Toronto Fringe Festival 2024 Round 4

Toronto Fringe Festival: Round 4

 

A+ – A fantastic show, on my “Must See” List for the year.

A – A great show, but with a few bumps to smoothen out. Still worth seeing.

B – Has many elements of a great show, but needs work before the next production. Go into the show with an open mind. 

C – May not be the best show out there, but I can appreciate their hard work and recognize the courage it takes to put on a show. Proceed with a very open mind if attending. 

D – Needs a lot of work before giving it another go. Don’t give up, creating theatre is not easy! 

The Toronto Fringe has officially wrapped up, but I have one last round of reviews! Remember that I am presenting my own opinions and critiques. These aren’t as in depth as my regular reviews, but they’ll give you my overall, condensed feelings. 

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GIRLS' NIGHT CABIN FEVER

Girls’ Night Cabin Fever

Rating: A 

Some friends and I picked a few shows collectively to watch, and “Girls’ Night Cabin Fever” was one we all wanted to see. I for one love a good horror story, but I also love stupid, humorous comedy, and this seemed like the perfect balance of those things! 

“Things get spooky in this fast-paced, horror farce following three women, who are stranded in a creepy cabin. As they try to rekindle their childhood friendship, Charlie, Ember, and Liz make a frenzied attempt to survive all the classic perils of a cabin in the woods. As the suspense grows and the power goes out, it begs the question, would you try to confront the threat?”

This fast-paced, snappy production had an incredible cast, a very clever use of the limited amount of set pieces, really nice use of flashlights, and overall was an incredible watch. Cassie Davidson, Lizzie Moffatt, and Mackenzie Kelly did a wonderful job in making the acting real and believable, while also happily leaning into the ridiculousness of the situations. 

The only thing I didn’t love about this piece, was the random bit of romance thrown in between the characters Charlie and Evan. It felt unnecessary, and only really served as padding to the overall story. I also felt like the story lost a bit of steam in the second half, but the incredible acting across the board picked everything back up, and left me feeling excited to hopefully see another iteration of this play in the future!

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Desperate Measures

Desperate Measures 

Rating: B+

The plot behind ‘Desperate Measures’ sounded pretty interesting. A very pregnant nurse and her artist boyfriend are struggling with money until she realizes that she could sell her used underwear on the internet for a lot of money. Now, honestly, what doesn’t sound interesting about that? It delivered on the promise of being a comedic piece but also one that had a lot of heart.  The whole time, we as the audience were rooting for Amy and Pete as they worked through their panty-selling issues. Hilary Wirachowsky Was incredibly believable as a very pregnant Amy,  someone who had to figure out how to support herself, and a baby, and her husband who clearly loves what he does but unfortunately doesn’t make any money doing it. A big shout-out goes to Lisa Randall who played the nosy mom of Pete, coming in at very specific times to drop in some extra plot hilarity. As for Cameron Kneteman, I could listen to him sing for a whole concert! 

The play itself definitely talks a lot about the ethics of what they are doing, and how relationships can hang in the balance without communication and without understanding each other’s needs. It did feel very rom-comy,  but I do feel like that was sort of the point of the play. Unfortunately, there were two things that I didn’t love about this production. The first one is it felt like they kind of ripped off portions of the plot from a latter season of ‘Orange is the New Black’ where they basically depict a version of the same experience:  selling panties online and also trying to figure out ways of concocting mixtures to make it smell like use panties but not actually be used.  The other thing is, that this play felt a little too long. I feel like the playwright could have cut out about 20 minutes worth of dialogue, and it would have been even more snappier and even more interesting because you really cut to the chase of what is in the plot.   I do believe that this play needs a little bit more development but I do think that it is a good foundation for a future production.

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Sheila The Musical 

Sheila The Musical 

Rating: B

I’ve grown fond of drag as an art form over the past few years and I also believe that drag can be a fantastic conduit for communication and for talking about bigger deeper issues through farce and through laughter. A 1950s housewife (writer-performer Jay Hill in drag) Through song and incredible costume changes speaks on the issues surrounding the ideals of a 1950s housewife, and the world (specifically North America) at that time.  Housewife Sheila does her absolute best to keep a tidy home for her husband, answering the phone the way her husband wants her to address it, and not doing anything fun for herself because- you guessed it – the husband doesn’t like it, all while caring for a little baby named Kenneth who appears on stage as a doll.  Many other characters are depicted throughout, having conversations with Sheila and I’m thankful that Hill didn’t attempt to do the characters themselves, as other one-person shows would have you do. No, the writing is simple and clever enough for the audience to fill in the other side of the conversation with ease. Hill is also a fantastic singer,  and it’s no wonder why they wanted to make a musical. 

This musical tried to take on some pretty big topics for 2024 let alone in the 1950s including gender expression, gender identity, being subservient, and the value of a woman (especially if she doesn’t have children). 

The songs themselves however are a little lackluster.  There was a formulaic approach to the songs:  find a keyword or phrase like “I love cleaning” or just the name “Sheila” and write around those.  So for example there was a song where every other line was “I love cleaning”. The songs need a little reworking if they’re going to stand up to a large character such as Sheila and be fresh. 

Without spoiling it I also didn’t really love the last bit with Kenneth and how she changes after that.  I love that she did have a Renaissance of sorts with her own joy but I didn’t fully understand what was the point of Kenneth, maybe the topic was just too big for me but my friends who joined me also didn’t really understand the point, so it’s possible that the moment/plot point needs to be revisited so that the audience can have more understanding as to why those choices were made.  I think this show is definitely worth a watch especially if you’re looking for Unique friend shows, I just hope that the show creators take a little bit of time to refine what has potential to be a fantastic show down the road. 

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Poz

POZ

Rating: A+ 

As I mentioned before, when you read the phrase, “Award Winner”, your ears perk up, but so do your expectations. ‘POZ’, written and starring Mark Keller, is the most recent winner of the Toronto Fringe Best New Play Contest. It tells Mark’s true story of discovering he had a positive diagnosis for HIV, which in the gay community it something that is feared and stigmatized to this day. “…This 10-year journey will take you through the highs and lows of what it means to be a person living with HIV today. On an epic bike ride from Toronto to Montreal, Mark comes to terms with his HIV status, relationships, and whether or not he’ll cross the finish line.”

This play is so quick, witty, snappy, and incredibly truthful. It doesn’t try to dance around anything and is an incredibly brave move by Keller. It shows Keller laughing through the pain of what I am sure was one of the most traumatic moments of his life, and he allowed us to put down our walls and laugh with him. What I also appreciated about this play is that not only does it talk about living with HIV, but it also talks about queer relationships in general and the issues one may face in that too. 

Keller was amazing when it came to telling his story, but Alan Shonfield who played literally everyone else (minus two characters) was outstanding. He moved through characters easily and was able to make his energy changes seamlessly and stayed in each new character effectively. He complimented Keller perfectly. Amber Pilon who played real estate billboard ad come to life Bambi also did an excellent job, but didn’t really get much stage time other than her real-estate moment, but boy did she own that moment.

This play is a great example of how art can help to erase stigma and open an audience’s minds to a lived experience and a perspective that is not their own. HIV is still a sensitive topic in the gay community, but also one that bigots use as a weapon against 2SLGBTQ+ people. Yes, it would be ideal to have more people see Mark’s work, but if it can help change perspectives and soften hearts within an accepting community, then that’s great too. I loved Keller’s storytelling, and how unafraid he was to be real, and honestly, he bore all for the audience, and we lept to our feet wiping away tears at the end. It’s a shame this show wasn’t in a bigger venue, but I really and truly hope ‘POZ’ has a remount soon, so more audiences can embrace this incredible story! 

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THE FIRST JEW IN CANADA: A TRANS TALE

The First Jew In Canada: A Trans Tale

Rating: A 

As a history person, I found the concept of this show intriguing. “Award-winning author and storyteller S. Bear Bergman weaves the historical record of trans ancestor Jacques LaFargue (born 1718) with his own story, finding surprising resonance, exciting differences, and a few laughs along the way.” 

To be honest, I wouldn’t exactly call this a show, as I would call it a lecture. Bergman stood on stage and told a very well-constructed story using his own anecdotes, 9 facts about Jacques LaFargue, and a series of “complaints” he has about the record-keeping, or what we know about Jacque’s story. It was really interesting to hear about the parallels between the two lives and have explored a piece of lesser-known Canadian History. My only issue with the show is that the pacing felt a little slow. Bergman does a great job of telling the story, but it feels a little too rehearsed. Every word is purposeful and methodical but can create a bit of a monotone effect from time to time. Because I had gone to a late-night show, I could see that people in the audience getting a little restless, because as interesting as the presentation was, it could have been a little more energetic to keep the audience engaged the whole time. Overall though, an interesting presentation worth seeing, and developing even more! 

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STIFF & SONS

Stiff & Sons 

Rating: A+ 

I love dark humour. When done well, it makes very uncomfortable situations appear to be absolutely hilarious, and that’s what this show did. The show got me right from the start with an attempt at filming a commercial to re-brand the Still & Sons funeral home, since business has not been great. The commercial helps but isn’t enough for the Hollywood starlet wannabe wife (Manon Ens-Lapointe) of the business head and her lover, who is also her husband’s brother (Jack Rennie). David Stiff (Tim Walker) remains committed to the dignity of his profession and upholds his father’s practices, while his daughter Erin (Izzi Nagel), is eager to follow in his footsteps. She accidentally embalms the family housekeeper (Jonas Trottier) with her “evil twin,” Karen, a puppet that seems to control her. And that’s just the first quarter. The acting in this piece overall was AMAZING. Every cast member really held their own and added a lot of dimension to the story. The production is well-paced and inventive, and the set is really clever too. 

A huge shout-out goes to Jonas Trottier who played no less than a dozen characters flawlessly. Director Daniel Reale also deserves quite a shout-out, because the choices in this show are fantastic. This really is one of those rare fringe shows where everything aligns perfectly for the audience. If this play ever comes back to the stage, I highly recommend it especially if you like raunchy, shocking, horror comedy. 

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ROSAMUND - A NEW MUSICAL

Rosamund – A New Musical 

Rating: A+ 

To round up my Toronto Fringe reviews for 2024, a show that was highly anticipated long before opening night: Rosamund. With an absolutely STACKED cast, ‘Rosamund’ promised to be a hit long before it opened. This wonderful production invited the audience to reimagine the classic tale of Sleeping Beauty through writer-director Andrew Seok’s retelling. In this version, she is an independent woman, kicking butt first, and asking questions later. When she is unwillingly betrothed to Prince Kasem, Rosamund sets out on a quest to break her curse and take control of her destiny.

The vocal and acting performances are quite captivating and entertaining. Jeff Irving shines as the arrogant but charming prince, Gabi Epstein soars as the complex wicked witch, and AJ Bridel is an outstanding leading lady, blending strength and comedic talent. I’ve seen Epstein and Bridel perform before, but wow, I was truly blown away by their vocal power and acting abilities. 

I’m really quite impressed with the complex layers of the script, but the music is really the star of the show. The songs are beautiful and don’t feel awkward in the least (a problem some new musicals tend to have). The ensemble numbers are especially eqsuiset, and made the church feel incredibly full. The entire production is cohesive and grand, and I for one and looking forward to when this gets to be developed as a full musical. 

I only had two issues with the show. One: It was so, SO hot. A historic church without A/C isn’t exactly the best place to sit for 100 minutes trying to enjoy a show. The performers must have really gone through it on stage, and I applaud them for pushing right through the pain. The other was the balance of sound. It was really hard to hear lines and lyrics at times, especially over the band, and I wished it was more balanced. But, as a first venture, these things are forgivable. I am so excited to see what else comes out of ‘Rosamund’, and when we will get to see this incredible production again. 

Grab tickets for Toronto Fringe Festival from July 3-14, 2024 

[Review by Shan Fernando]