I posted the 2009 Vancouver Jessie Award Nominations and the 2009 Edmonton Sterling Nominations without a commentary because I hadn’t seen enough of the shows in Vancouver and Edmonton in order to fairly weigh in about the nominations or to speculate on the winners (which I don’t like to do anyway). My opinions, I think, are at best predictable (or dull, depending on your opinion!). Ron Pederson’s portrayal of Carmen Ghia last summer in The Producers at The Arts Club in Vancouver stole that show with exorbitant panache. His performance as James in Extinction Song at the Citadel Theatre in Edmonton this winter blew my mind via a short promotional video that was posted on the Citadel’s website. Ron Jenkins’ writing and direction was fifty percent responsible for said blown mind. Thom Allison is an incredible performer who continually throws 110% of his extraordinary talent into every part he plays. I am sure his portrayal of Adolpho in The Drowsy Chaperone at the Arts Club was pure bliss. I heard Jay Brazeau’s Man in Chair rivalled that of Bob Martin. Stewart Lemoine’s new 2008 Fringe play Happy Toes was the epitome of what theatre should be for me. In both cases, the Jessies and the Sterlings, it was nice to see the best of what I had seen in these two cities being so well represented- regardless of whether my opinions are predictable or not!  

thom allison as aldopho in the drowsy chaperone (arts club)
 

In Toronto, however, I do feel qualified to speak at further length about the 2009 Dora Nominations that were announced today, as I was lucky enough to have seen most of the productions that received nominations and a fine array of shows that did not. There are very few nominees that I overtly disagree with. Still, the list appeared a bit lacklustre to me. I suppose since this was the first year that I had seen almost every theatrical production produced in a city in a year, I was struck for the first time how even when a slew of deserving artists and productions are nominated for awards, there are so many equally as deserving who are not. I found myself noticing the absences more than I noticed the nominees. I appreciate how difficult it must be to choose. I keep going over the list: Chris Abraham’s fantastic direction of I, Claudia; Diego Matamoros in Travesties, Abena Malika in A Raisin in the Sun, Richard Lee and Ron Jenkins’ work in The Forbidden Phoenix, Nicola Lipman in Another Home Invasion, the entire production of The Company Theatre’s Festen, Raven Dauda in general, the Jersey Boys… Maja Ardal in You Fancy Yourself (amazing!) and everyone I know raved and raved about Christine Horne's performance in Miss Julie: Sheh'mah (I'm still kicking myself for missing it!)...  Certainly this list represents the best of 2009 theatre in Toronto. It just isn’t half as conclusive as I would want it to be.

It’s a good thing that I have my own Canadian Theatre Awards (The 1^st Annual TWISI Awards!) so I can add a few names to that list! I hope that you’ll join me by voting for the Canadian theatre artists you feel most deserving of an extra special honour! Email twisi.awards@gmail.com before June 21^st 2009 to have your vote counted!

bob martin

Speaking of The Drowsy Chaperone and Bob Martin—guess who is going to be at Bread and Circus on Monday Night!? Here’s a little bit of “That sounds too good to be true!” for all of you in Toronto. Monday June 8^th, 2009 is the reunion show of the Alumni Café, a long form Improv show that used to play at the Tim Sim’s Playhouse (apparently, I don’t know what that is, but it sure sounds impressive!).

Starring: Bob Martin (Broadway Star and Tony winner for writing The Drowsy Chaperone)

Paul O’Sullivan (best known for playing Franz in Mirvish’s production of The Producers)

Linda Kash (Waiting for Guffman)

Lisa Merchant (Canadian Comedy Award Winner for Best Female Improviser)

Janet van der Graaf (YES!!! That Janet van der Graaf! And you thought she was made up!!)

Teresa Pavlinek (The Jane Show. Women Fully Clothed)

Music by the Jazz Dogs led by Tony Award winner Greg Morrison who wrote the music for The Drowsy Chaperone.

According to the press release, and according to me, this is a not-to-be-missed- one night only Improvaganza AND it is PAY WHAT YOU CAN and the proceeds are going to a charity that the audience votes on!! What could be better than that? Bread and Circus (299 Augusta Street, Kensington Market: 8:55pm-11:55pm).   

Have you ever heard of Monkey Toast?! Sounds strangely appetizing, doesn’t it!? It is a live, improvised talk show in Toronto! I recently watched a hilarious video from one of the past shows which featured both Colin Mochrie and Deb McGrath! You just never know who is going to show up in the Toronto comedy world! Here are the details:

Monkey Toast:  The Improvised Talk Show. David Shore and The Gladstone Hotel present the biweekly improv comedy inspired by guest interviews. This week with special guests, author, Sheryl Steinberg, from Maclean's, Andrew Coyne and more, interviewed by Shore.  This show's improvisers:  Lisa Merchant, Jan Caruana, Scott Montgomery, Naomi Snieckus, Herbie Barnes, and more.

Sunday, June 14th.

Doors:  7:30pm

Show:  8pm

PAY WHAT YOU THINK (after the show, pay what you think it's worth)

The Gladstone Hotel Ballroom

1214 Queen St. West

www.monkeytoast.com

Sounds delicious to me! Don’t be a maroon and miss it!

            The Canadian Stage Company is certainly leading the way in offering amazing audience and artist enrichment projects. (Thank you Natasha Mytnowych).  I am so jealous that I am not in Toronto to catch their Festival of Ideas and Creation I could just spit! I highly, highly, recommend you visit this website to read all about the amazing opportunities that are being offered for you to take part in between June 8^th, 2009 and June 27^th, 2009. There will also be musical performances by the incomparable duo of Steven Gallagher and Thom Allison. Here is what you NEED to know NOW:  

The Canadian Stage Company Festival of Ideas and Creation runs from June 8th to 27th at The Berkeley Street Theatre, focusing on artistic process and exchange. It offers professional development opportunities for local and national artists to present new works and evolve their creative processes while offering the general public the opportunity to explore art behind the scenes and participate in the development of new work. First established in 2006, the festival is slated to become an annual event with a dynamic line-up of public, youth, artist and industry programming.

Festival Highlights

·                  Open readings and rehearsals of exciting new theatrical works by senior and emerging artists from across Canada such as two-time Governor General's Award-winner Judith Thompson & Tony-award winner William Finn;

·                  In Conversation Series with stalwarts in the world of live theatre such as Siminovitch Prize-winner Daniel MacIvor;

·                  Industry explorations, master classes, forums and conferences

·                  Book launches, Backstage tours, Youth programming and more!

I am overwhelmed and anxious just typing about it! Please go, so that I can live vicariously through you all.

kayla lorette, ron pederson, naomi snieckus, matt baram

 

           The Los Angeles Improv Festival is currently in full swing in Hollywood and amid performances from such comedy legends as Sarah Silverman, Drew Carey, Angela Kinsey and Kate Flannery is IMPROMPTU SPLENDOR! Okay, so maybe they are on the Second Stage, but still (!), the National Theatre of the World (Matt Baram, Naomi Snieckus, Ron Pederson) represent Canada (albeit the world!) tonight Wednesday June 3^rd, 2009 at 10:30pm at the Andy Dick Experimental Black Box Theatre (really, they named a theatre after him. I don’t know why). 63366 Hollywood Boulevard, Hollywood, California. If you’re in Los Angeles, hop in your Porsche and zip on over for a hilariously famous brand new Canadian/American one-act play! But, first, check out this entirely unofficial Impromptu Splendor promotional video.

*Please note that the unidentified brown haired girl says that Impromptu Splendor plays every Thursday- she is interrupted by the unidentified redhead before she can specify that Impromptu Splendor MOVED TO MONDAYS in MAY. So, Impromptu Splendor. Mondays. 9pm. Comedy Bar. 945 Bloor Street. Toronto. Plays That Make You Laugh With Your Heart.*

           Finally, I wish to officially proclaim across the country, towards Edmonton, to Teatro la Quindicina (tay-at-tro la quin-de-scene-na): Happy June 3^rd! Have a perfectly winsome day!! J   

It is interesting to me that I have heard murmurings about Soulpepper’s production of Lorraine Hansberry’s historic play A Raisin in the Sun, asking about its relevance for Toronto’s audience in 2008. Most critics have assured their readers that the story “will still resonate” with contemporary audiences, but I find it interesting that these questions are even being asked. Soulpepper Theatre was founded by twelve actors in 1998 and its mandate is to “explore the great stories of classical theatre and inspire the next generation of artists and audiences.” When paired with Schiller and Ibsen, A Raisin in the Sun, which opened on Broadway in 1959, seems almost contemporary. In fact, according to Alison Sealy-Smith, this is the first production in ten years that Soulpepper has produced featuring a black playwright, director and almost entirely black cast. Under these circumstances, I think the question that should be asked is not, “is this play relevant?” but rather “why did it take so long for it to be produced here?” Why don’t I hear these critics asking if a Soulpepper production of Three Sisters is relevant? Surely that classic is even more dated and bares less resemblance to life in Toronto (or life in Russia) today than A Raisin in the Sun… Do we simply want to justify for ourselves that we’ve changed and grown as a white population and to assure ourselves that “these racist issues” don’t exist anymore? Isn’t that a dangerous way of thinking?

A Raisin in the Sun is an important piece of theatre history. Lorraine Hansberry became Broadway’s first female black playwright and Lloyd Richards became Broadway’s first black director in 1959. It is also wonderful to see this play at Soulpepper, a company that was formed by twelve white actors, starring such amazing black actors. That said; the play doesn’t strike me as being “that black issue play.” A Raisin in the Sun is a wonderful story about fascinating characters and there are strong connections that can be made to people living in various places, of numerous cultures, religions, races, colors and creeds. That is the beauty of the play, it transcends into the universal while being firmly planted in the specific. I think it’s important for the black community to take ownership and feel pride in Hansberry if their hearts move in that way, of course, but I also feel like A Raisin in the Sun speaks about so much more than racism. It deals with striking issues of class that are still strongly present in our world today, intense issues of sexism, and the difficulties faced by members of different generations trying to connect. It is a play that doesn’t belong to any one class, or color, or gender and that should be seen by all generations of people.

An audience member the night that I saw the show told some of the actors at the talkback afterward that they had gotten the show “just right.” I wondered how one has the authority to judge what is “right” and what is “wrong” in the theatre, and I know that everything can be chalked up to subjectivity… but I agreed with the audience member’s perception. Everything did seem to be “right.” The set (Scott Reid)- kitchen sink realism to the point that Charles Officer (Walter Lee Younger) gets some water from a real kitchen sink tap and Abena Malika (Ruth Younger) keeps offering other characters milk from a real refrigerator- seems just “right”. The direction by Weyni Mengesha brings the audience right into the Younger’s tiny apartment and we watch their lives unfold like we’re a sea of cockroaches that Beneatha (Cara Ricketts) can’t kill. It all seems “right.” This is the way this play is “supposed to be.” Especially poignant were Mengesha’s transitions where the entire housing complex came to life creating a real sense of how cramped and loud the Younger’s surroundings were.

The shining stars of this play are the members of its talented cast. Awaovieyi Agie is charming, yet complex, as Joseph Asagai, a man who seems to champion the woman Beneatha Younger wants to be, but who still remains an imperfect product of his chauvinistic time. Barbara Barnes-Hopkins is simply hysterical as the shortsighted Mrs. Johnson and Michael Blake will make you want to hit his character upside the head. Diego Matamoros gives a delicate performance of the troubling, nuanced Karl Lidner- a character the audience will always hate on principle-, which must be difficult for Matamoros to play.

Sixth grader Kofi Payton is so charming and so remarkably natural as Travis Younger; he threatens to steal the show. Charles Officer gives a beautiful performance as the deeply troubled and complex Walter Lee Younger who is so fraught with contradictions at times its difficult to decide whether you’re on his side or not. Abena Malika is poignant in her portrayal of Ruth Younger, creating rich, nuanced relationships filled with frustration, loyalty, love and humanity. Cara Ricketts is spirited and dynamic as Beneatha Younger, a twenty year old filled with hope and hints of a progressive future. Ricketts’ reaction as Beneatha watches her future slip away is one of the most powerful moments in the play. Alison Sealy-Smith plays Lena Younger with a rich sense of history, a strong, familiar matriarchal personality, and compelling distinct, complex, relationships with her family and to the world around her. Together, they are truly amazing and exciting to watch.

  Alison Sealy-Smith mentioned how exciting it was to be performing A Raisin in the Sun while America voted in its first African American President. She said that she had been thinking about Michelle Obama, who was born in Chicago, in a neighborhood similar to the fictional Younger family, and that she could be the child Ruth Younger was carrying in the play. The First Lady of the United States of America was born into a time and place and family like this one. If that’s not relevance, I don’t know what is.

It also makes me want to stand up and cheer. And so did this play.

A Raisin in the Sun plays until Sunday, November 15^th, 2008. Soulpepper Theatre. Young Centre for the Performing Arts. 55 Mill Street, Building 49, Toronto, Ontario. For tickets call 416-866-8666 or visit their website at www.soulpepper.ca.