At Pacific Theatre until March 23, 2019
We can thank Pacific Theatre, a faith-based company, for daring to commission Peter Boychuk to write a play about the stigma attached to Christians. Jesus freak: it’s a derogatory term we still hear.
Katharine Venour (Susan) and Kaitlin Williams (Clara) in Jesus Freak. Credit: Jalen Laine Photography
At Studio 16 until March 9, 2019
Quebecois playwrights definitely do theatre differently from playwrights in the rest of Canada and to that I say, “Vive la différence”.
Annie Lefebvre as Mélanie and Félix Beauchamp as Benoit in Le Soulier. Credit: Gaëtan Nerincx
At Jericho Arts Centre until March 16, 2019
Constance Markievicz was an original: an authentic, Emerald Isle, pistol-packing mama.
Naomi Wong as Constance Markievicz in Changed Utterly. Credit: Doug Williams
At The Playhouse until February 23, 2019
With every newspaper and news broadcast this week leading with the scandalous SNC-Lavalin affair, Revisor, a re-visiting of Nikolai Gogol’s 1836 The Government Inspector, is eerily relevant.
Doug Letheren in Revisor. Credit: Michael Slobodian
At the Arts Club Granville island Stage until March 9, 2019
Playwright Morris Panych presents a premise so off-beat and persuasive that you find yourselves rooting for the bad guys. Or in this case, the bad gals.
Dean Paul Gibson as Otto and Patti Allan as Alma in The Shoplifters. Credit: David Cooper
Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre until February 24, 2019
Fascinating, enigmatic, provocative, True Crime runs ninety-five uninterrupted minutes. It takes work but the premises are interesting. Criminals, actors and the rest of us: whose fault is it anyway?
Torquil Campbell in True Crime. Credit: Dahlia Katz
At Studio 58 until February 24, 2019
Cabaret is a terrific choice for Studio 58: it’s rowdy and sexy and marks a great directorial debut for Josh Epstein.
Paige Fraser (centre), as the Emcee, with the Kit Kat Girls in Cabaret. Credit: David Cooper
Roundhouse Community Arts and Recreation Centre
Sad but beautiful in its way and technically impressive, Zvizdal is highly recommended. Two more performances.
Nadia and Pétro Lubenoc. Photo provided by BERLIN
At The Stanley until February 24, 2019
Taming of the Shrewd. Not only does Dolly Gallagher Levi, a.k.a. The Matchmaker, make matches but she tames the Scrooge-like Yonkers businessman Horace Vandergelder. “Money is like manure”, Dolls tells Horace. It’s no good unless you spread it around.”
Nicola Lipman as Dolly Gallagher Levi in The Matchmaker. Credit: David Cooper
At Pacific Theatre until February 9, 2019
Originally produced by Ensemble Theatre Company last summer at the Jericho Arts Centre, A Prayer for Owen Meany is being remounted as a guest production at Pacific Theatre where, because of the titular Owen Meany who believes God speaks through him, and Pacific Theatre’s mandate to produce theatre that ‘rigorously explores the spiritual aspects of human experience’, it’s a good fit.
Chris Lam as Owen Meany in A Prayer for Owen Meany. Credit: Emily Cooper