Mondays: Pay What You Can nights at CanStage
Toronto plays host to a lot of top quality theatre throughout the year, some established and some making their world premiere. One reliable source of excellent drama is CanStage, which presents plays at the Bluma Appel and Berkeley Theatres downtown. It also presents an outdoor Shakespeare play in High Park each summer, called “Dream in High Park”.
The best thing about CanStage is that Monday night shows are always pay-what-you-can, so you don’t have to pay the exorbitant $65 prices for regular adult entry. Just show up the day of the show and pick up your tickets (either during the day or just before the show). Although if Monday nights are reserved for poker and even live theatre won’t change your mind, tickets are always $20 for people under 30 with ID.
What’s on at CanStage Bluma Appel (TTC: Union Station):
Half Life (Jan 8 - Feb 3)
By John Mighton, two-time winner of the Governor General’s Award, founder of the JUMP charity (Junior Undiscovered Math Prodigies), and holder of a PhD in mathematics. Half Life has toured the world and won Canada’s richest award in theatre.
“Nursing home residents Clara and Patrick fall in love, but their children are wary of this unconventional and unexpected affair. What shines through when memory fades away? Half Life is a poetic and compassionate portrait of the nature of memory, aging and true love.”
By the way: For those of you that watch Corner Gas, Patrick is played by Eric Peterson, aka Oscar Leroy of Corner Gas.
Read reviews here, here and here.
What’s on at CanStage Berkeley (TTC: subway to St Andrew, then take King streetcar):
What Lies Before Us (Jan 15 - Feb 24)
By Morris Panych, two-time winner of the Governor General’s Award.
“Ambrose and Keating, two junior surveyors, are lost in the Canadian Rockies with Wing, the Chinese cook. As the snow begins to fall, the men’s discussion of colonialism, women, faith and the future, descends into petty and hilarious squabbles. What Lies Before Us is another brilliant trip from two-time Governor General’s Award-winner Morris Panych. What Lies Before Us is a darkly comic look at man, mountains and the meaning of life.”
Read review here.
January 30th, 2007 at 11:02 pm
I saw “Half Life” tonight, and I heartily recommend it. It’s a play that makes you question and makes you ponder. Though I felt it was somewhat lacking in focus, the play had so many great moments that it was a great experience overall.