World Theatre Day 2012 Message

"May your work be compelling and original. May it be profound, touching, contemplative, and unique. May it help us to reflect on the question of what it means to be human, and may that reflection be blessed with heart, sincerity, candor, and grace. May you overcome adversity, censorship, poverty and nihilism, as many of you will most certainly be obliged to do.

"May you be blessed with the talent and rigor to teach us about the beating of the human heart in all its complexity, and the humility and curiosity to make it your life's work. And may the best of you - for it will only be the best of you, and even then only in the rarest and briefest moments - succeed in framing that most basic of questions, 'how do we live?' Godspeed."

- John Malkovich

Revengers Tragedy March 2012

Sky Gilbert launches New Blog!

http://skygilbert.blogspot.com/

Imprints

CONOR GREEN, KAT SANDLER, AND COSETTE DEROME IN IMPRINTS
Photo: Michael Cooper
Review: IMPRINTS
by LYNN SLOTKIN on NOVEMBER 18, 2011
in THE PASSIONATE PLAYGOER
At the Factory Studio Theatre. Written by Michael Spence. Directed by Jacquie P.A. Thomas. Set by Michael Spence. Costumes by Sheree Tams. Lighting by Laird Macdonald. Starring: Stephanie Belding, Cosette Derome, Conor Green, Ron Kennell, Kat Sandler, and Michael Spence. At the Factory Studio Theatre until November 20, 2011

Produced by Theatre Gargantua in association with Factory Theatre.

Theatre Gargantua is a fascinating company that uses a highly physical performance style to explore thought provoking subjects. They performed one production in which the cast was suspended on ropes. Another explored the murky world of computers, technology and identity in which the whole set seemed to be the inside of a computer.

In their latest production, IMPRINTS, the company delves into the world of ancestry, genetic memory and ghostly inheritance (Imprints) from the point of view of Lily. Lily is sick with a mysterious disease that seems to have been passed down through her family for many generations. She is undertaking an experimental procedure that will leave her body in limbo until a cure can be found. But rather than dreamily existing in that limbo world, she is thrown into a fantastical Alice in Wonderland World. There she is bedeviled by swooping black bird-like spirits; the ghost of her father; and the raging apparition of a man who has been seeking revenge on Lily’s family for what seems centuries. Some distant ancestor of Lily’s family was responsible for the death of this vengeful man’s children and he has been troubling Lily’s various ancestors ever since.

The idea of inheriting through our genes, not only our physical traits from previous generations, but also responsibility for previous generations’ wrong-doing, for example, is a fascinating notion. And it’s typical of the depth of thought that suffuses the work of Theatre Gargantua and its resident playwright, Michael Spence.

Also typical is the arresting physicality of its productions. Director Jacquie P.A. Thomas has such a clear eye for the startling image. As Lily stands in this murky limbo world, wondering where she is, she is swooped upon by apparitions in black, arms/wings streaming black strips around her.

In another scene the raging spirit from her ancestor’s days comes in close, growling his anger, frightening her, and us. A great swath of material is billowed up and over her and she tramples on it. The image is arresting.

Later a cascade of sand falls in a shower down from the flies, forming a large mound of sand on the stage. Light shimmers on the stage in front of the sand giving the effect of small waves lapping onto a sandy beach. Breathtaking

As Lily, Stephanie Belding is that wonderful mix of bewildered by what is happening to her, and quietly strong in meeting these demons. As the vengeful spirit, Ron Kennell is compelling, fierce and even moving. The ensemble work is impeccable. The company works on each show methodically and meticulously over a two year period. The result is always a production that is intriguing, thought provoking, poetic and embracing.

IMPRINTS plays at the Factory Studio Theatre, 126 Bathurst St. until November 26.
Factory Studio Box Office: 416-504-9971

Photo by: Michael Cooper
THEATRE REVIEW: Globe and Mail Newspaper
Imprints is a harrowing trip down the rabbit hole
by Paula Citron

Published Monday, Nov. 14, 2011 4:51PM EST

Theatre Gargantua is top-of-the-line when it comes to multidisciplinary works. Every production is filled with dazzling technical wizardry and imaginative physicality, and the subject matter is always provocative.

At the heart of Theatre Gargantua is the talented husband and wife team of director Jacquie P.A. Thomas and playwright/set designer Michael Spence. They spearhead the original productions that are the company’s stock in trade, created with input from both the creative team and acting ensemble.

The new show Imprints is inspired both by genetic coding and Alice in Wonderland, a sort of a DNA trip down the rabbit hole.

Lily (Stephanie Belding) has a life-threatening disease. At the beginning of the play, we see a close-up film shot of a doctor and a nurse bending over Lily from her point of view lying on a gurney. She’s about to be cryogenically frozen until a cure can be found.

The doctor assures Lily that this icy sleep is a state of oblivion, but nothing could be further from the truth. And so we get to the crux of Spence’s play (dramaturgy by Bruce Barton). Being frozen means you meet the ghosts of your ancestors, and it is a harrowing journey.

Spence has certainly come up with an intriguing premise for theatrical exploration. Our DNA is the sum total of every human in our line of descent. When Lily enters her DNA, she meets a bizarre cast of characters from her evolutionary lineage and, in the process, discovers what created her genetic disorder. It is an ugly story involving incest and murder.

There is humour in Spence’s dialogue stemming mostly from Lily’s modern-day reaction, both verbally and intellectually, to these genetic ghosts – a collision of cultures, as it were. Belding portrays Lily’s bewilderment with appropriate fear laced with curiosity.

Ron Kennell is a murderous figure bent on vengeance for past crimes, and he is a strong presence onstage. More benign is Spence as a Mad Hatter/Cheshire Cat genetic guide living in a tree and spouting elliptical poetry.

Then there are Cosette Derome, Conor Green and Kat Sandler as annoying Tweedledum and Tweedledee clones, albeit a trio, who sow mayhem and confusion in Lily’s path. They slyly drop hints of dark tidings to come without giving details, all of which adds to Lily’s anxiety.

One of the glories of Imprints is Cameron Davis’s black and white projections. One stunning image, for example, has videos of the other actors superimposed on Belding’s face, instantaneously changing her persona, yet keeping her individuality intact at the same time.

Laird Macdonald’s precision lighting keeps the black-box stage set intact. He pinpoints what must be seen, while obscuring what shouldn’t be seen. In fact, the way the projections and lights work together is masterful. The use of physical bodies and an a capella soundtrack help to drive Lily’s journey down the DNA highway.

Physical movement is always important in a Theatre Gargantua show. For example, at each new step down the DNA highway, Lily’s body convulses and thrusts forward. The bad-news trio, for lack of a better name, execute intricate entanglement of their bodies.

Director Thomas has also added cunning use of black draperies. At one point, Belding wears a long black cape, which, after clever manipulation by the actors, reveals Green as a male incarnation of Lily, and Belding nowhere in sight.

Also compelling is the live soundtrack devised by Thomas and the acting ensemble that includes rhythmic chanting and a capella singing. Layered under these eerie, otherworldly noises is the atmospheric electronica sound design of Michael Laird and William Fallon.

There is one weakness in the script, but it emanates out of the structure of the story and may be unavoidable. There is too much of Lily saying, “Where am I?”, “What’s happening?”, “I don’t understand.” It takes a trifle too long for Spence to get to explanations.

Nonetheless, there is never a dull moment onstage in a Theatre Gargantua production.

Imprints continues until Nov. 26.

Imprints

Theatre Gargantua
in association with Factory Theatre presents the WORLD PREMIERE of
IMPRINTS
A new play by Michael Spence
Directed by Theatre Gargantua Artistic Director Jacquie P.A. Thomas
Starring Stephanie Belding, Cosette Derome, Conor Green, Ron Kennell, Kat Sandler, Michael Spence
Dramaturgy by Bruce Barton, Designed by Cameron Davis, Laird Macdonald,
Michael Spence, Sheree Tams, Michael Laird and William Fallon
Previews from November 9, Opens November 11 and runs to November 26, 2011
Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street
Preview Performances: Wed Nov. 9 at 6:30pm and 9:30pm; Thurs. Nov. 10 at 8pm
Regular Performances: Thurs – Sat at 8pm; Additional shows Sun Nov. 13 at 2:30pm & Tues Nov. 15 at 8pm
Previews $17; Tues & Thurs $20; Fri & Sat $25 (Discounts available for students, seniors, groups, equity)
For tickets, contact the Factory Theatre box office at 416-504-9971 or visit www.theatregargantua.ca

Theatre Gargantua Presents: IMPRINTS

November 9 to 26, 2011, at Factory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street
www.factorytheatre.ca or www.theatregargantua.ca

Review: Daughter of the Dust (Robin Sharp and Helen Kotsonis)

Review: Daughter of the Dust (Robin Sharp and Helen Kotsonis)

By Tiffany Budhyanto

Daughter of the Dust is a country musical comedy playing this Sunday and will be the Bread and Circus venue’s last show before it closes down. It features Robin Sharp as Trixie Dixon, a Taylor Swift-esque country singer trying to make it – if Taylor Swift were a drag queen.

Trixie Dixon is a young blonde set to perform at The Shindiggler, the town’s local venue. But getting in the way of her dreams of becoming a real country singer is her promiscuous and loud-mouth mother Tanya, who used to sing with her in an act called “The Dixon Chicks.”

Also adding to the her troubles is the fact that her city-boy boyfriend Brian won’t make love to her – and her back-up guitarist Carson seems more than willing to do it instead.

The venue is a private theatre room at the back of the bar lounge that seats only about 80 people. Because of its small capacity it feels very much like a Fringe Festival show – small, intimate and low budget. But the costumes, set design, makeup, music and acting – heck, everything about this play, basically – makes up for the less-than-great venue.

The thing is, the fact that the stage is so small doesn’t really make a difference. Robin Sharp, who wrote all the music along with Katie Avery, has created a country musical masterpiece. The songs are intelligent, clever, hilarious, and well-composed. Unbelievably catchy, they are also very cheeky – without being cheesy. Some of my favourites included “Never Fall In Love With A Musician,” and “Just The Tip.” They range from fast-paced songs to slow, sad ballads.

The cast of five all really impressed me. Robin Sharp plays a young woman so convincingly, if I had seen him on the street I wouldn’t have looked twice.

Robin wears a blonde wig and is lanky enough to really look like a girl. His ability to not only act, but also sing in a feminine way caught me off guard. He is even able to make his character’s tearful breakdown look truly sweet and innocent.

Claw, played by Scott Moore, is the owner of the Shindiggler who gives Trixie a chance to sing. His Southern drawl and demeanor is believable. His character, along with Brian played by Russel McLeod, offer stability to the play with their down-to-earth characters. Brian is Trixie’s shy boyfriend, who is worried about her cheating ways. His performance is calming, quirky and sweet, and adds a nice steady flow to the play.

Finally, Tanya Dixon, Trixie’s mother, is played by Lynn Filusch. Her character is tempestuous and has a tendency to scream at her daughter, showcasing the very extremes a mother-daughter relationship can have. Even her character, which is loud and obnoxious, is a real dimensional character played with depth and thoughtfulness. Filusch has a powerful voice which she really uses to the play’s advantage.

The musicians playing guitar and double bass are Steve Joseph and Tom McKibben, members of the professional group Slant Six. Katie Avery, who arranged the music, plays the fiddle alongside them. The musical performance and arrangement are superb. It’s not the Keith Urban nu-country – it’s a tribute to the old school country music, like Patsy Cline, Hank Williams, Dolly Parton and the like, and they seem to know their country music history well. I happen to like this classic country music, but I think anyone would enjoy the music in the play because the lyrics are so funny.

This play really isn’t about the fact that the main character is in drag. It’s truly about the well-written script and music, and the music carries the plot along extremely well (unlike Glee), never slowing the story down or becoming irrelevant to the scene.

The actors are genuine, sweet, and full of acting and musical talent. It borders on raunchy but never enough to make you feel uncomfortable, always staying on the cheeky side instead to keep things lighthearted and fun.

I highly recommend this country musical comedy – it’ll make you laugh, that’s for sure. I do hope that this show has another run after the venue closes down on Sunday, because it deserves to be seen by a lot of people.

Details:

- Directed by Helen Kotsonis, Written by Robin Sharp

- Runs August 25 to 27 at 8 pm, and August 28 at 6 pm

- At Bread and Circus, 299 Augusta Avenue in Kensington Market

- Advanced Tickets can be purchased online for $12

- Tickets at the door are $15