In The Night Hart Crane Kissed Me (playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival), three artists meditate upon the life — and death — of the titular Jazz Age poet, drawing upon music, movement, monologue, magic, and more than a little Mae West to explore his complex legacy. It’s a deeply personal meditation, and that may be the rub.
Continue reading The Night Hart Crane Kissed Me (Spindrift) 2017 Toronto Fringe Review
Every year, Mooney on Theatre brings a team of more than 20 contributors to Fringe. With a team this big and diverse, no matter what you’ve got to show us, we have someone who wants to see it — and we will! As always, Mooney on Theatre will post a longform review of every show in the festival (all 160!) by the end of opening weekend.
But for now, a little buzz: our Hot Tickets are the shows which excited, attracted, intrigued and interested our team more than any others. These are the pieces which turned our heads, tickled our brains, and caused stampedes at scheduling time. Presenting, in no particular order, Mooney on Theatre’s Hot Tickets for Toronto Fringe 2017!
We love Sex T-Rex. This hyperkinetic, hammy-but-clever narrative comedy group have served up so many of our favourite Fringe experiences: from the post-apocalyptic, totally tubular Wasteland, to razor-sharp perennial favourite Swordplay: A Play of Swords, to my own beloved Callaghan! , these artists have wowed us again and again.
This year, they’re bringing us Bendy Sign Tavern, a full-length foray with puppets and a unique romcom structure. We’re extremely eager to see how these physical comedians work with their new toolkit, and our editor Samantha Wu can’t imagine anywhere she’d rather be:
I’ll admit that I’m late to the Sex T-Rex party. Yes I’ve heard of them (have known about them for years!) always knew they were a riot to watch — but never exactly how much until last year when I accompanied our fellow editor Lin to Swordplay: A Play of Swords. I was sold!
When I learned that Sex T-Rex were offering their Bendy Sign Tavern show at this year’s Fringe Festival, I couldn’t resist. Every year, my Fringe experience has to include at least one site-specific adventure – and this being at The Paddock (where I can also order a beer!) is wonderful. On top of that, it’s a show about life behind the bar run by puppets?! Sign me up.
Bendy Sign Tavern plays at the Paddock (178 Bathurst St.) from July 5th through July 15th. Showtimes vary, see website for details. Ticketing information at bottom of article.
Continue reading Mooney on Theatre’s Hot Tickets for Fringe 2017
A lot of people will find The Unbelievers difficult to watch. While this SummerWorks show avoids graphic violence, the sight of a twisted and brutalized human being, caked with blood and shivering in pain, is not an easy one. Hannah Rittner’s script dares you to give into the flinch instinct and look away.
But, as she also observes, the fact that we have this choice already tells us something important about violence, trauma, war, and the situation of the Yazedis — and about how the West’s wilful ignorance of world tragedies has begun to look like complicity.
Continue reading The Unbelievers (Lace Productions) 2016 SummerWorks Review
Since their public launch at Fringe, SExT (“Sexual Education by Theatre”) has become a phenomenon, driven by grown-up enthusiasm for this young company.
Seeing the Flemingdon Park neighbourhood wracked by controversy about sexual education, coordinator Shira Taylor invited a group of young people (originally 14-18ish) to devise a theatre piece about sex, sexuality, healthy relationships and healthy identities. Built of spoken word, dance, music and sketches, and packed with parodies and references, it’s easy to see why festival audiences have packed this SummerWorks production.
Continue reading SExT (Sex Education By Theatre) 2016 Summerworks Review
Two Indians (playing at SummerWorks) is set in an alley, between the garbage cans and the upturned milk crates. Two cousins and childhood besties — one who stayed on the reserve, the other who left for the city — meet to observe a supermoon.
Eventually, we figure out that Win (Darla Contois) has been sent to try and persuade Roe (Yolanda Bonnell) to return to the rez, at least for a visit: grandma’s not going to live forever, people miss you, are you really happy here all by yourself? Are you whole?
Continue reading Two Indians (Salt Baby Collective) 2016 SummerWorks Review