The Toronto Fringe Festival’s Next Stage Festival is back for its 17^th year, and once again this year they have 6 exciting shows on offer. All 6 shows take place at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, with four of them in the main Chamber space, and the other two in the Cabaret space. On its opening day, I caught two of the shows in the Chamber space: one which I saw and reviewed two years ago, and another which was totally new for me!

Civilized

John D. Huston is bringing William Blank back from the dead once more in Keir Cutler’s Civilized, directed by Paul Hopkins. An emotionally charged yet informative look at the Canadian Residential School system, Civilized is certainly a play worth revisiting time and time again.

Jay Havens design elements truly get to shine in this theatre-in-the-round presentation of Civilized. When you enter the space, it’s impossible to miss the giant map of Canada which covers the majority of the floor. However, marked on that map are little red crosses, representing the Residential Schools which were active in 1907, the year the play takes place. Along with the map, there’s a large trunk with photos of real Residential Schools on it, as well as a real chair from the Beaver Club in Montreal which Havens procured for the production. Huston’s costume is another design marvel, with its decidedly turn of the century feel and yet Huston is also adorned with a Métis sash, representing his own history. I particularly loved the buttons which are poppies, the symbol of the WW1 and Remembrance Day; only with this play we’re remembering a very different side to Canada’s history.

Huston’s performance never waivers as he changes from Blank to himself and back again. He’s got a Gene Wilder-like quality in his ability to change emotions on a dime. Beginning the show by talking about his own heritage and how it changes how he navigates this play creates a sense of vulnerability which Huston sustains throughout the piece. Yet when he becomes Blank, there’s initially a confidence which we watch get broken down as the play goes on and more evidence is presented to the bureaucrat.

Every Canadian should see Civilized; it’s a thoughtful and emotional glimpse into the darkest part of our shared history told through the eyes and words of the people who could have stopped the whole thing. Brilliantly performed and designed, Civilized is a great addition to the Next Stage Festival.

For more information and tickets, visit: https://fringetoronto.com/next-stage/show/civilized

I Was Unbecoming Then

If you were to ask me where I was on any given day in 2006, I likely would have said the same thig as the characters in Lyndsey Bourne’s play I Was Unbecoming Then: the choir room. However, I don’t think I’ve ever had the opportunity to sing choral music as hauntingly beautiful as Sam Kaseta’s music for this play. With a cast of 12 talented vocalists, directed by Ilana Khanin, I Was Unbecoming Then is a stunning play with music about the girls of a high school choir and their journeys in self discovery, love, death, and just trying to ace that trig test.

Daniella McNeill, along with the cast, have done a splendid job at bringing the vibes and fashion of 2006 to the stage. As each of the characters entered for their first pose, I found myself thinking “yep, I had that” or “definitely wore that outfit.” The Motorola Razor in bright pink is the cherry on top of coveted accessories of the day; the fact that they were able to find the old ring tone made it all the better.

I Was Unbecoming Then is not only a “period piece” (it’s so hard to write about my own adolescence this way), but it also has a distinctly Canadian flair to it. The girls mention going to Shopper and Tim Horton’s, they even sell Purdy’s chocolate as their school fundraiser! These mentions get appropriate laughs from the audience, and make it feel familiar even though it’s taking place in Vancouver.

Astrid Atherly, Olivia Daniels, Tkaia Green, Lara Hamburg, Anikka Hanson, Shannon Murtagh, Heeyun Park 박희윤, Riel Reddick-Stevens, Grace Rockett, Lizzie Song, 陳佳琦 Jenn Tan, and Miranda Wiseman give exceptional performances as their characters navigate one of the most difficult periods of their lives: being a teen. Their voices together make magic; I definitely had goosebumps more than once.

I Was Unbecoming Then is like Canadian “Glee” encapsulated in a tight 75 minutes. Moving stories and marvelous melodies make I Was Unbecoming Then a show you’ll want to see again.

For more information and tickets, visit: https://fringetoronto.com/next-stage/show/i-was-unbecoming-then

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