One afternoon in 1998, the awkward 12 year-old that was me trudged home from middle school to discover a gift sitting on the table. A children’s librarian had recommended that my mother give my sister and I a copy of a brand new novel that she had read and loved. Although I had never heard […]
It is the story of the daughter of a deposed king with an eye on the throne and a determination to return to glory. A blonde-haired outsider from across the sea, managing duplicitous politics, shifting allegiances, and an army of soldiers to defend and maintain her claim to power against warring factions with claims of […]
Read All Our SummerWorks Reviews HERE Icône Pop (A) The scene for Icône Pop is set as the audience walks into the blackbox theatre at The Theatre Centre with singer Mykalle Bielinski crooning in the most beautiful ghostly way, and with dancer Mélanie Demers silhouetted in the doors of the studio thrown open onto Queen West, […]
Read All Our SummerWorks Reviews HERE The Only Good Indian (B+) It’s difficult to grade this solo show from Pandemic Theatre because half its runtime is just a “long table” discussion that will surely be completely different every day (the one I attended was heady and somewhat confrontational though smartly moderated by Donna-Michelle St. Bernard) […]
Read All Our SummerWorks Reviews HERE Explosions for the 21st Century (A-) My favourite SummerWorks show this year, Christopher Ross-Ewart’s philosophical and practical lecture on sound design is both an inventive theatrical presentation and a simply fascinating subject engagingly explained. With direction and dramaturgy by expert storyteller Graham Isador, Explosions for the 21st Century is […]
Read All Our SummerWorks Reviews HERE Pearle Harbour’s Chautaqua (A+) [Ed. Note: A+ is the highest grade we give but, just for the record, MM’s official submission was “A+++++++”] This is everything I want to see, want to hear, want to be. Pearle Harbour’s stage presence is strong enough to cause you to fall in love, […]
Read All Our SummerWorks Reviews HERE Erased: Billy and Bayard (A) Created and performed by the Queer Songbook Orchestra, featuring Andrew Broderick and Stephen Jackman-Torkoff, the show weaves together the narrative threads of two 20th century musicians. Billy Strayhorn and Bayard Rustin were both black and queer and who contributed significantly to the Civil Rights […]
Read All Our SummerWorks Reviews HERE August, Augusta (A) Created, choreographed, and directed by Jocelyn Mah, and winner of The Winchester Prize, this piece depicts two musicians and a trio of female dancers. The first dancer comes out dressed as a man, dancing not unlike how I recall male characters dancing in old Warner Brothers […]