Reviewed by Paula Citron
August 10, 2011
SummerWorks 2011
Various theatres in Toronto
Aug. 4 to 14, 2011
SummerWorks has seemed to survive the near death experience of having its federal grant pulled.
The importance of this theatre festival can’t be underestimated. The pan-Canadian events are curated, which makes for consistently high quality, and the careers of many playwrights are launched here.
I landed in town between my summer of festivals, and parked myself at Theatre Passe Muraille for three shows to get a flavour of this year’s offerings.
I saw Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl, a very droll modern retelling of the Orpheus myth, Long Dark Night, a hilarious private eye musical by Mark Shyzer and Jeff MacLean, and Exit, pursued by a bear, an ambitious dream puppet play about bears and humans by bekky O’Neil.
I’d also like to point out that Susanna Hood’s dance-theatre Shudder is getting a well-deserved remount at the Lower Ossington Theatre. Inspired by the gruesome canvases of Francis Bacon, this dissection of a dysfunctional family is absolutely riveting.
SummerWorks continues at various venues until Aug. 14.