The Colourful Search for Truth As It Appears in Local Theatrical Productions
What colour is your search for truth?
It does seem to be part of the post-modern condition – the search for truth. Political, social, scientific, religious, musical. It’s a response you get from that disjointed feeling you get in the pit of your stomach – you know, that somehow the world is just one big old matrix of made up crap.
A couple of theatre companies are taking on the task of exploring the search for truth in their upcoming productions. Oddly and coincidently, both productions use colour in the title: Puzzle Me Red and Blue.
Puzzle Me Red is a production created and performed by Michael Kennard, one half of reknowned Toronto clown team, Mump and Smoot.
When we think of clowns, we often think of something silly – or of pratfalls and buckets of water. But clowning is not necessarily all a bunch of pranks. The clowning technique Kennard uses for this production is based on a former teacher Richard Pochinko, and allows the performer to assume a sort of meta-presence in time and space.
The production, which opens next Thursday at the Berkeley Street Theatre, will feature Kennard as Biv Rogy, and his the struggle to stay truthful in an unjust world. The one-man show, directed by John Turner (the other half of Mump and Smoot), will use masks and props, and live music, in his self-examination.
On the other side of town and the spectrum, Blue, a world premiere production will be opening at the Bloor West Village Playhouse on June 17. Blue was written by Romeo Ciolfi and is directed by Jane Miller (see this week’s POTW!) and features a cast of three (including regular Gadzooks! contributor Mike Lummis!) siblings spending a weekend together at the cottage talking about their past. Blue studies the repercussions of bringing truth to light as the three battle about their interpretations of the past.
Puzzle Me Red opens on Thursday, June 17 and runs until June 28. Blue opens on June 17 and closes on the Saturday, June 22. Visit their websites for more ticket information.