Theatre

As silly as it sounds, I’m still recovering from seeing The Beauty Queen of Leenane. Playwright Martin McDonagh’s Ireland is peopled by bleak, savage characters that don’t thrive, only survive. (And not all of them survive!) Seeing this play is a disturbing experience since it is filled with haunting brutality alleviated by moments of nerve-induced […]

This trial’s been a long time coming. Thousands of years later, Greek hero Odysseus is about to face a wrongful death suit for the slaughter of the suitors. This clever retelling of a classic story is a fundraiser put on by law students from Dalhousie, with proceeds supporting Halifax Humanities 101. The program offers a […]

While I applaud Dartmouth Players for being willing to take a risk, I can’t help but wonder how their play selection committee thought their latest choice would be received. David Mamet’s Boston Marriage is a calculatingly shocking satire about two Victorian-era lesbians whose relationship is threatened by the introduction of a much younger woman. It’s […]

Don’t feel bad if you’ve never heard of Thomas Middleton, let alone a Jacobean playwright. A case can be made that ever since the British playwright’s run in early 17th century England, not many people outside of a theatre studies program could name one of his plays. “The Shakespeare brand kind of has a monopoly,” […]

Is it perverse to describe a play called “The Ugly One” as beautiful? Well, tough, because this beautifully, simply staged production does a beautiful job of exploring the deep ramifications of society’s preoccupation with beauty. In some ways, it covers the same ground as Neil LaBute’s Fat Pig or even of Beauty and the Beast, […]

Kinetic Studio wants you to think outside the tutu this weekend. “People sometimes have only one understanding of dance, like ballet. We’re trying to help people see that this is a whole other kettle of fish,” says Christopher Majka. The Studio Series will highlight both local and visiting dancers and choregraphers and their original pieces. […]

The King’s Theatrical Society first play of 2011 borrows from the repertoire of nineteenth century absurdist playwright Alfred Jarry. Director Iain Soder chose this “vicious attack at human vice” because it was the funnier, and lesser known of Jarry’s works. In fact, it wasn’t even performed for 20 years after it was written. Ubu Enchained […]

The Halifax theatre scene truly rocked in 2010, so it was with Herculean effort that I boiled it down to my ten favourite plays. 10. The Fantasticks (Dartmouth Players): And also deserving mention on the amateur theatre scene—The Cover of Life (DP), Busybody (Bedford Players) and How It Works (TAG) 9. Fall in Paris (Eastern […]

I’m thrilled that the actors in Neptune’s The Wizard of Oz don’t subscribe to W.C. Fields’ “Never work with children or animals” rule. The delightful, talented little munchkins and Butch, the adorable mop of a dog that plays Toto, are just some of the highlights in this spectacular holiday musical filled with great performances. Blair […]

At an early age, most people recognize that the asshole (and all its byproducts) has great comic potential. But playwright Jane Kansas elevates the exploration of the beloved poop shoot far above everyday toilet humour with The Asshole Monologues. In her charming, hysterical homage to The Vagina Monologues, she explores everything from the sexual, sensual […]