Cathy Derkach and Karen Johnson Diamon in Autumn, Shadow Theatre. Photo by Marc J Chalifoux.
By Liz Nicholls,
Put down your rakes, and your clickers, people. There’s a veritable explosion of theatre happening on Edmonton stages this weekend. A surfeit of possibilities: so many choices, so little time.
At Shadow, it’s a comedy of sisterly friction. Autumn by the veteran Brit playwright Peter Quilter, in a season finale production directed by the theatre’s new artistic director Lana Michelle Hughes. Cathy Derkach and Karen Johnson Diamond are the fractious high-contrast siblings who find themselves having to cooperate on managing chaos— i.e. carrying off a wedding for the daughter of one of them. It runs at the Varscona through May 24. Tickets: shadowtheatre.org.
Andrew Cecon and Scott Shpeley in Cyrano de Bergerac, Citadel Theatre. Photo by Nanc Price
At the Citadel, a poet-slash-swordsman of epic talent (with a nose to match) takes to the stage tonight, in a new verse adaptation of Edmond Rostand’s great French romantic swashbuckler Cyrano de Bergerac by Edmonton playwright Jessy Ardern, who’s made something of a specialty of adapting classics in original ways. Amanda Goldberg’s production stars Scott Shpeley as the hero with the epic nose, who courts his beloved Roxanne (Stephanie Sy) secretly by writing poetry that he channels through her handsome suitor. had fun talking to Ardern; you can read the preview here. Cyrano runs through May 24. Tickets: citadeltheatre.com, 780-425-1820.
Christina Nguyen in Everyone Is Doing Fine, Workshop West/ Photo supplied.
In Everyone Is Doing Fine, a new play by Calgary-based James Odin Wade premiering at Workshop West Playwrights Theatre, two art school types, stalled in their 20s, fall under the spell (and employment) of a hedge fund manager. Heather Inglis’s premiere production, the finale of the Workshop West season, stars Christina Nguyen, David Madawo, and Sebastian Ley. talked to the playwright; read the preview here. It opens Friday and runs at the Gateway Theatre (8529 Gateway Blvd) through May 24. Tickets (all pay-what-you-will): workshopwest.org.
The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, Edmonton Repertory Theatre. Photo supplied.
Edmonton Repertory Theatre returns to action with a stage adaptation of a best-selling children’s novel by Kate DiCamillo. In The Miraculous Journey of Edward Tulane, a vain porcelain rabbit, separated from the little girl who loves him, goes on an epic 29-year journey of self-discovery, in which he learns what it means to love. Jennifer Kreziewicz’s production, which runs through May 16 at the Biederman Theatre (17203 99 Ave. in the Lifestyles Options Retirement Community), stars Andy Northrup, Rogan Coffey, Jordan Empson, and Pauline Miki. And Edward is puppet creation of Puppet Stuff Canada, the inspired Calgary-based artists who created the brilliant puppets for the Citadel’s The Life of Pi. Tickets and full schedule of performances: eventbrite.com.
Continuing:
Request Programme. A wordless solo show that follows a woman through her regular evening routine, including tuning in to a radio request program. And it ends in a gut-wrencher. Set to a soundtrack . In honour of Northern Light Theatre’s 50th anniversary, Trevor Schmidt’s production stars a different actor, one of 16 in total, who all have a history with NLT. The preview with Schmidt is here, and a review is here. Tickets and full schedule: northernlighttheatre.com.
Dayna Lea Hoffmann and Katie Yoner in Rat Academy 2 – Gnaw and Order, Batrabbit Collective. Photo supplied
Rat Academy 2: Gnaw and Order. In this stand-alone sequel to their much-travelled original, Batrabbit Productions’ Dayna Lea Hoffmann and Katie Yoner are the last two rats in Alberta, outsiders in a hostile world. And they want to buy a home. Is that too much to ask? A gem of bouffon clowning from two of the best. It’s at Rapid Fire Theatre’s Exchange Theatre through May 16. Read a interview with the pair from last June’s Nextfest here. And a Fringe review here. Tickets: rapidfiretheatre.com.
Ryan Maschke and Alyssa Crockett in Footloose, Mayfield Theatre. Photo by Marc J Chalifoux
Footloose, a 1998 musical with an irresistibly hummable title song (and as it turns out unexpectedly a sparky message for our moment). Kate Ryan’s cast is led by Ryan Maschke as an urban outsider in exile in a repressive small town. With a cast (choreographed by Julio Fuentes) that makes a strong case for overturning the laws against dancing. It’s at the Mayfield through June 14. The review is here. Tickets: mayfield theatre.ca.
