Toronto’s Tapestry Opera fuses opera with Persian music for a new experimental opera
“You’ve probably never seen anything like this before,” says Tapestry Opera‘s general director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, also the director of Tap Ex: Forbidden, the latest in the company’s series of new, experimental operas. Although it’s uncommon for a director to appear on stage prior to a performance to explain their creative rationale, it’s an unusual show, and a little bit of encouragement makes it more accessible and rewarding.
Hart House stages The Crucible, now playing on the Toronto stage
Since its debut to the stage in 1953, The Crucible has never been a play that goes easy on its audience, and Hart House‘s version is no exception. However, on this journey to Salem, we pass by the historical realism typical of productions of this show, and instead drive straight into horror.
IMP, at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, is an occult-driven play that leaves you “breathless”
Created by Epigraph Collective and produced by Filament Incubator, IMP is a drama that weaves together social justice and the occult in a narrative that is both emotionally raw and stylistically disciplined. I can’t think of the last time a theatrical performance rendered me motionless and breathless for the duration of its run time, but by god, this play did it.
The cult-classic horror/comedy musical dazzles Toronto audiences again
Currently touring across North America, Evil Dead: The Musical is currently on its stop in Toronto. This marks a triumphant return to the city in which the musical first debuted in 2003, and it’s hardly slowed down since. As much fun as I had at this show, it makes me wonder if my job as a theatre critic isn’t a wee bit redundant. I am supposed to unpack this production, and explain its quality in layman’s terms, and whether you, dear readers, should see it. The thing is, this show speaks pretty well for itself.
Flashing Lights delivers a heavy dose of theatre realism on stage in Toronto
Science fiction is a very tricky genre to pull off in a sphere such as independent performing arts. This is something that the creators at Bad News Days and Ahuri Theatre must have been aware of, given their bold, “challenge accepted” attitude in the concept and execution of Flashing Lights.
“You’ve probably never seen anything like this before,” says Tapestry Opera‘s general director Michael Hidetoshi Mori, also the director of Tap Ex: Forbidden, the latest in the company’s series of new, experimental operas. Although it’s uncommon for a director to appear on stage prior to a performance to explain their creative rationale, it’s an unusual show, and a little bit of encouragement makes it more accessible and rewarding.
Hart House stages The Crucible, now playing on the Toronto stage
IMP, at the Tarragon Theatre in Toronto, is an occult-driven play that leaves you “breathless”
The cult-classic horror/comedy musical dazzles Toronto audiences again
Flashing Lights delivers a heavy dose of theatre realism on stage in Toronto