By the time I walked out of Wah Wah Wah by Celia Jade Green – playing at The Theatre Centre as part of the 2019 SummerWorks Festival – I felt relieved to no longer be an attractive 20-something woman. Continue reading Wah Wah Wah (Celia Jade Green) 2019 SummerWorks Review
The pomegranate is an ancient symbol of the circle of life and death. In Pomegranate Opera‘s world premier production Pomegranate, by composer Kye Marshall and librettist Amanda Hale, this timeless symbol is used as a metaphor for the eternal and resilient nature of love that threatens social conventions. Continue reading Review: Pomegranate (Pomegranate Opera)
Pandora blends opera and ballet to explore the tale of the classic myth, on stage in TorontoPandora, by librettist James Brock and composers Joseph Glaser, Kit Soden and David Storen was my first Fawn Chamber Creative show. I am astonished that I did not know about this company before, but I am glad I am in the know now. Their current production Pandora (musical direction, Adam Scime, stage direction, Amanda Smith) is an opera-ballet inspired by the Pandora myth. The opera unfolds in a vignette by each of the three composers, with all three libretti written by Brock. Continue reading Review: Pandora (Fawn Chamber Creative)
Tapestry Opera presents the premiere of a landmark Canadian-Indigenous in TorontoMusically and thematically Tapestry Opera and Opera on the Avalon’s world premiere Shanawdithit is a testament to the possibilities of new opera. While the story is historical, it explores the subject of colonization in a manner that is very much in contrast to opera’s history of romanticizing, exoticizing or orientalizing non-Western European cultures. Continue reading Review: Shanawdithit (Tapestry Opera/Opera on the Avalon)
In the era of Truth and Reconciliation, Michelle Thrush’s one-woman show, Inner Elder, is an engaging breath of fresh air for anyone who hasn’t gotten around to reading the report yet. Written by Michelle Thrush and directed by Karen Hines, the hour-long show is part storytelling, part stand-up and very funny. Thrush effectively uses humour to tackle heavy subject matter such as anti-Indigenous racism and stereotypes, residential schools and land claims. Continue reading Review: Inner Elder (NativeEarth/Nightwood Theatre)