Isabella Perrone - Page 5

Set in Bob Dylan's hometown of Duluth, Minnesota in 1934, writer and director Conor McPherson's GIRL FROM THE NORTH COUNTRY is equal parts bleak and beautiful. The busy story centers on the Laine family and their guest house; stressed father and husband Nick (Donald Sage MacKay) is busy caring for his wife Elizabeth (Katie Brayben), whose dementia has progressed to the point where she's like a rowdy child with a sailor's mouth. His issues double with their children Gene (Colin Bates), an alcoholic, would-be writer and Marianne (Gloria Obianyo), their adopted Black daughter who's several months pregnant.

THE ROCKY HORROR SHOW, produced by Hart House theatre and directed by Jennifer Walls, takes everything fans love about the cult classic musical and film and brings it to glorious, vulgar life on stage. The beloved story opens on the recently engaged Brad (William Mackenzie) and Janet (Katie Miller), who become stranded in the middle of nowhere on a cold, stormy night after their car breaks down. They head to a castle they had passed by to use the phone, but this is where any similarities to the cliché horror story end. They're brought into the castle by a motley crew of servants, led by siblings Riff Raff (Ian Backstrom) and Magenta (Rachel Hart, who also plays an Usherette at the start and end of the show) where they witness first hand the creation of new life by the master of the house, self-proclaimed a?oesweet transvestitea?? scientist Frank 'N' Furter (Chris Tsujiuchi).

The names Edith Piaf and Marlene Dietrich still hold weight decades after their glory days, and Mirvish's production of PIAF/DIETRICH (directed by Gordon Greenberg) makes it easy to understand why. The sheer star power of the two titular women, embodied here by a powerhouse cast and set at major points in each one's personal lives is the kind of complicated, beautiful story of female relationships that the world needs now more than ever.

The reimagining of Cirque du Soleil's ALEGRIA: IN A NEW LIGHT features all the spectacle and intrigue that the company is famous for, with a few updates that are sure to win over the hearts of even the most hardcore fans of its original staging. This time around, the story of balance and harmony draws on the aesthetics of a Venetian carnival (costumes by Dominique Lemeiux), with Game of Thrones-esque sets (Anne-Séguin Poirier) and a healthy dose of purely fantastical designs to transport audiences to the world of the show's characters.

The examination of existence, language, and self is nothing new within the walls of a theatre, but KNIVES IN HENS manages to expand on all these themes a?" and then some a?" using straightforward and highly effective text in this new production of the 1995 David Harrower play.

The premise is simple: it's the 90s and the Alexandria Ceremonial Police Orchestra is travelling from Egypt to Petah Tikva to perform in a concert. Due to a language barrier, they end up in the tiny desert town of Bet Hatikva with little money, no hotel to check into, and a full day's wait until the next bus out of town. The next ninety minutes follow members of the band as they explore the town with their hosts. Café owner Dina (Chilina Kennedy), her employee Papi (Adam Gabay) and patron Itzik (Pomme Koch) each take a few members of the orchestra with them, and each provide a different look into Bet Hatikva, its residents, and their struggles. In its Toronto premiere this 10-time Tony winning musical, based on the film of the same name, is directed by David Cromer and presented by Mirvish.

A shopping mall is an ambitious setting for a play, and a Chinese mall perhaps even more so given the cultural significance they have for their communities. NO FOREIGNERS attempts (and does well) to weave between lore, existentialism, comedy, and myth, revealing the struggle many people face when trying to find their identities in an ever-changing world.

AMERICAN SON is the most recent Broadway-based story to be reimagined for film, but what makes it particularly special is the fact play's original cast reprise their roles, allowing audiences the chance to take in the timely story and gripping performances from the comfort of their homes. Adapted from Christopher Demos-Brown's play and directed by Kenny Leon (who also directed the stage production in New York), AMERICAN SON is a dialogue-driven examination of racism, police and civilian relations, and Black identity set in a Floridian police station.

Considered one of Pinter's most popular works, BETRAYAL tells the story of an affair in reverse. Directed by Andrea Donaldson, this Soulpepper production remains set in the 1970s a?" the same era it was written in a?" and is a gripping thriller centered around human emotion and autonomy.

In Soulpepper's production of the 1998 Best Play Tony winner ART, written by Yasmina Reza and directed here by Philip Akin, the friendship of three friends is put to the test after one dives into the world of modernism with an expensive purchase.

The internet today is like a modern-day wild west, with billions of people constantly connected to each other through their phones and computers. For those familiar with online communities, there are a few rules that are followed to keep one's self sane: don't look yourself up, and don't read people's comments related to a controversial topic.

Sometimes you need a reminder that children are wise beyond their years, and CHILD-ISH is a stellar example of just how much kids learn from watching the world around them. Written by Sunny Drake alongside the CHILD-ISH Collective and directed by Alan Dilworth, the production is currently a work in progress but shows great potential through its handling of verbatim quotes from its child collaborators.

Simone Schmidt's AUDIBLE SONGS FROM ROCKWOOD receives its first staging for theatre at this years' SummerWorks festival. The song-cycle is based on the album of the same title by Schmidt's band Fiver and explores the cases of several people who were incarcerated at the Rockwood Asylum for the Criminally Insane between 1856 and 1881. Although it would be easy to take advantage of the source material and lean into shock and spectacle, Schmidt takes care to respect the stories of the women and in turn has created a moving, educational, and memorable experience for audiences.

The theatre has been used before as a medium to explore and discuss what harassment is and how it affects its victims. As part of the SummerWorks programming, and presented in partnership with Paprika Festival, WAH WAH WAH is a new perspective on the subject that offers one woman's experiences through a collection of travel stories and striking movements.

What's a little insurance fraud among family? At the hands of writer Eli Pasic, it leads to 90 minutes of laughter and plenty of drama. Produced by Isaiah Kolundzic and Emily Dix, FALSE CLAIMS is a two-hour whirlwind of slapstick action, shocking twists, and witty comebacks that shows just how messy family relationships can get once money comes into the picture.

Many artists spend their career working to become the best at one thing in their field, be it television, film, or theatre a?" but for Canadian composer Patric Caird, variety has been his main motivator throughout the last two-and-a-half decades. From his home in Los Angeles, Caird delved into his dynamic career a?" and even hinted at upcoming work a?" to give us a sense of what it takes to be successful in writing music for film and television. With credits ranging from his recent work on Fab Filippo's CBC comedy series Save Me and Netflix's supernatural drama The Order, all the way back to the start of his career with the beloved cartoon Ed, Edd n Eddy, Caird has remained an important figure in the world of music composition because of his ability to adapt to the demands of the industry.

The Second City's TAKE ME OUT TO THE IMPROV is a punchy collection of improv and sketch comedy that explores local politics, family dynamics, and dating and love a?" which is a lot more than the sports-themed title suggests. The Toronto Touring Company features Andy Assaf, Matt Folliott, Nicole Passmore, Christian Smith, Jillian Welsh, and in her final show before moving to the Mainstage, Clare McConnell.

Having two completely different shows premiere within a month of each other might be a daunting concept for many playwrights, but Eli Pasic is taking it in stride. The emerging Toronto writers' first fully produced work, the comedic farce FALSE CLAIMS, follows the story of a man who poses as his late aunt's husband in order to collect her life insurance policy and opens August 2. His nautical musical parody SOMETHING FOR THE BUOYS is set to premiere this fall. Pasic was able to take some time away from his heavy workload to discuss his journey from musician to produced playwright, and offered an in-depth look into the differences between writing for plays versus musicals, his creative process, and an unexpected collaboration with an established Broadway composer.

Soulpepper takes on a classic American script in their new production of Sam Shepard's FOOL FOR LOVE, directed by Frank Cox-O'Connell. With simple staging and a compact ensemble, the production implements some interesting and timely ideas but overall leaves something to be desired.