Tag: Canadian Drama

Cockroach Crawls Under Canada’s Skin

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Haysam Kadri and Daniela Vlaskalic in Jonathan Garfinkel’s Cockroach, based on the novel by Rawi Hage, running now at Alberta Theatre Projects (March 1 – 19). Photo Credit: Kara Sturk.

Based on the 2008 novel of the same by Canadian author Rawi Hage, Jonathan Garfinkel’s Cockroach is a story about failure, namely the failure of multiculturalism in Canada. Uncomfortable truths come to surface in this play that rips the seams of our nation’s beloved cultural mosaic during a time of heightened awareness around newcomers and refugees.

Enjoying its world premiere at Alberta Theatre Projects, Cockroach stages the journey of an unnamed Middle Eastern immigrant (Haysam Kadri) in 1990s Montreal. The play opens with The Narrator waiting patiently for Shohreh (Daniela Vlaskalic), a troubled young woman from Tehran, in the dingy basement of the restaurant where he works, as a busboy. Through flashbacks, the audience learns more about the Narrator’s past  in his home country, and his experience living in Canada as an immigrant. More about the Narrator’s life is revealed during his state-mandated therapy sessions with Genevieve (Carmen Grant), a psychiatrist whose privilege as a white Canadian stands as an obstacle between the two.

Gun in hand, the Narrator continues waiting for Shohreh in the present, preparing himself for a decision that will change his life forever.

Addressing the Syrian Refugee Crisis, Garfinkel writes (in his Playwright’s Notes) that Cockroach is not about the debate surrounding whether or not to let refugees into Canada, but about life after arrival for immigrants. The play goes beyond the feel-good propaganda of multiculturalism, choosing to present instead a less-than-glamorous portrayal of a predominantly white society where racial prejudice and discrimination exist, whether the Canadian public wants to believe it or not.

From the bottom looking upwards, the Narrator sees Canada as a nation of hypocrites. Lying underneath Canada’s “perfect white skin” is a history of cultural genocide, systemic racism and fear of the Other – which presented itself in full force during the 2003 SARS Outbreak. Genevieve buys into the myth of Canadian multiculturalism, while the Narrator lives its failed promises everyday, making their relationship tense as a result. Although he may be uneducated and afflicted by mental health issues, the Narrator’s difficulty adjusting to life in Canada is not made any easier by living in the slums of a country steeped in inequality.

Interestingly, the very thing that ties the Narrator home is what help him survive on a daily basis – storytelling. Sometimes, stories are all immigrants really have when they arrive, and it’s through metaphor that the Narrator can make sense of the world he lives in.

The problem with Garfinkel’s Cockroach is that the play falters in the middle, loses steam from an otherwise strong beginning. Kadri’s devilish charm adds plenty of punch to his character’s zippy one-liners about Canada, but even his charm can’t help the problems that come from relying on a narrator and flashbacks to tell a story. The show has a little more in common with an audiobook than a fully staged production. Events in the narrative are relayed primarily through the Narrator, with occasional glimpses to the events themselves. The narrative suffers from this abundance of talk that acts as a wall between itself and the audience, resulting in an experience that is somewhat difficult to invest into emotionally.

Director Vanessa Porteous, artistic director of ATP, brings a keen sense of space to the production, a premiere of a new Canadian play. Kadri’s character identifies, intimately, with cockroaches, insects that are known as survivors of even the worse conditions (like nuclear wastelands, a popular myth). Most importantly, the cockroach is mobile. Porteous’s direction sees a strong sense of displaced movement onstage, the type of movement expected from an outsider in a hostile environment. Porteous gives the actors breathing room to react big and almost candidly (well, as candid as can be for a scripted show). Even still, the play’s lengthy narrations remain spatially uninteresting, and that’s likely due to the limited cast available to give the story more dimension, both dramaturgically and spatially.

Narda McCaroll’s appropriately ‘grimey’ set is cast in layers of shadows by Anton de Groot’s lighting design. Groot’s lighting work is important to distinguishing the social tiers Kadri’s character visits, by legal means and otherwise, over the course of the play. The higher he travels, the more light there is on stage, and vice versa. Cockroaches flood the stage thanks to clever projection design by Amelia Scott and Joel Adria.

Again, Kadri’s charm gives energy to the play. The Narrator is deeply flawed, engaging in misogyny and theft at every corner, but Kadri makes us root for the underdog, hope that the character’s inner-goodness – the kind that betrays good-natured people – pulls through. Meanwhile, Vlaskalic plays her character with a defensive edge, an edge with many sides. She and Kadri share great chemistry as they encounter each other from such different, but not distant emotional levels. Vlaskalic shines in the play’s final moments, delivering an intense performance. The well-intentioned Genevieve is not such a straight-forward role as it may seem. It’s not just a psychiatrist assessing the mental state of a Middle Eastern immigrant, but a person of privilege reassessing the state of their country’s imagined national identity. Grant successfully brings out these dimensions as she plays Genevieve with just a hint of ignorance, and a feigned sense of relation to the Narrator.

Issues aside, Garfinkel’s Cockroach is a play that deserves our attention as it offers insight into Canada’s cultural landscape from an often ignored perspective. Or, if not ignored, a perspective taken over by well-meaning (white) Canadians. ATP’s production of Cockroach is relevant, bold, and likely to ruffle a few feathers.

Jonathan Garfinkel’s Cockroach, based on the novel by Rawi Hage, runs March 1 – 19 at Alberta Theatre Projects.

For more information about the show, including how to purchase tickets, visit: http://atplive.com/whats-on/cockroach/

An earlier version of the review incorrectly credited Anton de Groot for the cockroach projection work. The review has been updated to credit co-projection designers Amelia Scott and Joel Adria appropriately.

 

Like A Bucket of Spilled Paint: One Yellow Rabbit’s ‘Calgary, I Love You’ is Colorful, but a Total Mess

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Members of the Ensemble in One Yellow Rabbit’s Calgary, I Love You, But You Are Killing Me. Part of the 30th High Performance .jpg

Members of the Ensemble in One Yellow Rabbit’s Calgary, I Love You, but You’re Killing Me. Part of the 30th High Performance Rodeo. Photo Credit: Trudie Lee.

If the city of Calgary has a soul, it’s a strange one. If nothing else, that’s what audiences can expect to take away from One Yellow Rabbit’s Calgary, I Love You, but You’re Killing Me.

Written and directed by Blake Brooker, ‘Calgary, I Love You’ is a musical journey through the soul of a city largely defined by oil and the frontier. The show sets out to paint a broader, more detailed picture of Calgary, from both the inside and outside. And while fun and insightful at times, the production is ultimately like a bucket of spilled paint, colorful but a total mess.

One Yellow Rabbit was founded in 1982, and the performing ensemble has called the Big Secret Theatre home since the late 80’s. In other words, the company has been around a long time, so if any group knows a thing or two about Calgary, it’s the Rabbits. Here, Denise Clarke and Andy Curtis are joined onstage by guest artists Karen Hines and Jamie Tognazzini. The artists are accompanied by musicians Kris Demeanor, Jonathan Lewis, and David Rhymer.

The show opens with various stories surrounding Calgary’s origins, starting with a creation myth told by Clarke. Curtis dismisses the fanciful story for something a little more ‘textbook’. He tells a story about early settlers – led by Joseph Tomato, a Mormon-inspired figure – who took were given the land by the native people. Hines’ account claims that aliens first populated Calgary – which would explain the politics.

No matter how the city was founded, there is no denying that Calgary has become a “city of ideas,” a magnet for many in search of opportunity. Sometimes, though, life throws us curveballs.

Tognazzini plays Kyla, a young woman who lives in a condo, but can’t afford her most recent purchase, a MacBook. She tries returning the computer to the store, then later selling it online, but with no luck. The credit card bill is fast approaching, and Kyla is in serious need of funds. The ensemble tell Kyla, through catchy song and dance, to “get a job” and that she shouldn’t ashamed of moving back in with her parents. There’s a strong sense that Kyla’s Calgary dream has burst as a result of the recent economic turmoil, and that her damaged ego is specific to someone who migrated out west from, let’s say, the maritimes. (Migrating out west has almost become a rite of passage for young people out east).

The ensemble stage a hilarious scene where different residents share their favourite places in Calgary to have a panic attack. The scene is fitting given that Calgarians are reported to work the longest hours in Canada, and also binge drink more than other Canadians. (The show’s title is perhaps more literal than anyone expected).

Hines offers a different and humorous perspective of Calgary as a Torontonian. As Hines sees it, the frontier spirit has escalated to beautiful wealthy hipsters living in lavish condos where they enjoy all sorts of ridiculous luxuries. Are they happier than the rest of us? Probably, she says.

Somewhere in this show that runs 120 minutes (with a 15 minute intermission), there lies a great concept, waiting to be executed with much more precision. The few scenes highlighted above feel as though they serve a purpose, that they say something about the character of Calgary and the complicated relationship its citizens have with their city. And then, there are scenes that outright miss the mark. For example, why do we need to hear about some guy, played by Demeanor, who avoids being robbed at the liquor store he works at because he was busy masturbating in the bathroom? Sure, the scene’s crassness is funny, especially with the way Demeanor tells it, but how does it serve the greater narrative?

Calgary’s nuisance animals later take the stage in a rather unusual scene. Clarke and Curtis play a magpie (misunderstood birds, by the way) and squirrel, respectively, and Hines plays a gopher. And that’s about it, really. The scene wins howling laughter from the audience, and then just keeps on going, not satisfied until its milked every bit of Clarke’s screeching magpie – “I’m a positive magpie!”

The audience is later subjected to a scene where Curtis plays a horse whisperer, and a horse, played by Lewis, sings his inner monologue to the audience. Also, Hines plays a landscape, and Clarke is the horse’s bottom half. The scene feels better suited for a David Ives play, than this show that tests the audience’s patience.

At least the ensemble present these scenes with a lot of zest and commitment to the silliness. Even so, the gallery of scenes feel inconsequential, fit for the cutting room floor.

One Yellow Rabbit had the chance to say something meaningful about Calgary, a city that they have called home for over thirty years, but instead they have chosen to squander it on cheap laughs. The disappointment is made greater by the fact that there are glimpses of brilliant wit and humour that run through the show. Unfortunately, the production suffers from a significant lack of polish, resulting in a lengthy, disjointed mess of ideas, each clamoring for attention.

Theatre goers at the 30th Annual High Performance Rodeo can skip One Yellow Rabbit’s Calgary, I Love You, but You’re Killing Me.

One Yellow Rabbit’s Calgary, I Love You, but You’re Killing Me runs Jan 12 – 23 at the Big Secret Theatre (Arts Commons), as part of the 2016 High Performance Rodeo.

For more information about the show, including how to purchase tickets, visit: https://www.hprodeo.ca/2016/calgary-i-love-you-but-youre-killing-me

Paddle Song Stages Life of E. Pauline Johnson

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Cheri Maracle stars as E. Pauline Johnson in Paddle Song, written by Dinah Christie with Tom Hill. Photo Credit: Benjamin Laird Arts & Photo.

If any famous Canadian deserves a Heritage Minute, it’s poet E. Pauline Johnson.

The daughter of a Six Nations Mohawk Chief and an English mother, Johnson toured across North America and England in the late 19th century, earning recognition everywhere she went. Audiences and literary critics, both contemporary and modern, praised Johnson’s poetry for its evocative imagery and urgent voice. Through her poetry, Johnson brought attention to the struggles of women and First Nations people.

Johnson’s life is chronicled in Paddle Song, written by Dinah Christie with Tom Hill. From her childhood days spent on the Grand River to the early days of her prosperous career, and beyond, the one-woman show stages an elegant presentation of the poet’s life. Canadian actress, singer-songwriter Cheri Maracle stars as Johnson, delivering a performance best summed as genuinely captivating.

The set-up is fairly straightforward, as most biographical plays are. Paddle Song takes the audience through the poet’s upbringing, her inspirations, and most importantly, her insecurities. Johnson’s insecurities stem from her entering into a field historically dominated by (white) men. The praise written about her in the papers is uplifting, but also the cause of much anxiety as she feels burdened with expectations (magnified by her status as a woman of mixed heritage).

Johnson also deals with the difficulties of touring, specifically the physical strain on her body. Perhaps fueled by a desire to prove herself, Johnson continues touring despite her body telling her otherwise.

Maracle’s wonderfully nuanced performance makes clear the magnitude of Johnson’s accomplishments. In Maracle, we see a young woman who is both excited, but also terrified at the revolutionary path she has set herself on. From Maracle’s performance, the audience gains a sense that Johnson truly appreciated every moment of her fame, as maybe she thought it might disappear at any moment – fearing she might be a fad in the literary world.

Maracle’s performance also sees lots of sharp quips and asides that radiate confidence. Her stage presence is marvelously magnetic. Her performance is a true delight.

Over the course of the play, Maracle recites a selection of Johnson’s poetry, including one of her most well-known works The Song My Paddle Sings. Maracle performs Johnson’s poetry with tremendous grace and power. The emotion in her words during A Cry From An Indian Wife is volcanic. Her talent brings Johnson’s poetry to life, and will undoubtedly lead many in the audience to seek out more of the poet’s work.

Christie’s energetic direction sees this humorous, touching play move effortlessly. The director goes for simplicity here, following the adage of ‘less is more’. Johnson’s canoe is nothing more than a bench, and that’s all Maracle needs (besides her paddle) to transport us to the river.

Often the literary contributions by women are overlooked or obscured by those made by (white) men. And so, staging plays like Paddle Song is critically important to the task of exploring and establishing a well-represented canon of Canadian literature. (Which is why the Heritage Minutes were mentioned, as they shape and influence the public’s cultural knowledge bank).

Co-presented by One Yellow Rabbit and Lunch Box Theatre, Paddle Song is a beautiful production that audiences should make every effort to see at the 30th Annual High Performance Rodeo.

Paddle Song runs Jan 11 – 23 at Lunchbox Theatre , as part of the 2016 High Performance Rodeo. Paddle Song is a co-presentation by One Yellow Rabbit and Lunchbox Theatre.

For more information about the show, including ticket information, visit: https://www.hprodeo.ca/2016/paddle-song

For more information about Cheri Maracle, visit her website: http://www.cherimaracle.com/

 

Evalyn Parry’s SPIN Opens The 30th Annual High Performance Rodeo

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evalyn parry SPIN - Photo by Jeremy Mimnagh

evalyn parry’s SPIN was first presented by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, in association with OutSpokeProductions, March 2011. Photo Credit: Jeremy Mimnagh.

There’s a strong fascination with the bicycle in North American culture, due in part to its role in popular culture. Think about Steven Spielberg’s hit 1982 film E.T: The Extra-Terrestrial. The bicycle, thanks to E.T’s powers, offers Elliott and his alien friend an escape from the authorities, and grants them wondrous freedom. The popularity of Gameboys and Nintendos years later would see parents pushing their children to go outside and ride their bikes – experience in full the freedom of childhood.

Toronto theatre artist and songwriter evalyn parry’s fascination with the bicycle is about freedom, too, but a different kind of freedom, one that was fought for by women no longer satisfied with the status quo.

Written and performed by parry, SPIN is some parts history, some parts personal reflection on the bicycle and its ties with first-wave feminism. Bicycle percussionist Brad Hart joins parry in telling the story of Annie Londonderry, the first woman to ride around the world on a bicycle in 1895.

On a wager, 23-year old Annie Londonderry sets off across the world on her bicycle for a 15-month journey that will win her $10,000. No stranger to the world of advertising, Annie gains plenty of corporate sponsors for her trip, including the Londonderry Lithia Spring Water Company whose name she took on as part of their deal. (Her real name was Annie Cohen Kopchovsky).

Just so the audience realizes the significance of Annie’s trip, parry sets the scene for what’s happening in the ‘gay nineties’. The ‘mobile woman’ is on the rise, much to the chagrin of men who rather they stay in the home. Women have organized themselves to fight for the vote. Reformers are encouraging women to learn how to ride bicycles, while male doctors warn women that the bicycle may be harmful to their reproductive organs. Women’s fashion changes to suit the needs of mobile women everywhere, lending them even more freedom in movement.

The bicycle becomes important not only for transportation, but also social mobility.

While parry’s theatrical ingenuity is certainly praise-worthy, there remain moments where the material struggles to hold our attention, specifically the audience’s crash course on the bicycle as social phenomenon. Yes, the history of the bicycle is interesting (for some, maybe) and important for context, but it’s a bit difficult to form a connection with facts and dates, no matter how dressed up they might be. The presentation picks up once the group dives into the compelling story of Annie’s around-the-world voyage, or at least it’s made compelling by parry’s demonstrated passion for the subject. Until then, the show engages in a total ‘info dump’.

parry’s hypnotic spoken word is accompanied by Hart’s percussions on a suspended vintage bicycle, and a string trio (Cello: Kevin Fox; Viola: Angela Rudden; Violin: Kathleen Kajioka). Hart delivers a rich, satisfying musical experience by mixing and looping his bicycle beats. Who knew someone could play a bicycle as an instrument, and play it so well? The bicycle percussion lends the production a real grassroots, folk feel, appropriate considering parry’s own personal relationship with the bicycle.

From the first-wave to the third-wave, the artist’s personal relationship with the bicycle completes the ride, as parry tells us how she used to travel the streets of Montreal on her bicycle, defacing sexist billboards in the night. In a city where bicycles spark outrage from motorists (see: the cycle tracks downtown), it’s refreshing to hear and see such eloquent love for the bicycle.

Co-presented by One Yellow Rabbit and Theatre Calgary, as part of the 2016 High Performance Rodeo, parry’s SPIN is an original musical experience that breathes the spirit of adventure.

evalyn parry’s SPIN runs Jan 7 – 10 at the Martha Cohen Theatre, as part of the 30th Annual High Performance Rodeo.

For more information about the show and how to purchase to tickets, visit: https://www.hprodeo.ca/2016/evalyn-parrys-spin

For more about evalyn parry, visit her website: http://evalynparry.com/

 

Dave Kelly Shines Bright in Epiphany

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Dave Kelly’s Epiphany runs at Lunchbox Theatre, Nov 30 – Dec 23. Photo Credit: Benjamin Laird Arts & Photo.

Webster’s Dictionary defines epiphany as “a moment in which you suddenly see or understand something in a new or very clear way.” What Webster’s leaves out is that the road to epiphany is not always easy, in fact it can be really, really challenging. And what could be more challenging than trying to survive the holidays?

Enjoying its world premiere at Lunchbox Theatre, Dave Kelly’s new comedy Epiphany tells the story of Steve, played by Kelly, a middle-aged father whose world is turned upside down when he learns that his only daughter Amelia is pregnant. See, Steve isn’t ready to be a grandfather, not yet anyway. For one, he and Amelia don’t really get along, and then there’s the fact that Steve’s just too young to be a grandfather. In Steve’s mind, he’s still the young, promising musician who rocked the Ugly Buffalo so many moons ago with his buddy Danny (Tim Williams).

To add more stress to the holidays, Steve volunteers to play Jingle Bells at his wife Ruth’s Christmas pageant. The thing about that, Steve can’t actually play the whole song from start to finish. He’s lucky if he can play the first few notes!

There’s something very Canadian about this story that Kelly tells about a family who could very well be our own neighbors. A major reason for that feeling is the honesty of Kelly’s storytelling. In any other hands, Steve might fall under the tired ‘bumbling father’ trope, but here Steve’s shortcomings are presented with heart. Although he may not have everything all figured out, Steve tries anyway to do the right thing, even if it doesn’t always pan out. There’s something to admire about that sort of devotion in a person, and in a father especially.

It’s easy, isn’t it, to think of our parents as having all the answers when really, they’re only human. And that’s really what Kelly animates in this holiday comedy. Some audience members may go back and understand differently moments where they were at odds with their parents, or children. While no one is perfect, the best thing we can do is try, and always keep each other close. The life lesson is punctuated by delicious musical interludes from Williams, an accomplished blues musician, on guitar.

Director Christopher Hunt eases Kelly’s character transitions well enough considering the number of characters that make an appearance. Costume designer Rebecca Toon treats the audience to a real doozy of a pageant costume that makes the show’s finale all the more hilarious. (Seriously, the finale is a real hoot).

All in all, Epiphany feels like sitting beside a crackling fireplace on a cold winter’s night. There’s a lot to enjoy about a show that uncovers gems of truth through genuine, heartfelt humour. It’s no surprise that the show is almost sold-out, because audiences know Kelly is a charming and formidable storyteller. Audiences will not be disappointed by Kelly’s latest offering.

Dave Kelly’s Epiphany, with music by Tim Williams, runs at Lunchbox Theatre, Nov 30 – Dec 30.

For more information about the show, visit: http://www.lunchboxtheatre.com/epiphany/ 

Of Magic & Mumplings: Legend Has It Returns to Alberta Theatre Projects

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The cast of Legend Has It, which opened November 24 at Alberta Theatre Projects. Image provided by ATP.

Two years have passed since Alberta Theatre Projects premiered Rebecca Northan’s Legend Has It as part of the 2014 Enbridge PlayRites Festival of New Canadian Plays. Audiences who missed Northan’s award-winning comedy the first time now have the opportunity to catch it this holiday season at ATP.

Every night, one lucky audience member is chosen to star in an epic fantasy adventure to save the land of Jaro from the evil Haldor (Jamie Northan). Tonight’s hero is Phil, an electrician from Calgary, who the prophecy foretold would return peace to Jaro.

When Phil arrives in Jaro, he is greeted by a Mumpling named Maggie (Northan) who informs him that her people have been taken from their homes by Haldor and his minions. Maggie’s plan to save the Mumplings is made more urgent when her Gran (Christy Bruce) is captured. Phil and Maggie encounter the strange citizens of Jaro along their way to save Gran and the rest of the Mumplings.

Here’s the thing, the journey to Haldor’s castle will not be the same every night.

The magic of Legend Has It is that the entire show is improvised by Northan and the show’s ensemble. As well, the hero gets to customize their experience by choosing who will play their companion and who will play the villain. Think of the show as a real-life game of Dungeons & Dragons. The major difference from D & D is that, instead of dice or a pencil, the hero gets to wield a sword and fight in glorious slow-motion in front of 400 people.

Our hero Phil is a fast learner. He not only learns the ropes of stage combat  – it’s all about the squat – but he also gets a handle on trading witty banter with the ensemble.  The audience gets in the action, too, with their own comments. The theatre feels like a very communal space, full of good vibes.

Given the show’s improvised nature, surprise is literally around every corner. Some may feel uncomfortable with this, but rest assured the ensemble’s talent for improv is magnificent. There are certainly moments where the show goes off the rails, but these moments are far from disastrous thanks to the ensemble’s lightning fast wit. The actors roll confidently with the punches, finding opportunity in nearly every random element thrown their way.

While the ensemble may not be too concerned with presenting a serious epic like, say, Lord of the Rings, there is a genuine concern here by Northan to explore what heroism means. Northan brings notions of bravery from the realm of the epic to the everyday by asking Phil if he has ever lost anyone in his life, and how he overcame that loss. In doing so, Northan reminds us that life is itself an epic adventure, full of obstacles that we overcome everyday, making us each heroic in our own unique ways.

The show’s fantasy elements come alive thanks to Scott Reid’s marvelous castle set, and his lighting design. Reid’s dramatic lighting gives the slow-motion fight scenes a comical edge. Deitra Kalyn’s fantasy costumes feel as though they were plucked straight out of a Terry Pratchett novel. Jonathan Lewis’ original composition and sound design succeeds at underscoring the whimsy of Phil’s journey. Major praise for Ellis LaLonde’s ability to improvise sound cues on the fly.

Top to bottom, Legend Has It is this season’s ultimate feel good show. Northan’s comedy invites us to laugh, reflect, and maybe discover something new about ourselves. With all the recent bad news for Alberta’s economy, there could be no greater gift this holiday season than the gift of laughter. A win for Alberta Theatre Projects.

Alberta Theatre Projects’ Legend Has It runs November 24 – December 31, 2015.

Legend Has It was originally created by Rebecca Northan with Renee Amber, Bruce Horak, Mark Meer, and Jamie Northan.

For more information about the show, including how to purchase tickets, visit: http://atplive.com/whats-on/legend-has-it/

The Ensemble:
Josh Bertwistle
Christy Bruce
Bruce Horak
Ellis Lalonde
Jamie Northan
Rebecca Northan

 

Join The Club: MacIvor’s Inside Examines Modern Life

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The University of Calgary’s School of Creative and Performing Arts presents Inside by Daniel MacIvor. Photo Credit: Benjamin Laird Arts & Photo.

Canadian playwright Daniel MacIvor’s Inside is far from optimistic about modern life.

Directed by MacIvor, Inside stages nine characters whose lives are set to collide minutes before midnight at a high-end nightclub. The urban dwellers are hopelessly lost in a world disrupted by social media – a network of mirages. The authentic is bled dry for fame and followers; presence in the 21st century. The search for belonging in the age of Web 2.0 has led the characters to form difficult, and sometimes harmful, relationships.

MacIvor has adapted the play’s narrative and characters to suit the student actors cast in this production by the University of Calgary’s School of Creative and Performing Arts,. The collaboration makes for an interesting blend of cynicism towards modern life. At some points, the cynicism seems to come from a Millennial’s viewpoint while at other times from the viewpoint of Generation X.

Take for example, the young, self-loathing activist Todd (Brandon Huszti). Todd sees a lot of problems with his generation, particularly the rise of selfies and artifice. Todd wants his generation, and everyone else, to look up from their phones, and he plans on achieving that with his devices (that won’t hurt anyone, he claims). The thing about Todd’s objective is, the objective seems concerned with returning to some sort of idealised past that Todd has never known, but only studied – like a freshman enlightened after taking one Philosophy course.

Then, there is Sana (Keshia Cheesman) and her sister Kara (Onika Henry). Kara, a lawyer, believes the only way to create meaningful change is to go through the proper channels. Kara believes that working from the inside is the most effective way to make change happen, while Sana stands firmly beside her method of making noise from the edges. Sana’s stance is not surprising given her obsession with social media, particularly its capacity to affect the offline e.g. produce celebrities like Kim Kardashian.

Sana and Kara’s argument boils down to this, what is the effectiveness of social media campaigns like #BlackLivesMatter? The skepticism of Generation X towards the influence of digital campaigns, versus traditional ‘analog’ methods, is well represented in Kara. Kara sees her younger sister as being naive for thinking that action without presence could have any impact.

Another interesting thread running through MacIvor’s play is the friendship between Jeanie (Paige Thomas) and Violet (Bianca Miranda). The emotionally abusive Jeannie exploits Violet’s kindness in order to satisfy her own interests. While Violet recognizes that Jeannie is not very nice towards her, she also recognizes that Jeanie is her only friend. Jeanie and Violet’s friendship is very much an exchange, as opposed to something founded upon mutual respect. It is a very cynical view of friendship that MacIvor presents us.

It is unclear what exactly MacIvor wants the audience to take away from Inside. MacIvor points out a lot of flaws about modern life, specifically emotional disengagement, but does little in the way of providing possible solutions. MacIvor’s concern for this road we are traveling down together is essentially a series of observations and thin arguments that land heavy without much subtlety. The play’s unrelenting cynicism makes it difficult for the audience to identify a common ground with the characters. The finale ultimately proves unsatisfying as it ends on a cheap moment of optimism that begs to be taken seriously.

MacIvor tries bleeding the scenes into each other with club music and dance, but the transitions feel hard nonetheless. The narrative’s episodic nature interrupts the steady momentum he tries to sustain in this ensemble piece. Fortunately, there is not much to move during transitions (set design by Skylar Desjardins) as the actors only have to move tables and chairs.

Anton de Groot’s edgy lighting design with Alex Allan’s pulse pounding sound work transform the Reeve Theatre into a nightclub, the evening’s hub for misery.

Thomas is absolutely vicious as Jeanie, a young woman abusing her disability leave. The audience is nearly on the verge of hissing at Thomas as she cuts into Miranda’s heartbreaking Violet without remorse.

Cheesman plays Sana confidently, as does Henry with Kara. The pair demonstrate that the sisters are, more or less, two sides of the same coin, even if they think otherwise.

Nick Wensrich delivers an eerie performance that burns slowly as Mason, a former soldier disturbed what he saw on deployment. He brings out the character’s manipulative personality that lays deep underneath his guise as a total schmuck. Vanessa Jetté emotes well Audrey’s vulnerability as a reluctant prostitute, hired by Mason.

Dylan Forkheim plays the nightclub’s manager Brian with the sleaziness most, if not all, nightclubs attract, though Brian’s sleaziness is punctuated by sadistic tendencies.

Kris Vanessa Teo’s free-spirited performance as Todd’s girlfriend Mary is a strong and much needed contrast to her boyfriend’s pseudo-intellectualism, played well by Huszti. Miranda’s Violet, pregnant, and Huszti’s Todd, on the way to enact his plan, play a rather touching scene together in the second act where the merits of modern life are debated.

While the ensemble manages well enough with MacIvor’s script, issues and all, there is a strong sense that the ensemble could go further with their performances. The ensemble might benefit from a more intimate space, because here the Reeve Theatre feels somewhat vacant, lacking in presence.

Overall, MacIvor’s Inside leaves much to be desired in terms of a narrative worth investing in. Audiences will feel disengaged by this play steeped in cynicism towards modern life. An underwhelming production that strays far from the SCPA’s usual fare.

The University of Calgary’s School of Creative and Performing Arts’ production of Daniel MacIvor’s Inside runs Nov 24 – Dec 5 at the Reeve Theatre.

For more information about the show, visit: https://scpa.ucalgary.ca/events/inside

 

The Age of Love Turns The Taboo Into Something Sweet

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Love, you never know where you’ll find it. Just ask 21-year-old Ash (Ryan Gray). Who have guessed that Ash would meet the love of his life at his grandfather’s funeral? Funerals aren’t exactly breeding grounds for romance, you know with the whole death thing. But when Ash laid his eyes upon his sobbing step-grandmother that day, something just clicked.

Presented by Urban Stories Theatre, Maria Crooks’ The Age of Love stages the ‘scandalous’ relationship between Ash and his 77-year-old step-grandmother Olivia (Diana-Marie Stolz). While the relationship is no problem for Olivia, a feisty mature woman, Ash has been slow about making their love known publicly. The thing is, Ash has a whole lot of money waiting to be inherited, but the inheritance is at the discretion of his mother Evelyn (Olga Primak). Ash can’t just marry anyone, you see, he needs to marry someone who has Evelyn’s approval, otherwise Ash receives nothing.

More libido than brains, Ash decides the best way to break the news to his mother is to have them all appear on a ratings thirsty tabloid TV show hosted by Lex Rodriguez (Ellen Sullivan).

Crooks goes beyond the taboo to find something sweet in Ash and Olivia’s relationship. Sure, the playwright goes for laughs, and maybe tries too hard in the process, but the playwright stays away from framing the two lovebirds as sexual deviants. Instead, Crooks is interested in exploring what exactly defines a normal relationship. So long as people are happy and not hurting anyone, then why should anyone worry about the status quo when their heart says otherwise?

Crooks takes a bite out of the status quo by positioning Ash and Olivia’s relationship against the outrageous spectacle produced by slimy, Jerry Springer-esque TV shows. Suddenly, there are far stranger things in life than a couple who just happen to be 50 years apart, like TV talk shows that exploit people for entertainment.

And in a fun twist, the eccentric psychologist and shoe fetishist Dr. Blezieau (Scottie Grinton) is perhaps the most rational person in the room.

With that being said, Crooks’ script could really benefit from a significant trim. 75 minutes feels just a little too long for this quirky play. While Britt Kennedy’s direction brings a lot of pep to the show, the material does start to run thin, especially towards the end.

On that note, there is not much on stage besides two chairs, a bed, and a desk. A good thing considering the front row has to be conscious of their feet so they don’t trip anyone during some of the more physical moments.

Stolz brings a lot of fire to the stage, and a lot of that fire comes out when she goes toe to toe against Primak. No easy battle given Primak plays Evelyn as less than a helicopter parent and more of a fighter jet. Gray is a lot of fun to watch as he tries to maintain the peace between the two fierce women.

Grinton is a real scene stealer with his faux, over the top German accent, and all the uncomfortable euphemisms that come out of his character’s well-meaning mouth. And the audience loves Sullivan as Lex, a TV host who cares more about camera angles than real human emotion. Sullivan has a great time with the character, and who wouldn’t when they get to poll the ‘studio audience’ on what they think about Ash and Olivia’s relationship?

Based on actual events, Crooks’ new play The Age of Love is a hilarious, oddly touching show that audiences will enjoy for its refreshing look at the taboo.

Urban Stories Theatre’s The Age of Love runs Nov 10 – 21 at Motel Theatre.

For more information about the show, including how to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.urbanstoriestheatre.org/

 

The Far, Far Edge of Theatre: Nadia Ross Talks What Happened to The Seeker

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STO Union’s What Happened to The Seeker opens next Wednesday (Nov 25) at Theatre Junction GRAND.

Founded in 1992 by Artistic Director Nadia Ross, STO Union is a multidisciplinary art and performance company that explores new methods of theatre creation and production by bringing together artists from a variety of mediums. For their latest show What Happened to The Seeker, the company has brought together exhibition, video, and live performance to stage an experience unlike any other.

“We are the far, far edge of theatre,” Ross says, “even to the point where we’re not even sure theatre critics can review it…[but] that’s what STO Union does is explore, what else can you do in a venue? What are other ways to communicate? It’s bringing up questions we want it to bring up.”

What Happened to The Seeker tells the story of a middle-class, North American woman who embarks on a personal journey to reclaim the ideals of her youth. The journey is based on vivid experiences from childhood, intertwined with the history of the Seekers – youth of the 1960s who travelled the world to find spiritual enlightenment. The performance triptych, encapsulating the era from 1965 to 2010, takes the audience on a journey of their own as they piece together the story of the character’s fragmented life.

“There’s an underlying franticness in her because of her search, her desire to find some sort of place where she feels okay in the world,” says Ross about the character. “There’s also this huge underlying – it’s subtle, but it’s there – level of disappointment because there was so much anticipation, so much hope, so much belief. I mean, they were talking about climate change in the sixties. They were talking about plastics. They were talking about all of this stuff.

“[The character] realizes that change is very, very slow. She did not expect that by the time she was in her fifties that women would be still be paid so much less than men. She thought they would be equals, that’s what she assumed was going to happen.”

Ross adds that part of the danger when talking about the sixties is the nostalgia surrounding the period. “A lot of people say, that was the highlight, and we’ve gone downhill since then.”

The internationally acclaimed artist explains that the show’s structure is inspired by changes currently developing in the communication revolution. “I think with the internet, Facebook, and all that, it’s changed how we look at things. We’ve become far more visual. It’s all about the image. Language is sort of deteriorating.”

“What I did with this show is I’m trying to imitate what happens when you go online,” says Ross about bringing together three mediums to tell a story. “One minute you have this; the next you have that. You have totally different formats that you are exposed to very quickly. We don’t do it as fast as online, but that’s why we give you very different experiences. So, one moment you feel like you are in an art gallery, then the next moment you are watching a puppet movie, eating popcorn.

“So, it’s sort of an experiment into, can you do that? Can you pile things on top of each other that are different forms and still, in some way, have communication with the audience? [Can you] still keep that red thread going through the whole thing?”

Even with all our progress, Ross believes that what will always remain true about human beings is our desire not to change what is there in order to feel better. “Our search [for spiritual enlightenment] is like, buy your lotto ticket and get your million dollars.”

“[The character] goes through hundreds of boyfriends,” she says. “She goes through different things at work. She’s just kind of tearing through life in hopes that she’s going to find it, find that sweet spot… that’s what we want to look at, that eternal desire for something else, for something more, for something that’s going to hit the spot, and how we never find it.”

Although the show may be far from traditional, the experiments that are being staged may one day affect the mainstream. Ross hopes that people who are curious about what is on the horizon will come see the show when it opens next Wednesday at Theatre Junction GRAND.

STO Union’s What Happened to The Seeker runs Nov 25 -28 at Theatre Junction GRAND.

For more information about the show, including how to purchase tickets, visit: http://www.theatrejunction.com/portfolio/what-happened-to-the-seeker/

STO Union’s website: http://stounion.com/

I Say, You Say: Holt Takes The Stage For Shakespeare’s Will

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Elinor Holt plays Anne Hathaway in Thiessen's one-woman drama Shakespeare's Will. Photo credit: McDonald Photography.

Elinor Holt plays Anne Hathaway in Thiessen’s one-woman drama Shakespeare’s Will. Photo credit: McDonald Photography.

Absence makes the heart grow fonder, maybe. Ask William Shakespeare’s wife Anne Hathaway (Elinor Holt) what she thinks about that.

One part history, several parts dramatic whimsy, Canadian playwright Vern Thiessen’s Shakespeare’s Will should not be taken as a pure biography of Anne Hathaway’s life. Think of the play – presented by Sage Theatre – more as an imagining inspired by historical fact. Thiessen’s imagining is primarily inspired by Shakespeare’s last will and testament, an actual document whose phrasing has produced much speculation on the nature of Anne and William’s relationship.

On the eve of William’s funeral, Anne is pressured by her husband’s sister, Joan, to hurry home and read his will. Anne is hesitant, however, to read her late husband’s final wishes. Instead, the widow journeys back to when she, at the age of 26, met the young Shakespeare. The 18-year-old writer is, surprisingly, a man of few words, content only to respond with ‘aye’ when speaking with Anne. Despite this, Anne falls for and eventually marries William – Anne’s pregnancy may or may not have fast tracked that decision.

Anne and her three children are just about abandoned by William when his theatrical aspirations call him to London. Yes, he sends money and (very brief) letters from the city, but what about the months spent away from his family? What about Anne’s unfulfilled sexual desires? Maybe Anne’s overbearing father was right about not trusting Catholics. After all, William is nowhere close for support when the plague breaks out.

Thiessen may not be interested in telling just any old love story, but the play certainly feels familiar. One reason for the play’s familiarity is that at its core, its premise is this: a woman marries an artist whose career takes him far away from home. No doubt, what makes this specific story standout is the mystique surrounding Shakespeare’s personal life. Given that Anne is very much on the periphery of that fascination, more of an answer on an high school English exam than a historical figure, Thiessen’s play feels as though any couple of the same dynamic could replace Anne and William.

Thiessen’s rich, flowing language has a rhythm to it that Holt carries wonderfully. Kelly Reay’s smooth direction matches Thiessen’s style impeccably. The director’s strong awareness of space and movement transforms the stage into an almost dream-like sea of memories where Holt is caught adrift. Ajay Badoni’s emotional lighting design plunges the stage further into this ethereal state, to the tune of Allison Lynch’s solid musical composition.

Memory is a powerful thing as Holt demonstrates in full force. How Holt so effortlessly sweeps back and forth between Anne’s memories is mesmerizing. Every word spoken feels honest, almost as if Holt were revealing a secret to a friend. Holt truly lives every detail of Anne’s personal history, from the birth of her children to her unhappy encounter with tragedy. Alone, Holt conjures an intimate, stirring performance that almost convinces us otherwise about Thiessen’s loose imagining of history.

Ultimately, Thiessen’s springboard for imagination, as he calls it, misses the mark by telling a story about a woman like Anne Hathaway, not a story about Anne Hathaway. Thiessen admits the play is not a proper historical representation of Anne Hathaway, and that apology is founded. Although there is not a vast wealth of knowledge about Anne Hathaway’s personal life, there is still something strange about trying to stage Anne’s perspective when it relies so heavily on her husband’s legacy. Thiessen’s script is written well as it offers plenty for Holt to sink her teeth into, but audiences may feel a lingering disconnect in the back of their minds.

Sage Theatre’s Shakespeare’s Will runs Nov 6 – 14 at the Joyce Doolittle Theatre.

For more information about the show, including ticket information: http://sagetheatre.com/