There is something to be said for getting out to enjoy outdoor theatre in the Summer months.
Although I may stay ‘close to home’ in other months, now is the time when I enjoy venturing out to various neighbourhoods of the Greater Toronto Area (GTA) to enjoy some al fresco performances.
Over the past month, I have enjoyed three great outdoor productions.
More than the fuchsia funnels breaking out
Despite numerous obstacles, small-town girl Lenore Zann caught the acting bug early. She was “discovered” at 19 and chosen to play Marilyn Monroe in a rock opera based on the life of the tragic movie star. Her powerhouse performance kickstarted her career, leading to hundreds of acting credits in film, TV, theatre, radio, and animation, including her iconic portrayal of Rogue in the very popular animated series X-Men: The Animated Series.
In A Rogue’s Tale: A Memoir, the multi-talented Zann recounts her life story from childhood to present.
The Greenland Stories Festival is a two-day curated festival of Greenlandic films, taking place this weekend in Toronto.
Featuring thriller, fantasy, romance, and documentary films, the festival aims to showcase Greenland’s stark and beautiful landscapes. It is also another way to explore its identity and reimagine Greenlandic storytelling featuring Greenlandic and Indigenous talent.
The Toronto Fringe Festival is successfully underway. This is Ontario’s largest performance festival with 77 shows on stages around the city.
As the festival continues its long stretch, I am sharing part two of my curated personal picks for shows… including family / kid-friendly shows as well.
In a famine-decimated near future, Hailey Freeman and her family struggle to safeguard their generational farm as they make one last stand against a vicious militia hell-bent on taking their 40 Acres.
The Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA) announced the recipients of the 45th Anniversary Dora Mavor Moore Awards presented by the Romano D’Andrea Foundation. The Awards were presented on Monday, June 30 at an evening ceremony at Meridian Hall hosted by actor Peter Fernandes.
The Dora Awards, Canada’s largest and oldest awards program, celebrates the incredible talent within Toronto’s professional theatre, dance, and opera communities.
Sharing with you the recipients for this year’s awards in the various divisions.
The Toronto Fringe Festival is a platform for innovative theatre and performance. Shows are selected by lottery or first-come-first-served processes, and all ticket revenue goes straight to the artists.
The Toronto Fringe is Ontario’s largest performance festival and will include three dance shows, five KidsFest shows, over a dozen new Canadian musicals, the Next Stage Series, plus dramatic theatre, clown, storytelling, comedy, puppets, and more.
Below, I give you the first half of my curated personal picks for shows I hope you and I get to enjoy at this year’s Fringe. So many shows… how exciting!
The Toronto International Festival of Authors (TIFA) hosts MOTIVE Crime & Mystery Festival for its fourth year from June 27 to 29 at University of Toronto (U of T).
In a new partnership with Victoria University at U of T (one of favourite places in the city!), MOTIVE will transform the college’s gothic halls into the centre of literary suspense for the weekend.
Similar to last year’s festival, I am sharing my personal picks of events for us to immerse ourselves during the course of the festival.
Cree-Métis artist, designer, and educator Jason Baerg (they/them) is a leading voice in Indigenous contemporary art and culture. Raised in Red River (Prince Albert, SK), Baerg’s practice bridges visual art and fashion.
