if I was in a corner, crying because I wasn’t working that’s different but I’m not. I’m fine with it. I just now know when I sing now there’s something that vibrates that still feels good. It’s like taking my B12s in the morning, another vitamin in my body, another something which still reminds me, “I’m not finished yet.” We’re in the process of building a house in Scotland and I may be spending a lot of time over there in my life. If I’m desperate to sing, I’ll go sing in a pub, I don’t know what I’ll do. I’ll go sing in the Highlands somewhere because that vibration is something that I still need. To learn more about Cynthia Dale, visit her website: www.cynthiadale.com . Previous Next

Back 'The Golden Record' Soulpepper Theatre Barry McClusky Joe Szekeres A veritable feast of music, sound, and images from this nine-member committed ensemble, but keep your eyes and ears open. I couldn’t make a connection between the agenda underneath the concert and the messages from the Record. I was 17 when NASA sent the Voyager Golden Record into space in 1977, a phonograph message to communicate our world to any extraterrestrials who may find it. The album contained sounds and images selected to portray the diversity of life and culture on Earth. Although I remember this event, I didn’t follow it as space and the galaxies didn’t interest me then. Now that I’m older (and hopefully wiser) I find myself intrigued about space and the galaxies through documentaries or news items. To combine space, the galaxy, and the messages in a concert to showcase song and storytelling is clever and original so I congratulate writer Sarah Wilson, director Frank Cox-O’Connell and music director Mike Ross because there are some wonderful moments showcasing the images and some of the music on the phonograph record. That, to me, was a terrific personal learning experience about this time. The Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre stage is set like any concert would be. There is a phonograph player just slightly off-centre stage. Circular golden large spheres are suspended on top of the playing space which represents the galaxies, and, from my seat, the visual effect was impressive. Frank Donato’s video designs remain outstanding throughout so kudos here. Programmes were not passed out to audience members before the show began as I was told there were some surprises. For me, yes there were a few audio sounds that I was pleased that I didn’t know before they occurred. It was nice to read the title of the songs performed after. The nine-member committed ensemble remains stellar as there are some drop-dead musical numbers that left my jaw on the floor. What caught my eye was watching Mike Ross, Beau Dixon and Andrew Penner manoeuvre themselves on the stage to play the various instruments for a particular moment. A slight quibble for me at the top of the show for about ten minutes was the playing of the drums rather loudly. I found this drowned out a few of the stringed instruments and the lyrics to ‘Starman’ and ‘El Cascabel’ were lost. I do hope this can be rectified for the next performance. Four musical numbers come to my mind: The opening of David Bowie’s ‘Starman’ magically captured and encapsulated the vastness of outer space. I also particularly liked the duo keyboard play of Beau Dixon and Mike Ross for ‘It’s Only a Paper Moon’. So much fun watching these two guys serenade on the piano because they were having fun. Travis Knights owns the stage when he tap dances. Breathtaking to watch. The closing number ‘STRING QUARTET No. 13 IN B-FLAT MAJOR: V. CAVATINA’ by Ludwig van Beethoven is glorious. Periodically I closed my eyes to listen to these artists play the strings with refined gravitas and superior prowess. Absolute heaven. I was surprised when the company came forward to take their bows because I could have listened for a few minutes more. Nonetheless, something still puzzles me regarding a choice that was made. I don’t know if this would fall under writer Sarah Wilson or director Frank Cox-O’Connell. To me, it felt as if the narrative was taking the twenty-first-century lens of examining social issues and using that same application to see world events from 1977 in the same manner. That seems out of place to me since our world now has changed multiple folds in comparison to the world in 1977. There are times when the repetition of these social issues becomes just a tad too much as if it is being forced upon me rather than allowing me to sit with what is presented and digest it. Running Time: approximately 90 minutes with no intermission. ‘The Golden Record Concert’ runs until November 20 in The Marilyn & Charles Baillie Theatre at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in Toronto’s Distillery District, 50 Tank House Lane. For tickets: soulpepper.ca, youngcentre.ca or call 1-416-866-8666. THE GOLDEN RECORD CONCERT was presented by Soulpepper and created by Divine Brown, Frank Cox-O'Connell, Beau Dixon, Raha Javanfar, Travis Knights, Andrew Penner, Mike Ross and Sarah Wilson. Writer: Sarah Wilson Director: Frank Cox-O’Connell Music Director: Mike Ross Lighting Designer: Simon Rossiter Sound Designer: Andres Castillo-Smith Video Designer: Frank Donato Stage Manager: Ashely Ireland Performers: Divine Brown, Beau Dixon, Erin James, Raha Javanfar, Travis Knights, Erika Nielsen, Amanda Penner, Andrew Penner, Mike Ross Previous Next

Back Salt Water Moon by David French Guild Theatre Festival Raph Nogal Photography Joe Szekeres A beautiful August summer evening sets the stage for a most splendid production of David French’s iconic Canadian classic script of the Mercer family which introduces the early lives of parents Jacob and Mary. I’ve seen this play several times before, but this is the first I’ve experienced ‘Salt-Water Moon’ in an outdoor setting. And what a wise choice Director Helen Juvonen made as the Guild’s production is utterly charming to watch as two charismatic and engaging artists create very real, flesh and blood people before my eyes while handling the intricate Newfoundland dialect and speech patterns crisply and with tremendous grace and dignity. A shout out of recognition to Dialect Coach Leah Holder for ensuring authenticity to my ear. The setting is 1926 in Coley’s Point, rural Newfoundland. It is a moonlit night (just like the performance I attended) in September in front of a late 19th century home. Seventeen-year-old Mary Snow (Sarah Gibbons) is waiting for her fiancé, Jerome, to come visit her after Bob Foote's wake, and she is looking through a telescope at the moon and stars to pass the time. A voice is heard in the distance and Jacob Mercer (Alex Furber), six months older than Mary, and her former beau, appears. Mary is taken aback to see Jacob who left Newfoundland abruptly for Toronto a year before to seek his fortune. Mary and Jacob spend the evening making small talk, stargazing, arguing, and discussing the past, including Jacob's sudden departure. There is a simple set design which works very well in this case as the primary focus remains on the tip-top performances of Sarah Gibbons and Alex Furber. There are three entrances to the playing space. Centre stage and stage left are several lanterns with tea lights that glowed as the sun set and the evening approached. Just off-centre stage right and angled slightly is a wooden rocking chair. At stage right is a trellis of leaves with small white lights attached. Sarah is dressed attractively in a yellow dress and Alex looks dashing in a light grey pin striped suit with a deep blue tie nicely contrasted with a white dress shirt. In her Programme Note, Ms. Juvonen writes how envisioning ‘Moon’ has become an homage to the place she calls home and to celebrate her maternal family. Her profound respect for the play and maintaining consistent verisimilitude certainly came clear to me in some of the minute details she emphasizes in the 90-minute production. One example of this occurs in the convincing performances of Gibbons and Furber. ‘Salt-Water Moon’ is heavily dialogue driven, and these two actors continuously listen carefully to each other’s words and their meaning and respond so believably and realistically on an emotional level that I periodically put down my pen from making notes in my book and just wanted to watch them move with clear intent and purpose all the time. I especially relished the moment as Mary calls Jacob over to point out something in the sky with the stars and constellations. I got caught up in the moment to the point where I had to restrain myself from physically turning around in my chair and look to the sky to see where the actors were pointing. Every inch of the playing space on that stage is used to its fullest and I especially enjoyed watching how the ‘who has the power in the moment’ volley back and forth between the two. Alex Furber’s Jacob is confidant, cocky and, at times, self-assured who remains intent on trying to win back the heart of the girl whom he left the year before. I loved watching how he skillfully utilized a playful and genuine smirk on his face at times to acknowledge that he is doing his best to win back Mary’s trust and love. Sarah Gibbons is a feisty and ‘fire in the spirit’ Mary (as she is described in the text at one point) who obviously is not a push over emotionally as Jacob comes to recognize as the plot progresses. I saw just how Mary can poke at Jacob’s soft side to remind him that what he did was wrong. Gibbons knows and senses inherently just how and when to utilize playwright French’s words to fire back emotionally at the beloved beau who left her suddenly the year before. Final Comments: There was something magical about watching a live performance outdoors. The term ‘Theatre under the Stars’ took on a new meaning for me in this delightful production of a captivating ‘Salt-Water Moon’. Get tickets for this one. A wonderful evening spent at the theatre. ‘Salt-Water Moon’ continues to August 15 at the Greek Theatre in the Guild Park and Gardens, 201 Guildwood Parkway, Toronto. For tickets and information, please visit www.guildfestivaltheatre.ca . ‘SALT-WATER MOON’ by David French Production Staged by Guild Festival Theatre, Tenth Anniversary Season Directed by Helen Juvonen Production Designer Simon Flint Design Mentor Nancy Anne Perrin Dialect Coach Leah Holder. Previous Next

Back 'Peter Pan and the Wendy Lady' adapted by Brandon White Now onstage at Toronto's Campbell House, 160 Queen Street West, Toronto. Credit: White Mills Theatre Company. Pictured Breanna Maloney as Peter Pan Joe Szekeres “An appealing and charmingly immersive fantasy story, delightful performances, and a production that makes me smile.” Upon entering the historic backdrop of Toronto’s Campbell House, Solomon (Scott Garland) greets guests at a podium and passes dance cards to the audience. We’re told not to lose the cards and to wait quietly in the lobby. With Solomon’s booming voice shouting: “Neeeexxxttt”, the next audience member approaches and gives their name for the evening. We have been invited to the Debutante Ball and the coming out tradition of introducing eighteen-year-old Wendy Darling (Ella Mazur) to the world. Before we enter the celebration, the guests/audience are taken to the drawing room where Wendy’s father, George (Scott Moore), converses with James (Spencer Schunk), a dashing, accoutered young man who has come to win Wendy’s hand. The audience is then taken to a cloakroom where George’s wife, Mary (Barb Schleffer) and son, John (Jonas Trottier), welcome us and take our coats and bags. We are then instructed to climb the stairs to enter the sitting room where the ball will take place. On our way, we pass Wendy and her younger brother, Michael (Jessi Ellgood), chatting about the ball and the stories Wendy likes to write. Wendy shares with her brother that a publisher rejected her most recent story. The two are surprised to see the audience there, and Wendy instructs her brother to lead us into the drawing room. A two-piece orchestra band plays ‘The Four Seasons’ while we enter and can sit in chairs. While waiting, a black-shadowed figure crawls out from somewhere. (I won’t spoil it here) At first, I wondered if this might be Darling’s dog, Nana. But it’s not because the dog is in the backyard. This shadowed figure moves quietly around the room and on the floor, sometimes playing with shoelaces, eyeing people, and rolling around. It then struck me that this is a shadow – and as the story progesses you’ll know whose it is. Mrs. Darling introduces her daughter, Wendy, to all of us. However, challenges occur, ruining the Debutante Ball's custom. Mary begins to read one of her stories out loud to the guests to showcase Wendy’s talent as a writer and appease the audience. It is then we learn about Wendy’s rejected story of Peter Pan (Breanna Maloney), his lost shadow (Emily Trace), Captain Hook (Schunk), Tinkerbell (Shannon Mills), the Lost Boys, and the Buccaneers. Even the Crocodile (Schleffer) pays a visit, and a sense of justice is instilled at the conclusion if you know what happens in the original story. That sound effect made the audience laugh approvingly. The rest of the story deals with moving around Campbell House as we fly to various parts of Neverland via pixie dust. The visual look of the story remains gorgeous, thanks to Brandon White’s meticulous attention to costume detail and colour. Captain Hooks’ clothing and Wendy’s ball gown are only two examples. The grime and filth of the Lost Boys’ clothing is spot on. Ella Mazur’s choreographed dance movements are stylish when the ball begins. There is one moment when a couple of audience members are encouraged to participate in the dance. Rob Carruthers and Rae Gallimore’s musical arrangements underscore the splendour of the look of Edwardian Toronto. I’ve always liked hearing Vivialdi’s ‘Four Seasons’; the two-person accompaniment of Rob Carruthers and Rae Gallimore creates a regal atmosphere. Shannon Mills’ musical direction of choral singing remains charming, especially when hearing the harmony work. There are tricky moments regarding lighting that didn’t always work for me. For example, the audience spends some time in the upstairs drawing room watching the confusion emanating from the debutante ball to Wendy sharing her unpublished story. The lighting works well for the ball; however, the shadowy effect to create a dreamlike sequence when Peter is introduced bothered my eyes. I had difficulty focusing on the primary action because the shadows prevented me from doing so. Brandon White creatively adapts this iconic J. M. Barrie story for a twenty-first-century audience. A couple of modern-day references made me smile. My guest told me that much of the original text appears in this adaptation. There are times that once again made me smile as several of the characters genuinely understand the meaning of the words and confidently speak the text. White subtly co-directs the production along with Cassie Davidson and Shannon Mills. They have favourably created a whimsical place where the audience suspends disbelief. The audience has seemingly entered a playful, mostly fun but sometimes harrowing and lonely environment. At times, they move quickly from one room to the next, and I’m amazed at how the cast is not out of breath when moving up and down the stairs. The performances are delightful. Once again, I couldn’t help but continue smiling and watching these J. M. Barrie character icons spring forth with exuberance. Although I was never a fan of the Peter Pan story, several dynamite productions have made me change my mind over the years. Breanna Maloney is a spritely sprite of a Peter Pan. As Wendy, Ella Mazur maintains a grounded performance of a young woman on the cusp of adulthood in her journey of self-discovery of who she is. Scott Moore’s George (and Wendy’s father) sharply represents the values of the Edwardian era, in which everyone had their place within the world. Barb Scheffler’s Mary (Wendy’s mother) is a far too doting Edwardian mother who knows her place within the world and feels responsible when the debutante ball abruptly ends. As Mary’s siblings, Jonas Trottier’s John and Jessi Ellgood’s Michael offer two distinct performances. Trottier’s John is like Moore’s George: a man of values who stands up for what is right. Trottier is amusing in his performance in the kitchen scene and enjoys the attention paid to him by the two attendants. Ellgood’s Michael is quite fascinating in physicality. There’s an impish, childlike innocence of Ellgood that remains believable throughout the production. It took me a few moments to connect that Shannon Mills was playing Tinker Bell. Her free-flowing emerald gown looks great, but there’s nothing in Mills’ first entrance to denote she is the pixie fairy. Perhaps some glitter hanging in mid-air or a bit more on her costume? Spencer Schunk’s brief appearance as James re-enforces the young Edwardian male who wants to sweep the young Wendy off her feet and whisk her away to a world of lovely promises. Having Schunk play Captain Hook in Wendy’s story was clever. Schunk’s Hook is a devilish brute of a monster at first, intent on terrorizing the others with his pirate Buccaneers in the other world of Neverland. Schunk never overplays Hook’s fear of the crocodile. It remains charmingly childish each time Hook experiences it. Having Barb Scheffler play the Crocodile was also a good choice. Again, Scheffler’s Mary is so completely doting as a mother figure that her Mary comes across as suffocating. If you know Barrie’s story, you know what the Crocodile does. Scheffler appears to have great fun leading her Crocodile to that moment of ‘suffocation.’ The enthusiasm of the supporting players adds unique magic to creating a faraway land of ‘pure imagination,’ as Willy Wonka once sang. I especially liked those moments staged downstairs where we are on board Captain Hooks’ ship. It is just purely terrific to watch actors having great fun bringing characters to life with zest and vitality. And Another Thought: Toronto’s Campbell House's historical backdrop has again been an excellent choice to stage an imaginative story. I’m constantly amazed at the energy this cast expends, running up and down the stairs and moving from scene to scene. Make sure you wear comfortable shoes because there is a lot of walking up and down stairs. On this opening night, there was plenty of space for audiences to sit on chairs. As the show continues and the audience grows, please be aware that there may not be ample seating on these nights. A lovely way to spend an afternoon or evening of theatrical entertainment. Running time: two hours and 15 minutes with no intermission. ‘Peter Pan and the Wendy Lady’ runs until March 23 at the Campbell House Museum, 160 Queen Street West, Toronto. For tickets: https://www.whitemillstheatreco.com/upcoming-events Adaptation, Co-Direction, Production & Costume Design by Brandon White Assistant Director & Fight Coordination by Cassie Davidson Co-Direction & Musical Direction by Shannon Mills Musical Arrangements by Rob Carruthers & Rae Gallimore Choreographer & Poster Illustration by Ella Mazur Production Assistant & Portraits Edited by Daniel Tofach Assistant Stage Manager ~ Iris Asserlind Performers: WENDY DARLING ~ Ella Mazur JOHN DARLING ~ Jonas Trottier MICHAEL DARLING ~ Jessi Elgood MARY DARLING/THE CROCODILE ~ Barb Scheffler GEORGE DARLING/MR. SMEE ~ Scott Moore PETER PAN ~ Breanna Maloney TINKER BELL ~ Shannon Mills LIZA/SLIGHTLY ~ Cassie Davidson TOOTLES ~ Shelby Handley NIBS ~ Annie Roberts JAMES/CAPTAIN HOOK ~ Spencer Schunk BILL JUKES ~ Anthony Botelho NOODLER ~ Austin Larusson SOLOMON/CAW/SKYLIGHTS/THE MOON ~ Scott Garland THE TIDE ~ Manon Ens-Lapointe THE SHADOW/ODILE ~ Emily Trace MUSICIAN 1/ODETTE ~ Rae Gallimore MUSICIAN 2/MULLINS ~ Rob Carruthers Previous Next

Back 'Prairie Nurse' by Marie Beath Badian Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street, Port Hope Capitol Theatre, 20 Queen Street, Port Hope Joe Szekeres A summertime crowd-pleaser of a play. ‘Prairie Nurse’ addresses an important social issue through humour while never denigrating it. Based on the true story of Badian’s mother's immigration to Canada in the late 1960s, ‘Prairie Nurse’ centres on two Filipino nurses: Indepencia “Penny” (Kryslyne-Mai Ancheta) and Purificacion “Puring” (Yunike Soedarmasato) who have arrived from Manila to work at a small-town Saskatchewan hospital. Penny and Puring never knew each other until they arrived at the airport. They intend to send money home to their families in the Philippines, hoping to bring family members to Canada. The setting is a small Saskatchewan hospital in a rural area in the late 1960s. The characters at this hospital are quite eccentric. Head Nurse Marie Anne (Deborah Drakeford) is tough, no-nonsense, demanding, and resorts to chain smoking when workplace tension is thick. Candy striper Patsy (Ellie Ellwand) is curious, nosy, and involved in everyone's business. Wilf (Aaron MacPherson), the lab technician, plays goalie on the local hockey team and is friends with Patsy's unseen boyfriend, Hank. A heavily Scottish-accented Dr. Miles (Iain Stewart) enjoys hunting and fishing and would rather be doing that instead of his rounds. Charlie (David Ferry) is a helpful and friendly handyman who is a father figure to the new hospital staff. Jackie Chau’s spacious set design fills the entire Capitol Stage and appears right out of the late 1960s with mismatched furniture. The hospital staff needs a good cleaning and fixing up. Pictures are slightly askew on the walls. There is a door stage right which leads to the outside hallway of the hospital. A swinging door just off-stage left centre serves as another entrance and exit. Stage left is a tightly compact kitchen with a stove and mismatched kitchen set. The walls are painted in the typical institutional white. Chau’s costume designs are a terrific throwback to the past, starting with the nurses’ completely white attire. Wilf’s goalie mask made me laugh out loud at his initial entrance. He looked like something right out of a horror flick. Patsy’s candy striper uniform is a wondrous throwback to when these volunteers could be found in hospitals. (Are there candy stripers in hospitals anymore?) Marie Beath Badian’s script contains elements of broad slapstick comedy with the odd touch of farce and seasoned with possible burgeoning romances. For this reason, ‘Prairie Nurse’ is a good choice for the Capitol’s summer season. When done well, broad comedy and slapstick become an audience pleaser. And we need laughter as an audience pleaser right now because our woke world is fraught with overwhelming societal issues. More about a social issue of the plot shortly. Director Megan Watson duly makes sure the pace of this opening night production never veers out of control. Entrances and exits are nicely timed – in other words, when one exits, another must enter immediately. Notes end up in the wrong hands, fisticuffs, shouting and crawling around on the floor. This hard-working ensemble cast commits themselves to the humour. Deborah Drakeford’s crawling on the floor simply made me laugh, as a Head Nurse would never do such a thing. Iain Stewart’s thickly accented Scottish Dr. Miles is a hoot, especially with the various hunting attire in which he accoutres himself. Aaron MacPherson’s Wilf is a boyishly shy technician who comically gets himself tongue-tied when (spoiler alert) he becomes smitten with one of the girls. David Ferry’s Charlie becomes that wise poppa bear for Penny and Puring. Ferry’s beautiful comic timing in the second-act melee is one of the show’s highlights. Ellie Ellwand is a giddy and ditzy Patsy. Kryslyne-Mai Ancheta and Yunike Soedarmasto are charming as the new arrival nurses. Both actors instinctively make Penny and Puring their unique person. Ancheta’s assured Penny is confident (perhaps a bit full of herself) in why she had signed this contract to work at this hospital. Hopefully, she wants to bring her fiancé to Canada. Soedarmasto’s shyly reticent Puring is sweet. Her reaction to people swearing made me smile because I can recall that same reaction from family members many years ago in the 60s. Now to the critical social issue of ‘Prairie Nurse.’ Playwright Badian topically uses contextual humour from the 1960s to poke fun at the arrival of new individuals to a country. It’s the elephant in the room from a 21st-century understanding and might make some uncomfortable. We would never dare say or remark: a) that members of the BIPOC community look different from white people OR b) that members of the BIPOC community look the same. These two statements contain unkind racist tones today. But much of the humour stems from some hospital workers mistaking who Penny and Purring are just by looking at them. Wilf confuses them, leading to madcap zaniness in the second act. Iain Stewart’s comical staring at Penny and Puring silently before he must do something to tell the difference between them brought laughter from me and those sitting around me in the audience. In her Director's Programme Note, Megan Watson discusses how Badian's playful approach effectively captures the experience of newcomers to Canada. She emphasizes the importance of trusting the audience's ability to recognize the human vulnerabilities revealed through this technique. I do too. Final Comments: This Capitol Theatre summer production marks the tenth anniversary of 'Prairie Nurse.’ It is the first instalment of a fifty-year multi-generational trilogy in rural Saskatchewan. Badian's second work, 'The Waltz,’ was performed at Toronto's Factory Theatre this year, and the third, 'The Cottage Guest,’ is currently in development. The Blyth Festival has commissioned all three plays. I never saw the 2013 premiere and just recently saw ‘The Waltz’ this past winter. Ergo, I’ve seen the plays out of order and perhaps may look at the story differently if seen in the order intended. But a recent profile conversation with the playwright led me to some insight about her life that served as a basis for me. Here’s the link to my conversation with Marie Beath: https://www.ourtheatrevoice.com/items/marie-beath-badian%2C-filipino-canadian-playwright See ‘Prairie Nurse.’ It offers terrific summer entertainment. Running time: approximately two hours and 15 minutes with one intermission. The production runs until July 30 at Port Hope’s Capitol Theatre, Mainstage, 20 Queen Street. For tickets, capitoltheatre.com or call 905-885-1071. PRAIRIE NURSE by Marie Beath Badian Directed by Megan Watson Set and Costume Designer: Jackie Chau Lighting Designer: Jareth Li Composer and Sound Designer: Jeff Newberry Stage Manager: Charlene Saroyan Performers: Kryslyne-Mai Ancheta, Deborah Drakeford, Ellie Ellwand, David Ferry, Aaron MacPherson, Yunike Soedarmasto, Iain Stewart. Previous Next

Back Cottagers and Indians by Drew Hayden Taylor Staged by Port Perry Ontario's Theatre on the Ridge Joe Szekeres Joe Szekeres There are moments when I’ve stopped making notes during a performance, put the pen away, and simply revelled in watching and listening to fantastic story telling take place before me. Port Perry’s Theatre on the Ridge’s production of Drew Hayden Taylor’s ‘Cottagers and Indians’ is another of these plays where it occurred once again. I did not want to miss anything, not even for a second, if I averted my eyes from the stage to write something down. This ‘Cottagers and Indians’ is wonderful story telling at its finest deftly handled by two actors of solid accomplishment. Carey Nicholson acutely directs the playwright’s 2019 script with perceptive care as Hayden Taylor incorporates humour and wit periodically to get the audience to face head on the, at times, extremely sensitive elements of environmentalism versus consumerism and Indigenous versus non-Indigenous issues. ‘Cottagers and Indians’ introduces Indigenous man, Arthur Copper (James Dallas Smith) who decides to repopulate the nearby Kawartha Lakes Region with wild rice, known among the Anishinaabe as manoomin. Non-Indigenous cottager Maureen Poole (Amanda Jane Smith) disapproves sharply of Arthur’s decision. She feels the planting of the wild rice interferes with boating, fishing, swimming, and is generally an eyesore that brings down the property values of her cottage and those of her neighbours. Ms. Nicholson designed and used the outdoor playing space to full and maximum effect. It’s a multi level set on embedded rock which actually makes it appear as if I was transported right to a cottage lakeside setting. There is a red canoe down stage right. Up left is a circular barbecue with a side table containing a bottle of wine, a wine glass and barbecue tongs. Just slightly off-centre left is a colourful Muskoka chair with what appeared to me to be a white coat draped over the back which I’m assuming is the cottage of Maureen Poole. Liquid blue drapery along the front of the playing space represents the lake water. Both Ms. Smith and Mr. Smith (no relation to each other) create distinctly unique personas initially just through their physical appearance even before the story begins. He sports what looks to be a Tilley hat, aviator sunglasses, khaki cargo shorts, bright red sneakers, a blue t shirt and a khaki looking vest. She wears white capri pants and a striped white and red summery looking blouse/shirt with comfortable looking blue and white fuzzy house slippers. They both bring to life intriguing people whom I wanted to get to know even more. Mr. Smith’s Arthur Copper is self-assured, confident and, at times, rather smug but with good reason upon delving further into the plot. Ms. Smith’s Maureen Poole is racist, pompous as well as self-righteous. Both actors maintain a consistent, natural pacing in their dialogue exchange. When tempers flare, attitudes are heated, and tension is palpably hot, that’s when Ms. Smith and Mr. Smith reveal their exceptional prowess in performance level. I saw flesh and blood individuals in front of me who made me laugh, made me think, made me pause and made me aware that all individuals are not cut and dried and that not every thing can be considered black and white. There will always be unique grey areas when we encounter unaffected human emotion coupled with honest behaviour and, as Hayden Taylor told us in the audience talkback following the performance, that’s where he finds the drama that makes for articulate and interesting character development. This was especially true near the play’s conclusion. As Arthur sits in his canoe and Maureen on the rock, each exchange emotionally heartfelt and poignant words resulting in complete silence among the audience members. I could sense each of us was on every clear word uttered by these two terrific actors and wondering how they might respond to the other. Good stuff happening on that stage. Don’t miss this one. Running Time: approximately 80 minutes with no intermission As of Friday July 16 extreme weather will no longer be an issue when selecting your performance night. Now that Ontario enters Step 3 of the province’s re-opening plan, Theatre on the Ridge will be able to provide an alternate venue for any performances that may be impacted by severe weather. ‘Cottagers and Indians’ by Drew Hayden Taylor Production Staged by Theatre on The Ridge with the generous support of the Mississaugas of Scugog Island First Nation Producer and Director: Carey Nicholson; Stage Manager: Christina Naumovski Sound: Lyle Corrigan; Lighting: Andy Williamson Performers: Amanda Jane Smith, James Dallas Smith Performances: July 17, 20, 21, 22, 23 and 24 at 7 pm in the West End of Water Street Parking Lot #5 (Water and North Streets), Port Perry. To purchase tickets online: http://www.theatreontheridge.ca/whats-on.html. Theatre on the Ridge is a member of the Safe Travels Stamp program and observes all current mandated Covid gathering protocols and restrictions. Previous Next

Back Eric Woolfe "I find theatre artists are often really conservative in their imagination...We’re reluctant as theatre artists to engage the imagination of our audiences" Dahlia Katz Joe Szekeres Artistic Director Eric Woolfe of Eldritch Theatre thinks of himself as a guy who works in show business. He tries not to refer to himself as an artist. Born into the performing arts profession, Eric grew up in London, Ontario, and worked at the Grand Theatre. His first professional job at ten was in the Grand’s production of ‘A Christmas Carol,’ given to him by Director Bernard Hopkins in 1982. Actor Barry Morse appeared as Scrooge as did London Ontario actor Tom McCamus as Bob Cratchit. By age fifteen, Eric took semesters off school and worked across the country for the last forty-some years. Eldritch bills itself as Toronto’s only theatre company specializing in ghoulishly giddy tales of horror and the uncanny. During our Zoom call, Eric enlightened me further, saying ‘Eldritch’ is an old archaic word that means ‘strange and eerie.’ It became a bit of a joke that the name Eldritch was used as the title of the theatre company: “Our first show was for the Summerworks Festival almost 25 years ago. It was called ‘The Strange & Eerie Memoirs of Billy Wuthergloom.” We were running overtime by about a half hour for the time limit the Festival gave us, so I came in with a hacked piece of the version of the script which fit in the time. Just as a joke for the director, I crossed out the title and wrote ‘Billy’s Eldritch Diary’ to shorten it, and we thought, why not call the company The Eldritch Theatre?” Eldritch Theatre operates from Toronto’s Queen Street East’s Red Sandcastle Theatre. They were two separate entities until they married when Eldritch took over the space in December 2021. The art form of puppetry remains an important part of Eldritch Theatre. The first show performed by Eldritch was a one-person show. Rod Beattie travelled with the Wingfield plays nationwide. Eric thought if he did a one-person show, he would play all the different characters while Rod did his own show. Woolfe compared it to writing symphonies in Vienna in the time of Beethoven. Eldritch puppets are both strangely grotesque yet beautifully alluring simultaneously. That’s the trump suit for Eric. Yes, puppetry is an art form, but he quickly discovered that it exists in the audience's mind. In turn, it is the audience that creates the performance: “A puppet is an inanimate object being wiggled by someone. It doesn’t have sentience. It doesn’t move on its own and we know it … Nobody is fooled, but the audience creates the existence of that puppet character in your mind when you’re watching it...we imbue that inanimate thing with life.” Woolfe’s extensive knowledge of puppetry kept me on his every word. Since the supernatural and horror plays into Eldritch’s season, using a puppet can connect further with an audience, more so than, say, a character in a costume. Eric spoke about an earlier play from Eldritch about Jack the Ripper. The first scene was a dream sequence of one of the last victims who was having a nightmare about Alice in Wonderland and a giant, 15-foot-tall caterpillar puppet. That puppet could be funny one moment, threatening, sexual, aggressive, angry, weird, and jump from these different tones and from word to word and line to line because he was a puppet. If that exact text were done with an actor in a giant caterpillar costume, the only thing that caterpillar could be would be vaguely stupid. There’s no same ability to stretch tone and get under people’s skin when using human beings. Often puppetry and magic go together at Eldritch: “Magic is an opposite art form of puppetry…if it’s a puppetry performance, we are complicit to suspend disbelief to make that puppet come to life because wonder has been created. If it’s a magic trick, it works when the audience resists suspending their disbelief and has no other ability to explain what has just been seen.” The last three years for the theatre industry have been challenging for commercial theatre. Eric refers to himself as ‘the angry outsider.’ He despairs and feels terrible for those theatre companies that find it challenging. Woolfe doesn’t find many things terrible right now in the larger sense regarding the industry for Eldritch. Everything has been pretty good. Eldritch shows are selling well at Red Sandcastle. The audience demographics for Eldritch are not all dying or people in their 80s. Eldritch audiences are leaving their houses and coming to see shows. People come because they feel the Sandcastle Auditorium is not a COVID trap. His upcoming show at Eldritch is ‘Macbeth: A Tale Told by An Idiot.’ Directed by Dylan Trowbridge and coinciding with the 400th anniversary of the play’s premiere, show dates run from February 8 – 24 inclusive; Eric told me that Dylan has been pushing for a few years now that Eldritch should present a Shakespearean play. Woolfe calls this ‘Macbeth’ a one-person, surreal, classic comic telling of the Bard’s classic with puppets and magic. He’s terrified about the upcoming production because it’s a lot. He plays every single character. Here’s what he had to say about the state of the theatre: “The real truth is I don’t like a lot of theatre. I find theatre artists are often really conservative in their imagination. I think in Canada, there are way too many plays set in kitchens and way too many stories about a broken family getting together at their father’s funeral. We’re reluctant as theatre artists to engage the imagination of our audiences…People interested in conservative theatre from years ago are not coming out anymore.” Woolfe even believes that when tackling the classics, often, when theatre companies present Shakespeare, what they’re really presenting is a kind of museum piece where it isn’t even really the play they’re doing. It’s a comment on other performances of another production of another play. For example, Eric said there have been pieces from ‘Hamlet’ handed down from generation to generation. Assumptions have been based on the text that are not based on the text. Instead, these scenes are based on performances of actors making choices that are copied and copied and copied. Younger, diverse audiences have not been reached yet, according to Eric. Why? The style of plays still echoes this old model of theatre viable in the 1960s and 1970s. Yes, ‘Macbeth’ is slated to begin performances shortly, but it’s a weird Macbeth. Eldritch’s idea is to blow up that preconceived notion of the old model of Shakespeare’s classic tragedy. I’m most certain that, under Director Trowbridge’s artistic vision, ‘Macbeth’ will be ‘aggressively unconventional yet still rooted in the actual words.” The Scottish play was one of my favourites to teach because there are witches, ghosts, and magic. It’s also Woolfe’s favourite; however, he has never really liked any production he has seen. Instead, he likes versions of Shakespeare that upset people because the plays don’t obey the rules, don’t bluster, or don’t attempt to entertain. He then made a most appropriate analogy: “As people make theatre, we try to worry that it’s good for you. We’re trying to make healthy plays, and sometimes in theatre, we’re like restaurants: “We have the best broccoli. Come and get the broccoli. Eat our broccoli; it’s good for you, and all we’re selling anybody is broccoli.” Broccoli is great, but it’s only one thing on the plate. There are all these other tastes and things you can serve. If the food happens to be good for you, that’s fantastic, but you don’t have to tell people. It shouldn’t be the selling point. The selling point is that this meal is wonderful and has broccoli that will taste good. Eldritch’s ‘Macbeth’ will be approached like this. It’s a horror play about fear with puppets and cartoon noises, and it’s everything that should be in a Macbeth without the bluster and stuffiness and attempting to do it properly. There are four sold-out school matinees. A steadily growing demand for tickets extends the production to February 24. Does he listen to feedback from audience members, reviewers, critics, and bloggers? Woolfe prefaced his answer by saying he was always the kid in school who never liked to do the assignment the way the teacher asked. For example, if he wrote an essay, he would try to do something slightly different than the assignment. He spent a lot of time on it and did more work. Why did he do this? He thought the assignment may have been stupid or lacking any reason why it had to be done. So, when the graded assignment was returned, Eric was always that kid who was a tad annoyed when the teachers said he didn’t follow the conventions for the work. Eric reads the reviews. He listens to honest feedback. If every feedback or review is five stars, no one will pay much attention to what is said in the article. Woolfe remembers every bad review as opposed to the good ones, but the thing to answer regarding feedback, whether it be from audience members, reviewers, critics, or bloggers: “We are entering a world where people expect to be able to get entertainment that appeals to their specific tailored individual tastes...Theatre has to reflect this. Over the years at Eldritch, we are building our little niche market and our growing fanbase of weird nerds who don’t go to all theatre but like the horror stuff of comic books, Dungeons and Dragons, sci-fi movies and strange things with puppets and Tarot cards…This is our audience base. Everybody is welcome here at Eldritch Theatre, but it is a specific tent.” What’s next for Eric once ‘Macbeth: A Tale Told by An Idiot’ concludes its run? A series of play readings of some older plays from early on in Eldritch’s existence is happening through February and March. The season's final show is ‘The House at Poe Corner,’ from April 11-21, 2024, written by Woolfe and Michael O’Brien. To learn more about Eldritch Theatre, visit eldritchtheatre.ca. You can also find the company on Facebook. Tickets for ‘Macbeth: A Tale Told by An Idiot’: https://www.ticketscene.ca/events/45534/ Previous Next

Back Jessica B. Hill Theatre Conversation in a Covid World Ann Baggley Joe Szekeres I’ve seen some of the extraordinary work from The Stratford Festival in which Jessica performed: Mother’s Daughter, All My Sons and one of my favourites: ‘The Crucible’ Jessica is an actor and writer. She holds a BA from McGill University in English Theatre Studies and is a graduate of Stratford Festival’s Birmingham Conservatory for Classical Theatre. She has been a member of the Stratford Festival for the last five seasons. Performing lead roles in The Comedy of Errors, Brontë: The World Without and Mother’s Daughter, and appearing in The Crucible, Paradise Lost, The Changeling, All My Sons, and Bunny. When Covid closed the theatres last March, she was entering her sixth season with the Festival and preparing to play Lady Anne in Richard III and Helena in All’s Well That Ends Well. Film and TV credits include The Boys, What We Do In The Shadows, Slaxx, On the Basis of Sex, and Hero: The Life and Times of Ulric Cross. She’s a recipient of the Mary Savidge Award that recognizes an actress who has shown outstanding dedication to her craft. Fluently bilingual, she works both in English and French in theatre, voice, film, and television. Her first play, The Dark Lady, is currently being co-developed with Shakespeare in the Ruins and The Stratford Festival, with support from the Manitoba Association of Playwrights and Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan. It imagines a modern take on Emilia Bassano, the woman who allegedly inspired Shakespeare’s Dark Lady sonnets. The idea began as an intertextual poetry reading put on as part of the outdoor Here for Now Theatre Festival in Stratford, last summer. We conducted our conversation through Zoom. Thank you once again, Jessica, for the opportunity to hear and to listen to your voice about these important issues. In a couple of months, we will be coming up on one year where the doors of live theatre have been shuttered. How have you been faring during this time? Your immediate family? (a frustrated sigh first from her)…Let’s go with okay. I think we’ve been very, very lucky. My immediate family and I are healthy. We’re taking every precaution we can navigating through this. Of course, we get cabin fever, we get bored and sometimes depressed and frustrated but we’re getting better at dealing with it and helping each other deal with it. Sometimes it’s as easy as, “Oh, let’s go for a walk”, and other times it takes a bit more time. It comes in waves; I think everyone is starting to feel that. It’s not always easy to stay focused or motivated but I feel very, very lucky that I have my family nearby here in Montreal. The curfew is still in place here. We’ve don’t have any real reason to leave the house after 8 pm here in Montreal so that hasn’t really affected us, but it’s more the idea of the curfew which is sometimes hard. How have you been spending your time since the theatre industry has been locked up tight as a drum? Oh, boy, okay. I guess I should start from the top. Well, the first few months of spring were terrible. We had been going full speed ahead in rehearsals at Stratford and suddenly it honestly felt like slamming into a brick wall. It was shock. It took a while to overcome and to get my bearings back. What really saved me creatively was suddenly having to write a play on a tight deadline. The Here for Now Festival is based in Stratford. They reached out to me in June, I think, and asked if I had something I was working on they’d like to present for the small outdoor crowd in July. They were banking on the fact we could still gather outside, and I had nothing, but I said, Yes, anyway. Whether it was Insanity, depression or yearning, and I spent a month pouring myself into an idea I guess I always been thinking about but never crystallized into a proper idea, but now I had the time to delve into the script. It was a really interesting time because the Here for Now Festival in Stratford was probably one of the first outdoor performances coming out of lockdown, and everyone was still feeling quite tentative. We got to perform the script four times to this amazing and generous crowd of people, just the sweetest audience, so so generous. I think that was the spark I needed to keep the fire burning for me. It reminded me of how important and special it was to gather, that magic of sharing an experience with an audience. I thought, “Well, just because I can’t perform doesn’t mean I can’t work.” This idea of writing and generating the work allowed me to work on my craft in an exciting new way and to develop as an artist even if I can’t perform. Just because there is no performance doesn’t mean there is no theatre. The late Hal Prince described the theatre as an escape for him. Would you say that Covid has been an escape for you or would you describe this near year long absence from the theatre as something else? I wouldn’t call it an escape. A break from performance, but theatre, storytelling and ideas are everywhere all the time. I use the word ‘reflection’ or in French we use the word ‘ressourcement’, the idea of returning back to sources of inspiration. Covid has given us a lot of time to reflect, to take stock, and to contemplate and replenish our creativity as much as we can. We never wish for this much time between gigs as we always have this frenetic pace in going from one job to the next. So, it’s un-stabilizing to have this much time and uncertainty. Since we’ve been given this time, I can’t help but want to use it as best I can. I’ve interviewed a few artists several months ago who said that the theatre industry will probably be shut down and not go full head on until at least 2022. There may be pockets of outdoor theatre where safety protocols are in place. What are your comments about this? Do you think you and your colleagues/fellow artists will not return until 2022? I can’t make that call as I have no idea. I’d love for this to be wrong and to be pleasantly surprised. If Covid has taught us anything, there’s nothing set in stone, right? I think it’ll be bumpy and lopsided as we return. We’re not all in the same boat, but we’re in the same storm. Because of the fluctuating protocols and case numbers and vaccine roll outs now, some theatres might re-open before others. There’ll probably be a game of stop and start as well, so I don’t think we can see it as a linear path just yet. I had a discussion recently with an Equity actor who said that yes theatre should not only entertain but, more importantly, it should transform both the actor and the audience. How has Covid transformed you in your understanding of the theatre and where it is headed in a post Covid world? Transformed is the word, but it’s a metamorphosis. It’s a feeling of the experience itself before it becomes wisdom (if that makes any sense), knowing something is important while it’s happening but not quite sure what part of the story you should be holding onto. I feel like I’m a completely different person from whom I was last March, and I’m sure I’m not the only one who says that. The most important coming out of this, for me, is a sense of responsibility. I’ve been thinking a lot about the stories we tell in the theatre and how we choose to tell them. What is that responsibility that comes next? We’ve been given this time to re-imagine what theatre is and can be. It’s going to be transcendent. The late Zoe Caldwell spoke about how actors should feel danger in the work. It’s a solid and swell thing to have if the actor/artist and the audience both feel it. Would you agree with Ms. Caldwell? Have you ever felt danger during this time of Covid and do you believe it will somehow influence your work when you return to the theatre? Well, the danger should be in the work, and not in the reality. For the work to be dangerous, we have to feel trust, security and safety in the rehearsal space. No good theatre will come out of actors fearing for their lives or for their loved ones. This also ties into how do we come back with precautions on how to return as safely as we can. It’s going to take time probably to feel safe again. I think the fear, the grief, the isolation, the frustration, that sense of danger you’re talking about, can’t help but make its way into an artist’s work, the ethos, I’m not sure how yet as we’re still in the thick of it, but I’ll have to see where and how it comes. The optimist in me wants to think that all that danger we’re living through will help create the most extraordinary and electric and profoundly intimate art. After months and months of isolation, watching people connect on stage will be healing and exhilarating. The late scenic designer Ming Cho Lee spoke about great art opening doors and making us feel more sensitive. Has this time of Covid made you sensitive to our world and has it made some impact on your life in such a way that you will bring this back with you to the theatre? I had trouble with this question….Hmmmmm….. There’s an openness that I felt; this willingness to just let the feelings do their thing – to be vulnerable, authentic, ugly, brutally honest. And it’s a realization, upon a realization, upon a realization that you can only really live in the present moment. I keep thinking of Rilke’s poem: “Let everything happen/Beauty and terror/Just keep going/No feeling is final.” It’s all material; it’s all raw - the stuff of what you can build out of (if that makes sense). It’s all raw material that you can source from later on. I’m already a sensitive person to begin with. I’m a hugger and I don’t just hug out of formality. I need to feel a connection to the other person. I need to feel that fleeting moment of a shared presence like, ‘Yah, that’s here.” Hugs might be gone for awhile. We’re going to have to open ourselves for a new definition of theatre when we get back because it’s going to take time. Outdoor theatre is where it starts. Again, the late Hal Prince spoke of the fact that theatre should trigger curiosity in the actor/artist and the audience. Has Covid sparked any curiosity in you during this time? Has this time away from the theatre sparked further curiosity for you when you return to this art form? Oh, hugely so because I’ve always wanted to write and I’ve never given myself the time to do so. The fall and winter has been developing my curiosity in my playwright’s voice. I’m developing a whole other side and artistic practice. It’s all curiosity. It is what has been keeping me going and getting curious about connection between different art forms, about different sources of inspiration and letting ideas bounce off each other. Things that don’t necessarily connect are now interconnecting in ways I hadn’t thought possible which surprise me and excite me. There’s so much baggage from Covid. It’s isolated us as a community, everything from meeting each other to practicing what we love. There’s so much time right now to get curious about things and that’s the silver lining to this whole thing of Covid. When things get going again, I still want to hold onto that feeling of openness in being curious about other things. I’m back into drawing and sketching. Follow Jessica on Instagram: @jessicabhill AND Twitter: @bhilljessica Follow Jessica on her website: www.jessicabhill.com . Previous Next

Back A visit to Henry Purcell's 'Dido and Aeneas' and now I'm hooked Thank you to Toronto's Opera Atelier for the invitation Bruce Zinger Joe Szekeres After seeing Henry Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’ staged by Toronto’s Opera Atelier on October 23, I’m keen to learn more about this gorgeous art form. And while Founding Co-Artistic Directors Marshall Pynkoski and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg continue to reach out to new audiences to come to the Opera, I feel strongly convinced the two will succeed in their goal. They have a new audience member in me. I was always hesitant about attending Opera as I didn’t think I would understand what was occurring. With Opera Atelier’s forward thinking, I’m not anymore. What a terrific introduction to Baroque opera for those like myself who want to learn more. So many decisions made with this performance were the right ones. For example, I attended the pre-show introduction which helped to clarify and contextualize what I was about to see. I’m still looking at the beautiful programme each audience member receives as so much useful information was found there that sharpened further what I had learned in the pre-show introduction. Before the performance began, Pynkoski welcomed the audience with tremendous class. Just judging from the exuberant tone of his voice, he was elated to be back in the theatre and extremely appreciative we were in attendance today. Pynkoski then focused his attention on those in the audience who are considered ‘first timers’ to Baroque opera or who might have a basic understanding. He assured us that Purcell’s ‘Dido and Aeneas’ was the correct opera to attend if one wants to learn more. How correct he was on this account. Dido, Queen of Carthage (Meghan Lindsay) is in distress, but we do not know why. It is her sister, Belinda (Mireille Asselin) who guesses her secret. Dido is in love with Aeneas (Colin Ainsworth), the Trojan Prince who has found refuge at her court following the destruction of Troy. When he appears to press whether the Queen will respond to his love, she declares that fate has forbidden their union but she ultimately succumbs to his charms and his love with the courtiers singing, dancing and celebrating with a hunting party. Meanwhile, the Sorceress (Measha Brueggergosman-Lee) plots the Queen’s downfall and the destruction of Carthage whereby Aeneas will have no choice but to leave and forsake his love, Dido. The witches present conjure a storm to separate the loving couple within the hunting party. Ultimately, Aeneas is convinced that he must leave as the gods have commanded him to do so. Dido is outraged and sends him away despite Aeneas’s offer to remain. Once alone, Dido is overwhelmed and takes her life. Aeneas will soon fulfill his destiny and become the founder of Rome – the new Troy. Yes, tragedy ensues within the opera. But with this production, there was so much to see, hear, listen to, absorb, and admire. Pynkoski’s direction remained firmly solid throughout the one-hour performance. He establishes dramatic focus where necessary to tell the story clearly. Kimberly Purtell’s stunning lighting design magically encapsulates this tragic love story. Gerard Gauci’s exquisitely gorgeous set designs are extraordinary to behold as was the wardrobe work of Michael Legouffe, Michael Gianfrancesco and Carrie Cooley Barbour. Jeannette Lajeunesse-Zingg’s graceful, spirited and lithesome choreography transported me to another world. Christopher Bagan was the Assistant Conductor at the matinee performance I attended. Oh, the sensationally stunning vocal work from the artists. Colin Ainsworth was a dashingly debonair Aeneas. Meghan Lindsay’s tragic Dido passionately resonated from the Elgin stage right to my very being. Mireille Asselin’s trustworthy Belinda becomes that hopeful safe space of hope for Dido even though the tragedy is inevitable. Measha Brueggergosman-Lee’s Sorceress was marvelous. She owned that stage. She moved with such flurry and purpose that I had to put my pen down from making notes and just admire a veritable vocal artist who just enjoys sharing her talent with all of us. I look forward to attending Handel’s ‘The Resurrection’ in April 6, 8 and 9, 2023. To learn more about Opera Atelier, visit www.operaatelier.com . Previous Next