NOW’s top ten Stage stories of 2011.
1. Woody Harrelson Michael Hollett recounts how Woody Harrelson’s penchant for public urination led the Hollywood star to stage at play at U of T’s Hart House.
2. Gina Wilkinson, 1960-2010 Jon Kaplan pays homage to Gina Wilkinson, an electric performer and talented director whose death at the end of 2010 left the Toronto theatre community a little less bright.
3. Next Stage Festival Torontonians do love our theatre festivals. Readers ate up our reviews of Next Stage, wintertime’s mini-Fringe.
4. The Next big things At the start of the year we predicted big success for a handful of plays being put on at Next Stage. We particularly liked the ones that included borderline pornography and cannibalism.
5. Bad Dog Theatre closes shop at the end of the month Danforth institution Bad Dog Theatre gets pushed out of its longtime home thanks to a typically Torontonian menace: exorbitant rent.
6. Fringe wrap-up Our critics wrap up this year’s Fringe fest, which turned out to be the hottest edition of the festival yet. Top honours went to Kim’s Convenience, Swoon!, and War of the Clowns.
7. What sizzled We break down the best of Summerworks, which included some fantastic plays and performances, but a disappointing amount of scheduling problems.
8. Bullet for Adolf Woody Harrelson creates a buzz around town when he stages a play at U of T, and while our critic finds Woody’s one-liners amusing, he suggests the actor-turned-playwright go back and flesh out his script. Two Ns.
9. Kristen Thomson Glenn Sumi sits down with Kirsten Thomson, one of Canada’s best actors and the woman behind stage and film smash I, Claudia.
10. Naked Ambition We talk to Dave St. Pierre about his controversial dance production Un Peu De Tendresse Bordel De Merde!, the story of a post-break up emotional journey that involves copious nudity and on-stage masturbation with a Black Forest cake.
