Review: (Toronto) Baker's Dozen (Fringe)

Beyond the Puppet People
by Jessica Yen

Baker's Dozen is a fun one-man puppet show that delightfully pokes fun at the justice system. 

A jury has been assembled to determine whether the Butcher killed the Baker. A motley crew of characters have been assembled, all portrayed by one puppeteer (Adam Francis Proulx) and a box full of interchangeable lips, eyes and hair.

Review: (Toronto / Dance) Cos.mo.pol.i.tan

(photo by Negwhua Anderson)

Dancing For Your Life
by Jessica Yen

Cos.mo.pol.i.tan created by Lua Shayenne and Company is an energetic and thoughtful production, blending African and contemporary dance aesthetics. This fusion of styles is well suited towards the themes Lua Shayenne has chosen to explore. The first piece, entitled LAND-ED IM.MI.GRANT  depicts a new immigrant, trying to make her way through an intimidating immigration process. Canada is embodied in the form of two sinister looking masked dancers who taunt and tease the prospective immigrant. Shayenne explores both the dark and the light, offering lots of humour within the piece. One of the most memorable moments of the evening was when each dancer - standing in queue with a number taped to their stomach - would go in one by one for an 'interview', where they would each dance for their lives for a chance to stay in Canada.

Review: (Toronto) Labour

(photo by Dan Huziak)

Endless Cycles
by Jessica Yen

A socially awkward young man is stuck in the repetitive drudgery of a manual labour job that eats away at his psychological and emotional well being. Simply called 'the Kid', our protagonist struggles through an endless cycle of thankless labour. Surrounded by chauvinistic knucklehead co-workers, the Kid is isolated from anyone he might be able to relate to. It is clear that he is miserable - what is not clear is, who this person? What does he want? As an audience, we watch him suffer through scene after scene without any indication of what underlying desires he might have. He makes no attempt to break his cycle of toiling, nor does he give any clue as to how he ended up there; unlike the character of Gene who must work to support his family. The Kid is single, doesn't have kids and has no circumstances (that we know of) that make it necessary for him to stay in this shit job. He expresses no wishes or dreams to escape the life that he is currently in. It is difficult to invest in a protagonist when we are given no reason to care about him. 

Review: (Toronto) Jabber

(photo by Gabrielle Kellock)

The Choices of Culture
by Jessica Yen

Fatima is just like any other Canadian teenage girl: she likes hanging out with her friends, gets nervous around boys and rebels against her parents. The difference is, Fatima wears a hijab and sometimes that can draw some unwanted attention and misperceptions from her peers. When anti-Muslim graffiti shows up at her school, Fatima’s parents transfer her to a different one. While navigating the new territory of her school, Fatima meets Jorah, a boy with a bad reputation. An unlikely attraction brings these opposites together, testing each of their personal boundaries. Jabber is a polished piece of theatre for young audiences that does an excellent job of creating conversation and asking difficult questions about cross-cultural respect and the choices we make to stay true to ourselves. 

Review: (Toronto) Charming Monsters (Fringe)

Dark Manic Whimsy
by Jessica Yen

Brought to us by Writer Director Aaron Rothermund, Charming Monsters is a sexy dark comedy full of little surprises. Blessed with a strong ensemble and superb design, Monsters is an enjoyable ride through a small but deadly town. This piece can feel like melodrama, but the heightened text is expertly delivered with style and fluid physicality. There is also plenty of humour in the mix, keeping the piece from turning into a daytime soap opera.

Review: (Toronto) A King's Heart (Fringe)

The Point...Please
by Jessica Yen

If you have bad memories associated with Sunday School at church, DO NOT see this show. A King's Heart is a musical retelling of the life of King David from the Bible. It sounds like a Sunday school lesson and feels like one too. 

Nathan the Prophet acts as the narrator who gives context between scenes and songs. The stage is bare, except for a single projection screen which features backgrounds for each scene, the desert, the palace, and so forth. The Factory Mainstage is a wide stage and offers a great opportunity when bare for interesting physical staging. Unfortunately, in this production the opportunity is lost. Actors wander around the stage without much purpose.

Review: (Toronto) The Game of Love and Chance

Gil Garratt (photo credit: lucetg.com)

Taking Chances

Marivaux continues to seduce

by Jessica Yen

Hot on the heels of a month-long run at the Centaur Theatre, The Game of Love and Chance has finally arrived at the Bluma Appel Theatre in the St. Lawrence Centre for the Arts in Toronto. This close to 300 year old farce written by Marivaux and adapted and translated by Nicolas Billon will have you smiling in your seat. 

Review: (Toronto) Vieux Carré

Kaneza Schaal (Photo: © Franck Beloncle)

“Loneliness is an affliction.” - The Writer

Wooster Group explodes into World Stage

by Jessica Yen

The Wooster Group's Version of Tennessee Williams' Vieux Carré is not for the faint of heart. This mind-bending two hour experimental piece takes the audience deep into one of Tennessee Williams' most autobiographical plays.

In signature Wooster Group style, this piece is a multilayered landscape of movement, technology and text. We travel through The Writer's memories of his time as a young man living in the French quarter of New Orleans. In his encounters with the various tenants of the boarding house, The Writer undergoes a transformation, awakening sexually and artistically.