The Valley
At the Arts Club Granville Island Stage until May 7, 2016
Something that can be said about depression and mental illness: they aren’t choosy.
Daniel Doheny as Connor and Kerry Sandomirsky as Sharon in The Valley. Credit: Emily Cooper
Dead Metaphor
At The Firehall Arts Centre until April 23, 2016
Who knew Canadian playwright George F. Walker had anything in common with Shakespeare?
Mike Gill as Dean and Carmela Sison as Jenny in Dead Metaphor. Credit: Emily Cooper
The Invisible Hand
At The Cultch until April 23, 2016
Don’t miss The Invisible Hand. It will rattle your cage.
Craig Erickson as Nick Bright in The Invisible Hand. Credit: Tim Matheson
Gruesome Playground Injuries
At Pacific Theatre until April 16, 2016
Only once in a while do I completely miss the boat on a play but this one really sailed without me.
Kenton Klassen as Doug and Pippa Johnstone as Kayleen in Gruesome Playground Injuries. Credit: Damon Calderwood
Mata Hari
At Studio 16 until April 3 with matinee and evening performances April 2 and 3
Mata Hari is a chamber piece: small, beautiful, intimate and musical. The story begs for expansion – and perhaps someone will take it on – but as it exists now, it’s as lovely as a little music box with Mata Hari turning, turning atop.
Sinziana Corozel as Mata Hari in Mata Hari. Credit: Darryl Ahye
Good People
At The Stanley until April 24, 2016
Like the Nature versus Nurture debate, we often ask whether our lives are determined by choices we do (or do not) make, or are some people just born lucky?
Colleen Wheeler as Margie in Good People. Credit: Emily Cooper
Onegin
At the Goldcorp Stage at the BMO Theatre Centre until April 10, 2016
There are times when I just want to write: “See it” and nothing else. This is one of those times.
Alessandro Juliani as Onegin. Credit: David Cooper
The Crowd
At Studio 58 until April 3, 2016
Two world premieres back-to-back: The Out Vigil (Firehall) and The Crowd (Studio 58). Now that’s what makes a city world-class: two world premieres in less than a week.
Camille Legg, as Tina, and Nathan Kay, as Bobby, in The Crowd. Credit: Emily Cooper
The Out Vigil
At the Firehall Arts Centre until March 26, 2016
It was the late novelist Marian Engel who said something about people who live on the very edges of continents. They get away from the centre as far as they can before falling off.
Stephanie Iszak as Lizzie and Matthew MacDonald-Bain as Danny in The Out Vigil. Credit: Emily Cooper
The Gay Heritage Project
At The Cultch until March 19, 2016
Seeing this production of The Gay Heritage Project back-to-back with The Hooker Monologues brought up similarities between gays and sex workers: they share long histories of persecution and lifestyles that are heavily stigmatized.
Paul Dunn and Damien Atkins in The Gay Heritage Project. Credit: Guntar Kravis