A year in the life of Joe Who? - '1979" on at Berkeley Street Theatre

By Joe Szek

For most Canadians, it was a blink of an eye in remembering a naively thirty-nine-year-old Joe Clark’s tenure as the 16th Prime Minister of Canada from June 4, 1979 – March 3, 1980. I was just finishing high school and can recall the turmoil in which our country found itself during this time, but I really had no interest in that political spectrum as all my thoughts were turned to beginning post secondary education.

I wish now that I had paid closer attention to said events as they were comically played out to audience delight and standing ovation in Michael Healey’s superb comedy ‘1979’ now on stage at the Berkeley Street Theatre.

‘1979’ takes place in one evening where Joe Clark, in the dying days of his Progressive Conservative government, awaits the parliamentary vote he knows will topple his government. During the evening, Clark received numerous visits from many people in his office who were either there to prop up support for him or to destroy his morale through suspicions and mistrust.

And in the skillful hands of Director Miles Potter, this extraordinarily terrific three person cast skewers and lampoons moments from the script with an acerbic and satirical biting edge that had me in continuous laughter. Wonderful live work to watch and to hear.

Philip Riccio wittily conveys a stubborn side of Joe Clark not seen by the general public. I don’t want to spoil too much of the plot but his meeting with Christopher Hunt’s Pierre Trudeau magnificently shows this stubborn character trait.  I loved the brown corduroy suit which became one of Clark’s trademarks. His meeting with perfectly coiffed and designer clad wife Maureen McTeer (a vibrant Jamie Konchak) suggested a rather randy ‘love nest’ office rendezvous that might have occurred more than once.

Ms. Konchak and Christopher Hunt play numerous characters who visited Mr. Clark on this so-called fateful evening. One of the highlights for me (and it appeared the audience) was the arrival of Pierre Elliott Trudeau in the PMO. Mr. Hunt is superb as the snobbish, priggish and self-righteous father of our current prime minister. Mr. Hunt’s portrayal of a possibly foul-mouthed John Crosbie kept the laughter high as Mr. Riccio (as Joe Clark) kept the music volume turned up to drown out Crosbie’s histrionics. Along with her performance as Clark’s wife, Ms. Konchak shines as a bombastic prime minister in waiting Brian Mulroney and a young and rather dull Stephen Harper.

Along with the nicely timed pacing of the story, Scott Reid’s projection design to refresh our memories of what historically occurred at specific times were a hoot to read. Steve Lucas’ set design of dark panelled wood was an effective contrast to the hilarity ensuing in each of the scenes. 

Final Comments: A must-see specially to watch three performers who are in total control of crazy and ingenious synchronicity of emotions.

‘1979’ runs 90 minutes with no intermission.

Performances continue to January 27, 2019 at Toronto’s Berkeley Downstairs Theatre, 26 Berkeley Street. For tickets please visit the website or telephone 416-368-3110.

Cast: Philip Riccio as Joe Clark, Christopher Hunt as Actor A and Jamie Konchak as Actor B.

Producers: Michael Healey, Marcie Januska, Miles Potter; Director: Miles Potter; Set Design: Steve Lucas; Lighting Design: Nick Blais; Costume Design: Jennifer Lee Arsenault; Sound Design: Thomas Geddes; Projection Design: Scott Reid.

Dispel the winter blues with 'RED" presented by Creative FORCE and Northumberland Players

By Paul Love
Guest Reviewer

“Red”, by award-winning American playwright and screenwriter John Logan, is a fictional account of a turning point in the career of real-life abstract expressionist Mark Rothko, which earned six Tony Awards after a relatively short stint on Broadway. Creative FORCE and Northumberland Players are currently staging a production of “Red” at the Firehall Theatre in Cobourg.

The play opens with Rothko (Tim Russell) posturing and blustering as he sizes up his new assistant, Ken (Erastus Burley). “What do you see?” Rothko asks Ken — the perfect opening line to a play that is all about the importance of perception in the creation, development, and appreciation of art. Mr. Burley plays Ken with an anxious discomfort that resonates powerfully with the audience. We feel his anxiety as he struggles to earn the respect of this famed artist who he clearly admires. Mr. Russell commands the stage effortlessly, appropriately making Rothko the god-like master of his own studio.

Rothko was creating a series of murals that would be displayed in New York’s Four Seasons Hotel, which was being built at the time. As the work develops, so does the working relationship between these two characters. A change is seen more so in Ken, who becomes increasingly comfortable in Rothko’s studio, and with Rothko himself. Kudos to Mr. Burley for making this change in Ken subtle and nuanced. Mr. Russell expertly maintains Rothko’s gruff, cool exterior, while showing Rothko’s progression mainly through more aggressive behaviour and fits of anger. The culmination of their relationship can be witnessed in a scene where the two work together to prime a canvas, in a gorgeous, mesmerizing moment that is almost dance-like. As the play progresses, Rothko and Ken share in some incredible conversations and arguments about light, colour, the role of the audience, and the purpose of art itself, that will cause at least minor eruptions in the minds of the audience members, thanks to Logan’s beautifully written script.

Mr. Burley also designed the set, which involved cleverly stripping the performance space down to its bare bones, and bringing it to dirty, gritty life with old paint-splattered cupboards, industrial work benches, and beat-up paint paraphernalia. Aside from taking on the role of Rothko, Tim Russell also created a great lighting design, which was effective at evoking mood throughout.

The real centrepiece of this production is the performances. Russell and Burley (who, incidentally, were also the uncredited co-directors of the production) play off each other exquisitely, and perform real physical tasks such as framing a canvas and mixing paint (and eating Chinese food!) with such ease, you start to forget that you’re watching two actors performing a scripted play. Russell portrays Rothko with the self-assuredness that this character requires, and that only a truly seasoned actor could pull off. His performance is, in a word, remarkable. Burley expertly covers a wide range of emotion with his performance as Ken (who, notably, is a character that Logan created, and not based on a real-life assistant), always with boundless energy and intensity, but never going too far. There is one scene in particular where Ken recounts a dark moment from his past where Mr. Burley creates a moment that is poignant and heart wrenching.

Remaining performances are January 10th, 11th, and 12th at 8 pm, at the Firehall Theatre, 213 Second St., Cobourg. Tickets are available at the box office or by visiting the website. The show is approximately 85 minutes with no intermission.

Do you believe in magic, Joe reviews

By Joe Szek

I don’t have any background at all in the art of magic, but ‘The Magic Box’ incorporates a good number of theatrical elements upon which I will be able to comment.

In a recent interview, magician Richard Forget told me he loves the element of surprise in front of an audience. This one-night only production certainly did have its moments of surprise plus, from what I could tell, hesitation, and possible frustration but that didn’t deter these performers from ensuring the show went on no matter what happened.

Forget began the show in telling us the importance of the box to a magician and how it becomes part of his or her routine. He makes the connection to the fact we all live and work in our own boxes from our homes, schools, work places, even driving in a box. Richard then proceeds to show us a box he has which contains medals won or earned all over the world along with stickers he has collected from countries visited. This box is then locked and suspended for the duration of the show to be opened at the end during a final audience participation moment. I don’t want to spoil the ending, but it is rather entertaining what occurs at that moment.

Read more at Inside Looking In ->

Ajax Community Theatre, 'Wait Until Dark' - review by Joe Szek

By Joe Szek

This classic thriller is well known among film buffs and theatre lovers. A young unsuspecting blind woman Susan Hendrix (Amber Dawn-Vibert) comes into the possession of a mysterious doll that shady men Mr. Roat (Chris Coculuzzi) and Sergeant Carlino (Peter Mazzucco) are desperate to attain. These men are willing to go to any lengths, even murder, to get the doll.

Read more at Inside Looking In ->

Joe Szek goes back to School

By Joe Szek

“Need to pay your rent? Try forming your own rock band. Just make sure the lyrics can be heard.

It has been years since I’ve seen the film version of ‘School of Rock’ with Jack Black. I will admit I was never a fan of his to begin and wasn’t certain if I was going to like this production.”

Read more at OnStage Blog here