It’s A Wonderful Life Radio Show
The latest offering from Pacific Theatre, “It’s A Wonderful Life Radio Show” is pure unpretentious fun.
The classic Christmas film is reimagined as a radio play being broadcast before our eyes in a 1946 radio studio by an ensemble of performers. The synopsis of the film is so familiar that the dialogue required to move the threads of the plot line forward is minimal. The real fun lies in the peripheral features: an array of sound-effects devices – all used to maximum effect; period commercials (mostly sung) and music contemporary to the period in which the action is set.
A minor departure from the radio broadcast template is the provision of a small amount of costuming that would be unnecessary in a real broadcast. This serves to assist the audience in distinguishing characters whose identity would otherwise be ambiguous.
If you are looking for a Christmas show that is a bit out of the ordinary this one is a good bet.
Saturday, December 13, 2014
Wide Awake Hearts
Playing at Little Mountain Gallery is “Wide Awake Hearts”, a production of Twenty Something Theatre and Hardline Productions.
The play revolves around four thoroughly unlikable characters identified in the program only as A, B, C and D. A, a writer for TV and film is married to B, an actress. C is a boyhood friend of A who has beencast in a film (written by A) that also features B. D is the female editor of the film with some sort of link to C.
What transpires on stage is a largely incoherent exploration of their relationships punctuated by soporific monologues by the individual characters. The Director’s Notes were unhelpful and unenlightening.
A particular irritant was the lighting. For most of the action it seemed to be designed to put as little light as possible on the performers while, at the same time, shining what light there was in the eyes of the audience making it even more difficult to see the action.
All in all, it was an evening wasted.
Playing at Little Mountain Gallery is “Wide Awake Hearts”, a production of Twenty Something Theatre and Hardline Productions.
The play revolves around four thoroughly unlikable characters identified in the program only as A, B, C and D. A, a writer for TV and film is married to B, an actress. C is a boyhood friend of A who has beencast in a film (written by A) that also features B. D is the female editor of the film with some sort of link to C.
What transpires on stage is a largely incoherent exploration of their relationships punctuated by soporific monologues by the individual characters. The Director’s Notes were unhelpful and unenlightening.
A particular irritant was the lighting. For most of the action it seemed to be designed to put as little light as possible on the performers while, at the same time, shining what light there was in the eyes of the audience making it even more difficult to see the action.
All in all, it was an evening wasted.
Monday, November 24, 2014
Small Parts
Solo Collective Theatre’s “Small Parts,” which just closed at Performance Works, has attracted a number of comments. Almost all have centred on the back story to the creation of the play. The playwright’s mother, diagnosed with terminal cancer, writes (for reasons never made clear) a very bad play, its various characters being body parts. The playwright lends his professional theatre skills to bringing “The Ovarian Dialogues” to life on stage.
Small Parts attempts to replicate the real-life events as a separate theatrical experience. As touching as the back story may be, sad to say as a stand-alone play it simply does not work.
It is ironic that the seeds of what might make it work are already in the play but the playwright failed to let them germinate and take root. I refer to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” as a template for the play. The opening is promising by utilizing the opening scene with the storm. But then the idea is dropped. After that we see only passing references that invoke Shakespeare – a character named Ariel who is ultimately “freed” and the phrase “brave new world.”
Much more could have been done to map Small Parts on to The Tempest starting with the characters, their names and their relationships. One character in particular illustrates the possibilities – Andrew McNee playing “Dan” is already there as a Caliban figure. Just call him “Cal”. Let Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda become Proserpine, Fred and Mandy mapped on to Irene (the mother), Nathan (the playwright) and Nory (a performer).
Defining new relationships between the characters and making them work would be a challenge and require a major departure from the back story – with no guarantee of success – but the result would have the potential to be a much stronger and engaging work.
Solo Collective Theatre’s “Small Parts,” which just closed at Performance Works, has attracted a number of comments. Almost all have centred on the back story to the creation of the play. The playwright’s mother, diagnosed with terminal cancer, writes (for reasons never made clear) a very bad play, its various characters being body parts. The playwright lends his professional theatre skills to bringing “The Ovarian Dialogues” to life on stage.
Small Parts attempts to replicate the real-life events as a separate theatrical experience. As touching as the back story may be, sad to say as a stand-alone play it simply does not work.
It is ironic that the seeds of what might make it work are already in the play but the playwright failed to let them germinate and take root. I refer to Shakespeare’s “The Tempest” as a template for the play. The opening is promising by utilizing the opening scene with the storm. But then the idea is dropped. After that we see only passing references that invoke Shakespeare – a character named Ariel who is ultimately “freed” and the phrase “brave new world.”
Much more could have been done to map Small Parts on to The Tempest starting with the characters, their names and their relationships. One character in particular illustrates the possibilities – Andrew McNee playing “Dan” is already there as a Caliban figure. Just call him “Cal”. Let Prospero, Ferdinand, and Miranda become Proserpine, Fred and Mandy mapped on to Irene (the mother), Nathan (the playwright) and Nory (a performer).
Defining new relationships between the characters and making them work would be a challenge and require a major departure from the back story – with no guarantee of success – but the result would have the potential to be a much stronger and engaging work.
Thursday, November 20, 2014
Subway Stations of the Cross
Pacific Theatre’s website describes this offering in the following terms:
"A homeless man on a cardboard platform brings his own peculiar message from God. An unpredictable, mashed up meditation on the sacred and the everyday, told through the songs, stories, and poetry of a nameless vagabond."
This production can only be described as self-indulgent garbage – the kind of thing that gives the one-man-show a bad name. Its only redeeming feature is that it was mercifully short.
It is sad that after their previous show – the excellent “The Rainmaker” – Pacific Theatre should deliver this kind of production to its subscribers and followers.
Pacific Theatre’s website describes this offering in the following terms:
"A homeless man on a cardboard platform brings his own peculiar message from God. An unpredictable, mashed up meditation on the sacred and the everyday, told through the songs, stories, and poetry of a nameless vagabond."
This production can only be described as self-indulgent garbage – the kind of thing that gives the one-man-show a bad name. Its only redeeming feature is that it was mercifully short.
It is sad that after their previous show – the excellent “The Rainmaker” – Pacific Theatre should deliver this kind of production to its subscribers and followers.
Broken Sex Doll
I am happy to be challenged; I am prepared to be offended; I do not, however, welcome being bored. But this is exactly "Broken Sex Doll" managed to do.
It has been revived at the York theatre by the Cultch from a previous run in 2012. Why it was thought fit to be revived is a mystery. It takes a premise, worth perhaps 10 minutes as a comic sketch, and with the addition of a number of tuneless songs, stretches it out into almost two hours.
Who thought sex could be made so tedious? One has only to think of "Vixens of Wonderland," mounted in August at Performance Works, to see how material like this can be made raunchy and titillating and be a lot of fun in the process.
Very disappointing.
I am happy to be challenged; I am prepared to be offended; I do not, however, welcome being bored. But this is exactly "Broken Sex Doll" managed to do.
It has been revived at the York theatre by the Cultch from a previous run in 2012. Why it was thought fit to be revived is a mystery. It takes a premise, worth perhaps 10 minutes as a comic sketch, and with the addition of a number of tuneless songs, stretches it out into almost two hours.
Who thought sex could be made so tedious? One has only to think of "Vixens of Wonderland," mounted in August at Performance Works, to see how material like this can be made raunchy and titillating and be a lot of fun in the process.
Very disappointing.
Sunday, November 16, 2014
Slaughterhouse Five
Just closed after a short run at Studio 1398 is Little Mountain Lion Productions’ presentation of “Slaughterhouse Five” – a stage adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut novel of the same name.
Having never read the novel or knowing much about it I came with no preconceptions as to what I was about to see. The play would have to stand or fall on its own as a work for the theatre. Unfortunately it fell with a resounding thud.
What was presented was an incoherent and self-indulgent mish mash that went from nowhere to nowhere leaving a trail of boredom in its wake.
The performances were lackluster with only one actor, Steve James, occasionally rising above the material to provide a characterization one could relate to.
A particular irritant was the failure to provide a program or at least a cast list. All it would have taken was $5 worth of photocopying. But having seen the show I can well understand the reluctance of those involved in it to leave behind any documentary evidence of their participation.
Just closed after a short run at Studio 1398 is Little Mountain Lion Productions’ presentation of “Slaughterhouse Five” – a stage adaptation of the Kurt Vonnegut novel of the same name.
Having never read the novel or knowing much about it I came with no preconceptions as to what I was about to see. The play would have to stand or fall on its own as a work for the theatre. Unfortunately it fell with a resounding thud.
What was presented was an incoherent and self-indulgent mish mash that went from nowhere to nowhere leaving a trail of boredom in its wake.
The performances were lackluster with only one actor, Steve James, occasionally rising above the material to provide a characterization one could relate to.
A particular irritant was the failure to provide a program or at least a cast list. All it would have taken was $5 worth of photocopying. But having seen the show I can well understand the reluctance of those involved in it to leave behind any documentary evidence of their participation.
Facts at Jericho
Playing at the Jericho Arts Centre is the United Players production of “Facts”. Set in an interrogation room, the principal characters are an Israeli police detective and a Palestinian police inspector working together to solve a murder that occurred in the West Bank.
Despite the context having a somewhat dated feel about it, the production is definitely worth seeing. What makes it really worthwhile is the dynamic performance of Jerry Wasserman as the Israeli detective. It was truly a joy to watch.
Unfortunately this was not matched by his Palestinian counterpart who came across as too young and lacking the authority and gravitas his position called for. It would have worked much better if the pair had been more closely matched in terms of age and apparent experience.
A bouquet to the sound designer who managed to get the sound of the security apparatus just right.
Playing at the Jericho Arts Centre is the United Players production of “Facts”. Set in an interrogation room, the principal characters are an Israeli police detective and a Palestinian police inspector working together to solve a murder that occurred in the West Bank.
Despite the context having a somewhat dated feel about it, the production is definitely worth seeing. What makes it really worthwhile is the dynamic performance of Jerry Wasserman as the Israeli detective. It was truly a joy to watch.
Unfortunately this was not matched by his Palestinian counterpart who came across as too young and lacking the authority and gravitas his position called for. It would have worked much better if the pair had been more closely matched in terms of age and apparent experience.
A bouquet to the sound designer who managed to get the sound of the security apparatus just right.
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