Content Warning: discussion of sexual assault Tuesday Night Café Theatre (TNC)’s newest production The Elephant is a powerful story of survival and perseverance. Written and directed by Troy Lebane, U3 Music Education, this musical portrays characters in the aftermath of an abuser’s arrest in his former workplace and offers a[Read More…]
Theatre
‘God of Carnage’ marks Players’ Theatre’s return to in-person theatre
One hundred years after starting the company, and three years after closing their stage for renovations and COVID-19, Players’ Theatre finally returned to in-person shows with Yasmina Reza’s God of Carnage. Despite the play having only four characters and being produced in a small black-box theatre, the show was full[Read More…]
‘Black and Free’ reflects on identity and community in theatre
In what ways can Black theatre advance Black liberation in the 21st century? No doubt a loaded question, and one that the virtual event “Black and Free: Theatre & Conversation’” explored with nuance and care. Co-hosted by McGill’s Department of English and York University’s Department of Theatre, the night began[Read More…]
‘Come from Away’ finds solace in community amid tragedy
Twenty years after the 9/11 terrorist attacks, Apple TV+ has released a film rendition of the 2017 Broadway musical Come from Away. During the aftermath of the attacks, the U.S. closed its airspace, diverting 238 planes to Canadian airports. 38 of those diverted flights arrived in the small town of[Read More…]
Émilie Monnet’s ‘Okinum’ forages for fervent dreams
On Sept. 2, Okinum made its English debut at Montreal’s Centaur Theatre to a sold-out audience. Originally a 2018 award-winning novel by Canadian writer and performance artist Émilie Monnet, the English version of Okinum was adapted to the stage as part of Centaur’s Brave New Looks program and was co-produced[Read More…]
Japanese urban dance film ‘Dreams on Fire’ sets Fantasia Festival ablaze
On Aug. 8, Dreams on Fire made its North American debut at the 25th edition of the Fantasia International Film Festival. Written, directed, and produced by Montreal-born filmmaker Philippe McKie, the film follows Yume’s (Bambi Naka) pursuit of fame as she moves to Tokyo to become a dancer. There, she[Read More…]
Festival TransAmériques 2021 reveals the human condition through performance
Founded in 1985 by Marie-Hélène Falcon and Jacques Vézina, the Festival TransAmériques (FTA) is an annual contemporary dance and theatre festival that brings artists from across the globe to Montreal to kick off the summer season. This year, dance and performance artists dusted off their costumes and laced up their[Read More…]
Actors shine through screens in ‘Inaccurate Conceptions’
Players’ Theatre’s production of Inaccurate Conceptions, written by Sharon Reichert and directed by Kiara Pollice, U2 Education, ran from March 25-27. The 30-minute play, cleverly adapted to be performed live on Zoom, explored romance, gossip, and breakups. During the brief and intimate runtime, the audience glimpsed a relationship between four[Read More…]
Words with Will lets playwrights talk back to Shakespeare
Content warning: The following deals with discussions of sexual assault and death. Words with Will is an annual theatre workshop hosted by Repercussion Theatre Company that explores William Shakespeare’s works through a critical lens. Each year, playwrights are invited to personally engage with Shakespeare and his texts, as well as[Read More…]
Pop Rhetoric: How TikTok democratized Broadway during a global pandemic
The first musical of its kind, Ratatouille: The TikTok Musical served up a delicious community-baked Broadway treat this January. Based on the Disney-Pixar 2007 film Ratatouille, the project began last year on Aug. 10 when TikTok user Emily Jacobsen posted a TikTok of her squeaking out a high-pitched ode to[Read More…]
