Some really good theatre this weekend
Enjoy great entertainment from the comfort (and safety) of your home
By Byron Toben
There is an old adage among horse race bettors. “Don’t bet on the horse, Bet on the jockey.”
That often applies to theatre as well. Hard to go wrong with proven companies. Examples are New York’s Irish Repertory and Bedlam Theatres, Ontario’s Stratford Festival, Montréal’s Infinitheatre and Westmount’s Dramatis Personae.
Beginning Thursday, November 5
The Stratford Festival streams Eugene O’Neil’s classic Long Day’s Journey Into Night. (A fitting companion to the last week’s wonderful streaming of O’Neil’s, Touch Of The Poet, by the Irish Repertory Theatre.)
Long Day’s Journey into Night – Image: courtesy of the Stratford Festival
Beginning Friday, November 6
At 7:30 pm, Infinitheatre streams its live production of Paul Van Dyke’s King of Canada. Zack Frazer takes over as artistic director from Guy Sprung after many innovative years with Infinitheatre. Brian Dooley portrays the enigmatic Canadian Prime Minister given to séances while Ellen David has her quick change talents challenged with close to 40 cameos.
Free, donations welcome. Repeats once at 2 pm on November 8.
At 8 pm, Dramatis Personae features its digital production of the amusing Bad Auditions on Camera for a $10 fee. Repeats at 8 pm on Saturday, November 7, Sunday, November 8 and Monday, November 9.
Reserve your choice of night at brownpapertickets.com
Beginning Tuesday, November 10
Bedlam Theatre, which ran a terrific Chekhov trio of one-acts beginning November 1, changes pace with an adaptation of E.M. Forester’s sci-fi short story The Machine Stops. This benefit reading is free, donations appreciated.
Looking further ahead…
Original cast from Man and Superman – Image: courtesy of Gingold Theatre
Monday, November 16 to Thursday, November 19
The Gingold Theatre Group (Shaw specialists) uses Stars in the House to do Man and Superman.
Tuesday, November 17 to Sunday, November 22
The Irish Repertory Theatre. TBA.
Feature image: courtesy of Dramatis Personae
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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