Entertainment events
as May eases into June
Streaming events from the resilient theatre communities of Montreal and New York
By Byron Toben
“April is the cruellest month…”, so began T.S. Elliott’s landmark 1922 verse libre poem, The Wasteland, written against the devastation of the first world war. Seventy-nine years later, these words rang true with the April alternation of vaccination end of the COVID spread versus returns to self isolation and discovery of virus variants.
May remains much the same, looks like fewer live theatre events as we ease into June, but the resilient theatre community keeps active with streaming events. Here, by opening date are some:
Opened earlier, still running
Mint Theater Silver streaming series’ The Fatal Weakness opened on May 17 and runs to June 27, fully staged from it’s archives of lost plays newly found.
minttheater.org/streaming-series
Red Bull Theater’s Sejanus, His Fall opened May 17 with filmed replays until May 21. Written by Shakespeare successor, Ben Jonson, about the evil right hand man to Roman Emperor Tiberius during the life of Jesus. Eighteen characters appear in this free show, donations welcome.
May 21
New York’s Bedlam Theater, fresh from its ambitious streamed performance of Tolstoy’s massive Anna Karenina, goes the solo route with Still Waiting, based on a short story by the acerbic Dorothy Parker, a key member if the famous Algonquin Round Table, noted for her reviews, poetry, screenplays and wisecracks. Free, donations welcome.
May 21 and 22
New York’s Irish Repertory Theater shows an Irish film, The Man Who Wanted to Fly, at 7 pm on the May 25 and at 2 pm and 7 pm on May 26. About an Irish farmer who built his own airplane and managed to get it aloft for a short distance. I enjoyed this film at the shortened 2020 Montreal Cine Gael series. Free for those who cannot donate at this time.
May 24 to 29
Segal Centre hosts Tableau D’Hôte Theatre student play readings, Class of 2020: Voices from the Pandemic. Discover bright new talents.
May 27
Cummings Centre continues film publicist David Novek’s series with four on the same theme of David’s own favourite movie musicals, his commentary interspersed with key clips, some rare. All at 1:30 to 3:15 pm. The other three are on June 3, 10 and 17. The usual fee of $10 each is reduced to $8 if purchased as a package for $32.
Feature image: scene from The Fatal Weakness courtesy of the Mint Theater
More articles from Byron Toben
Byron Toben, a past president of The Montreal Press Club, has been WestmountMag.ca’s theatre reviewer since July 2015. Previously, he wrote for since terminated web sites Rover Arts and Charlebois Post, print weekly The Downtowner and print monthly The Senior Times. He also is an expert consultant on U.S. work permits for Canadians.
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