Sam S Mullins’ solo performance Grandma’s Dead is fairly typical Fringe fare: a dramedy solo play where a single actor plays a variety of characters. Unfortunately, this particular example falls a bit short of the form’s potential. The concept is an interesting one. Sam gets a call from his brother Chad informing him that their Grandmother has died, and that they have to drive from Vancouver to middle-of-nowhere Saskatchewan so that someone from the family can see her burial. Presumably, as the two brothers make their way across the country, they will rediscover their lost relationship and get caught up...

Technology intrudes, separates, distracts, annoys and replaces the need for human connection. Technology supports new endeavours, makes the impossible possible, and challenges our understanding of what stories are and how we tell them. 

DareU! is a collaboration between mentoring organization The Only Animal and a team of young aspiring story tellers to bring new dimensions to a theme, and portray these facets within a fixed physical space but changing dimensionality of time. Seven stories are vaguely blended together the way that the tide changes the character of the river mouth. We are salmon, swimming between salt and fresh.

The journey of life has its ups and downs, with each stage revealing new insights as challenges are met, strengths revealed, and skills developed. Esther de Monteflores brings an amazing gift for ignoring gravity while subtly delivering a nuanced performance in four dimensions. 

Narratively played out while Monteflores emotes the convolutions of each life stage, the recorded cast does a sterling job of moving the audience through the ages. Mixing tone, gender, age and range, the five narrators (Joanna Gaskell, Harrison Houde, Andrew Senay, Christine Bortolin and Sue Sparlin) smoothly guide the journey of life. 

Aaron Read has created a unique...

Jam-packed with funny characterizations, party music and entertaining videos, Buy Me Dinner First is an all-around good time. 

This sketch comedy show performed by a tight troupe of actors is uproariously funny and fun. If you’re looking to laugh, search no further. The actors work well together and really know how to connect to the audience to take us along with them. Actor/creator/writer Dylan Archambault, in particular, has a huge and captivating presence and knows how to bring it. The house was packed when I went, and the audience was in stitches throughout the show. 

Buy Me Dinner First is...