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Fringe 2016: A sexy and liberating performance in Hymns in Hearses’ Gary

June 20, 2016 by Joseph Hutt

Fringe 2016: A sexy and liberating performance in Hymns in Hearses’ Gary

“A sexistential crisis.” “A fucking celebration.” These are just a couple ways that this liberating tour de force has been described over the past week, and I couldn’t agree more with the enthusiasm behind them.

The show begins after the poorly attended funeral of the eponymous Gary, the openly gay uncle of Mel (Chelsea Young) who had been renounced by his religiously judgmental family. In the aftermath of this show of familial disrespect, Mel and her friends Shawn (Cory Thibert) and Gregg (Tony Adams) wonder why Gary allowed himself to keep making the mistakes that drove his family away and ultimately cost him his life. It isn’t until they unearth a pile of letters addressed to Gary that they realize Gary had more love, more excitement, more life in his life than all of them combined.

Gary’s complete lack of fear, of embracing each moment for what it is, inspires each of these characters to dive into the unknown, to risk the big mistakes in life, and, as it happens, to explore their own relationships and sexuality.

Read the full review.

Misery loves company in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

April 9, 2016 by Joseph Hutt

Misery loves company in Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?

BEAR & Co.’s latest production, Who’s Afraid of Virginia Woolf?, is a story about a couple whose only commonality is the loathing they share for one another. George, a college professor, and Martha, his wife and the daughter of the College president, are at each others throats from square one. Bandying insults with precision, as though to see who will be the first to succumb to a death of thousand tiny cuts from a barbed tongue—that is if their self-medication doesn’t put them down first.

Read the full review.

The Glass Menagerie (Bear & Co.)

November 23, 2014 by Robyn Lester

The Glass Menagerie (Bear & Co.)

The Glass Menagerie is a semi-autobiographical play that helped launch Tennessee Williams’ career. Bear & Co.’s production of this well-loved play was strongly performed with only a few technical hiccups. Read the full review.

REVIEW: Trois

February 28, 2014 by Valerie Cardinal

REVIEW: Trois

Three local theatre groups take Arts Court by storm with three nights of three brand new short plays. GRIMprov and Dead Unicorn Ink join May Can’s fifth anniversary celebrations for Trois, a mini-festival of original and creative theatre.Read the full review.

JOSH’S REVIEW: The Tragicall Historie of Nick Wade (And Other Fuck Ups) @ Ottawa Fringe 2013

June 26, 2013 by Josh Chenoweth

This show surprised me with how engaging it was. Even if you’re not a fan of heavy metal, this is a show worth checking out for its great performances, humour, and surprisingly well-done story.Read the full review.

JOSH’S REVIEW: Happiness™ @ Ottawa Fringe 2013

June 25, 2013 by Josh Chenoweth

Happiness™ is wonderful experience. Hilarious with some surprising (in a good way) darker moments, this is one of the best plays showing at the Fringe, hands down. It’s also organized in a way that features some very enjoyable audience interaction. You need to get out and see this show, now! Read the full review.

REVIEW: Princess Ivona

March 7, 2013 by Allan Mackey

REVIEW: Princess Ivona

Running in Academic Hall at the University of Ottawa is a sordid tale of beauty gone wrong and true colours bubbling to the surface. Are the pretty people really the ugliest people? Princess Ivona, directed by MFA candidate Ekaterina Shestakova, runs until March 9th. Read the full review.

REVIEW(s): Fresh Meat Theatre Festival

September 29, 2012 by Matthew Champ

REVIEW(s): Fresh Meat Theatre Festival

What happens when a fair-sized group of Ottawa’s emerging artists decide it’s time to showcase their talents? An evening of theatre, six-micro-shows long, with each one being as different from the others as the artists themselves. Read the full review.

Ottawa’s Emerging Artists Ready for Action at the Fresh Meat Theatre Festival

September 19, 2012 by Allan Mackey

Ottawa’s Emerging Artists Ready for Action at the Fresh Meat Theatre Festival

Paul Rainville. Chris Ralph. Margo MacDonald. Catriona Leger. Evolution Theatre. MiCasa Theatre. These are names you’re likely to be familiar with if you’ve spent any time within the professional theatre scene in Ottawa. But there’s a new generation of talented kids ready to put their names out there. People and companies like Jonah Allingham, Tess Mc Manus, Dead Unicorn Ink, and May Can Theatre. Enter the Fresh Meat Theatre Festival, running at the end of September.

Read the full review.

REVIEW: Wolves > Boys @ Ottawa Fringe 2012

June 25, 2012 by Allan Mackey

REVIEW: Wolves > Boys @ Ottawa Fringe 2012

Two friends meet in a grave yard and give a deeply personal look into their friendship. Read the full review.

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