Dorianne is a graduate of the Theatre and Drama Studies joint program between University of Toronto, Erindale campus and Sheridan College. She writes short stories, plays and screenplays and was delighted to be accepted into the 2010 Diaspora Dialogues program and also to have her short story accepted into the 2011 edition of TOK: Writing The New Toronto collection. She is also a regularly contributing writer on http://www.sexlifecanada.ca. You can follow her on twitter @headonist if you like tweets about cats, sex, food, queer stuff and lefty politics.
Lukey, at the Toronto Fringe Festival is a “micro-play” and an “alleyplay.” It was clear from the Fringe materials that the latter meant that it was located in the Fringe Club Alley, behind Honest Ed’s, but I was unsure what a “micro-play”, listed as being performed at 8:30/10:30 pm with a running time of 120 minutes could be. I was led to believe that it would be a short play running continuously between the two times listed, but it is not. It is one play, around 45 minutes, and the actor/writer Robert LaRonde said he was only going to do it once, at 9 pm, when I asked.
It’s in a small shed with a seating capacity of 7. It is very close quarters, with the actor performing at touching distance from the audience. In such a setting it would be ludicrous to have any sort of a fourth wall, so the audience is incorporated into the story, a violent tale of strife between two young brothers. Continue reading Lukey (Swimming Lessons For Shut-Ins Theatre) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review→
I had to see Gay Nerds (Misnomer Theatre) at the Toronto Fringe Festival this year because I am a gay nerd. (Well, if we want to get into identity politics here, I’d say I’m more of a queer geek.) Now that I have seen it, I highly recommend it to any other gay nerds, queer geeks, and people in general who like dirty jokes that refer to fantasy, sci-fi, and theatre itself. Like, if you know a lot about Tennessee Williams plays as well as Tolkien, Star Wars, and video games, and you’re irreverent enough to enjoy anal sex jokes about them, then this play’s for you. Continue reading Gay Nerds (Misnomer Theatre) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review→
13th edition of a unique theatre event in Toronto gives birth to five new politically charged plays.
Theatre isn’t often directly political these days, so an event like Wrecking Ball is very exciting for us political junkies. Wrecking Ball gives five playwrights a theme from current politics and one week to write a short play. Directors and actors then have one week to rehearse. Scripts are in hand on the stage, but the show is more vibrant and alive than any well-polished piece of drama.
Wrecking Ball 13 was part of the Edward Bond Festival, so the theme that was given to them was a Bond quote. I don’t have the exact quote but this description of Bond’s work will give you an idea: “He had been investigating how language, ideas and humanity are being co-opted for rational capitalist means. Bond writes of people being “asleep” to injustices committed around them by being lulled into complacency through both apathy and the media. His work has focused on a projected, prophetic, dystopic vision of Western society.” Continue reading Review: Wrecking Ball 13 (Wrecking Ball)→
From the Dark, part of Luminato’s magic programming, lets magician Varela take you on an unseen journey
From the Dark, by Juan Esteban Varela, which part of Luminato’s magic programming, is definitely unlike any show I’ve ever seen before – because I didn’t see it at all.
When you first arrive you are given blindfolds and sorted into groups of ten, who stand side by side in a line of five, holding hands with the person beside them (so you might want to go in an even numbered group of people, it was a little odd for me to be holding hands with a stranger.) Our guide instructed us to put our free hands on the shoulder of the person in front of us and then he led us into the theatre. Continue reading Luminato 2012 Review: From The Dark – Juan Esteban Varela (Magicana and Luminato)→
Magician Banachek astounds and intrigues the Toronto crowd at the Luminato Festival
A lot of people believe in telepathy, psychokinesis, past life regression and ghosts. These people go to a magic show ready and willing to believe. Others, like me, are skeptics who go simply for entertainment. Banachek’s The Alpha Project, playing as part of Luminato, is a great show for the latter. I suspect it might be a bit confusing for the former. For both kinds of people (and those in between) it’s still a fun night. Continue reading Luminato 2012 Review: The Alpha Project – Banachek (Magicana and Luminato)→
