Openings We're Tracking, March 5-11, 2012

Here it comes again: God of Carnage, the phenomenon of the country, performed hither and yon all year. There's a reason for this: Yasmina Reza's dark comedy is actor-bait. The next production, this week at Citadel, is no exception, featuring a cast that includes the wondrous Fiona Reid. James MacDonald directs this story of two couples meeting, trying to be civilized...and oh! so failing at it. (Edmonton)

Jocelyn (photo credit: George Pimentel)

More actor-bait? You bet! Along comes August: Osage County (soon to be a movie with Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts). Manitoba Theatre Centre is not going halfway with a cast featuring Stratford veteran Martha Henry. Nothing like a family-gathering-after-a-death to get the high dramatics going! Ann Hodges directs the Tracy Letts Pulitzer-winner.

In an entirely 'nuther register is The Game of Love and Chance, at Centaur this week and on its way to Canadian Stage after. People outside of Toronto will finally get to see why director Matthew Jocelyn seems to rub some of the TO press the wrong way (but is the hero of others). Marivaux, the playwright, is one thing in the original French (a little arch, we find) but in English they are promising a "farce".