As I shared earlier in June, SummerWorks Performance Festival returns for another year with a lineup of very exciting performances and performers. The festival will run from August 7th to 17th at various venues across Toronto.
The theatre lineup this year is rather interesting and I have compiled my picks for you here. I have tried to include shows with a variety of themes. In alphabetical order, I suggest…
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| Photo: SummerWorks |
Animal Pharmacy: A Medicine Show
The Great Hall – Aug 11th ONLY
Synopsis: A musical comedy satire of the pharmaceutical industry in the style of an old-time medicine show, Animal Pharmacy follows snakeoil salesman Doc Holiday as he cons his way into the CEO chair of the RX Pharmaceutical Corporation in order to unleash his patented Miracle Cure on a sad and unsuspecting world.
My thoughts: I read on the show’s Facebook Event Page that this “event also marks the release of Greg Janssen Sings The Songs From Animal Pharmacy And Other Popular Favourites, featuring 11 original compositions from the show as performed and produced by the author.” Given that Janssen is a local Toronto artist, and I’ve liked what I’ve heard of his music, I think this will be an interesting musical show.
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| Photo: SummerWorks |
Antigonick
Theatre Centre Mainspace – Aug 7th to 17th
Synopsis: Anne Carson’s unconventional take on Sophocles’s Antigone reimagines a sister’s unlawful act of mourning, its horrific costs and the questions of moral responsibility it raises.
My thoughts: The company’s website described this show as “[t]his is Greek tragedy smeared with red paint, tangled up in yarn, and permeated by live-handmade projections.” This sounds rather curious, and being someone who likes Greek tragedies, I think this is worth exploring.
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| El Jinete… Photo: SummerWorks |
El Jinete – A Mariachi Opera
Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace – Aug 8th to 16th
Synopsis: Featuring Mariachi Los Dorados, El Jinete is a tale of love, vengeance and the supernatural, told through classics of the Mariachi repertoire. Inspired by the Golden Era of Mexican cinema, the show uses multi-layered projections to make it a black and white film come to life.
My thoughts: The idea of a show incorporating mariachi music is the main reason I’ve picked this. However, I know some of the films from the Golden Era of Mexican cinema and that makes this show even more appealing. Plus, I also like Puente Theatre‘s idea they are trying “to use theatrical experience as a bridge between cultures.”
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| Photo: SummerWorks |
GASH!
Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace – Aug 7th to 17th
Synopsis: One crumbling estate. Two embattled Sisters. A devoted maid. A handsome stable boy. An enigmatic doctor. A meddlesome neighbour. A terrifying thunderstorm. An escaped psychopath. One survivor. GASH! is a faithful, outrageous celebration of the Hag Horror films (see: What Ever Happened to Baby Jane?) of the sixties and early seventies.
My thoughts: I am a fan of What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? and that type of psychological thrillers from the 60’s and 70’s; how could I pass up the opportunity to see something similar on-stage? I am hoping for some creepy moments.
Kafka’s Ape
The Gladstone Hotel – Aug 7th to 17th
Synopsis: Based on Franz Kafka’s short story A Report to an Academy (1917), and adapted by director Guy Sprung from the original German, Kafka’s Ape upends the notion of civilization and what it means to be human in a world of routinized inhumanity.
My thoughts: I do not know all of Kafka’s works but what I do know, I like. He has a certain way with words and often makes an interesting commentary on people/society. Besides, who doesn’t like a good satirical piece? I know I do. I will be attending a preview of this show in the next few days. Please come back to find out what I think of the production.
Maracatu You!
The Theatre Centre Mainspace – Aug 9th to 17th
Synopsis: Led by Juno-nominated singer-songwriter Aline Morales and created by critically acclaimed actor Suzanne Roberts Smith, this multi-disciplinary piece showcases the sounds of Maracatu and illuminates the integrity of its musical migration journey by honouring both its Afro-Brazilian roots and the contemporary narratives of the people playing it in Toronto today. Maracatu You! is an investigation in displacement, replacement, and finding ‘home’ in the most unlikely of places.
My thoughts: Being someone who has made Toronto ‘home’ for the past 20-something years. This piece appeals to me. Not only because of its musical aspect, but also because our notion of what ‘home’ is encompasses a myriad of factors and people. I also love the sounds of the drums; this one should be both fun and interesting.
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| Photo: Alamade Theatre Co. |
Paradise Red
Lower Ossington Theatre Mainspace – Aug 7th to 17th
My thoughts: Telenovelas (a.ka. Latin American soap operas) are widely known throughout the world. The melodrama often used in them will surely complement the nature of the story in this production. For some, the story will resonate and be rather familiar. For others, the story will perhaps open the door to understanding the nature of familial and political conflicts that forms part of Latin American culture.
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| d’bi young Photo: Wade Hudson |
Romanceship
The Theatre Centre Incubator – Aug 16th ONLY
Synopsis: Dave and Madly are hopelessly in love with being hopelessly in love. Dave, the drug and sex addicted fraudster & Madly, the bulimic and klepto chef, have become needy and selfish. Enter the spark that ignites the flame- Rochelle, the transgender crack addict who is fighting to clean up when she falls addicted to fear. When… Madly dubiously announces she’s pregnant, Dave careens into Rochelle and the two begin the most enveloping love affair since cocaine met baking soda.
My thoughts: This is a work-in-progress piece, and it will be the first reading of this new work by Cliff Cardinal. I first saw Cardinal’s work at SummerWorks a couple of years ago, and find it riveting. This piece also stars D’bi Young, another playwright/spokenword artist, I’ve come to admire over the years. This sounds like a challenging piece, but I am quite intrigued by it.
The Container
The Theatre Centre Backlot – Aug 7th to 17th
Synopsis: Five people thrown together by circumstance and necessity travel across Europe in a shipping container… When the doors of the container shut behind you, let your eyes adjust as you meet five complex individuals: Fatima, Asha, Jemal, Ahmad and Mariam. We meet them on the final leg of their journey, travelling across Europe in the confined space of a shipping container. The only thing they have in common is their goal: to get to England and start a new life.
My thoughts: This is an immersive type of show, which I do not recommend to everyone. The audience members will be in a hot, confined space for 60minutes. However, I suggest this show if you are curious about immigrant issues, and knowing what drives people to leave their homes for a ‘new life.’ Not for the faint of heart nor mind, in my opinion.
Yarn
The Majlis Art Garden – Aug 7th to 17th
Synopsis: This is a one-human show, performed in an urban rose garden…
My thoughts: I remember this show as part of the Toronto Fringe Theatre Festival last year, got the postcard, but couldn’t make it. Seeing it listed as part of a site-specific show at SummerWorks, means we can experience a more evolved show. As well, it is staged in a garden… how lovely is that? I also read in Alex Eddington‘s (writer, composer, performer) website where he described the almost “1,000 instruments, props and yarns involved” in the show. I am certainly curious how this will unfold. I will also be attending a preview of this show, and will have more to say about it in the next few days.
Definitely curious about many of these shows. And there you have it, these are my theatre picks for SummerWorks. Vital information on shows, location, and box office information can be found at summerworks.ca.
Stay tuned for more of my picks from the Music Series and National Series in the next few days…
