‘We are privileged to be here.’ Yes we are, I thought, especially towards the end of the Thus Spoke… show. The topic of privilege was a beginning and end discussion point. How I loved watching the four very talented cast members take the mic to challenge our minds. This well-written and directed 90-minute SummerWorks festival show captivated my attention from the beginning. Intrigued initially by the buzz the show was getting, and that it is a dance theatre production, I couldn’t wait to see this Montreal-based cast take the stage!

The show had its own opening night reception at The Theatre Centre and was introduced personally by SummerWorks Artistic Producer Michael Rubenfeld. We knew we were about to watch something special when he brought up that he selected Thus Spoke… to come to Toronto after first watching it in Montreal. Performed for the very first time in English, a powerful, thought-provoking, honest and somewhat comedic script (written by Étienne Lepage) came alive on the Toronto stage.

Mixed with uniquely choreographed contemporary dance by Frédérick Gravel, each cast member offered up something for the audience to contemplate. From killing Harper, to having too many things, to embracing our inner asshole and to just having the freedom to say that a show was a piece of shit, Thus Spoke… gave us a lot to ponder.

In the mix of all the speaking and thinking, there were some funky, innovative and natural choreographed movements. Audiences also got to learn a fun movement! But don’t worry. You have the choice to imagine the movement without physically having to get up and do it.

In case I haven’t made it obvious, I really loved Thus Spoke…. I am sure it is going to make its way into bigger theaters. If you can only make it to one SummerWorks show this year, then you don’t want to miss this show. Expect the unexpected. And be prepared to fall in love.

Details

Thus Spoke… plays at The Theatre Centre Mainspace (1115 Queen Street West)

Show times:

Saturday August 9, 7:30pm
Sunday August 10, 2:00pm
Tuesday August 12, 7:00pm
Wednesday August 13, 9:30pm
Thursday August 14, 5:00pm
Friday August 15, 7:30pm
Saturday August 16, 9:00pm

All individual SummerWorks tickets are $15 at the door (cash only).

Tickets are available online at http://summerworks.ca

By phone by calling the Ticketwise Call Centre at 416-907-0468, in person at the SummerWorks Info Booth – located at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen Street West) August 7th-17th from 10AM – 7PM (Advance tickets are $15 + service fee)