Capital Critics Circle, Author at Capital Critics' Circle / Le cercle des critiques de la capitale

Anne And Gilbert: a “tuneful” and lively family show makes the spirit of Anne live on.

By Capital Critics Circle | December 7, 2015

Photo by Andrea Lanthier

Anne and Gilbert co-written by Nancy White, Jeff Hochhauser and Bob Johnston, is a musical sequel to ANNE OF GREEN GABLES and is based on the second and third books in L. M. Montgomery’s beloved series. Anne is now grown up but she still marches to her own drummer, especially when it comes to her relationships with the opposite sex. There have been a few changes since I first saw the show in 2007 in Gananoque. The major one is that Diana’s Act I solo has been replaced by a duet for Diana, well-played and sung by Brieonna Locche, and Anne. It’s about becoming a wife and is by turns entertaining and serious.

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CCC theatre awards for 2014-15.

By Capital Critics Circle | November 23, 2015

Capital Critics Circle announces sixteenth annual theatre awards and adds Tartan award for technical excellence

OTTAWA, November 23, 2015 – The Capital Critics Circle today announced the winners of the sixteenth annual theatre awards for plays presented in English in the National Capital Region during the 2014-2015 season. The winners are:

Best professional production:

Stuff Happens by David Hare, directed by David Ferry, National Arts Centre English Theatre.

Best community theatre production:

Avenue Q, book by Jeff Whitty, music and lyrics by Robert Lopez and Jeff Mark, directed by Michael Gareau, musical direction by John McGovern, choreography by Alison Szkwarek, Toto Too Theatre.

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The December Man, Dont Miss It.

By Capital Critics Circle | November 22, 2015

Photo: Andrew Alexander

We tend to think of the phrases “collateral damage” and “PTSD” only in military terms. “The December Man” by Colleen Murphy that received the Governor General’s literary award for drama, currently running in a terrific production in the NAC Studio, examines them in the context of a university shooting.

In Montreal in 1989, 14 female engineering students were gunned down by a misogynist after he had sent the male students out of the room. Rather than re-tell the grim story of the shooting, the playwright focuses on a male student who was there. He suffers from extreme survivor’s guilt, which has a disastrous effect on his working class parents.

The story is told in reverse chronology and all the production elements work smoothly together to clearly tell this powerful story, beginning with the strong cast. Jean, the student, is believably and remarkably athletically played by Kayvon Kelly. Kate Hennig plays Jean’s mother Kathleen, a devout housewife who dreams of her son’s bright future and has only the church to turn to for help. Benoit, Jean’s father, is played by the always excellent Paul Rainville who finds some nice moments of humor. He paints a moving portrait of an uneducated working man trying desperately to understand and help his troubled son.

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Tomson Highway Sings in the Key of Cree

By Capital Critics Circle | November 19, 2015

Retrospective cabaret celebrates the music and wit of award-winning storyteller, SPEAKeasy Collective presents Songs in the Key of Cree, a one-time musical tribute to the multitalented Cree playwright, author, storyteller and musician Tomson Highway on December 12 and 13, 2015, at Hugh’s Room (2261 Dundas St. W). The evening will showcase the musical achievements and unique wit that have garnered Highwayfans around the world.

A master pianist, composer and songwriter with a repertoire spanning three decades, Highway’s music takes inspiration from a wide range of styles, including country, Brazilian samba, Cole Porter, Kurt Weill and French Canadian folk songs. In addition to his Order of Canada, the Juno-nominated performer was named one of the 100 most important people in Canadian history by Maclean’s magazine.

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La nuit des assassins: une création prometteuse de Ricardo Miranda

By Capital Critics Circle | November 19, 2015

Roland Sabra, Madinin-art.

La pièce « La nuit des assassins » écrite par José Triana à Cuba en 1964 a connu et connait encore un succès mondial plus particulièrement en Amérique du Sud et en Europe. De quoi s’agit-il ? Enfermés dans un grenier deux sœurs et un frère imaginent, miment, mettent en scène l’affirmation hégélienne bien connue selon laquelle« les enfants sont la mort des parents ». Prurit boutonneux, crise d’adolescence, révolte contre le Père ? Se contenter de cette lecture serait bien superficielle. Les frères Castro ne s’y sont pas trompés. Ils y ont vu un appel à la résistance à l’oppression et leur sens développé de la démocratie, comme chacun sait, a conduit au début des années 1980 José Triana à l’exil en France.

Il y a donc Lalo et ses deux sœurs, Beba et Cuca livrés à eux-mêmes, père et mère absents, et qui vont donner libre cours à leurs fantasmes de meurtre, d’assassinat de leurs parents, noyés dans l’illusion régressive que la liberté consiste à se débarrasser de la loi fût-elle simplement dans sa formulation première, familiale. S’affranchissant de toute contrainte formelle ils incarneront tour à tour leur rôle, celui des parents, des voisins, des forces de l’ordre, de la justice jetant le spectateur dans un trouble volontaire. La déconstruction apparente du fil narratif qui en résulte est l’image de la déconstruction de l’ordre social produite par la disparition du principe d’autorité.

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Cineplex Front Row Centre Events Expand : Series Includes Productions by Kenneth Branagh

By Capital Critics Circle | November 19, 2015

Cineplex Entertainment (“Cineplex”) and Front Row Centre Events announced today the expansion of its theatrical programming offering with seven new stage presentations this winter. Upcoming events will feature performances by actor-director Kenneth Branagh in a new series called Plays at the Garrick, the 120^th anniversary production of The Importance of Being Earnest by the London Vaudeville Theatre, as well as the latest world-class performances from National Theatre Live. The complete line-up of new stage offerings includes:

The Winter’s Tale from Kenneth Branagh Theatre Company – Kicking off the inaugural season of Plays at The Garrick comes this live performance of Shakespeare’s timeless tragicomedy of obsession and redemption, starring Kenneth Branagh and Judi Dench (November 26, 2015)
The Importance of Being Earnest from London Vaudeville Theatre – Audiences will have the opportunity to see Oscar Wilde’s much-loved masterpiece starring acclaimed actor David Suchet (Poirot) as the formidable Lady Bracknell (December 3, 2015)
Jane Eyre from National Theatre Live – A re-imagining of Charlotte Brontë’s acclaimed masterpiece (December 10, 2015)
Les Liaisons Dangereuses from National Theatre Live – Donmar Warehouse’s highly anticipated new production (January 28, 2016)

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Coriolanus: coming to cineplex theatres November 19.

By Capital Critics Circle | November 12, 2015

National Theatre Live.

November 19 at 19h00 at ciné plex theatres in Ottawa.

Des doutes et des errances»… de la théâtralité ? Gerty Dambury en Martinique

By Capital Critics Circle | November 9, 2015

8 novembre 2015. Paru dans Madinin-art, Fort-de-France

— Par Roland Sabra —

des_doutes_&_des_errances-3 « La théâtralité, c’est le théâtre moins le texte ». On connaît la formule, approximative et qui dans ce raccourci déforme la pensée de son auteur plus attaché qu’il n’y paraît à l’équilibre entre scène, texte et présence du spectateur. Qu’un de ces trois pôles disparaisse, s’effondre ou simplement faiblisse et il n’y a plus de représentation théâtrale. C’est qui est arrivé à « Des doutes et des errances » la pièce de Gerty Dambury, mise en scène par Jalil Leclaire et présentée au public martiniquais le 07/11/2015.
Peu après la grande grève de 2009 en Guadeloupe Gerty Dambury écrit une pièce de théâtre « Les Atlantiques amers » dans laquelle sept personnages échangent, s’interrogent s’affrontent, de part et d’autre de l’océan, à propos de ce mouvement qui dans son antienne « « La Gwadloup sé tan nou, la Gwadloup a pa ta yo, yo péké fè sa yo vlé an péyi an nou » pose clairement faute de pouvoir y répondre la question de l’identité. Qui est ce « nou » ? et par conséquence qui est ce « yo » Quelles en sont les composantes ? Dans quel camp sont les Békés ou leurs descendants ? Et les « métros » ? Faut-il tenir compte de la durée de leur installation ? Et ceux péjorativement dénommés « négropolitains » ou « nègxagonaux » ou que l’on désigne d’un autre terme plus neutre celui-ci de diaspora ? A quel titre sont-ils encore et toujours guadeloupéens -ou martiniquais- celles et ceux qui ne viennent « au pays » que pour les vacances, une année sur deux si ce n’est moins ? Droit du sol ou droit du sang ?

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“Jake’s Gift” a Winner at GCTC

By Capital Critics Circle | November 2, 2015

“Jake’s Gift,” a one-woman show written and performed by Julia Mackey, is a powerful tribute to Canadian veterans, especially those who participated in the World War II D-Day landing on Juno Beach. Inspired by her trip to Normandy in 2004 for the 60^th anniversary of D-Day, Miss Mackey and Director Dirk Van Stralen created Juno Productions to present and tour this piece across Canada. As Americans we hear mostly about Omaha Beach. It’s good to be reminded that our neighbors to the North also had a major part in the landings.

The two main characters are Jake, a veteran in his 70s who has returned for his first visit to Juno Beach since the war and Isabelle, a lively and inquisitive 10 year-old French girl. She has, as she says, “. . .the most important job in the world.”As they gradually become friends, Isabelle helps Jake in finally being able to come to terms with his past.

Julia Mackey relies mostly on body language and her voice to delineate the believable character changes between the irrepressible Isabelle and the initially grumpy Jake. We also meet Isabelle’s Grandmama and a Canadian teacher. Using only a bench, a small table and a suitcase Miss Mackey makes both the story and relationship easy to follow. She’s ably assisted by Gerald King’s sensitive lighting, especially in the scene where Jake puts on his uniform jacket. When he snaps a salute, we catch a glimpse of the young soldier who enlisted so many years ago. …

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Theatre Criticism in the Changing Digital World. Theatre Department, U of Ottawa. OPEN DISCUSSION….all are welcome.

By Capital Critics Circle | October 30, 2015

Today theatre criticism faces many challenges: in the era of open internet writing the practice of theatre criticism in Canada and worldwide is rapidly changing. It becomes more experimental, reflecting the style of journalistic blogosphere not mainstream criticism currently published in official newspapers and magazines. Who is a true benefactor of such criticism – is it general public, theatre companies, individual artists, or writers/bloggers/critics themselves, who often use digital writing to express their personal opinion in public, often not in the forms of professional theatre criticism but as self-promotion?

TIME AND LOCATION / HEURE ET LIEU

November 20, 2015, 11:30am to 1p.m. ; Room 310 / Le 20 novembre 2015, de 11h30 à 13h, local 310.

Theatre department at the University of Ottawa/Département d’Études théâtrales, U d’Ottawa. .

Participants:

• Patrick Langston (The Ottawa Citizen)

• Brianna McFarlane (New Ottawa Critics, an association of emerging theatre journalists)

• Kat Fournier (Capital Critics Circle)

(This debate will be in English.)

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