June 08 Newsletter
Happy June, friends! This is an exciting month for theatre in Canada – this year’s Magnetic North festival is in Vancouver and alas I unfortunately couldn’t make it, but am excited to start hearing news from Ms. Jessica Ruano via her new facebook group – [Theatre Across Canada] – or check out her regular blog at www.jessicaruano.wordpress.com for news of her cross-Canada escapades.
If you, like me, are here in Toronto during Mag.North do not fret because Toronto’s got Pride in June! For some, yes, it’s that time again; the festival has been running since 1981 and is probably the definitive events for Toronto. As for me, this will be my official first Toronto Pride experience. On paper, it runs from June 20th to June 29th, but there are a ton of events, gatherings, and concerts leading up to Pride Week. BetweenLines will feature a Pride exclusive newsletter (once I can climb out from underneath a pile of websites and press documents). This Pride thing is bigger than sliced bread!
For now, here is how you should keep yourself busy and tuned in early June:
Minotaur
Fringe Remount
This show apparently frightened the heck out of audiences in 2006 during Toronto Fringe, and I must draw your attention to it so that when you see it you can tell me all about it. You see, I am not ‘into’ horror type things. I’m bad enough with movies, and apparently the visceral experience of this performance has lead to nightmares for its audience members. Some people love that stuff, I for one scare embarrassingly easily.
A sort of RPG-meets-theatre experience, the audience becomes drawn into this show through what is originally set up as a lecture. Soon, it turns into a haunting story about a house at 27 edgedale road, where the belongings of a mysterious Nora and Keira were found…but their whereabouts are unknown. Dun dun dunnnnn. At any rate, unspun theatre promises “one of the most chilling and original shows the city has seen in years.” They have JUST extended their run so if you don’t catch them before June 7, you can see Minotaur between June 10-14 at the Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse, 8pm nightly.
unspun theatre
Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse
79A St. George Street
May 28- June 7, June 10-14
At door $15, or adv www.totix.ca
Uncle Vanya
Brush up on your classics theatre lovers because Uncle Vanya is one of Chekhov’s gems. It’s been admired largely for its tone; a sort of lack-lustre portrait of a number of people whose boredom with their lives makes the reader question the possibility for love and hope. It’s a brilliant and intricately structured play and I’m glad to see that Soulpepper will be staging it (again – originally staged in 2001). Director László Marton is taking it into his hands once again, and I’m keen to see these fantastically complex characters come to life.
Soulpepper Theatre
Young Centre for the Performing Arts
55 Mill St. Bldg 49 (Distillery District)
June 5 – 12
416.866.8666
Beauty Salon
Theatre? Sure. Performance piece/art installation/interactive community experience? YUH-HUH! Basically, this even is well, a beauty salon. You book an appointment, get a personalized treatment from Beauty Salon creator, Moynan King (known for the interplay of power and beauty in past works), or any one of the other retro-styled Beauty Salon Attendants and voila! You are transformed into beautiful, beautiful art. The guiding point of inquiry for this piece is, in fact, our own notions of beauty — where they play out in our lives, and how our appearance affects our perception. The audience becomes one part voyeur and one part exhibition as the tables are turned in this performance piece. Call the salon’s reception to book your appointment: 416.975.8555.
Buddies in Bad Times
dir. Moynan King
Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St.
June 5 – 14
416.975.8555
Edward the Crazy Man
World Premiere
Coming to the Lorraine Kimsa Theatre for Young People is Edward the Crazy Man; my pick for shows to see just for the title. How can you go wrong?
This piece is based on a children’s book, and brought to stage by Workman Arts in partnership with Toronto’s Center for Addiction to Mental Health. In my humble opinion, it’s a great point of departure for a play. Not only do we get to experience a youth-concerned production (generally a rowdier, more stylized, colourful experience for the audience member), but as a piece of theatre, Edward the Crazy Man draws attention to certain problematic social norms surrounding homelessness and mental illness in a positive way. So relevant to Toronto when the reality is that TO’s infrastructure houses an abundant array of people, and while I wasn’t raised in TO I can imagine that learning about homelessness is an important part of the maturation process. It’s about community after all, and shedding light on those seemingly dark corners.
Workman Theatre with TCAMH
dir. Leah Cherniak
LKTYP, 165 Front St. E
June 10 – 19
416.583.4339.x.7
This entry was posted on June 2, 2008 at 5:38 am and is filed under Monthly Newsletters . You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
June 6, 2008 at 5:26 pm
Thanks for the shout-out, Kat!
That beauty salon show looks really interesting.
If you haven’t already seen Toronto performer d.bi young, I definitely recommend it. She is currently performing in her one-woman show blood.claat at the Magnetic North. She is a truly engaging storyteller.