Lia & Dor

Catun—Pyramid Cabaret

I loved this production for the music, the theatricality of the actors, and the interesting interplay of folk mythology and Romanian village life. I very much enjoyed the evocative Romanian folk songs sung beautifully in Romanian sometimes by Cristina Tudor, sometimes by Alexander Forsyth, sometimes as duets. The two actors each play many characters, changing roles frequently and marking the changing roles with small costume changes, such as adding a headscarf to indicate that the actor is now female, or deepening the voice to indicate a male voice. They also take on the roles of mythical creatures with the aid of masks and puppetry. It is a story of love between the title characters that is blocked by village and family prejudices. The question of whether they can overcome those prejudices is played out in the supernatural realm. At one point the two of them are discussing a magical charm: he says something like, “a charm can’t harm us,” and she responds, “but people can,” expressing the power of belief in such things. This seems to be the essence of the play.

Although the overall intent was apparent, I had trouble following the story and the frequent changes in characters, who was talking to who at times. There was a brief explanation near the start of the play about their changing roles, which was helpful, but I was often confused about who was talking to who. Still I was very glad to have seen the play.

Jeremy Hull

Lia & Dor

Catun—Pyramid Cabaret

I was intrigued to see our first production from Romania. It’s not, as the program leads you to believe, a one woman show. I’m bewildered why no credit was given to Christina Tudor’s able co-star, Alexander Forsyth.

This was charming, well-executed and held my attention throughout. This is a show for almost everyone, from astute tweens to seniors. Very young kids might get antsy.

Tudor’s voice is delightful, as she treats us to many Romanian folk songs; and Forsyth accompanies her capably. I just wish I understood the language. Her graceful movements hint at a dance background; and show off her lovely traditional costume. The puppets were wonderful, beautifully crafted and added immensely to the interwoven folktales. I found the whole production to be thoughtfully and intelligently presented. This was a colourful, entertaining surprise!

This Thursday show was woefully under attended. What a shame as this venue has a great lineup and is a super place to park for the night and see the whole wonderful lineup. The staff is friendly and accommodating, and there are interesting beers on tap. Do yourself a favour and visit Venue 22!

Lisa Campbell