From ATP’s Rabbit Hole
The first half of the 2007-08 theatre season has seen some ambitious projects. Vertigo staged its largest-ever production with The Mystery of Edwin Drood, Theatre Calgary (TC) took on the world première of Timothy Findley's The Wars and Ground Zero Theatre (GZT) and Hit and Myth staged The Full Monty. On the community theatre side, ambition was also the name of the game with Gas and Light's Pride and Prejudice, Workshop Theatre's To Kill a Mockingbird and Front Row Centre's Nine.
It’s always exciting to see companies stretch themselves by mounting big shows either in terms of production value or the significance or intricacy of the story. With these choices come risks, but this year’s ambitious projects delivered.
Call me old-fashioned, or tell me that I’m stating the obvious, but in the world of contemporary theatre, good storytelling is not always guaranteed. The works in the first half of this season placed a great emphasis on story. Even works produced by the smaller companies in town, including Ghost River Theatre’s double-solo bill of My Autopsy and Iraq and Back, Theatre Bsmt’s One Good Marriage and this year’s Playworks Ink play readings, all told good stories.
Music played a larger role in this year’s fall shows. Consider Alberta Theatre Project’s mounting of the Melanie Doane extravaganza Still Desire You, GZT and Hit and Myth’s The Full Monty, Vertigo’s Edwin Drood and even this year's staging of GZT and Hit and Myth’s CockTales: The ReTooling.
Sage Theatre once again stood out with provocative works, including a re-staging of Judith Thompson's Lion in the Streets and the Canadian première of My Name is Rachel Corrie, about the American activist killed by an Israeli bulldozer on the Gaza Strip.
Speaking of premières, the past fall has seen a lot of them, including TC’s production of Timothy Findley’s The Wars, ATP’s Still Desire You, the Canadian première of Rabbit Hole and Lunchbox Theatre's With a Twist!
In addition to a refreshed version of CockTales, Urban Curvz staged The VaJayJay Monologues. Are we done with the riffs on Eve Ensler’s The Vagina Monologues yet?
Despite the interesting stories and the ambitious productions, there still did not seem to be that one play this fall in which all the pieces came together in such a way that I was so affected, I couldn’t stop talking about it afterwards. My hope for the second half of the 2007-08 season is for a piece of theatre that truly moves. (KR)
So far, the 2007-08 theatre season has not been all roses, though there have been a few surprises. One of them has definitely been the enthusiasm with which the dramatic arts are fighting to be heard. The best part? People are listening. I have yet to attend a production that is less than three-quarters full with an audience that is unimpressed. Whether it was hooting at glimpses of nudity in The Full Monty or eating their lunches in Bow Valley Square, Calgary audiences enjoy their theatre — a little bit of escape and a little bit of culture for the price of a ticket.
This is a tricky situation, of course, because it is not the public that programs the performances. Presumably, the theatre companies assume the audiences will only respond to productions that are safe. Are they afraid that if they schedule something no one has heard of, the seats will remain empty? A valid fear, undoubtedly, and shows like A Christmas Carol and The Wars prove that Calgary can do “safe and serious.” In the coming months, however, perhaps companies will see what a diverse city this is becoming and that risks pay off. Am I suggesting that every play be controversial, risqué and inappropriate for young audiences? Of course not. However, if Calgary wants to compete on the cultural stage, it needs to continue to push the limits of both its theatres and its audiences. (MB)
