Shes-Not-Special-review
Aisha Lesley Bentham
Aisha Lesley Bentham BFA, MA is an internationally trained artist-scholar, vegan chef, and wellness coach. Aisha’s research and passion examines the intersections of cooking and performance and aims to integrate notions of care, eco-somatics, and cookery from the perspective of a first-generation Black Canadian. Her new work will premiere at SummerWorks August 2023.
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iPhoto caption: 'The Hound of the Baskervilles 'rehearsal photo courtesy of Lighthouse Festival.
Three actors juggle 17 roles in Lighthouse Festival’s The Hound of the Baskervilles
“[I’ll] be taking off a full tweed suit and putting on a Victorian dress,” says actor Andrew Scanlon. “There will be a lot of coordination that needs to go on.”
iPhoto caption: 'Queen of the Night' promo photo courtesy of Luminato Festival.
REVIEW: Two site-specific Luminato concerts explore the significance of daily ritual
Grounded in a heightened sense of time and place, both Dawn Chorus and Queen of the Night Communion express curiosity about how art can disrupt patterns of living.
iPhoto caption: Justin Collette in 'Beetlejuice.' 2022 photo by Matthew Murphy.
REVIEW: For a show about death, Beetlejuice is impressively full of life
It's a thoroughly entertaining musical that even improves on the original film, adding a far more cohesive storyline, clearer character motivations, and an updated sense of humour.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Hans Ravn.
The Bentway’s Sand Flight asks how we might navigate a world remade by climate collapse
“We’re not only conveying dystopia,” says co-creator Jonas Corell Petersen. “Yes, we die. Yes, we dry out. But that makes way for something new, and the dancers carry hopefulness in their movement.”
iPhoto caption: Andrew Penner and Deborah Hay in 'After the Rain.' Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: After the Rain transforms the Tarragon Mainspace into a passionate folk-rock concert
The performers of this world premiere musical got a lot of laughs from the buzzing opening night audience, but make no mistake, they got quite a few audible tears out of us, too.
iPhoto caption: Makambe K. Simamba as Celia (left) and Sara Farb as Rosalind in 'As You Like It.' Photo by David Hou.
‘A lot of eyes’ on Sara Farb as she opens her seventh season at the Stratford Festival
“This place is so great to work at because one day I go to work and put a mustache on and the other day I’m wearing a beautiful gown,” says Farb.
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of the Canadian Opera Company.
REVIEW: Aportia Chryptych marks many firsts for Canadian opera
While representation is important, re-telling stories of Black Canadians comes with even greater responsibility. Our stories are not monoliths, nor should they exist within a digestible social narrative. Imbued with...
iPhoto caption: Photo of Come Home — The Legend of Daddy Hall by Cylla von Tiedemann.
REVIEW: The Legend of Daddy Hall feels like coming home
Home is not a place, it’s a feeling, and Come Home — The Legend of Daddy Hall feels like I came home. I was taken on a journey watching this play and came out honoured to be a witness to such an incredible story. I encourage you to do the same.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Roya DelSol.
This play is such a delight to watch, and I would definitely go again. I live for this quality of performance, and I’m looking forward to how this play will continue to inspire Black Canadian theatre to come.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Three Sisters weaves together joy, fear, and the Biafran Civil War
In this conversational review of Three Sisters, contributors Kemi King and Aisha Lesley Bentham reflect on a masterful production helmed by Mumbi Tindyebwa Otu.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Jae Yang.
REVIEW: In 3 Fingers Back, Donna-Michelle St. Bernard explores the extremes of war
3 Fingers Back ain't no regular play about war. We don't see or hear the destruction of the land or the cry of the people. Instead, Donna-Michelle (DM) St. Bernard's double bill of plays is more intimate, an inward crawl to what she calls the repetitive stress patterns that constitute the world.
Think of both of these plays not side-by-side but instead facing each other and reflecting to us, the audience.
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