Election week and fairy godmothers
Two politically-themed shows and one rags-to-riches story to cap off U.S. election season
Wrecking Ball #21: Make Wrecking Ball Great Again Watch this if: You’ve got election coverage fatigue.
Wrecking Ball is a one-time-only collection of short plays, monologues, poetry and rantings from Toronto’s theatre community that pop up when the political moment calls.
The 2016 U.S. election is one of those moments and the Wrecking Ball crew are turning toward the scandals you didn’t hear so much about in the wall-to-wall news coverage (no emails, no taxes, no recorded conversations from 2005). The Toronto Wrecking Ball — there are satellite events in Ottawa and Vancouver — will feature artists like Jenna Harris, Graham Isador, Leah Simone Bowen and Jesse LaVercombe.
Sunday, Theatre Passe Muraille, 16 Ryerson Ave. The Trump Card Watch this if: You think that, somehow, this election could be more theatrical.
New York City monologist Mike Daisey is himself a semi-controversial figure (see The Agony and the Ecstasy of Steve Jobs) so it makes sense for him to explore the psyches of other controversial figures. In 2014, Daisey performed Dreaming of Rob Ford in Toronto. His newest monologue, The Trump Card, looks at the potential next president of the United States. On election night, Toronto artists closely connected to Daisey and his work — actor David Ferry and director Mitchell Cushman — will look at Donald Trump’s fame and (apparent) business success, complete with pub fare (left and right chicken wings) and live updates as the election results roll in.
Tuesday, Brass Taps Pizza Pub, 934 College St. Cinderella Watch this if: You believe in fairy godmothers. Or at least you want to.
What could be more appropriate to cap off election week than a rags-to-riches story of someone who is rewarded for their good, kind nature with love, financial gain and upward social mobility?
The National Ballet of Canada is bringing back its 2004 version of Prokofiev’s classic ballet, choreographed by James Kudelka.
After watching the U.S. election bring out the worst in everyone, won’t it be nice to spend an evening pretending we live in a fairy tale?
Nov. 12-20, Four Seasons Centre for the Performing Arts, 145 Queen St. W.