THREE PLAYS ABOUT TORONTO THEATRE by Bobby Del Rio (Del Rio). At 970 Queen West, unit 7. To October 4. See Continuing. Rating: NN
In Three Plays About Toronto Theatre, writer/director/producer Bobby Del Rio takes comic potshots at the local scene. Some win a laugh, but others are heavy-handed.
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Plagiarism sets a revered, self-impressed playwright (Ryan Moleiro) against a less recognized writer (Bahia Watson) who discovers that he’s stolen a plot from an earlier writer. Schmoozers follows an actor (Jonathan Shatzky) who refuses to play the fawning, kissy-kissy game with those in power the script’s entertaining for a while, but makes its point repeatedly.
The best of the trio is Fringe Show, and I say this not because I’m a central plot device in the tale of a quartet of young actors hoping for Fringe success. It’s the best-written of the plays, and, under Del Rio’s direction, the cast sharply define each character.
There’s talent in the company, notably Shatzky, who plays a leading role easily but also knows how to support others. Watson takes intentional, often funny big bites out of Fringe Show, while K. Trevor Wilson has a nice sense of comic timing in Schmoozers.
The production begins with a sketch comedy set by Uncle Mao and the Red Star Review, who perform weekly in this intimate venue starting next month.