Dedicating one’s self to the art of sketch comedy can feel like being trapped in a Catch-22. Great sketch artists draw from both the more commercially viable world of stand-up and the artistically venerable world of theatre, and although one might think that having a foot in both these worlds would open twice as many doors, the reality is that sketch is still an underappreciated gray area.
I'm an artist! Toronto Sketch Fest celebrates the form
Torontonians have something in common with Victorians (the ‘resident of Victoria’ kind, not the ‘steam engine and top hat’ kind): we both happily defy stereotypes.
Movies adapted from the stage are nothing new. The Sound of Music, Glengarry Glen Ross and Amadeus are just a handful of examples. It’s adaptions from screen to stage that are more rare.
Festen, eric peterson celebrates or is he in the corner (with) gas?
I’m tired of hearing about Joe the Plumber. The fact that his name is dropped ad nauseam is part of it, but the bulk of the reason is that this unlicensed pipe technician is held up as the little guy entrepreneur whose dreams are going to be crushed by the tax man. A laughable idea considering his six figure income puts him head and shoulders above the majority in terms of financial comfort.
Your Plank Panel with no strings attached includes: Sarah Baumann is a Toronto-based director and the co-founder and artistic director of Theatre Smash. Alison Broverman is a Toronto-based playwright and freelance arts reporter. Ann McDougall is a Toronto-based writer and storyteller.
No, not a Plank Panellist but rather Tweak from Famous Puppet Death Scenes
There are few times when a piece of theatre can truly be described as “epic”. The word is often used to describe the superficial dimensions of a show, usually in the context of massive musicals or other excessive productions that are generated by a big budget but not necessarily a creative vision to match.
Scorched: Janick Hebert, Valerie Buhagiar; photo: Paul Fujimoto
The Panel:
Alison Broverman is a playwright and freelance arts reporter.
Kate Hewlett is an actor and a playwright.
Michael Rubenfeld is an actor, playwright, and the artistic producer of Toronto’s Summerworks Festival.
Jersey Boys: Jeremy Kushnier, Steve Gouveia, Andrew Rannells and Joseph Leo Bwarie ignore the distraction of Rubenfeld getting out his scotch mints and Alison and Kate putting them in their mouths.
The Panel:
Alison Broverman, a Toronto-based playwright and freelance arts reporter
Ann McDougall, a Toronto-based playwright and storyteller
Andrew Lamb, a Toronto-based director
Norway.Today, Ivea Lucs and Steven McCarthy; photo: Michael Walton|
There have been as many versions and interpretations of Hamlet as there have been people who’ve seen it. Directors in China, the Czech Republic, Germany, and Poland have drawn on the work’s subtexts to make political statements, and actors of all backgrounds –from classically-trained to Hollywood types –tend to see the role as the Holy Grail of acting.
"Think, Hamlet, think": Ben Carlson as Hamlet, Photo: David Hou
The Panel:
Alison Broverman is a playwright and arts reporter and a superhero in her mind.
M. John Kennedy is an actor, writer and teacher, often mistaken for his secret identity.
