Issue Six - Volume 53 - November 25, 2014
Kelly Lui
Fridge Festival in Review
(as Presented by Lionheart Productions Coeur de Lion) Ashley Moniz Arts & Entertainment Editor
November 7th and 8th marked the beginning of the student productions and performances at Theatre Glendon this year with the annual Fridge Festival. This is a fun event put on by Glendon’s theatre group, Lionheart Productions Coeur de Lion, which features plays that have been written, directed and performed by students. The festival was directed by Brandon Goncalves and Marika Kunnas. It was a fun night that had its ups and downs, but on closing night, it managed to entertain an audience that seemed to
have a really good time. The first play was Karalina Lovkina’s “A New Kind of Tea Party”, a modern coffee-shop spin on Alice in Wonderland. While the show is most enjoyed by those who could catch the references to the classic tale and risks falling flat for anyone who is not familiar with it, the play managed to stay true to much of the quirk and poeticism found in Lewis Carroll’s classic. The meaning of the play, if any, was a bit difficult to find, and some of the playfulness in the dialogue was lost in its delivery. However, each of the performers was well-cast and did a stellar job of bringing their character to life. Estela Williams’ “Impro-wrestling” followed. This was a very risky show in that a script about improv can either have great moments or come off as bad acting. Fortunately, “Impro-wrestling” produced arguably the biggest
reaction from the crowd. The performers each gave their best effort and some funny skits. On top of that, Estela’s side quips throughout the show as the MC were perfectly delivered and tied the show together well. Carla Texeira’s “The Drunken Reflection” showed the stress and toll that alcoholism can take on a family. Despite the heavy subject matter, the actors maintained a humourous tone throughout the show in their over-the-top drunken mishaps and/or reactions to them. This particular play could have used less swearing and more back story as a means of defining the characters. That being said, the performers all seemed to capture the essence of their characters and the show had, at its core, a heartfelt and meaningful undertone to it. (Continued on page 8...)