As I hinted in my review of Dead Girls, there are strong links between that collection and Evelyn Lau's Fresh Girls and Other Stories. However, there are no dead bodies piling up in Lau's stories, which is a bit of a relief (particularly as Toronto is currently finding out about the doings of a serial killer stalking the gay community, so it all hits far too close to home). Indeed, there is really no violence directed against any of these young prostitutes, though one might argue that they are on the receiving end of emotional violence. In the first two or three stories, a pimp seems to be involved, so there is certainly the potential for violence or abuse. Nonetheless, it is almost refreshing to read stories about prostitutes that don't automatically devolve into violence against the women.
What is present in many of the stories, particularly "Roses" and "Marriage" is that in some cases the young women are dreaming that their johns will fall for them and save them from this life. In "Fresh Girls," one of the women begins confronting the fact that there is always fresh meat and someone even younger just around the corner. The shelf life of a typical prostitute is not all that long. Thus, it is critical for them to develop regulars, even if they are pretty distasteful, such as the old man who is hoping that hiring his escort will solve his erectile dysfunction problems.
One avenue that some of the prostitutes go down is specializing in bondage, becoming dominatrices. While there is still odd power imbalances (in that the men are still paying for these services), they still seem better off than run-of-the-mill prostitutes and they probably can maintain a career as a dominatrix longer.
It's hard to rate the stories just on their literary merit, aside from their adult content. The stories are short and to the point. Mostly the women strike me as sad cases, though it isn't always clear they view themselves as victims, particularly the dominatrices. Maybe the saddest is the woman in "Glass" who punches out a window and then has to deal with cleaning up the mess. She seems particularly unable to cope with her tenuous situation, but as I said, most of the women have generally come to the point where they don't like their careers, such as they are, very much, but they don't see any clear options out. It is a very rare person, like Evelyn Lau herself, who finds a path out of the sex trade. Anyway, the collection is a fast read and worth checking out for those who are drawn to the seedier side of urban fiction.
Wednesday, January 31, 2018
Back to boots
We had a decent stretch through the weekend where it was dry and relatively sunny and not even that cold. I got lulled into the false complacency and didn't bother to check the weather on Monday morning. Big mistake. I got caught at work with just regular shoes as it snowed all afternoon. It was a very powdery snow, but it still made a big mess of the sidewalk on the way home. I actually had to shovel that evening and then again in the morning. It has stopped for now though apparently it will probably snow again at some point today. Tomorrow should be ok, then the bottom drops out again. Friday is supposed to be something like -9 C! And the following week we won't break freezing. It does look like it will be a tough February. Oh joy.
So perhaps I should just provide a few updates. I've been going to a lot of theatre, most of which I appreciated more than actually enjoyed. I have a few thoughts I should try to get down soon, but basically I am wondering why theatre has really stayed so conventional when art films and the art world more generally seems to want to keep moving in an avante-garde direction with some inevitable counter-currents. I suspect at the end of the day it is because theatre doesn't exist without a paying audience and the audience today seems pretty conventional. Anyway, more on that later.
I have not been very good about going to the gym. I just really don't like going out there when it is cold. I might go a bit more if we had a tunnel instead of the bridge over the railroad tracks, but fundamentally I just don't like shuffling through the snow. It's probably going to be a perpetual problem (the whole point of getting the gym membership was to work out when I wasn't biking, i.e. during the winter!). Anyway, I will see about going tonight as it is one of the last days left before it gets really cold. I guess I would give myself a D on going to the gym. A C+ for doing some exercise at home in the mornings. Maybe a B for improving my diet at work, cutting out the sugary snacks I relied on in the morning and replacing this with fruit (and chewing gum). It would be a B+ except I haven't been good about avoid temptations, such as co-workers leaving cookies around... Definitely a lot of room for improvement.
I finally got back into the quilting and am getting fairly close to having the second panel ready. It looks like this when the two parts are put together.
I did some calculations, and I think it is going to be on the small side. I probably will need to put on extra wide borders.
Anyway, I have only put in a few hours rewriting my script for the Fringe, so I think I need to make that a much higher priority through the end of the week. Hopefully I can report back soon that the next draft is ready.
So perhaps I should just provide a few updates. I've been going to a lot of theatre, most of which I appreciated more than actually enjoyed. I have a few thoughts I should try to get down soon, but basically I am wondering why theatre has really stayed so conventional when art films and the art world more generally seems to want to keep moving in an avante-garde direction with some inevitable counter-currents. I suspect at the end of the day it is because theatre doesn't exist without a paying audience and the audience today seems pretty conventional. Anyway, more on that later.
I have not been very good about going to the gym. I just really don't like going out there when it is cold. I might go a bit more if we had a tunnel instead of the bridge over the railroad tracks, but fundamentally I just don't like shuffling through the snow. It's probably going to be a perpetual problem (the whole point of getting the gym membership was to work out when I wasn't biking, i.e. during the winter!). Anyway, I will see about going tonight as it is one of the last days left before it gets really cold. I guess I would give myself a D on going to the gym. A C+ for doing some exercise at home in the mornings. Maybe a B for improving my diet at work, cutting out the sugary snacks I relied on in the morning and replacing this with fruit (and chewing gum). It would be a B+ except I haven't been good about avoid temptations, such as co-workers leaving cookies around... Definitely a lot of room for improvement.
I finally got back into the quilting and am getting fairly close to having the second panel ready. It looks like this when the two parts are put together.
I did some calculations, and I think it is going to be on the small side. I probably will need to put on extra wide borders.
Anyway, I have only put in a few hours rewriting my script for the Fringe, so I think I need to make that a much higher priority through the end of the week. Hopefully I can report back soon that the next draft is ready.
Tuesday, January 23, 2018
Ursula Le Guin 1929-2018
I don't generally write too much about genre authors in the blog, though my reading through my teens was dominated by science fiction and some forays into fantasy. I thought I should take the time to mark the passing of one of the giants of the field - Ursula Le Guin. Generally, I would pair Ursula Le Guin with Roger Zelazny as innovators that did something quite new with the field, delving more into myth (in Zelazny's case) and getting more into the anthropological side of non-human societies (in Le Guin's case). It's been decades since I read The Left Hand of Darkness, but I still remember what an amazing thing it was to conceive of a species who could change gender in response to environmental stress. While it was a much slighter affair, Changing Planes has a more playful approach to world building.
I recently introduced my son to the Earthsea Trilogy (I think the other novels are still a bit beyond him). Imagine my surprise when I learned that she had added another 3 novels to the original trilogy! I haven't decided when I will try to tackle them, but maybe next year (perhaps slotting them in after DeLillo's Cosmopolis?). I see that at some point in 2018, an illustrated omnibus edition of The Earthsea Saga (including The Daughter of Odren) is supposed to be coming out, though I may decide I don't really need this.
I did buy relatively recently two of her short fiction collections for the Kindle, but I haven't gotten that far through them. One is called The Found and the Lost and is comprised of novellas, including Vaster Than Empires and More Slow, which I just need to sit down and read. The other is called The Unreal and the Real. At a minimum, I should read "The Wild Girls" and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." I'm fairly sure I read her earlier collections The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose, but that would have been a long time ago.
In addition to the Earthsea Trilogy, The Left Hand of Darkness and Changing Planes, I read The Lathe of Heaven. I probably read The Dispossessed, but I am not certain. I think I probably did not read The Word for World is Forest. I know I did not read Malafrena nor Orsinian Tales. Most of her novels and stories are now collected into 3 LOA volumes. I'm not in any huge hurry, so perhaps in a few years I'll see if I can pick these up and then go through the Hainish cycle in the proper order. Always Coming Home was also recommended as another one of her anthropological tales, but probably one to read when in the right frame of mind, i.e. not as a typical subway commute book.
I recently introduced my son to the Earthsea Trilogy (I think the other novels are still a bit beyond him). Imagine my surprise when I learned that she had added another 3 novels to the original trilogy! I haven't decided when I will try to tackle them, but maybe next year (perhaps slotting them in after DeLillo's Cosmopolis?). I see that at some point in 2018, an illustrated omnibus edition of The Earthsea Saga (including The Daughter of Odren) is supposed to be coming out, though I may decide I don't really need this.
I did buy relatively recently two of her short fiction collections for the Kindle, but I haven't gotten that far through them. One is called The Found and the Lost and is comprised of novellas, including Vaster Than Empires and More Slow, which I just need to sit down and read. The other is called The Unreal and the Real. At a minimum, I should read "The Wild Girls" and "The Ones Who Walk Away from Omelas." I'm fairly sure I read her earlier collections The Wind's Twelve Quarters and The Compass Rose, but that would have been a long time ago.
In addition to the Earthsea Trilogy, The Left Hand of Darkness and Changing Planes, I read The Lathe of Heaven. I probably read The Dispossessed, but I am not certain. I think I probably did not read The Word for World is Forest. I know I did not read Malafrena nor Orsinian Tales. Most of her novels and stories are now collected into 3 LOA volumes. I'm not in any huge hurry, so perhaps in a few years I'll see if I can pick these up and then go through the Hainish cycle in the proper order. Always Coming Home was also recommended as another one of her anthropological tales, but probably one to read when in the right frame of mind, i.e. not as a typical subway commute book.
Sick Again
This has been a particularly challenging late fall/winter. I don't know why I have gotten sick again, aside from perhaps being exposed to vast numbers of people at work (more than in my previous job). Of course, there are times I push myself too hard and don't sleep properly... Just this past Sunday, I went to see Lear at Harbourfront and was having the most trouble keeping my coughing to a minimum (at scene breaks and so forth). I had planned to go out again to the TorQ concert, but in the end, just stayed home and tried to get some rest. That didn't prevent me from waking up in the middle of the night and reading to the end of Mitford's The Pursuit of Love.
I dragged myself to work Monday, but it was pretty evident by the afternoon that I was really sick. I stayed home Tuesday and did sleep in most of the day. I feel a little bit better, but still not great. I think I do need to try to make it to work Wed. Now whether I really should go see A Delicate Balance at Soulpepper after work is a different matter. It may already be too late to switch the ticket, but I'll just see how I feel in the morning.
It wasn't all that long ago, last week, that I was thinking how you don't really appreciate it when you are well, and now I have come down with another frigging cold. So frustrating!
I dragged myself to work Monday, but it was pretty evident by the afternoon that I was really sick. I stayed home Tuesday and did sleep in most of the day. I feel a little bit better, but still not great. I think I do need to try to make it to work Wed. Now whether I really should go see A Delicate Balance at Soulpepper after work is a different matter. It may already be too late to switch the ticket, but I'll just see how I feel in the morning.
It wasn't all that long ago, last week, that I was thinking how you don't really appreciate it when you are well, and now I have come down with another frigging cold. So frustrating!
Sunday, January 21, 2018
Small-town Toronto
While it doesn't happen to me all the time, from time to time I do run into someone I know outside the work setting. In one case, it is the mother of one of my daughter's friends. They live about a block away and 2-3 times a month we end up on the same bus in the morning. It doesn't happen nearly as often in the spring/summer/fall, as I am usually riding my bike. Of course, if I am over at Withrow Park or at some school event, then it is hardly surprising if
I run into people I know from the neighbourhood, and that doesn't
really count.
Last Thurs. I ran into one of the city planners I know on the subway, and we had a bit of a chat. Then Sat., I was over at Danforth Tech and saw a former co-worker. He seemed pretty happy (and glad to be in a new job). And periodically I run into other people I know. I'm sure it would happen more if I didn't move around as often (and simply knew more people from school, for example). And I am quite sure this happens far, far more often in Charlottetown or St. John or St. John's, but it is still always amusing to me when it happens.
Last Thurs. I ran into one of the city planners I know on the subway, and we had a bit of a chat. Then Sat., I was over at Danforth Tech and saw a former co-worker. He seemed pretty happy (and glad to be in a new job). And periodically I run into other people I know. I'm sure it would happen more if I didn't move around as often (and simply knew more people from school, for example). And I am quite sure this happens far, far more often in Charlottetown or St. John or St. John's, but it is still always amusing to me when it happens.
Thursday, January 18, 2018
Minor Achievements for the Week
I have gotten slightly better about not only writing about my frustrations, even though they are often top of my mind. Anyway, I have been doing reasonably well at sticking to a new routine of crunches and push-ups every day. The number of push ups is pretty laughable, but I am sure it will get better. Crunches are generally not a problem. I really didn't want to, as the weather was much colder than forecast, but I did go to the gym last night. There is a small chance I will go tonight, after a parents' night at the middle school, but most likely it will be Sat. afternoon. I'm eating a bit better and exercising a bit more, but there is such a long way to go to lose enough weight to feel like I've finally turned the corner. That is frankly depressing. (I won't even list a number I'd like to lose, since that would be even more depressing.)
At any rate, I also got the sewing machine ready and sewed another strip of the quilt. There was a fairly long layoff over the winter break. I'm closing in on the 2nd panel. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, there will be more ripping and resewing of the 3rd and 4th panels, but this will still come together.
I finished a memo for work, though there are some other work-related things I have been putting off until essentially the last minute.
The main goal for the weekend will be to make another pass through Final Exam and try to tighten and improve the script (and start getting the next batch of actors -- I have one definite and two probable so far). I'll check back next week to update on my progress on that.
At any rate, I also got the sewing machine ready and sewed another strip of the quilt. There was a fairly long layoff over the winter break. I'm closing in on the 2nd panel. Unfortunately, as I mentioned, there will be more ripping and resewing of the 3rd and 4th panels, but this will still come together.
I finished a memo for work, though there are some other work-related things I have been putting off until essentially the last minute.
The main goal for the weekend will be to make another pass through Final Exam and try to tighten and improve the script (and start getting the next batch of actors -- I have one definite and two probable so far). I'll check back next week to update on my progress on that.
Tuesday, January 16, 2018
Missing in Action
I have been somewhat absent from the blog lately. I am saving up a number of posts, including a review of Evelyn Lau's Fresh Girls and some thoughts on Trollope's The Way We Live Now. I've basically either been reading (making the final push on the Trollope) or working on a special project at work, which has been particularly interesting to me. I have not gone to the gym often enough (it didn't help that it got very cold again) nor have I been keeping up with the sewing. I suppose I will get back track relatively soon. At least I hope so.
The other thing I have been doing is exploring the music on Apple Music, but also on Naxos Jazz. It turns out the Fantasy/Prestige titles, which used to be on eMusic, have ended up on Naxos Jazz. (Though the titles that are in the public domain in Europe usually end up on some of the other streaming sites.) Anyway, it truly is like being a kid in a candy store, and I have been listening to quite a lot of music while doing these other things. (I'm trying not to drive myself crazy trying to listen to everything, as it is impossible.) I think in the end, I will end up subscribing to Apple Music, though at that point I will have to cancel eMusic.
The other thing I have been doing is exploring the music on Apple Music, but also on Naxos Jazz. It turns out the Fantasy/Prestige titles, which used to be on eMusic, have ended up on Naxos Jazz. (Though the titles that are in the public domain in Europe usually end up on some of the other streaming sites.) Anyway, it truly is like being a kid in a candy store, and I have been listening to quite a lot of music while doing these other things. (I'm trying not to drive myself crazy trying to listen to everything, as it is impossible.) I think in the end, I will end up subscribing to Apple Music, though at that point I will have to cancel eMusic.
Thursday, January 11, 2018
My Prime Adventure
I think I mentioned how I inadvertently clicked on the wrong button and joined Amazon Prime or rather the free trial of Prime. I was kind of pissed, but in the end, I decided to try to stream some of the shows that are exclusive to Amazon before cancelling the trial.
It was really very different (and even a bit difficult) for me to be binging on watching television when I truly don't watch it at all. But there I was watching 2 (and even once 2.5) episodes per night. In the end, I watched all of season 1 and the first episode of season 2. I cancelled Prime with about 20 minutes to go before I was going to be charged. There were definitely some intriguing things about season 2, but I have to say some of the tricks that the writers were relying on were getting on my nerves. Maybe it is just as well that I stop here and don't go out of my way to try to watch the rest of season 2 or season 3.
Relatively minor SPOILERS follow
I was really getting tired of the Perils of Pauline nature of the show where now 4 different characters (Juliana, Joe, Frank and now Ed) are put incredible danger over and over, and get out of it through the most unlikely of coincidences. In particular, I thought Frank's methods of getting out of a jam were particularly impossible, and I was frankly getting tired of seeing him on screen. I also was really tired of the "Is He/Isn't He?" narrative of trying to figure out Joe's real intentions and loyalties.
What I really wanted to see more of was the machinations within the Nippon Building and to a lesser extent in Berlin. These plots seemed more promising to me, but instead we are going to spend most of our time focusing on the 3 (or 4 if you count Joe) exceptional characters who are drawn into the Resistance. Finally, there are a couple of smaller points that just rub me the wrong way, such as the Reich outlawing Bibles. I certainly can't recall that from PDK's novel, and it makes no sense. Trying to eliminate religion was definitely a line that Hitler wouldn't have crossed. I also think it a bit unlikely that Hitler would have ultimately honored any pact with the Japanese, though that at least was true to the original novel. But the idea that Hitler would have given a rat's ass over the bombing of San Francisco just rings so false. I was practically shouting at my screen when that happened. I also think that, given the Japanese were "honoring" the Reich's race laws and eliminating Jews (though not as enthusiastically), it seems all but impossible that African Americans wouldn't have been all gassed as well. Finally, Canada seems to have been a complete anomaly in that, even in the novel, Canada was apparently not conquered by Germany, which makes absolutely no sense. But in any event, if it were free, then why wouldn't all Jews and Blacks have fled there immediately?
The reality slips that Tagomi experiences seem taken directly from Flow My Tears (rather than The Man in the High Castle). I suspect the writers would start using this as a crutch, so again, maybe I am leaving at a good time while I still have pretty good feelings about season 1.
One other thing that I did while I had Prime was to order Susan Sontag Essays of the 1960s and 1970s (Library of America). I've wanted this book for quite a while, though it is a bit annoying that the price never really came down. Even her collection of later essays sells at a deeper discount. The first printing of the book had many errors, which were pointed out (by the public no less). LOA ultimately corrected them, but the ISBN stayed exactly the same, so the only way to know which copy was correct was to look at the copyright page. I simply couldn't find a seller with a used copy that could guarantee they had the correct version. A short while back I visited Indigo, and they had the correct version on the shelves, so I assumed the bad copies had finally been purged out of the system, for new copies at any rate. I also thought (or maybe just hoped) that if I ordered a copy with my Prime membership, Amazon would be slightly more likely to fix the problem if I got a bad copy. Using some Christmas money, I ordered a copy, which showed up on my last day of Prime membership. Fortunately, it was the second printing, so I could rest easy and add it to my bookcase. Maybe this spring, I will start reading through the Sontag essays and some of Joan Didion's as well (though in that case there were no major reported problems with the compilation We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live).
So that's it then. My Prime membership is over. Would I do it again? Probably, but only if I weren't charged for it...
It was really very different (and even a bit difficult) for me to be binging on watching television when I truly don't watch it at all. But there I was watching 2 (and even once 2.5) episodes per night. In the end, I watched all of season 1 and the first episode of season 2. I cancelled Prime with about 20 minutes to go before I was going to be charged. There were definitely some intriguing things about season 2, but I have to say some of the tricks that the writers were relying on were getting on my nerves. Maybe it is just as well that I stop here and don't go out of my way to try to watch the rest of season 2 or season 3.
Relatively minor SPOILERS follow
I was really getting tired of the Perils of Pauline nature of the show where now 4 different characters (Juliana, Joe, Frank and now Ed) are put incredible danger over and over, and get out of it through the most unlikely of coincidences. In particular, I thought Frank's methods of getting out of a jam were particularly impossible, and I was frankly getting tired of seeing him on screen. I also was really tired of the "Is He/Isn't He?" narrative of trying to figure out Joe's real intentions and loyalties.
What I really wanted to see more of was the machinations within the Nippon Building and to a lesser extent in Berlin. These plots seemed more promising to me, but instead we are going to spend most of our time focusing on the 3 (or 4 if you count Joe) exceptional characters who are drawn into the Resistance. Finally, there are a couple of smaller points that just rub me the wrong way, such as the Reich outlawing Bibles. I certainly can't recall that from PDK's novel, and it makes no sense. Trying to eliminate religion was definitely a line that Hitler wouldn't have crossed. I also think it a bit unlikely that Hitler would have ultimately honored any pact with the Japanese, though that at least was true to the original novel. But the idea that Hitler would have given a rat's ass over the bombing of San Francisco just rings so false. I was practically shouting at my screen when that happened. I also think that, given the Japanese were "honoring" the Reich's race laws and eliminating Jews (though not as enthusiastically), it seems all but impossible that African Americans wouldn't have been all gassed as well. Finally, Canada seems to have been a complete anomaly in that, even in the novel, Canada was apparently not conquered by Germany, which makes absolutely no sense. But in any event, if it were free, then why wouldn't all Jews and Blacks have fled there immediately?
The reality slips that Tagomi experiences seem taken directly from Flow My Tears (rather than The Man in the High Castle). I suspect the writers would start using this as a crutch, so again, maybe I am leaving at a good time while I still have pretty good feelings about season 1.
One other thing that I did while I had Prime was to order Susan Sontag Essays of the 1960s and 1970s (Library of America). I've wanted this book for quite a while, though it is a bit annoying that the price never really came down. Even her collection of later essays sells at a deeper discount. The first printing of the book had many errors, which were pointed out (by the public no less). LOA ultimately corrected them, but the ISBN stayed exactly the same, so the only way to know which copy was correct was to look at the copyright page. I simply couldn't find a seller with a used copy that could guarantee they had the correct version. A short while back I visited Indigo, and they had the correct version on the shelves, so I assumed the bad copies had finally been purged out of the system, for new copies at any rate. I also thought (or maybe just hoped) that if I ordered a copy with my Prime membership, Amazon would be slightly more likely to fix the problem if I got a bad copy. Using some Christmas money, I ordered a copy, which showed up on my last day of Prime membership. Fortunately, it was the second printing, so I could rest easy and add it to my bookcase. Maybe this spring, I will start reading through the Sontag essays and some of Joan Didion's as well (though in that case there were no major reported problems with the compilation We Tell Ourselves Stories in Order to Live).
So that's it then. My Prime membership is over. Would I do it again? Probably, but only if I weren't charged for it...
Sunday, January 7, 2018
TorQ at York and Other Upcoming Events
I mentioned briefly at the end of the 2017 concert wrap-up post that I missed a few concerts by TorQ, and I'll try to do a better job of tracking upcoming events. (I also am kicking myself for not booking tickets to Abdullah Ibrahim at Koerner Hall, as the event is now sold out, but maybe one will become available closer to the date.) In actuality, most of the events that interest me are theatre-related, but there will be a few concerts. I was reasonably pleased that I had put most of these plays listed in this article on my to-see list, with the notable exception of Fun Home, which is a musical that Mirvish is presenting. I don't really go to a lot of musicals, though I will be catching Come From Away in March, so I will read more reviews and think more seriously about going to Fun Home in the spring.
I did see the remount of The Wedding Party at Crows' Nest last Thurs. It was a lot of fun, though it is largely a study of inter-household dynamics and not really a play per se. All the actors play multiple parts and virtually all gender swap as well, though perhaps the actor playing mother of the bride plays a dog rather than a male character (I can't quite recall). It runs through Jan. 20.
There is a gender-flipped Lear at Harbourfront in January. It is also notable as the Fool is played by Colin Mochrie.
Hart House is doing Arthur Miller's The Crucible from Jan 19-Feb. 3. The only matinee is Feb. 3, so that's when I will be going.
Shakespeare Bash'd has a short run of Richard III at the Monarch Tavern in early Feb. I expect to go to this, but haven't landed on a specific date.
Jordan Tannahill is back with a new project at Canadian Stage. Declarations is apparently an "ode to mortality." This runs Jan. 23-Feb. 11.
Almost immediately afterwards Canadian Stage has the Canadian premiere of Karam's The Humans. This is one of my most anticipated shows of the season, and I only hope my expectations are not too high.
I'm not sure whether I will like it quite as much as some of these other plays, but I will be checking out Kat Sandler's newest play Bang Bang at Factory in February.
Feb. is starting to get a bit tight, but I'll try to squeeze in a new version of Candide in during Feb., mostly so I can get a 3-show subscription for George Brown's season. (Apparently, the faculty strike has not derailed the spring season.) In April, I will check out Vanbrugh’s The Provoked Wife and Brecht's Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, neither of which I've seen before.
For any theatre goer in Toronto, the news coming out of Soulpepper is very sad, though not really that surprising. Quite a few directors and artistic directors seem prone to abusing their authority. It really isn't clear what the impact on the rest of the season will be. The production of Amadeus, which was due to start next week, is completely cancelled. As far as the other shows, some of the actors who resigned may return to their respective productions, but there is probably still time to recast if they won't. I don't think A Delicate Balance by Albee or Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson will be affected at all. Idomenus and A Chorus of Disapproval may be. Those are the 4 show that I had considered watching. I may try to book tickets today actually. I certainly don't want to minimize what the actors who are accusing Albert Schultz suffered, but I also don't think it is fair for the entire company to go down the tubes, at least not until everything has had a chance to settle.
On a more positive note, one of the bigger events of the year is that Mirvish is bringing back Come From Away for a longer engagement after its very limited pre-Broadway try out. It will be running from mid Feb through early September, and I managed to get a ticket in March.
Speaking of limited engagements, there is such a buzz around Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at the AGO, since the mirror rooms are set up so only four people can be in each for 20-30 seconds maximum. This means a very limited number of people can be funnelled through the exhibit. I managed to get my tickets (without waiting for hours like some members apparently), but I hope there are some other things to see (than the mirrored rooms), or this will definitely be a huge let down.
Not quite as buzz-worthy at the moment, but Crows' Nest has the Canadian premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem in Feb-March. This is a 3 hour play that sort of investigates the idea of England and what happens when a modern-day (or at least self-described) Robin Hood-type character runs up against modern-day nanny-state agents of the Council. I've read the play and don't actually care for the main character at all (as I am simply not an anarchist at heart), but it is worth seeing how they pull this off. I would kick myself had I missed it.
In early March, the TSO is doing John Adam's Doctor Atomic. That should be fun.
I'm not quite sure this will be my cup of tea, but in March or April, I will be checking out Bloom at Buddies in Bad Times. This piece is somewhat inspired by T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland. It is also the only thing I expect to see at Buddies this season. Two or three of their productions are actually remounts, which I find a little disappointing. It always strike me that a company that leans on remounts is floundering a bit or at least retrenching.
I'm going to completely give Alumnae a pass this season. And even The Irish Players, who do one or two plays a season there. In the fall, I may check out Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa, though I've already seen it once in Chicago.
I'm leaning towards seeing Simon Stephens's Punk Rock at Crows Nest. It is pretty much the same starting point as my play, Final Exam, but there is far more conflict on display, whereas conflict is muted and repressed in my play. I suspect mine is more realistic (well, except for the aliens), but the more externalized conflict between characters may make for a more engaged audience. Hard to tell.
Out of town, I'll try to get to Hamilton in March to see Akhtar's The Invisible Hand. Late April-mid May, Annie Baker's The Aliens is playing Buffalo. Part of me is tempted to go, but part of me thinks I won't ever see another production as good as the one I saw at Coal Mine, and I shouldn't let two productions blur in my head. I don't think there is anything I really want to see at the Albright-Knox right now, which would probably be the determining factor. Interestingly, this summer there was supposed to be a production of Frances Cowhig's Lidless in Chicago, but that seems to have vanished for the moment.
A possible phantom production of Will Eno's Thom Pain (based on nothing) may run for a few shows in early April, so I'll keep an eye on that. This is the opposite problem with Stoppard's Arcadia. UC Follies has announced they'll do it in the spring, but there are no details at all, and, in fact, they haven't even applied for the rights at Samuel French. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but it does suggest they are not completely on top of their game. Still, I hope they go ahead and put it on, since it is one of my favourite plays of all time.
Finally, to TorQ, as promised. They have a couple of concerts in Toronto (at 918 Bathurst St) on Jan 21 and May 18, and I'll try to get to those. They are doing something with the TSO on Feb 5-8, though I saw this program a couple of years ago. There is some concert called "Notes from Home" on Feb 20, and I may go to this. On April 8, they are performing up at York University with the York University Wind Ensemble. I probably will go with my son, and try to leave for the show early, so that we can test out the Spadina Subway extension and maybe even get in and out at the various new stations (so we would clearly need a day pass). TorQ will be out in Kitchener(!) with the Penderecki String Quartet to present the world premiere of a new octet by Nicole Lizée. As fascinating as this would be, I looked into the schedule, and it is just not feasible for me to get to Kitchener. One of the TorQ members said they would almost certainly perform the octet again in Toronto, presumably in the summer or fall, so that is something else to look forward to.
I'm still sorting through what I will do for Stratford and Shaw (and this post is quite long enough as it is), so that will be covered in a separate post. Clearly this winter and early spring has quite a bit to try to convince us art-lovers to get out of the house. And on that note, I have delayed long enough. I have to go out and get the groceries.
I did see the remount of The Wedding Party at Crows' Nest last Thurs. It was a lot of fun, though it is largely a study of inter-household dynamics and not really a play per se. All the actors play multiple parts and virtually all gender swap as well, though perhaps the actor playing mother of the bride plays a dog rather than a male character (I can't quite recall). It runs through Jan. 20.
There is a gender-flipped Lear at Harbourfront in January. It is also notable as the Fool is played by Colin Mochrie.
Hart House is doing Arthur Miller's The Crucible from Jan 19-Feb. 3. The only matinee is Feb. 3, so that's when I will be going.
Shakespeare Bash'd has a short run of Richard III at the Monarch Tavern in early Feb. I expect to go to this, but haven't landed on a specific date.
Jordan Tannahill is back with a new project at Canadian Stage. Declarations is apparently an "ode to mortality." This runs Jan. 23-Feb. 11.
Almost immediately afterwards Canadian Stage has the Canadian premiere of Karam's The Humans. This is one of my most anticipated shows of the season, and I only hope my expectations are not too high.
I'm not sure whether I will like it quite as much as some of these other plays, but I will be checking out Kat Sandler's newest play Bang Bang at Factory in February.
Feb. is starting to get a bit tight, but I'll try to squeeze in a new version of Candide in during Feb., mostly so I can get a 3-show subscription for George Brown's season. (Apparently, the faculty strike has not derailed the spring season.) In April, I will check out Vanbrugh’s The Provoked Wife and Brecht's Fear and Misery of the Third Reich, neither of which I've seen before.
For any theatre goer in Toronto, the news coming out of Soulpepper is very sad, though not really that surprising. Quite a few directors and artistic directors seem prone to abusing their authority. It really isn't clear what the impact on the rest of the season will be. The production of Amadeus, which was due to start next week, is completely cancelled. As far as the other shows, some of the actors who resigned may return to their respective productions, but there is probably still time to recast if they won't. I don't think A Delicate Balance by Albee or Ma Rainey's Black Bottom by August Wilson will be affected at all. Idomenus and A Chorus of Disapproval may be. Those are the 4 show that I had considered watching. I may try to book tickets today actually. I certainly don't want to minimize what the actors who are accusing Albert Schultz suffered, but I also don't think it is fair for the entire company to go down the tubes, at least not until everything has had a chance to settle.
On a more positive note, one of the bigger events of the year is that Mirvish is bringing back Come From Away for a longer engagement after its very limited pre-Broadway try out. It will be running from mid Feb through early September, and I managed to get a ticket in March.
Speaking of limited engagements, there is such a buzz around Yayoi Kusama: Infinity Mirrors at the AGO, since the mirror rooms are set up so only four people can be in each for 20-30 seconds maximum. This means a very limited number of people can be funnelled through the exhibit. I managed to get my tickets (without waiting for hours like some members apparently), but I hope there are some other things to see (than the mirrored rooms), or this will definitely be a huge let down.
Not quite as buzz-worthy at the moment, but Crows' Nest has the Canadian premiere of Jez Butterworth's Jerusalem in Feb-March. This is a 3 hour play that sort of investigates the idea of England and what happens when a modern-day (or at least self-described) Robin Hood-type character runs up against modern-day nanny-state agents of the Council. I've read the play and don't actually care for the main character at all (as I am simply not an anarchist at heart), but it is worth seeing how they pull this off. I would kick myself had I missed it.
In early March, the TSO is doing John Adam's Doctor Atomic. That should be fun.
I'm not quite sure this will be my cup of tea, but in March or April, I will be checking out Bloom at Buddies in Bad Times. This piece is somewhat inspired by T.S. Eliot's The Wasteland. It is also the only thing I expect to see at Buddies this season. Two or three of their productions are actually remounts, which I find a little disappointing. It always strike me that a company that leans on remounts is floundering a bit or at least retrenching.
I'm going to completely give Alumnae a pass this season. And even The Irish Players, who do one or two plays a season there. In the fall, I may check out Friel's Dancing at Lughnasa, though I've already seen it once in Chicago.
I'm leaning towards seeing Simon Stephens's Punk Rock at Crows Nest. It is pretty much the same starting point as my play, Final Exam, but there is far more conflict on display, whereas conflict is muted and repressed in my play. I suspect mine is more realistic (well, except for the aliens), but the more externalized conflict between characters may make for a more engaged audience. Hard to tell.
Out of town, I'll try to get to Hamilton in March to see Akhtar's The Invisible Hand. Late April-mid May, Annie Baker's The Aliens is playing Buffalo. Part of me is tempted to go, but part of me thinks I won't ever see another production as good as the one I saw at Coal Mine, and I shouldn't let two productions blur in my head. I don't think there is anything I really want to see at the Albright-Knox right now, which would probably be the determining factor. Interestingly, this summer there was supposed to be a production of Frances Cowhig's Lidless in Chicago, but that seems to have vanished for the moment.
A possible phantom production of Will Eno's Thom Pain (based on nothing) may run for a few shows in early April, so I'll keep an eye on that. This is the opposite problem with Stoppard's Arcadia. UC Follies has announced they'll do it in the spring, but there are no details at all, and, in fact, they haven't even applied for the rights at Samuel French. That doesn't mean it won't happen, but it does suggest they are not completely on top of their game. Still, I hope they go ahead and put it on, since it is one of my favourite plays of all time.
Finally, to TorQ, as promised. They have a couple of concerts in Toronto (at 918 Bathurst St) on Jan 21 and May 18, and I'll try to get to those. They are doing something with the TSO on Feb 5-8, though I saw this program a couple of years ago. There is some concert called "Notes from Home" on Feb 20, and I may go to this. On April 8, they are performing up at York University with the York University Wind Ensemble. I probably will go with my son, and try to leave for the show early, so that we can test out the Spadina Subway extension and maybe even get in and out at the various new stations (so we would clearly need a day pass). TorQ will be out in Kitchener(!) with the Penderecki String Quartet to present the world premiere of a new octet by Nicole Lizée. As fascinating as this would be, I looked into the schedule, and it is just not feasible for me to get to Kitchener. One of the TorQ members said they would almost certainly perform the octet again in Toronto, presumably in the summer or fall, so that is something else to look forward to.
I'm still sorting through what I will do for Stratford and Shaw (and this post is quite long enough as it is), so that will be covered in a separate post. Clearly this winter and early spring has quite a bit to try to convince us art-lovers to get out of the house. And on that note, I have delayed long enough. I have to go out and get the groceries.
Saturday, January 6, 2018
Early Jan. blahs
I wasn't really expecting much of a post-holiday let down, since I barely had a holiday. I did have a few three- and even one four-day weekend, and those were nice, but otherwise I worked straight through. Obviously we didn't go anywhere. The holidays were relatively low key. We didn't spend all that much, and generally the kids liked their presents (particularly a large stuffed lion that I finally caved on and bought for my daughter...).
So you would think I would be sitting pretty, but it has just been so cold. This morning it was -22 C. It's gotten up to -16 C, and I can actually feel a bit of a difference in the back office (which is actually the coldest room in the house). The furnace has been running pretty much constantly, and I can't really bear to think about: #1) what the heating bill will be next month and #2) what we would have done had the furnace gone out this week.
I had actually wanted to work from home Friday, but, in the end, I had too many meetings, and I just couldn't swing it, so I ended up going in. Surprisingly, I didn't actually end up waiting too long for the bus, which was a small mercy. I was really quite surprised when I got home that all the ornaments had been taken down, though I still need to take the tree down and stash it away for another year. There is just this lonely Santa on the mantle, and he'll get put away today as well. The outdoor lights will come down tomorrow, however.
Indeed, I vowed I am not going out today, and I have stuck to it. I did bring home enough groceries we can make it to Sunday before I have to go to the store. I should probably start cooking fairly soon, so that we have something to eat (and I don't make some poor schmoe have to deliver something to us...). I am not even about to start feeling guilty about not going to the gym. I should be able to go on Sunday at some point. At least according to the Weather Network, we come out of this deep freeze tomorrow. I can hardly wait.
In the meantime, I have been going through a stack of old newspapers. I have an idea (though not a full-fledged resolution) that I would like to really get the office straightened up, which means not just getting rid of newspapers, but purging an old printer (I'll try one more time on Kajiji and then it is off to be recycled at Staples) and selling off or donating a box of CDs and DVDs. This would theoretically allow me to have the space for a litter box, but I haven't committed 100% to the idea, even though I am leaning towards getting a cat.
I somewhat inadvertently ended up in a free trial for Amazon Prime, and I decided to see what all the fuss was about with The Man in the High Castle. It is certainly well done, though many things were switched around in the tv series, not least of which the book-within-a-book, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, is actually a film rather than a book. Perhaps the producers simply couldn't expect today's audiences to think that a mere book would have the ability to change the world. I really don't like binge watching tv (and indeed barely watch tv at all), but I'll see if I can get through Season 1. I don't plan on keeping Prime, however, so I don't know how I'll ever view Season 2 (or the rumoured Season 3). Along similar lines, I decided I would break down and try Apple Music. I have to admit, it is like being a kid in a candy store. There is more music than I'd ever be able to listen to. That said, Canadian customers still only get 80-90% of the offerings that Americans get. There are a few albums that I was looking for (on the US site) that simply aren't there, which I find deeply unfair. That said, it still may be worth signing up, though I would definitely cancel eMusic if I shift over to Apple Music (and finally join the rest of the world in streaming).
It wasn't a super productive day, and I still should get a bit of work started for an academic paper I am writing. But I am pleased that I managed to complete the script for Final Exam (the project that is going to be part of next summer's Toronto Fringe!). In the end it is Bennett's The History Boys mixed with a bit of Miller's Incident at Vichy, plus the Borg from Star Trek. It has gotten a reasonably good reception so far, though clearly it will need to be workshopped. I have two actors essentially signed up and leads on two more. I figure I have the rest of the month to get the basic legwork finished (apply for the permits and land the actors and ideally a director), and then we'll see what is needed after that. Anyway, when I think about this project it does largely blow the blahs away, so probably I should just focus on that for a while while waiting for (slightly) warmer weather next week.
So you would think I would be sitting pretty, but it has just been so cold. This morning it was -22 C. It's gotten up to -16 C, and I can actually feel a bit of a difference in the back office (which is actually the coldest room in the house). The furnace has been running pretty much constantly, and I can't really bear to think about: #1) what the heating bill will be next month and #2) what we would have done had the furnace gone out this week.
I had actually wanted to work from home Friday, but, in the end, I had too many meetings, and I just couldn't swing it, so I ended up going in. Surprisingly, I didn't actually end up waiting too long for the bus, which was a small mercy. I was really quite surprised when I got home that all the ornaments had been taken down, though I still need to take the tree down and stash it away for another year. There is just this lonely Santa on the mantle, and he'll get put away today as well. The outdoor lights will come down tomorrow, however.
Indeed, I vowed I am not going out today, and I have stuck to it. I did bring home enough groceries we can make it to Sunday before I have to go to the store. I should probably start cooking fairly soon, so that we have something to eat (and I don't make some poor schmoe have to deliver something to us...). I am not even about to start feeling guilty about not going to the gym. I should be able to go on Sunday at some point. At least according to the Weather Network, we come out of this deep freeze tomorrow. I can hardly wait.
In the meantime, I have been going through a stack of old newspapers. I have an idea (though not a full-fledged resolution) that I would like to really get the office straightened up, which means not just getting rid of newspapers, but purging an old printer (I'll try one more time on Kajiji and then it is off to be recycled at Staples) and selling off or donating a box of CDs and DVDs. This would theoretically allow me to have the space for a litter box, but I haven't committed 100% to the idea, even though I am leaning towards getting a cat.
I somewhat inadvertently ended up in a free trial for Amazon Prime, and I decided to see what all the fuss was about with The Man in the High Castle. It is certainly well done, though many things were switched around in the tv series, not least of which the book-within-a-book, The Grasshopper Lies Heavy, is actually a film rather than a book. Perhaps the producers simply couldn't expect today's audiences to think that a mere book would have the ability to change the world. I really don't like binge watching tv (and indeed barely watch tv at all), but I'll see if I can get through Season 1. I don't plan on keeping Prime, however, so I don't know how I'll ever view Season 2 (or the rumoured Season 3). Along similar lines, I decided I would break down and try Apple Music. I have to admit, it is like being a kid in a candy store. There is more music than I'd ever be able to listen to. That said, Canadian customers still only get 80-90% of the offerings that Americans get. There are a few albums that I was looking for (on the US site) that simply aren't there, which I find deeply unfair. That said, it still may be worth signing up, though I would definitely cancel eMusic if I shift over to Apple Music (and finally join the rest of the world in streaming).
It wasn't a super productive day, and I still should get a bit of work started for an academic paper I am writing. But I am pleased that I managed to complete the script for Final Exam (the project that is going to be part of next summer's Toronto Fringe!). In the end it is Bennett's The History Boys mixed with a bit of Miller's Incident at Vichy, plus the Borg from Star Trek. It has gotten a reasonably good reception so far, though clearly it will need to be workshopped. I have two actors essentially signed up and leads on two more. I figure I have the rest of the month to get the basic legwork finished (apply for the permits and land the actors and ideally a director), and then we'll see what is needed after that. Anyway, when I think about this project it does largely blow the blahs away, so probably I should just focus on that for a while while waiting for (slightly) warmer weather next week.
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