"Kim's Convenience", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Kim’s Convenience this afternoon at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District.

The play that started it all – Kim’s Convenience returns to the stage where it all began and reunites celebrated playwright Ins Choi with its original director, Weyni Mengesha. The most successful Canadian play of the last decade, Kim’s Convenience immediately resonated with Torontonians, becoming the most popular show in Soulpepper’s history. After leaving the Soulpepper stage Kim’s Convenience went on to become an internationally successful TV show on CBC and Netflix, and now makes its triumphant return home. 

Mr. Kim is a first-generation Korean immigrant, a father of two, and the proud proprietor of Kim’s Convenience for the past 30 years. After building his empire from nothing, the stubborn Mr. Kim grapples with his changing Toronto neighbourhood, and the growing chasm between him and his second-generation children. In this heartwarming and hilarious story, audiences follow the Kim family as they tackle their challenging past and look to face an unknown future. Playwright Ins Choi, who will also star in the production as the title character, calls the play his ‘love letter to his parents and to all first-generation immigrants who call Canada their home’.

Gord and I

It was really good. All five actors did a fabulous job. The characters of Appa and Janet are the larger parts and the actors playing them (Ins Choi and Kelly Seo) were excellent. The play premiered at the Fringe Festival (I'm a volunteer) in 2011 and was made into a TV show (which I never watched but Gord did).

"A Streetcar Named Desire", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Distillery District, Toronto, ON

This afternoon Gord and I saw A Streetcar Named Desire at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District. We'd seen it there in October 2019 and enjoyed it. Today's performance was very good and the cast was excellent. It's just over three hours long (including an intermission) but the time passed quickly.

As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister for solace – but her downward spiral brings her face to face with a brutal, unforgiving reality. Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece is a raging portrayal of what it means to be an outsider, in a society where we’re all desperate to belong.

Gord and I

"A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay about the Death of Walt Disney", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Distillery District, Toronto, ON

This evening Gord and I saw A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay about the Death of Walt Disney at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts by Outside the March in the Distillery District.

See Walt. See Walt run. See Walt run a multinational media conglomerate, remaking the world in his image. See Walt contemplate that image. See Walt contemplate cryogenics. See Disney on ice. See Walt’s family. Hear Walt’s screenplay. See Walt’s family hear Walt’s screenplay. See Walt melt.

Outside the March ‘reanimates the Head of Disney’ with this Toronto Premiere by Obie Award-winning playwright Lucas Hnath (Dana H., A Doll’s House Part 2), one of the funniest and most formally daring playwrights of our moment. Starring Canadian theatre great Diego Matamoros as the man, the mouse, the legend—alongside the powerhouse cast of Katherine Cullen, Tony Ofori and Anand Rajaram, in a production directed by Mitchell Cushman and presented by Soulpepper Theatre.

Despite its title, this is neither a reading nor a screenplay; or rather, it’s both, in a brilliant 90-minute stage play. Hnath’s script is an intricately orchestrated merry-go-round of percussive language like a “hypercaffeinated David Mamet” (The New York Times).

“Death of Walt Disney” toys with far-fetched concepts like: what if a powerful billionaire pursued his own immortality at the expense of the world around him? What if Elon Musk could doodle? And what if a melting world is no place to keep a frozen head from thawing?

We’ve seen readings before and this was a play within a reading … and it worked. It was serious and funny and the actors did an excellent job, especially the two playing brothers, Walt and Roy. It was a good use of the stage as it was in the middle of the audience and rotated in a circle. It officially opens tomorrow evening.

"Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON

This afternoon Gord and I saw the play Jesus Hopped the 'A' Train.  Our neighbour, Simon Fon, who is the fight director, recommended it to us.

When justice locks you up, what sets you free? Gripping from start to finish, two notorious men await trial for murder, only to discover justice and goodness where it is least expected. Pulitzer Prize-winner Stephen Adly Guirgis delivers an uncompromising drama about contradiction, contrition, and hypocrisy.

We saw it at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District.

Lucius is in prison for being a serial killer ... he'd killed eight people (that they knew of).  He is supposed to be returned to Florida where he will face death row.  While in prison, he finds God.  He befriends a guard who is eventually fired and replaced by a tough no-nonsense guard, Valdez.  Angel has been put in jail for shooting someone in the butt, who passed away from a heart attack.  His court-appointed lawyer is trying to get his charge reduced.

This play was sold out today and we could see why.  The acting was amazing and it was easy to get caught up in the story.  Daron A. Herbert stood out as Lucius ... at times it was like someone wound him up.  Tony Nappo played his part well as the A-hole guard Valdez.  Xavier Lopez became passionate in the second half as Angel.  Gregory Prest was the sympathetic friendly guard, D'Amico.  Diana Donnelly was good as Angel's lawyer, Mary Jane.

It's on until February 23 and you should go see it!

"A Streetcar Named Desire", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON

This afternoon Gord and I saw the play A Streetcar Named Desire.

As Blanche’s fragile world crumbles, she turns to her sister for solace - but her downward spiral brings her face to face with a brutal, unforgiving reality. Tennessee Williams’ timeless masterpiece is a raging portrayal of what it means to be an outsider, in a society where we’re all desperate to belong.

We saw it at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District.

Gord and I had heard of the movie but we had no idea what it was about.

Blanche DuBois has nowhere to go so shows up at her sister, Stella's.  Stella and her husband, Stanley, live in a small apartment and are just getting by.  They don't always get along but they have a lot of passion.  Blanche, a Southern belle, immediately clashes with Stanley, who she thinks is "common".  Blanche starts dating Mitch, Stanley's friend, in the hopes that he will marry her and take care of her.

Wow!  What a production!  The story was so interesting and all the actors did such a great job, it was had not to get sucked in.  The play was three hours (plus an intermission) but the time seemed to go by quickly.

We're so glad we saw it and we look forward now to watching the movie.

"Fool for Love", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON

This afternoon Gord and I saw the play Fool for Love, by Sam Shepard.  It was a finalist for the 1984 Pulitzer Prize for Drama.

Some people you just can’t quit.

On the edge of the desert, passions are buried deep, and secrets even deeper. Eddie has come to bring May out of hiding and win her back, no matter who stands in the way. 

This celebrated work from Sam Shepard combines his characteristic dark humour with a raw energy that won’t let go.

It was about 75 minutes and there was no intermission.  Yesterday was the first day for it and it runs until August 11.

We saw it at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District.

May is staying at at a rundown Mojave Desert motel when Eddie, an old boyfriend, shows up.  Eddie tries to convince May to come back to him and live in a trailer on a farm in Wyoming and May refuses.  She has no desire to live in a trailer ... she has a job and started a new life.  She even has a date that night with a man named Martin.  There is an old man sitting next in a rocking chair in the sand next to the hotel who provides comments throughout the play.

When the play started, it was May and Eddie arguing back and forth.  She would kick him out and then be heartbroken.  He would come back and she would be tough.  I found the play got more interesting towards the end when Martin arrived to take May to the movies and Eddie, then May, reveal their twisted history.

There are only four actors in this play and I thought they were good.  They were convincing in their roles ... Eion Bailey and Cara Gee as the tormented Eddie and May, Stuart Hughes as the passive then raging old man and Alex McCooeye as the bewildered innocent Martin.

"Death of a Salesman", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw Death of a Salesman at Young Centre for the Performing Arts this afternoon.

Gord had read the story by Arthur Miller in school and was interested in seeing the play.  I'd heard of it but didn't know what it was about.

Willy Loman struggles to provide financial security for his family and dreams about making himself a huge financial success. After years of working as a traveling salesman, Willy Loman has only an old car, an empty house, and a defeated spirit. Willy falsely believes he needs nothing more than to be well liked to make it big.  Willy attempts to provide financial security and to guide his sons' future, neither of which he does very well.  Finally, the only solution to providing for his family is to kill himself so they can collect on his life insurance. 

 Needless to say, this is not a happy story.

The actors did an excellent job.  Joseph Ziegler, who played Willy, was very convincing as a man who was desperate and losing touch with reality.  Nancy Palk was good as Willy's wife, Linda, who was supportive and protective of her husband while trying to hold her family together.  Ari Cohen and Mike Ross played their sons, Biff and Hap, very well.

"The Odd Couple", Young Centre for the Performing Arts, Toronto, ON

Gord and I saw The Odd Couple this afternoon at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts in the Distillery District.

Neil Simon's legendary exploration of the relationship between fastidious Felix and his sloppy roommate Oscar is one of the most iconic and enduring pieces of twentieth century American comedy. The pairing of Diego Matamoros' Felix and Albert Schultz's Oscar received rave reviews in 2008 and both will resume their hilarious, tender friendship.

We'd never been to this theatre and were looking forward to it. The theatre is cute. Our seats were great ... row D, seats 1 and 2.

It's a three act play with two 15 minute intermissions. I didn't find it dragged at all.

I haven't seen the movie but had watched the TV show. For the first ten minutes or so, I was comparing Jack Klugman and Tony Randall with Albert Schultz and Diego Matamoros, the actors in the play. It was better once I let it go.

This was a funny play and the actors did a good job.