review. Chase Scenes 1-58 @ Summerworks Festival

Upon entering the space, you know you are in for something different. Arranged with 4 blocks of audience facing one inward alley performance space, with an aisle between and space all around the perimeter, the walls are covered in white and six video screens loom overhead. The show kicks off with a burst of energy and suspense, in its opening moments merging sound, video, and live action. What ensues is another 57 scenes which are gleaned from Hollywood chase scenes. The combination of live video feed and live action serves to deconstruct some of the more iconic images that this conjures up, to great effect, including wind machines and assistants fixing hairdos. 

The show took me a few scenes to really settle in to, but once the scenes began to pace and shape our experience as the audience, I really got into it. There was a unique balance of humour and more serious technical prowess as the performers moved through the scenes at a breakneck pace. 

I did find that not all scenes were equal; those which really aimed to deconstruct the traditional view of what we see on film were the most successful from my view, as were those which dealt with nightmares. Some, however, felt like filler, and could have benefitted from a swipe of the dramaturgical pen, if you will. 

I absolutely must mention the feat of technical engineering involved in the live mixing of 2 live cameras and a static pre-recorded video feed. While the technology didn't always cooperate at the performance I saw, it was nonetheless powerful in terms of the contribution to storytelling. 

Not without flaws, Chase Scenes are definitely worth seeing. 

Facebook Event: https://www.facebook.com/events/1018058811583055/
Summerworks Page: http://summerworks.ca/2016/artists/chase-scenes-1-58/

thoughts. being female

My daughter is a bright, energetic, fiery 12 year old. She loves reading and building things, and most of all, soccer. She's pretty good at it, too, and currently plays with an academy team in the SAAC league in Ontario (that's an academy league) and has been identified by the Vancouver Whitecaps pre-residency stream as a kid who has some potential in training with them in Vancouver and Winnipeg (that's the only professional womens' team in Canada). Her academy is predominantly a boys' academy, although they do have a few girls. We selected it for her because a) she likes the challenges of playing in a boys' league where the play is more aggressive and faster and b) because her coaches are exceptional. She regularly contributes as a strong member of her team, rising to the pressure of the game, and is learning and growing to the expectations of her coaches. 

So today, when she was playing alongside 1 other girl on an otherwise all-boys team, against an all boys team, i was a little taken aback at the comments of some of the parents from the opposing team. A boy on their team who was a fair bit bigger than all the others, was running toward the net. Our defender, the other girl on the team, was running him down, and stopping his ability to make a shot with excellent tenacity, was slapped by him as he ran. Rightly so, the ref awarded a card to the boy, and our girl kept on playing. Shortly afterward, two parents from the opposing team stated, out loud, their opinion that "girls shouldn't be playing with boys". Another mom from our team (of one of the boys) loudly opined that she was glad our team had the two girls, as they were strong members of the team, stronger than some of the boys. 

Here's the thing: whether the other player was a girl or a boy (or an alien) in that scenario would not have made the unsportsmanlike conduct of the other player okay. So to loudly opine on the subject as if this had held some bearing over the ref's decision is disrespectful to the ref, and also to the strong and tenacious young women working their butts off on the field. Making the issue about the player's gender, rather than the other player's transgression is petty and false. 

This happens all over the place. An acquaintance of mine who runs an (amazing) tech startup recently shared an experience of being told that she should get a man, or someone more "conventionally attractive" to pitch her project to investors to be more successful. 

Why do people do this? They are intimidated. And that, to be frank, is cowardly. Let your skills show your strength, and let those compete with others. Feeling the need to call down others' work in order to justify your own inadequacy is weak and faulty, and isn't going to get you anywhere. 

So to all the women out there, young and old, who hear these things every day as you are out there being fabulous and strong-willed, just know that it is worth it. They are intimidated by you because of your strength of will. It is easier for them to say you shouldn't do something than for them to improve their own performance. Just remember that, and keep on. 

review. Just A Sliver of the Room and Astronomical Landscapes @ Angell Gallery

I made the trek across Toronto this Saturday to take in the current exhibitions at the Angell Gallery, and could not be happier I did. Arriving at the gallery, it is definitely not a space you'd suspect; tucked in the back corner of a business mini-mall, the outside of the gallery is unassuming, which amplified the drama of the first set of pieces, Steve Driscoll's Just A Sliver of the Room even more. 

Taking a fairly large and open space, Driscoll's vibrant and reflective landscapes jump out against the white walls. Their positioning around the space however, is what is most dramatic. Not only are the paintings themselves steeped in an ecstatic energy, but they are presented in a space filled with black water, which the viewer crosses on a board walk constructed across the space. The resulting immersion in this space which is both bright and dark as well as endlessly reflective has a fantastic result. 

Steve Driscoll

Flashes of Silence, 2016

Urethane on board

You move through this space into the second gallery where Dan Hudson's Astronomical Landscapes take the focus. Each of these long and wide lenticular photographs have a magical quality to them. Every perspective in the room offers a new version of each image, so that the viewer is truly transfixed.  The changeable nature of the world around us is present and comforting in the photographs. 

Dan Hudson

Queen Louise, 2015

Lenticular photograph

Leaving this space and walking back across the board walk, one is struck by the new perspective offered, and the reflection of the bright colours in the black water gains new significance. 

Overall both collections are excellent, however it is in tandem that they have the most notable power over our recollection of space and time.

Here's the thing

In the grand scheme of things in this world, I like to think I am reasonably laid back. I am perfectly happy to hold my opinions to myself when people's choices and actions are out of line with what I think are right, so long as they are not causing harm to one another. But the one area where I refuse to sit back is when it comes to others telling someone about their experiences. Here's the thing: We all have our experiences and our ideas, and what we think about the world comes from those things. Some people have had really comfortable, easy experiences, and some have not. Some people have had experiences that align with the first impression you might get of them, and some have not. 

If you want to get under my skin, tell someone about who they are, for them. Don't let them speak for themselves, or (oh forbid!) ask them about their experiences. Please, pigeonhole them and make assumptions -- especially if this is something you get upset with others for doing to you. This is ideal. 

Because above all, feminism is about telling others about their experiences so that you can be right and unchallenged. 

OH WAIT. It isn't. At the end of the day, the one thing we can do for one another, that will help this world be a better place, is to listen. We can listen to what people have to say, and ask questions. We can let them ask questions of us, and share their experience. Assumptions will get you nowhere. So please, for the love of pineapples and red wine, practice what you preach. Listen. Ask questions. And don't assume you know someone or where they come from. Remember that what someone looks like doesn't guarantee the past they have grown up with, or the family they come from. 

Much love.

review. Indigenous Dance Double Bill @ Native Earth Performing Arts

Toronto's Native Earth Performing Arts have embarked on a new journey, presenting a double bill of dance-based works as a departure from their traditionally theatre-based productions. The show consisted of two hour-long performances which differed quite considerably. 

The first piece, Luu hlotitxw: Spirit Transforming was a traditionally based performance set initially to drum beats and traditional singing. It morphed into the use of video and soundscapes, along with a highly theatrical usage of masks to tell a story of a young man who loses his way, and finds it again through reconnecting with tradition. While the story is captivating, and the choice to weave in the 3 methods of storytelling is interesting to watch, unfortunately the 3 languages of storytelling felt disjointed from one another, so it felt like there was a bit of guess work from the audience. That said, there were some beautiful moments of realization and surprise for the audience, so it is certainly a piece I would love to see continue to be refined. 

Karina Iraola in NGS (Native Girl Syndrome) - Credit Marc J Chalifoux

The second piece, NGS (Native Girl Syndrome) contrasted considerably. It was performed by two young women in a space littered with garbage and the contents of their carts. An abrasive and somewhat contradictory soundscape played counter balance to the images of these women who were sad and lonely, clearly isolated. As the piece progressed, there were some stunning images they created with the objects around them. In particular, as one dancer rolled across the floor in beautiful choreography, covered in a large clear plastic sheet, it was difficult not to have images of young womens' bodies being pulled from the river in my home town of Winnipeg. The work was challenging to watch, but highly necessary. My only qualm is dramaturgical; I felt the piece could have shortened just slightly, to increase its impact. 

news. Our Sister Duchess to read at the Carol Shields Festival of New Works

I am very excited to announce that my adaptation of John Webster's The Duchess of Malfi, called Our Sister Duchess, will have its first public reading at the Carol Shields Festival of New Works in Winnipeg May 14th. 

“Adapted from Webster’s The Duchess of Malfi, this new piece is a feminist re-focus of the play on the injustice of the her persecution. Our Sister Duchess is a victim of obsession and misogynistic rage manifest within her family in a world contemporary to ours, consumed by technology, image, and reputation. ”

The reading is presented by Theatre By The River, and will be directed by Heidi Malazdrewicz.  Casting announcements, along with the schedule for the festival will follow shortly. Watch my blog, or www.theatrebytheriver.com for more information. For details on the Carol Shields Festival which will also feature readings of new work by Ginny Collins and Kevin Klassen, please visit http://www.pte.mb.ca/about/shields_festival.htm

review. Chimerica by Lucy Kirkwood @ Canadian Stage Company/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre

Chimerica, Lucy Kirkwood's sprawling epic play, spans two countries, countless characters, and a single-minded obsession; finding the man from the famous photograph. Under Chris Abraham's detailed direction, what could be a terribly episodic and hard to follow 3 hour extravaganza, was instead a tightly woven slingshot toward a surprise conclusion. 

The cast, several of whom perform a multitude of characters, are all equally enjoyable, however Paul Sun-Hyung is absolutely memorable with his nuanced and understated work. The dual-pronged approach of a stunning flashy set on a revolve. and seemingly endless projections help create  countless unique spaces, all of which tie back to a consistency in style and feeling, which is a truly notable achievement. 

The only drawback for me is the script itself; some of the dialogue lacks the crackle one would hope for, and instead particularly the reporter characters come across as stereotypical (no fault of the actors, who embody and bring these to life beautifully). I think that because Kirkwood spans so many places and times, with so many characters, the unfortunate result is that some characters lose the opportunity to be fully developed -- we only see them fleetingly, and the overall impact is to see a large number of people at only a glance. In part, I wondered about whether this, too, may have been intentional. In an age where we "interact" so fleetingly via facebook interactions, not truly engaging with other humans, perhaps this is the social media mediated "light" version of human interaction, which contrasts with the deeper relationship that the journalist and his Chinese contact develop.

review. The Crackwalker by Judith Thompson @ Factory Theatre (Toronto)

Waawaate Fobister in The Crackwalker, photo by Joseph Michael Photography

The Crackwalker is an iconic piece of Canadian theatre, and undoubtedly one of the most familiar to audiences and students across the country. Countless drama students approach monologues from the play, embracing its surreal imagery and meticulous text. For many, Thompson may be the first introduction to a non-realistic style, given how bombarded and overwhelmed theatre students tend to be with TV and Films (AKA Naturalism) before they come to study. 

Factory's Naked season present a new production of the play directed by the playwright herself. Now I have seen many productions of Thompson's work, and read everything she has written, and I can't say that I have ever heard a production that so clearly understood the rhythm, pace, and cadence of each character. One of the biggest challenges performing or directing her writing is the specificity of the language, and the fact that it is almost indecipherable on first read. Why are there capitals? Why does that sentence just trail off? Why does it feel like this character never stops to breathe? Under Thompson's direction, the characters' voices were astoundingly clear, and their natural rhythms unbelievably innate. 

The production also benefitted physically; Thompson re-wrote some aspects, including the addition of The Crackwalker present throughout many of the scenes, playing an almost trickster role, facilitating some of the violent acts through surreal staging, and speaking many of his lines in Ojibway. This addition, while it absolutely worked in several scenes -- including the stunning and consistently shocking oven scene -- however at times his presence was distracting. That said, the further I come from the performance, the more I wonder whether that distraction was intentional? I'll never know, of course, but I do love to wonder. 

The production runs for just a few more days, and I strongly recommend you see this energetic and talented young cast tackle a truly important piece of theatre. 

me on the RADA website...

Was browsing some news on the RADA website the other day, and started poking around to see what's new when I stumbled upon a quote from me promoting the program!

“The Course helped to refine my approach as a theatre practitioner, while widening my scope for theatrical discourse and inspiration to create work. It encourages the intertwining of the creative and the academic, resulting in thought provoking and unique theatre. Most importantly, the course taught me to risk, to dare to create something new, to have an opinion and express it through my art”

review. YOUARENOWHERE @ 3LD Studio (New York)

Andrew Schneider's YOUARENOWHERE is not your run of the mill theatrical experience. It is a merger of text and movement, technology and humanity, and conversation with existential interrogation. The play immediately immerses the audience in its world, demanding that we believe the truth of this place and time as we think we know it, and simultaneously challenges that notion of knowing.  We, the audience, are Heiddegerian beings flung forward from the very moment Schneider enters the performance space, and for days afterward. What are we experiencing? What is missing? Why aren't we more concerned about these gaps? 

Even the title evokes this questioning. You-Are-Nowhere? or You-Are-Now-Here? Both are relevant and appropriate and yet neither is quite right. This piece exists in the space between those two interpretations of its title, it seems. Here is a brief preview. Get tickets. This runs in NYC until April 10 after which it transfers to the Lift festival in London, which I have heard is sold out. 

review. Jitters @ Soulpepper Toronto

The recent Soulpepper re-mount of their revival production of David French's Jitters punched well above my expectations. I attended expecting a little nostalgia in a period-staged production, however was very surprised when the key ideas of the play -- those of Canadian artists' inherently self-deprecating natures, and of the idea that only those who leave are truly stars -- resonated as incredibly contemporary and relevant. These are still conversations that we have, and problems that we face, although I would suggest that these feelings are much more prominent now in the regions than in Toronto. Toronto artists (and to some extent, Montreal artists) have grown in to the confidence in their own work that does not need outside approval. Regional artists and companies, in my experience, are less so, depending on the validation of a director, actor, or first production elsewhere to be confident. This is changing, but I couldn't help but wonder how this play in today's world would have resonated differently for a regional audience. In Toronto, it played as a funny and honest homage to our past. Elsewhere it might look all too familiar to the present. 

All this aside, the production is wonderfully performed and staged, and absolutely hilarious. So go see it!

review. Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre @ Sony Centre Toronto

I have long coveted the seemingly superhuman strength of dancers in Alvin Ailey's company, since first seeing photographs of their work when still a student. Having not seen them before, I jumped at the chance to see them when they toured recently to Toronto. The company certainly lived up to their reputation. Performing a mix of 4 pieces -- two older, and two very recent -- the programme and performances demonstrated the history as well as the future of this dynamic company. Contrary to many classical companies, wherein the large group dancing are so highly synchronized, that they merge into a single body, this company's strength is that it is a collection of individuals dancing together, but not in perfect harmony. 

When moving into solo work, this individualism and personal artistry shines even further. The storytelling through movement was compelling, and carried itself to the back of the Sony Centre. 

Most notable within the programme was the second to last piece, Exodus, which was a recent addition to the repertoire (in 2015). Working with a piece of custom and highly contemporary house music, the story and choreography merged beautifully with the music, to reach a stunning climax. 

Should you have the chance, I strongly recommend you see the company. 

review. The Encounter @ Barbican London (via Live Stream) - Complicité

I often rant on about how theatre can be magical. This is a difficult rant, because for most people, the experience of truly magical theatrical experiences is just a myth. They've heard tell of it, but never truly been encompassed and transformed in the way that theatre has the capacity to do for us. 

This can change. 

Complicité are known for their genre-defying, technically stupendous work, so it is not surprising that when they set out to create an immersive play out of sounds, for which you sit with others but wear headphones, they succeeded in creating something truly magical. Written and performed by the company's leader, the astounding Simon McBurney, The Encounter is an audio experience -- but that doesn't do it justice. It is an overwhelming sensory experience, a new way of feeling a story, not just hearing or seeing it. It is a man and sound; nothing more. I won't say a ton, other than to let you know that you will not soon encounter anything quite like this. 

Lucky for us, The Encounter isn't limited in space and time; thanks to technology, you can stream the recorded live stream from The Barbican in London for a week via Complicité's Youtube channel. 

Do yourself a favour. Put on the headphones, turn everything else off, and immerse yourself for the 2 hours of The Encounter. I assure you, you will not regret it. 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ghc-DM1TVWU

review. Hedda Gabler @ Canadian Stage

Full disclosure: I love this play. It is probably my favourite play, or at least in my top 5 favourite plays. Without hyperbole. This means my experience of it is tinged with an absurd over-drawn understanding of the characters and relationships, and of course coloured by my own experiences playing and understanding Miss Hedda. 

That all said, my feeling is that this production was, on the whole, disjointed. Cara Ricketts was outstanding. Her portrayal of Hedda was nuanced and playful; her Hedda was every bit as wicked and as childishly lovable as we expect Hedda to be. Unfortunately, I felt that the other actors, though fine performers, were almost in a different production of the play. While with Hedda, one could see the magnetism of Lovborg, unfortunately in other scenes his work felt flat. Tesman was lovely and charming, but somehow didn't feel at all connected to Hedda. And the choice to de-sexualize Judge Brack left those scenes feeling empty. By time we reach the climax of the play (for in this play, the denouement is so short as to almost not exist) we hardly felt the tension needed to understand Hedda's choices, so that instead of feeling trapped and powerless, we felt she had lost her mind. 

I do wonder at the choice of setting the play in the 1950s. Although this modernizes it somewhat compared to the original, our contemporary feeling about the period is still one of snobbish superiority; women can work now, and can leave their husbands without (much) scandal, so look how far we've come? While the 1950s provided an opportunity for beautifully stylish sets and costumes, I do think that the distancing of time enabled the audience to remain distant from this woman and her choices, ultimately limiting our ability to comprehend her final choice. To be truly daring (to borrow Hedda's words) I would love to see a Hedda Gabler set today. Despite how far we have come, there are still considerable pressures on women to marry, and have kids -- except now the pressure is to have a career too! The "Have it all" mentality is today's Hedda, and I think a far more interesting and fruitful place for us to look at her now. 

Photo: Cara Ricketts in Hedda Gabler. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

review. Nirbhaya @ Harbourfront Centre presented by Nightwood Theatre

Yaël Farber's stunning play is one of the most challenging things you will experience. Beginning with  the real life attack and killing of a young woman who innocently boarded a bus in Delhi. From this horrific event, Farber and the cast of women (and one man) created a truth telling wherein the audience don't simply watch, but rather bear witness to the individual stories of objectification, abuse, and fear from each of these individuals. The bravery of the performers not only in sharing their truth, but in the sheer physical and emotional exertion of the performance is matched by the magical staging Farber provides, in which space and time conflate, objects come alive, and we are confronted with the loss of the joy in childhood and youth, which is the result of these terrible events.

The play is difficult to watch. The stories are graphic, and are not staged gingerly; rather we are reminded that these things happen around us, no matter where we are. Interestingly and with great effect, the stories initially are all in India however one of the last takes place in Montreal, a stark and shocking reminder that innocence and hope are at risk of being lost no matter where we are.

I strongly recommend that you seek our a production of this play. Thank you, Nightwood, for bringing this to Toronto.

A brief video is available here:  https://vimeo.com/110472670

review. This Is How We Die by Christopher Brett Bailey @ The Theatre Centre (For Progress Festival & Forest Fringe)

Toronto's Progress Festival hosted a number of performances from Edinburgh's Forest Fringe over a two-day period at The Theatre Centre in late January. With only limited time, I managed to squeak in one show on the recommendation of some friends in the UK, and was certainly not disappointed.

The stage space is mainly dark, with just a desk and microphone, with a script sitting on the desk. What follows is a stream of consciousness story-poem assault on the senses. The story weaves in space and time and focus, meandering through thoughts and ideas and most importantly, memories. Brett Bailey is a captivating performer, and his ability to use words (just words, no movement or set or props) to build an arch are outstanding. Without going too much away, the pace of the story races forward until it crashes into darkness, out of which emerges a meditation of sorts; in the dark with lights facing the audience and almost unbearably loud music, the audience sit. And think. And continue to sit and think and think.

Stunning stuff.

I do feel that the stories themselves could have been slightly more concise, just to trim slightly before the final, beautiful and unsettling moments.