Review: Scottish Sperm (Zoofest)

What's In a Name?

Zoofest features good ol' Scots spunk!

by Chris Lane

Scottish Sperm isn’t actually about Scots. Well, maybe one of them. I’m not quite sure. There were a lot of things in this play that I didn’t quite get a handle on. That being said, I still thoroughly enjoyed this sharp and amiable little work.

The play is written by New York’s Jacqueline McLaren and was originally performed for last year’s Edinburgh Fringe. Its three characters are Robert, a writer who’s given up writing; Emma, a teacher with a fondness for alcohol and a total inability to make so much as a sandwich; and Sarah, a saucy blonde photographer who has no furniture in her apartment across the hall. Sarah’s roommate Amy, and her not-boyfriend Elliott, somehow manage to be significant characters as well, both in the play itself and in Robert’s writing. Robert says early on in one of his monologues that he likes to tell stories that may or may not be true, which sets the stage for a very non-linear play that occasionally contradicts itself. He writes about the people in his life, and the play blurs the lines between what he is writing about the characters and what they actually do.

Review: Blackbird

(photo credit: Joseph Ste. Marie)

Hey Little Girl, Is Your Daddy Home?

A new company tackles a brutal subject

by Chris Lane

One of the wonderful things about theatre is that it can show new perspectives on topics that are hardly ever talked about. A play can force you to see the world through the eyes of a character far removed from anyone in your own experience. David Harrower's Blackbird presents the topic of statutory rape and allows us to gain insight into the feelings and motives of both characters involved.

Review: State of Denial

Docu...Drama

Rahul Varma confronts the big issues again

by Chris Lane

Denial comes in many forms, and can effectively erase the memories of the oppressed victims of atrocities untold. Local playwright Rahul Varma seeks to uncover the personal stories that have been suppressed and present them in a stark and moving new play, State of Denial. The production is presented by Teesri Duniya, of which Varma is Artistic Director, a theatre company with a 31-year history of  politically relevant plays that depict diverse aspects of Canada’s cultural minorities. 

In writing this play, Varma derived a fictional story from multiple true stories garnered from years of interviews as a part of the research for Life Stories of Montrealers Displaced by Genocide, War and Other Human Rights Violations. State of Denial is being presented as a part of Life Stories Montreal and is directed by Deborah Forde.

Review: The Game of Love and Chance

Gemma James-Smith and Gil Garratt (photo credit: lucetg.com)

Marivaudages

A play brought back to greatness

by Chris Lane

Once in a while a modern adaptation of an old text comes along that is both fresh and classic, and Centaur Theatre’s production of The Game of Love and Chance manages to be just that. The play was written in the 17th century by the French master Pierre de Marivaux, who is particularly known for the unique way he manipulates language. Local playwright Nicolas Billon has recently written a new translation of the work, and he succeeds at maintaining the playful wit of Marivaux’s words while making the language modern and accessible (and of course, English). The director, Matthew Jocelyn (artistic director of Toronto's Canadian Stage - where this production is headed), shows his expertise in adapting Marivaux’s work in this uproarious production.

Review: Scientific Americans

Michael Blake (photo credit: Andrée Lanthier)

Mighton by the Numbers

Sidemart at Segal examines issues and offers entertainment

by Chris Lane

We all know that working for the military can take over your life. And that they are always watching you. Or is it the Soviets who are watching you? Scientific Americans, by Canadian playwright John Mighton, presents numerous questions and possible answers in a sharp, witty and multifaceted depiction of a young scientist getting drawn into the harsh world of American military research.

Review: Whiteman’s Whiskey Comedy Revue: One of Everything for the Boys

Where The Boys Are

A Festive revue just in time

by Chris Lane

Sidemart Theatrical Grocery’s latest version of their Whiteman’s Whiskey Comedy Revue, entitled One of Everything for the Boys, is simple, charming and wonderfully entertaining. It is a witty and clever piece of satirical theatre which is hard not to like. 

Review: Stori Ya

Warona Setshwaelo (Photo: Jaclyn Turner)

Delightful Nuance

Warona Setshwaelo fills the solo leading BTW's season

by Chris Lane

Stori Ya is a one-woman show, written by Joan M. Kivanda and directed by Millie Tresierra, that is currently being presented at MAI theatre by Black Theatre Workshop. Warona Setshwaelo stars as Maria Msondo, an East African woman whose house in Canada is being repossessed. Setshwaelo spends the play transitioning between her principal character of Maria and a collection of other characters who have helped shape Maria, for better or for worse.

Review: Into The Woods

The Woods Via Sondheim (and a little Freud)

A musical here is a pleasure to watch and hear

by Chris Lane

Montreal’s newest theatre company scores a hit with their first production, performing the bitingly funny and engaging Into the Woods. The musical, by Stephen Sondheim (music and lyrics) and James Lapine (book), is an original tale that plays on the stories of Jack and the Beanstalk, Cinderella, Little Red Riding Hood and Rapunzel.