Long before there was Reality TV, there was Theatre. Aristophanes, Shakespeare, Shaw – they were all making social commentaries of their time: they mocked, questioned, entertained and provoked conversation. And while Jersey Shore is certainly no Hamlet, you can certainly draw comparisons to Much Ado About Nothing.
It goes to show that there’s a reason that Shakespeare’s plays are performed all over the world today. They’re still relevant & still resonate because the human condition remains the same. No matter how much technology changes and we “evolve”, we still laugh, cry, struggle, fight, want, lust and love.
A lot 
of people know West Side Story is just a retelling of Romeo & Juliet and 10 Things I Hate About You is The Taming of the S
hrew. For that matter, Big Momma’s House is classic 16th Century Italian Comedy, and in a lot of ways You Tube is just an electronic version of Vaudeville.
We have amazing talent here in this country but, for few exceptions, we still have an innate need to be validated by someone else before we embrace our own.
Nobody paid much attention to Ellen Page’s pout in Marion Bridge, but suddenly Juno‘s a hit in the states and she’s a big star back home. So too Jim Carrey, Mike Myers, Rachel McAdams and Elisha Cuthbert, to name a few.
I think it’s time we got to know some of what our country has to offer, from actors and comedians to playwrights and artisans.
Like TV, there’s some bad shows, and like movies, there are some duds; but there are also a lot of hidden gems and mega hits.
Last week, for example, marked the launch of Theatre 20. A group of artists got together to form a company to foster development and creation of Canadian musical theatre. Headed by some spectacular talent, many of them starred on Broadway and London’s West End, and yet have chosen to come home.
Why? Because we’re a country ripe with talent and unmined jewels.
It’s time to start digging, and right here, at Cocktails and Curtain Calls, is a great place to start.
Over the next few weeks, I’ll be chatting with everyone in the biz from performers and producers to critics and craftspeople. I’ll also be checking in with a group of Canadians on Broadway, and finding out how Black History Month translates on stage.
So, if you have any questions, like what’s a Sound Designer, is it bad luck to whistle in a Theatre, or why Star Trek: The Undiscovered Country was named from a Shakespearean soliloquy, now’s the time to ask. Have someone you’d love to know more about? Tell me who it is and I’ll see what I can do.
Tracey, I will definitely check our Repercussion. There are some terrific children’s theatre companies and festivals. Many are very affordable, or free, and are great for the whole family. Friends of ours have a show called As You Puppet. It’s a retelling of As You Like It with stuffies. It was simply wonderful. It’s coming back to Toronto this spring, but I believe they’re going on tour as well. I’ll find out & let you know.
2 reasons:
1) art is always going to be subjective. I will never agree that serving expressed human breast milk is a worthwhile endeavour, but you might think differently. You and I will not always love the same thing, and that’s part of why art and theatre are so cool. Have you ever re-read a book or re-watched a movie you loved as a kid? Depending on where you are in life, it will have a different effect on you.
2) Sadly, there’s another reason as well. We, as a society, have for some reason embraced mediocrity. I remember seeing a touring production of Les Miz that was embarrassingly bad, yet the audience, still gave it a standing ovation. I think sometimes audiences feel that if they pay a lot, it must be good.
I love our Montreal-based travelling Shakespearean group called “Repercussion Theatre” -they put on a few of Willie’s plays in larger parks in Montreal during the summer. They operate on donations from the audience as they pass a bucket around. There are some FABULOUS actors – wowza.
The kids have been tough to take out in the evenings for such merriment, but I’m hoping this summer we might be able to get back to going as a family. I LOVE live theatre – don’t get to watch enough of it though. Poo.
YAY! Can’t wait, Racheal! Thanks for this.
Really looking forward to reading more!! Growing up, I saw La Boheme before Rent and Rigoletto at TPM was my first *rock* concert!! I am still such a sucker for theatre and look forward to your posts!
Love it, Rachael! I can’t wait to read more. I love movies and theatre and am always looking for new and interesting perspectives. Looking forward to your view from the inside!
This is great.
So Theatre is the basis for modern stuff but what do you think Theatre needs to do to become more relevant? Why can’t most people stand watching a lot of the shlock that’s out there?
Jersey Shore? spectacle, tragedy, farce… check. Nice mention.
Can’t wait to read more, and I’m going to recommend this to my friend @runanc who is a theatre junkie and runner herself! Wait, are you her?