Short-term Plans

I keep meaning to write out the theatre events of the season, and this is perhaps the best season across the major companies in a very long time, maybe since 2014 or so.  (It appears as though 2013 and 2014 were quite incredible, and I missed out on all of 2013 and most of 2014, being just a bit distracted by the move to Toronto in the summer of 2014 and getting settled in...)  I really ought to be able to get to this on Sunday, but I've said that before...

Pinter's Old Times is roughly mid-way through its run at Soulpepper.  I saw it last weekend.  I thought it was a good production, though it is true that Anita Majumdar is directed to be very passive until her last monologue.  And of course, this is a famously frustrating play that is completely opaque in terms of what is actually happening.  Thus, it is not everyone's cup of tea, and is generally aimed at theatre buffs.  Consequently, there were loads and loads of empty seats, so I would recommend just turning up and getting a rush ticket.  This may well be the fate of Beckett's Happy Days much later in the season, even though for me it will be (or should be) one of the highlights of the season.

One thing I will not be doing is going to see Mamet's Oleanna.  This is the first show in Icarus Theatre's season and is playing up at Tarragon.  Today is the very last day to check it out.  I've really lost interest in Mamet, not coincidentally this has corresponded with his "evolution" into a right-wing blowhard.  Though the plot of Oleanna always rubbed me the wrong way.  I think you would have to pay me $100 to watch Oleanna.  I'll definitely give Icarus another chance, however.  I will likely go see Julie (a reworking of Strindberg's Miss Julie), even though the original doesn't interest me all that much, having seen it many years back in Chicago, and I will definitely see Dennis Kelly's DNA at the Theatre Centre in November.

I guess Slave Play starts in about a month at Canadian Stage.  You would literally have to pay me $500 to see this play!  I can tell I would simply hate this, just as I hated their productions of Topdog/Underdog and Fairview.

I had initially planned to go see an anime film called Summer Wars at the Revue on Friday, but then when I was over at The Fox (on one of my infrequent jaunts out that way), I saw that they were showing Summer Wars on Monday at 1 (and I remembered that the gym was open until roughly 1 on Monday), so I came up with a completely different plan that allows for a lot more exercise this weekend (and to catch up on missing a gym visit a couple of weeks ago due to our Stratford trip).  So the current plan is to go swimming in the late evening at Jimmie Simpson after work on Friday (which I did and it was glorious as almost no one was there!), go to the gym Sat. morning (and then get groceries), go swimming at Pam McConnell on Sun. (as opposed to my usual Sat. routine) and then go to the gym Monday morning (and then bike over to The Fox, assuming the weather cooperates).  This is a lot more exercise than I am used to, but it should be ok, provided I leave enough time on Monday to get to the gym.  I'm running just a bit late today, but I don't have any firm plans today, at least until the evening, so that should be fine.

In terms of today, after getting the groceries, I think I will bike downtown and drop off a couple of things for lunch at work, go over to Richmond 401, bike up Spadina to Bloor and see if I can sell a few things at BMV, then bike over to Bau-Xi (trying to avoid Dupont as much as possible as the drivers really zip through there).  I had just missed checking out Bau-Xi three weeks or so ago (and I'll get to this story soon), and this is the last weekend before the exhibits flip.  Then I will have to decide whether I go over to the Jazz Bistro early or not.  I am seeing Mike LeDonne and Eric Alexander, though their set doesn't actually start until 8:30.  I might go, eat elsewhere (as I don't like the menu at Jazz Bistro very much) and then come back around 7:45 or so.  I hope to get some reading in and a lot of writing, so I should make sure I have a fresh notebook.

Sunday I don't have any specific plans, though there is some ethnic festival at a park -- the Caribbean Street Food Fest at Riverside Park -- so I could drop in after my swim.  Then Monday is basically going to the gym and then anime at The Fox and buying tickets to see Playtime for Sept. 7 (also at The Fox).  I was not happy to hear this is the digital print of the 115 minute cut (not the restored 124 minute cut on the Criterion Blu-Ray set), but it's still amazing to see it on the big screen, so I'll go and just try very hard to find a seat where my view isn't obstructed!  (I really am not a fan of The Fox, but once in a while it's worth going.)

Briefly, the next week is pretty interesting.  I'm going to see a show featuring several Tafelmusik members and I'll likely hit The Rex before that. I plan on seeing Out of Sight on Friday and then I have tickets (very reasonably priced!) to see Haim on Sat. and then will see Playtime on Sun.  The following week I will be seeing The Welkin with a friend and will probably catch Midnight at The Revue.  There is a fair bit going on in Toronto in Sept., but those would be long-term plans, and I will just have to get the blog post on the rest of the season up -- tomorrow perhaps.