S5E35: Let the Fringe Fuss Begin

Laura Virella in Mercury Opera’s Carmen.

Fawnda and Paul venture downtown to try out Carmen (again)! Following their road trip to the Badlands last summer, this year’s Mercury Opera production was set in two historic haunts: Act one was set at everyone’s favourite greasy spoon, The Commodore, followed by Act two at Chez Pierre. Also, the official Fringe fuss has begun—all 258 257 shows are now live for ticket sales. Exciting times!

For context on that missing show, here’s some reading: https://edmontonjournal.com/news/local-news/fringe-theatre-pulls-play-involving-david-belke

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S5E34: Summer Spectators Cash In

Quinn Dooley and Jonas Shandel in The Citadel Theatre’s production of Ring of Fire. Photography credit: Ian Jackson, Epic Photography

The Citadel Theatre’s summer experiment, Ring of Fire: The Music of Johnny Cash, is up and running, and Andrew joined in to notice that the titular song wasn’t even written by Cash—among other things. Also, Paul gives a full report of his time as a performer at the Toronto Fringe. Bring the heat!

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S5E33: The Sinister, Surprising, Very Adorable Bad Seed

Lilla Solymos and Nicola Elbro in Teatro la Quindicina’s The Bad Seed.
Photo credit Mat Busby Photography.

Fawnda and Colleen brave the Streetfest crowds outside the Varscona to catch Teatro la Quindicina’s remount of The Bad Seed, a 1950s psychological thriller/melodrama/creepy comedy. What a twist ending! (No spoilers either!)

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S5E32: The Season in Review

Gina Puntil and Matthew Hulshof shared hosting duties at the 2019 Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Awards on June 24.
Backstage portrait by Ryan Parker Photography.

It’s the end of the theatre season—which means it’s time for Paul to join the Fringe circuit! On the way to the airport we re-cap favourite moments and winners from the Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award show, and other happenings throughout the #YEG performance year.

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S5E31: Two Jerks. One Crab. Many Sheep.

Ensemble cast of Freewill Shakespeare Festival’s The Winter’s Tale.
Credit: Ryan Parker Photography

It’s an all-Italian Summer for the Freewill Shakespeare Festival this year. Fawnda takes guests Matthew Stepanic and Andrea Anderson on a jaunt to the (very damp) Hawrelak Park for the company’s re-imagined Two Gentlemen of Verona, and the endearing pastoral clime of The Winter’s Tale. Do the ladies make it out okay? With ol’ Bill, well, never. But the laughs are there… right?

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S5E30: The Improvised Everything Episode

It’s an extravaganza of improvised delights this week as Fawnda takes guest Andrea Anderson on her very first foray into contemporary dance at BWDC‘s The Liminal. And, it wouldn’t be an improv episode without taking in a night at Improvaganza, Rapid Fire Theatre‘s annual fete of the comedic form (also, that’s where you can find Paul until June 22). Enjoy!

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S5E29: Likely Stories, Sterling Noms, and Other Consonants

The cast of Teatro la Quindicina’s A Likely Story. Mat Busby Photography.

In this episode we step into the quirky, continent-traversing world of Stewart Lemoine’s latest play, A Likely Story. Then, Paul takes in a bit of #NXTFST, and Fawnda takes a road trip to see Marienbad at TDT (Toronto Dance Theatre), and we muse on the Sterling Awards’ new non-gendered acting categories. Oh, and that new thing they’re building in Hawrelak Park. How big of a deal is that, really?

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S5E28: Pinter & Performance Art

Cody Porter, Elena Porter, and Chris Cook in Broken Toys Theatre’s production of Betrayal, by Harold Pinter.

Pip-pip, we’re back, and off to Pinterland! Classical correspondent Colleen Feehan visits to discuss Broken Toys Theatre’s mounting of Betrayal, while Paul and Fawnda venture out to cake their shoes in hair and salt at Zero Gravity, a new performance art festival held in collaboration between dc3 Art Projects and Mile Zero Dance.

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S5E27: Hell is empty, and the devils are just fine

Cast members from the Citadel Theatre’s The Tempest.
Photo by Ian Jackson, Epic Photography.

‘Twas a night of saluting Billy Shakes, moving storytellers, and also lovers/haters of whatever you think iambic pentameter is, was, or could be. We took in the Citadel Theatre’s The Tempest this week, which boggled and delighted all the senses.

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S5E26: The Empress, The PM, The Spins

Darrin Hagen in Theatre Network’s The Empress and the Prime Minister.
Photo by Ryan Parker Photography.

On the heels of last week’s election, we go on aptly timed flashback tour to 1969 as drag queen activist ted northe rubs shoulders with an ambitious Pierre Trudeau in Darrin Hagen’s The Empress and the Prime Minister.

Then, to wrap up Easter Weekend we’re joined by multidisciplinary performer (and famed pysanky painter) Larissa Pohoreski to chat about the latest offering in the Brian Webb Dance Company’s season: the up-and-comers in Next Generation South Asian Dance.

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Notes to episode: In the audio, we refer to Darrin Hagen’s induction into the Q Order of Canada, which isn’t actually a thing. Hagen was inducted into the Q Hall of Fame Canada in 2013.

Also, the red dye for dancers’ feet and hands as mentioned in the discussion of Next Generation South Asian Dance is called Alta. And now we know!