Toronto Fringe: A peek inside the men’s room in The Urinal Dialogues

I ventured into the world of the men’s room yesterday – in this case, the Al Green Theatre stage transformed into a men’s washroom for the Toronto Fringe run of Mark H. Albert’s The Urinal Dialogues, directed by Mario D’Alimonte.

Inspired by sound bites overheard in men’s washrooms, The Urinal Dialogues plays out in a series of men’s room scenes, bookended by sweetly funny “Father and Son” scenes, done in voice-over by David Lang (Father) and Evany Rosen (Son), the scenes segued with verses from the show’s theme song (written by Albert, Wayne Cohen and Hartley Mandel; performed by Cohen and Eric Walker). The clever set design (designed and built by Tim Maxim) features three urinals, placed so the actors face the audience, a condom machine and a counter with two sinks.

Featuring a strong trio of actors (Albert, Holm Bradwell and Derrick Evans), the scenes are a nicely balanced mix of comedy and drama, shifting from hilarious to harrowing to heartbreaking – all performed with high energy and truth.

The Urinal Dialogues is a smart, funny and socially astute – at times surprisingly poignant – look at the culture and etiquette of the men’s washroom.

The show continues its run at the Al Green Theatre until July 13 – check here for exact dates/times.