Randolph Academy’s latest production, The Addams Family – The Musical, opened to a pretty packed house earlier this week, bringing the hijinks and horrors of everyone’s favourite morbid family to the Annex Theatre stage in Toronto. Randolph’s latest graduating class brings great energy in their portrayal of Gomez, Morticia, Wednesday, Pugsley, Fester, Lurch and the rest of the gang.

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Lakeboat, playing at the Theatre Machine in Toronto, doesn’t catch many waves

Outfitted to look like the innards of a shipping vessel, the Theatre Machine is playing host to a cast of real guys’ guys in Unit 102 Theatre Company’s production of David Mamet’s Lakeboat.

One of Mamet’s earliest works, Lakeboat follows the relationships and camaraderie of a group of men employed on a steel freighter over the course of a summer. Through the eyes of the newest and youngest shipmate, Dale, we get to meet and learn about the other men on board, from their life philosophies to how they prefer their liquor.

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Albertine in Five Times, now on stage in Toronto, sees five actors portray a single character

Amid the frolicking froshies and fresh-faced students emerging from summer’s relaxing grip, Toronto’s Helen Gardiner Phelan Playhouse was full of one character’s tremendous life experiences. It’s not every day you get to watch the evolution of one character performed through the bodies of five actors, but Freelance Intern Productions tackles Michel Tremblay’s Albertine in Five Times with grace and gravitas.

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Battle for the North brings a break dance showcase to Toronto audiences as part of PANAMANIA

The Young Centre for the Performing Arts is keeping slightly different company with Battle for the North, a break dance showcase and competition produced as part of PANAMANIA in Toronto. Crews from all over Canada were invited to battle head to head against each other for a cash prize of $2,000, all before a live audience of urban dance enthusiasts and newcomers to the genre alike.

On the second night of the three-night event, 16 crews were slated to battle one on one. The top eight teams would then move on to the last round where four would be pronounced the best of the best. Each round lasted seven minutes, with the three judges given about one minute to decide a winner.

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