Plum Viewing
Welcome to the latest edition of Plum Viewing, my weekly roundup of arts and culture to view online.
Here are this week’s picks. Happy viewing!
Ok, let’s start with a question: who listened to last week’s recommendation, Richard II, the Public Theater’s Free Shakespeare on WNYC? I do hope many of you did. It’s an inspired performance and one very fitting for these times. And, Andre Holland’s performance is exquisite. Truly. But, if you didn’t catch it live, fear not! The adaptation is available as a four-part podcast, which you can download here. So, put your headphones in and take yourself on an evening (masked!) stroll through your neighbour and enjoy!!
Now, we’re off to Montreal to see the Circus! I know we all know Montreal’s most famous circus group, Cirque du Soleil and of course, they are incredible. But, the city known as the world capital of circus certainly isn’t satisfied to stop there. So, let’s meet Les 7 doigts de la main
With headquarters on St. Laurent Blvd, this incredible group of athletes stage performances that are intimate and truly captivating. I had the pleasure of seeing one such performance up close and personal on a Saturday morning during the Canadian Arts Summit, when using three wooden chairs as props, one of their star performers gave a group of 100 people a lesson in what NOT to do at home!
Right now, Les 7 doigts are streaming Cuisine & Confessions . This show was reviewed by the Globe and Mail’s Brad Wheeler when it played in Toronto in 2016. And, to cut to the chase; he is a fan!
If you’re anything like me, you are looking for ANY excuse to get dressed up and pretend, at least, that you have somewhere to go. Somewhere that requires a dress code beyond shorts and a t-shirt and wait for it ladies, perhaps even a hint of lipstick. I KNOW!! In other words, a big night out. Well, Miami City Ballet might have just what we need. The company is currently streaming, Nine Sinatra Songs, a throwback to old school romance and glamour. Over a 31-minute performance, seven couples dance the night away in evening gowns and dinner jackets. So, shake your favourite cocktail (tequila gimlet for me!) and relax into an evening with old blue eyes himself.
Many of our favourite museums are starting to open, slowly and carefully, but for those of us in Canada, it will be a while before we’re able to visit MoMA in person. Until then, we can get our fix with the museum’s Virtual Views series, which takes us inside some of their most celebrated collections through stories and curator Q&As, as well as audio playlists and feature articles. This week, they are featuring Gordon Parks, the first African American staff photographer at Life magazine whose work touches photography, filmmaking and poetry.
Toronto’s Soulpepper has a fantastic series called, The Training Room, which features candid conversations with many of Canada’s most prominent arts leaders. Next week, Wednesday, July 22, we will be treated to an hour with Factory Theatre’s artistic director, Nina Lee Aquino. For anyone who knows Nina, you know she is always honest, authentic and not one to shy away from the issues of the day. This will be a conversation not to be missed!
Well, this is a real treat. Red Bull Theater, which was founded in 2003 by the uber talented Jesse Berger, has been acclaimed by The New York Times as “a dynamic producer of classic plays”, and they are not wrong! Under Jesse’s direction, the theater has taken classic plays that you thought you knew and completely turned them on their head. It’s a thrill to watch. On Monday, July 20 at 7:30 pm ET, Red Bull is hosting its 2020 Short New Play Festival called, Private Lives (bonus points to all the Noel Coward fans who are humming their favourite Noel Coward tune right now J). The evening, which is streaming for free, will feature eight 10-minute world premieres by some of today’s most exciting writers including Jeremy O. Harris (Slave Play, Daddy) and Theresa Rebeck (Bernhardt/Hamlet, Seminar). You can learn more about the playwrights here.
Enjoy!!
And, an ask: While we’re enjoying these wonderful performances, let’s remember that for the arts organizations producing this incredible content, this is their livelihood; not a hobby. If we can, now is our time to continue to support our incredible arts community!
And, if you’d like to receive Plum Viewing weekly, send me a note at maggiefairs@gmail.com and I will add you to my mailing list.