It’s that time of the year again. Here are my top 10 theatre productions for 2019, in alphabetical order (based on Toronto productions I reviewed this calendar year): Athabasca. Convergence Theatre Between Riverside and Crazy. Coal Mine Theatre The Black Drum. Canadian Cultural Society of the Deaf and Deaf Cultural Centre The Flick. Outside theContinue reading “Top 10 Theatre 2019”
Tag Archives: COAL MINE Theatre
Shades of gray in the intimate, entertaining, deeply poignant Between Riverside and Crazy
Allegra Fulton & Alexander Thomas. Set design by Anna Treusch. Costume design by Michelle Bohn. Lighting design by Steve Lucas. Photo by Dahlia Katz. Coal Mine Theatre opened its Toronto premiere of Stephen Adly Guirgis’s Between Riverside and Crazy to a packed house at its home on Toronto’s Danforth Avenue last night. Directed by KelliContinue reading “Shades of gray in the intimate, entertaining, deeply poignant Between Riverside and Crazy”
The power, magic & malice of words in the fascinating, visceral, philosophical, sensual Knives in Hens
Clockwise from top: Jonathon Young, Diana Bentley & Jim Mezon. Set and lighting design by Kaitlin Hickey. Costume design by Michelle Tracey. Photo by Dahlia Katz. Coal Mine Theatre kicks off its 6th season with David Harrower’s Knives in Hens, directed by Leora Morris. Set in 15th century Scotland in the outskirts of a small,Continue reading “The power, magic & malice of words in the fascinating, visceral, philosophical, sensual Knives in Hens”
Top 10 theatre 2018
For obvious reasons, I haven’t checked out other reviewers’/blogger folks’ lists—so I don’t know what they’ve been saying—but is it just me or was this year’s top 10 list an especially challenging task? Seems to me that we had an extra large embarrassment of riches with this year’s theatre productions, so I’m cheating with aContinue reading “Top 10 theatre 2018”
Real & virtual worlds collide in the chilling, mind-blowing The Nether
Hannah Levinson & David Storch. Set and lighting design by Patrick Lavender. Costume design by Michelle Bohn. Photo by Tim Leyes. Production warning: While nothing graphic whatsoever happens onstage, The Nether has violent and sexually explicit content, including rape, murder, suicide and pedophilia, that may be deeply disturbing to some. Please be advised. CoalContinue reading “Real & virtual worlds collide in the chilling, mind-blowing The Nether”
The profound cruelty & kindness of humanity in Coal Mine’s darkly funny, deeply affecting Category E
Diana Bentley, Robert Persichini & Vivien Endicott-Douglas. Set and costume design by Anna Treusch. Lighting design by Gabriel Cropley. Photo by Tim Leyes. Coal Mine Theatre closes its 4th season with the Toronto premiere of Belinda Cornish’s horror comedy Category E, directed by Rae Ellen Bodie—opening last night to a sold out house atContinue reading “The profound cruelty & kindness of humanity in Coal Mine’s darkly funny, deeply affecting Category E”
Top 10 theatre 2017
Another year, another embarrassment of riches. And, despite the fact that the blog has been operating on a reduced capacity since July, I still managed to see a lot of theatre this year. In alphabetical order, my top 10 of 2017: The Clergy Project: Soulo Theatre for colored girls: Soulpepper Theatre Mockingbird Close: INpulse TheatreContinue reading “Top 10 theatre 2017”
Family, class, denial & the monster within in the disturbing, revealing Orphans
Tim Dowler-Coltman, Diana Bentley & David Patrick Flemming in Orphans—photo by Shaun Benson Coal Mine Theatre closes its 2016-17 season with Dennis Kelly’s Orphans, directed by Leora Morris—opening last night in their home at 1454 Danforth Ave. Helen (Diana Bentley) and Danny’s (David Patrick Flemming) quiet date night dinner at home is interrupted by theContinue reading “Family, class, denial & the monster within in the disturbing, revealing Orphans”
The power of hope & community to build a dream in the sharply funny, poignant, uplifting Superior Donuts
Photo by Shaun Benson: Robert Persichini and Nabil Rajo in Superior Donuts Coal Mine Theatre continues its 2016-17 season with the Canadian premiere of Tracy Letts’ Superior Donuts, directed by Ted Dykstra, and opening last night to a packed house and a standing ovation at its home at 1454 Danforth Ave., Toronto. When we firstContinue reading “The power of hope & community to build a dream in the sharply funny, poignant, uplifting Superior Donuts”
Top 10 theatre 2016
Hope everyone’s been enjoying the holiday season. As we say goodbye to 2016 (for better or worse), it’s time for the annual top 10 theatre list. As usual, this is always a challenging endeavour, so I’ve added a few honourable mentions (in alphabetical order): Top 10 theatre 2016 Blind Date (queer version): Spontaneous Theatre &Continue reading “Top 10 theatre 2016”
life with more cowbell 