Review: blink blink blink (Fringe 2011)

Reviewed by Émilie Charlebois

I was already a fan of Kirsten Rasmussen after having seen her at last year’s Fringe festival in You & Me and Me & You and I am now contemplating following her so I can gather things she’s touched and build a shrine to her awesomeness in my bedroom. blink blink blink is (to borrow a line from the show) “Fucking Fantastic” (the adjective may have been amazing, I apologize if that is the case). And I don’t think I am the only one to think so. Every seat in the Freestanding Room was taken (there is an obvious pun to make here, but I shall resist) and the entire audience was in stitches. Laughter is meant to be shared and Rasmussen is a giver! Not a single piece of comedic material went without genuine giggles, guffaws or snorts. Rasmussen’s timing is unreal as she seamlessly allternates between characters (some of them adorable bunnies) and parallel storylines at an incredible pace, without ever missing a beat. As self-help guru Sara Tonin Rasmussen engages with her audience and reveals her character’s inner demons without getting too heavy or suddenly corrupting the play’s comedic value, by “getting real”. Sara Tonin’s darker moments were totally in keeping with her personality and rather than bum me out, they made me care about her. blink blink blink is smart, original, hilarious and touching. Kirsten Rasmussen’s star power is mind-blowing.

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Review: Remember Ezra (Fringe 2011)

Reviewed by Jessica Wei

Remember Ezra is an interesting show in all of its contradictions. It is, invariably throughout the play: funny yet stiflingly dark, touching but cold, charming and then completely unappealing. The plot is convoluted but cliché, the script overwritten but at the same time, painfully obvious.

Robin (The Only Bar) Henderson's Fringe Blog

June 15, 2011

Hey Fringe!

Well, its hit that point.  All of us in “The Only Bar” are feeling it: the Fringe mid-point.

Chez moi, the dishes are not getting done.  Laundry is piling up.  I’m eating out too much.  Staying out too late.  Getting up too early.  Debauchery at its Fringe finest is following every show. Dude – I am TIRED but loving every minute of it!!

CharPo's Real Theatre!

Photo modified by permission. (Show details)

This cartoon does not reflect the actual content of the play and

is, instead, inspired by the photograph itself.

Beyond The Fourth Wall, June 15, 2011

Improspection

Not-Necessarily Theatre Dates For Your Agenda

by Estelle Rosen

June 16

Upstage Fringe interviews:

Alison Louder – B (Improspection)

Cameryn Moore - Slut Revolution

Una Aya Osato – JapJAP

Review: Hedwig and the Angry Inch (Fringe 2011)

Reviewed by Valerie Cardinal

Since Hedwig & The Angry Inch is one of my favourite movies of all time, I was bound to either love or hate this production. Luckily, Antonio Bavaro won me over. From the moment he steps onstage in Hedwig’s head wig to the moment he takes his final bow, Bavaro is mesmerizing. He totally dominates the stage as Hedwig tells the story of how she changed from an East German boy in love with American Rock n’ Roll to a woman hopelessly in love with an American rock star.

Review: TIRED WAVE STOP! (Fringe 2011)

Reviewed by Valerie Cardinal
I’m amazed at Steve Boleantu’s endurance and commitment. TIRED WAVE STOP! is one hour of him as two characters. Boleantu not only makes it work and keeps his energy up, but he manages to make it delightful to see. Monday night’s audience may have been tiny, but I could tell everyone else was just as charmed as I was.

Review: I'm Still Here (Fringe 2011)

Reviewed by Janis Kirshner

Writer/actor Margarita Romero, as Ana Martinez, starts from behind the audience, “Can you see me?”… “How about now?”  We wonder, who is this woman and where is this story going? That’s a good thing. Romero, as Ana the waitress, is likeable and we want to listen to her. We learn she played the piano as a child, was a cultural journalist in Peru, had a loving marriage to Miguel, has a daughter.

Review: Am I Blue (Fringe 2011)

Reviewed by Joel Fishbane

New York comedy fave Elizabeth Blue is giving Montrealers a masterclass in acting this week, but even if you’re not an actor you should make sure not to miss Am I Blue. A sharply comedic piece that satirizes Western culture’s quest for self-exploration, the strength of Am I Blue lies entirely in the deft performance of Ms. Blue. A veteran of NYC’s People’s Improv Theatre, Ms. Blue is a criminally funny performer who is almost certainly the love child of Kristen Schall and Tina Fey.

Theatre For Thought, June 14, Fringe Edition

WHAT TO SEE AT THE FRINGE, PART IV

or WHY TO SEE SHOWS INVOLVING MY FRIENDS

joel fishbane

So the Fringe is in full swing now and while the artists are struggling to stand out, I’m dealing with a problem of my own: objectivity. It’s a tough thing in our small community, where I’m just as likely to share a beer with an artist as I am to see them on stage. This makes the two main jobs of a theatre reporter – promotion and criticism – especially difficult. If you promote a show starring a friend, you get accused of bias; and if you criticize your friend’s show, they may or may not egg your house.