Oscar Wilde once wrote: “I regard the theatre as the greatest of all art forms, the most immediate way in which a human being can share with another the sense of what it is to be a human being.” What he did not regard, it seems, is how few of us actually get the chance to sense another human being doing their theatrical thing. Theatre has changed tremendously since it was a mandatory cultural practise in ancient Greece; it is now a luxury enjoyed only by those with the financial stability to afford expensive tickets – a category that rarely includes students. Fortunately, theatre companies across our fair city have made their art more accessible to us by providing discount tickets. Here is a breakdown of Toronto’s major theatre companies and what they do to make their tickets more affordable: (more…)

Where: Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts (at Osgoode Subway)
When: Tuesday-Saturday (26-30) at 7:30PM
Tickets: $35 if you’re under 30 and join <30 DanCap; $40-65 regular admission.
More information: See the Next to Normal website

The best show in town this week, and possibly even this summer, is the 2009 Tony award-winning musical, Next to Normal, playing at the Four Seasons Centre, the last stop on its North American tour. Next to Normal tells the story of Diana Goodman (played by Alice Ripley in a Tony award-winning performance), a woman with bipolar disorder, and her family as they struggle to cope with the strains from her condition. Diana’s husband, Dan (Asa Somers), sticks with her, trying his best to help her cope with her condition, still clinging to the image of the woman he first met in his early twenties but that may no longer exist, deluding himself that everything is fine. Their daughter, Natalie (Emma Hunton), is a straight-A straight-edged student, who eventually hits breaking point, after starting up a sweet and optimistic romance with her supportive stoner classmate.

It’s been just over two months since classes (thankfully) ended for the dedicated and tireless troopers here at U of T, but let’s face it: as much as we all look forward to some free time spent out in the sun, or even likelier spent inside our video game caves (Portal 2 anyone?), it’s all but impossible to avoid those boring days spent asking oneself, “What am I going to do today?”. I’m very happy to report that due to my brilliant sleuthing skills—okay, Googling skills, really—I stumbled upon an event that will delight playgoers, English students, and tree-huggers alike. That’s right, it’s the 29th Annual Canadian Stage Dream in High Park, featuring a play by everyone’s favourite bearded bard that is sure to delight, The Winter’s Tale.

To try and draw in those of you who perhaps prefer Two and a Half Men repeats (or anything at all) to Shakespeare, the performance is free, with donations of any amount accepted at the gate if you’re feeling generous à la Scrooge after seeing the three ghosts. As for you Shakespeare connoisseurs out there, this adaptation of the play by Canadian theatre director Estelle Shook is wonderful. With minimal props, live music in between acts thanks to two amazing violinists, and actors occasionally coming out into the “aisles” of the amphitheater, you instantly feel yourself enveloped in Shakespeare’s fictional land of Bohemia. Actor John Blackwood’s humorous portrayal of the roguish pickpocket Autolycus was of particular note and was clearly an audience favourite, garnering laughs and applause at each reappearance. David Jansen was also stirring as the guilt-ridden Leontes and provided a pleasing contrast to the comedic scenes, rounding out the play’s “tragicomedy” label.

For the remainder of you who, like me, are somewhere in between Shakespearephobes and Shakespearephiles, this play is a welcome chance to get out into the fresh summer air and enjoy a play full of twists and turns, tense drama and laugh-out-loud comedy, and even a man exiting the stage being pursued by a bear, as the famous stage directions dictate. So hop on the Bloor line to High Park station with a bag full of snacks, take the beautiful walk through the park to the amphitheater, snuggle up under a blanket with some friends (and yes, a mosquito or two), and enjoy an entertaining night under the stars. There is a certain unique ambiance that the outdoors provides to any dramatic performance.  This atmosphere particularly lends itself to Shakespeare’s plays, which often debuts at The Globe, the open-air amphitheater founded by the playwright himself. It is certainly fitting then, to appreciate his work in the way it was intended to be seen, in the way it has been admired by so many throughout the centuries; I’m certainly no bard, but you could almost call it poetic.

The Canadian Stage Dream in High Park will run until September 4, 2011 at the High Park Outdoor Amphitheater. The show can be seen every Tuesday to Sunday and begins at 8 p.m. (weather-permitting). Gates open at 6, so get there early to snag a good spot!

For more info, stop by http://www.canadianstage.com/dream

Wednesday evening I battled the rain and sleet for a chance to see Yellow Face at Hart House Theatre followed by a Q&A with Tony-award winning writer, David Henry Hwang. I was not disappointed. The show is phenomenal. Both funny and touching, the play deals with serious racial issues by weaving together fact and fiction in a beautiful and engaging story. The set is simple and intriguing all at once, kudos to Akiva Romer-Segal the set designer. I loved the use of the full stage with such a differently proportioned set. The lighting by Paphavee Limkul was equally enjoyable. The lights played off the set wonderful, and took full advantage of the back cyc, adding visual depth to a very emotionally deep play.

Esther Jun, the director, did a wonderful job bringing the play to life. The actors were well chosen and played a variety of roles each, sometimes in unexpected ways. Their emotions felt real and kept you engaged, which is a testament to both good actors and good direction. The actors were all fantastic, but I want to call attention to Ben Wong who played DHH. Playing David Henry Hwang in front of David Henry Hwang must have been nerve-wracking, but he appeared to be at ease in the roll, which made it all the more enjoyable for the audience. Mr. Hwang himself commented afterwards that he did a wonderful job portraying him as both needy and self absorbed. Mr. Hwang made quite a few jokes like this throughout the question period. He was an engaging speaker, and it was interesting to hear about his journey of writing a play about himself, a mockumentary of sorts. He said he was inspired in part by Spinal Tap and too much Curb Your Enthusiasm, and the result was one of the most enjoyable plays I’ve seen in years.

With only two shows left, I suggest you drop everything and head over to Hart House to catch the show before it closes. Definitely a show not to be missed! Tickets can be bought at the box office or online at UofTTix.

What: The UC Drama Program Director’s shows
Where: UC Helen Gardner Playhouse
When: Tonight at 9PM, Tomorrow (Sunday) at 4PM
Tickets: ucdrama.tickets@gmail.com or at the door (come early, it will be a full house), FREE

Lauren Gillis’s masterful directorial debut, Alkestis, an adaptation of Euripedes’s play, is at once hilarious, clever, very well acted, and an extremely cohesive piece of work: it’s one of the best directed plays I’ve seen in years, made even more amazing by its novice director. Alkestis is a strange combination of tragedy, comedy, and satire, and Gillis’s production hits each of these notes marvelously and perfectly. The cast is remarkably good and pulls off these myriad moods, perfectly switching seamlessly between them in an instant.

Alkestis is the strange story of how Alkestis, the wife of King Admetus, agrees to take his place in Hades so that he can still live, and how Admetus copes with the loss of his wife; somewhere in there Heracles shows up on his mission which provides an immense amount of comedy. But this is really just the McGuffin for a marvelous play that follows which, especially in Gillis’s production, satirizes the Greek tragedy. Her actors speak their lines with such conviction but everything is just slightly over the top, as in a melodrama, that tragic scenes become hilarious: it’s deadpan humour at its best.  There’s just enough seriousness to allow us to suspend our disbelief and the characters undercut the seriousness just enough to allow a general absurdist attitude. When Heracles shows up at the mourning Admetus’s door, Admetus does a complete 180, wears gaiety and only mild grief so that he can show Heracles hospitality. When Heracles leaves the stage, Admetus returns immediately to loud moaning with sorrow. When Heracles returns a few seconds later to collect his forgotten weapon, Admetus returns to cheeriness in an instant: it’s so perfectly timed that it’s hilarious without being crude.

Gillis’s production is very modern but not modernized: it doesn’t have the feel of a period piece but the original work isn’t corrupted either. Heracles plays like a laid back college kid on a mission – he even drinks wine out of red plastic cups to celebrate – and yet somehow he fits perfectly in the play that’s set hundreds of years ago. Admetus’s children show up in the form of a couple of puppets, voiced by the amazing Maarika Pinkney. When Alkestis dies, her son squeals and believably cries out in pain, yet the fact that he is a puppet undercuts this and amazingly makes it all quite hilarious without being distasteful: it is just so well acted and sincere. Gillis adds in these modern touches with just enough subtlety that they seem to fit into the world of these characters and the story. I’m used to seeing plays at Stratford where Shakespeare is artificially transported into the 1960s; Gillis uses no such artifice. Her modifications are carefully chosen and are done so cleverly. (more…)

A delightful ensemble, wonderful banter, and comedic brilliance are just a few things I can say to describe how impressed I was with this year’s production of Leonce and Lena presented to you by the Trinity College Drama Society. Translated, adapted and directed by 4th year student Chris Pugh, Leonce and Lena is truly an impressive piece of work.  Though as sophisticated as the dialogue was, the performance had just so many silly fun moments. If there is only one word to this describe this play, I would say: FUN!

I particularly loved the character “the king” portrayed by the wonderfully talented Duncan Derry. Though still a young man, he managed to pull off playing what I believed to be at least a fifty or sixty year old man. It was all in his demeanor and oh who can forgot that low, obnoxious voice?!? Derry has a wonderful sense of comedic timing and poise for such a young age.

Though, all actors did a tremendous job.  Leonce, portrayed by the also wonderfully talented Kashtin Fitzsimons, had so many funny one liners too:

1) “I’m bored because I love you”

2) “Kisses equal voluptuous yawning”

3) “Time does not kill love, Our love kills time.”

4) “Dying love is more beautiful than growing love.”

5) “We’re all so old and I feel so young”

6) “Women have a pronounced tendency to fall in love with men they have met than men they have not.”

Leonce and Lena is still playing October 22nd and 23rd at 8PM. Don’t miss it! Buy at the door or reserve your tickets before they are sold out at trinity.dramatic.society@gmail.com. It’s located at George Ignatieff Theatre (15 Devonshire Place)

**Image from the Trinity College Drama Society

The Trinity College Dramatic Society’s fall production opens this Thursday! This rarely performed German play by Georg Büchner has been translated, adapted and directed by 4th year student Chris Pugh. Follow the adventures of angst-ridden Prince Leonce when he decides to run away from the Kingdom of Popo with a hobo sidekick to avoid an arranged marriage. Robots may or may not be featured.

When: Oct 21-23, 8pm
Where: George Ignatieff Theatre (15 Devonshire Place)
Tickets: Student $5, Adult $10

Tickets can be bought at the door or reserved by emailing trinity.dramatic.society@gmail.com