HUMBER COLLEGE PRESENTS * Shadow Play: The Peter Pan Variations *

The educational institution that I have been attending has been getting ready to graduate 12 so very talented actors. The Third Year Theatre Performance Program has definitely gone out with bang this year. Their final collective project is held at Back Space in the wonderful Theatre Passe Muraille. The Back Space Project allows the emerging artists to create a show based on a variety of literature and a final collaboration within the Theatre Performance and Theatre Production program. 

I had the pleasure of seeing my mentors put on a brilliant piece of theatre on for the supporting full house. The combination of song, movement, storytelling all came together in a beautiful story that intertwined the stories of Peter Pan and Lord of the Flies. They were graduating theatre school/college students that transformed into children on stage. 

The interesting thing that I observed was how much of the training, what I've experienced at Humber, I saw in my cohorts performing on that stage. I saw a load of Contact Improv technique, Physical Theatre, Vocal Training (Speech and Singing), etc. I was sort of looking out for the training, because I love seeing it applied to performance work, because that's what the training is suppose to help the artist to do. 

Overall it was the most attractive show I've seen to date and I urge people to try to get tickets if they can. There are two more performances left! Please support these artists and enjoy a spectacle of a show. You will want to fly out of your seat with them.

You can purchase your tickets by clicking this link! Arts Box Office

With love,

Lisa Alves

The Penelopiad

I shimmied my way down, with my best friend Aline Madian, to Buddies in Bad Times Theatre to see Nightwood Theatre's production of Margaret Atwood's The Penelopiad last month. And let me tell you, if you didn't see this piece of theatre YOU MISSED OUT BIG TIME.

The entire performance had me enthralled! I don't know whether if it was the performances by the amazing ensemble, which included Meagan Follows and Kelli Fox, or if it was Atwood's beautiful words, or if it was the design, or if it was something completely separate. I'm sure it was a combination of all the above, but whatever it was I was thoroughly amazed. 

I love the Greeks and this story of Penelope allowed me to fall in love with the ancient civilization a bit more. Atwood truly got the Greeks sense of story telling down pat and she didn't let down.

The ensemble was brilliant. Through song, movement and acting the 13 women were on their game from beginning to end. It was such a pleasure to see the physical theatre intertwined with song. The performances that blew me away specifically were Follows' and Fox's. I can't see anyone else more suitable to play the role as Penelope after seeing Follows do such a knock out job (did I mention this was the second time she played the role?). Fox's performance as Odysseus and as the maid was mind blowing. She was a man one minute full of testosterone, and the next she was a suffering maid! Pfffft! She was perfection. 

The whole ensemble was supported each other and even though it was Penelope's story, it was the maid's story as well.

I wish I could have seen it more than the one time I saw it, but I'm a student so alas my pockets couldn't handle that. But if I could have, I would have. 

Nightwood Theatre 
Twitter https://twitter.com/nightwoodtheat
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/nightwoodtheatre
Website http://www.nightwoodtheatre.net

Buddies in Bad Times
Twitter https://twitter.com/yyzbuddies
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/buddiesinbadtimes?v=wall
Website http://buddiesinbadtimes.com

Margaret Atwood
Twitter https://twitter.com/MargaretAtwood

With love,

Lisa Alves