Author: Alvina Ruprecht

Alvina Ruprecht is professor emerita from Carleton University. She is currently adjunct professor in the Theatre Department of the University of Ottawa.She has published extensively on francophone theatres in the Caribbean and elsewhere. She was the regular theatre critic for CBC Ottawa for 30 years. She contributes regularly to www.capitalcriticscircle.com, www.scenechanges.com, www.criticalstages.org, theatredublog.unblog.fr and www.madinin-art.net.
ONCE UPON A TIME IN BIM: A THEATRE RESUSCITATION IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

ONCE UPON A TIME IN BIM: A THEATRE RESUSCITATION IN THE TIME OF COVID-19

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ONCE UPON A TIME IN BIM: ATHEATRE RESUSCITATION IN THE TIME OF COVID-19I

Denise Phillips.The Nation, Barbados

Independence in Barbados is not without its many activities in celebration. We are accustomed to the National Independence Festival of Creative Arts [NIFCA] with its plethora of artistic works in dance, music, visual art, drama, literary arts, film, photography, craft and cuisine held in the days leading up to the National Day November 30th. But with the COVID-19 pandemic affecting us here in Barbados and all theatres shuttered since early March 2020, our theatre community, impatient for stimulating work, was at last treated to Caribbean theatre’s roots of storytelling to revive our enthusiasm and provide that welcome release from the restrictions the pandemic has imposed.
So for two nights- November 29-30, 2020, Variations Theatre Company owned by Varia Williams, and its able producer Afi Farrell, embarked on an open-air affair, minimal lighting effects, and the backdrop of the Old St. Matthew’s Rectory to introduce and sustain our interest in tales of the past-ghost stories, obiyah, revenge, murder and mayhem-tales that might have been heard on door steps, under streetlights and under the watchful eyes of grandparents, the griots of the village. …

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“Sal Capone: The Lamentable Tragedy Of…”: Docudrama Musical for Black Lives Matter

“Sal Capone: The Lamentable Tragedy Of…”: Docudrama Musical for Black Lives Matter

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Written by | 24th Apr 2018 | , , ,

“Sal Capone: The Lamentable Tragedy Of…”: Docudrama Musical for Black Lives Matter

“Sal Capone The Lamentable Tragedy Of…” Letitia Brookes, Tristan D, Lalla Kim Villagante. Photo-thanks to Urban Ink and the NAC.

The Beginning Of A Most Important Dialogue Initiated By This striking and moving staging of rage!

This docu-drama or docu-fiction, a form of musical theatre that ties together reality and fiction inspired by real-life tragedies, concerns events that took place in Montreal (the death of an unarmed Freddy Villanueva in 2008) and the shooting of unarmed Trayvon Martin in Florida (2013) which set off the “Black Lives Matter” movement in the US. We are immediately drawn back to Shakespeare’s work The Lamentable Tragedy Of Titus Andronicus (1623) whose ending is inspired by Seneca’s Thyestes. The Roman play concerns the horrific torture and death of children due to the rivalry between the twin brothers, Atreus and Thyestes. Atreus, takes vengeance on his brother Thyestes by tricking him into eating his own sons who have been slaughtered and served up on a plate. The unimaginable horror of cannibalism in this situation obviously intrigued Shakespeare who ends his version of Titus Andronicus in a similar way. …

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Thoughts on the pandemic, confinement and the theatre community in Ottawa and the region

Thoughts on the pandemic, confinement and the theatre community in Ottawa and the region

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Corioolanus

 

You must have noticed that there have been no reviews lately. This of course reflects the situation in Ottawa  which shows us that there are no live performances happening in the city because of confinement.  However, many artsits and many theatre groups are working on virtual performances, and video tapes that reflect past performances that are being brought back to local audiences. Stratford is showing last seasons performances on a regular basis, the Gladstone has presented  Pierre Brault and is no doubt preparing other on line events.  Much behond Ottawa you can find performances coming in from Russia (Moscow), France, Germany and a lot of countries where professional theatres are still trying to show as much as they can from their facebooks or their own sites.  Take the time to google all  the theatres in the world including theatres in Canada of course and you will no doubt come across some exciting events that are often free but not always.  It is important that the artists involved make a bit of money to continue their work. …

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5 O’clock Bells, the story of Lenny Breau. a monologue that outweighs time and remains brilliantly intact!

5 O’clock Bells, the story of Lenny Breau. a monologue that outweighs time and remains brilliantly intact!

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5 O’clock Bells.  photo Pierre Brault.s face book.

5 O’clock Bells,  written and performed by  Pierre Brault brings the artist back to the Gladstone theatre 12 years later in a show that has retained all its impeccable artistry since its world première in 2008, in the same theatre. Commissioned by the Great Canadian Theatre Company (gctc) in 2006. This  powerful portrait of Canadian Jazz Guitarist Lenny Breau who grew up in Maine,  with a  family of country musicians but whose exceptional musical and guitar-playing talents lead him to search out new forms of contemporary music, spear- headed cotemporary jazz  in other parts of the continent,  influenced especially by the work of Chet Atkins,who lead him to create a sound that brought  him world recognition as a brilliant and original  guitarist. …

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Robin Hood: the Ottawa Christmas Panto has matured into a much more substantial performance without sacrificing any of the fun!!!

Robin Hood: the Ottawa Christmas Panto has matured into a much more substantial performance without sacrificing any of the fun!!!

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Robin Hood. Photo Dominique Gibbons

An  unexpected pleasure this  year. The panto seems to be geared for adults as much as for young ones with nasty jabs at Doug Ford, at Brexit,  at Ottawa’s   problematic light rail and much more to  titillate the adults .There was also an  extremely naughty Nanny Annie, the ‘dame’ played  by the  irreplaceable  Constant Bernard   who is supposed to be Maid Marion’s  nursemaid while flirting outrageously with certain males in the audience  and launching  jokes  meant for fun-loving adults only!.  The Brilliant panto dame, our Ninny Nanny   is back in Ottawa now after an absence of 2 years.  It is such a pleasure to find her still sporting that great voice which  takes over the whole  theatre,  a stage presence  that crushes everyone else and a magic that turns her  whacky costume into a chef d’oeuvre of grotesque  pop art  à la Cirque du Soleil  thanks to costume designer  Lu-Anne Connell’s magical sense of humour . …

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Oléanna au Gladstone Theatre. Un rituel d’autodestruction mutuelle.

Oléanna au Gladstone Theatre. Un rituel d’autodestruction mutuelle.

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Créée en 1992  cette œuvre, de l’auteur  américain David Mamet,  a donné  naissance à un événement scénique d’une grande importance qui, malgré son ambivalence irritante  semble annoncer bien avant son temps, les conflits inspirés du mouvement ‘balance ton porc’  en Europe, (#Metoo en Amérique).    On pourrait même parler  d’une œuvre visionnaire qui prévoyait  la rage, la fascination, la haine et la soif de vengeance, qui devaient détruire des réputations  masculines  quelques années plus tard,  en conférant aux femmes le pouvoir de se libérer  par la moindre dénonciation même si elle n’était pas toujours fondée.

La figure du producteur américain Harvey Weinstein, celui qui a  exploité honteusement des  femmes dans le milieu cinématographique  américain devient  l’arrière-plan de La pièce   Oleanna.  Il fut incarné dans la presse française  un certain DSK qui  avait aussi  horrifié les lecteurs féminins ( 2013) lorsque les révélations outrageuses  sur son comportement ont paru dans la presse française et américaine. On a alors compris l’étendu du phénomène dans le monde entier  même si la prise de position de Mamet est difficile à suivre parce Mamet mèt en valeur l’ambiguïté des situations entre   interlocuteurs  masculins et féminins, …

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Oleanna, a visionary play that is clearly still relevant today.

Oleanna, a visionary play that is clearly still relevant today.

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photo Alexandra Isabelle.   Oleanna with  Madeleine  Jullian and Guy Buller

David Mamet’s exceptional  talent as a playwright, as a creator of film scenarios and producer of films, is fueled by a deep-seated anger against corruption in the US, inspired and even fascinated by  all manner of falsehood such as we saw in the Hollywood drama Speed the plow– at the Gladstone Theatre in 2011 starring  John Muggleton, directed by Teri Loretto. http://capitalcriticscircle.com/?s=speed+the+plow+gladstone.  First produced in 1988 with Madonna playing the single feminine role, that play lost none of its bite   to put it mildly –  its  male capitalist energy, and the power of its dialogue that shot back and forth as though the actors were riddling each other with machine gun spray.  …

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The Ugly One : Many obstacles seem to be in the way of this powerful play.

The Ugly One : Many obstacles seem to be in the way of this powerful play.

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Photo David Whiteley  The Ugly One   Left to right:  Andrew Hosale, Sasha Dominique, DavidWhiteley

Marius von Mayenburg,  author of The Ugly One, representing the new young German Theatre, is performed here in the English translation by Maya Zade , the version used for the creation at the Royal Court Theatre in London in 2008 .  Mayenburg, as a translator himself, interested in the works of the  late Sarah Kane,  is in close contact with the similar world of the younger generation of British playwrights (Sarah Kane, Caryl Churchill, Martin Crimp, Mark Ravenhill) who all have had a strong influence on the Berliner Schaubühne thanks to artistic director Thomas Ostermeir’s interest in their work.  This play hides a deeper reflection on social interaction without delving into psychological  or  psychoanalytical study of character and that is no doubt the most difficult obstacle for a less experienced cast to overcome. . …

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