Live theatre in Toronto for the week of August 27 2018. With summer beginning to wind down, it’s time to make the most of the remaining season by catching one of the stellar shows performing around the city! Our editor Samantha is here with her picks in red to help you get started.
Continue reading PLAYLISTINGS IN TORONTO FOR THE WEEK OF AUGUST 27TH
From Press Release:
Picture your most memorable family road trip. Maybe it was on vacation. Maybe you were lost. Maybe it was a drive to a family gathering. Maybe you felt squished, put-upon and torn between love for those around you and the desire to be far away. Maybe you’re cringing right now at the thought. The Ties That Bind and Gag brings familial angst and mutual torment to the stage, brought to life and made fresh with a bracing sense of humour and the darkly absurd.
Three generations of a tight-knit family cram into a rental car to drive to a funeral. Neuroses collide, emotions run high, grievances are aired and over-shared, traffic laws are broken.
Buckle up and spend some claustrophobic quality time on a guilt-trip road trip with your nearest and dearest – the people you love and can’t stand or just can’t understand. The ensuing drama’s funny because it’s true and hilarious because it’s heartbreaking.
The play marks the Fringe debut for sister duo Juliet Paperny and Anna Mehler Paperny, with a cast of theatrical veterans and new faces. Juliet’s work at LaRue Entertainment has included Filth City and the award-winning The Amazing Gayl Pile. Juliet’s directorial experience includes “Trying” at Alumnae Theatre’s New Ideas Festival, as well as “The Tempest” and “Madness Machine” at Players’ Theatre in Montreal. Anna is an award-winning investigative journalist who has worked at The Globe and Mail and Global News and is now a reporter at Reuters. Both grew up in love with the stage and are thrilled at the chance to make theatrical trouble.
Everyone’s been there but nobody says it: Sometimes you dislike the people you love. You wrestle with intergenerational differences, with boatloads of guilt amid unspoken (or shouted) obligation. In a hyper-polarized world, what happens when we attempt frank conversations with the people we know intimately, with the baggage we’d rather forget? What happens if you tell your grandmother she’s racist? The Ties That Bind and Gag is here to tackle, with urgency and humour, all the ways family drives you mad. It’s a quintessential Fringe play – energetic and button-pushing – and a must-watch for anyone with anyone in their lives who they need, but need space from. It’s for anyone who’s ever had a family.
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From Press Release:
CIRCUS SHOP OF HORRORS follows one ill-fated woman’s dangerous journey, navigating her way through classic moments of beloved iconic horror films retold in the present day. Fusing together an amazing variety of circus artistry with the grotesque, comedy, drag and gore, this innovative show promises to be a spectacular visual mash-up at the Toronto Fringe Festival!
The ensemble is primarily LGBTQ+, featuring creative content such as dance, aerials, illusions, and combat sequences. The production team is entirely made up of phenomenal women (still to this day a rarity in Canadian theatre). Director/Writer/Producer Justine Cargo(Tough Jews, 6-time Dora nominee; Romeo & Juliet Chainsaw Massacre, Best Of Fringe 2016), Lighting Designer Sarah Mansikka (Stratford Festival, Vancouver Opera), and Co-Producers Kelly Taylor & Melanie Pyne combine their unique specialties to bring Fringe audiences this exciting, ambitious revue! Circus Shop of Horrors is presented by Second Star Productions and sponsored by The Social Capital Theatre (NOW Magazine Best Comedy Venue 2017 Nominee).
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From Press Release:
MAXIMALISTE PRODUCTIONS presents Is That How Clowns Have Sex? A One-Woman Queer Clown Sex-Ed Show*. Two-time Montreal Spirit of Fringe Award Winner (2016/2017), Montreal’s Best Kisser (2015), and Certified Sexpert Fiona Ross stars as Ms. Beatrice Haven. Have no fear, Ms. Beatrice is here (and knows an average amount about sex, but frankly, finds it quite mystifying). But it’s okay, she has her experiences…and is a certified teacher…and knows how to fake it…but what the junk is a dental dam? Watch as she struggles to navigate sexual education, sexuality, and the mysteries of pleasure. Hopefully you’ll learn something along the way.
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From Press Release:
The Story of one woman’s quest to find the Love and Penis of her Dreams. A phallic journey both Humorous and Dark. A cheeky title, but ultimately a love story, learning to love one’s self while navigating the difficulties of life and relationships.
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