THEATRE: Blind Date to break fourth wall in search of a good man

Hey guys: Imagine going on a date with a hot female clown who REALLY wants to get to know you – and an entire roomful of strangers gets to eavesdrop. It’s almost enough to make you want to give up hockey night in Canada, eh? Beginning previews on the Citadel’s Rice stage Saturday night, Blind […]

Risky business at play in Canoe Theatre Festival

In a society that values safety so much, it’s funny how the word “safe” is such an insult when applied to the arts. In Edmonton, for instance, there is a surfeit of “safe” theatre – Cats, The Sound of Music, anything put on by the Mayfield Dinner Theatre – standing in stark contrast to the […]

THEATRE: Newfoundland take on classic tale to warm area hearts

Poised to become a local Christmas “thing” on the order of A Christmas Carol or The Nutcracker or Handel’s Messiah or Candy Cane Lane or Peter Pan is play called The Best Little Newfoundland Christmas Pageant Ever! Playing through Friday at the Varscona Theatre, it is a Newfoundlander’s take on the classic Barbara Robinson tale […]

Snow Globe Festival promises parent appeal with family entertainment

The secret to creating quality children’s entertainment might not be easy, but it is simple. Or is it the other way around? For comedy, mom or dad falling over is the funniest thing in the world – as Robert Munsch figured out long ago. For drama, simply get rid of mom or dad. Or both. […]

REVIEW: Hroses is senseless, pretentious theatre at its worst

If ever there was a title of a play to describe the contents within, Hroses: An Affront to Reason is it. Of course, if you enjoy shows that are a total affront to your sense of reason, stop reading this review right now and go see this play. The Azimuth Theatre production runs through Dec. […]

ANNOUNCED: Meow, hiss, here comes Cats

Here comes Bombalurina, following closely by Rumpleteazer and Mr. Mistoffelees! Aren’t they adorable? There lurks Grizabella while The Rum Tum Tugger stalks his prey. Mee-ow. And look! Skimbleshanks is rubbing his face against your leg. Aw, Mungojerrie is jealous. Hissss … If you have no idea what we’re talking about, consider yourself lucky. Or unlucky […]

Time twist tale a romantic tragedy in Hroses: An Affront to Reason

Again with the magical realism: Start off with the impossible situation, get that out of the way first, and THEN have your characters react to it realistically. Only then can a writer achieve the goal of creating credible fantasy fiction. If you dig time twist stories, Hroses: An Affront to Reason might be right up […]

REVIEW: With Bells On is a Christmas comedy with balls

Here’s a jolly stat for this upcoming season of stat holidays: More suicides happen this time of year than any other. Perhaps it is because we are not all receiving our tidings of comfort and joy. All the lonely people: where do they all come from? Two of them can be found in Darrin Hagen’s […]

REVIEW: Something wickedly funny this way comes in Wyrd Sisters

It’s not easy to successfully transform a fantasy novel for screen or stage, as the elements that create the fantastical world are often far more convincing in a reader’s mind. Add the reverence for the writer and you might just be setting yourself up for disaster. “Wyrd Sisters,” which runs through Dec. 12 at the […]

THEATRE: New couple cooped up in The Survival of Pigeons

Nothing tests a love affair like moving in together. Just ask the characters in Surreal Soreal Theatre’s new play “The Survival of Pigeons As Studied By Human Lovers,” opening Thursday at the Varscona Theatre. “The play really speaks to moving in with another person and the deepening of that relationship as you discover who they […]

Don we now our gay apparel – in Darrin Hagen’s new comedy With Bells On

Most guys don’t start their day expecting to be trapped in an elevator with a giant transvestite – nor realize that he and “she” are not so different after all. That’s the premise of Darrin Hagen’s new play With Bells On, opening Tuesday at the Roxy Theatre. It’s based on a real life experience – […]

THEATRE: Fiction stranger than truth in Offensive Fouls

Strange but true: Fiction can sometimes illustrate truths about reality even better than reality. Wrap your heads around that, non-fiction people. This idea is demonstrated in a big way with Concrete Theatre’s touring school plays. The latest production, Offensive Fouls, deals with racism, something young people – heck, most people – are often unwilling to […]

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