This Week in Theatre: Bullet for Adolf, The cosmonaut's last message to the woman he once loved in the former Soviet Union, Night, La Clemenza di Tito, Buzz Festival
This week in theatre rounds up the most noteworthy live theatre playing right now in Toronto. It includes just-opened shows as well as productions that are about to close.
Bullet for Adolf / Hart House Theatre / 8pm/2pm / $18-$32
Academy Award Nominee, marijuana enthusiast, environmentalist, and all-around cool guy Woody Harrelson premieres his newest play, Bullet for Adolf, at Hart House Theatre on Thursday. Co-written with Frankie Hyman, directed by Harrelson, and staring a lucky crop of Toronto actors, Bullet is one of the most anticipated shows on the Toronto calendar. Set in Houston in the summer of 1983, the semi-autobiographical play is based on Harrelson and Hyman's construction days. Let's hope Harrelson's love affair with Toronto continues.
The cosmonaut's last message to the woman he once loved in the former Soviet Union / Canadian Stage / 8:00pm/2:00pm / $22-$99
What a great week for theatre--another contemporary performance on offer from Canstage. Picture this: you're a cosmonaut floating away in the depths of space while the Soviet Union collapses back on Earth. There's no rocket sent to bring you back. This is one of many intertwining narratives (both on solid ground and in space) that make up this modern piece from playwright David Greig. Tickets for Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday performances are available for $12.50 through the C-Stage membership for under 30s.
Night / Factory Theatre - Mainspace / 8:00pm / $30
Have you ever seen a play spoken in Inuktitut? Now is your chance with Human Cargo and Factory Theatre's Night, part of the Performance Spring Festival 2011. Written partly in Inuktitut (with English surtitles), the play is set on Baffin island and features an unlikely meeting between a 16-year old Inuk girl and a Toronto anthropologist. When you consider the play was developed during workshops in the Arctic darkness, there should be some stunning images in this exciting collaboration.
La Clemenza di Tito / Opera Atelier - Elgin Theatre / 7:30pm / $33 - $100+
For over 25 years, Opera Atelier has been staging breathtaking opera, ballet, and drama from the 17th and 18th centuries with a contemporary spirit. International accolades abound for this accomplished Canadian company. If you've never heard of them, take a look at the stunning production photos on their website. Their latest production, La Clemenza di Tito, features love, intrigue, and assassination taken straight from Roman history. If you've dabbled with the COC or danced with the ballet, consider giving Opera Atelier a look.
Buzz Festival / Theatre Passe Muraille / 7:30pm / Donations Accepted
The definition of a mixed bag, the Buzz Festival is a tri-annual initiative by Theatre Passe Muraille that offers artists fifteen to thirty minutes to present work-in-progress. The innovation doesn't end there--the artists ask questions of the audience to which they write responses, placing them in the dramaturigal driver's seat. More of this type of incubator workshopping should take place in Toronto. Set the PVR and jump into the artistic process.
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