Another Review Done

Hey Gang!

My latest review (Mrs. Dexter and Her Daily)  is up at (Cult)ure magazine.  There is also a great conversation about this show happening over at Movement. It’s worth checking out even if you haven’t seen the play. I have added some comments there as well. I think Sterling is correct to criticize Glass for taking a very simplistic examination of these characters. Yet, I feel many in the audience/community will see themselves reflected in the play and that will result in them enjoying the show despite its structural failings.

As an aside, I had to endure the inane ramblings of a middle aged couple throughout the show. Every third line was repeated out loud, questions about the action were asked, and the pair conducted themselves as if they were in front of their TV at home. Maybe I  should have spoken up and told them to be quiet. Sometimes that is more distracting than the original distraction. I did my best to ignore the talkers. This in the end was not the best solution as the chatting was grating on me and definitely hampered my enjoyment of the show. I’m sure everyone in their vicinity suffered as well. What would you have done in my place?

A First For Me

Last night I went to the National Arts Centre to see Mrs. Dexter and her Daily. This is a play I will be reviewing later so I’ll save my comments on the play  for the review. During the post-show reception I met a stranger who saw me talking with various actors and theatre types. She asked me what my connection was to the theatre and I told her I was a theatre critic/reviewer. At this point she asked me for my full name. I told her and she responded “Oh I read you. It’s nice to meet you.” This is actually the first time this has happened and I enjoyed the experience. We ended up having a very pleasant conversation about the show.

Those of you who read my blog, will remember that I feel that “everyone in the audience is a reviewer” . It is my intent to approach my audience as a knowledgeable peer, rather than a definitive authority. My aim is to start and shape conversations about theatre and it is immensely rewarding to have  interactions with readers who will return the favour.

I’m an extravert, by this I mean not that I am particularly outgoing, but I that I get my energy from others. It is this energy which keeps me writing and it is why I particularly enjoy writing articles/reviews that I know will be read by others. Several of my reviews have received over a thousand hits. When I compare this to my MA research paper, which was read by 5 people total (and one was my mother), it is not surprising that I find writing reviews immensely more rewarding.

The moral of the story is, if you see me post-show and you read my reviews, by all means approach me and we can have a quick chat about theatre. While I might be a little evasive about my opinions on the current show, it takes me a day or so to let a play settle with me before I commit my thoughts to print,  I will enjoy the conversation and meeting you.

The Word is Out! The Cube’s Cultural Salons are not to be Missed

I really enjoyed the last cultural salon at the Cube so when I discovered that the series was being continued I eagerly set off to review the latest salon for (Cult)ure. I arrived a good 20 minutes before the official start time and was taken aback at the crowd. The place was packed and almost every available seat was already filled. In the end, the show was a standing room only affair. The word is out! The Cube gallery’s cultural salons are a great way to see the best of local artists performing predominantly original work. (For the full review at (Cult)ure click here.)

——————————————————————————————————————————————————————————-

As an update, I will be reading the stage directions in this performance, so come check it out. It’s an award winning play people!