Review: Sundance 2

Sundance (Two Wolves Theatre) 2012 Toronto Fringe Review

By Kelly Anderson

Sundance (Two Wolves Theatre) directed by Eli Jenkins and Ana-Marija Stojic – written by veteran playwright M.Z. Ribalow – is a philosophical western, featured in Toronto Fringe 2012.

The highlight of this show is the opening.

Scruffy, blood-crazy Jesse (Geoff Kolomayz) and self-righteous killer Hickok (Carmine Lucarelli) sit at that typical western locale, the bar. You know the one, low swinging doors, dusty glasses, and quick-talking barkeep (Alexis Budd).

Hickok cools off with a buzzing, battery-powered fan.

Hickok’s humour is the most potent, and it derives from the same theme as the anachronistic fan.

Hickok is more modern than your average cowboy. He is prone to philosophy, metaphors, and poetic monologues. Neither of which his bar-mate, Jesse, can understand. It is this out-of-place humour that makes the western play Sundance so funny.

The formula of the script is quickly introduced. Jesse, Hickok and The Kid (Jenn Dzialoszynski) are killers. Their varying reasons for killing are in turn explored.

Enter the “ultimate killer” – a monosyllabic character who gives no motive for his urge to gun down fellow characters.

The acting is solid. Of note are Hickok who delivers straight-faced comedy, and Jesse, who embodies his scruffy, crotch-scratching role whole-heartedly.

The dialogue is witty, and written by a professional who knows his trade – even if the plot is a bit stiff.  Sundance appears to be written more as a theoretical, “Which western archetype would win in a fight” – than a showcase of three dimensional characters.

The costumes are beautifully broken-down and battered. Jesse’s duster and once-white shirt especially look like they’ve been run over a few times with a cement mixer. In Jesse’s case, this makes his clothes appear appropriately lived-in.

Note that the pistols used in Sundance have more punch than the average cap-gun. They are loud. You have been warned.

Sundance is 40 minutes of well-acted comedy. Although the structure of the plot is predictable, the lines themselves are funny. The show I saw was a full house. This is one of the Fringe shows not to miss. Especially if you are a fan of westerns, a fan of making fun of westerns, or simply want a few laughs.

Come see Sundance at the Tarragon Extra Space with your sixguns blazing.

Details

• Sundance plays at Tarragon Theatre Extra Space (30 Bridgman Avenue)
• Showtimes are: Thurs, July 5, 11:00pm; Sat, July 7, 5:15pm; Mon, July 9, 2:45pm; Tues, July 10, 8:45pm; Wed, July 11, 4:00pm; Thurs, July 12, 7:00pm; Sat, July 14, 7:00pm
• All individual Fringe tickets are $10 ($5 for FringeKids) at the door (cash only). Tickets are available online at www.fringetoronto.com, by phone at 416-966-1062, in person at The Randolph Centre for the Arts, 736 Bathurst Street (Advance tickets are $11 – $9+$2 service charge)

• Value packs are available if you plan to see at least 5 shows

Photo by Garth Droog

This entry was posted on Sunday, July 8th, 2012 at 1:31 am and is filed under Fringe Festival, Toronto Fringe Reviews 2012, Toronto Theatre Reviews. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

Review: Sundance

Sundance
Two Wolves Theatre

Photo courtesy of Jesse Watts.

PERFORMANCES:
Saturday, July 7, 5:15 p.m.
Monday, July 9, 2:45 p.m.
Tuesday, July 10, 8:45 p.m.
Wednesday, July 11, 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, July 12, 7:00 p.m.
Saturday, July 14, 7:00 p.m.

VENUE:
Tarragon Theatre Extra Space (30 Bridgeman Avenue)

A hedonist and a moral absolutist walk into a saloon, and in doing so set the stage for M.Z. Ribalow’s quick-witted postmodernist Western satire. The hedonist is wild outlaw Jesse James, who kills for pleasure. The absolutist is Wild Bill Hickok, who kills to uphold honour and the law. Soon the pair are joined by an anarchistic Billy the Kid, and the trio trade theories on moral philosophy with the speed of expert gunslingers, or Greek philosophers with Texas twangs. Their war of ideas is cut short by the arrival of the mysterious Sundance, who seems to kill for no reason at all.

The banter in Sundance tends to be a little too quick, but the attentive viewer is bound to learn a thing or two about introductory philosophy in this wry twist on a classic genre. The performers embrace the briskly paced material with aplomb—particularly Geoff Kolomayz as the sleazy, drawling Jesse James, and Alexis Budd as a wheedling barkeep caught in the middle of this showdown of reason. Caution: very loud cap guns involved.

By Ryan West, The Torontoist, Toronto Fringe Festival Reviews, July 5, 2012.

Sundance, Fringe and Busyness

Okay let me see, the last time I posted was....yeah it has been that long.  I make no apologies, it is what it is.  Again I say I will try to be more consistent at this; however, I get so busy...


Speaking of which, what have I been up to, well after Tiny Piece of Land there was few weeks off, then the Fringe stuff started happening.  Two shows, I have two shows in Fringe.  Mirador is performing Lion, Witch and Wardrobe (which I tech and SM), and then I am acting in Sundance.  Then I have been working on the new show for Mirador which I have written/adapted, I have the film festival going on, another show with Lorie for Ashkenaz and finally the title role in My Name is Asher Lev which begins rehearsing September 4.  So I have been busy.  Where are we now?


Today the my Fringe shows opened.  Lion sold out, and Jon Kaplan was there to review it.  What a great feeling.  I had a few hours off and then I opened in Sundance.

Sundance has been a great experience. Working with Eli and Ana-Maria as dual directors was interesting.  There was not the structure I was used to, and Ana was rare to allow us to just get a whole scene out, the note came the second something happened which she would like to see.  So like always a different process that I had to adapt too.  It is part of the fun in this field but also can have its hassles.  I hope that I weathered this one well, as it did challenge me quite a bit.  Ana said all was good.  But what has all this lead too?


See, the role of Jesse, in Sundance, is the most fun I have ever had in my life in an acting role.  He is one crazy manic western cowboy.  As I rehearsed I found these ups and downs, vocally first, bringing life to the dialogue.  From there, came my character, my walk, my talk, my everything.  It is the greatest creation that I have personally done to date and I love playing this character.  I am just out of my tree with the fun of this role.  But more than anything I feel I have created a character, one that is truly mine, that has used all my skill and brought to life something which people will remember. Tonight, my great friend Stevie Jay, commented that my meticulous attention to detail was stunning.  Another commented that my presence on the stage was a focal point.  But  most valuable to me were the strangers commented on how powerful my performance was.  


I am grateful for all the positive feedback which I receive.  In the end though those comments speak to audience enjoyment and that is what I am hearing.  "We enjoyed the show" is what I am hearing and that is the most important part.  I am so happy to be playing this character.

Review: A Tiny Piece of Land

From InsideToronto.com on Jan 07 2012, by Mark Andrew Lawrence

FRONT ROW CENTRE: Moving message in 'A Tiny Piece of Land'

We can always count on Ari Weisberg and his company Teatron to offer fascinating plays exploring Jewish life. A Tiny Piece of Land by Joni Browne-Walders and Mel Weiser is an absorbing mix of family drama and political propaganda that was first staged in Los Angeles in 2010. 

The drama centres on the reunion of long-estranged brothers Barry and Yosi. For several years, Yosi has lived with his wife, Aviva, and his daughter, Rachel, in a settlement on the Gaza Strip, where escalating violence and a government plan to move all of the homesteaders out of the area has made their lives unstable.

Barry arrives from Seattle, Washington with the news that his beloved wife was killed in vicious attack. Hoping to escape this violence, Barry soon finds that his brother and family are living in an area under constant threat of Palestinian attacks.

When Barry expresses his belief that the Israelis are as much to blame in this ongoing clash as the Palestinians, it riles his niece, Rachel, whose boyfriend is involved in the conflict. Barry's arguments with Rachel, as well as his talks with his brother, focus the play's political message. When Rachel insists that all the Jews really want is a "tiny piece of land" to call their own, it may sound simplistic, but after a missile attack devastates some of their friends, everyone begins praying for peace to be given a chance.

The play realistically shows this family (like many others in the area) trying to get on with their daily lives with a constant threat of violence hanging over their heads. Much of the time the family is setting the table or offering to pour each other coffee. The daily conversations give it a feeling of realism, but it soon becomes mundane.

The history of the area is woven into the political discussions as Yosi, Rachel and Aviva try to educate Barry (and the audience) as the show develops more and more into a message play.

There's nothing wrong with message plays, and the arguments put forth in A Tiny Piece of Land are provocative and well-reasoned. The audience very quickly becomes emotionally invested with these four characters, thanks to the sensitive direction by Weisberg and the beautifully detailed performances.

Nicole Marie McCafferty gives a particularly compelling performance as Rachel, with Tara Nicodemo in strong support at the patient, sometimes dour mother.

Geoff Kolomayz brings warmth and understanding to the role of the husband, father and brother trying to keep his family out of harm's way, and Bob Legare is model of repressed anguish as the grieving American brother.

The play is moving and frequently involving, and offers some interesting points of discussion, yet it can't help but focus a little too much on the message.

A Tiny Piece of Land plays until Jan. 15 in the studio theatre at the Toronto Centre for the Arts, 5050 Yonge St. Call the box office at 416-781-552 or visit the website at www.teatrontheatre.com

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FRONT ROW CENTRE: Moving message in 'A Tiny Piece of Land'.Geoff Kolomayz, left, Bob Legare and Tara Nicodemo appear in a scene from the play, 'A Tiny Piece of Land', being presented through Jan. 15 at the Toronto Centre for the Arts. Photo/KATHERINE VERENDIA

Welcome

Hello and welcome to the new site.

This is officially the first post on this new blog site.  It is my intention to do this regularly, but we will see what happens.  As you well know, being an artist of any nature has its ups and downs, it wet and dry moments.  Let me see if I can at keep the blogs going, a river of info.  HA HA.

Since the last post on the old site much has happened, keeping me away from posting.  First I was working on and trying to figure out how to get this site and the new website running. I am not very computer savvy so that took some time.

The other thing that was going on was my role in Teatron Theatre's A Tiny Piece of Land.  I had a wonderful time on this show.  As the lead it was a new experience.  Not to say I haven't played a lead before, as in my one man shows I am just that, and some time ago there was A Midsummer Night's Dream but there was something different about this one.  Having just come off of my gig in London, and watching other very talented professionals in leading roles during rehearsal lit the light bulb above my head.  I saw how they functioned, what they did to prepare.  All things I know and have used myself, but it was different to see it done and from that to translate it back to myself. So coming into this role I had a different perspective.  This perspective was also coupled with my work with Caroline Azar and the Archival Actor's Workshop, and Tom Todoroff Studios.  I feel the new perspective enriched my work.

With all that said in the next post I shall put up the reviews that came through.