Theatre in Ottawa and the region Archives - Page 70 of 92 - Capital Critics' Circle / Le cercle des critiques de la capitale

The Book of Mormon: Excellent performances but the combination of satire and sappiness is both ridiculous and incongruous.

By Iris Winston | July 18, 2014

Photo. Joan Marcus

It is commendable, but not surprising that the Mormon Church took the high road when reacting to this satirical musical about their religion. The potty-mouthed satire of The Book of Mormon by Trey Parker and Matt Stone (co-creators of South Park) and Robert Lopez (co-creator with Jeff Marx of Avenue Q) is too ridiculous to cause any harm to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Often fun, more often obscene, the combination of satire and sappiness is too incongruous to be classed as great. It is loud. It does poke fun at such other musicals and singers as The Lion King and Bono. But it could hardly be called incisive or consistently witty, except for those who find monstrous parodies of erect penises and loud repetition of “I have maggots in my scrotum” knee-slappingly funny.

…

Driving Miss Daisy: OLT’s version of this Pulizter prize winning play.

By Iris Winston | July 9, 2014

Charlotte Stewart as Daisy. Photo.Maria Vartanova

Wheels are life changing for young and old. For teens, who have just earned driving licences, the right to drive signals freedom. For seniors, who may no longer drive, loss of their wheels means the end of independence.

So it was for 72-year-old Daisy Werthan of Atlanta, Georgia, in 1948. After she crashes her car, her son, Boolie, forces his fiercely independent mother to accept that her driving days are over. The first task for the chauffeur he hires to ferry her around is to convince her to ride with him. (That takes six days — the same length of time that it took God to create the world, he muses.)

The 1987 drama — a Pulitzer prizewinner and successful 1989 movie starring Jessica Tandy and Morgan Freeman — traces the developing trust and deepening friendship between the wealthy Jewish widow and her black chauffeur over 25 years (1948 to 1973) — a quarter century that changed the face of the U.S. It also touches (lightly) on the civil rights movement and desegregation in the south. At the same time, playwright Alfred Uhry makes it clear that Daisy and Hoke are not only bonded by religious and racial prejudice, but also by aging and growing infirmity.

…

Ottawa Fringe 2014. Shows Reviewed and seen

By Capital Critics Circle | June 27, 2014

by Kat Fournier, Laurie Fyffe, Barbara Gray, Patrick Langston, Maja Stefanowska, Alvina Ruprecht, Iris Winston and Jamie Portman

Scroll down on the web site for the reviews..

As of June 26, 2 014 36 plays reviewed, many more SEEN, several reviewed twice

total reviews 45 and more coming.

Portable #3 3 reviews J. Portman, I.Winston , A. Ruprecht

Chase and Stacey present Joy Ride 2 reviews J. Portman, I.Winston

Immolation 1 review by A.Ruprecht..

Can’t Argue With Pussy 1 review by Maja Stefanowska

Wunderjammer 1 review A.Ruprecht

Immolation 1 review A. Ruprecht

Kitt and Jane 2 reviews Kat Fournier, A.Ruprecht

Great Battles of History 1 review Alvina Ruprecht

High Tide 1 review Alvina Ruprecht

Never own anything you have to paint or feed 1 review Alvina Ruprecht

Iredea 1 review Alvina Ruprecht

Mr and Mrs Jones 1 review P. Langston

Othello 1 review Kat Fournier

A Mind Full of Dopamine 2 reviews. Patrick Langston, Laurie Fyffe

The City that Eats You 1 review P.Langston

First Words 1 review Maja Stefanowska

Moonlight after Midnight 1 review Kat Fournier

Burnt at the Steak 3 reviews P. Langston, A. Ruprecht, I. Winston

Cupidity 1 review M. Stefanowska

The Surprise 2 reviews P. Langston A.Ruprecht

Eclipse 1 review K. Fournier

Wasteland Radio 1 review M.Stefanowska

A Universal Guide to Loving Your Shadow 1 review L. Fyffe

Poe Show 1 review A. Ruprecht

Getting Through ‘1 review M. Stefanowska

Dont Tell My Dad 1 review M. Stefanowska

First Words 1 review M. Stefanowska

Oceans Apart 2 reviews A Ruprecht, L. Fyffe

Kavaliers Curiosity 1 review K. Fournier

Women Who Shout At Stars 2 reviews L. Fyffe, P. Langston

Against Gravity 1 Review P. Langston

Stories of Davey Punk P. Langston

Einstein 2 reviews A. Ruprecht, P. Langston

Paco V Put to Sleep. 4 reviews A. Ruprecht, P. Langston, I. Winston, J. Portman

Who Killed Gertrude Crump 2 reviews A. Ruprecht, P.Langston

Ottawa Fringe 2014. Chase & Stacey Present: Joyride

By Iris Winston | June 26, 2014

I found so little joy in the first two skits in this joyride that I left for greener pastures and another show- one of the great escapes offered by a Fringe festival.

A great disappointment after Chase Padgett’s fine showing last year in 6 Guitars.

Venue: Arts Court theatre

Chase and Stacey Present Joyride.

Stacey Hallal, Portland, USA

Ottawa Fringe 2014. Kitt and Jane- An Interactive Survival Guide to the Near-Post-Apocalyptic Future

By Kat Fournier | June 25, 2014

Two fourteen year old misfits have hijacked a school assembly during their presentation on wild salmon, and are holding the audience hostage while they spell out society’s upcoming demise. The two characters – Kitt and Jane – are clown-like in their representation of these pseudo-activist, young teenagers. An interactive sing-along, horseplay, and shadow puppetry contribute to the illusion that this is a youthful, home-sprung environmental mission, but poor enunciation and a dragging pace overwhelm the experience. There were a number of problems with this production, not the least of which was that both the plot and the characters were scattered and inconsistent. A series of disjointed vignettes, meant to showcase their child-like approach to the apocalypse, end up falling flat. The narrative is unnecessarily long and meanders around a number of themes, but never fully develops them. It could be shortened to help address the laborious pace. This play hovers somewhere between environmental activism and character-driven comedy, but commits to neither.

Ottawa Fringe 2014 . The Surprise ….A work of theatrical art

By Alvina Ruprecht | June 25, 2014

Martin Dockery..

The Surprise is a beautiful work of theatrical art. Inspired by Dockery’s relationship with his father he brings his whole body into play as he tells and shows us how deeply emotional relationships develop with people who are close to him. A fine, subtle and accomplished performer, he constructs a scenario that flows faultlessly to a conclusion that we did not expect. From one surprise to the next.

A performance genius in our midst!

It plays at the ODD arts court.

The Surprise Performed and written by Martin Dockery

Also watch for Moonlight after Midnight

Ottawa Fringe 2014 : Paco V Put to Sleep

By Iris Winston | June 25, 2014

A study in inertia that tips its hat to Samuel Beckett, Harold Pinter and Edward Albee, Paco P. Put to Sleep manages to maintain interest in what doesn’t happen when “somebody should do something.” It just will never be done by any of the (intentionally) sluggish characters on stage.

Ambitious, amusing and interesting for lovers of Theatre of the Absurd.

Plays at Arts Court Theatre

Paco P. Put to Sleep

By Martin Dockery

Black Sheep Theatre, Ottawa

Venue: Arts Court Theatre

Ottawa Fringe 2014. High Tide

By Alvina Ruprecht | June 24, 2014

High Tide performed by Morgan Johnson

A poetic, near mystical experience of bonding with the sea and the earth in general, this performance presents the work and the person of Rachel Carson, who launched environmental thinking in the 1960’s

The actress appears to be someone who does not have too much experience but it’s the words that are important and they make you want to learn more about Carson. As a performance, it might have benefitted from some images of the sea projected somewhere on that space that seemed so large and high with a single performer but luckily it only lasts 45 minutes and that is perfect.

A flight into transcendence and a moment of calm in all the frenzy of the Fringe.

Plays at the ODD box in Arts Court.

Ottawa Fringe 2014. Great Battles of History. Welcome to the Anti-Fringe!!

By Alvina Ruprecht | June 24, 2014

Great Battles in History

Performed and written(?) by Mark Shyzer

If one knows German, the family name of this fellow could be problematic but no matter. This is the perfect Fringe anti-theatre where Jeff mumbles, fumbles, works his way through a musical performance that was meant to be but doesn’t quite make it because the people involved haven’t turned up, and in any case Jeff the narrator, director, actor can’t play the Ukulele, can’t sing and he hates musicals. An event that appears to deconstruct theatre (musical theatre really) by giving us a slightly campy vision of the great battles of history and singing songs off key to highlight those moments. Actually, this is not about history, its about theatre and mainly about Jeff’s transgressive vision of the world who tells us he doesn’t need all these established models because he has new ones and doesn’t have to find evasion in those soppy heroic romantic performances that musicals and historical narratives usually are. He has his own models and he is fine because he knows exactly who he is. All kidding aside, that is a lot more profound than you could imagine. Clever and annoying!

Plays at Arts Court

Ottawa Fringe 2014. The Surprise

By Patrick Langston | June 24, 2014

The Surprise

Martin Dockery, Brooklyn, N.Y.
ODD Box

Reviewed for the Ottawa Citizen

The Story: Martin Dockery – who’s lightened our lives with Wanderlust, The Bike Trip, in years past- rockets through another true-life adventure in his usual riveting storytelling style. This time it’s rooted in his trip to Vietnam and Cambodia to meet for the first time his two Vietnamese siblings, both decades younger than he. The story is a series of surprises, none more memorable than the wrenching conclusion.

Pros: Dockery’s gifts, here in full flight, include not just an extraordinary sense of dramatic pacing but an eye for character, place and the funny or poignant or just unexpected element in an otherwise unremarkable event. This tale of family, love, other cultures and our essential aloneness in life feels as true as anything he’s ever done.

Cons: Dockery’s high-energy shows can be exhausting, but who’s complaining?