All posts by Adelina Fabiano

Adelina has enjoyed theatre from an early age when one of her elementary teachers cast her in school play. That was the beginning of Adelina's passion for theatre. She then pursued a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Dramatic Arts followed by a Bachelor of Education degree. She continues to be actively involved in community theatre, dance and loves to put on productions with her students! As a writer for Mooney on Theatre, Adelina feels she is very fortunate to go out and see fellow performers on stage as their work continues to inspire her.

Review: Like the First Time (One Little Goat Theatre Company)

Winning the Nobel Prize for Literature in 1934 for his groundbreaking work in theatre by challenging its conventions in breaking “The Fourth Wall,” Luigi Pirandello not only influenced the likes of Samuel Beckett and Edward Albee, but current aspiring playwrights and poets like the talented Adam Seelig.

Based on the original play by Italian dramatist Luigi Pirandello (Come Prima Meglio Di Prima-Like Before, Better than Before), Like the First Time, written and directed by the already accomplished Adam Seelig and produced by his company One Little Goat, is a play with a contemporary theme and a stellar ensemble of actors.

Continue reading Review: Like the First Time (One Little Goat Theatre Company) →

Review: Funk Fo Yo Feet 2011 (Fantastic Poppers)

I anticipated staying only a few hours. Instead I stayed the entire day. Thanks to Funk Fo Yo Feet, produced by siblings Lloyd Jackson and Boogaloo Storm since 2002, with their company Fantastic Poppers, this annual event is now in its 9th season. Not only do the Jackson brothers bring this often not celebrated dance to the Toronto scene, but they also have been offering aspiring pop and lockers studio space to freestyle or take workshops from master Poppers and Lockers.

As I make my way through the brightly lit, large space of Trinity St. Paul Church Centre, the day begins informally, with dancers warming up solo or free-styling in circles for the day’s competition in which various lock and pop dancers will battle one another.  They stretch, move, socialize, high-five, and cheer each other on.  Pop and Lock dance , styles which came out of the West Coast movement, though both considered funk, are technically two very different styles of dance – however, equally engaging and fascinating to watch! Continue reading Review: Funk Fo Yo Feet 2011 (Fantastic Poppers) →

Review: Gavin’s Menage (Cirque du Sogay)

Performing to a full house at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in Toronto, Gavin Crawford left the crowd cheering by the final act. With his hysterical original one-man show, Gavin’s Ménage blends various characters together ranging from celebrities to politicians to a Pride “virgin.”

This fast-paced satirical comedy is written with wit and keen observation, and executed with charm, detail and energy. Continue reading Review: Gavin’s Menage (Cirque du Sogay) →

Review: Celebrating Greta-Mozartiana, & Other Dances & In the Upper Room (The National Ballet of Canada)

Gracious and graceful Greta gives gratifying performance at the National Ballet in Toronto

As a child, seeing a live ballet performance presented by The National Ballet of Canada seemed like a distant dream. I remember seeing clips of prima ballerina’s dancing on the Bravo channel and marvelling at their extraordinary grace, strength and stamina. At times, I would comically try to mimic their pirouettes and jetes, to no avail of course.

It was then that I vowed that once I hit adulthood, I would see as many live performances as possible; and it is now a great honour that I have the privilege to celebrate this spectacular show.

Honouring Greta Hodgkinson’s 20 years as a distinguished principal dancer for the National Ballet of Canada, Celebrating Greta- Mozartiana, & Other Dances and In the Upper Room offers three distinct programs, combining contemporary and classical ballet with brilliance and virtuosity. Continue reading Review: Celebrating Greta-Mozartiana, & Other Dances & In the Upper Room (The National Ballet of Canada) →

Review: Chocolate Woman Dreams the Milky Way (Chocolate Woman Collective)

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By Adelina Fabiano

A chocolate tapestry from the past falls on a Toronto Stage

In Chocolate Woman Dreams the Milky Way, produced by Chocolate Woman Collective, first formed in 2007 by a group of senior Aboriginal artists and scholars to research and create this show, principal actor and playwright Monique Mojica deeply explores her ancestral roots in Panama’s Kuna culture.

Collaborating with a diverse group of people from around the globe, such as visual artists (Oswaldo DeLeón Kantule, Erika Iserhoff),  anthropologist (Brenda Farnell) and composer (Marden Paniza), Mojica integrates information and research from archives and seeks the expertise of Indigenous scholars. She reclaims and re-creates the struggle and beauty of the Indigenous culture through a dynamic and dramatic display of physical theatre.

Continue reading Review: Chocolate Woman Dreams the Milky Way (Chocolate Woman Collective) →