canadian stage current show is not krapp!!!

The current canadianstage production of fernando krapp wrote me this letter is a feast for the eyes and ears. Director Matthew Jocelyn has given his actors a dance-like quality as they indulge in incredible, at times slapstick, movement across a stage design that is both intimate and monumentally cold and barren. Evocative and thrilling sets and costumes by Astrid Janson and lighting by Robert Thomson punctuate this harrowing, at times comic drama.

A huge revolve locates the action within a variety of settings that represent the dwelling places of the central straight couple - a couple in the throes of a very surreal and intense form of conjugal ‘bliss.’ With psychoanalytic overtones and darkly comic moments, the ensemble performs this incredible play with great skill and acumen as they take somewhat oblique and enigmatic characters and render them life like and terrifying.

Tranlsated by Joceylyn, from the original German script by Tankred Dorst, the piece has German expressionist overtones with hints of the kind of socially charged works of Yazmina Reza and Edward Albee. This is an explosive collision of Whose Afraid of Virginia Woolf and The God of Carnage - on LSD, and is a must see as the opening show for the canadianstage 2010 season.

Jocelyn’s new vision for the company - “to challenge and reinvent traditional notions of theatre” - is played to the hilt in Krapp and includes utterly poignant stage effects that culminate with a beautiful scene of Shakespearean proportions, replete with a haunting lyric and a giant backdrop that hit home the pivotal message about love, loss, memory, misunderstanding, altruism, and absolute matrimonial confusion.

Carefully placed picketers outside the theatre on opening night displayed the pun ‘ish message on bright yellow placards - live theatre is krapp - with matching buttons available in the lobby. On the contrary - fernando krapp wrote me this letter reveals the intensity of emotion and high level of diverse aesthetic commitment that Jocelyn, as the new Artistic Director at canadianstage, intends to bring to the company.

running until october 16^th at the the bluma appel theatre

front street

STRATFORD MUSICAL ROMPS

CARVER IN BOWLER HAT AS JACQUES IN AS YOU LIKE IT

CARVER LEAPING ABOVE THE BAND IN DYNAMIC JACQUES BREL CABARET ENSEMBLE

TWO FAB STRATFORD SHOWS !!!

BRENT CARVER DOUBLES UP THIS SEASON AT STRATFORD IN A DYNAMIC CABARET ROLE IN JACQUES BREL IS ALIVE AND WELL AND LIVING IN PARIS AND AS THE UNFORGETTABLE “ALL THE WORLD’S A STAGE” CHARACTER OF JACQUES IN AS YOU LIKE IT

The Stratford Festival production of Jacques Brel is Alive and well and living in Paris is an exquisite example of musical cabaret theatre at its finest. A cast of two men and two women deliver a gorgeous array of engaging, poignant, and high-spirited songs from the iconic French singer and composer.

Any longtime Brent Carver fan will be mesmerized by his superb performance, and may be tempted to wish that every song was performed by Carver in concert. But the other performers are up to the task of keeping company with a musical theatre genius as they hit each note with perfect theatrical and tuneful pitch as they take audiences on a joyful ride through a diverse array of unforgettable songs.

Cast:

Jewelle Blackman

Mike Nadajewski

Natalie Nadon

Brent Carver

Tom Patterson Theatre

May 14 to Sept 25

__________________________________

'AS YOU LIKE IT' A SURREAL RIDE THROUGH COMEDY AND FASCISM !!!

Des McAnuff’s production of As You like is a thoroughly entertaining and utterly surreal version of one of the bard’s most popular comedies. McAnuff’s penchant for Broadway-esque showmanship is superb as he updates the setting and gives the play an eerie and frightening Hitler-ian glow that is punctuated by Debra Hanson’s gorgeous Magritte inspired sets.

Standout performances by Ben Carlson (Touschtone), Lucy Peacock (Audrey), Andrea Rung (Rosalind), Paul Nolan (Orlando), and Brent Carver (Jacques) are beautifully clothed in costumes by Dana Osborne. Although strong, and appropriately infused with touches of military madness, the uniformly formal garb - with touches of casual panache - does not distinguish between some of the players as effectively as it might have. McAnuff’s and Osborne's articulation of Touchstone in particular - in a casual suit - does not give Carlson an adequate visual or physical framework for his engaging commentary on the comic/sardonic fool’s paradise his counterparts are meant to play in.

Nevertheless, with delightful jazz based musical moments by Justin Ellington, and a splendid setting for the gender bending antics to unfold, the current Stratford production gives Shakepseare’s classic court and kooky forest an appropriately complex playground for comedy, romance, and power hungry fascists to misbehave within.

at the Festival Theatre until October 31st

SOULPEPPER SUMMER

SOULPEPPER PRODUCTION OF

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY

“ORIGINAL,

SOMETIMES BRUTAL

AND ALWAYS UNFORGETTABLE”

The current Soulpepper production of A Month In the Country is not to be missed. Turgenev’s classic Russian dramedy takes the subtle social comedy of Chekhovian delight and pushes the dramaturgical envelope into intergenerational titillation and high-spirited frolicking in a setting that could be your Kawartha Lakes neighbour’s country cottage or a summer camp for dysfunctional family units.

The contemporary translation by company member Susan Coyne, in collaboration with Hungarian master director Laszlo Marton, may seem awkward at times as it sports clearly Canadian/North American dialogue, and yet, in the hands of a superb cast the frequently formal phrasing and the long Russian names come trippingly from the tongue.

Costumes by Victoria Wallace and sets by Andrei Both support this action packed piece with a summery, causal offhand grace - replete with half a sports car jutting form a multi-doored back wall, working water hoses, heavenly hammocks, skateboards, and a delightfully devilish tire swing.

Fiona Byrne leads a superb ensemble as the complex and carnally induced Natalya. Diego Matmoros delivers a brilliant rendition of the wry and lovelorn Ratikin, while Jeff Lillico’s charismatic young student/tutor/multi-tasking paramour blends a perfect combination of mannerly shyness and youthful exuberance.

Nancy Palk, William Webster, and Joseph Ziegler give standout performances as their brief scenes of romantic misadventure possess an almost tableau-like performance art quality, setting them apart from the rest of the action and rendering the overall mise en scene quirky, complex, and utterly charming.

Too numerous to mention, the entire ensemble provides this timeless script with the complexity of emotion and raw physicality essential to a successful production of a script that could have easily become overly sentimental in the hands of a less physically inclined and sexually invigorated company of artists. On ‘holiday’ in the hands of a playful and dramaturgically proficient director the entire production team basks in the glow of mesmerizing midsummer madness.

Director Laszlo Marton has whipped his cast into a fun filled frenzy as they utilize every square inch of the stage with wild abandon, giving into, what Soulpepper Associate Artist Paula Wing so aptly calls, in her program notes, “the sudden, shocking, fierce experience of love: original, sometimes brutal and always unforgettable.”

A MONTH IN THE COUNTRY RUNS AT THE YOUNG CENTRE FOR THE PERFORMING ARTS (DISTILLERY DISRTICT

SOULPEPPER LAB SERIES CHERRY ORCHARD VISCERAL AND SEXY!

the Soulpepper lab series production of The Cherry Orchard is visceral, physical, sexy, breathtaking and filled with thrillingly violent booming jazzy instrumental soundscapes - don't miss this amazing take on Chekhov's classic tale of belabored love, delayed lust, and death by champagne!

running at the Young Centre (Distillery District) until July11th

the cast is, well, um . . . gorgeous!!!

SOULPEPPER'S JITTERS HILARIOUS AND CLEARLY CANADIAN WITH TIMELY GLOBAL INNUENDO!!!

GET THE JITTERS!!!

It is rare that one gets to see the perfect comedy and the perfect cast in action, on stage, and appearing to love very minute of their madcap ride through a classic Canadian script. I first saw David French’s Jitters in the seventies, when I was toddler (a twenty something toddler) and had such fond but vague memories of this riotous pay within a play about the adventures of a range of actors, at various stages in their careers, rehearsing a new Canadian play with the possibility of a Broadway production. The script is rife with references to the plight of even the most successful actors in this country who play the daily game of wondering if they will ever be able to move beyond the confining theatrical borders of a vast plot of land comprising a rather ‘small’ under populated nation. OHHHH Canada!!!!!! I could drink an icy keg of you!

The cast is impeccable. True to form, there is not a dull edge in the Soulpepper ensemble, showing audiences that English Canadian theatre has managed to indisputably prove itself within its own borders, and yet the struggle for international recognition remains a timely message.

Diane D’Aquila’s Jessica brings the strength, compassion and vigor needed for the role of a struggling diva that can lash out at her detractors as well as embrace fledgling neophyte thespians as they test their wings. All loveable divas, the actors playing actors playing stage managers and technicians in the show include Oliver Dennis’ wonderfully idiosyncratic Phil, Kevin Bundy’s sympathetic micro-managing George, C. David Johnson ‘s unruly, self-doubting Patrick, Jordan Pettle’s subtly fey and sexy stage managing Nick, Sarah Wilson’s sweetly sly Peggy, Abena Malika’s provocative and playful Susi, Noah Reid’s marvelous youthful male diva intent on a fabulous film career, and Mike Ross’s delightful comic take on the nerve shattered playwright watching his script take a roller coaster ride through the varied and demanding personalities of a group of somewhat terrified, frequently confident and colliding actors.

Ted Dykstra’s direction infuses this lengthy two intermisssion’ed, 2 and a half hour piece with an utterly engaging, breakneck, and lighthearted breeze that wafts through the theatre filling our hearts and minds with mostly comedy and lots of thought-provoking innuendo that makes us proud - and nervous - to be Canuckian.

Sets and costumes by Patrick Clark possess a fabulous 70’s Brady Bunch quality and the act two backstage environment reveals a number of subtly integrated tributes to past, present, and ongoing Canadian theatre luminaries such as Bill Glassco and Mallory Gilbert - scribbled on the walls of the ramshackle dressing room with the pivotal faulty lavatory door.

This is a must see this summer at Soulpepper. Jitters takes stereotypical Canadian identity and turns it on its head, revealing just how polite, loving, enraged, talented, and truly hilarious we can be when we find ourselves in yet another escapade of international import.

Jitters runs at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District until June 24th

DON'T MISS SOULPEPPER LAB SERIES EXCITING PRODUCTION OF THE CHERRY ORCHARD!!!

MEDIA RELEASE

Soulpepper’s Lab Series presents The Cherry Orchard

Toronto, ON – June 7, 2010 – Albert SchultzAlbert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company, today

announced the second off ering of the company’s Lab Series - Anton Chekhov’s The Cherry Orchard. Soulpepper’s

Lab Series provides the company’s artists and audience an opportunity to share in the creative process by

experiencing together various approaches to theatrical storytelling.

Under the guidance of director Daniel BrooksDaniel Brooks, the artists of the Soulpepper Academy: Ins Choi,Ins Choi, Tatjana CornijTatjana Cornij, Raquel Duff yRaquel Duff y, Ken MacKenzieKen MacKenzie, Gregory PrestGregory Prest, Karen RaeKaren Rae, Jason Patrick RotheryJason Patrick Rothery and Brendan Wall Brendan Wall culminate a year-long journey of discovery of one of the seminal texts of the Western Canon.

Brooks and the AcademyAcademy‚ have constructed a condensed version of The Cherry Orchard to fully explore Chekhov’s

profoundly rich tapestry of text and create theatre that challenges and entertains. This exploration of The Cherry

Orchard is also meant to inspire the AcademyAcademy and give them techniques and ideas they can apply to the analysis

and activation of any text. Brooks chose The Cherry Orchard because of its superb text that demands (and rewards)

rigorous exploration and for its timeliness - a family in fi nancial crisis, a mortgage they cannot pay and a way of

life under threat.

The Cherry Orchard runs July 1 - 10 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts, located at 55 Mill Street, Building

49, in the Distillery Historic District. Tickets are $20 plus HST and are available by visiting www.soulpepper.ca or

by calling the Young Centre box offi ce at 416.866.8666.

SOULPEPPER TRIUMVIRATE OF DIVERSE DRAMA

Three very different plays currently running in repertory at Soulpepper offer up diverse theatre experiences ranging from corrupt real estate agents to war widows and faith healers. John Murrell’s classic Canadian drama Waiting For the Parade sports an all female cast that creates a superb ensemble of characters warring with themselves and each other as they try to support their men overseas. Led by Nancy Palk as the very stern no nonsense Margaret, all five women deliver superb performances. Palk’s performance never falters as she moves toward her dramatic resolution with great dignity and style. Krystin Pellerin, of current television fame (Republic of Doyle), gives a delightfully lighthearted performance tinged with sadness and indecision as Eve, while Deborah Drakeford’s Janet provides a strong organizational force that the others simultaneously follow and resist. Fiona Byrne’s Marta, as the lone German/Canadian citizen, stands out as a strong, resourceful woman struggling to fit into a decidedly hostile and war torn national landscape, while Michelle Monteith’s Catherine shines as the restless young bride finding it difficult to resist the opportunities that her temporary status as a single woman offers her. The whole cast shines in frequent musical moments, and Fiona Byrne’s German songs are beautifully rendered, heartfelt citations to Marta’s national origins. Murrell’s play examines Canada’s contribution to the second world war with a sharp eye for the material realities women had to face, and endures as Canadian classic after more than thirty years.

David Mamet’s Glengarry Ross is a fast paced all male narrative that is brought to life by a powerful ensemble led by Soulpepper Artistic Director Albert Schultz. His swaggering and sexy take on the character of Richard Roma is an impressive outpouring of run on dialogue that Shcultz peals off with great finesse. The rest of the cast is equally at ease with Mamet’s densely detailed script. Ken MacDonald’s set is particularly effective as it moves from a crowded Chinese restaurant, replete with chalkboard menu items and prices looming over the banquettes in act one, followed by a seamless movement into the real estate office that utilizes a similar décor in order to establish specific realtor data.

Perhaps the most unusual of the three plays currently running at Soulpepper is Brian Friel’s four-tiered monologic play for three actors. Stuart Hughes as the faith healer presents a believable, slightly sleazy, always energetic title character, with Brenda Robins as his altruistic paramour who takes on the second monologue of the evening with great physical endurance and passion. Diego Matamoros as the manager of this dubious form of ‘entertainment’ - faith healing - delivers an impeccable performance as he opens act two with Friels incredibly quirky monologue that ranges from the truly campy section on talking to pigeons and managing whippets and poodles, to profoundly disturbing sections regarding the relationship between Teddy (Hughes) and Grace (Robins). Ken MacDonald’s set is a beautiful sculptural mélange of piled chairs and wood slat walls that is pleasing at the outset but becomes a little static early into the proceedings. This dense, monologue ridden work could stand with a little more movement and energy in the set pieces in order to liberate the actors from a very heavy-handed text. Nevertheless, the strong performances, and the mystery narrative that unravels throughout, makes for an extremely intriguing evening of theatre.

all three plays are running in repertory at the Young Centre (Distillery District)

Faith Healer until June 4^th

Glengarry Glen Ross -to June 5^th

Waiting For the Parade - to May 29^th