Brought to you by Fork in the Road Theatre, One Good Marriage is part of the Dramatic Series featuring theatrical works by published playwrights. Written by Ontario playwright Sean Reycraft, this script tells a mysterious tale of two newlyweds Stewart and Steph. The first words we hear are:  “Everybody died.” But we aren’t told what that means. At least, not right away.

We meet the somewhat gregarious, laidback Stewart (Dan Willows) who is a high school librarian and Steph (Ese Atawo) who is an English teacher. They work at the same high school and have just met at...

In a subgenre known for its distinguished wackiness, The After After Party ups the ante of the classic ‘hangover plot’ where close friends try to reconstruct the gory, glorious, and ever-elusive details of Last Night. In a script loaded with rapid-fire non sequiturs, crosses-the-line-twice shock comedy, and excessive blunt force trauma to the fourth wall, Katey Hoffman and Cheyenne Mabberley deliver an inspiring performance as a pair of twelfth graders just trying to find their way to the next party (while debating the metaphysics of which parties have an ‘after’ relationship to which).

Hoffman shines as Fiona, possessed...

This play is a lament for the painful consequences that radiate in all directions from a violence-infused culture. It’s a reflection on frustration, anger, abandonment, hidden disabilities, and sexual violence. It reveals a struggle to understand the causes of pain across four lives: a dead American soldier, perhaps by suicide, perhaps involved in Abu Ghraib atrocities in the US/Gulf War; his wife, perhaps unloved, a young woman, now a therapist, emotionally abandoned by her father; the soldier’s artistically-inclined, identical, gay twin brother (wouldn’t they both be gay?) worrying about his life; and the father of the brothers, a Vietnam veteran...

Exuberant, youthful energy is palpable throughout Daniel K. McLeod’s updated production of this 2015 Fringe hit. It’s funny, sunny, and thoughtful, and doubly energized by a cast, musicians and crew who clearly work well together whether dancing, singing, or delivering the satire.

Many of last year’s strong cast are back, notably Adam Olgui playing multiple roles including the dapper and haughty Pierre Trudeau, and Avy Crowchild playing the lead role of May Lee. Emily Elliot and Caylee Watrin return as May Lee’s close friends, and they are a lovely, animated pair of supporting actresses. Elliot plays the role...