Like many individuals and sectors at this time, playwright and performer Samson Bonkeabantu Brown and director Tsholo Khalema, on behalf Theatre Passe Muraille, had to covert 11:11 from its intended stage format to a live-stream performance hosted on YouTube Live. As the creative team noted during the Q & A that followed the opening night performance, this apparent disadvantage became an advantage that allowed them to incorporate some of the best elements of live theatre and film in the finished production. Continue reading Review: 11:11 (Theatre Passe Muraille)
All posts by Keira Grant
Preview: Together/Apart (Opera Atelier)
Old meets news as Opera Atelier ventures into this brave new world of virtual performance with Together/Apart on May 20 at 8 PM, EST. Together/Apart is a one-hour virtual showcase of music and dance to connect, uplift, and inspire — featuring an all-star line-up of Opera Atelier’s longstanding and audience-favourite artists from around the globe, streaming at OperaAtelier.com . All 14 artists on the program have personally curated their performance selections with an eye to sharing the joy and power of the creative experience during this extraordinary time.
Review: The Negroes are Congregating (Piece of Mine Arts Production/Theatre Passe Muraille)
A much-needed wake-up call on the realities of Black existence
The Negroes are Congregating opens with a sermon and ends with a dialogue. In between, the three-person cast uses a series of sketches to say all the things Black folks do not usually say in front of folks who aren’t Black.
Review: Motherhood: The Musical (Lower Ossington Theatre)
Musical about Motherhood Holds Nothing Back, Now on the Toronto Stage
Seven and a half years ago my life changed forever when we welcomed our son into the world and I entered the world of Motherhood. Many of those changes have been wonderful, others less so. Some of the changes have been stickier than I thought possible. Motherhood: The Musical, currently playing at Lower Ossington Theatre, takes the institution of motherhood to the stage with no holds barred: the good, the bad, and the messy. Continue reading Review: Motherhood: The Musical (Lower Ossington Theatre)
Review: Jacqueline (Tapestry Opera)
The tragically brief life and career of virtuoso cellist Jacqueline Du Pré is a source of great interest for contemporary historians and classical music aficionados. Du Pré’s was forced to end her internationally acclaimed performing career at age 28 when worsening multiple sclerosis (MS) symptoms made it impossible for her to play. Despite the brevity of her career, she is widely regarded as one of the greatest cellists of all time. Continue reading Review: Jacqueline (Tapestry Opera)