Thrice Upon a Time: Until Feb. 7/10 (Review)

Live theatre seems to be less common than it used to be, but maybe it really isn’t – maybe it’s just that we don’t always know when and where it’s happening.

Montrealers, particularly young Montrealers, should consider themselves lucky because not only do we have a vibrant theatre scene, we have at least one production company that provides live theatre for the children: Geordie Productions.

I was offered complimentary tickets to attend the newest production, DynamO Théâtre’s Thrice Upon a Time, written by Jacqueline Gosselin, directed by Jacqueline Gosselin and Robert Dion. Curious to see what it would be, I went along with an (adult) friend of mine. I can honestly say that we were delighted with the acrobatic show.

According to Geordie Production’s press release:

While stranded on a mysterious island, a young boy encounters an outlandish creature who sets him off with two friends down a dark crevice in order to defeat an evil witch. This production is a modern-day tale that draws on familiar and foreign legends while seamlessly blending heart-stopping acrobatics with a live musical soundscape.

There’s an almost surefire way to tell if children enjoy a show – you don’t hear them except when they are laughing or responding to what is going on on-stage. This is what happened during the hour-long performance tonight. You could hear giggles and laughter when things were funny and small gasps when things were surprising. The adults seemed to enjoy it as well.

Part of the charm of the show is that there are pretty well no props. Some poles are needed for the performance, but that is really just about it. The actors/performers Hugues Sarra-Bournet (The Monkey), Andréanne Joubert (The Witch and the Lonely-Girl), Jean-François Guilbault (The Lad) kept us all entertained and the musician Jean-François Pednô, was magical.

The suggested age group is five years or older and this is where I may waver a bit. Although this didn’t seem to be an issue with tonight’s crowd, if you have a child on the young side who is fearful, the witch scenes may be a bit troubling. But that truly is my only issue, if you want to call it that.

Thrice Upon a Time is playing at McGill University’s Moyse Hall, Arts Building, located at 853 Sherbrooke West, at the top of McGill College Avenue. Once you enter the large gates (the Roddick Gates), just keep going up to the top of the hill. Please note that if you regularly attend Geordie Production shows that this is not at their usual venue at Concordia.

Dates and Times:

Saturday, January 30 at 3pm
Sunday, January 31 at 3pm
Saturday, February 6 at 3pm
Sunday, February 7 at 1pm (Performance in French)
Sunday, February 7 at 3pm
School Matinées: February 2 – 5 at 10am & 12pm

Cost:
$13.50 children, $16 adults; $15 students & seniors | Group rates available

BOX OFFICE and INFORMATION:  (514) 845-9810 or www.geordie.ca

Once Upon a Home: Children’s Theatre Series, Jan. 16/10

ONCE UPON A HOME

Centaur Theatre Children’s Series

January 16, 2010  at 10:30am

Written by Amanda Kellock, from the writings of the students of: FACE, St-Gabriel’s, Willingdon, Coronation and Karonhiahonha schools. Directed by Amanda Kellock. Designed by: Ana Cappelluto and Troy Slocum. Featuring: Jimmy Blais, Vanessa Schmit-Craan and Antoine Yared.

What does “Home” mean to you? Last year, Geordie posed this question to elementary-school students from 5 different schools in and around Montreal, as part of a collaborative creation process called “From You to Us to You”. With their stories, words, and drawings, the Geordie team created a fresh new play to bring back To You. Through songs, stories and a lot of make-believe, discover some of the many diverse ideas children have of Home.

Box Office: (514) 288-3161 | Centaur Theatre, 453 St. François-Xavier | Tickets: $6 – $8 | Recommended for ages 4 – 12