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Culture Stage

Stage Scenes

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Glassco gala

A celebration of the life and work of Bill Glassco , one of the giants of the Canadian theatre scene, is set for next Monday (November 29) at the Royal Alex Theatre . As the head of the Tarragon Theatre and later co-head of Canadian Stage and a freelance director, Glassco championed the work of dozens of Canadian playwrights, directors and actors. The free evening is open to everyone – just call and book a ticket at 416-536-5018 ext 425. For details, see One Nighters, page 106.

Current call

b current ‘s annual rock.paper.sistahz festival of works in development fills a necessary gap on the local scene by showcasing experimental work by black theatre artists. The company is looking for submissions for next April’s festival, the fourth in the series, which has Celebrating Brothaz as its theme. The event will highlight a variety of black male and female voices. Send submissions to the rock.paper.seriez, c/o b current, Box 292, Station B, Toronto M5T 2W2. Deadline is Monday (November 29). For more information write info@bcurrent.ca or call 416-525-2994.

Haiti high

Wanna do a charitable deed and be entertained at the same time? A new Caribbean-focused company, Theatre Archipelago , launches with Haiti Can , a benefit evening for the Haitian community, which is coping with the effects of a series of hurricanes that hit the island. The evening includes an excerpt from Derek Walcott ‘s The Haitian Earth , directed by artistic director Rhoma Spencer and featuring a dynamite cast that includes Alison Sealy-Smith , Sandi Ross , Karim Morgan , Karen Robinson and Lucky Ejim . Also on the program are an excerpt from Jeanguy Saintus ‘s Trance , performed by the COBA Dance Company , and a documentary on Haiti. Admission is $5 and a can of food. See One Nighters, page 106, for details.

Cool Constantinople

Created for the Gryphon Trio , composer Christos Hatzis ‘s Constantinople plays with the eye, the ear and the mind in a tantalizing fashion. Staged by Tapestry New Opera Works , Music Toronto and the trio, the production falls somewhere between opera, 60s happening and multimedia concert, and it works on all those levels. No wonder it sold out all four performances. Eight movements, some strictly instrumental and others performed with singers Maryem Hassan Tollar and Patricia O’Callaghan , took the audience on a tour of Constantinople past and present, physical and spiritual, emphasizing both the human and the architectural. Hatzis’s accessible music includes a tango, some jazzy sounds and echoes of contrasting Christian and Moslem motifs.

As staged by Marie-Josée Chartier, with marvellous overlapping projections and simple movement – at times the trio lurked in the shadows, danced or became audience for the singers – the highly polished, intriguing show wove together the cool, crystalline sounds of the blond O’Callaghan and the more earthy, sinuous tones of the dark-haired Tollar. Bring it back, please.

Women’s work

The second Hysteria Festival , presented by Buddies in Bad Times and Nightwood , lit up Buddies with 10 days of estrogen-charged talent. Among the highlights were Aida Jordão and Rebecca Burton ‘s Mary The Slasher , which used suffragette Mary Richardson’s slashing of a famous painting to offer a slyly satiric look at women’s rights Jennifer Fawcett ‘s broad (pun intended) and funny The Brief (And Selected) History Of Wonder Woman and Paint My Number , in which soprano Helene Ducharme sang four classical numbers with style and sensitivity as she literally became a canvas for painter Suzanne MacRury .

Later in the week audiences were treated to a cabaret hosted by Sonja Mills , with songs by Gwyneth Baillie and Aviva Chernick , a spoken piece physicalized beautifully by Kate Hennig and laughs from Rosemary Rowe , the Burnt Marshmallows and clowns Ruby and Foo .

The evening came to a hilarious close with some great gender-fucking numbers by Swedish drag troupe the Lion Kings .

We expect exciting work from d’bi.young , and we got it in the workshop of organ-ized crime , a piece in which various characters – all played by young – looked at homophobia and queerness in their lives.

We’re glad that Hysteria’s become an annual event.

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