Plum Viewing
Welcome to the latest edition of Plum Viewing, my weekly roundup of arts and culture to view online. Happy viewing!
Let’s start with a little poll (totally anonymous of course because hey, how will I ever know if you’re telling the truth!). Who watched last week’s recommendation Belfast Blues, the one-woman play written and performed by Geraldine Huges, in her hometown? Mr Fairs and I sat down on Sunday afternoon to see it and all I can say is, wow! What a powerful performance given by Geraldine. Over 90 minutes, she took on the mannerisms and voices of 24 characters, given each of them a very distinct presence. The story, based on her childhood growing up during the height of the Troubles, was funny, heartbreaking and truly captivating. A privilege on all fronts to watch!
So, onto this week’s delights.
This Saturday is Nuit Blanche. And, like so many festivals, it too has moved online this year. So, here are the positives: weather is no longer a factor, nor is finding a babysitter or a dog walker, so hey, there’s that! Also, for those reading outside of Toronto, you can browse this year’s offerings from the comfort of your home, wherever that is!
This year’s theme is The Space Between Us and it includes podcasts, talks, a history of the festival and of course installations. So, grab your drink of choice and enjoy it here.
Cindy Sherman is by far and away one of my favorite living artists. With her self-portraits, she has presented herself as, among many other things, an ingénue, a clown, a socialite, an aging screen queen, and so much more. I love her, and true love never dies (bonus points if you can name the movie?!)
And, it seems the gods are at least giving me one small pleasure in 2020 because the amazing and fearless Cindy Sherman has teamed up another one of my favourite people, Stella McCartney, for a collaboration at Metro Pictures, which we mere mortals can view online. How happy am I about this? There are NO words.
Also, because we can never have too much Cindy Sherman in our lives, here’s a link to the nearly 90 pieces of Sherman’s work online at MoMA. Enjoy! I know I will be!!
Toronto’s Tarragon Theatre has taken an initiative approach to its programming by moving many of its plays from visual to acoustic performances in a series they are calling Tarragon Acoustic. Available on the second Thursday and last Sunday of each month from Sept 2020 until May 2021, you have the entire week — from Thursday to Thursday, from Sunday to Sunday — to enjoy the show. This week’s performance is carried away on the crest of a wave, written by David Yee and directed by Nina Lee Aquino (a Plum Viewing favourite). It originally premiered at Tarragon on Feb 27, 2013, and is based on the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. Through a series of vignettes, the play illustrates the ripple effect of one of the deadliest natural disasters in recorded history and ponders what happens when the events that bind us together are the same events that tear us apart. It is available for free and you can get your ticket here.
This year’s celebrated Montreal based Just for Laughs festival is much shorter and online but we still get to enjoy it. Running over just two days, Oct 9 and 10, shows will air live between 5:15 pm — 11 pm ET. This year’s line-up includes a keynote with Gina Yashere moderated by Wanya Sykes; a conversation between Judd Apatow and Kevin Hart, Sarah Cooper in conversation with Tig Notaro and many, many more. You can view the full schedule and get your ticket here.
Let’s end the way all weeks should end (and let’s face it, this was a week!!) with a little jazz. Here, we go back to our old favourite, Jazz at Lincoln Center. This week, this esteem venue kicked off its 33rd season by honouring Charlie Parker’s centennial. Over the next three weeks, they will be rolling out new videos of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra performing fresh arrangements of five of Parker’s most beloved compositions. The first is tonight and you can watch it 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.