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

NO GREAT MISCHIEF at 1000 Islands Playhouse – Stunning Production!!!

By Capital Critics Circle | September 17, 2013

David Fox and R. H. Thomson. Photo by Cylla von Tiedemann.

NO GREAT MISCHIEF is an adaptation by David S. Young of Alistair MacLeod’s prize-winning novel. It’s about the MacDonald family’s history that has been elevated almost to the status of myth, beginning with their emigration from Scotland to Cape Breton. Brothers Alexander and Calum explore their family’s memories and relationships. In the play’s words, “. . . the legacy of life handed down across the centuries.” The series of stories are pulled together by Alexander’s lyrical narration. This production has almost a dream-like quality that captures the spirit of the book.

…

Read More Read More

Proud: Biting Funny and Thought Provoking

By Capital Critics Circle | September 15, 2013

Photo: GCTC, Ottawa

You don’t need to know much about Canadian politics to enjoy Michael Healey’s laugh and thought provoking new play PROUD. It’s an examination of politics that skewers both ends of the political spectrum. PROUD is about much more then political chicanery. To quote Artistic Director Eric Coates, “This play is a fearless and funny poke at government and the public’s role in the whole equation.”

It’s set in the Conservative Prime Minister’s office in 2011 when Stephen

…

Read More Read More

Proud: Lots of laughs, smart dialogue, strong performances. Political Theatre might even go further….!

By Capital Critics Circle | September 13, 2013

Reviewed by Alvina Ruprecht

Tom Barnett and Jenny Young. Photo by Barb Gray.

English Canada has a long tradition of theatre that comments on our political history. The Riel Story and the Metis Rebellion have often been dealt with on stage and more recently, the War of 1812 was the object of a satirical reconstruction that made known its distaste for that useless slaughter along the American Canadian border.

…

Read More Read More

OTHELLO coming to Cineplex Theatres in Ottawa September 26!!

By Capital Critics Circle | September 13, 2013

Photo Courtesy of the National Theatre.

Reviewed by Henry Hitchings http://www.standard.co.uk/goingout/theatre/othello-nationals-olivier–theatre-review-8585510.html

Adrian Lester is a charismatic, dignified Othello. When jealousy grips him he seethes with the sort of fury that causes him to flip a table with a single flick of his wrist. But he brings a delicate grace to the role, and the crispness of his verse-speaking is admirable – a reminder, as if we needed one, of his great quality as a Shakespearean actor.

Rory Kinnear is mesmerising as Iago, the "honest" officer who is in fact Othello’s nemesis. He is capable of deadpan bluntness yet also of extravagant, eloquent contempt. Kinnear makes deception seem creepily amusing. He confides in the audience, flaunting his malign intelligence.

…

Read More Read More

LOMBARDI scores at the Depot Theatre in Westport NY

By Capital Critics Circle | September 3, 2013

John Lenartz as Vince Lombardi. Photo-Depot Theatre

The Depot Theatre is closing out their 35^th season with a first-rate production of LOMBARDI – yes, CoachVince, THAT Lombardi. Written by Eric Simonson and based on the book “When Pride Still Mattered” by David Maraniss, the play deals with the man behind the myth. We learn not only of his philosophy, but also of his relationships with his wife Marie and three of his players, Dave Robinson, Jim Taylor and Paul Horning. Set largely in 1965, it includes flashbacks to 1958, 1959 and 1964. It’s structured around a series of interviews with a reporter.

Director Chris Clavelli’s simple set of two armchairs and a table backed by a large green-board with the diagram of a play and a cocktail cabinet stage right works very well for the production. The action is enhanced by Isabella Byrd’s excellent lighting that helps focus the changes of time and place. As always, Jean Brookman’s costumes are good, especially Marie’s final dress.

…

Read More Read More

Peggy Laverty explains her choice of costumes after Alvina Ruprecht’s review of the Confessions of a Drag Queen.

By Capital Critics Circle | August 29, 2013

Hello
Regarding Toto Too’s recent Production , I would like to make a few comments.
It is always easy and satisfying to make a character look good. It is harder to allow oneself to make a character look relatively unattractive.

Barry’s clothing was not meant to be modern. The dresses, according to the script, had been in storage for 25 years while he was in jail. They are from the 80’s, and, as most were at that time, are somewhat frumpy and overdone. These are referred to by John as being “shit ugly frocks”.

Neither the Director or the Production people wanted blatantly flamboyant outfits for Miranda’s character. He was to be involved in a meeting with a serious straight man who would affect his life, not dressing for a night at a Drag Queen competition. I filled the two racks on stage with the more dramatic outfits which would have been used earlier in their stage shows. He is living in an altered reality, delusional and living in the past, and he thinks he looks wonderful in his old clothes and overdone makeup.

…

Read More Read More

The (Post) Mistress in Gananoque – Entertaining, but a Play?

By Capital Critics Circle | August 24, 2013

Martha Irving. The (Post) Mistress at the Thousand Islands Playhouse, 2013. Photo: Jay Kopinski.

The second production of the season in the Firehall, “THE (POST) MISTRESS” written by Tomson Highway, has opened at the 1000 Islands Playhouse. A one-woman musical, it features Marie-Louise Faucon, a small town post mistress who seems magically able to read the letters from local friends that she sorts and files. Along the way we learn a little about Marie-Louise herself. Unfortunately we don’t learn enough to care much about her.

…

Read More Read More

La Loi de Tibi: cérémonie bouleversante à la Chapelle du verbe incarné, Avignon “off”.

By Capital Critics Circle | August 21, 2013

Compte rendu de Sylvie Romanowski, Northwestern University

Au bord du plateau, Tibi, un grand homme nous accueille. Tout se passe quelque part ailleurs, peut-être Afrique, le lieu n’est pas clair. Voilà que nous des touristes, ayant donné notre offrande pour assister à un enterrement, sommes à la fois voyeurs de la souffrance des autres et spectateurs/voyeurs d’une œuvre théâtrale. L’ambiguïté s’impose dès le début, et même si on réalise bientôt que nous sommes en pleine représentation théâtrale, le texte nous rappelle cet instant de malaise de temps à autre.

La scène est presque vide sauf pour un amoncellement de choses cachées par une grande bâche gris clair. L’homme est un diseur traditionnel, maître de cérémonie pour les enterrements. Il est en train de chercher sa cape et il râle parce qu’il en a besoin pour faire ses enterrements avec la dignité nécessaire, et avec six enterrements qui l’attendent ce matin, la situation est urgente.

…

Read More Read More

Spelling Bee at the 1000 Islands Playhouse is Fun and Funny

By Capital Critics Circle | August 9, 2013

Photo: The 25^th Annual Putnam County Spelling Bee. The Thousand Islands Playhouse, 2013. Photography by Mark Bergin

A very entertaining and fast moving production of the musical THE 25^th ANNUAL PUTNAM COUNTY SPELLING BEE has opened at the 1000 Islands Playhouse. With music and lyrics by William Finn and book by Rachel Sheinkin, Rebecca Feldman and Jay Reiss, the format is that of an actual spelling bee with six young contestants plus four volunteer contestants from the audience. It’s the only show I’ve ever seen where using audience volunteers really works. There’s also a female organizer, the Vice Principal as the judge and Mitch, who’s working out his community service sentence by offering comfort to those eliminated.

…

Read More Read More

The Ottawa Acting Company : New Theatre School in Ottawa

By Capital Critics Circle | August 2, 2013

THE ACTING COMPANY opens its doors

See their site : http://www.actingcompany.ca/

Call: 613.744-5353

Information on instructors: http://www.actingcompany.ca/instructors.html

THE AVALON STUDIO

Located in the heart of Ottawa’s Glebe, our studios are housed in what was once the historic Avalon Theatre (one of Ottawa’s first movie theatres), recently renovated to showcase two distinct studio spaces.

Our principal work space, the Avalon Studio , has dramatic 30ft. ceilings and a balcony which doubles as study space and Green Room. With its high ceilings, hard wood floors, lighting and sound capabilities, the Avalon makes for a perfect rental space for intimate events, workshops, and productions.