Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII

August 2, 3, 4, 6, 7 and 10, 2013 

Alexandra Centre Society

http://see.calgaryfringe.ca/events/392-til-death-the-six-wives-of-henry-viii

 

Wow – if my high school history lessons had been half as much fun as this wonderfully researched and spectacularly performed show, I might actually remember way more of what my teachers were trying to impart. Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, written and directed by Ryan Gladstone and performed by Tara Travis, is a thrilling romp of a show that finds the funny in English Royal history while never once dumbing down the subject matter for the audience.

One by one we meet the dead wives of the notorious serial husband Henry VIII as they fall from the sky to a holding place prior to heaven. There’s first wife,  Spanish firebrand Catherine of Aragon (played to great effect as a Scarface-esque talking bad ass), Anne Boleyn (who Travis plays hysterically as just  a head), Jane Seymour (ever the prude), the ugly Anne of Cleaves (Travis channelling Frau Blucher, warts and all, from Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein), Kathryn Howard (think Paris Hilton at her sluttiest) and final wife and widow Katherine Parr (dutiful but besotted with another).

The wives are being held in waiting because, as the disembodied voice of St Peter (sounding very much like a Ricky Gervais rant) tells the women, only one of them will be allowed to enter “Royal Heaven” as Henry’s consort and it’s up to them to decide who.

The show then rolls out in the obvious direction with each wife making her case on why Henry loved her most and therefore deserves to join him when he arrives. What isn’t obvious however is Travis’s superbly frenetic, almost Vogue-like, transformations back and forth between wives, right down to taking care to remember which woman is holding poor Boleyn’s head. It’s a tour de force performance that had the audience laughing non-stop from start to finish. So much that so that it’s easy to forget that we are getting a very comprehensive and fascinating lesson in not only history but Royal lineage. At one point the women decide that the wife with the closest ties to royalty should be the chosen one. This sets off a tirade where each one in turn rattles off her impressive family tree of regal ties until all the women realize that they are in fact descendants of King Edward the 1^st. It’s a remarkable piece of writing and a difficult narrative passage to master and it does cause Travis to work up quite a sweat. But she is well rewarded with the effort by the screams of laughter coming from an audience she holds in the palm of her hand. If perhaps just a tad too long.

By the time we get to the one hour mark in the show, we feel that it is starting to wind down, only to find that a new wrinkle in the wives’ decisions forces them to once again take turns telling more of their tale and make their case. The slight groan of ‘here we go again’ though is quickly forgotten when Travis continues to entertain and enlighten us with even more wonderful material.

When Henry finally does arrive and the wives announce their decision, Travis has given all she has, the audience is on their feet and I imagine that every teacher in attendance is thinking, why can’t I do that?

 

RATING

For Fringeaholics – Incredibly funny, smart, informative and one of the best performers you’ll see all Fringe. SEE IT

For light Fringers – Now THIS is a one woman performance. I’d even venture to say that if you can only see one show this Fringe – this one should be it. SEE IT

Radio: 30

August 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, 2013

Lantern Church Gym

http://see.calgaryfringe.ca/events/404-radio-30

“Ever have one of those days? Ever wonder why.” These are the opening lines of a radio spot that Ron, a commercial voice actor, must master in Chris Earle’s Radio: 30. They are also a prophetic clue about what is to become of poor Ron during the taping of said commercial.

Ron is the successful ‘go to guy”’ when it comes to voice overs. He has the sound clients are looking for these days – the warm, friendly sincere sales pitch. Ron delivers a commercial like he’s talking to a best friend. It’s easy work he says, just half an hour at most and then he’s done for the day. The best part is that he makes more in that half hour than most people make in a day. So yeah, life is pretty good for Ron. Except he doesn’t actually have a best friend. Or he did but then he slept with his wife and there went that. And oh yeah, the great job he has? Well Ron knows that he’s simply the flavour of the month and soon enough he will be replaced by the next guy with the newer sounding pitch. Just like he replaced the guy before him.

We learn all of the messy details in between takes as Ron sits in a sound booth waiting for his technician Mike to give him feedback on his attempts and/or make changes to the script. Along the way we learn some tricks of the trade like how not to make breath sounds when recording and how when you smile your voice automatically sounds happy regardless if you are or not. Good tools for radio work, but for Ron they are also good tools for dulling the pain and stress he’s feeling. Turns out the easy-going warm and friendly sales pitch guy is actually full of angst that is eating him alive. And we get to watch.

Unlike most Fringe shows where big characters and over the top charisma win the day, Earle uses restraint and intelligent mellowness in both his superb writing and excellent acting to tell his tale. Juxtaposed to the underlying angst that eventually causes Ron fall to pieces in the recording room, the calm delivery is eerily effective and satisfyingly difficult to watch.

Unsatisfying however was how difficult it was to watch this show was from a staging point of view. Arriving last-minute as one often does racing from one Fringe show to another, I was forced to take a chair in the bank of seats situated way over to one side of the theatre and behind Earle’s back. And while he tried his best to crane his neck around to give us better sight lines, we spent most of the show watching him from behind. It was actually a fellow patron who pointed out that all the director needed to do was position Earle facing out toward the audience to solve this problem for good and for everyone. Very true. With such a subtle vocal delivery it becomes crucial to see Earle’s face when the breakdown begins and while it didn’t limit the enjoyment of the show, it did damped the emotional impact somewhat. But if turning an actor around 90 degrees is my only quibble, well that my friends is still a Fringe show worth seeing.

RATING

For Fringeaholics – There is a reason this show was a huge hit when it premiered at the Toronto Fringe Festival in 1999. And there’s a reason that it’s a huge Fringe circuit hit again this year in its updated version. Good theatre lasts and good drama is a gem to find at a Fringe. You’ll want to make it part of your experience this summer. SEE IT

For the light Fringers – Dramas are hard to come by at Fringes where the comedy rules the day. And while a show about a breakdown may sound like a buzz kill from all the fun you’re having, this well-conceived show is worth taking a time out for seriousness. SEE IT

Nashville Hurricane

August 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 8 and 9, 2013

Dade Art & Design Lab

http://see.calgaryfringe.ca/events/410-nashville-hurricane

 

How do you follow up on what was by all accounts (mine included) a perfect Fringe show? Two years ago Chase Padgett and his multi-character cabaret 6 Guitars took the Calgary Fringe Festival by storm, wowing audiences and gaining universal praise from all the critics. In fact it was so popular that Chase successfully brought it back to last year’s Fringe, along with a slapdash-feeling new show that didn’t even come close to the prowess or creativity of his first effort. But if there was any fear that he only had one marvellous show in him, Nashville Hurricane puts those worries to rest. Third time out and Chase once again gives us his enchanting multi-character narrative, but this time he lets his acting take centre stage over his playing/singing. The result is a more mature and complex story that tickles our funny bone, breaks our hearts, and has us cheering for some odd and bedraggled characters.

The story concerns Henry, a young, socially inept but frighteningly smart ten-year old boy living in white trash poverty with his tattooed, foul-mouthed, trouble maker of a mother. Henry isn’t much for school, but through reading he manages to achieve stellar scientific knowledge and the ability to put it to use. He even manages to fix his drunken mom’s TV set using only gum and tinfoil. One day picking up his absent father’s guitar, Henry learns that he can see music like shapes or a puzzle and self-diagnoses with synesthesia –  a condition where there is a mixing of the senses due to cross-wiring in the brain. Unfazed by this condition, Henry teaches himself music, but only to play for himself. He is far too shy to want to perform for a crowd.

His mother however has other plans. Down on her luck after several entrepreneurial ventures fail (her manure business goes belly up because “folks didn’t like my poop”) she pushes Henry to compete in a local talent show where the top prize was $300. Henry thrills the crowd, wins the prize and gets taken under the wing of a sleazy minister turned talent manager who begins to mold him into the superstar he believes Henry can be. God, the agents tells us, wants us to prosper and by golly Henry just might make all of them rich if all goes well.

However, this isn’t a happy rise to fame story despite the fact the Chase keeps us laughing hard throughout  much of the show. In fact it’s the opposite. Nashville Hurricane is really a chronicle of loss – loss of loved ones, loss of freedom, loss of dreams and loss of power – and the potential to find happiness in spite of it.  Hey, I told you this was a more mature kind of show. But make no mistake, this maturity doesn’t at all dampen the fun Chase has with these characters or the delight the audience has in their presence. Frankly I could sit and watch a show with no one but Henry’s show-stealing hooligan-with-a-heart mother and laugh hysterically for a full hour.

Writing delicious characters and bringing them to life aside, a Chase Padgett show would not be complete if he didn’t at least play a little guitar and sing. We don’t get much of it in Nashville Hurricane, only two songs. But the finale, which will make you look at a beer bottle in a totally different way is worth the wait. The guitar sits on stage all show teasing the audience and practically making us beg for Chase to pick it up. I’m sure some will say that he didn’t do it often enough. But I’m actually glad he used musical restrain in this show. It turns out the way to top your original Fringe success, is to not give the audience exactly what they’ve come to expect.

RATING

For Fringeaholics – Go if you previously saw 6 Guitars. Go if you haven’t. Just make sure you go. SEE IT

For light Fringers – Same as above. SEE IT

 

FRUITCAKE Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward

August 3, 4, 5, 8 and 10, 2013

Artpoint Gallery

http://see.calgaryfringe.ca/events/393-fruitcake-ten-commandments-from-the-psych-ward

 

As an outsider looking in, I imagine that working as a psychiatric nurse requires compassion, patience and benevolence towards those who at times are unable to help themselves. I’ve been told by those in the profession that in order to survive the experience, one also needs to develop a good sense of dark humour about the whole thing. Laughter in the trenches, so to speak. Rob Gee’s FRUITCAKE Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward gives us a show that wonderfully illustrates both sides of the job.

A registered psychiatric nurse for eleven years, Gee has specialized in acute cases working at facilities in both the UK and Australia. He’s seen the worst of the worst and turned it into a funny, insightful, interesting and surprisingly touching sixty minute show of sorts. I say of sorts because Gee’s one man performance does not take the traditional confessional route that so many other Fringe show’s follow. Rather, Gee, who is now a full-time stand up poet, uses his new vocation to craft a show that is more vignette slam poetry than actual plot. And to make it work, he uses God.

Coming to us through the mellifluous voice of a hearty Caribbean woman, God announces each scene of Gee’s play by telling us one commandment of the psych ward including, “Thou shall honour the psyche” and a missive extolling the virtues of realizing that “it is what it is”. Following each heavenly order, Gee launches into a related skit of his experience with the patients and staff he encountered over the years. But it all starts with the super-charged and hilariously blunt ward nurse who rattles off the status of patients in the unit before taking what sounds like a much-needed break –  “Anita’s bookies are betting she’ll do herself in, Jess says she’d rather eat shit than move rooms and that’s pretty impressive considering she’s an anorexic, paranoid Andrea has been admitted for hitting a police officer with a rubber chicken at Safeway and Marin tried to pull his front teeth out but other than that he’s alright”. It’s a superbly performed, take no breath, breakneck delivery by Gee that sets up the characters in the show and gives us permission to laugh not at the patients per se, but at the circumstances they find themselves in. It’s this distinction that makes FRUITCAKE a quality show.

Gee is a funny guy and the stories he tells about his patients are bizarrely amusing – there’s Duncan the paranoid schizophrenic who is sure that the experiments that the people in his head are doing to him is the cause of his schizophrenia, Herb the speed freak who is unintentionally hilarious when high and then of course there’s Andrea, the chicken whacker who is just trying not to be poisoned. Gee’s imitations of these souls are laughter inducing to be sure, but at no time do we ever get the feeling that he’s mocking them. Underneath the comedy in this show is a respect and understanding for their plight and a healthy ability to laugh at what one can’t control.

Nowhere is this better illustrated than through one of the last patients we meet, a man in the midst of a stress induced psychotic episode who self-harms in the most gruesome of manners. Gee plays him without judgement and even though there is room for laughter in this scene, we are left more touched than amused. It’s an impressive balance.

 

 RATING

For Fringeaholics – It might feel more like a string of skits than a comprehensive show but Gee is a thoroughly compelling performer with a keen eye for dark humour and a sensitivity for his subject that is intelligent and endearing. SEE IT

For light Fringers – You’ll laugh and learn and be happy to spend one hour with this talented performer. A great addition to the few shows you’ll catch this Fringe. SEE IT

They Call me Mister Fry

August 2, 3, 4, 6, 9 and 10, 2013

Lantern Church Gym

http://see.calgaryfringe.ca/events/405-they-call-me-mister-fry

Pop quiz – what do Up the Down Staircase, Blackboard Jungle, Stand and Deliver, Dangerous Minds and Lean on Me all have in common? If you answered that these are all stories about underprivileged/problematic school kids and the inspirational teacher (or principal) that connects with them and turns their lives around, sure you’d be correct. But more importantly, they all have a charismatic lead character, a teacher that makes this clichéd story we’ve seen a million times over compelling and to a greater or lesser degree worth sitting through once again.

Unfortunately this is not the case with They Call me Mister Fry, Jack Fry’s one-man show about his experience as a first-year teacher teaching fifth grade in South Central Los Angeles. It’s a true tale from start to the exhaustingly long ninety minute finish and it has all the hallmarks of a story of this nature. Inexperienced, naïve teacher? Check. Out of control kids? Check. Troublemaker student who can’t be reached? Check. Stubborn student who eventually bonds with the teacher? Check. A teacher who is moved and grows due to the pluck of his students? Check. It’s all there and then some.

This is not to say that the stories themselves aren’t absorbing, at times they are. Especially when we learn exactly why the juvenile delinquent Anthony is the way he is, and cringe when more tragedy befalls the youngster. These are real stories of real people and one can’t help but be moved by their struggle.

The problem is that Mr. Fry’s struggle alongside them just isn’t that enchanting. Jack Fry does his best to both amuse and touch his audience but strains to do justice to either. His imitations of his students, fellow teachers and fiancée are one dimensional and poorly crafted.  His comic bit playing alter ego King Arthur as inspirational leader to either himself or his students comes out sounding like a cross between Gollum and Peter O’Toole and not in a good way. And his poignant moments try so hard to get an emotional rise out of the audience that I for one was left quite unmoved.

In the program, the play is described as, “a story about redemption, transformation, the fragility of life and what our purpose is.” I can agree that all of that is in there somewhere. But during a scene were Mr. Fry is sent to “teacher jail” for inadequate performance all I could do was shake my head in agreement. Mr. Fry might have managed to work his way towards being a better teacher, but in terms of a performer, I’m afraid he is still inadequate.

RATING

For Fringeaholics – This won’t be the worst Fringe show you see by far. But the 90 minute run time, the well-worn story and the mediocre performance certainly don’t make this a must see. Still, the true stories of these kids and what they have to contend with is worth noting. MAYBE SEE IT

For light Fringers – If you are only seeing a couple shows this fest, you can do far better. Or at least I’m hoping so! SKIP IT

 

Hooray, the Fringe is here! That’s what I think every year as the Calgary Fringe descends upon the city for nine days of theatre gorging insanity. I also think how exhausted I’m going to be running to several shows a day, writing  daily online critiques, giving multiple on-air reviews and generally not eating or sleeping properly for the duration. All in the name of art, I tell myself! And even if I see a few stinkers along the way, well that’s just part of the Fringe experience that makes the festival such an exciting gamble.

But as I poured through the lineup of 32 shows this year, an interesting pattern emerged. All but a handful of shows chosen by lottery for this year’s Fringe Festival are performances that not only have played at other festivals on the circuit, but have received good to rave reviews by those with the power to bestow such public accolades. My first reaction was – Great….looks like there are really fabulous shows at this year’s festival! Not that I always agree with what other critic’s think. In fact, a few of the most praised shows at last year’s Fringe landed on my meh to most-disliked list. But at least this year we’re getting to see many of the hits from other festivals so that we can make up our own minds about them and then either agree or internally argue with the aforementioned critics. All good and carry on.

My second reaction was not quite as positive. Part of what I love about the Fringe is the unknown and the excitement/risk that comes with seeing a show you can know nothing about. That anticipation and discovery is somewhat quashed this year as only handful of shows (about ¼) are either premiering or come without any reviews whatsoever. Such is the luck or the downside of a lottery process, I suppose.

Perhaps somewhat hypocritically, the majority of the shows whose themes, performers or methods intrigue me this year fall into the ‘already come with good reviews’ category. I can assure you that while I can’t help but notice the reviews, they were not what pushed me into slotting these shows into my schedule. Remember…I often disagree vehemently with what others before me have opined. They were chosen purely out of interest. As were the few shows that I plan on seeing that have had nothing previously said or written about them.

So – after this long ramble – here’s what I’m planning on seeing/reviewing at the 2013 Calgary Fringe:

A Day in the Life of Miss Hiccup

Beethoven Rolls Over

Borderland

Fat Sex! – Steve Larkin’s body… of poems and songs!

FRUITCAKE – Ten Commandments from the Psych Ward

Geek Life

Limbo

Ludwig & Lohengrin

Nashville Hurricane

Radio:30

Rel8Shun

Serving Bait to Rich People

The Show Must Go On

They Call Me Mister Fry

Til Death: The Six Wives of Henry VIII

As always, this lineup can/will change due to various factors like word of mouth that sends me to a show I’ve not included, accidentally arriving late to a performance and not being allowed in (Doh!) or being so wowed by a show that I need some time to think about it uninterrupted by another following performance. Hey, stuff happens. But barring all these situations, this is the schedule I’m aiming for with some wiggle room to add on extras.

This is where you come in. See a show that wowed you? Let me know. Sell me on it hard enough and I just might squeak it in. See something you hated, yes, I want to hear about that too. And as always, comments on my reviews always welcome and encouraged.

So happy Fringing everyone – I’ll see you out there!

Psst!! if you want to hear about some of my Fringe picks this year and my tips of how best to navigate your experience – listen to my Fringe Preview on CBC’s Calgary Eyeopener at http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/columnists/theatre/2013/07/31/jessica-goldman-fringe-preview/

 

Congratulations to all the nominees and winners of the 2^nd Annual Calgary Critics’ Awards!! It was an especially strong year in every category and I am immensely grateful for all the hours of thrilling experiences the theatre community gave us in Calgary this season.

Also, a big thank you to all of you who came out to our awards event at the Libertine on July 24^th.

We have felt right from the start that simply announcing awards without getting the community together was not our goal. The Critters are about celebrating the strong and vibrant theatre scene in Calgary and giving us all a chance to come together to say  – job well done!

I will post the event photos once they are ready so check back to see your smiling faces or to see what a great time you missed!

Meanwhile – here are our 2012/13 winners!

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Esther Purves-Smith – Dust (Alberta Theatre Projects)

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A PLAY

Frank Zotter – Jack Goes Boating (Sage Theatre)

BEST FEATURED ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Sara Farb – Next to Normal (Theatre Calgary)

BEST FEATURED ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

Scott Shpeley – You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown (Alberta Theatre Projects)

BEST SOLO PERFORMANCE

Paul Welch – I Am My Own Wife (Third Street Theatre)

BEST DESIGN

Terry Gunvordahl – Polygraph (Sage Theatre)

BEST ACTOR IN A MUSICAL

J.P. Thibodeau – The Last Five Years (Storybook Theatre) Stephen to award

BEST ACTRESS IN A MUSICAL

Marisa McIntyre – Chicago (Stage West)

BEST ACTOR IN A PLAY

Christian Goutsis – Hamlet (The Shakespeare Company)

BEST ACTRESS IN A PLAY

Genevieve Pare – Polygraph (Sage Theatre)

BEST TOURING PRODUCTION

Metamorphosis- (Lyric Theatre & Vesturport)

BEST NEW SCRIPT

Sequence- by Arun Lakra (Downstage)

BEST DIRECTOR OF A MUSICAL

Max Reimer – Chicago (Stage West)

BEST MUSICAL

Chicago, Stage West

BEST DIRECTOR OF A PLAY 

Haysam Kadri – Hamlet (The Shakespeare Company)

BEST PLAY

Pride and Prejudice, Theatre Calgary

Nathan Schmidt as the Librarian in Underneath the Lintel

Underneath the Lintel

July 3 – August 24 at 5:00 pm Wednesdays to Saturdays

Rosebud Studio Stage

http://www.rosebudtheatre.com/rosebud-theatre-current-season.html

Listen to my review on CBC’s Calgary Eyeopener at http://www.cbc.ca/eyeopener/columnists/theatre/2013/07/22/jessica-goldman-underneath-the-lintel/

 

One of the greatest thrills a theatre critic can experience is witnessing an actor’s performance so exceptional that she is tossed- up about what to obsess over – the artist’s current performance or the excited expectation of seeing them again in another role. Of course this anticipation is a bated-breath minefield. Will the actor live up to the previous effort and will the second time around be as electrifying? Well, Nathan Schmidt, you most certainly did it again and then some.

I swore when I saw this talented actor’s supporting role in last summer’s production of My Name is Asher Lev at Rosebud Studio that I would do everything in my power to see him again. So when I learned that Schmidt would be starring in a one-man performance of the Drama Desk nominated Underneath the Lintel back out at Rosebud, I was in! Ninety minute drive from Calgary be damned! The reward far outdoes the effort. Schmidt, under the adroit direction of Paul F. Muir, tickles every theatrical nerve ending, turning in a sweet, quirky and superbly acted performance that far surpasses the script’s occasional failings.

Glen Berger’s 2001 play, Underneath the Lintel, introduces us to a nerdy and stiff Dutch librarian whose main pleasure in life is to levy fines for overdue books and whose only ambition is to be promoted to the library’s acquisitions department. That is until one day he encounters a book that is one hundred and thirteen years overdue. At first he thinks it must have been returned by the great-grandson of the original borrower, but he soon realizes that the truth is more of a mystery than he could have ever imagined.  Curiosity unshackles him from his small myopic existence and he embarks on a global quest (wonderfully illustrated by Jerod Falman and Rachel Peacock’s low tech slide show and sound design) to find out who anonymously returned the book. Unsurprisingly, along the way, the Librarian learns as much about himself as he does the mystery person he’s looking for.

Well, perhaps mystery is too strong a word given that it is revealed in the play’s title and also very early in the show.  Underneath the Lintel is a reference to the legend of the Wandering Jew. Not a biblical story, but instead an anti-Semitic medieval Christian myth, the story of the Wandering Jew has been used over the years as justification for Jewish persecution. The legend goes like this – A Jew was said to have mocked Christ on the way to the Crucifixion, a taunting that took place underneath the lintel or the stone awning of a cobbler’s shop. The Jew was then cursed by God to wander the earth anonymously until the Second Coming.

The Librarian knows the myth – doesn’t believe in it – in fact doesn’t believe in God at all. But as the clues keep pointing towards the possibility that it was the Wandering Jew who checked out and returned the book, the Librarian is forced to deal with some big questions. Was the Jew treated unfairly by God, what place does defiance have in a meaningful life and how do you make yourself known in such a vast, often unkind world? Weighty subjects to be sure, but ideas that are mostly given a humorous touch.  Underneath the Lintel is a giggle along experience that allows and encourages us to laugh with and at the transforming Librarian as he works up to the decidedly serious climax of the show. Perhaps it’s this jarring and frenetic switch of tone that left the audience a little baffled at the conclusion. I overheard more than one “huh? I don’t get it” from people as the lights came up and I can only assume this was the reason for the enthusiastic but not roaring applause that Schmidt greatly deserved.

So yes, this is a show that has some narrative weak spots (I’ll add to the list the unnecessary and melodramatic inclusion of the Librarian’s girlfriend that ‘got away’ plotline). And yes, there is some frustration with an ending that doesn’t fully and effectively communicate what the playwright intended. But if you are willing to think and discuss after the curtain, much can be gleaned to bring great meaning back to this narrative.  If not, there can be no denying the pleasure derived from simply sitting back and watching Schmidt do his stuff. Under his care, the Librarian is a physical and emotional wonder of quirks and mannerisms and cadence that turn an odd character into something quite loveable and a decent enough script into something quite magical in the moment. With Nathan Schmidt on stage, I’ll take every moment I can get.

RATING

For the occasional theatre goer – Don’t be put off by the serious themes and messages of this show. You will spend most of your time laughing and feeling great affection for the odd Librarian as he sets off on his quest. But prepare yourself for an ambiguous ending that doesn’t hand the moral of the story to you easily. Consider it a challenge to figure it out. SEE IT

For the theatre junkie – Can all be forgiven thanks to a tour de force performance? Maybe not. You’ll see the flaws in the writing and want to wish them away. But this will all become minor quibbles when you consider Schmidt’s talent. No doubt you too will be looking forward his next turn on the stage. SEE IT

2013 Critter Nominations Announced

Calgary Theatre Critics’ Awards honour 78 nominees in 16 categories

Calgary Theatre Critics, Stephen Hunt of the Calgary Herald, Louis B. Hobson of the Calgary Sun and Jessica Goldman of CBC’s The Eyeopener and applause-meter.com are pleased to announce the nominees for the second annual Calgary Theatre Critics’ Awards.

Nominees were chosen from any production performed in Calgary between August, 2012 and June, 2013, with the exception of Broadway Across Canada performances. The winners will be announced at a free public award ceremony at 8pm on July 24^th at The Libertine Public House, 223 8 Ave SW.

The 2013 Critter nominees are:

Best Play:

Hamlet, The Shakespeare Company

Pride and Prejudice, Theatre Calgary

The Kite Runner, Theatre Calgary

Jack Goes Boating, Sage Theatre

William Shakespeare’s Land of the Dead, The Shakespeare Company/Ground Zero Hit & Myth Productions

Best Musical

Chicago. Stage West

Next to Normal, Theatre Calgary

Blanche: The Bittersweet Life of a Wild Prairie Dame, Lunchbox Theatre/High Performance Rodeo

The Last Five Years, Storybook Theatre

If I Weren’t With You, Lunchbox Theatre

Best New Script

Sequence by Arun Lakra (Downstage/Hit & Myth Productions)

People You May Know by One Yellow Rabbit

Second Chance, First Love by Caroline Russell-King (Lunchbox)

This Is How I Left by Third Street Theatre Creative Ensemble

May and Joe by Morris Ertman. Heather Pattengale and Paul Zacharias (Rosebud Theatre)

Best Touring Production

Look Mummy I’m Dancing by Vanessa Van Durme

Metamorphosis (Lyric Theatre & Vesturport)

Ride The Cyclone (Atomic Vaudeville)

This is What Happens Next by Daniel McIvor (Alberta Theatre Projects)

The God That Comes, Created by Hawksley Workman and Christian Barry (Alberta Theatre Projects)

Best Director Play

Haysam Kadri – Hamlet (The Shakespeare Company)

Dennis Garnhum – Pride and Prejudice (Theatre Calgary)

Mark Bellamy – Scarlet Woman (Lunchbox Theatre)

Kelly Reay – Polygraph (Sage Theatre)

Kevin McKendrick – Sequence (Downstage)

Best Director Musical

Ron Jenkins – Next to Normal (Theatre Calgary)

Max Reimer – Chicago (Stage West)

David Leyshon – If I Weren’t With You (Lunchbox)

Marc Bellamy – The Last Five Years (Storybook Theatre)

Rachel Avery – Blanche: the Bittersweet Life of a Wild Prairie Dame (Lunchbox/High Performance Rodeo)

Best Actor in a Play

Garett Ross – Jack Goes Boating (Sage Theatre)

Christian Goutsis – Hamlet (The Shakespeare Company)

Wes Tritter – Second Chance, First Love (Lunchbox Theatre)

Anousha Alamian – The Kite Runner (Theatre Calgary)

Brian Jensen – A Steady Rain (Ground Zero and Hit & Myth Productions)

Best Actress in a Play

Denise Clarke – People You May Know (One Yellow Rabbit)

Julie Orton – Scarlet Woman (Lunchbox Theatre)

Alyssa Bradac – This is How I Left (Third Street Theatre)

Karen Robinson – Intimate Apparel (Alberta Theatre Projects)

Genevieve Pare – Polygraph (Sage Theatre)

Best Actor in a Musical

Bart Kwiatkowski – Evil Dead: The Musical (Ground Zero/Hit & Myth Productions)

Matt Cassidy – Chicago (Stage West)

J.P. Thibodeau – The Last Five Years (Storybook Theatre)

Robert Marcus – Next to Normal (Theatre Calgary)

Barrie Wood – Anne of Green Gables (Theatre Calgary)

Best Actress in a Musical

Kathryn Akin – Next to Normal (Theatre Calgary)

Marisa McIntyre – Chicago (Stage West)

Madeleine Suddaby – The Last Five Years (Storybook Theatre)

Onalea Gilbertson – Blanche: The Bittersweet Life of a Wild Prairie Dame (Lunchbox/High Performance Rodeo)

Jill Agopsowicz – Anne of Green Gables (Theatre Calgary)

Featured Actor in a Play

Frank Zotter – Jack Goes Boating (Sage Theatre)

Graham Percy – Intimate Apparel (Alberta Theatre Projects)

Paul Welch – It Could Be Any Of Us (Vertigo Theatre)

Duval Lang – Hamlet (The Shakespeare Company)

Roger LeBlanc – Hamlet (The Shakespeare Company)

Featured Actress in a Play

Julie Orton – Intimate Apparel (Alberta Theatre Projects)

Esther Purves-Smith – Dust (Alberta Theatre Projects)

Elinor Holt – It Could be Any One of Us (Vertigo Theatre)

Shawna Burnett – Jack Goes Boating (Sage Theatre)

Valerie Ann Pearson – Panic (Vertigo Theatre)

Featured Actor in a Musical

Scott Shpeley – You’re a Good Many, Charlie Brown (Alberta Theatre Projects)

Michael Cox – Next to Normal (Theatre Calgary)

Ed Shaley – Chicago (Stage West)

Jeremy Crittenden – Anne of Green Gables (Theatre Calgary)

Featured Actress in a Musical

Sara Farb – Next to Normal (Theatre Calgary)

Alyssa Billingsly – Evil Dead: The Musical (Ground Zero and Hit & Myth)

Lisa Lennox – Charlie Brown (Alberta Theatre Projects)

Denise Clarke – Songs from Nightingale Alley (One Yellow Rabbit)

Best Solo Performance

Paul Welch – I Am My Own Wife (Third Street Theatre)

Haysam Kadri – Bashir Lazhar (Downstage)

Chantal Perron – Aviatrix (Lunchbox Theatre)

Heather Pattengale – Badger (Theatre BSMT)

Monice Peter – The Dandelion Project (Verb Theatre)

Best Design

Terry Gunvordahl – Polygraph (Sage Theatre)

Terry Gunvordahl, Kaely Dekker, Andrew Blizzard – Panic (Vertigo Theatre)

Patrick Clark – Pride and Prejudice (Theatre Calgary)

Kerem Cetinel – The Kite Runner (Theatre Calgary)

Martin Evans – Hamlet (The Shakespeare Company)

In addition, the critics will be handing out a special award entitled the Evans Award to someone they feel has contributed greatly to the vibrancy of the theatre community in Calgary. The award recipient will be revealed on the night of the event.

To attend the Calgary Critics’ Awards please RSVP to critterawards2013@gmail.com as soon as possible as there are a limited number of spots available. Doors open at 7pm with complimentary nibbles for everyone. The awards will begin at 8pm and the celebration will continue until they kick us all out.

The Calgary Critics would like to thank their event sponsors: Calgary Herald, Calgary Sun, Davis Jensen Law, Bottom Line Productions, Clarice Siebens and Petrocraft Storage Inc. for their support and enthusiasm.