Women’s Week

Marita Dachsel had the truly excellent idea of creating Initiation Trilogy.

I’ve seen three shows this week that are about female experience, that are written by women, and that feature largely female casts. It’s been a terrific week and I recommend all of the shows.

The top of my personal list is Electric Company’s Initiation Trilogy, most because it includes a transcendent theatricalization of Liz Bachinsky’s poetry collection, The God of Missed Connections. The poems are stunners, actors Colleen Wheeler, Haig Sutherland, and Wendy Donaldson all rock, and the design—notably the light and projection by Jonathan Ryder and Cande Andrade—is stellar.

I also very much enjoyed the quirky vision of Yvette Nolan’s The Unplugging at the Revue Stage, and the performances of Jenn Griffin, Anton Lipovetsky, and especially Margo Kane.

And last night I saw the final preview performance of My Mother’s Story: North Vancouver. It’s full of touching, hilarious true stories. They are stylishly staged by director Heidi Specht. In the stong cast, watch out especially for Eileen Barrett, Wendy Noel, Suzanne Ristic, and Colleen Winton.

Up with the gynecoracy!

And check out my full reviews here: http://www.straight.com/content/arts/theatre