Fringe 2009- reviews (and SPOILERS)
I actually "fringed" this year! And by that I mean I saw more than 1 or 2 plays (Yey for volunteering and its perks- like a volunteer pass). Here are my humble reviews.
DISCLAIMER: If you came across this entry from google/facebook- and were involved in one of these productions...remember: I'm just a picky drama geek who sees way too many plays for my own good. No, I probably can't do better than you did(and , really, congratulations for having a play on the Fringe)
Buffy shadow cast (Once more with feeling episode): I just love the ‘decadence’ of the bloor cinema- which generally go well with shadow casts. No, I’m not saying that shadow casts are inherently decadent…it is just one of those unconscious (and strong) associations. Perfect timing/tuning/pace(and transitions). Plus jokes/humour. C’mon, anyone who has dabbled into drag knows that mixing lip-synching with acting…and throwing in a bit of humour/jokes…is no small feat. Should I say the 12 years old Spike (Nathan Wilson) stole the show- or would that make me lose a few friends and do irreparable damage to the kid’s ego? But, really, the whole cast was FANTASTIC!
Address to the jury: Monologue. A man convicted of murdering his wife and little daughter tells(and convinces) audience that he is innocent. Great text, good actor, not-so-good pace.
Charles Manson and Timothy Leary at Folsom Prison: Based on real events. One of the “fathers” of the hippie “movement” (Leary) has a conversation with the man who, in a way, shattered a whole generation dream of peace, Love and…drugs(Manson). Their cells are separated by a wall- the conversation happens through the ventilation tubes. Therefore, the actors have no real eye or body contact (great acting, by the way). The characterization of Manson reminded me of Vicious(a trickster character I played). Amazing play.
Fucking Stephen Harper: Fictional story of how a newbie (gay) journalist tried to interview Harper. Quiet comedy (not the LOL type, not for me anyway). The pace was a bit off. But quite good...
The importance of being Ernest: I just went to see this because I have read the play quite a few times but never saw it on stage/film. I was not impressed. At least the British accents were not fake like the terrible mustaches the all-female cast used. Also, it disappointed me that it seemed to be no 'analysis", comments or 'processing' of the fact that all the male characters were played by female actors(or am I just too deep into gender theory here?)
The Laramie project: Good. Touching. The actors were good/ok- but had a tendency to over-act at some points. Very simple staging. If you haven’t seen The Laramie project on stage, please do, it’s a totally different experience from the movie (duh!). One thing that struck me was that every actor probably played sympathetic/non-homophobic and homophobic characters with not a lot of transition time - which is somewhat impressive.
The Particulars: Amazing! Fantastic realism meets "as good as it gets". The story(monologue) of a young yuppie man trapped into a meticulous(and ridiculous) routine. Until he hears scratching behind the walls of his apartment- something is trapped (and, of course) he is a vegan). The actor narrates it in 3rd person, which reminded me of (Russian?)short stories- and made my brain hurt from all the possibilities this (monologues that sound like short stories) opened up for me as a writer(how pretentious of me!). The movement is not quite naturalistic, but it is very well tuned, and fits perfectly in the atmosphere of the play.
Politically correct bedtime stories: F* amazing. I always loved kids’ theater-but at some point the plays just became too dumb. This was like going back to my first theater experiences...just with part of my adult(and cynical/jaded) brain intact. Basically, the retelling of a few fairytales...from a politically correct point of view. Even though that's a cliché in itself, the play worked all the commonplace (theater/circus gags, kids theater and the fairytales) in its favor.
Wearville Waltz: "Old" man recounts his high school love experiences as a poor (trailer "trash"), tiny teenager in small town America. Obviously, I was not the targeted audience. But the actor (Randy Rutherford) is an amazing storyteller. This show made me crave a bloody steak, a bonfire, trains and country music oldies.
DISCLAIMER: If you came across this entry from google/facebook- and were involved in one of these productions...remember: I'm just a picky drama geek who sees way too many plays for my own good. No, I probably can't do better than you did(and , really, congratulations for having a play on the Fringe)
Buffy shadow cast (Once more with feeling episode): I just love the ‘decadence’ of the bloor cinema- which generally go well with shadow casts. No, I’m not saying that shadow casts are inherently decadent…it is just one of those unconscious (and strong) associations. Perfect timing/tuning/pace(and transitions). Plus jokes/humour. C’mon, anyone who has dabbled into drag knows that mixing lip-synching with acting…and throwing in a bit of humour/jokes…is no small feat. Should I say the 12 years old Spike (Nathan Wilson) stole the show- or would that make me lose a few friends and do irreparable damage to the kid’s ego? But, really, the whole cast was FANTASTIC!
Address to the jury: Monologue. A man convicted of murdering his wife and little daughter tells(and convinces) audience that he is innocent. Great text, good actor, not-so-good pace.
Charles Manson and Timothy Leary at Folsom Prison: Based on real events. One of the “fathers” of the hippie “movement” (Leary) has a conversation with the man who, in a way, shattered a whole generation dream of peace, Love and…drugs(Manson). Their cells are separated by a wall- the conversation happens through the ventilation tubes. Therefore, the actors have no real eye or body contact (great acting, by the way). The characterization of Manson reminded me of Vicious(a trickster character I played). Amazing play.
Fucking Stephen Harper: Fictional story of how a newbie (gay) journalist tried to interview Harper. Quiet comedy (not the LOL type, not for me anyway). The pace was a bit off. But quite good...
The importance of being Ernest: I just went to see this because I have read the play quite a few times but never saw it on stage/film. I was not impressed. At least the British accents were not fake like the terrible mustaches the all-female cast used. Also, it disappointed me that it seemed to be no 'analysis", comments or 'processing' of the fact that all the male characters were played by female actors(or am I just too deep into gender theory here?)
The Laramie project: Good. Touching. The actors were good/ok- but had a tendency to over-act at some points. Very simple staging. If you haven’t seen The Laramie project on stage, please do, it’s a totally different experience from the movie (duh!). One thing that struck me was that every actor probably played sympathetic/non-homophobic and homophobic characters with not a lot of transition time - which is somewhat impressive.
The Particulars: Amazing! Fantastic realism meets "as good as it gets". The story(monologue) of a young yuppie man trapped into a meticulous(and ridiculous) routine. Until he hears scratching behind the walls of his apartment- something is trapped (and, of course) he is a vegan). The actor narrates it in 3rd person, which reminded me of (Russian?)short stories- and made my brain hurt from all the possibilities this (monologues that sound like short stories) opened up for me as a writer(how pretentious of me!). The movement is not quite naturalistic, but it is very well tuned, and fits perfectly in the atmosphere of the play.
Politically correct bedtime stories: F* amazing. I always loved kids’ theater-but at some point the plays just became too dumb. This was like going back to my first theater experiences...just with part of my adult(and cynical/jaded) brain intact. Basically, the retelling of a few fairytales...from a politically correct point of view. Even though that's a cliché in itself, the play worked all the commonplace (theater/circus gags, kids theater and the fairytales) in its favor.
Wearville Waltz: "Old" man recounts his high school love experiences as a poor (trailer "trash"), tiny teenager in small town America. Obviously, I was not the targeted audience. But the actor (Randy Rutherford) is an amazing storyteller. This show made me crave a bloody steak, a bonfire, trains and country music oldies.