Category Archives: Review

The latest, but hopefully not the last, of the Oak Grove Conspiracies series

23 Wednesday May 2018

Posted by in Book Review, Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

As Micheal Corleone said, in The Godfather: Part III, “Just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

In The Prince Madoc Secret, book three of the Oak Grove Conspiracies series by Barrie Doyle, just as journalist Stone Wallace and the historian father-daughter team of Huw and Mandy Griffiths think they’ve rid themselves and the world of the Druids, they discover otherwise.

Two deaths set the stage for the rest of the book’s events: the successful assassination of a key political figure in Wyoming and an unsuccessful attempt on Wallace in London, England. And, while seeming unrelated, Wallace and the Griffiths are offered an assignment from the BBC to produce a documentary about a long-forgotten Welsh royal, Prince Madoc. Research into the prince, who supposedly discovered America before Christopher Columbus, leads the trio to discover a Druid plot behind Prince Madoc’s disappearance and their current circumstances.

Author Barrie Doyle has the ability to surprise the reader with unexpected twists and turns.

As with each of the books in the Oak Grove Conspiracies, once the Druids are involved, danger, seen and unseen, abounds. Doyle is one of the best action adventure writers there is. I agree with the the reviewer compared him favorably to Tom Clancy (creator of the Jack Ryan stories): Doyle has the ability to draw a reader into the plot, cheer for the heroes and hiss at the villains. He has the ability to surprise the reader with unexpected twists and turns. As cliched as it may sound, The Prince Madoc Secret is a page-turning, keep-you-up-at-night novel that you just have to keep reading until you’re finished.

The Prince Madoc Secret can be read as a stand-alone adventure, but it really helps to have read the other books in the series: The Excalibur Parchment and The Lucifer Scroll. The background of the previous Druid plots isn’t essential because Doyle fills in gaps, but if you enjoyed The Prince Madoc Secret, you’ll want to find out what happened before.

When I interviewed Doyle at the release of The Excalibur Parchment, he said he planned on a trilogy. With this third book, and a few cryptic curves thrown in, I’m hoping for a fourth installment…and maybe even more. As a fan, I say let the Oak Grove Conspiracies adventures continue.

The Honour Drum: a children’s book with a grown-up message

24 Thursday Nov 2016

Posted by in Book Review, Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

the-honour-drum-cover-tn-jspIn the first two books of the Compassion Series, author Tim Huff looked at homelessness and the disabled. The third book in the series, The Honour Drum, explores Indigenous peoples’ issues and was co-authored with speaker, teacher and singer/songwriter Cheryl Bear.

The pairing of Huff and Bear is neither inconsequential nor accidental. In the introduction they write of their shared values of home, the Creator’s goodness and Canada’s beauty and diversity, but note that:

“The history of our lineages surely tells a different story. The sacred bloodline of an Indigenous woman from Canada’s west coast and the branches of a Toronto-born Anglo-Canadian man’s family tree cross at complex intersections. Canada at-large knows this uneasy kind of reality from east to west, north to south, only too well.”

Out of these shared values and complex intersections, though, comes a beautiful book that uses images, story, commentary and discussion questions to, as the subtitle states, share “the beauty of Canada’s Indigenous People with Children, Families and Classrooms.”

The Honour Drum hits shelves at a critical time in the relationship between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous people.

The Honour Drum hits shelves at a critical time in the relationship between Canada’s Indigenous and non-Indigenous peoples. Events over the past few years – the report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the establishment of the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and a renewed focus, thanks in part to Gord Downie of the Tragically Hip, on the residential school abuse and runaways issues – have brought the themes presented in The Honour Drum to the forefront of Canadians’ minds.

While classified and promoted as a children’s book, The Honour Drum reaches people of all ages. As Bear and Huff explain in a note to parents and teachers, the book can be approached on a number of levels. An initial reading of the rhyming stanza, accompanied by Huff’s inspired illustrations, introduces the book’s content and themes.

An understanding of the book’s themes is enhanced by the discussion guide and questions which provide depth and context to each stanza. For example, in the discussion guide accompanying the stanza “Pow Wow is a time to gather and meet/To sing and remember, to dance and to eat” readers discover that pow wows are “a time for the communities to gather, sing, dance, socialize and honour and celebrate their cultures.” Discussion questions ask readers What kind of “all are welcome” celebrations they’ve been to.

The Honour Drum is an important and integral book for those Canadians grappling with the issues it raises. As Christians it’s even more important because past actions of those associated with the church have been the source of some of the hurt that needs healing. As I read The Honour Drum and thought about the themes it raised, I became more and more convinced of God’s hand in its collaboration and timing.

Everyone, whether they have children or not, needs to read, study and meditate on The Honour Drum with this question in mind: what is God calling me to do?

***********************************************************

For more information about The Honour Drum go to http://tinyurl.com/zvcor7g

“Kim’s Convenience” successfully makes leap from the stage to television

12 Wednesday Oct 2016

Posted by in Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

kims-convenience-indexKim’s Convenience, playwright and actor Ins Choi’s heartwarming comedy about a Korean immigrant family, made it’s way to television screens via the Toronto Fringe Festival, repeated runs at the Soulpepper Theatre Company and stages across Canada.

The CBC series premiered Tuesday, October 11, one week later than scheduled due to a Toronto Blue Jays wildcard playoff game. But if social media buzz is any indicator, the delay didn’t dampen the anticipation and enthusiasim fans had for the series.

Kim’s Convenience tells the story of Appa (Paul Sun-Hyung Lee), a Korean immigrant who runs a convenience store in Toronto’s Regent Park neighbourhood. His wife, Umma (Jean Yoon) lends a hand at the store but mainly tries to help her children succeed in life. Janet (Andrea Bang), their daughter, is an arts college student who hopes to become a professional photographer despite her father’s wish that she eventually run the store. An incident when he was a teen means son Jung (Simon Liu) has moved out and father aren’t on speaking terms, despite Umma’s and Janet’s attempts at reconciliation.

The debut episode, “Gay Discount,” highlights one of the series’ main sources of comedy: Appa’s struggle to understand the world in which he lives, in part due to a language barrier and in part due to his own cultural upbringing. The conversation between Appa and business rival, Mr. Chin, about the society’s changing attitudes towards sexuality highlights this.

Kim’s Convenience sees the world through the lens of the Korean immigrant experience – a lens that makes for great comedy and must-see viewing.

The second episode, “Janet’s Photos,” shows the second key source of humour, which no doubt comes from Choi’s own experiences growing up with immigrant parents: the gap between the expectations of the parents and the children. When Jung decide to apply to be the assistant manager at the car rental office where he works, Umma tries to bribe his boss to turn down the application so Jung can pursue a more suitable career.

The main cast, anchored by Lee, is outstanding. Lee has played Appa in every incarnation of Kim’s Convenience since the original Fringe production and it shows. The depth in Lee’s portrayal of Appa comes to the fore in one particular scene: Janet has fooled him into visiting Jung’s workplace. While there, he sees a poster of the staff, in which he sees Jung. With one brief look, viewers see a father’s pride, a longing for reconciliation and a resolution to wait for Jung to make the first move – a look by Lee that sums up the father’s and son’s whole relationship.

Yoon, as Umma, while misguided at times – like trying to convince Janet to find a “cool Christian Korean boyfriend” – cares deeply for her children. Bang’s Janet, wants to respect her parents, while carving her own path in the world. And Liu’s Jung, trapped by his past, is content to enjoy life on his own terms. If there was any flaw in the first two episodes it came from some of the supporting character’s who seemed to lack depth. Hopefully this be resolved as the series progresses.

While Kim’s Convenience is rooted in the immigrant experience, it also seems to transcend that experience. The struggle to understand a changing world and bridge the generation gap are common issues in all cultures. Kim’s Convenience happens to look at it through the lens of the Korean immigrant experience – a lens that makes for great comedy and must-see viewing.

***************************************************************

For previous Arts Connection interviews with Ins Choi about the development of Kim’s Convenience check:

http://artsconnection.ca/content/arts-connection-september-1-2011

http://artsconnection.ca/content/arts-connection-january-19-2012-ins-choi-kims-convenience-soulpepper-theatre

http://artsconnection.ca/content/arts-connection-monday-april-7-2014-ins-choi-kims-convenience-and-subway-stations-cross

Lost & Found Theatre scores with “Pocket Rocket”

23 Saturday Apr 2016

Posted by in Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , ,

Lost & Found Theatre - Pocket RocketThere are any number of hockey cliches that could be used to describe Pocket Rocket: A play in three periods currently being staged by Kitchener’s Lost & Found Theatre. Using any one of them (except in this blog’s head) would detract from the excellence of the production.

The first act, or period, took me back to my own adolescence in small Southwestern Ontario town where road hockey was the pastime of choice. I recognized (and remembered who was) the play’s characters:

  • Steve (Andrei Preda) – the jock who thought he was better than everyone else and let everyone know it.
  • Paul (Mark Kreder) – the physically and socially awkward teen with overprotective parents who desperately wanted to fit in.
  • Dave (Matt White) – the vulnerable one whose family circumstances leads him to look for a family in his friends.
  • Cindy/Sid (Hannah Ziss) – the tomboy on the brink of becoming a young woman.
  • Ifty (Suchiththa Desilva) – the new kid on the block and the outsider who changes the group’s dynamics.

Pocket Rocket is  filled with humour, pathos and heart-wrenching emotion that will find you laughing one moment and deep in thought the next.

With Act 1 set in 1967, “Canada’s last great year” pronounces Steve, Pocket Rocket opens with our 14-year-olds – Steve, Paul, Dave and Cindy – saying good-bye to an old friend, hello to a new friend and discovering more about themselves than they want to. Playwrights Lea Daniel and Gary Kirkham have written a script filled with humour, pathos and heart-wrenching emotion that will find you laughing one moment and deep in thought the next.

In Act/Period 2, now set in 1981, the friends gather to help Dave move and, for old times’ sake, have another game of road hockey. The tensions – sexual, personal, familial and otherwise – introduced in Act 1 continue to simmer until they explode. By the end of the act everything has changed leaving everyone wondering if life will ever be the same. The shift in time gives the cast a chance to showcase their acting muscles from convincingly portraying adolescents to maturing adults.

Act/Period 3 opens 14 years later with the friends gathering for another farewell and one last road hockey game. Some of the old tensions remain, while others have been resolved. If I had one criticism of Pocket Rocket it’s that the play’s denouement seemed somewhat rushed in this act leaving some of the plays issues (especially around Dave and Steve) unanswered.

Pocket Rocket is another stellar effort from Lost & Found Theatre. To riff on Steve’s opening line, all I can say is “I love this play.”

******************************

Pocket Rocket continues until April 30. For more performance and ticket information check http://www.lostandfoundtheatre.ca/#!performances/ffiv7

Film will move viewers close enough to hear God breathe

15 Tuesday Mar 2016

Posted by in Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

Breathe - coverWith the words “We waited until the last of my children arrived before taking my father off of life support…” Jason Hildebrand’s portrayal and Mike Janzen’s piano breathe life into Greg Paul’s words in Breathe…

Breathe… is a film version of the stage play co-created by Hildebrand and Tom Carson with music by Janzen. Inspired by Paul’s award-winning book, Close Enough to Hear God Breathe, the play explores the “story of a man who never heard ‘I love you’ from his father, searching through the characters of his life to find – ‘I love you’.”

The scenes in Breathe… derive from a variety of sources:

Paul’s own life: in the opening vignette, “father…”, the opening vignette, tells the story of the last day’s of Paul’s father. “soapbox preacher…” tells how Paul’s grandfather was saved through the ministry of a Hamilton street evangelist.

Every aspect of Breathe… depicts the deepest need of the human heart: intimacy with God.

Scripture: “baptist…” portrays Jesus baptism by his cousin John (and effectively uses a rolling fog effect to portray the Jordan River). “feast…” invites all to be close enough to hear God breathe and celebrate His feast.

Paul’s ministry to the street-involved: “rob…” a poignant portrayal of a man succumbing to the demons of addiction that he’d long fought. “leonard…” a childhood friend of Paul’s who wonders if “God could love me like my grandmother does.”

The sparse set, for the most part, comprises only Hildebrand and Janzen at a grand piano. And, occasionally, a wooden chair. The lighting for each scene (predominantly white, with only a few color settings) helps set the mood, with a fog effect being used to depict smoke, clouds or water.

Along with restrained camera work, Breathe… gives the viewer the chance to be caught up in each story as Hildebrand brings to life the unforgettable characters Paul depicted on the page: from the gruffness of his father, to the lost innocence of Leonard, from the bewilderment of a street preacher, to the tenderness of a father with his newborn daughter.

Janzen’s score to Breathe… is as integral to the film as Hildebrand’s acting. Without it, Leonard’s story would be less poignant, the feast less meaningful and the father’s time with his newborn daughter less tender. But it’s not just the music. Janzen uses a looping effect to provide sound effects for a couple of scenes, including the bustle of Hamilton’s steel industry in the 1920s.

Every aspect of Breathe… – Hildebrand’s acting, Janzen’s music and the filmmaking – depicts the deepest need of the human heart: intimacy with God. For some, it will raise more questions than it answers. For others, it will provide the answers to their questions. For all, it will move them towards that moment where they’re “close enough to hear God breathe.”

*************************************

For more information on Breathe… go to http://www.jasonhildebrand.com

To listen to an Arts Connection interview with Jason Hildebrand and Mike Janzen talk about the creation of the stage version of Breathe… check http://tinyurl.com/h73s62e

And for more on how you can support Arts Connection go to: https://www.gofundme.com/artsconnection

“The Masked Saint” sets the bar for Christian filmmakers

20 Wednesday Jan 2016

Posted by in Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , ,

TheMaskedSaint_27x40_FINALWhen Pastor Chris Samuels, the main character in The Masked Saint (portrayed by Brett Granstaff), is at his lowest, his wife Michelle (Lara Jean Chorostecki) makes as statement that sums up the whole movie:

“You’ve always been that little boy who’s afraid of the bully. Don’t be the bully. You’ve always been a son who’s looking for his father. Now you have to look after the church. You’ve always been a man looking for a second chance. Now you have one.”

The Masked Saint, which opens in Canadian theatres this coming weekend, is based on the novel by pastor Chris Whaley and is based on Whaley’s own career as a professional wrestler in the 1980s. In the movie, after being called to a small church in Michigan, Samuels faces a shrinking congregation, dwindling finances and a hostile neighbourhood. Thinking he’s left the ring for good, Samuels ends up using his wrestling skills as a masked vigilante and then as a way to prop up the congregation’s finances.

Having been disappointed by previous Christian films, I previewed The Masked Saint with some skepticism. But I was disappointed again. The film exceeded my expectations and, in my opinion has reset the bar for other Christian filmmakers.

The Masked Saint presents a solid story with well-developed and believable characters

Unlike other movies in this genre, The Masked Saint presents a solid story with well-developed and believable characters. Chris Samuels isn’t a perfect pastor who has it all together. In much the same way that Eric Liddell found God’s pleasure in running in Chariots of Fire, it isn’t until the saintly Ms Edna (veteran actor Diahann Carroll) encourages Chris to get back into the wrestling ring and use his God-given talents.

Still, The Masked Saint had a few weaknesses. One is in the character of Judd Lumpkin (Patrick McKenna), which comes across as more of a caricature of a controlling church board chair, than a believable character. This makes Lumpkin’s own repentance scene seem slightly contrived. Another weakness would be how some police procedures (the line-up scene) are sacrificed for the sake of increasing tension and conflict. In the end, though, the story and characters overcome any weaknesses.

From producer Cliff McDowell’s home-town of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario substituting for Michigan to the wrestling sequences, The Masked Saint is beautifully shot. And the use of wrestlers-turned-actors Roddy Piper (as the less-than-honest wrestling promoter Nicky Stone) and James Preston Rogers (as the Reaper) add authenticity to the movie.

As Chris Samuels struggles with his calling and the consequences from following that calling, The Masked Saint builds to an inevitable conclusion. That’s not to say it’s a cliched conclusion – there’s still lots of room for doubt and a surprise ending right up until the final scene. And that’s what makes The Masked Saint stand head and shoulders above its peers.

*********************

For information on the Canadian release of The Masked Saint check http://www.p23ent.com/

 

Latest Lost & Found Theatre play destined to be a Christmas classic

08 Tuesday Dec 2015

Posted by in Review

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

, , , , , , ,

LF - Charles Dickens WritesDescriptions such as “a holiday classic” or “must-see theatre” have been used so frequently that they seem hyperbolic this time of year.

This isn’t the case with Lost & Found Theatre’s latest production: Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol. If tonight’s performance is any indicator, this play is destined to be a Christmas classic and certainly is must-see theatre for the few performances that remain.

Written by L&F company member Richard Quesnel, Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol tells the story behind the now-classic story of the redemption of Ebenezer Scrooge.

“Written in 1843, a time when the celebration of Christmas was considered out of fashion in London, A Christmas Carol became one of the most popular books of the English language and has been credited by some as ‘almost single-handedly reviving the Christmas holiday'” writes Quesnel in the playwright’s notes.

The play depicts the challenges Dickens (Gareth Potter) faced in providing his publisher with a story as successful as The Pickwick Papers – which had been published seven years earlier. Drawing inspiration from a group of carollers and a tightfisted publisher who insisted on new and publishable work by Christmas morning, Dickens slaves through the night to produce A Christmas Carol.

Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol  seamlessly weaves the story of how Dickens crafted the story with the story itself

Quesnel, who also directed the play, seamlessly weaves the story of how Dickens crafted the story with the story itself. Potter assumes the role of both Dickens and Bob Crachit while L&F company member Christy Ziss is memorable as Mrs. Dickens and Mrs. Cratchit. Both veteran actor Ted Follows (Jacob Marley/Old Joe) and L&F’s Kathleen Sheehy (Mrs. Dilber/Mrs. Fezziwig) are unforgettable.

For me, the challenge of any actor depicting Ebenezer Scrooge is meeting the standard set by Alistair Sim in the 1951 film Scrooge. Vince Carlin’s portrayal of Mr. Hall/Scrooge meets and, dare I admit it, exceeds that standard. In his own way, Carlin shows Scrooge’s self-centred approach to life in which only his business is preeminent. By the end of the visits of the three spirits, Carlin is able to demonstrate Scrooge’s repentance in which mankind becomes his business.

From a cast which effectively handles British accents and Victorian dialogue, to a simple set which transforms itself from Dickens’ study to the Cratchit’s cottage to Scrooge’s bedroom, the play shines. A particularly memorable scene, often missing from film versions of the story, is the Ghost of Christmas Present’s visit to those celebrating Christmas: a pair of miners, a lighthouse keeper and those aboard a ship at sea. Under Quesnel’s direction, the scene features carols in German, French, another language I couldn’t quite catch and ends with an English version of the the traditional Austrian carol “Still, Still, Still” in a moment which brought the audience, including  myself, to tears.

The acting is superb. The set is stunning. The original music is moving. Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol will become a Christmas tradition. And that’s a prediction, not hyperbole.

********************

Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol continues its run at the Conrad Centre in Kitchner until Saturday, December 12. For ticket information check http://www.lostandfoundtheatre.com/

To listen to playwright/director Richard Quesnel talk about the origins and production of Charles Dickens Writes A Christmas Carol check http://tinyurl.com/ojf22xr

Lost & Found Theatre’s “Kimberly Akimbo” is funny, poignant and deeply moving

20 Friday Mar 2015

Posted by in Review

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

Lost and Found Theatre - Kimberly Akimbo

One of my pleasures is live theatre and the Lost & Found Theatre company’s latest production, Kimberly Akimbo, is one of the reasons for my love of theatre.

The Kitchener, Ontario-based company doesn’t describe itself as a “Christian theatre company” even though most of the company’s core cast are Christians. But the works they choose to produce frequently resonate with Christian values and definitely look at the challenging and redemptive aspects of human relationships.

Kimberly Akimbo does just that. Pulitzer Prize winner David Lindsay-Abaire’s play introduces us to a mother (Christy Ziss) about to give birth to her second child and worried about about diseases she’s never been diagnosed with; a rarely sober father (Andy Pogson) who constantly makes promises he never keeps and 15- turning 16-year-old, Kimberly who tries to navigate the turbulent waters of a budding teenage romance, a dysfunctional family (that also includes an aunt with a sketchy past) and her own mortality.

Cast as Kimberly, is Kathleen Sheehy portrays a teen who struggles with a rare condition that causes her body to age faster than it should. Faced with an uncertain future, she also has to cope with her parents avoidance (bordering on denial) of her condition despite her desire to live a normal teenage life. When her aunt Debra (Jennifer Cornish) shows up with a get-rich-quick scheme, Kimberly’s world falls apart as simmering family secrets boil to the surface in heated arguments and accusations.

And when the family secrets no longer remain secret, instead of ending the dysfunction, it serves to drive the wedge between Kimberly and her parents in deeper, forcing her to forge her own path and find her own happiness.

Thrown into the mix is a Jeff (in a stunning professional debut by Alten Wilmot), a geeky wannabe boyfriend who uses anagrams portray his true feelings. Using a school project as a ruse to get a chance to talk to Kimberly, the budding romance survives awkward silences, their own dysfunctional families and Kimberly’s overprotective father.

Kimberly Akimbo is funny, poignant and deeply moving, often in the space of a single line. It’s a must see.

**********************

Kimberly Akimbo runs until March 28 at the Registry Theatre (122 Frederick St., Kitchener). For ticket details go to http://www.lostandfoundtheatre.com. (Warning: Coarse Language, 13+)

And check out Lost & Found Theatre’s Radical Hospitality initiative where a limited number of tickets for the Saturday, March 21 and Tuesday, March 24 will be available at no cost.