Drawing a Blank at the Doras

The Doras are the local Toronto theatre awards.  Curiously, a few years back Mirvish pulled out from the umbrella organization that supports these awards, perhaps miffed that they often lost out to much smaller theatres in the musical awards' categories, so the awards now generally go to mid-sized theatre companies like Soulpepper, Crow's and sometimes Tarragon, and sometimes to even smaller indy companies.

Generally, I find there is relatively little overlap between what has won an award and what I enjoyed (or even seen).  I had debated going to see The Division at Crow's, but it just didn't grab me, and of course that was one of the big winners of the evening.  I also passed on The Neighbours at Tarragon.  I don't even remember if I heard about Through the Eyes of God, over at Theatre Passe Muraille, but I probably did and decided it was just too damn depressing (like A Fine Balance will be and thus it will inevitably win a Dora next year...).  I actually had wanted to see Camus's Le malentendu (which won in the costume design category), but I thought the tickets were too darn expensive and the one night I could go (when they finally announced there would be rush tickets) they sold out.  Now perhaps I should have still dropped by just to see what would happen as often something does open up, but the Theatre Centre is nowhere near my house.  I probably would have if Theatre francaise was still putting on shows at the space on Berkeley Street.*

Now it isn't literally a complete shut out.  I did see Red Hats' Narnia and Octet at Crow's, and they both won Doras as well.  But it does suggest I am not particularly attuned with the critical community in Toronto (and not just Joshua Chong at the Star).  Well, so be it.

 

* I actually have already subscribed to Crow's for one more season, even though I think this next season is a bit weak, but I am really appalled at the prices, so I think this will be my last go around.  In addition, I am even more appalled at their rush ticket policy, which is if you show up an hour before the show, looking for a rush ticket, they still will charge full price, which I find unconscionable.  I wasn't willing to do that so my wife didn't go see Primary Trust (which was ok but vastly overpraised for what was a low-key retelling of the movie Harvey!  And absolutely not worth $100 for a ticket!!!).  I actually find this abusive, and I told the house manager that, that these policies and overall high prices were going to drive me away from Crow's completely.  She said she had been hearing a lot of that...