Review: (Toronto) The Nefarious Bed and Breakfast

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by Gregory Bunker

The Nefarious Bed & Breakfast, a comedy by Monkeyman Productions, sees a former supervillain – Dr. Notto Nefarious – turn a new leaf as the sole-proprietor of a Toronto bed and breakfast. His first guests are anything but normal, and Nefarious soon finds out there’s more to running a B&B than forced conversation and croissants. Especially when his clients have their own reasons for being a part of this particular B&B.

In a Word... Martin Chodorek on The Nefarious Bed and Breakfast

                                                                                                              (Photo by Joseph R. Adam)

The Season of the Geek

we'll serve up a can of pork and beans with a side of roast squash

by Gaëtan L. Charlebois

Martin Chodorek is a Toronto native and a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School's Acting program. In 2008, he, Tim Nussey, Brad Rowe, and D.J. Sylvis founded Monkeyman Productions, which calls itself Toronto's geekiest theatre company. Over the last five years, in addition to serving for a time as the company's artistic director, Martin  Chodorek has directed plays containing or referencing cult television series, interstellar travel, obsessive fandom, film noir, humans with supernatural powers, video gaming culture, and even Godzilla.

CHARPO:  I invented a term for the early works of Steve Galluccio which I applied to many, many Fringe theatre works: Gonzo Theatre. The way your company is described - especially the way you reference pop culture - falls into the category of Gonzo. So how do you separate your company's work from just off-season Fringe?

CHODOREK: It all starts with Monkeyman's approach to making geek theatre. I love Fringe theatre but, as you quite correctly point out, it has a season. Just like fruits and vegetables. And I'd say no strawberry tastes as good as a local one in-season. Monkeyman created a Fringe show in 2012 that fit the 'farmers' market' bill and another theatre company took that script and remounted it in a different festival this year, but that wasn't really a typical product for the company. I'll admit, when assembled, the list of pop culture and fandom we've explored as a company may seem Fringe-like on its surface. But, production-by-production, I wouldn't say they're imported strawberries. They're not even strawberry preserves. Pop culture references evolve, but they don't operate on a seasonal calendar. Generally, a Monkeyman show is built on a foundation with universal relevance, classic pop culture comfort food, if you will. We'll add something seasonal, though not necessarily Fringe-y. And we always leave room for something exotic. So, to complete the now-unwieldy metaphor... this Fall, we'll serve up a can of pork and beans with a side of roast squash. And a banana on the side. It'll be delicious.