Virtual Shows that Caught Our Eye in Toronto for the Week of March 30, 2020
We’re trucking right along digitally this week. If you’re like me most of my time is learning (or relearning!) technology. The kid’s dance classes are on YouTube and Zoom, their school is (a bit) virtual (and a lot of having experiences and hands-on things at home), and work has moved to MSTeams and eLearning platforms. But I have learned that my favourite way of getting in touch is by making a phone call and hearing someone’s voice.
We’re doing what we can here to keep this list updated daily as new events cross our desk, and we’ll keep at it to give you all sorts of performance options that you can watch from the comfort of your own home while we all continue to socially distance. Please keep checking back here on the regular to see if there’s anything new coming up. See you online!
All The Little Animals I Have Eaten (Nightwood Theatre): Nightwood Theatre is presenting an online staged reading of Karen Hines play in lieu of the live performance. For one night only on Friday, April 3rd, the cast will perform their roles from their individual homes over Zoom, and we will be sharing the stream live on our YouTube page. Apr 3 at 7:30pm.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuHxQsXjb5lRLErFBH5ihnA
Converge Against Corona Part One (Convergence Theatre): In Part One of Converge Against Corona, from 10am, Saturday, March 28th, to 10pm, Sunday, March 29th, anyone is welcome to call Converge’s anonymous hotline at (416) 997-7886 or email converge@convergencetheatre.com. Participants are asked to become part of The Covid Confessions, leaving messages about how the virus has impacted their lives. Next, a roster of artists from all fields, from visual art to dance, theatre, music, film and more, will each be assigned a confession, and asked to create a response to it by Friday, April 3rd. Since each artist will receive a $50 commission fee for their time, Convergence is also looking for the sponsorship of generous patrons. Each gift of $75 will go to pay an artist, with $25 going to the company to run the project. Each patron “purchases” a piece of art, which will be received between Saturday, April 4th, and Sunday, April 5th. An image or clip of the work will also be featured on Convergence’s website, along with a clip from the original confession.
http://www.convergencetheatre.com/
Fresh Ink Online Script Readings (Soulpepper Theatre): Join us on Zoom to hear the very freshest work from some of Toronto’s most exciting playwrights. Pour yourself a drink and join Haley McGee (Ex-Boyfriend Yard Sale; I’m Doing This for You), Jordan Tannahill (Draw Me Close; Concord Floral), and Ngozi Paul (The Emancipation of Ms. Lovely) read excerpts from their newest work. The event will be hosted by Weyni Mengesha, Frank Cox-O’Connell and Guillermo Verdecchia over Zoom. We hope you can join us as we try this new digital initiative! Fri Apr 3 at 4:00pm
https://www.soulpepper.ca/about/fresh-ink
Improv House Party (Second City): All the Second City’s are coming together (Chicago, Toronto, LA) to start an improv show called Improv House Party. The show will feature teams ( married couples) that are isolated together that will take suggestions online and do their best to put on the best Second City improv set imaginable! From Toronto we have the Alumni teams of Aurora Browne (Baroness Von Sketch) & Kris Siddiqi ( CBC’s Bit Playas) as well as Paul Bates (CTV’s Dan For Mayor) and Christie Bruce (The Handmaid’s Tale) Hosted by Sandy Jobin Bevans (Host of Just Like Mom & Dad). Thu Apr 2 at 8pm EST.
https://www.secondcity.com/network/the-second-city-brings-comedy-to-your-couch-zoom-shows
Living Rooms (TO Live): Living Rooms provides a platform for Toronto local artists to celebrate the neighbourhood they live in and promote their work. TO Live’s curatorial, educational and content teams are currently working together virtually to bring digital experiences to our online members, supporters and art fans providing entertainment and a digital refuge during these challenging times. Every day, TO Live will feature local artists bringing you an exciting performance from the comfort of their own living rooms!
https://www.tolive.com/livingrooms
Mezrab Storytelling Night Online (Amsterdam): We will be doing a
short online version of our two weekly nights. So every Wednesday and Friday we are showing people doing short stories, sometimes music! FREE – Wed & Fri at 3 PM EDT. Watch live here: http://www.mezrab.nl/mtv
Smile (Toronto): A lot of things are closed and some of us
families are stuck inside. So what can we do? Smile, Laugh, Sing,
Play. Join me and my talented friends for an interactive online family-friendly variety show. The events are free. If you can, instead of paying for admission, we ask that you make a donation to Daily Bread Food Bank instead. Our goal is $500. FREE – donations welcome. Events run from Mar 19 – Apr 4 – see link for all dates and times. Hosted on Zoom (to watch on a phone or tablet you will need to download the free Zoom app. On a computer you simply log on via the website. You will need to create a free Zoom account to watch. )
Show Info
Songbook X Encore Stream (Tapestry Opera): Two weeks ago, Tapestry Opera livestreamed Songbook X, a concert featuring Krisztina Szabó, Mezzo-Soprano, and Chris Foley, collaborative pianist. Join us for an encore performance of the show and get social! Invite a friend, plan your snacks and drinks, and join us for a night of beautiful piano and vocal music. Sat Apr 4 at 8:00pm EST.
Show Info
The Social Distancing Festival – a site for celebrating art from all over the world, showcasing amazing talent, and coming together as a community. Information on all events at:
https://www.socialdistancingfestival.com/
Sunday Night Live ONLINE (The Sketchersons). While our home Comedy Bar is closed, The Sketchersons will continue to bring HOT NEW LIVE sketch comedy to the world wide web every Sunday at 9 PM! Sunday April 5th // No host – 9 PM EDT; Sunday April 12th // Best of The Sketchersons, as part of #CanadaPerforms (presented by the National Arts Centre) – 9 PM EDT; Sunday April 19th // Hosted by Andrew Johnston – 9 PM EDT; Sunday April 26th // Hosted by Priyanka Love – 9 PM EDT
Live Streams: Facebook (The Sketchersons); Facebook (Comedy Bar); Twitch
*April 12th ONLY: Facebook (NAC)
Theater On-Call (Dopolavoroteatrale, Toronto ). This project is a collection of short telephone based performances created by guest artists and DLT core members including the company’s leading actors Rory de Brouwer, Danya Buonastella and Vincent Leblanc Beaudoin. The artists invited are asked to create a performance and share a story that they think is pivotal today. The project aims to bring together established and emerging artists, and reaching audiences anywhere anywhere in the world that will be able to connect at the times that the difference performances are scheduled, an opportunity to gather as a community in Canada and globally. See website for shows, dates/times and reservation information.
Project Info
#URGNTLIVE 6: Tune in Tuesday, the 31st at 7pm ET to catch THE HOLY GASP perform their latest release “Mmm Urkh But” in its’ 18-minute entirety.
Streaming on URGNT Facebook and Maclean’s
#URGNTLIVE 7: Tune in Fri Apr 3rd for a HipHop Double Header. Showtimes are 7pm with Quincy Morales, and 8pm with Tremayne from StayOutLate!
Streaming on URGNT Facebook and Maclean’s
#VirtuallyHowland begins with an online version of The Reading Group on Monday March 30th.
https://howlandcompanytheatre.com/the-reading-group/
Then, from April 6th– April 10th, viewers can tune in nightly at 8PM to watch Murder at The Winterhouse Theatre, an improvised murder mystery created by me and Liz! (Entrances and Exits & The Show Show ) and featuring all acting members of The Howland Company plus some exciting guest stars, including Colin Mochrie (Whose Line is it Anyway) and Deb McGrath (Little Mosque on the Prairie).
On Instagram at: @thehowlandcompany
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