Monthly Archives: November 2012

“Colours in the Storm” (sorry, no banner-line!) 2

Play, Theatre

Review by Terry GaisinreviewerETG

There were ten artists who became collectively known as Canada’s “Group of Seven” or ‘The Algonquin Club’. Of these, the most famous was Tom Thomson and he was actually more of an associate than an actual member. His mysterious death is the subject of Jim Betts’ musical “COLOURS IN THE STORM”, and Sheridan’s performing Arts faculty has enlisted him to direct 18 undergrads in a creative, moving interpretive presentation at the Studio Theatre.

Thomson and his Canoe Lake compatriots

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“SPRING AWAKENING”, mature and visceral 1

Play, Theatre

Review by Danny Gaisin

Change is difficult; change is normally resisted (oftimes vigorously); change usually evolves, rather than precipitates. The mid to late nineteenth century witnessed reformation in the arts, philosophy, science, and design. Frank Wedekind’s 1890 “SPRING AWAKENING, a children’s tragedy”was, and still is, controversial.

Kerr & Foy; interacting

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Renaissance Christmas performed by the Oakville Ensemble Reply

Choir, Concert

Review by Judith Caldwell

On Saturday evening at Grace Lutheran Church, the Oakville Ensemble gave us a Christmas Concert of Renaissance music sung à cappella.  The concert was taped for later airing by Cogeco™.  It will be aired several times before Christmas.
As in other disciplines, the Renaissance was a time of innovation and change for music.  There was a demand for serious music as entertainment, not just for liturgy, and musical education led to the growth of those educated amateurs who wished to play publicly.

Director Potvin & the Oakville Ensemble singers

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“Lord of the Flies”; L.O.T.’s version is contemporary 2

Play, Theatre

Review by Benjamin  Kibblewhite     

For many of my peers, William Golding’s novel The Lord of the Flies has been forever spoiled by uninspiring High School English teachers. Thankfully, the Lower Ossington Theatre’s production, adapted for the stage by Nigel Williams and directed by Darcy Evans, banishes those painful memories. The novel is primarily an allegory for the tenuous nature of civilization, and the strain between easy groupthink and the frustrations of individuality as well as democracy.

The crash survivors creating their own society

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Erindale’s “In the Midst of Alarms”; an interpretive study 1

Play, Theatre

Review by Danny Gaisin

Il ne pas necessaire d’etre bilingue; but it helps!  UTM’s Theatre Erindale has taken Dianne Graves’ book about women during the war of 1812 and created a stage representation. As the school’s administration did for the 2010- ‘a Child of Survivors’; they re-invited director Ralph Small to work with the students. This result may be totally different, but the effect on audiences will be just as impacting.  Photo courtesy of James Smagata – UTM

U.S. & British soldiers battling, while the non-combative women hide

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Fiddler on the Roof…it’s all about “tradition” Reply

Musical, Play, Theatre
 Review by Tina Gaisin

The story was taken from the original Sholom Aleichem adaptation. The author experienced and captured the essence of Jewish culture & life in the Eastern Europe of the era before WW I & the Bolshevik Revolution.   First, a little history. Tsarist Russia in the early 1880’s under Alexander III created the Pale of Settlement; a restricted area for Catholics & Jews. Parts of Poland; Lithuania; Belarus; Ukraine & Moldova encompassed the zone. Progroms plus constraints were rife and led to emigration.  The attacks and educational limitations occurred again from 1903 – ‘06 coinciding with the ascension of Nicholas to the throne. Again, the Jewish community was forced to escape west …Europe or the New World were the choice destinations.

the Yiddish dancers of ANATEVKA!

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