Review: (Toronto / Dance) Sawah

(photo by Peter Lear)

Feats of Endurance and Inspiration
by Winna Tse

SAWAH, a music and dance production brought to us by Arabesque Dance Company is simply put, inspirational. It’s a production that went full force with powerful ensemble music and dancers alike. Right from the beginning I was drawn in by the upbeat oud ensemble led by the masterful musical director Bassam Bishara. Clearly, not only are the musicians talented but so are all the dancers. Seeing them beautifully sway their arms, shake their hips and glide across that stage really inspired me to take up some belly dancing! 

Review: (Toronto / Theatre) Frozen

(photo by David A. Fitzpatrick)

Discomfort
by Winna Tse

An uncomfortable subject, an intimate setting and disjointed storylines make for a very chilling experience. Frozen, by Bryony Lavery is a horrific and personal story woven together by three individuals each connected in some way shape or form. Nancy (Lavetta Griffin) is the grief-stricken mother whose 10 year old goes missing and Ralph, (Peter Nelson) plays an integral part in her daughter’s disappearance. In the midst of it all is Agnetha (Lynn Zeelenberg), the American Academic who travels to England to research her thesis: “Serial Killing: A Forgiveable Act?”

Review: (Toronto) Same Same But Different

L-R Anita Majumdar, Nicco Lorenzo Garcia  (photo by Michael Cooper)

Timing In All
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Written and choreographed by Anita Majumdar and co-produced by Theatre Passe Muraille, Alberta Theatre Projects in association with Nightswimming, Same Same But Different (SSBD) proves to be an extraordinary piece of work. SSBD is a poignant story on cultural prejudices and two women entangled within it. In Act one, Canadian-born starlet, Aisha, (Anita Majumbar) returns to Canada to shoot her latest film and meets Ben (Nicco Lorenzo Garcia), a Filipino Canadian background dancer. Their interaction forces Aisha to further delve into her prejudices about nationality, skin colour and family. Act two is set 20 years prior and tells the story of Aisha’s mother, Kabira, also played by Majumbar and her life-changing encounter with Bollywood.

Review: (Toronto) Pieces of Me

That Which One Cannot Escape
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Do you have a past that you’re trying to escape from? Pieces of Me, a musical drama brought to us by Promise Productions, is about a restless wife, Pamela (Shahi Teruko),  trying to escape her past and live a stable life with her adoring husband, Parker (Sheldon Neil). Written and directed by Deon Denton, Pieces of Me is a lively production with music, dancing and acting all in one. The show runs for over three hours which can make for a very long and exhausting production. I found the music to be too repetitive at times and dragged on unnecessarily.  However, there are many good moments and it’s very evident the cast is incredibly talented. I loved the dancing which I found engaging, fun and well-choreographed.  My favourite musical piece is “Putting my chips on love” in Act I which is soothing and well performed by Roberta Baird who plays Dedra. I must give huge props to Denton for writing and composing all the music which is impressive for such a young playwright. All in all, the production flowed quite well. It is cohesive and the music and lyrics added great value in narrating the story. 

Review: (Toronto) The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble

                                                                                                      (photo by Joanna Akyol)
The Worth of a Life
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

What is a life worth living if you can’t even remember who you are? The Gravitational Pull of Bernice Trimble, brought to us by the Factory Theatre and Obsidian Theatre tackles this tough question with poise and emotional maturity that leaves the audience in tears, myself included. 

Written and directed by Beth Graham and Philip Akin respectively, Bernice Trimble is a play about a woman and a family struggling with Alzheimer’s disease. Bernice (Karen Robinson) is exuberant, sophisticated and powerful as the mother of three. Robinson's performance is heartbreaking and realistically captures the despair of a person besieged with such a disease.  Facing this tough disease with her, are her two daughters and son who also struggle to cope. Iris (Alexis Gordon) is calm, collected and composed just as she believes her family needs her to be. The eldest daughter Sara (Lucinda Davis) is highly emotional and paranoid. Peter (Peyson Rock) is aloof but involved in his own peculiar way. At times they choose to ignore or deny the ever looming future that awaits their mother. Other times they are forced to face the truth and accept it. The decisions they make through such a difficult time in their mother’s life are not easy and understandably so. Not surprisingly, their actions affect the family dynamic which like many families, is complicated.

Review: (Toronto) Next to Normal

(photo by Seanna Kennedy)

Music in Your Head
by Winna Tse

Have you ever wondered what it’d be like to live a normal life? That begs the question, what is normal? Next to Normal is a musical drama brought to us by The Lower Ossington Theatre that tells a story of a mother, Diana Goodman, who struggles with bipolar disorder and the effect her disorder has on her family. I was skeptical of how effective it would be to convey such a subject through a lively musical but in the end, I can only heap praise. Initially, the volume and lighting production is overwhelming as I find it difficult to concentrate when so many things are happening at once. However, I gradually realize that this is the point.

Review: (Toronto) 7 Important Things (SummerWorks)

The Illustrious 60s
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Oh the 60s. What a decade it was. 7 Important Things explores this illustrious decade, and the ones that follow, through the life of George Acheson, also performer, collaborator and writer. As a teenager in the 60s, he defied the traditional ways of his family, followed the hippie movement and as a result got kicked out of his home by his father. The years that follow prove difficult as he struggles to fight the status quo in an ever growing capitalist society. Written, performed and directed by Nadia Ross and brought to us by STO Union and the National Arts Centre English Theatre co-production association with W.A.C., 7 Important things is an unusual dramaturgy that combines narration, improvised discussions and enactments. 

Review: (Toronto) A Side of Dreams (SummerWorks)

I Dream a Dream
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

A Side of Dreams, brought to us by Paper Canoe Projects, is indeed like a dream. It is about an emotional journey of one's spiritual awakening through the world of dreams.  A single mother, Katherine, searches for her cultural identity, as a Métis, through the spirit of the Dreamcatcher. Visually spectacular, the lighting, projection design, and rich sounds greatly enhance the overall essence of a dream like state. The feeling is ethereal and unusual where at times the plot can be a bit perplexing to follow just like many dreams. 

Review: (Toronto) I Am Very Far (SummerWorks)

Rapid Fire Grief
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Presented by Pressgang Theatre, I am Very Far is quite the experience. Written and directed by Graham Isador and Yevgeniya Falkovich respectively, I am Very Far is a story about a young man trying to piece together his feelings about the death of his father. Told through rapid dialogue, interactive video, live music and movement, the feeling of loss and resentment is effectively captured.

Review: (Toronto) Family Story (Summerworks)

A Story Well Told
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Do you have a family story you can tell? Family Story, a Birdtown and Swanville production, is like many family stories. It is twisted, convoluted and of course complicated. Brilliantly written and directed by Aurora Stewart de Pena, it's a story about the Milkaffer family, currently living in the prairies of Manitoba as the youngest daughter tries to figure out her family past and why she is the way she is. 

Review: (Toronto) Taming of the Shrew

Sophie Goulet and Kevin MacDonald (photo by David Hou)

Hot Balls 
by Winna Tse

@tsewinna

How ballsy. That was my first thought after seeing The Taming of the Shrew (henceforth The Shrew) in High Park this year. It takes tremendous skill to pull off this contemporary adaptation of one of Shakespeare’s most beloved plays. Brought to us by Canadian Stage Production and the Department of Theatre at the Faculty of Fines Arts, York University, director Ted Witzel's refreshing rendition stays quite true to its original form. 

Review: (Toronto) Supperfesta (Fringe)

Amazeballs
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Natasha Boomer, you’re hilarious. Written, produced and performed by Boomer, Supperfesta is one heck of a laugh-fest that many can relate to. It’s a play about falling crazy in love for the first time or lying to your spouses to keep the spark going after 15 years of marriage. Alongside Boomer, are her equally hilarious and talented cast mates Craig Lauzon, James Jabbour, and Jessie Behan. 

Review: (Toronto) This Prison - or He Came Through the Floor (Fringe)

Home, Sweet Prison
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Have you ever been your own worst enemy? A prison inmate, played by the talented Johnny Wideman, also writer and director, is suddenly surprised one day when a visitor, played by the equally talented Benjamin Wert, digs a hole through to his cell offering him a chance at freedom. As it turns out, the prison inmate refuses to leave and would much rather have tea and go about his daily routines, much to the shock of the visitor.

Review: (Toronto) Kuwaiti Moonshine (Fringe)

The Force
by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Brace yourselves. Brought to us by Better to Burn Productions, Kuwaiti Moonshine is an in-depth, philosophical and emotional rollercoaster. It is a one man show, by playwright and performer Tim C. Murphy, that takes us through the turbulent journey of a 35 year-old Canadian man in Kuwait - Andy - as well as other bold, quirky and profound characters. As Murphy speaks and moves quickly between characters and stories, he challenges the audience to pay close attention which can be frustrating but exhilarating all the same. 

Review: (Toronto) Piece of Mind (Fringe)

Uncomfortable as it should be

by Winna Tse
@tsewinna

Have you ever wondered what your innermost thoughts would look like in the form of dance? Piece of Mind, brought to us by the skindivers dance company shows us just that. Piece of Mind is an elegant, emotional and intense performance by six highly-skilled dancers. Choreographed by Hanna Kent, Piece of Mind takes us through the thoughts of a woman, performed by Amanda Davis, who profoundly portrays the pain, regret, and sadness of someone who had just gone through a traumatic experience such as the loss of a child.