Dark Matters is the latest offering by choreographer Crystal Pite, the founder of Kidd Pivot. Influenced by Kabuki and Butoh puppet theatre, Dark Matters is a two part performance that deconstructs it's own dramatic premise, immersing the audience in meditations on creation and destruction as part of a cosmic flux.
Part one is a theatrical narrative told through movement, a dark fable about a puppet maker whose creation comes to life and kills him with a pair of tailor's scissors (think Pinocchio gone terribly wrong). The second part is based in pure movement, but though free of narrative,...
Laurie Anderson's Delusion isn't a theatre piece per say and it's not quite a concert. This will probably result in confusion for anyone going to the Vancouver Playhouse and expecting to see a play. You will be left scratching your head asking yourself "What exactly am I watching?". What you are watching (or not depending on your tolerance for this sort of thing) is a mash-up of experimental rock, spoken word story telling, performance art, and giant projections presented under the moniker of performance art. This sounds a lot cooler than it is and unfortunately the Playhouse is...
Duff Armour walks into the side of a table. He shifts to his right. Does it again. Shifts. Does it again. Again. He’s acting out being a computer game avatar. This is what a game tester does. A computer game is created, then the tester puts an avatar through the game environment making sure he can’t walk through tables and walls when he’s not supposed to.
Yes, BASH'd is a bona fide hit. It played Off-Broadway (in New York City) and has won a bunch of awards. Written and performed by Chris Craddock and Nathan Cuckow, this fast-paced rhymin' slammin' hip-hop musical love story is told to us by two gay rappers – T-Bag and Feminem. And the near-capacity crowd at the Cultch's opening night was rightfully impressed by their masterful performances.
Like anyone who has seen a production by theatrical genius Robert Lepage, I’ve come to expect, and to love, his stage wizardry and to be riveted by his brilliant theatrical sleight of hand and how he uses the elements of the stage as though they were utterly malleable, transformable.
What a blast! Dance, Music and Theatre all in one fun-filled, entertaining, work-out evening.
A Harbourfront commission presented by Boca del Lupo, Bluemouth Inc. out of Toronto and New York, has created a unique and exciting event. Based on marathon dances that started up in the 1920’s and 30’s, where people struggled for days to stay on their feet to win the competition, Bluemouth has re-created a mini version for us to enjoy in one evening.
Not really knowing what to expect and dragging my husband along, who was worried he would...
Brevity is the order of the day; go and see Otello at the Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts.
The Canadian Opera Company’s production of Verdi’s timeless piece, the crowning glory of a brilliant career, leaves little to be desired. Famed tenor Clifton Forbis in the title role can only be described as sublime. His voice, prowess with Verdi’s score and dramatic force combine to make his performance a masterful one. Scott Hendricks is diabolical and enticing as the evil Iago, though his rounded voice is sometimes drowned out by the orchestra or the chorus. I’m...
(l – r) (kneeling) Emanuele D’Aguanno as Cassio, Tiziana Caruso as Desdemona, Clifton Forbis as Otello, Scott Hendricks as Iago and Adam Luther as Roderigo in the Canadian Opera Company’s production of Otello. Photo: Michael Cooper
Tono: A Red Sky Production is an aesthetically satisfying, dynamic piece of performance that explores the relationships between Aboriginal cultures from opposite ends of the earth, fusing modern dance, North American plains culture and Mongolian traditions.
Tono takes inspiration from shamanic horse cultures, and the result is a strong physical geometry expressive of strong spirit. Full body movements and rhythmic foot stomping are accompanied by throat singing, Mongolian long-song, and the music of the horse-head violin. These otherworldly melodies are grounded by the percussive sounds of xylophone, gongs and hand cymbals. Startling accents come from one unusual instrument...
