A VISITATION OF ST. TERESA OF AVILA UPON CONSTABLE MARGARET CHANCE by R.M. Vaughan, directed by Moynan King, with Ann Holloway. February 18-22 at 9 pm.
RETRO RHUBARB!
Now in its 26th year, Buddies in Bad Times’ alt theatre fest serves up tasty faves from the past and introduces a bumper crop of tart new works. Here are four plays to make your mouth water.
A festival of new and revived works. Buddies in Bad Times (12 Alexander). Runs through February 22, with weekly program changes, Wednesday-Sunday 8 pm. $15, week pass $20, festival pass $40. 416-975-8555. buddiesinbadtimestheatre.com/theatre_retrorhubarb.php
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playwright r. m. vaughan learned years ago that you can’t say no to actor Ann Holloway. He remembers the magnetic performer cornering him in the mid-90s, “turning me upside down and shaking me until a play came out.”
The result was A Visitation Of St. Teresa Of Avila Upon Constable Margaret Chance, which premiered in the 1996 Rhubarb! fest and is one of this year’s revivals, again with Holloway.
“When it debuted, people weren’t innocent about relationships with the police, but there was an air of hope about community policing, about minority groups reaching an amiable level of communication with those in power. Now we’re back to square one, with talk of police profiling and, given the recent Ipperwash tapes, an awareness that things haven’t changed.”
What’s the draw of Rhubarb! for Vaughan, who’s premiered several shows in the Buddies festival?
“It gives participants an enormous amount of space, though on a superficial level shows have only a small budget and a 30-minute length.
“Like Joni Mitchell, I’ve been on both sides – working with lots of money and space or little money and space – and I’ve enjoyed the latter more. Especially Rhubarb!, where the pressure isn’t on your show to carry the whole night. I’ve always been attracted to tiny things, not big opuses.”
And the best thing about being part of a Rhubarb! revival?
“The play’s already written and it’s safely in the hands of director Moynan King. All I have to do is show up at the first performance with candy.”
