The Taming of the Shrew is an exceptionally tricky play to produce in this century if you don’t want it to come off as ridiculous and misogynistic. And I think the stylistic choice that Meg Roe made with this production at Bard on the Beach was both wise and effective given the subject matter.
Unfortunately for me, Pantomime (with some heavy lashings of Commedia Dell'arte) is a style I can barely tolerate. So while I can appreciate the skill and sound judgement used to effect this production, I did not particularly enjoy it.
Blank Slate productions presents Beau Willimon’s Farragut North at Havana Theatre until May 26th. Director Nicky Anderson hits the nail on the head when she calls it “timely script” in her program notes. The plot revolves around politics and journalism, but you don’t need to be interested in either to get something out of this play. Willimon himself said “the subject of the play is not politics, that’s just the world it takes place in.” It’s a modern day tragedy, about a character who so passionately wants to achieve greatness in his life that he loses his personhood to get...
The Arts Club Theate Company presents Cole Porter's High Society at the Stanley Industial stage until June 24th.
Porter based the musical on the play Philadelphia and included a number of songs from other his previous scores. He was famous for his musical talent as well as his extravagant and luxurious parties- and both are prominent in this play. High Society features the famous 'Let's Misbehave' and the touching romantic tune ''True Love' as well as a hilariously cynical 'Who Wants to be a Millionaire?'
The story takes place at the Lord family's mansion where Tracy Lord, a gregarious socialite,...
Ballet BC presents the world premiere of Bliss at the Queen Elizabeth Theatre this week. Resident
choreographer Jose Navas created this work in collaboration with the dancers in the company. He has expanded on the shorter piece, The bliss that from their limbs all movement takes, to create a bright and emotionally charged evening of dance.
I am so glad that City Stage New West exists. As a resident of Kitsilano, it’s a schlep to get out there. But it’s worth it. Renee Bucciarelli and her team are passionate about building the theatre community and creating good work. I think that’s admirable.
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Left to right: Russell Roberts and Richard Newman, photograph by Damon Calderwood
Theatre Terrific recently produced Egni's Eye at Performance Works in Vancouver. Subtitled as "The Story Arthur Miller Didn't Want Told: Part 2 - The Mother", this new play is inspired by the true story of photojournalist Inge Morath who gave birth to a daughter and a son. The daughter, Rebecca Miller, grew up in the family home but her brother Daniel Miller grew up in an institution.
Why you ask? Because Daniel Miller was born with Down Syndrome.
Written and directed by Susanna Uchatius, this play is a companion piece to Theatre Terrific's production of The Secret Son...
In welcoming the audience to Vancouver Intercultural Orchestra’s production Imagined Worlds: Intertwined, VICO founder Moshe Denburg made reference to the tremendous variety of musical worlds that arise out of this “uniquely Canadian” musical setting, where master instrumentalists of diverse musical heritage foment bonds that run deeper than political and geographic differences. This is not an easy task, even for highly trained musical specialists. Music comes out of our deepest sensibilities, and, like language, it resounds in our identities in profound ways. For the intrepid musical explorer, there are few better ways to experience the world—apart from physical travel—than to hear...
Blush, which was performed by Gallim Dance from New York City, at the Playhouse Theatre on March 23rd and 24th was, simply, a boundary shattering monument to the extremes of originality, creativity, and excellence in choreography and dance, as well as lighting and music. I left the theatre breathless, as though winded by the exhilaration of merely watching this company perform their exquisitely detailed and extremely demanding piece.
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Gallim Dance in "Blush", photo by Christopher Duggan
Staged readings can feel like a more pure form of theatre. The words have room to breathe. They lift off the page and soar around us in the room. The acting style is necessarily sparse which lends a pure, earnest quality to the performances.
In the talk-back that followed, Simon Webb said something to the tune of “you just get out of the way and say the words”. He was talking about performing Shakespeare in general I think, but the statement applies even more strongly to staged readings.
