The thing Bard does that bugs me
I am a big, big fan of Bard on the Beach. Every year, I look forward to Bard's season and I'm very picky about who I take to those shows: the tickets are like gold as far as I'm concerned. Artistic director Christopher Gaze and the rest of the company have built a...
Value of Things lower than expected
The performers are beautiful. Aspects of the artistry are beautiful. But, for the most part, The Value of Things is thematically obvious. Created by Montréal's dance/theatre company Grand Poney, The Value of Things is about materialism and craving. It starts off with...
Cross-dressing fun in Glengarry Glen Ross
Hands down, the best show running this weekend (that I've seen), is Classic Chic's production of David Mamet's Glengarry Glen Ross. Rachel Peake directs a talented cast of women who play the characters, who are all male, in Mamet's examination of ruthless capitalism...
A civilian response to Candide
Before I start spouting off about the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra's presentation of Candide, allow me to apologize for my lack of qualifications for doing so. In my book, critical opinion should be informed by knowledge and experience. This criterion work in my...
It’s all in the casting. Well, a whole lot of it is, anyway.
You know what they say: it's all in the casting. And director Genevieve Fleming has cast very well in Scratch: Eileen Barrett, David Bloom, Stephanie Izsak, Caitlin McCarthy, Tamara McCarthy, and Markian Tarasiuk all come together to explore Charlotte...
Riveting radio: me talking about the editing process
On Tuesday (June 2), I had a great time talking about literary editing with hosts Julia Vergara and Art Hartmut on the Co-op Radio program, The Writing Life. We had a great time chatting about sometimes surprising things. Theatre kept sneaking in. And so did the...
Tune in: three-act structure and me on Co-op Radio
This afternoon (Tuesday, June 2) between 2:00 and 2:30, I'm going to be on Co-op Radio talking about the editing process. Knowing me, I'll probably bring up the three-act structure, which is a very handy tool. For easy reference, here it is: ACT 1 Ordinary World We...
Get sensitive
The best show I've seen this week—the best show I've seen in many weeks—is The Art of Building a Bunker, which is playing here as part of the rEvolver Festival. In this script, which was written by solo performer Adam Lazarus and director Guillermo Verdecchia, a guy...
Pack a rEvolver this weekend
The rEvolver Festival looks like the most likely place to have a good time in a theatre this weekend. So far, I've only seen one show at rEvolver, Double Recessive, which imagines redheads as the world's new pariahs. In its exploration of the political manipulation...
Subscribe Free!
Sign up for the FRESH SHEET newsletter and get curated local, national, and international arts coverage — all sorts of arts — every week.
Contact
Drop a line to colinthomas@telus.net.
Support
FRESH SHEET, the reviews and FRESH SHEET, the newsletter are available free. But writing them is a full-time job and arts criticism is in peril. Please support FRESH SHEET by sending an e-transfer to colinthomas@telus.net or by becoming a patron on Patreon.
Website by Mighty Sparrow Design.