All posts by Ilana Lucas

Ilana Lucas has been a big theatre nerd since witnessing a fateful Gilbert and Sullivan production at the age of seven. She has studied theatre for most of her life, holds a BA in English and Theatre from Princeton and an MFA in Dramaturgy and Script Development from Columbia, and is currently a professor of English and Theatre at Centennial College. She believes that theatre has a unique ability to foster connection, empathy and joy, and has a deep love of the playfulness of the written word. Her favourite theatrical experience was the nine-hour, all-day Broadway performance of The Norman Conquests, which made fast friends of an audience of strangers.

49th Day (Theatre ARTaud) 2020 Next Stage Review

Photo of athena kaitlin trinh in 49th Day by Tanja Tiziana

In 49th Day by athena kaitlin trinh, produced by Theatre ARTaud at the 2020 Next Stage Theatre Festival, a young woman (trinh) travels from Canada to Vietnam to fulfill the ritual requirements for her deceased grandmother (Diana Tso). The titular number of days refers to the length of time rice and offerings are brought to the altar for the dead.

Swearing up a storm and wrecking the ritual order, granddaughter is torn between a desire to honour her grandmother and to rage at her for her departure. She’s desperate to have one final, parting moment of connection with a woman and a culture both ever-present and distant to her. Highly specific yet universal, her story is a familiar one to many grandchildren of immigrants: she has Chinese and Vietnamese heritage, but admits her limited knowledge of those cultures’ languages and histories runs from rudimentary to almost non-existent, respectively.

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Literally Titanium (Ophira Calof) 2020 Next Stage Review

Photo of Ophira Calof in Literally Titanium by Tyra SweetWhen the temporary technical battles of the very first show of the  2020 Next Stage Theatre Festival had been won,  Ophira Calof’s opening night of Literally Titanium presented us with another war: one waged between her own mind and body.

Troublesome DNA has left her with titanium in her spine to help hold her head up. She also uses a seriously cool power chair to transport her around the stage, making loops with vigour and grace.

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Review: Dishonour On Your Cow (Silvi Santoso)

Photo of Silvi Santoso by Olivia Stadler

Personal candid story tackling tough topics is still taking shape

The title and refrain of Dishonour On Your Cow, comic Silvi Santoso’s new solo show, is a reference to a line from the Disney movie Mulan, one of my sentimental favourites. Mushu, the tiny dragon voiced by Eddie Murphy, rants at Mulan that, should she fail to live up to her familial and cultural responsibilities, there will be “Dishonour on your whole family… dishonour on you, dishonour on your cow” (her horse).

The show uses the movie as a brief framing device for finding confidence in yourself and moving past cultural misogyny, gaslighting, and, in her case, sexual abuse from family members. This is a show still in development, and was viewed with this in mind; as such, it’s still a bit raw, much like its subjects.

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Review: A Christmas Carol (The Three Ships Collective/Soup Can Theatre)

Photo of the cast of A Christmas Carol by Laura DittmanUnique adaptation of A Christmas Carol makes use of immersive environment at Campbell House

Most people who have grown up in our yuletide-obsessed culture know the story of A Christmas Carol, but as a Jewish chorister weary of performing in nonstop Christmas concerts every December, I’ve largely steered clear of it. My interest was piqued, however, by The Three Ships Collective/Soup Can Theatre’s promise of an immersive version that explores Toronto’s lovely, period-appropriate Campbell House.

As it turns out, Justin Haigh’s adaptation of Dickens’ classic, which leans more heavily on its human relationships and less on its religious aspects, helps to prove why the piece and its moral message are so enduring. Christmas or not, who hasn’t dreamed that the rich and powerful might suddenly see their way toward upholding their share of the social contract?

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Review: Stars: Together (Streetcar Crowsnest)

Photo of Torquil Campbell and Amy Millan in Stars Together by Dahlia KatzMeta-play and concert celebrates and explores the 20-year legacy of indie band Stars

Montreal’s indie-rock darlings Stars are celebrating their 20th year of making music by starring in a play about themselves at Streetcar Crowsnest. Stars: Together, a combination “rock-doc” and concert, is a self-aware piece, created by the band, Chris Abraham, and Zack Russell. It combines Behind the Music-style drama and metatheatre to form something a little weird and a little wonderful.

I’m a very casual fan of Stars – I’ve enjoyed their music, but never sought it out, and couldn’t name all eight of their albums. For true fans of the band, this show is a no-brainer, but it’s not just a concert, and can be enjoyed on both a theatrical and musical level.

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