Les Belles-soeurs: not so belles all the time

As I was watching this production of Les Belles-soeurs, I kept trying to fill in the holes. There are a lot of them, especially in Act 1. In Michel Tremblay’s 50-year-old play, Germaine Lauzon has just won a million trading stamps. (Stamps like these were part of an...

A CRITIC’S DOZEN: 11 must-see fall shows

The theatre season we’re in promises to be thrilling. As you’ll see, six of my 11 top picks will be playing at Cultch venues. So, if I were looking for season’s tickets, that’s where I’d buy. Here we go!   Les Belles-Soeurs Tabernac! The cast! This Ruby...

Mustard: Don’t let this put you off condiments

Hold the Mustard. On paper, it sounds like playwright Kat Sandler might have created an engaging world. Sixteen-year-old Thai has an imaginary friend, Mustard, whom she can see and talk to. Thai’s getting sick of Mustard hanging around all the time, but Thai’s mom...

Kim’s Convenience: shop here

Ah, the appeal of an almost-racist joke! In Kim’s Convenience, the play that spawned the TV series, writer Ins Choi finds the sweet spot as he tickles the edges of transgression. Appa (Dad) and Umma (Mom) run a convenience store in Regent’s Park, Toronto. Appa regards...