RESERVE JUDGMENT
Rhubarb Festival’s policy on criticism lets artists create without fear,
As a critic, it’s surprising to say that one of the best theatre events on the Toronto theatre calendar is one that I, as a critic, am not invited to — at least not with a pen and paper in hand and a star rating in my head.
The Rhubarb Festival is the annual showcase for 12 works-in-progress at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, the 39th edition of which takes place Feb. 14 to 25, and it’s structurally unlike many of the other arts festivals that take over Toronto.
Audience members can stick to one of two stages inside the venue, or move back and forth between them to catch three out of six possible performances per week (the programming changes from Week 1 to Week 2, so audiences can see Rhubarb four times without overlapping).
Plus, there’s a unique one-nightonly cabaret show each evening at 10 p.m., after the three-performance cycles have finished. Finally, and most central to the Rhubarb identity, is a strict no-review policy. Discussion is encouraged, engagement is required, but a formal assessment of the works is a no-go.
“I don’t know who made that choice at one point in time, but in 2018 I think it’s critical to the success of this festival,” said festival director Mel Hague, helming her fourth festival of experimental, unclassifiable works. “I think with the access of social media, artists are now developing under a microscope where you could google me and see every dumb thing I’ve ever done in, like, five seconds. So we need a space that is protected from that. A space where you can do things and actually evaluate how it’s felt, not what other people said about it.”
We’re long into the age where everyone can be a critic, where anyone can make the space for an opinion, a condemnation, praise or judgment, for better and for worse. But in Rhubarb’s world, a judgment- free zone doesn’t mean a thoughtfree zone; it’s more a matter of vocabulary.
“I try not to use words like ‘like’ or ‘dislike,’ ‘successful’ or ‘unsuccessful.’ I try to use language of questions and emotions when we talk about words at Rhubarb. What are the questions that this lets you think about and what are the emotions that it lets you feel?” Hague said.
Creating a sense of privacy for experimentation and failure is a tricky feat for an art form that, by its very nature, requires an audience. But engaging without an opinion landing somewhere between “good” and “bad” is beneficial for both artists and audiences: artists get the freedom to experiment and audiences get to practise new responses to art (as opposed to social media, which can limit responses to a heart or a mad face).
“It’s a really silly thing for a dramaturge to say, because I work on individual plays, but I actually don’t care about any individual play. I care about the artist that will continue adding to our Canadian culture for the rest of their lives,” Hague said. “That’s what I want Rhubarb to be. This is something they’re working on now, but let’s see what it is in five years. We’re catching these things on their forward journey.”
These are some projects playing at Rhubarb that we’re looking forward to seeing now and in future stages. White Girls in Moccasins
Week 1 (Feb. 14-18) Yolanda Bonnell, last seen in Theatre Passe Muraille’s Cake and memorable from her 2016 performance in Judith Thompson’s The Crackwalker at Factory Theatre, is an exciting actor in any event. White Girls in Moccasins is her irreverent and bold new play, examining a young Indigenous woman’s relationship to her “inner white girl.” Ostros Rostros
Week 1 This movement piece draws on all sorts of inspirations to explore Latinx identities: luchador masks, high heels and pointe shoes, aerial dance, visual art folklore and pop culture. “This is a real sculptural, beautiful visual clash,” Hague said. “I think (choreographer) Diana Lopez Soto’s really an artist to watch.” What Tammy Needs to Know About Getting Old and Having Sex
Week 1 This is a much anticipated returned of esteemed performer Lois Weaver to the stage, with her character Tammy WhyNot, a traditional southern belle, exploring sexuality and aging. Created with Toronto LGBTQ elders through the “long table exercise” (a process of discussion and collaboration Weaver herself invented), expect kitsch, jokes and brutal honesty with this one. Amy and Irma
Week 2 (Feb. 21-25) Toronto artist Chayla Hunter is trying her hand at not only playwriting, but screenwriting with Amy and Irma. She first performs her monologue, about a woman trying to save her ailing father in a city that suffers from repeating tsunamis, live for the audience. Afterwards, the same story is told through a 10-minute film thriller, directed by another indie theatre favourite, Jill Connell. Angry: Album Launch
Week 2 “Oh my god, I can’t tell you how excited I am for this,” Hague said. After moving to Calgary, poet and musician Vivek Shraya and her band Too Attached (alongside Shamik Bilgi) return to Toronto to launch their latest album, Angry (a rallying cry and reclamation of the anger felt by people of colour). The party and concert at Buddies in Bad Times will also feature musicians such as Lido Pimienta, Casey Mecija, Jenny Mecija, Kamilah Apong, TiKA and more. Carly Maga is a Toronto Star theatre critic. She alternates the Wednesday Matinée column with Karen Fricker. The Rhubarb Festival runs at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, 12 Alexander St. See buddiesinbadtimes.com or call 416-9758555 for tickets and information.