by Sam Mooney
The house lights were still up when Catalyst Theatre’s Nevermore, The Imaginary Life and Mysterious Death of Edgar Allan Poe, started at the Winter Garden Theatre last night. It took the audience a couple of seconds to realize and to settle down but once they settled they were hooked. Nevermore was co-commissioned by LuminaTO as part of their celebration of Edgar Allan Poe and last night was the Toronto Premiere.
By Sam Mooney
Go see 5 O’Clock Bells!
Tonight I saw the Toronto Premiere of 5 O’Clock Bells, a one-man, eight (or 9, maybe even 10 – I lost count) character play written and performed by Pierre Brault about the life of jazz guitarist Lenny Breau.
I loved it. I was literally buzzing when I left the theatre – still am. Best 75 minutes I’ve spent in a while.
Before tonight I knew nothing about Lenny Breau. His name was familiar but I couldn’t remember where I knew it from. My son-in-law reminded me that Randy Bachman refers to him often – “the great Lenny Breau” – on Vinyl Tap. It didn’t matter than I knew nothing about Breau’s life or music, 5 O’Clock Bells stands on it’s own.
by Sam Mooney
And the winners are…
Canadian poet A. F. Moritz and American poet C. D. Wright.
Read more about the poets at the Griffin Trust site.
(maybe one of the criteria was that the winners had no names, just initials)
by Sam Mooney
It’s been years since I went to a poetry reading. Tonight I went to the Griffin Poetry Prize Readings. Elaine, who came with me, had never been to one.
I can’t even remember where I read about the Griffin Prize or about the readings by the poets shortlisted for the awards but I remember thinking that it really wouldn’t be that different than a playwright reading a play. A performance.
Continue reading Griffin Poetry Prize Readings – poetry as theatre
by Sam Mooney
I went to see the Theatre Smash production Tijuana Cure prepared to enjoy it. I had read the essay Oasis of Hope by Layne Coleman, online at Walrus Magazine, on which the script is based and enjoyed it. Or, appreciated it. Enjoy may not be the right word to use about an essay that describes a couple’s trip to Mexico seeking a miracle to cure cancer.