I have been informed by one of the hugely creative goblins (KRAGVA if you must know), that in fact all of the creative people associated with this wonderful show are listed on page 12 of the digital program. It’s there, but hiding. Part of the adventure. I was given a short hard-copy of the program that did not have this information.

I make the correction gladly. Apologies for not investigating deeper into the goblinverse….

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Live and in person at the Tarragon Theatre, Toronto, Ont. A Spontaneous Theatre Creation, playing until Nov. 3, 2024.

www.tarragontheatre.com

Created by The Goblins

Directed by a Goblin?

Musician, a Goblin?

Costume design by Philip Edwards

Masks by Composite Effects

Lighting by Anton DeGroot

Stage Manager, Dustyn Wales (he’s heavily involved in other ways in this epic)

Performers: Kragva

Moog

Wug

This is an explanation on the lack of actual programme information on who created, directed and acts in this wonderful, inventive show: the creators want anonymity. (sigh)

From the Programme: “The creators invite you to forego investigating the identities of the performers. The goblins are The Goblins. Allow the play and the text to wash over you in new ways. If you really must know who’s who, please wait until after the performance to search out this information hidden within the pages of the full digital house program. “

OOOOkaaaayyyyyy. Goblin: Macbeth is a combination serious rendering of the play with great swaths of improvisation. The Goblins don’t want the audience to be influenced with who is playing whom. We might get preconceived ideas of how it should/has been done. Anonymity is the word. They wear almost identical masks that cover the whole head; have pointed ears and a long nose; have the same markings on the head. They are only differentiated when they speak. So to take it to a finer point of anonymity, don’t speak at all—mime the damned thing! But I digress.  

Look guys, er, I mean, Goblins. It’s theatre, see? Plays and texts wash over the audience in new ways every time they see a play and try as you might, you have no control over how they might perceive, interpret, or understand it. If they see 10 productions of the same play, they will see 10 different productions, 10 different and NEW ways of looking at the play. And if an actor can’t surprise an audience out of their preconceived notions of how a part should be done, then the audience is either comatose or the actor should do something else, perhaps work at Schmaltz’s selling chopped liver.

The program does not list who’s who no matter how hard one looks for the ‘information hidden within the pages of the full digital house program” because it’s not there—those Goblins have really convinced the good folks at Tarragon, that anonymity is the way to go. There is an extensive Director’s note in the program not signed by anyone. I tell ya, it’s frustrating supporting such subterfuge when all one wants to do is give credit where credit is due. And they deserve a lot of credit. Goblin:Macbeth is a grand piece of theatre.

I remember seeing a production last year at the Stratford Festival of a show also called Goblin: Macbeth as part of their Meighen Forum. It too was a combination serious rendering of Shakespeare’s play with great swaths of improvisation.  It had three characters in it just like this one does playing all the parts as this one does; with the same mask designs, and while the actors seemed similar (body language, voice), to these good people at Tarragon, I think they were shorter.  

I reviewed it last year. It was great fun. Creative, inventive, smart, hilarious, and when they acted the actual text, it was strong assured and could stand up to any classical actor. Truly. The acting here at Tarragon is also strong and assured. And indeed I heard interesting and revelatory interpretations of the text. I just want to be able to give better credit than saying Wug is a powerful, compelling Macbeth and other characters; Kragva is a wonderfully controlled Lady Macbeth and others and Moog plays many characters with wit and all the musical instruments with class. Tapping the microphone as if it’s a percussion instrument is inspired.

I know!!!! I’ll just ‘reprint’ last year’s review with some updated variations….no one will know because it’s all anonymous!

Here goes……

Three Goblins: Kragva, Moog and Wug discover the horror and humanity of humans when they (the Goblins) discover a copy of the “Complete Works of William Shakespeare.” They decide they will also explore the world of theatre by performing the play Macbeth because it’s the shortest they say. (Actually, to be pedantic about it, Macbeth is the shortest of Shakespeare’s tragedies. The shortest play by Shakespeare is The Comedy of Errors. Google says so. It never lies. And I’m grateful to the Goblins for making me curious to look it up.)

I note one of the Goblins is sculking furtively around the lobby, making comments in a light (female?) voice. The Goblin chats up various patrons. This gives the humans in the lobby a chance to become familiar with ‘the look.’ The Goblin wears a mask that tightly covers the head and the face down to the neck. The head is bald with an octagon design etched on that back of the head. The ears are very long and pointed. The nose is very long, broad and pointed. There are black lines on the face and between the brow that give a sense of foreboding or aggravation. The lips are black. There is a little opening for the mouth but for the most part the mask leaves little room for facial expression. The costume is black with black pants and boots. (Kudos to Philip Edwards, who alas has passed away).

The other two Goblins are already in the theatre as the audience files in. They are masked the same way but with subtle differences in the face. The third Goblin joins the other two and they flit around the stage which is full of stuff: a boom box, three moveable large mirrors, rounds of old wood, an umbrella that is opened, and lots of musical instruments and a stand microphone.  

One cannot tell the gender of these Goblins unless they speak. Two sound like men, one is gruffer than the other. The third sounds like a woman. While the director’s note (from last year as well) said that the actors did not want to be associated with any character (for anonymity), one can assume the gruff voiced one is Bruce Horak, the not as gruff voice is Ellis Lalonde (and a hint here is that this is the Goblin who plays all the music, including a French café ditty(!), and the voice that sounds like a woman is Rebecca Northan.

(NOTE: there are moments of improvisation that are the same as last year, but of course with subtle, refined differences and just as funny).

A woman in the front row does something to lead the Goblins to declare that she is a witch and they bow down. They say her feet should be elevated and put a low box down so her feet can rest on it. They also race out to get her another glass of Vino. The improvisation is smooth, imaginative, quick-witted and nimble.

When the show starts, we are told by the Goblins that they find the human’s pre-occupation with gender, amusing. The Goblins say there are in fact 17 genders. That sounds good to me. They say that they have discovered a lot about humans when they discovered “The Collected Works of William Shakespeare,” and certainly Macbeth.

The Goblins begin the story by telling the audience that Scotland is at war with Norway. Macbeth is one of the leading soldiers. Then the three Goblins get ‘into it’ by playing various parts to tell the story.

The action is swift. Witches prophesy the future of Macbeth and Banquo, his companion in arms. When one of the prophecies comes true Macbeth gets antsy for more power; brave and murderous. His wife joins him.  Props are used with imagination—those mirrors are twirled for great effect. Music is played for example on accordion and a kazoo—at the same time!! The three Goblins riff off one another—are they improvising? Is it scripted? It’s all accomplished, brilliant and mischievous. They chide each other—one is out there playing three parts, it’s exhausting.

Macbeth is acted with a gruff, strong voice, vigor, conviction and power. Lady Macbeth has a softer voice, has the ability to manipulate and control and does a good job with Macbeth when it comes to the murders of her ‘house guests.’

Matters ramp up when the battle lines are drawn. Macbeth is over there in Dunsinane with his forces and the two Goblins representing the opposing forces are center stage, needing an army. Where will they get an army? They do a slow pan to the audience (this is not a spoiler alert. Where else are you going to get an army on short notice in a small theatre). The audience will be engaged in the action.  

Besides open-heart surgery or a trip to the dentist, nothing strikes terror in the hearts of an audience more than these two words: “audience participation.” Goblin:Macbeth has audience participation. Lots of it. DO NOT RUN AWAY!!! You are in good hands here.  

Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak are master improvisors. They know how to engage an audience with consideration, care and respect. They have perfected the ability to look at an audience and sensitively know who is eager to participate (the hopeful eyes, the eager looks, the smile that says, “PICK ME!!!!”) and who does not want you anywhere near them in their ‘safe space’ in the audience (eyes averted, head down, telegraphing the thought: “Come near me under peril of your privates!”) These Goblins will not make you feel uncomfortable or awkward. These Goblins will make you eager to participate if you want to. That is one of their many gifts.

The Goblins teach us a lesson about humanity and the power of theatre in their witty, irreverent, and committed presentation of this glorious production.  They end by noting we in this theatre are a unified community all joined by the power of theatre to use our imagination to conjure all sorts of worlds. I found that observation so moving it took my breath away and I just wanted to say: “BRAVO!!! to Rebecca Northan, Bruce Horak and Ellis Lalonde for such an imaginative, perceptive, laugh-out-loud production of this gripping play, that also gripped us in the best way. Unfortunately I can’t say that, because of the anonymity thing.

Goblin:Macbeth –see it!!!!!

Tarragon Theatre presents A Spontaneous Theatre Creation:

Plays until Nov. 3, 2024.

Running time: about 90 minutes (no intermission)

www.tarragontheatre.com

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Live and in person at the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Jane Mallett Theatre, Toronto, Ont. Presented by TO Live. Playing until Oct. 23, 2024

www.tolive.com

Created and performed by Ronnie Burkett

Music and lyrics by John Alcorn

Lighting by Kevin Humphrey

Marionette and costume design by Ronnie Burkett

Costumes by Kim Crossley

Using hand puppets and marionettes creator/performer Ronnie Burkett focuses his perception, wit and anger on a world gone mad. He touches on gender issues, pronouns, friendship, loyalty, optimism, climate change and love, generally through the eyes of Joe—who is wonderful. As is the show.

The show focuses on Joe, an elderly gay man who lives in a fifth-floor walk-up. He is told by his kindly landlord that the site is being re-developed, gentrified and Joe and the others in his building are being evicted. They have a month to vacate the premises. While the others lament and fret over the terrible situation of loosing their home, Joe looks on this positively. He and his beloved dog Mister will go into the world on one last adventure.

 It’s obvious instantly that Joe is special. He knows his neighbours by name and they know him. He knows their stories and histories and they try to protect each other. Joe is kind, compassionate, optimistic in spite of a hard life, and open-hearted.

Ronnie Burkett tells each story through puppetry, and in the case of Wonderful Joe he starts with hand puppets and then segues into using marionettes. The puppets are always a marvel of creativity, wit, impish-devilishness, and vivid imagination. The cast of characters is rich in various personalities, attitudes, diversity and surprises. We meet such characters as Sketch (who is a comedian), Yitz (the butcher), Jesus (needs no introduction), Mother Nature (ditto) and Hirshey to name a few. Each has a story and a wisdom attached. Each story will unbalance ones  assumptions, perceptions, attitudes, prejudices and biases, leaving one startled and if lucky, changed.

Spoiler-alert, I will use Hirshey as one example of the wonder of Ronnie Burkett’s creative ability and heart because Hirshey is important as are they all. Hirshey is a tall, lanky, character with short blond hair (at least from my seat it looked blond), sinewy, muscular, deep voice. Hirshey is introduced but then Hirshey clarifies the name and says: “It’s Her-She.” Pause. Exhale.   Her-She says that the one question they always get is “What are you?” Her-She would prefer that the question be “How are you?” As it’s explained, Her-She is a neighbour, a part of a community, and one can add a part of society, a friend, a parent’s child.  

Ronnie Burkett even references Kintsugi, which means “join with gold” in Japanese. Burkett is referencing the ancient Japanese art of repairing broken objects (usually pottery) using gold lacquer to stick the pieces together, making the mending obvious and beautiful.

Ronnie Burkett is concerned about the sad, angry, beautiful world we live in. Nothing escapes his perceptive ire, but he handles it all with compassion and an open heart. That is especially true towards these characters who populate his play. Each of these characters is broken in some way or another but they are fixed/healed/put back together with the gold that is Wonderful Joe.

Ronnie Burkett is a treasure. Wonderful Joe is a gift.

TO Live Presents:

Plays until Oct. 23, 224.

Running time: 1 hour 45 minutes (no intermission)

www.tolive.com

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Giselle Beiguelman: Botannica Tirannica

Playing until October 20, 2024

At the Koffler Arts
180 Shaw St., # 104-105
Toronto, ON
M6J 2W5

This exhibition was inspired after Brazilian artist Giselle Beiguelman received a gift of a Tradescantia zebrina seedling, commonly called Wandering Jew after the 13th-century myth used recurrently in Nazi propaganda. This led her to investigate the complex, interwoven histories of botany, taxonomy and colonialism that often result in discrimination against specific groups of people.

Modern colonialism began over 500 years ago. As European explorers sailed further, they encountered the so-called “New World” – what they considered to be “terra nullius” (“nobody’s land”). After planting flags in the name of their monarchs, a number of colonial explorers sought to dominate everyone and everything they found including nature by imposing their classification system on flora and fauna. In the binomial system of nomenclature, developed by Linneaus (Carl von Linne, 1707-1778), each species is assigned two latinized names, a genus and a specific epithet (i.e., Tradescantia zebrina), and a common name (i.e., Wandering Jew). A surprising number of plant species previously named by Indigenous inhabitants of colonised lands, were assigned new names by colonisers that include prejudiced terms against ethnic and social groups, including Indigenous people, Black people, Jews, Roma, Sinti and Caló (so-called “Gypsies”), 2SLGBTQIA+, women, and the elderly. This amplified the violence already perpetrated by colonial empires against a wide range of oppressed people.

Wonderful Joe

Playing until Oct. 23, 2024.

At the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts, Jane Mallett Theatre

Using hand puppets and marionettes creator/performer Ronnie Burkett focuses his perception, wit and anger on a world gone mad. He touches on gender issues, pronouns, friendship, loyalty, optimism, climate change and love, generally through the eyes of Joe—who is wonderful. As is the show.

www.tolive.com

Goblin Macbeth

Playing until Oct. 27, 2024.

Tarragon Theatre

Created by Rebecca Northan & Bruce Horak with music by Ellis Lalonde

Three Goblins, in compelling masks, find the complete works of Shakespeare, and decide to put on a production of Macbeth. Part improv, part straight forward performance of the play. Totally delightful and brilliant.

www.tarragontheatre

Acis and Galatea

Oct. 24-27, 2024.

Elgin Theatre

Opera Atelier’s 2024/25 season opener – a fully-staged production of Handel’s beloved opera, Acis and Galatea.

This pastorale was considered Handel’s most popular opera during his lifetime, and is considered today the perfect introduction to opera for new and young audiences, as it is sung in English and features beautiful music for singing and dancing.

Acis and Galatea tells the story of the water nymph Galatea, and her love for the Arcadian shepherd, Acis. It is inspired by the Greek myth, as recounted in Ovid’s Metamorphoses. 

Marshall Pynkoski directs and Jeannette Lajeunesse Zingg choreographs the opera.

www.OperaAtelier.com

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Live and in person at Theatre Aquarius, Hamilton, Ont. Playing until Oct. 12, 2024.

www.theatreaquarius.org

Written by Rajiv Joseph

Directed by Haysam Kadri

Set and costumes by Brian Dudkiewicz

Lighting by Louise Guinand

Sound by Maddie Bautista

Cast: Michael Blake

Devin MacKinnon

Diana Reyes (Fly Lady Di)

Two strangers bond over basketball, in particular, the greatness of LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In fact, the play is about friendship, loyalty, helping a friend in need and being a friend in deed.

The Story. Matt is the owner/operator of La Cave wine bar in Cleveland Heights, Ohio. He doesn’t like wine. He loves basketball, namely the Cleveland Cavaliers and LeBron James, their star player. Matt has made some bad financial decisions and needs money to get out of debt so he is selling his package of Cleveland Cavalier tickets for the whole season. Shawn is interested and comes to the bar to try and negotiate for the tickets. Shawn doesn’t like wine either so refuses Matt’s offer of a drink. They haggle over the price; rage that LeBron James is going to another team,  trade stories about their pasts and becomes fast friends. The play covers the development of their close friendship over several years but with their love of Basketball and LeBron James, intact.

The Production and comment. Brian Dudkiewicz’s set of the wine bar initially is neat, efficient and sets us in that wine bar nicely. Matt (Devin MacKinnon) is comfortable in work pants and shirt. When Shawn (Michael Blake) arrives he wears a baseball cap backwards, comfortable work wear as well—jeans, perhaps a sweatshirt—comfortable.

Matt is played by Devin MacKinnon, as playful when he’s alone, anxious initially when trying to see the tickets, and then accommodating, friendly, and loyal when bonding with Shawn. Shawn is played with easy grace and consideration by Michael Blake. Matt feels he’s been dealt a bad hand in life, and Shawn, this stranger to his life, gently offers that feeling sorry for himself is not helpful.

When they first meet Matt needs the money from the sale of the tickets. Shawn wants the tickets but can’t pay the whole price. The banter is like basketball with Matt being defensive while still having the tickets, but Shawn is the expert dribbler with the ball. I love that give and take so nicely established by these two lovely actors and their director Haysam Kadri.

Both men have had their personal ups and downs over the years and both have been there for the other. The generosity to the other comes naturally and without an edge.

Playwright Rajiv Joseph has beautifully crafted the play so that we see how the friendship developed and matured through the years. I loved that the bond was initially basketball and LeBron James. But over time, it was a natural connection between the two men who couldn’t have been different. Shawn always wanted to be a writer and he was pushed to go to graduate school by Matt’s father. Matt’s mother urged Shawn to go forward too. Matt loaned Shawn money to go to Los Angeles to ‘take meetings’ with some film/tv executives. And he landed a job on a successful show.

Late in Act II it’s referenced that Shawn is Black and it’s Shawn who says that he is the only Black man in the writing room. He offered some comments to the writers about Black references in the script—because HE WOULD KNOW what it’s like to be Black—only they didn’t listen to him, which was disheartening. I thought that one reference was interesting and that the friendship between the two men never needed to reference it.

Diana Reyes (Fly Lady, DJ) provides the funky music before the show and at intermission to keep the audience in the groove.

Lovely play, nicely produced.

Theatre Aquarius presents:

Plays until Oct. 12, 2024.

Running time: 2 hours, 30 minutes approx. (1 intermission)

www.theatreaquarius.org

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Live and in person at the CAA Theatre, 651 Yonge St. Toronto, Ont. Playing until Oct. 20, 2024.

www.mirvish.com

Written by Larissa FastHorse

Directed by Vinetta Strombergs

Set by Anahita Dehbonehie

Costumes and props by Niloufar Ziaee

Lighting by Nick Blais

Videos by Tristan Gough

Cast: Rachel Cairns

Colin Doyle

Craig Lauzon

Jada Rifkin

With Elley Ray Hennessy

Eric Woolfe

Heavy-handedly written for a satire and deliberately over acted. The pace needed attention. Alas a disappointment.

The Story. The Thanksgiving Play is written a satire by Larissa FastHorse, a Native American and a member of the Sicangu Lakota Nation. The play references American Thanksgiving which is celebrated in November in the States. But the play is certainly applicable to Canadian Thanksgiving, which is Oct. 14 this year.

As to the story, first let me quote from the website for the play and I’ll add context after: “Good intentions collide with absurd assumptions in Larissa FastHorse’s hilarious comedy.

A high school drama teacher, a history teacher, and two theatre people set out to create a new Thanksgiving show that won’t ruffle any feathers. Their politically correct attempts to update the myth of the first Thanksgiving with today’s social justice issues are served up as a comedic feast. The play asks: How do you do the right thing in an ever-changing world?”

Here are more details:  Logan is a high school teacher, desperate to keep her job, who is the director and the moving force behind the play they will do for Thanksgiving. The play is to honour Native American History Month in the school. The production will be a devised/improvised project. Logan has applied for an won several grants for the project including money to hire a Native American actor for the play for authenticity when playing a Native American.  Logan is joined in the project by her boyfriend Jaxton, a street performer/yoga instructor. Both Logan and Jaxton are scrupulous about being politically correct; from using the correct pronouns to using correct names, to proper gender reference, to classifications etc.

Caden is an elementary school history teacher and has researched the subject of Thanksgiving back 4000 years and has written a 60-page script for the project and is disappointed when he’s told the play will be ‘devised’ as they go.

And there is Alicia, from Los Angeles, who Logan has a grant to hired as the Native American actress, whose acting abilities were honed when she played the third understudy for in a Disney production.  Except that Alicia isn’t Native American.  She’s white, as are the others. She just used a publicity photo in which she played a Native American and this obviously confused Logan. At no time do these white folks consult any Native American about their culture or history. And they seem to have forgotten that the play is for elementary school students.

All the characters are culturally and politically ‘woke’ without sensitivity and intelligence, which makes them laughable; witless when it comes to historical context; and plain dumb when it comes to doing an age-appropriate play. However, I will say that the character of Alicia, who is written as a self-absorbed airhead, is the smartest of the lot because she knows from her work at Disney that the play should only be 20 minutes and not 45 as planned, because the attention span of an elementary school child is 20 minutes. No one pays attention to her.

Playwright Larissa FastHorse is having a dandy time satirizing these well-meaning but clueless white folks.

The Production. The Thanksgiving Play has had a lot of success in the United States. It’s one of the most produced plays in regional theatres in the States. It began in Oregon in 2018. After many workshops etc. it opened Off-Broadway in 2018. It then it opened on Broadway in 2023 (where I saw it).

There’s a lot to chew on with the play.  Let’s start with a definition of Satire:

“The use of humor, irony, exaggeration, or ridicule to expose and criticize people’s stupidity or vices, particularly in the context of contemporary politics and other topical issues.”

I think the bare bones of The Thanksgiving Play is fascinating and pointed in exposing the stupidity of the politically correct people without them having a clue about why it’s stupid or inappropriate. But instead of being subtle, Larissa FastHorse bludgeons the points with a sledgehammer to bang them in for effect. There’s lots of talk about pronouns, and chakras, and respecting space etc. But she focuses her abrasive points for the white characters and their ignorance of Native Americans and their culture.

There are two videos that are part of every production—in which white insensitivity is very clear. They suggest the pilgrims were teaching the Native Americans about survival which was not the case. In one quote a teacher says she is dividing her class into “pilgrims and Indians” in which the Pilgrims will teach the Indians to share.”

The audience groans at that.

I get the sense that Larissa FastHorse has written The Thanksgiving Play for those folks who don’t read books in hand. Who don’t know what irony or subtlety is. I think it’s for people who get all their reading, news, and information from their cellphones. Who don’t look up to see the world around them what with being glued to the small screen in their hand in front of them.  So nuance escapes them. In the theatre, it all seems like overkill.

The set by Anahita Dehbonehie is of a school room with some desks, an American flag, and all manner of stuff, reminiscent of a classroom in a school. The costumes by Niloufar Ziaee are casual yoga for Jaxton (Colin A. Doyle); a jumpsuit for Logan (Rachel Cairns), work pants and a shirt for Caden (Craig Lauzon) who always clutches his briefcase to his chest like a security blanket for a kid, and tight jeans and a revealing top for Alicia (Jada Rifkin).

I think director Vinetta Strombergs falls into the trap set by the play to have the cast over-play everything. The acting is earnest and heightened. Rachel Cairns plays Logan as anxious about everything since her job is on the line. Colin Doyle as Jaxton is attentive and overly protective of Logan.  A lot of the body language is exaggerated and thus over-plays the humour.  Craig Lauzon as Caden is enthusiastic about history, but always clutches his briefcase to his chest like a security blanket for a kid. Jada Rifkin smoothly plays Alicia’s sexuality and over accentuated hair flipping and sashaying.  The pace is too slow (glacial?) when it should go like the wind.  Moments just lie there, unfunny.

In Canada we certainly have our own issues with our Indigenous peoples and so The Thanksgiving Play would have resonance with us. I think a Canadian audience would see the irony in a lot of the play, and certainly from the point of view of sharing.  We have a land acknowledgement before most of our theatre performances in which we are told of the Dish with One Spoon Covenant, that we all should share.

There is a plaque at Front and Jarvis Streets in Toronto, commemorating Chief Wabakinine (died 1796) the Head Chief of the Mississaugas of the Credit First Nation. On behalf of the Mississaugas of the Credit, Chief Wabakinine signed multiple land surrender treaties with the colonial British settlers. Chief Wabakinine and the Mississsaugas believed these treaties were being signed with the intention to share the land with the British, but the colonial settlers abused this trust and approached these documents as transfers of land ownership. This exploitation and abuse only worsened from the British. I think a Canadian audience would be aware of these ironies.

As I said I think the bare bones of The Thanksgiving Play is fascinating, but the actual result and this production don’t help in making it the resounding satire it needs or wants to be.

Mirvish Productions presents:

Plays until Oct. 20, 2024.

Running time: 90 minutes (no intermission)

www.mirvish.com

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Played at VideoCabaret, Deanne Taylor Theatre, 10 Busy Street,  Toronto, Ont. Played from Sept. 19-29, 2024.

www.videocab.com

Written and performed by Alan Williams

The show was divided into three parts. Each part played twice over the run of the show with the following schedule as per the website: 

“Part 1: “Once In A Lifetime Sometimes Never” – Thursdays 

A lightly fictionalised fable based on the story of ALAN’s times in Ontario.

Part 2: “Can’t Get There From Mystery Lake” – Fridays 

A lightly fictionalised fable based on the story of ALAN’s times in Manitoba.

Part 3: “A Quiet Time On Busy Street” – Saturdays 

The story of ALAN’s arrival in the strange country he never thought he’d find himself in known as Old Age.”

I was only able to see the final show of Part III, “A Quiet Time On Busy Street,” because the run was short and this is a full theatre season. Part III made me long to have seen Parts I and II. The place was packed. A couch was brought in from the lobby to provide more seating in the theatre. Chairs from backstage were brought in too. Wonderful.

Background: Alan Williams was born and educated in Manchester, England. He got his theatre training with the Hull Truck Theatre. Besides acting he is also a playwright, having written and performed his Cockroach Trilogy at the Bush Theatre in London, Eng. He performed his trilogy at the International Theatre Festival in Toronto in 1981. He stayed in the Toronto first becoming the playwright in residence at the Tarragon Theatre and then working at other Indie theatres when Toronto theatre was blossoming with homegrown work. He moved to Winnipeg, Manitoba to teach at the University of Winnipeg. He moved back to England in 1996 where he continued his acting career in theatre (War Horse, Jerusalem) and television (The Crown, Coronation Street, Doc Martin etc.). he was invited to bring his autobiographical trilogy to VideoCabaret by Layne Coleman, interim Artistic Director of VideoCabaret.

Alan Williams is a brilliant story-teller: laid-back, irreverent, perceptive, curious and inquisitive. He appears on the bare stage with no props, no need for a microphone, soft-spoken and the audience was rapt with attention. He wore black pants, a shirt, under-which was a t-shirt that had some design on it with the words “dead bod.”  

He talked about being recently hired to do a three-day reading-workshop of As You Like It by Shakespeare at Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre in London. It was a trek for him since he lives about two hours away by train in a little town by the sea. He found cheap digs in London thinking it was a ‘hotel’ when in fact he mis-read it and realized it was a hostel. The place was terrible, cramped, tiny, but he didn’t complain.

At the first day of the reading the cast was assembled. There were a few senior people like him but the rest were young actors. They gave their names and pronouns. Alan Williams tried to keep track of everyone’s name and their pronouns and that was challenging. He was not judgmental about this, only commenting and curious.

As the reading continued, he had ideas and questions but urged himself to “keep quiet” and not cause trouble.  He wondered why they were doing As You Like It at all. He did an analysis of the play and observed that Shakespeare ended his play(s) going back to the status quo? Not a disruption. Alan Williams wondered about that. He noted he had read about Cliff Cardinal’s ‘radical retelling’ of As You Like It and his land acknowledgement in Toronto. He finally saw the production in Brighton, England and was hugely impressed with Cardinal and the piece.  Alan Williams wondered if Cliff Cardinal was happy while still being so angry. An interesting observation.

Alan Williams had played some pretty illustrious theatre in England but he was in a revery when he first came to VideoCabaret’s theatre space on Busy Street in Toronto. It’s in what looks like an old garage. It’s not fancy. The seating is composed of padded chairs on bleachers. The floor is black concrete. People are greeted by people who pitch in. Simplicity is the watchword. Williams loves the place. It’s what a theatre should look like. He gives the impression that if he had a free in any city, he’d seek out theatre, either in a reading or a show. And it would likely be in this kind of hole-in-the-wall kind of theatre.

Someone asked recently, “How long has theatre been dying.” In unison, a friend of mine and I replied, “Since it began thousands of years ago.” And we all laughed. In his own way, Alan Williams addressed that too.

He noted that young children who came to visit him and his wife in his house in England, played in their garden. The kids put on a show and repeated some jokes and gave their idea of a performance. Alan Williams thought it was terrific. He loved the joy, commitment of these kids and their glee at the performance. Williams said, theatre is all around us and in front of our faces, if only we can recognize it. Theatre isn’t dying if children keep wanting to put on shows.

Alan Williams has given a heartfelt, smart, polished musing on the theatre and his life in it for more than 50 years in Once in a Lifetime Sometimes Never.  He has been at the beginning of some exciting theatre in this city and in England. Yet he is still full of the wonder at its existence, creation, transformative abilities, the questions it poses to him that he shares. He does not seem cynical even when he wants to speak his mind. He does not seem judgmental at those just starting out, making the same mistakes he did when he was their age. He is watchful, curious, inquisitive, questioning and joyful about theatre.

The audience who came to his final show was a who’s who of those who were at the beginning of Toronto Indie theatre all those years ago. Contemporaries of Alan Williams. They are the people who made a difference in my introduction to Canadian theatre. The sad thing was that young people starting in the theatre now weren’t there to learn from him and to hear his stories. Alan Williams and those in the room are the shoulders on which our next, younger generation of actors are standing. Williams and his colleagues paved the way for the next generation. It’s a pity that next generation weren’t there to appreciate and carry on his message. The beauty is that we can learn from each other in these fractious times.

Presented by VideoCabaret.

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Live and in person at the Royal Alexandra Theatre, Toronto, Ont. David and Hannah Mirvish and the National Arts Centre, English Theatre, present. Running until March 2, 2025.

www.mirvish.com

Book, music and lyrics by Irene Sankoff and David Hein

Directed by Christopher Ashley

Choreographed by Kelly Devine

Musical director, Bob Foster

Musical supervisor, Ian Eisendrath

Scenic design by Beowulf Boritt

Costumes by Toni-Leslie James

Lighting by Howell Binkley

Sound by Gareth Owen

Cast: Kyle Brown

Saccha Dennis

Steffi Didomenicantonio

Barbara Fulton

Lisa Horner

James Kall

Jeff Madden

Ali Momen

Cory O’Brien

Kristen Peace

David Silvestri

Cailin Stadnyk

The band:

Bob Foster: Music director, keyboard

Richard Evans, keyboard

Bob McAlpine, guitar 1

Kim Ratcliffe, guitar 2

Valerie Li, fiddle

Spencer Murray, whistles, Irish flute, Uileann pipe

Jonathan Maharaj, bass

Sean Kilbride, drums

Greg Hawco, percussion

Come From Away is back with all the power, poignancy and uplifting energy one comes to expect of this exuberant musical that celebrates kindness and resilience.

Background. After playing all over the world and being awarded, applauded and celebrated wherever it played, Come From Away was set to play the Royal Alexandra Theatre for a second extended stay a two and a half years ago. Then COVID hit and shut it down. Tenacity is everything and you can’t keep a dandy show down when resourceful people want to put it on. So Mirvish Productions is presenting the show, again at the Royal Alexandra Theatre. As of this writing it’s been extended to March 2, 2024.

The Story. The show began in 2015 in La Jolla, San Diego and went on to play in Toronto,  Broadway, the West End in London, England, in Australia, South America, and toured across Canada and the United States etc. The reviews have been ecstatic. Audiences get their exercise in by applauding energetically after various songs and leaping to their feet at the end of each performance. Is there anyone who doesn’t know the story? Ok, for the person who has been hermetically sealed for years in Antarctica with no internet, phone, or means of communication, here’s the background.

On September 11, 2001 the United States was in lockdown when there were terrorist attacks in New York, Washington, D.C, and Pennsylvania. Many planes destined for the States were in the air but were unable to land there for days afterword. Two hundred planes were diverted to various cities across Canada. Thirty-eight of them, carrying 7,000 people were diverted to Gander, Newfoundland. Gander had a huge airport that used to be a hub for refueling of transatlantic planes. But that stopped when planes were able to make the crossing and go further on a tank of fuel. Air traffic to Gander was sparce at the best of times. The population of Gander and towns around there was 9,000. What to do with these 38 planes carrying 7,000 anxious and confused people?  The people of Gander and environs went into action: opening up every community center to house them; cooking to feed them; opened their homes to billet them and opened their hearts and arms to comfort them over the five days they were there.

The Production. The people of Newfoundland are different than most people, as exemplified by the ‘islanders’ of Gander and environs. One can understand it if you live on an island called ‘The Rock’ and it’s not unusual to have deep snow in May or even July. You need a sense of humour to cope and odd ways of welcoming people: drinking a potion called “screech” and kissing a cod.  All that and more comes through in Irene Sankoff and David Hein’s book, music and lyrics.

In 2011, on the 10^th anniversary celebration of the landing in Gander of the 7,000 people “from away,” writers Irene Sankoff and David Hein went to Gander to interview those people who were ‘islanders’ and those ‘from away.’ The idea came from Michael Rubinoff, producer-extraordinaire. They culled the interviews and wrote the book, music and lyrics of the experiences of these people. The result is Come From Away.

Twelve gifted actors play many and various characters from the townsfolk of Gander to the cross-section of the plane people. The story chronicles how the ‘islanders’ went from being hosts who had to tear around arranging, cooking, and providing for these folks ‘from away’, to becoming friends invested in caring for then. The ‘plane people’ went from being suspicious and anxious about being in this desolate place where the people talked funny so that ‘they understood about half of what they said, ‘ to relaxing and appreciating how special and different this place was.

Many of the actors in the cast are returning to play the same parts, others are new to the show. All of them create a cohesive ensemble. As Beulah, a teacher and organizer of the endeavor, Lisa Horner is irreverent generally and always caring. She bonds with Hannah played with concern and worry by Saccha Dennis. Hannah’s son is a firefighter in New York and she can’t reach him by phone. Beulah is also a mother of a fireman and gives Hannah much needed kind comfort. Both Lisa Horner and Saccha Dennis are wonderful singers. Bonnie represents the SPCA and is concerned with the animals on the plane—Kristen Peace plays her with determination and resolve to tend to all her furry charges. Ali Momen plays Kevin, an arrogant plane person who wants out of this backwater, and with a quick addition of a skullcap becomes Ali, an Egyptian Muslim, anxious and fearful of the other plane people who look at him with suspicion. The quick change is done with finesse and is unobtrusive. Love blossoms with Diane (a jolly Barbara Fulton) and Nick (a fastidious James Kall)—they meet on the plane. Jeff Madden as the other Jeff in a relationship, is curious and anxious to embrace this place even though his partner is not. Every single actor is worthy of being singled out, but you can see for yourself, when you see the show, and you should.

Director Christopher Ashley and Kelly Devine, his choreographer/musical stager, give a master class in how to seamlessly meld the direction with the movement/dance of the piece to create a piece of theatre that throbs with life. From the snap and stomp of the first song, “Welcome to the Rock,” to the rousing Finale the show explodes with energy. But care is also established in the quieter moments: the stunned concern of “38 Planes” as the islanders watch plane after plane arrive; “Prayer” a beautiful melding of Christian, Hebrew and Arabic languages to express penance of different beliefs; “Something’s Missing” the poignant song expressing a sadness even after the ordeal is over and many are going home.

I was struck at how the show is structured not to get applause after many songs, but to continue the scene without disruption. I thought that was classy.

After seeing the show often and in various productions I looked at moments closely and wondered why was it so moving? How was it possible that when one least expected it, tears? When the ‘plane people’ had access to two televisions they were shown what happened. They watched the tv screens, mouths agape, standing absolutely still, then at the same moment they all reacted in horror at what they were seeing. And we understood and with them, relived the unimaginable. This is only one moment. The production if full of them that take simple moments and leave us breathless and tearful.  The wonder and power of theatre.

Comment. Come from Away is a musical that shows humanity at its best and its worst. In our angry, fractious world it has lessons of kindness from which we can all learn. It doesn’t sugar coat the ‘uglier’ moments. For example, Ali was always looked at with suspicion by those on the plane because he was Egyptian and a Muslim. Because of that he reacted with fear and trepidation. That didn’t change when they all returned home. He was still shunned.   But when he was shown kindness by Beulah and the other ‘islanders’ he blossomed, warmed to it and offered his help when they needed it. One might offer that in the darkest moments, kindness is possible and needed. Like now. Come From Away is special. See it.  

David and Hannah Mirvish, and the National Arts Centre, English Theatre present:

Plays until March 2, 2025

Running time: 100 minutes (no intermission)

www.mirvish.com

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Live and in person at the Theatre Centre, Toronto, Ont. Presented by CORPUS and the KIO Company. Playing until Sept. 29, 2024.

boxoffice@theatrecentre.org

Conceived and directed by David Danzon
Created with the Ensemble: Kohey Nakadachi, Sakura Korin, Takako Segawa, Kaitlin Torrance
Lighting and Set Design by Yann Becker
Costume Design by Atsuko Kiyokawa
Music Composition and Sound Design by Anika Johnson
Additional Choreography by Matt O’Connor

Performed in Japanese and English with English and French Surtitles.

From the Programme information: “Conceived and directed by CORPUS’ artistic director David Danzon, Mukashi, Mukashiexplores two iconic characters of Western and Japanese folklore: The Wolf and the Crane. Both carry deep roots in the collective consciousness of each culture. Their unlikely meeting sets the stage for a conflictual then harmonious relationship that blossoms through a transformative journey. The work uses traditional and contemporary Japanese art forms (Origami, Kyōgen, Bunraku, Manga), mixed with old and newer Western practices such as pantomime and the comedy traditions of Looney Tunes and TV talk shows.

Like all of CORPUS’ work, Mukashi, Mukashi will speak to children and adults alike. It introduces the poetic and intriguing world of Japanese folk tales and blends it with the dark and comedic undertones of western fairytales, all with a CORPUS twist and cross-cultural sensibility.”

Mukashi, Mukashi in Japanese translates as “Once upon a time” in English. The show starts with the Wolf from the Brothers Grimm. We have come to consider the Wolf a sinister character, dangerous and deceptive Four actors dressed in stylish black (Kudos to costume designer, Atsuko Kiyokawa) stand still growling like a wolf. They kneel on the floor side by side and begin folding a square piece of paper in front of them, in the Japanese tradition of paper folding. Occasionally one would look to his/her neighbour to see what they were doing. The neighbour then turned around and faced up stage revealing that each was ‘wearing’ a bushy wolf’s tail.  When they turned back to face us, they had finished their creations, a bird (a crane?) that was then affixed to each performer’s hair.

The presentation of the Wolf was goofy, overplayed and like a silly situation comedy. Kohey Nakadachi is the performer most associated with the Wolf. The Wolf came to a feisty grandmother’s house wanting to come in from the cold. The grandmother knew to mistrust the Wolf. She knew that he wanted to eat her. They banter. There is talk of Little Red Riding Hood.

There are twists and turns with the story, but for our purposes, the playing was loud, boisterous and quirky. The Wolf did not have it easy. That grandmother gave it a run for its money.

The story of the Crane from Japanese folklore is more poignant, elegantly presented and spare in its presentation. The Crane is representative of loyalty, longevity and good fortune. A young man saves a Crane from a trap and lets it go. He is rewarded for his kindness in an artful, balletic, symbolic way, which I won’t say so as not to spoil the meaning. Kaitlin Torrance plays the Crane and is grace personified.

I found the collaboration between the Canadian and Japanese companies an interesting mix. The realization of the Wolf story seemed over long, overplayed and laboured in its intent to be funny.  Although at the beginning of the scene, the banter between the Wolf and the grandmother is hilarious.

Surtitles in English were somewhat helpful but hard to read because the light made the font fuzzy. When more light shone on the surtitle, it was clearer. I can’t comment on the French surtitles because I wasn’t reading them.

The Japanese story of the Crane is more successful in its intent because the presentation is spare, economical and achingly beautiful. We get to see the full origami creation of the Crane folded in front of us, which is then put into the hair of the character—seeing how it’s done is always fascinating.

During the show several Japanese songs are sung but not translated in surtitles so the audience has context. I thought that lapse odd and an opportunity missed.

The cast of four is agile, funny, nuanced and nimble.

The program says that the show is for both children and adults. Hmmmm. The Wolf story overplays to children and the Crane story seems too esoteric for them. I was grateful to see this collaboration but I could do with less of the boisterous, over-long Wolf story and more of the elegant Crane story.

A CORPUS and KIO co-production.

Plays to Sept. 29, 2024.

Running time: 1 hour (no intermission)

boxoffice@theatrecentre.org

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