Inside Comedy tries to be too much at onceInside Comedy by Canadian author and comedian David Steinberg is described as a look behind the curtain of the comedy scene of the last 50 years, and although promising in concept, the book proves itself to be convoluted and disappointing in execution. The semi-autobiographical story is filled with accounts from Steinberg’s career, abstract life musings, […] Continue Reading |
Miss Julie raises important questions with outstanding performancesOnce again, Blue Bridge Theatre has treated Victoria to a production that’s both a work of beauty and current with the issues of today. Written in 1888 by Swedish playwright August Strindberg, Miss Julie is a play that made me question everything about the class system and the part that gender roles (no matter which […] Continue Reading |
WYRD one big beautiful metaphorWYRD: A Musical UnFairytale is, on the surface, about a woman in an abusive relationship, but the production has lots of layers to explore. After leaving her boyfriend’s place, the main character becomes lost in a bog, where she meets the hags that live there. As she cannot find the path back to the city […] Continue Reading |
Witch humorous, lively, thoughtfulIt’s a common theme to question the class system and our own roles in it. If you decide, as I did recently, to see Witch, currently playing at Theatre Inconnu, you’ll see a whimsical carousel ride of a story with all those questions (and not necessarily the answers) weaved into it. Written by playwright Jen […] Continue Reading |
WYRD wields positive message through heavy themesThis month, local director Britt Small’s WYRD: A Musical UnFairytale is running at Metro Theatre. Small says the themes of the play deal with the trauma of abusive relationships, and how people can move ahead after those relationships. “That kind of became… relevant as we went on, the idea of, not necessarily the abuse in […] Continue Reading |
UVic symposium seeks to expand concept of musicAt what point do disparate sounds become music? Is there a static, objective definition of what can be considered music? Is it necessary to have melody, harmony, and rhythm, or is music simply a combination of sounds that produce an emotional response within the listener? UVic assistant professor of composition Anthony Tan will explore these […] Continue Reading |
Boy Wander fantastic, wanderful memoirAs someone who reads a lot of queer books, I was excited to read Jobert Abueva’s Boy Wander: A Coming of Age Memoir. The story is set all over Asia, including the Philippines, Nepal, Thailand, and Japan. Despite being set in the past and in places I haven’t been, I felt immersed in the setting […] Continue Reading |
Have a great night with Goodnight Desdemona, (Good Morning Juliet)I recently went to see Goodnight Desdemona, (Good Morning Juliet); since I had already interviewed the play’s artistic director Tamara McCarthy for Nexus, I believed I had a pretty good idea of what the play was about. I was wrong. I had no idea what an adventure I was in store for. Written by award-winning […] Continue Reading |
Old Stock: A Refugee Love Story masterfully balances comedy and dark themesOld Stock: A Refugee Love Story is wonderfully written, with comedy interwoven through a dark tale. The more sombre moments in the show made me reflect when I recently went to see it at The Belfry, and the actors’ comedic timing is what makes the show come to life. Old Stock—written by playwright Hannah Moscovitch […] Continue Reading |
Goodnight Desdemona, (Good Morning Juliet) takes novel look at ShakespeareBlue Bridge Repertory Theatre is known for thinking outside the box, and Goodnight Desdemona, (Good Morning Juliet) is no exception to that. Written in 1988 by Canadian author Ann Marie Macdonald, Goodnight Desdemona is a comedy written through the eyes and thoughts of English professor Constance Ledbelly, who, while in the process of proving underlying […] Continue Reading |
