Lynn

Live, on the stage of the Princess of Wales Theatre until August 29, 2021.

A socially distanced sound (and light) installation.

Based on the novel by José Saramago

Adapted by Simon Stephens

Directed by Walter Meierjohann

Sound designers, Ben and Max Ringham

Designed by Lizzie Clachan

Lighting designed by Jessica Hung Han Yun

With the voice of Juliet Stevenson

And Angus Wright.

Thrilling. Thrilling. Ditto.

The Story. In an unnamed city, citizens suddenly find themselves blind. They don’t ‘see’ black. They see ‘blinding’ white.’ There is no cause. No reason. It’s just sudden. A person is driving his car and suddenly loses his sight right there in the car. An eye doctor checks the eyes of patients who manage to come and see him and he can find nothing wrong. And while he is doing research at home on possible causes, he too goes blind. The only one who can see is his wife.

The government rounds up the people for their ‘safety’ and takes them to what the wife realizes is an abandoned mental institution. An announcement on a public address system notes seven important points, including that food will be dropped off three times a day; they will receive medical supplies etc. The wife realizes that they are not being protected, they are really prisoners. How they cope, deal with the danger of it all and come through it is the harrowing tale of surviving a plague. Sound familiar?

The Production. This is billed as “A socially distanced sound installation.” I have added the words, “and light” because the light and lack thereof are also crucial to submerging the audience in the world of the play. Writer Simon Stephens has condensed José Saramago’s book but has not diminished it in any way. The language and story are vivid and mesmerizing.

We sit in a large room with rows of distanced seats configured for one and two (bravo to Lizzie Clachan for the interesting design). Each seat has a pair of disinfected ear phones. To ensure that we put them on properly a voice (Angus Wright?) first says, “Left ear,” and we hear it in the left ear of the headphones,  then “Right ear” and the same with the right ear of the headphones.  A formation of long tube light bulbs looks like they crisscross overhead (Jessica Hung Han Yun deserves kudos for the lighting). Over the course of the narration/story the lights will change colour, lower and will go off throwing the room in pitch darkness.  All four walls of the space are black except for one wall which has the following printed in white paint: “If you can see, look. If you can look, observe.” It’s a wonderful metaphor for this show and life.

The lines are spoken by Juliet Stevenson, the celebrated British actress who plays the narrator, the Doctor’s wife and others over the course of the 75-minute show. The voice is measured, controlled and beautifully paced. The sound of that celebrated voice is remarkable. The inflection and diction are tempered, quiet and compelling as we listen through our ear phones.

And then something astonishing happens. The sound design of Ben and Max Ringham unsettles us, disorients us even though we know where we are. Somehow Juliet Stevenson, as the Doctor’s wife, is in the room with us, very close to our left ear, whispering as if to her Doctor husband of what she is perceiving is happening. So close is that sound in our ear we don’t move for fear of twitching and perhaps hitting her face or nose. Sometimes her voice is in front very close and I move my feet and backpack so as not to trip her (as apparently, she did the same thing—without the backpack—when she saw an early performance at the Donmar Warehouse where the show was first done last year).  At other times the sound is behind the ear no matter if one turns one’s head a bit, the sound is always a bit behind the ear. At times she runs across the room and we hear her footsteps moving around us and off.

Director Walter Meierjohann and his wonderful sound designers are so meticulous in their detail it leaves one breathless. In one scene Stevenson plays the Doctor doing an eye examination on a person afflicted with this sudden blindness. We get the sense the doctor is so close we can hear his shallow breathing very close to the patient. I’ve heard that careful breathing from my own eye doctor. We don’t hear that breathing at any other time, except for the breathlessness when the Doctor’s wife is anxious and winded from running. That attention to detail is exquisite.

When the group of people are herded into the abandoned mental institution there is an announcement from an authoritative voice (Angus Wright) from a public address system that is deliberately muddy. We know it’s important by the commanding tone, we get a hint of what he is saying but we can’t make out clearly what it is. What better way to confound, confuse and agitate the people being held captive than to broadcast an announcement they can’t hear properly. Brilliant.

There are moments in this production that are exquisite and moving. At one point the Doctor’s wife makes a discovery when looking for food for the people she is protecting. The sound of Stevenson’s voice conveys such bliss it’s intoxicating. At another point the lights slowly go up in the room and I see where I really am and find the moment so emotional I wept hard and quietly behind my mask.     

Comment. Every precaution is taken for the audience’s safety and health. There is social distancing when we enter the theatre lobby. We stand on a circle on the floor that notes our exact seat location in the theatre. Each circle is ‘distanced’ from its neighbour. We are taken individually into the space where the seats are grouped in singles and doubles facing each other rather being side by side. It’s joyful to see colleagues and familiar theater goers after not seeing anyone at a theatre for 16 months. I note that Irene Sankoff and David Hein (who wrote Come From Away) are there and are seated across from me. “Why aren’t you at home, writing?” I ask (a private joke. We both laugh).   

Blindness is thrilling, not just because we so missed the experience of live theatre for 16 months. Blindness is thrilling because it is the culmination of gifted theatre makers meticulously creating an experience that puts the audience in the centre of the story and that world through words, light and sound. It’s simply thrilling. I can’t think of a better experience to bring us back to the theater and its incredible possibilities for story-telling, engagement and community.  

The Donmar Warehouse production.

Plays until August 29, 2021.

Running Time: 75 minutes, no intermission.

www.mirvish.com

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Live, in person, outdoors in High Park, Toronto, Ont.

Book by Steven Gallagher

Music and lyrics by Anton Lipovetsky

Director/dramaturg, Ann Hodges

Musical director and orchestrator, Wayne Gwillim

Set by Brandon Kleiman

Costumes by Alex Amini

Lighting by Logan Raju Cracknell

Sound by Kaitlyn MacKinnon

Cast: Brandon Antonio

Michael de Rose

Chilina Kennedy

Rami Khan

Germaine Konji

Yemie Sonuga

Jonathan Winsby

Synthia Yusuf

The Band: Wayne Gwillim, piano, conductor

Steven John Dale, guitar.

Note: Because Blackout is a work in progress and a ‘preview production’ still in development, for a complete production in the future, this won’t be a ‘formal’ review, but a ‘comment.’

Mitchell Marcus, the always exuberant, newly minted CEO of the Musical Stage Company, welcomed the audience back to live theatre. He got a loud round of applause. He also gave one of the most thoughtful, moving ‘Land Acknowledgements’ I’ve heard in a long time. He acknowledged “the uncovering of our history of damage” and talked about the land and the stewards of it. But that message of “history of damage” was sobering.

Steven Gallagher (bookwriter) and Anton Lipovetsky (composer & lyricist) who created Blackout write: “Blackout is a musical about the connections people made one hot August night in 2003. When the lights went out, something miraculous happened. Everyone felt a little braver. It was a night to take a chance, have a drink with your neighbour, and share stories with strangers. We came out of the blackout a little changed, a little more connected.

As we emerge from another crisis, this one lasting a lot longer than twenty-four hours, we are all looking to make those connections again. To be in the same space with one another, to laugh with loved ones, to hold each other close. The resilience of the people of Toronto is inspiring and as we celebrate moving forward, we can’t imagine a better place to start reconnecting than High Park under the stars on a warm summer night.”

Ahmen.

Blackout has been workshopped and developed over the years. I would think more work will happen so there are some questions I had while watching and listening.

This version of Blackout focuses on four couples over three specifically named sections. Gemini is about Eddie (Synthia Yusuf) and Leighton (Chilina Kennedy) who are two estranged sisters. Pandora is about Pandora (Yemie Sonuga) and her husband Manny (Jonathan Winsby) and Sarah (Germaine Konji) and a new acquaintance Flynn (Rami Khan) as they have an impromptu party in Pandora and Manny’s backyard. Cygnus is about Lenin (Michael de Rose) who meets Zachary (Brandon Antonio) in the park by accident.

Each segment happens at different times in the blackout. Gemini takes place in Eddie’s apartment during the daytime. The blackout is in effect but it has not dampened any activity. Eddie is a confident woman. Her sister Leighton is a bit flighty. She is into Chakras, crystals and astrology. They have been estranged since their mother’s funeral some time before. Leighton drops by since she was on the subway and so close to her sister’s apartment.

I wanted to know why Leighton decided to visit. What prompted it? Each sister has issues with the other but also a history of getting along at one time. Perhaps the prickliness can be more fleshed out.  

Pandora takes place at 2 am in the backyard of Pandora and Manny’s house. Pandora met Sarah in the convenience store and just invited her home for a drink. Flynn is Pandora and Manny’s tenant who lives in the basement. Manny was hoping for a quiet evening with Pandora. They have an important appointment the next day. Pandora wants to avoid it all and have fun with people.

Again, the story between Pandora and Manny should be fleshed out and expanded. The lives of the other two guests are also ripe for development. Moving piece to be sure.

Cygnus takes place at 5 am in a park. Cygnus refers to the star in the sky. Lenin has talked to Cygnus for solace in his lonely life and needs assurance now. Lenin meets Zachary, an attractive man who has just come from a wedding, his own. Talk about rife with possibility. This segment seems almost complete in itself, but it certainly can be expanded. What kind of life-work-existence has Lenin lived? What kind of a tease is Zachary? Has he had an epiphany in the park?

 The music and lyrics by Anton Lipovetsky are clever, upbeat and touching. They beautifully move the story and flesh out the characters. We get the sense of each personality in the smart lyrics. Steve Gallagher’s book is also moving. The stories reference the blackout but as a background. The issues already existed but the blackout gave them a reason to be revealed.

Ann Hodges’ direction is clear, spare and uses the space very well. The band supports the singers and doesn’t overpower them. It was lovely being in the amphitheater at High Park seeing a play.

I look forward to the next iteration of Blackout.

ps. also, when leaving the park a fence along some of the way had lights to illuminate our path, and tied to each small section of the fence was an orange ribbon signifying the discovery of the remains of the Indigenous children who were buried on the grounds of residential schools. Sobering reminder.

Produced by the Musical Stage Company

Runs until August 15, 2021.

Running time: 100 minutes, no intermission.

www.musicalstagecompany.com

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Live and in person outdoors in Sunnidale Park, Barrie, Ontario. Aug. 3-8, 2021.

www.tift.ca

Written and dramaturged by Daniele Bartolini and Anahita Dehbonehie

Co-created and co-written by Franco Berti, Vik Hovanisian and Dilay Taskaya Irkdas

Directed by Daniele Bartolini and Danya Buonastella

Performed by Dilay Taskaya Irkdas

Vik Hovanisian

Sara Papini

Warning:. This production takes place in a park and partially on trails in the bordering woods. The audience moves from various places in the park to hear different stories and often the ground is uneven or hilly. If you have ambulatory difficulties, I would not recommend seeing this show.

I & I is part of The Bees in the Bush Festival which according to the festival information: “…brings an eclectic collection of theatrical events to various outdoor locations across Barrie, Ontario and the surrounding areas for a summer of memorable experiences….The confrontation of the self of the immigrant before and after leaving their motherland I & I is a poetic, documentary style collection of migration stories, memory treasures and rituals from different cultures where you are invited to get close and personal with a world of newcomers.   Created by Italian born Daniele Bartolini, Italian-Canadian Danya Buonastella and Iranian born Anahita Dehbonehie with a group of newcomer artists, I &I provides an opportunity of encounter for citizens of different cultural backgrounds, shining light on the life experience of newcomers to Canada.”

Our small group gathers at the meeting point in Sunnidale Park. We are asked to read a speech from The Seagull by Anton Chekhov, in which Nina talks about being an actress (and not a seagull) and what that means. It was lovely to see that speech again. We were then lead across the grass and into the bordering woods. We are met by Dilay Taskaya Irkdas. She is an actress who trained and worked in Turkey and at one point even played Nina in The Seagull. She recites the speech we read earlier, this time she speaks it in Turkish. Dilay leads us up and down a few trails looking for a particular spot. Then she says she is lost. (My heart sinks because I envision going up and down the trails in search of something). Just as quickly she leads us to a spot that is quite rugged and beautiful. This is what she was looking for. (Then why the coy bit about being lost? It serves no purpose. That reference of being lost should be cut.) Dilay talks about emigrating to Canada but not the reason why she left Turkey, and the difficulty of learning English. She is buoyant and resilient. She leads us to another spot where we sit and wait for Vik Hovanisian.

Music plays from a nearby bush and Vik Hovanisian appears in the foliage wearing a long, flowing black dress and does an interpretive dance. It’s quite impressive and graceful. She tells us quietly about her background, the meaning of her name and that she has lived in various European cities. She is a French and Canadian multidisciplinarian artist who works in several languages—many of which she spoke during her segment. She lead us out of the woods and into the park where we sat in chairs and she sat on the ground and asked us questions to get to know us better. The questions were thoughtful, not intrusive, certainly made us think about things that were important to us, and created a connection to her. Fascinating.

When Vik leaves, Sara Papini appears in the distance in a pristine white long dress coming towards us singing Puccini’s beautiful  “O Mio Babbino, Caro.” She sings while walking away from us and sings another aria before waving good-bye and saying “Ciao.”

As always with a Dopolavoro Teatrale-DLT production, this is fascinating in its execution, content, story and engagement with the audience.  

A Dopolavoro Teatrale – DLT Production

Plays until Aug. 8, 2021.

Running time: 1 hour.

www.tift.ca

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Tuesday, August 3 – 8, 2021 and on…..

At various times, in Barrie, Ont.

WORLD PREMIERES AND BOUNDARY-PUSHING NEW WORKS FEATURED IN NEW IN-PERSON FESTIVAL

Barrie, ON….TIFT Artistic Producer Arkady Spivak announced today the programming of The Bees in the Bush Festival, featuring twelve eclectic in-person productions. Running from August 3 to October 3, 2021, all programming will be performed at outdoor locations – using parks, conservation areas, residential backyards and more, for a reduced in-person audience and with observance of current COVID-19 protocols.   The Bees in the Bush will include several productions reconfigured for an outdoors presentation, as well as boundary-pushing new works and a return of TIFT’s hit musical-in-concert in a new setting. Six world premieres will also be produced, including the musically infused cabaret based on a Greek legend; a documentary-style interactive collection of migration stories, created by DopoLavoro Teatrale (DLT); an experimental performance piece created by Simcoe Contemporary Dancers; an intimate but amplified one-person musical discussion; an immersive installation using augmented reality technology; and an explorative piece about one of history’s most divisive figures.   As previously announced, all programming will be free, and subject to TIFT’s booking policy available at www.tift.ca. Talk Is Free Theatre supporters are offered exclusive booking privileges starting on June 15, 2021. Bookings will be open to the general public starting July 5, 2021.

Further Details of the Bees in the Bush Festival programming

August 3-8, 2021, several engagements between 5 and 7pm   I & I World Premiere   Written and dramaturged by Daniele Bartolini and Anahita Dehbonehie with personal stories of newcomer artists   Directed by Daniele Bartolini and Danya Buonastella   A DopoLavoro Teatrale – DLT production   The confrontation of the self of the immigrant before and after leaving their motherland I & I is a poetic, documentary style collection of migration stories, memory treasures and rituals from different cultures where you are invited to get close and personal with a world of newcomers.   Created by Italian born Daniele Bartolini, Italian-Canadian Danya Buonastella and Iranian born Anahita Dehbonehie with a group of newcomer artists, I &I provides an opportunity of encounter for citizens of different cultural backgrounds, shining light on the life experience of newcomers to Canada.   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 4. Performance duration: Approximately 60 minutes Venue: Sunnidale Park, Barrie   August 5-8, 2021 at 6pm   ALPHONSE   Written by Wajdi Mouawad   Translated by Shelley Tepperman   Directed by Alon Nashman   a Theaturtle production, in partnership with Shakespeare in Action   “A Runaway Theatrical Success” – J. Kelly Nestruck, The Globe & Mail   Alphonse is lost, walking along a country road, weaving an intricate web of stories, while everyone is searching for him: parents, friends, teachers, the police. What they find is the thing we often give up in order to grow up.   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 20 Performance duration: 70 minutes Venue: A private residence at 801 Big Bay Point Road, Barrie, outdoors YOU FANCY YOURSELF Maja Ardal returns this summer with You Fancy Yourself, the prequel to last season’s sold-out production of Cure for Everything.   You Fancy Yourself is the story of young Elsa and her attempt to fit into a tough world after immigrating to a new country. Touring for the last 10 years across Canada and through England, the production is acclaimed for portraying the world of childhood with humour and tenderness, in a way that people of all ages can relate to.   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 20 Performance Duration: 60 minutes Venue: The backyard of a private residence, located at 23 Theresa Street, Barrie.     August 16-29, 2021 at 6pm   STUPIDHEAD!   Written and performed by Katherine Cullen & Britta Johnson   Directed by Aaron Willis   An Outside the March Production    “…riotously funny, musically charming, and emotionally resonant… a perfect blend of humour, heart, and soul.” – Kingston Theatre Reviews   A dyslexic backyard musical about not being alone.   This is a show about learning that no matter who you are, you’re not alone. After successful runs at Theatre Passe Muraille in 2017 and Kingston’s Kick & Push Festival in 2019, Talk is Free and Outside the March are teaming up with Cullen, Johnson, director Aaron Willis and designer Anahita Dehbonehie to reimagine that message for our collective isolated purgatory.   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 16 Performance Duration: 90 minutes Venue: The backyard of a private residence, located at 1076 Winnifred Court, Innisfil     Aug 19-22, 2021 at 4pm   INTO THE WOODS in Concert   Book by James Lapine   Music and lyrics by Stephen Sondheim   Directed by Michael Torontow   Music direction by Wayne Gwillim   Choreography by Lori Watson   Set design by Joe Pagnan   Costumes by Laura Delchiaro Sound Design by Josh Doerksen   Featuring Noah Beemer, Aidan deSalaiz, Griffin Hewitt, Richard Lam, Jamie McRoberts and others   “…the star for me is Director Michael Torontow. What he created was a clear reading of the musical that was inventive in its presentation, creative, illuminating and accomplished in realizing Sondheim’s difficult piece.” – Lynn Slotkin, The Slotkin Letter   Nestled whimsically within one of Barrie’s beautiful forest parks, TIFT’s hit production of Into the Woods returns by popular demand in a new outdoor setting for a unique and magical experience.   Enjoy the masterful songs of Stephen Sondheim and become immersed in the fantastical world of these beloved Brothers Grimm characters as they search for their ‘happily ever after’.   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 50 Performance duration: 2.5 hours, including one intermission. Venue: Springwater Provincial Park     August 25-28, 2021 at 6pm   CYCLOPS: A SATYR PLAY World Premiere   Written, directed, and performed by Griffin Hewitt   Original text by Euripides   Original music by Juliette Jones   Assistant direction and dramaturgy by Giovanni Spina   What happens when we allow a debaucherous and morally indifferent goat-man to take hold of one of our oldest stories of good and evil?   Cyclops: A Satyr Play takes Euripides’s only surviving Satyr comedy, and using music, dance, games, good wine, good food, and everything else you need for a good time, engages the audience in a journey to find what makes us truly free.   This production is also part of the Eternal Ego Festival   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 16 Performance Duration: Approximately 60 minutes Venue: The backyard of a private residence, located at 16 Lougheed Road, Barrie       September 8-11, 2021 at 6pm   I SEE THE CRIMSON WAVE   Written and directed by, and starring Roy Lewis   Creative Adviser Marti Maraden   “Roy Lewis instills so much joy in the telling, makes the words sound delicious and makes us fall in love with the beguiling Nat Love.” – Lynn Slotkin, The Slotkin Letter   Poet, actor, storyteller, Roy Lewis takes us on a cattle drive with legendary African American cowboy and raconteur Nat Love. Join Roy as we explore together this forgotten history of the late 19th century, from the end of American Civil War, the freeing the African Slaves, the expansion of the Railroad and the killing of the buffalo. This is an impressionistic vision in prose song and poetry. I See The Crimson Wave is a vivid reimagining of the old west which comes to life in the captivating persona of Roy Lewis.   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 14 Performance Duration: 55 minutes Venue: The backyard of a private residence, located at 59 Shanty Bay Road, Barrie     September 10-12 and 26 2021, various times   IN THE TIME BEFORE THE IMMEDIATE PRESENT AND THE TIME TO IMMEDIATELY FOLLOW V2 World Premiere   Process Facilitator Sarah Lochhead   Performers/Collaborators Jaqui Brown, Casey-lee Cooper, and Eligh Zimmerman of Simcoe Contemporary Dancers   Creative Technologist Max Lupo   Music/Sound The Base – Rich Aucoin, Remixed sound samples of The Base – Rich Aucoin Source files courtesy of Aucoin   A Simcoe Contemporary Dancers production   What happens when our live experience of performing and witnessing are mediated by technology while simultaneously dependent on our presence in the shared physical space? You are invited to be part of a performance experiment. Your presence in the space determines the sequence of events. A solo performer responds in real time to the sound cues activated by your location as read by a 360 radar. The dancer’s movements are in turn interpreted by a device that will activate a signal inviting you to find a new spot in the space — creating the next sequence of events.   Maximum audience capacity per performance: 6 Performance Duration: 25 minutes Venue: MacLaren Arts Centre Courtyard, located at 37 Mulcaster St, Barrie.     September 15-18, 2021 at 9pm   MAHAGONNY-SONGSPIEL   Written by Kurt Weill and Bertolt Brecht   Libretti by Bertolt Brecht   Musical Composition by Kurt Weill   Directed by Richard Ouzounian   Based on Mahagonny Songs, a series of five poems written by Brecht, Mahagonny-Songspiel is a small-scale scenic cantata, created by two of the 20th century’s most accomplished and versatile creative minds. This ground-breaking collection of songs set in motion the long running relationship between Weill and Brecht whose collaborations would take Germany and the world by storm.    Maximum audience capacity per performance: 25 Performance Duration: 30 minutes Venue: The amphitheatre behind the Southshore Community Centre, located at 205 Lakeshore Dr, Barrie

Thursday, Aug. 5, 2021 6 pm and 8 pm

BLINDNESS

At the Princess of Wales Theatre, live, indoors, in Toronto.

Based on the novel by José Saramago.

Adapted by Simon Stephens

Directed by Walter Maierjohanne.

With the voice of Juliet Stevenson.

A city is crippled by a plague of blindness, except for one woman. A look at human nature, evil, kindness and compassion.

The audience will be safely seated on the stage of the Princess of Wales Theatre. A stunning theatrical event.

Tickets: www.mivish.com

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On-line through Theatre Orangeville, until Aug. 17.

Written by John Spurway

Directed by David Nairn

Set designed by Beckie Morris

Lighting designed by Dan Palmieri

Costume Co-ordinator, Lisa Lahue

Videographer, Sara May

Cast: Dave Rosser

Stephen Sparks

Jeffrey Wetsch

Eddie Mann is not having a good day. He’s a financial advisor, a job he hates, who has just lost his only client. He thinks back to when he was happy as a high school teacher, a job he loved for 31 years until he was forced to retire. He’s fed up with feeling bad. So he goes to the outside ledge of the sixth floor of the St. Vincent’s Hospital, preparing to jump and end it all.

But then a man casually appears from inside the building, looking out to Eddie on the ledge and says, “Hello there.” This startles Eddie, but thankfully not enough for him to lose his balance, fall and end the play even before it began. The man is perceptive. He says to Eddie: “You look jumpy. You seem on edge.” I’m smiling at the puniness of the situation (those are the only two jokes of John Spurway’s wonderfully funny, thoughtful play that I will reveal). The man’s name is “Angel” and is a nickname. We might groan here thinking this is obvious as to who Angel is,  but try not to because that too is a trick. Angel says his name is ‘ironic.’ Angel is more and less than he seems. But his heart is in the right place.

Truths are told on the ledge. Secrets shared. Hope reappears.

John Spurway has written a sweet, funny play about life and finding the joy of it when you think you’ve lost it. It’s about friendship and how we influence people for good when we least expect it.

David Nairn has directed a neat, efficient production, with a cast that culls every laugh effortlessly. Beckie Morris’ set is ‘up in the blue sky with white clouds’ as a backdrop. Eddie Mann (Dave Rosser) is on the ledge and behind him is an open window. He is at the corner of the building. We get the impression Eddie made the decision quickly because he’s still in his business suit and tie, although the tie is a bit loose (Kudos to Lisa Lahue, the costume co-ordinator for such appropriate costumes).

As Eddie, Dave Rosser is ‘on edge’ and a bit anxious. He takes a big breath as if to convince himself to do what he’s planning on doing. But then Angel (Stephen Sparks) appears around the corner and sticks his head out in greeting. He is dressed casually, cap, pants and shirt. As Angel, Stephen Sparks is wonderfully relaxed and appears as if leaning leisurely against a ledge six stories up, talking to an anxious man who wants to jump, is the most normal of things. He does not urge Eddie to reconsider, he merely suggests it. Angel loves to banter and Eddie engages. But Eddie’s sense of Angel’s humour is not that sharp—I guess he’s pre-occupied with wanting to end it all. At times I’m thinking John Spurway’s dialogue seems like an Abbott and Costello routine—I think this a few seconds before Eddie mentions it himself. I love when playwrights make the audience feel as if they are smart and ‘get it.’

The rapport between Dave Rosser and Stephen Sparks is lovely; they listen hard to each other and there is nuance and delicacy. Bravo to David Nairn the director for guiding the subtleties. Jeffrey Wetsch as Earl provides a lovely touch in explaining how good a teacher Eddie was. Wetsch plays him as a happy, considerate, contented man who has found his calling because of a good teacher.

The Third Life of Eddie Mann is a gentle tonic for troubled times and a provides a lovely lift to the spirits.

Produced by Theatre Orangeville.

Plays until August 17, 2021.

Running time, 1 hour, no intermission.

www.theatreorangeville.ca

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Live and in person at the Festival Theatre Canopy, Stratford, Ont.

www.stratfordfestival.ca

From the show’s information:

“A SHAKESPEARE-INSPIRED MIXTAPE

Shakespeare’s influence on Western culture extends even into your favourite pop hits. Whether it be direct lines from his plays appearing in Top 40 lyrics or whole songs inspired by his plots, whether the borrowers be Taylor Swift, Madonna, Elton John, The Beatles, Prince or Radiohead, Shakespeare is still there, lurking in the mainstream, as cool and as relevant as ever. This lively celebration of terrific tunes affords a great opportunity to introduce a younger audience to Shakespeare’s continuing role in popular culture.”

Curated by Robert Markus, Julia Nish-Lapidus and James Wallis

Directed by Julia Nish-Lapidus and James Wallis

Lighting designer, Kaileigh Krysztofiak

Sound design, Peter McBoyle

The Singers: Gabriel Antonacci

Jacob MacInnis

Jennifer Rider-Shaw

Kaitlyn Santa Juana

The Band: Reza Jacobs, Music director, keyboard

Kevin Ramessar, acoustic guitar, electric guitar

Jon Maharaj, acoustic bass, electric bass

Dale-Anne Brendon, Drum kit, orchestra supervisor

The title of this well-curated, thoughtfully referenced concert of course comes from the opening line of Twelfth Night when the Duke says: “If music be the food of love, play on;…” Music and words are at the heart of this concert.

Rather than incorporating songs that are in Shakespeare’s plays, curators, Robert Markus, Julia Nish-Lapidus and James Wallis have culled music and songs from contemporary sources, be they Broadway musicals such as, Kiss Me Kate, West Side Story and The Lion King to the works of singer-songwriters such as Taylor Swift, Joni Mitchell, Madonna, Mark Knopfler, Prince, John Lennon and Paul McCartney among others, who referenced either the words or characters of Shakespeare.  

I can’t think of two people more besotted with and devoted to the words of Shakespeare than Julia Nish-Lapidus and James Wallis. To that end, a few years ago they formed their theatre company Shakespeare BASH’d that performs the Bard in a bar. The productions are raucous clear and always do justice to the play. Robert Markus is immersed in the world of musical theatre. He also sang (beautifully) in the Stratford concert Why We Tell The Story and was the star of the Toronto production of Dear Evan Hansen, among many other shows. Together these three curators have made thoughtful selections of readings from Shakespeare’s plays (Romeo and Juliet, Much Ado About Nothing, Twelfth Night, Richard III etc.) to accompany and illuminate the well-chosen songs.

The cast of four represented a specific ensemble: Gabriel Antonacci (Romeo Ensemble), Jacob MacInnis (Richard Ensemble), Jennifer Rider-Shaw (Beatrice Ensemble) and Kaitlyn Santa Juana (Julia Ensemble) although each singer was not confined to songs dealing with that character. They often supported each other singing chorus etc.

One got the sense of the beauty and blended harmonies of these talented singers by the first stunning notes of “Sigh No More” in which Benedick’s words to Beatrice in Much Ado About Nothing are referenced: “Serve God, love me and mend.”  It was like hearing the perfectly blended voices sighing. That sound was glorious. Jacob MacInnis has a pure, strong voice in his compelling singing of “The King Must Die.” Gabriel Antonacci is full of energy in “Check Yes Juliet” and has is powerful baritone. Jennifer Ryder-Shaw and Kaitlyn Santa Juana have beautiful soprano voices and a nice comedic sense with “Brush Up Your Shakespeare”.  

However…

Time and time again for Play On! the singers are drowned out by the over-amplified band, and I noted “Too Loud!” in my program beside so many songs. This did not happen with the other two concerts in the series: Why We Tell the Story and You Can’t Stop the Beat in which both the band and the singers were beautifully balanced in their amplification, with the band supporting the singers, not competing with them. The band is the same for all the concerts. The musical director/keyboardist is not.

For Play On! the Musical Director/Keyboardist is Reza Jacobs. Mr. Jacobs is a gifted musician, but in this case he has allowed the band to overwhelm the singers. It was obvious the singers were often struggling to be heard over the band. And the result is that one can’t hear the lyrics clearly or at all which is unforgivable in a concert in which the words are the focus.

This has to be addressed. The amplification must be adjusted so that we hear the lyrics and the singers clearly and not be overwhelmed by the noise of the loudness. This isn’t the winging of a cranky critic. I’m also a member of the audience. Remember the audience? We are the reason the talent shows up to perform. A lot of hard-working people toiled to create this show. A lot of the audience worked hard to get there on time or at all. Fix the amplification, please.  

Thank heaven for Spotify and YouTube. One can look up each song and actually hear the lyrics being sung.  

Plays at the Stratford Festival until August 15, 2021.

Running Time: 1 hour 30 minutes, no intermission.

www.stratfordfestival.ca

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Live and in person at the Tom Patterson Theatre Canopy, Stratford Festival, until August 21, 2021        

Written by Tomson Highway

Directed by Jessica Carmichael

Set and Lighting Designer, Sophie Tang

Costumes by Asa Benally

Composer and sound designer, Wayne Kelso

Cast: Brefny Caribou

Lisa Cromarty

Christine Frederick

Nicole Joy-Fraser

Jani Lauzon

Kathleen MacLean

Tracey Nepinak

Zach Running Coyote

NOTE: lskoonigani lsksweewak is Cree for The Rez Sisters.

A beautiful, moving production of Tomson Highway’s classic play about sisterhood, the resilience of women in the face of adversity, dreaming and bingo.

The Story. These ‘sisters’ live to play bingo and dream of winning the jackpot. Marie-Adele Starblanket, Veronique St. Pierre, Annie Cook, Pelajia Patchnose, Emily Dictionary, Philomena Moosetail and Zhaboonigan Peterson, all live on the fictional reserve known as “Wasaychigan” on Manitoulin Island. The winnings from their local bingo games is small potatoes. So far their idea of a big bingo game is in Espanola, about an hour and a half away from Manitoulin Island.

Then they hear about “The Biggest Bingo Game in the World” in Toronto, with the jackpot being $500,000. How can they resist? They ask the Chief for a loan to make the journey and are refused. They work and scrape and find any job to get the money they need for the rental of the van, lodgings and food. And they dream about what they will do with the jackpot when they win, because they are certain they will.

Pelajia Patchnose is perhaps the most commonsensical of the women. She is a no-nonsense contractor who is never without her hammer and project on which to use it. She feels that if they just paved the road they won’t be so cut off. She feels isolated and trapped on the reserve and wants to leave and join her sons and husband who work elsewhere. Her sister Philomena Moosetail is more content but she dreams of going to find the child she gave up for adoption years before when she got pregnant by her married boss. But more than anything Philomena wants to buy a gleaming white porcelain toilet. Marie-Adele Starblanket is married to Eugene, who drinks. She had 14 children with him and now frets about who will take care of them should she die. She has cancer. This bingo trip gives her a chance to hope and not think of dying. Annie Cook dreams of being a singer and the money from Bingo will set her on her way. Emily Dictionary is Annie’s sister, an ex-biker, tough as nails, perhaps stand-offish, yet caring. Veronique St. Pierre hopes to buy a new stove and write a cookbook. She is the adoptive mother of Zhaboonigan Peterson, a young woman who is mentally disabled. She was also brutally raped years before by two white boys. The ‘sisters’ are protective of her.

The resilience of the women to join together and make the trip happen has a certain urgency. It’s clear that Marie-Adele is dying of her cancer so making this trip happen is at the back of everybody’s mind. On the trip they endure bickering, a flat-tire, recriminations, reminiscences, memories, joyful moments, a traumatic event and loving connection.

Bedeviling them is Nanabush, ‘the Trickster’ who appears in various guises to trip them up, confuse them, lead them on and be a ‘spirit-guide-presence’ in their lives. Some see him clearer than others.  

As the play information notes: “Ribald, harrowing and mystical, this seminal work of Indigenous drama celebrates the spirit of resilience and the powerful beauty these women bring to the tough world in which they live.”

The Production.  Good theatre makes you look harder at the details. Director, Jessica Carmichael’s moving, funny production of lskoonigani lsksweewak The Rez Sisters does that resoundingly.  

There is a projection of a large black bird in flight on the wall of the canopy—one form of Nanabush, perhaps? The raised stage under the Tom Patterson Theatre, Canopy is covered in an opaque plastic sheet. There is a raked ‘wedge’ that is on the stage as well that will be used as Pelajia’s roof, a ramp into a hospital and other locations.   That sheet will be flipped, pulled back and used as if it’s symbolically referencing something in Indigenous life and lore during the production. Kudos to Sophie Tang for the set design and lighting (I must confess that ramp gave me pause. Actors have to negotiate that angle. One does hope it’s not onerous).

Marie-Adele Starblanket (Lisa Cromarty) enters, unsteady on her feet, an IV line in her hand and stands on the playing area. She gets under the opaque plastic sheeting and wraps it around her as if she is enveloped in it as if in a hospital.

Actors leisurely enter and take a seat around the playing space. Jani Lauzon as Pelajia Patchnose saunters on, wearing work overalls, a work shirt and carrying her ever present hammer at the ready. She sits on my side of the stage, downstage, quietly knitting and whatever she is knitting is orange. I slowly suck air and let it out at the sight. Orange is symbolic and references the recently discovered remains of Indigenous children in unmarked graves on the grounds of former residential schools. The knitting is innocuous.  No showy ‘moment’ is made. If you see it and it registers the point is made. Later in the production Pelajia will be on the playing space holding a small skein of orange wool. Again, no ‘moment’ is made, but the impact is profound. History informs this production. Pelajia’s sister Philomena Moosetail (Tracey Nepinak) follows after her—she is in a summery, flowing dress. She sits close to Pelajia. Others follow. I note that Emily Dictionary (Kathleen MacLean) sits away from the others, on a ledge it seems, knees bent, legs spread, one biker-booted-foot flung over the back of a chair and the booted foot is on the seat. She is unsmiling and tough looking.

The play begins on time (hallelujah—I’m noting this trend at the Stratford productions so far). And for this production only, there is no “Land Acknowledgement.” I smile. Well of course there is no land acknowledgement. This cast is Indigenous. They know about that acknowledgement and what the land means. The acknowledgement is not for them. It’s for us the ‘settlers’, the ‘renters’ ‘the others.’

The last character to appear is Nanabush (Zack Running Coyote), the Trickster, who changes appearance from a bird, to a graceful animal, to a spirit. Through the whole production Nanabush is a constant presence, shifting and manipulating time and space and the lives of the sisters. Zack Running Coyote is as slight and willowy as a blade of sweetgrass, as twitchy as a bird observing the world and as graceful and exuberant as a dancer can be. For the most part he is silent and he is mesmerizing.

Director, Jessica Carmichael has captured the camaraderie of the sisters with nuance and subtlety. Her groupings of the characters often suggest ceremonial gatherings. The groupings of the women when they have to bit farewell to Marie-Adele is one such moment. The space is used well as the sisters negotiate the area. The cast is superb.

But there are also many moments when each character reveals a hidden hurt or disappointment. Pelajia stands on her roof, hammer in hand, surveying the area. Jani Lauzon plays Pelajia with a contained frustration. She sees how to fix a problem but is hampered by the opposition from the men not to help out. Pave the road! That falls on deaf ears. She is always on the lookout for projects to occupy her time and keep the boredom at bay.  Annie Cook enters breathlessly from the post office with her latest Patsy Cline album. She is played with exuberance and a quick feistiness by Nicole Joy-Fraser. She never backs down from a challenge and she sings beautifully. As Philomena Moosetail, Tracey Nepinak creates a character who is so different from her irritable sister, Pelajia. Nepinak plays Philomena as calm, contented and happy with her life on the reserve. Her wants are simple—that gleaming, white porcelain toilet would make it perfect. It’s a beautiful revelation to see what is behind the toughness of Emily Dictionary as played by Kathleen MacLean. When she lets down her guard and talks about her dead lover and her past disappointments the reasons for her tough guardedness become clear.

I have a quibble. During the production the audience is invited to look under their seats and find an envelope in which is an origami black bird and instructions on what to do with it after the production. So during the production we are all distracted from looking at the stage by looking for the envelope, seeing what’s inside and reading the instructions. Can that moment please be left to the end of the production when we don’t miss one second of this terrific effort?

Comment. Tomson Highway has written a celebration of women who are quirky, resolute, funny, irreverent, smarmy, loving and true friends when it’s needed. The Rez Sisters is a joyful celebration of sisterhood in all its prickliness. When it was first produced in 1986 it exploded onto the theatre scene in Toronto, proclaiming Tomson Highway as a new, vibrant voice telling stories we needed to hear. He has been contributing his vivid plays and stories to theatre for 35 years. I was so glad to see this play again.

As I was driving away from the theatre, I noticed the sky was packed with flocks of black birds (swallows? Not crows) flying away overhead. A perfect metaphor/symbol for this moving, emotion packed production.

The Stratford Festival.

Plays until August 21, 2021.

Running time: 1 hour, 45 minutes, no intermission.

www.stratfordfestival.ca

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Live and in person under a lovely canopy for Here for Now Theatre, 2021 New Works Festival, Back lawn of the Bruce Hotel, Stratford, Ont.

www.herefornowtheatre.com

Janet and Louise

Written by Deanna Kruger

Directed by Jeannette Lambermont-Morey

Cast: Peggy Coffey

Brigit Wilson

Janet has mysterious ailments. She fainted on the job—she’s a custodian at an elementary school. She broke her arm; gashed her head and seems a bit woozy. Her doctor prescribed art lessons to aid in her healing and try and keep her job, which she loves.

Louise’s art studio is doing badly. There is noisy construction going on outside. Louise is an irritable, prickly soul who has chased any customers away. Janet is her last chance to survive. Both Janet and Louise have issues. They also have a past. They know each other. Louise was Janet’s older sister Rita’s best friend when they were teenagers. Then something happened to Janet and Rita’s parents and Louise was not there to give Rita support. Louise’s marriage also suffered from that lack of support. But something happens during the play that might redeem Louise.

Deanna Kruger has written an intriguing play of two fragile characters trying to hold on to what they can and cope with the obstacles that keep getting in their way. Janet’s mysterious illnesses keep her unsteady. The fainting. She had a mishap with a mudpuddle on her way to Louise’s studio. And she had to endure being berated by Louise for being late for the lesson.

Louise also has her issues. That irritability and prickliness does not endear her to customers or people in general. Her failing business is making her anxious and she is desperate to keep Janet as a pupil. Slowly, they reach out to one another. Slowly information about their past and present is revealed. A twist at the end makes one’s eye pop in surprise and how that is “resolved” is a thing of beauty. Bravo to Deanna Kruger for such an engaging play.

Jeannette Lambermont-Morey has directed this with a sure hand and lots of attention to detail. She has brought out these characters’ frustrations in subtle body language. Peggy Coffey, as Janet is a creation of unsteadiness: on her legs, in her life, with her ailments. She seems fuzzy minded, trying to keep her wits about her. Janet’s first response to difficulty with the art lessons is to quit. Louise can’t let that happen. As Louise, Brigit Wilson is fierce in creating a character with not one shred of sentimentality, but with lots of resentments and anxieties. It slowly becomes clear that Louise has been carrying a burden of regret for a long time. She behaved badly to her friend Rita when they were teens. Louise behaved badly to her husband with whom she had a rocky marriage. Without ‘ceremony’ she makes amends at the end and it’s a terrific moment.

Janet and Louise is another gem of a play that joins the roster of the others in the Here for Now Theatre, 2021 New Works Festival.  

Here for Now, 2021 New Works Festival

Plays until August 15, 2021.

Running Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, no intermission.

Post Alice

Written by Taylor Marie Graham

Directed by Fiona Mongillo

Costumes by Monique Lund

Composer, Mark Payne

Cast: Heather Marie Annis

Ellen Denny

Aubree Erickson

Siobhan O’Malley

From the description of the play: “Inspired by four haunting characters from four iconic Alice Munro stories, Post Aliceis a stunning new contemporary play which asks the question: what really happened to Mistie Murray? And what happens to all our missing girls? Come sit around the fire with four bright and hilarious Huron County women as ghost stories emerge, songs fill the air, family secrets are revealed, and mysteries unravel into those wonderful contradictions which live inside us all. Warning: Mature subject matter, swearing and use of herbal cigarette in performances. “

Post Alice is not a play about ghost stories, per se. It’s deeper than that. Belle has serious health issues and her friends Oneida and Edie and her sister Wen gather to give her comfort. They fret about her health (we find out what the issue is later in the play). Belle is ‘witling’ a large piece of wood and nicks her thumb, which really causes concern, although initially she’s not bleeding. These women have been friends since high school. They know secrets about each other which are gradually revealed.

Belle (Siobhan O’Malley) is anxious about her prognosis but tries to hide it with flippancy and a coolness. Oneida (Heather Marie Annis) has received a letter that she is reluctant to read because it will have information about her cultural background. Her father is Haudenosaunee and was always unwilling to give her any information about her heritage. This letter will fill her in, but she needs her friends around to give her courage to read it. Edie (Aubree Erickson) has flown in in her own plane to be there. Wen (Ellen Denny) is Belle’s sister. There is good natured banter as each woman teases and joshes the others. Truths come out about an incident that happened at a party when they were teens that has certainly affected them into adulthood. And then there is the mystery of Mistie Murray.

Mistie Murray was a friend of theirs in high school who disappeared one day—telling her mother she was going to band practice. There was no band practice and she never returned. What happened to her has occupied these women for years. There are theories and suggestions but the mystery remains.

The play and production are full of references to missing and lost girls. The four women sing a wonderful haunting song (kudos to composer Mark Payne) of what happens to all the missing girls. One immediately thinks of the link to the numbers of missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls, deepening the play, giving it resonance.

Director Fiona Mongillo has created a beautifully nuanced production. At one point a character takes a red shawl that has been draped over a bench and delicately ties it around a pole in such a way that it drapes down and could be symbolic/representative of red dresses that were hung from trees that symbolized a missing or murdered Indigenous woman or girl. It’s a stunning image.

The acting of the ensemble—and this is a true ensemble—is impeccable; the singing is moving and evocative. Taylor Marie Graham has written an arresting and funny play about women and their friendships, coping with a troubled past and supporting each other.

Here for Now Theatre, 2021, New Works Festival.

Plays until August, 15, 2021.

Running Time: 1 hour, 10 minutes, no intermission.  

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