Even if it only featured scenes from “classic” B-movies, re-enactments of those scenes filmed by a pair of teenage brothers, and re-enactments of those scenes filmed by the same two brothers some 20 years later, Your brother, remember? would be a lot to digest. When it emerges that one of those teens subsequently descended into a life of drug abuse and imprisonment, it adds another level of complexity. And did I mention that the younger brother is on stage during all this, narrating the video segments in the guise of Jean Claude van Damme?

So frenetic is the early action in Your brother, remember?, It’s a safe bet most audience members will spend at least the first quarter just figuring out what the hell’s going on. Once you’ve caught up … Read More

You never really understand a person until you consider things from his point of view... until you climb into his skin and walk around in it,” proclaims Atticus Finch in what is probably To Kill a Mockingbird’s most famous quote.

Indeed, I didn’t fully understand the standing ovation Theatre Calgary’s production got from the vast majority of a near-sellout crowd opening night. And gleaning any insight into this reaction would require walking around in a lot of people’s skins.

The superficial appeal is obvious enough. Scout, Jem, and Dill are all charming; R.H. Thomson is a fine Atticus, and the play’s earnest, if rather platitudinous, wisdom endures.

But the bar for achieving all this is pretty low (it’s not particularly hard for child … Read More

SPITTING iN THE FACE OF THE DEVIL

Artpoint Gallery

August 3, 2011

Whatever its merits, Spitting in the Face of the Devil is clearly a personal triumph for creator Bob Brader. That he survived the trauma he suffered at the hands of his father — the "devil" of the title — seems like a minor miracle, as does the fact he's comfortable enough to deliver a monologue about it.

Accordingly, it's hard to be harshly critical of this piece, but for the most part harsh criticism is unwarranted. It's a little too long and not always as funny as it tries to be, but it's still worth checking out.

Although Brader portrays several characters, the devil, aka Bob Brader Sr., is by far the most vivid. His deep, eerily calm but unmistably menacing voice is chilling … Read More