Theatre for Thought, February 7, 2011

CharPo is adding a new column to our op-ed Tuesdays. With the publisher's After Dark column, every week you will also be able to read writer/actor/director Joel Fishbane's opinions on Montreal English-language theater (MELT): Theatre For Thought. Feel free to join the conversations in the comments section below each piece.

On Genres and Critics

by Joel Fishbane

There were three significant openings in the MELT scene this week. Tableau D’Hote's Internet-based fundraising campaign peeked our interest for Humans; indie wunderkind Andrew Shaver has gone mainstream with Stones in His Pockets; and Geordie Theatre has helped Clowns Gone Bad resurrect MöcShplat, their giddy adaptation of a certain cursed Shakespearian play. All three are worthy additions to the theatre season. Yet, once again, the Montreal Gazette has shown their usual display of bias and assigned Pat Donnelly to the adult theatre (Stones and Humans) while giving Geordie to Kathryn Greenaway.

Review: MöcShplat

Top to bottom: Marcel Jeannin, Danielle Desormeaux, Michel Perron (Photo credit: Julian Haber)

Is This a Dogfish I See Before Me?

MöcShplat is Shakespeare like you’ve never seen him

by Amy Barratt

You thought a one-man Hamlet was messing with the classics? That was nothing compared to a four-clown send-up of the Scottish play. 

Geordie Productions, into its 30^th year and flirting with theatre for grownups, has brought back MöcShplat, Clowns Gone Bad’s collective creation dating back to 1997. It’s playing at Centaur Theatre this weekend and next with  daytime performances through the week for highschool groups.

The kids are going to have a blast. This is an adaptation of Shakespeare by a group of people who know the original material very well but aren’t afraid to throw 90% of it out and just riff on what’s left.