Enough to keep you – Confused.

Yes, so it has been a very long time since I updated this blog.
Which doesn’t mean I haven’t been writing (or cooking either), I’ve just been super busy lately.
BUT my reviews for numerous theatre performances has been up on getdown.ca

It’s the opening of Ghost River’s “Reverie” this week. And after their last entry of “One”, my expectations were really high. “One” was spectacular.
“Reverie” opens on Thursday, and I went to see the preview. As pointed out I can’t review a preview, because it more than likely to change quite a bit when they officially open on Thursday.
So opening night might be a COMPLETELY different show. I totally forgot to mention that on this original post. “Reverie” opens on May 19th and runs until the 28th. These are my thoughts on the bare bones of the preview. They may not be valid when the show opens on the 19th. Or opening might change my mind completely. I will follow up with what official reviewers in the media are saying about the show as compared to my thoughts on the preview.

“Reverie” is thoughtful, but misses the mark.The play has its roots in music and makes use of video and light in an interesting way. It tells of a girl who works at a grocery stores and wants to put her earphones in, using music to push through the mundane of life. She goes out after a long day of work and dances in a club and comes back to a world of revolution and chaos. She is left looking for her sister, who was looking for her help when she was out.

The set is just two screens, that move around the stage and feature different projections. The technical aspect and creativity involved is impressive. When the main character is on a bus, the passing scenery and the way the other characters stand are the indications. The lights flash by when she’s in the elevator. It is quite intriguing to watch.The addition of live music is also a nice touch, but the narrative doesn’t really engage the viewer as much. It isn’t quite compelling, it misses the mark, leaving the audience a little lost. It’s a play with a lot of metaphors embedded in the music but the point is lost among the poetry.

What the critics are saying:

“Unfortunately, in the context of the ambitious and characteristically unique Ghost River Theatre show that premiered there on Thursday -Reverie -there may be thunder to the coming storm, but not much enlightening.
The show smacks of careful and thorough rehearsal, even if its polished parts don’t quite add up to a gleaming whole.
The lighting and sound designs of Kerem Cetinel and Matthew Waddell, respectively, work well in establishing contemporary lines, as do the succinct costume and video designs of Erin Gruber.
A high point from the visual angle, too, is the movement design attributed to both Decidedly Jazz Danceworks resident choreographer Kim Cooper and Rose himself, who directs.
Thanks in great part to their work, even when the story fades, the storytelling never really does.”
— Bob Clark
Calgary Herald