| Games For Midnight On the Wasteland... |
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Ground Zero Theatre-Conservatory |
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In all my 12 years as a volunteer at the Fringe
and seeing over 300 plays in that time, this has
to be the worst play I have ever seen.
I never give a negative review, but no matter
how hard I tried, I could not comprehend what
the heck this play was about. If we weren't such
polite Winnipeggers we would have all got up
and left, but we stayed hoping and praying our
misery would soon end. Oh well!
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| Bonnie Gobbs
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| THE GARDEN |
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SHAMS-Son of Warehouse |
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This is an ambitious, intelligent examination
of memory and regrowth. A garden in
Cornwall that was famous for its beauty
deteriorates for decades, then is restored to
its former beauty
The garden was a convalescent home for
World War I soldiers suffering from shell shock,
and this is the thread that binds the setting to
the story of a man returned from Bosnia with
the modern version of shell shock,
post-traumatic stress syndrome.
The actor who tells this story is a skilled
performer who uses a lot of imaginative
techniques to assume the various characters
and settings. Unfortunately it is often difficult
to sort out the various threads, and although
I enjoyed the production, I am not sure I
followed it completely.
Often, too, technique got in the way of
story telling. For instance, SHAMS used
video skillfully, but an opening sequence
that took the character through the airport
baggage check took too long for the
information it provided.
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| Kevin Longfield
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| The Golden Key |
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multi story—Film Group Studio
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As its prior Fringe offerings for children indicate, multi story prides itself on never underestimating the intelligence of children.
Bill and Gill do it again this year with the Golden Key, a magical tale which is, deep down, a morality play about the dangers of being judgmental; and, ultimately, the value of friendship.
Mossy and Tangle, the two protagonists, are prompted by a story told by Mossy’s Aunt Agatha, into a quest for the Chamber of the Most Precious, which can be opened by the key from the foot of the rainbow—The Golden Key.
Mishaps and wondrous events separate and then reunite them, until finally their goal is reached. The children evolve as these events occur, each learning about each other and the world around them. They develop new, wider perspectives.
Various devices are used to forward the plot—song, puppets, and multi-casting for Bill and Gill. The characters are well defined as are locations.
The simplicity and apparent ease with which these two actors perform—be it in their children’s or adult’s shows is always refreshing and a joy to experience. To introduce your child to intelligent and challenging material and at the same time enchant them, take them to this show. For that matter, take yourself—this is a show that entertains and enchants any age.
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| Michelle Cook
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| The Golden Key |
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multi story—Film Group Studio
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multi story is one of my favourite theatre companies. From the moment you walk into the theatre, where each patron receives a personal welcome, you know you are in for something special.
These actors do a very precious and important thing; they engage childrens’ imaginations. Unlike some childrens’ theatre (or theatre for young audiences, if you prefer) they do not preach, and they do not condescend. Instead they invite the audience to join them in their finely-crafted world, a truly magical experience.
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| Kevin Longfield
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| Gredassi High? |
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One Star Review Prods-CCC |
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Gredassi High? is a show that everyone who
is a fan of a similarly named TV show should
see.
The spoof treatment is full of all the "in"jokes
you'd expect, yet is still respectful of the origi-
nal. And the video at the end will bust your gut.
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| Jon Alexander
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| Hedwig and the Angry Inch |
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Grizzly Productions—Royal Albert Arms |
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Read the title of this play, and you might think it belongs in the Kid's Fringe. Bad guess—but a great show.
Hats off to the producers, Marlene Meaden and Mike Wright, for making this happen. It took a lot of heart and faith put on a show this complex at the Fringe, and it blows the artistic doors off another Fringe musical I remember that eventually found its way to MTC's main stage.
Matt Tapscott gives a fantastic performance as the failed punk-rock drag queen Hedwig, and he gets great support from Joanne Rodrieguez and from his backup band.
This play covers a lot of artistic and philosophical territory, but I don't have the space to go into all that. Great art helps you to see the world with new eyes, and this show is an eye-popper. The venue is the perfect place for this play, and if you've never had the courage to go the Albert before, now's your chance.
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| Kevin Longfield
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| The Heretic |
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revolution -MTC Warehouse |
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This is great stuff. Just what the Fringe
needed. We have sex, we have politics and
now, with The Heretic, we have religion, or at
least the discussion of it.
What O'Connor, a self-proclaimed, evangelical atheist, does is go to the basics; that is,
before discussing the matter of God, Christ,
creation, etc., it is necessary to first determine
if God exists.if he doesn't exist and if his nonexistence is irrelevant, then the rest is moot.
Fast, funny, and making complex problems
and issues easy to grasp, O'Connor has written
a piece which will challenge your beliefs.
I don't believe he's going to change any
minds out there, but then he's too clever to
think that he will. His goal, is to get people to
think-about their core beliefs and to question
why they believe what they believe.
If religion is a virus, he may have the cure.
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| Terry Tully
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| ImproVision... |
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ImproVision lmprov-Cinematheque |
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ImproVision is back, and this time they're not
taking any shit from you guys! They've even got
take midgets backing them up. If you only see
one improv show this year, I'm not in one, so see
ImproVision!
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| Shawn Kowalke
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| incoheRANT |
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Et CeteraTheatre Collective-CCC |
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The show is incoheRANT, but it's not incoherent. The talent of all three artists is undeniable.
Think about a VERY funny show you've
seen, add some Beckett, great physical comedy,and very smart dialogue and you have
incoheRANT.
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| Jon Alexander
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| Is Shakespeare Dead? |
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Doctor Keir CO.-PTE Mainstage |
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This is the best English lecture I have ever
heard on Shakespeare, or indeed on any subject.
Is it a play, per se? Well, not really. It is,
though, funny, entertaining, engaging, and edu-
cational. Also, interesting and true-or per-
haps, just interesting. That's for you to decide.
Well worth the trip to PTE.
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| Terry Tully
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| It's A Heck Of A Life! |
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Gluttons for Punishment-Playhouse
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Where's Bob? He's had a bad day and life
has passed him by.
He's waiting in the Big 4(and I don't mean
that building across the street). Was he a Trekkie, a nose picker, an accountant, or ... ?
If your day is going to hell, go to Heck
instead!
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| Frank Martin
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| It's a Heck of a Life! |
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Gluttons For Punishment- Playhouse |
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Comedy is hard to bring off successfully at
any time and when I saw Heck at noon on Saturday, with about 10-15 other people, it was still
hugely funny. Go see it.
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| K. Taylor
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| JEM ROLLS |
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Big Word Performance Poetry -Conservatory |
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This Fringe veteran rants and raves his way
into your consciousness, and gives you not
only laughs but thoughts to ponder and memo-
ries to savour.
Fasten your seat belts and go along for the
ride.
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| Tim Hogue
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| Jeremy's Garden |
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Just Theatre—MTC Up the Alley |
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After taking in the opening of Jeremy's Garden, performed by the Just Theatre Company, I can safely (and somewhat drunkenly) say that although part of the cast suffered from insecurities regarding their onstage abilities, the playwright shows a very promising talent.
Illya Torres-Garner (who wrote the play) and James Sinclair led the way, offering comfortable and impressive stage presences. It was somewhat disappointing that elsewhere the play floundered, but keeping in mind that this was the first performance, there is hope that the players will hit their stride over the run, and affect future audiences in ways they couldn't affect me.
The complex and meticulous staging was familiar in a world of amateur theatre, with only a few instances of fake basketball and fake smoking that failed to suspend our disbelief (though the latter, it seems, can be blamed on the Murray/Doer reign of terror).
All in all, the microcosmic, elliptical nature of the script makes it worth seeing.
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| Brian Pleskiw
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| JOB II |
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Foque dans la tete Productions- PTE Mainstage |
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Having not seen JOB when it came to Fringe
Fest last year, I must admit I was entering into
this play as a bit of a newbie. The story of McAbel and McCain is revisited once more as the
troupe ventures further with JOB II.
Once again the audience was entertained by
catchy hip-hop tunes and stellar acting as JOB II
begins to explore the aftermath of McCain "capping" McAbel at the end of the previous tour. Any
show with the warning "Parental Advisory: Biblical Lyrics" is worth the price for not just one, but
at least two or three tickets. I definitely plan to
see the show again.
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| Shawna Mulligan
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| Last of the Red-Hot Dadas |
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EXIT Theatre—Playhouse
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Last of the Red-Hot Dadas is the story of Baroness Elsa von Freytag-Loringhoven, a woman whose daring and outrageousness inspired the men who were the founders of the Dada movement.Even if you know nothing of the Dadaists or Elsa, the program provides a great deal of background information.
We open on Elsa (Christine Augello), aging, ill, impoverished and stranded in Manhattan, trying to devise a way to get some money for food and a means of returning to Germany to claim her inheritance from her late husband. She recounts the major events in her life—the reason she ran away from home, her lovers, her marriage to the Baron, her present circumstances—with occasional confrontational asides to a Dr. Williamson, who apparently wants to have her committed.
Dressed in a eclectically bizarre costume comprised of many household items and other salvaged materials, Augello ably demonstrates Elsa’s wit, bitterness, resourcefulness and cautious optimism. Many of the props are a delightful surprise, especially a certain crown.
At times it seemed to drag a bit but generally it was worthwhile.
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| Donna McKendrick
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| LETTERS: LIFE SKETCHES |
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The King's Players-Conservatory
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I have just seen Jon Ted Wynne's Fringe
show, "Letters: Life Sketches," and it was a most
entertaining and enjoyable experience.
Jon Ted Wynne's reading of letters from
famous men and women of history, from
Leonardo da Vinci to Florence Nightingale, was
outstanding.
There is pathos and humour in these words
from the past and an hilarious letter to end the
show, from whom, I won't tell.
Jon Ted Wynne is a talented, inspired actor
and this show is a must-see.
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| Emile Clune
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| life of a secret |
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out of line theatre-WCD Studio
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It is a visually stunning and mesmerizing
piece of theatre. This is the story of a perverted
father who sexually abuses his daughter and
forces his two children to participate in his dark,
sexual rituals.
The friendship between the siblings and their
playful use of fantasy initially protects them
from the father. But, with time, this relationship,
too, turns into an abusive one.
An excellent portrayal of trauma and sur-
vival. Superb acting in the tradition of European
physical theatre. It is refreshing to see the per-
formers make use of their bodies, expressively
moving and effectively using wooden frames,
costumes, masks, and other objects to create
unforgettable photographs.
The show could be even better if its second
part was also interspersed with humour. I
would also have liked a little bit less absurdity,
but this might not have been the point. Very
moving. At times, difficult to take, hence not
recommended by those who may have been
traumatized by an encounter with child sexual
abuse. Also not recommended to those who
like meaning to be spoon fed to them. The
images and movement are guaranteed to make
you more aware of the space you inhabit.
The images area also likely to influence y
our dreams.
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| Darek Dawda
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| Man on a Gurney |
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Looking Glass Production-Borealis Books |
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After struggling to stay awake at a "five-star"
show in the Warehouse, I was relieved to sit in
a venue renowned for its uncomfortable chairs.
Here, I thought, I could stay conscious, if only
because of the chairs.
Man on a Gumeyfeatures two of Winnipeg's
most matchable actors, Garry Jarvis and Jana
Rubin. Both were in good form and served the
script well. The script, about a dying man's last
thoughts, meandered occasionally, and occa-
sionally suffered from over-writing, but on the
night I attended the audience did not once shift
in their uncomfortable seats.
More people should see this show.
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| Kevin Longfield
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| MEDEA |
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EyewitnessTheatre Company-MTC Backstage
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I came because of the theatre company, not
because of a great fascination with Medea; I'd
seen other modern productions of it. I hadn't
seen this.
This production does not look to any other
modern rendering of the play. The company
went back to the source, to the original Greek
texts-what remains of them. No golden chari-
ots, no grandeur. Rather, an eloquent struggle to
understand the incomprehensible: a mother who
slays her own children.
The two actresses carry on the tradition of
outstanding performances we have come to
expect from Eyewitness Theatre.
They communicate their own struggle with the
emotionally loaded tale, and achieve their goal of
a work "accessible to the modern audience."
If Euripides be vain, he might rail and decry
liberties taken and variations made upon his
writing. If he be as much a lover of theatre as a
maker of it, perhaps he would feel the same joy
as a master violin maker upon having the work
of his hands used by an artist to create their own
new masterpiece.
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| Kyle Futon
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| A Medium Misadventure |
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Mama’s Potential Nobody—Cinematheque
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This show was hilarious. Excellent use of video and live action. The satire and parody was really well done. TV has never been more funny or strange! Very well acted, and a little risqué.
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| Jim Bennett
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| Miss Me Already? |
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Penny Lane Productions-MTC-Backstage |
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A wonderful, touching play about love and
how much we will go through to have it and keep
it. Great performances and a story line that had
me genuinely laughing and crying at the same
time. Deserves to be seen.
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| Terry Tully
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| Moliere Than Thou |
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Moliere for the People—Son of Warehouse |
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If you're of those whose eyes glaze over at the mere mention of the name of any 17th Century playwright, you might be inclined to avoid a one-man interpretation of the works of Jean Baptiste Poquelin de Moliere. Please lose that notion right now.
In the capable hands of American thespian Timothy Mooney, Moliere comes alive in a very contemporary, comic sense.
In this presentation, Moliere is forced to the stage when his entire theatre company is befelled by misfortune. Seemingly reluctant at first, he quickly relishes the spotlight and the chance to regale his audience with several characterizations from his plays.
With his sparkling eyes, infectious grin and elastic face, Mooney easily guides us through these characterizations—all the while keeping us aware that we are looking at Moliere, the consummate over-the-top showman.
Mooney's decision to convert all of the dialogue spoken by the characters (other than Moliere himself) from prose to poetry is roundly applauded, adding as it does a engaging playfulness to the entire production and making the show accessible to everyone, even to those who know zilch about Moliere. (Reviewed from Thunder Bay Fringe performance)
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| Robin Chase
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| Niki McCretton Presents ‘Heretic’ |
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Niki McCretton—Warehouse |
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This was a fantastic piece of theatre. A combination of imagery, movement and comedic moments scattered throughout a thought-provoking performance.
If you enjoy theatre that confronts you, mkes you laugh and, most importantly, makes you think, see this! I’m going again!
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| Conrad, Tripinc
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| On the Body |
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3 DotTheatre Productions-CCC
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Go -for the singing.
Go-for the staging.
Go-for the beauty and talent displayed here.
Go-for the spirit.
A beautiful and imaginative show.
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| Maureen Taggart
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| On the Body |
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3 Dot Theatre Productions—CCC
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If you wish to sit back, let your mind slip into passivity and be gently entertained, don’t go see On the Body. You will leave disappointed and confused.
If you wish to witness some beautiful imagery and song and a story that is most definitely not spelled out, but rather evoked by the performers in the imaginations of the audience, then I would wholeheartedly recommend this show.
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| Peter Mooney
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| On the Body |
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3 Dot Theatre Productions—CCC
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If you appreciate precise, evoking movement, voice and text, this is the show for you.
I have rarely seen a better-executed performance art piece, and boy, oh boy, have I seen a LOT of shows in my day.
The three women have crafted several pearls that glisten severally, and absolutely glow when seen as a whole.
I found the show ethereal at times and very hard-hitting at others. But at no time did I see anything other than beauty on the stage.
This is not a comedy, nor a drama, nor a dance piece: the show defies convention, something else I love about it.
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| Jon Alexander
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| One-Man Hamlet |
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Theatre lnconnu-MTC Up the Alley
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Every actor wants to play Hamlet- the Holy
Grail of roles, full of meaty emotions and tortu-
ous anguish.
For Clayton Jevne, the challenge of Hamlet
was apparently not enough.
He attempts to translate Shakespeare's four-
hour-long text into a tightly paced, ninety minute
summary, assisted by hand puppets, music
stands, balloons, and assorted hats.
Give Jevne an A for effort. His transformations
are seamless. Jevne (who resembles a slimmer
yet no less disheveled Nick Nolte) is an expres-
sive entertainer who genuinely enjoys his work.
As he careens across the stage, manipulating
an inflatable skeleton (the ghost of Hamlet's
father), his enthusiasm is contagious.
Yet there are serious flaws. To start, a thor-
ough understanding of Shakespeare's text is not
only advised, but essential; Jevne propels the
plot so fast that anyone not intimately familiar
with the play is left befuddled.
Far more damaging, however, is the loss of
any sense of immediacy in Shakespeare's
words. Jevne hits all the high notes, but there
exists no subtext, no subtlety, no reason as to
why Hamlet has endured throughout the centu-
ries.
Jevne proves that Hamlet can be performed
by one person, but his production provides no
clues as to why one should.
Occasionally, Jevne bursts through the
rapid-f ire patter with astonishing moments that
engage both head and heart. One-Man Ham-
let could use more of these moments, but they
are few and far between.
As an exercise, One-Man Hamlet is admira-
ble. There's absolutely no reason why Shakes-
peare cannot be played with, in any context.
Clayton Jevne should be applauded for his
ingenuity. Nevertheless, One-Man Hamlet
leaves one wanting much, much more.
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| Corey Redekop
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| The One-Man Star Wars Trilogy |
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Chicken For Supper Prods.-PTE Mainstage |
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I laughed my ass off throughout the majority
of this show, but someone who is not as familiar
with the series might miss a lot of it. One of the
people with me was not a big STAR WARS fan,
and didn't understand what was going on for a
large portion of the show.
For STAR WARS fanatics, however, this
high-energy performance is a must see.
Charles Ross is a brilliant impressionist, with
some fantastic takes on the trilogy that he
manages to cram into a one-hour show. I was
only disappointed by the lack of Greedo, and
very little Ewok content, but if you know what
that means you HAVE to see this show.
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| Shawn Kowalke
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| The Power of Ignorance |
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PKF Productions—Planetarium |
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Chris Gibbs is hilarious as Vaguen, a Master Ignoramous who can lead you along the path to un-enlightenment.
Don't just think about going to see this show, do it, I mean really, the decision to see it is a no-brainer.
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| Murray Hunter
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| The Power of Ignorance |
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PKF Productions—Planetarium
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First of all, I feel terrible that I don’t have time to see many shows this year. I don’t think this show needs a review, because it was a full house the night I was there, and it’s Chris Gibbs (Hoopal guy) and T.J. Dawe, and it’s a comedy, but it’s the only show I’ve seen.
The show is funny. As is the wont of weekend evening audiences at comedy shows at this venue, everyone laughed and laughed and laughed. I laughed less than the average audience member, but admired almost all of the gags. The guy next to me laughed at everything. We all had a lot of fun.
Chris played a character similar to the one he always plays—ostensibly reasonable and grounded on the outside, but in reality it’s a big facade, and he’s whacked out and vulnerable.
The bit still works, it’s still fresh, still funny, but be careful, Chris. And TJ.
Who wrote this anyway? Which of you is responsible? How do the percentages break down? The people laughed a lot. Good work. Keep it fresh.
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| Michael Case
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| Puck In The Five-Hole |
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The ACME Theatre Company-CCC |
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Anyone who grew up in a hockey town will
get a lot out of this sketch comedy/drama/
satire/musical by locals, the ACME Theatre
Company.
Whether or not you ever played, or even
liked, hockey, you can't help but be affected by
it, growing up in the Canadian Prairies, and it is
this, more than the game itself, that is the focus
of this show.
The laughs are well done, and the closing
song is hilarious, but it is the dramatic scenes
that really made this show for me. And, you can
see this show about 10 times for the price of
one NHL game.
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| Shawn Kowalke
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