Praxis Theatre blogs, produces, and parties. All astonishingly well and with a sense of humour.

This past Friday I was privileged to attend the sold out opening night of Praxis Theatre's production of Stranger, a show developed in three workshops over two years. I've been waiting to tell you about it until I could link to my thoughts on the production (which were committed for posting on The Theatre Centre Blog). Fortunately, Stranger runs until February 8, so there is still plenty of time for you to see it--but I wouldn't put it off any longer. Anyway, I won't go too much into my thoughts on it here since I've already written them elsewhere. I will say, though, that I enjoyed writing about it almost as much as I enjoyed watching it.

I am also linking to J. Kelly Nestruck's review at The Globe and Mail. I disagree with his judgment of the show, but I respect his opinion and I do think he makes some valid points. I would also be curious to know, from the creators at Praxis who I imagine will see this at some point, why does Praxis keep "selecting novels by authors who were equally adept as playwright?" I imagine there is a good reason (and I like the selection), I'm just interested in the conversation. Why this play now?

But what I really wanted to write about on my blog with regards to Praxis and Stranger is the reception they held after the show. It turns out I know someone who knows someone, and I was strongly urged to come to the opening so I could make new theatre friends. Well, I'm glad I listened. Because I did make new theatre friends. And laughed, a lot. It turns out they know how to throw a pretty good party, in addition to writing that blog and you know, doing shows. So here are some highlights from my night out with Praxis:

You know the awkward feeling you get at first when you're at a party where you don't know anyone? It kind of started out like that. Because after my friend left, I really didn't know anyone. And everyone was celebrating. So I was kind of the outsider (appropriate to the theme of the show, I guess). But it didn't take too long to get over, especially when I met he of the blog, Michael Wheeler ("You must be BFG." Oh goodness...). Mr. Wheeler was very kind and made some introductions, which I very much appreciated.

The people at Praxis are smart. I miss smart people. Smart about theatre people. Don't get me wrong, my friends are smart. But it's a different kind of intelligence. And it seems like much of team Praxis has studied and/or performed all over the place. It's a very cosmopolitan (though in a non-pretentious way) bunch. I too have studied in various places. It was nice to hear about their experiences outside of Toronto and then coming back...

In one conversation, I commented on how I don't really know what the difference is between the industry (I hate calling it that, but it is) in New York and the industry here in Toronto. My source (who I will not name out of respect to her privacy) told me it could be summed up in a single sentence: In New York, everyone wants to see the new face and to put you out there, in Toronto, they don't. She told me she still has difficulty getting a general audition with a theatre company in the city after many years. And that so do many other very talented people. While I think this is, frankly, disgusting, it's also a relief in some respects. It is not just me. It is, apparently, the way the theatre world works in Toronto (note to self: change the way the theatre world works in Toronto). I don't think it's a good modus operandi for a thriving theatre community, but at least when you know where you stand, it's easier to know how to proceed.

And then I met another associate of Praxis who had me laughing so hard I had pains in my sides. She was lovely. And we discussed theatre programs for kids in Toronto; she is working on starting one. We talked about how most that exist are severely limited, to be exact. I've actually interviewed with one such program and was told I don't have enough experience (me, the summer camp counsellor with the B.F.A. in theatre). The limitations are imposed by programs looking to employ teachers with an interest in theatre and not theatre artists with an interest in teaching; there is a distinct difference. It was nice to have a conversation with a like-minded individual.

I went home smiling. Aside from seeing a good show, I met some great people. I was reassured that I am, in fact, doing the right things. And I was reminded that a career in this city in what I want to do is all about diversifying. So, I advise anyone who can to go see Stranger and to hang out with Praxis, either online or, better, in real life. They're all smart cookies and they have a lot to offer. I am grateful that they shared so generously with me. And I hope to see them again soon! You all have a standing offer from me to buy you coffee/beer/lunch for the privilege of picking your brain.

Two coffees in and no hope for brilliance.

This is my favourite thing on icanhascheezburger today. Super smart, I know.

Some days I arrive at my blog directly, some days it's in a roundabout fashion. Today is the latter. I blame the plethora of interesting things on the interweb. Also, I just spent some time contemplating Praxis Theatre's production of Stranger, which will be posted soon somewhere else. I will link to it then. But the short version is that it's a really beautiful, well-done show and you absolutely should not miss it.

In other news, Mary Louise Parker's latest foray onto a Broadway stage has been met with a not-at-all-good review in the New York Times. This breaks my heart because I think she's wonderful (I would secretly really like to have her career). But the real reason I am linking to it is the tone of the review: it just sounds so disappointed. There is nothing worse than having to write about a show that you so wanted to be good and it just isn't.

Also, as we are in the midst of award show season (ick) I thought I would note that someone has actually seen all the Academy Awards best picture nominees. And it definitely isn't me. Kathryn Laskaris managed to sit through all five in one weekend with her 16 year old son. Read about it here. And I really want to see Slumdog Millionaire.

But tonight I am going to see Bride Wars with my good friend, Pilates Pocahontas (because pilates is basically what she is doing with her life and she looks like Pocahontas). I cringe a little just typing that. I enjoy Anne Hathaway, but I am not optimistic. This was not my idea. But I'm hoping it will, at the very least, be fun. Wish me luck.

I promise more meaningful posts when I regain the ability to focus. And I have another audition coming up, so that should be entertaining. Meanwhile, go see (or do) something exciting and tell me about it!

"What do you do when you're not sure?"

Doubt, John Patrick Shanley's film adaptation of his play by the same name, opens in theatres today.
The play originally opened Off Broadway on November 23, 2004 at the Manhattan Theatre Club before transferring to Broadway in March 2005 at the Walter Kerr Theatre. It closed on July 2, 2006 following 525 performances with 25 previews. It then toured and has since been performed all over the world, including at London's Tricycle Theatre, well known for its agitprop and documentary style theatre (I once sat through an epically long production there that shall remain unnamed...because I can't remember the name). And, of course, what could follow all this but a movie? It is, after all, one of the most successful new plays in recent memory. In addition to its many productions internationally, it is the winner of a Drama Desk Award for Outstanding Play, a Tony for Best Play, and the Pulitzer Prize for Drama. To say nothing of the countless awards and nominations by those who have designed, directed, and performed it (including several Golden Globe noms for this film).

Philip Seymour Hoffman and Amy Adams

Set in a Catholic school in the Bronx in the autumn of 1964, a pivotal time in American history following the assassination of JFK and the "modernization" of the Catholic Church, Doubt centers on, well, doubt. A kindly, well-liked priest, Father Flynn (Philip Seymour Hoffman), who embraces the winds of change, is suspected of molesting the school's only African-American student. Sister Aloysius (the Meryl Streep), the school's principal, passes judgment swiftly but is powerless to do anything about the priest's behaviour in a world dominated by men. And Sister James (Amy Adams), the newcomer, like us, isn't quite sure what to believe. And the ensuing drama can be summed up in the words of Flynn, "What do you do when you're not sure?"

Meryl Streep

The Meryl and Mr. Hoffman are apparently brilliant (duh.) and I will be interested to see how Amy Adams fares. I think it's an interesting casting choice and not necessarily one I would've expected next to two powerhouses of the screen and stage. I hope she holds her own; the reviews don't really have a whole lot to say about it. And since I don't generally trust just to reviews, I have included links to three: The Star, The Globe and Mail, and The New York Times. One thing they all agree on is that the show-stealer in this one is Viola Davis in her cameo as Mrs. Miller, the mother of the student who Flynn may or may not have molested. They also seem to agree that it's worth seeing.

Viola Davis

The original play was performed as a one act; the cast felt that the second act was what happened beyond the theatre, what the audience took away and discussed. Good theatre requires participation. I have a feeling that good film does as well. I'll let you know when I've seen it and, please, share your thoughts on it here. But in case you lose something in the translation, or would just prefer the stage experience, don't worry: Doubt is coming to Toronto in play form in May. The Canadian Stage Company will be putting up their production May 4-30.

Pictures ©Miramax Pictures Inc.®All Rights Reserved.

Poetry On Stage.

Sylvia Plath

Anne Sexton

There is a really beautifully written review of Sylvia Plath Must Not Die in Nestruck on Theatre today. Nothing I can say, especially as I haven't seen the play, could possibly be more interesting. And aside from being a beautifully written review, the play, which is about Anne Sexton and Sylvia Plath and their respective obsession with despair, sounds highly appealing, if a little depressing. But perhaps the perfect show for the tortured artist? Check out the review, see the show, I shall say no more on the subject.

The Well-Rounded Theatre Person.

J. Kelly Nestruck posted this piece to his blog on The Globe and Mail today. It's about whether or not theatre critics should moonlight in the theatre. An interesting question...

The argument against it is basically that moonlighting impairs objectivity. How can you be objective in your review of someone's play if you might be auditioning for them the next day? It is somewhat of a dilemma...but only if you allow it to be. First of all, I'm not sure "objectivity" really exists anyway, it's more like points on a line--more objective, less objective (or more subjective and less subjective, depending on how you see the cup), etc. I think it is possible to maintain some sense of objectivity regardless of your relationship to whatever it is you're reviewing (and the reality is that even if a critic isn't moonlighting, if he or she has been covering theatre for any length of time, there are bound to be relationships there anyway). It just takes a very specific kind of person to be able to do both and do them well; you need a thick enough skin to not care what the backlash of a scathing review (when deserved) may be on your moonlighting career.

Part of the argument for critics playing other roles in the theatre, whether on stage or behind the scenes, is that it encourages them to "get their hands dirty." This idea is sort of in keeping with my training--that in order to do one thing well in the theatre you have to know how the whole thing works. I learned film crew stuff, tech crew stuff, theatre history, theatre theory, the construction of theatres, the business of theatres, etc. etc. etc., and, you know, it did make me a better actress. So, shouldn't working in a theatre in some capacity make a critic more rather than less capable of writing a review?

We should all hope to have critics who moonlight in theatre reviewing us because at least that means they have some idea of what it is that we do and of what it is we are trying to create. Perhaps this will make them more forgiving, perhaps less so, but what's more important is that it gives them greater knowledge of how theatre works. I guess what I'm saying is, better to be reviewed by the person who auditioned after you than by some pseudo-intellectual critic who has no interest whatsoever in the theatre world. The disclaimer being that there are, of course, critics who don't moonlight but are still good critics. Although, maybe they'd be even better with a little stage time? And maybe some theatre artists out there could moonlight in writing reviews...It's all about diversifying, after all.

Cliff Notes for the Reluctant Theatre-goer

There is quite the witty article in London's Guardian newspaper about Neil LaBute's show In A Dark, Dark House. The column "What to say about..." is a regular feature, I've just never heard of it. But I love the idea! And it looks as if he's covered just about everything currently playing.

Basically, it pieces together all of the reviews of the play to provide you with fodder for a conversation, should someone ask you what you thought of the play. Very useful against the snooty intellectual types.

It's worth a look and laugh. Oh, and the play sounds quite interesting to. If anyone is in London, check it out.

Get in the holiday spirit...

Turkey day in the U.S. is just barely over. It's the biggest shopping day of the year (although I prefer boxing day). This must mean the holiday season has arrived. Personally, I prefer to wait until the month of December actually hits...but we're pretty close this year.

Anyway, Soulpepper's production of A Christmas Carol just got an excellent review in the Toronto Star. While I appreciate its message, the play itself isn't necessarily my cup of tea, but I have to admit this sounds like an interesting production.

It is playing until December 24 at the Young Centre for the Performing Arts (55 Mill Street). Call 416.866. 8666 for tickets.

Don't be a humbug, support our local artists!