Toronto’s Ghost Quartet features otherworldly talent

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4:00 pm

Just in time for the creepy season comes a theatrical concert called Ghost Quartet, which features four outstanding musical talents unravelling four interwoven stories. These range from a retelling of Edgar Allan Poe’s “The Fall of the House of Usher” to a warped fairy tale involving two sisters, a tree house astronomer and a lazy evil bear.

“It’s like, a multi-dimensional time warping song cycle about whisky drinking, past lives, mistakes and love,” says Andrew Penner, one of the show’s stars, who also arranged the music. “It’s a real time warp, head screw, you know? In the best kind of way.”

Ghost Quartet was created by American playwright and composer Dave Malloy. It premiered off-off-Broadway in 2014. The original 2015 off-Broadway production was nominated for a Drama Desk Award for Best Musical.

It is unconventional in the best sense of the word. And it seems safe to say the production is a theatrical cousin of otherworldly song cycles such as Soulpepper Theatre’s recent hit Spoon River.

“There is nothing conventional about this show,” says Penner. “It’s not a musical or a play. More than anything, it’s a concert with story and drama but all based out of the songs. And the songs range from rock ’n’ roll to old rusty, dirty folk music to jazz to avant-garde classical to ukulele music.”

According to Penner, who is also a member of the band Harrow Fair and his own Sunparlour Players, says that director Chris Abraham has been wanting to put on this production for some time. And the key was finding the right people.

“We took our time because we knew that basically we couldn’t do the show if we didn’t find three other killers, because that’s the show,” says Penner.

“If we don’t have four people who can play their asses off and sing like that, you’re not going to have a show. We took our time and we found them.”

Completing the Ghost Quartet are Hailey Gillis (star of Soulpepper’s Rose), Kira Guloien (Doctor Zhivago on Broadway) and multi–Dora Award–winning actor and musician Beau Dixon (Soulpepper’s Ma Rainey’s Black Bottom). All of the characters also play a variety of instruments that reflect the unique nature of the performance.

“We needed a wide palette to work with, from ’80s synth to old rickety pianos plunking away these huge epic ballads and drunken dirges,” says Penner.

“The music at times is so fun and catchy that you forget how creepy it is, but there is definitely like an old horror aspect to it,” Penner explains.

“There is everything from Hitchcock to Stanley Kubrick’s 2001. There is a very awkward creepiness, especially how it moves around in time.”

Ghost Quartet, presented by Crow’s Theatre and Eclipse Theatre Company, runs at Crow’s Theatre from Oct. 5 to Nov. 3.

Toronto actor Laysla De Oliveira steals the spotlight in new Netflix horror ‘In the Tall Grass’

By

lindsaylow

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11:00 am

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Recently, whenever actor Laysla De Oliveira finds herself driving along Bloor past her old alma mater, Rosedale Heights School of the Arts, she rolls down the window and yells, “I’m going to be OK. I made it.”

And made it she has. The Toronto actor made a big splash at the Toronto International Film Festival last month and is set to unleash her next big thing: The frightening movie In the Tall Grass, based on a novella by Stephen King and his son Joe Hill.

The new role comes on the heels of the young actor’s breakout appearance in Atom Egoyan’s latest, Guest of Honour, which was featured at both the Toronto and Venice film festivals.

In Guest of Honour, she portrays Veronica, the daughter of a restaurant inspector (British actor David Thewlis). It was an intricate role wherein she played the same character over three time periods.

Given Egoyan’s propensity for creating these meaty roles that act as springboards for young actors, it is no surprise that Laysla De Oliveira is having something of a moment.

“This is kind of like my first major introduction to the world, if you will,” she says. “Venice was such an unbelievable experience. I’d never gone to Italy before, let alone to be there with all these people I admire and have a film in competition there. I had to pinch myself the whole time.

“The Toronto [International Film Festival] was a full circle moment for me because I’m from here, went to theatre school here, my family is here,” she adds. “To have them be able to see that and what I did was amazing.”

In the Tall Grass is directed by another talented Torontonian: Vicenzo Natali. De Oliveira gives the director high praise.

“It’s such a dream come true to work with [him], he’s so sweet, and he creates such a safe space for us to work in,” she says. “Every day, he’d send a text or email thanking us for our hard work. And because he was so nice, we wanted to give our best, give him whatever he’s asking for. Plus, he really has a great vision.”

The movie, which premieres on Netflix on Oct. 4, tells the story of a pair of siblings travelling to San Diego who stop alongside a field of tall grass, thinking they’d heard a boy cry out for help. And, as one does in scary movies, they see no other choice but to wander into the field. Then stuff starts to happen.

De Oliveira, a self-professed “scaredy-cat” doesn’t have a lot of experience in horror film.

“I’m terrified of scary movies, so I don’t really watch them,” she says. “I couldn’t even sit through It. But I like psychological thrillers, and this is more in that vein. That’s why I was very interested in doing it.”

De Oliveira didn’t really consider acting as a viable career option until high school but was always a performer, especially during dinner parties at the family home.

“I did always want to act. I just didn’t know it could be a career,” she says. “My mom would host dinner parties and I would charge guests $2 for dinner and a show, and I would lip-synch to Britney Spears.”

She actually ended up in modelling at a young age after being scouted on the street. She did some commercials, and there were opportunities, but after her first drama class at Rosedale, she was all about the acting.

“After that, I went to a theatre school that I really liked and they encouraged me to maybe try and go to L.A.,” she says.

“Which I did, and that’s how I ended up right here.”

This Toronto shop wants you to dress like the cast of Schitt’s Creek

By

Nicole Richie

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5:19 pm

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Ever dream of raiding the cast of Schitt’s Creek’s closet? Well, now is your chance. The Rose’s have donated their famed designer fits and stylish wardrobes to V-S-P Consignment in Toronto, so you can recreate some of the best outfits from Canada’s favourite TV family.

The über popular CBC-TV sitcom is not only known for their outrageous banter, but also for their endless wardrobe of designer pieces.

The show captures the Rose’s, a once posh and privileged family who are forced to move to Schitt’s Creek with only themselves and their fabulous threads. With designer duds from Balenciaga, Alexander McQueen and Givenchy featured on the show, this family knows how to pull out all the stops and now you can too.

This month at V-S-P Consignment you can dress like Moira, David, Alexis and John in the real Emmy-nominated pieces seen throughout all six seasons of the show. Over 800 items are available at V-S-P, including some pretty extravagant pieces and never before seen outfits from the upcoming sixth season.

Although for sale, the Rose’s clothes don’t come cheap. Many of the pieces, like the Pamella Rolland sequin and feathered gown that Moira (Catherine O’Hara) wore in the fifth season’s aptly named episode The Dress, will go for $5,000.

There are some more affordable items as well, like David’s (Dan Levy) excess of sweaters from designers like DSquared2, along with some keepsakes that commemorate the town of Schitt’s Creek.

Some of the proceeds of this sale will be donated to the Gay Lesbian and Straight Education Network or GLSEN. This organization encourages equal and valued representation of LGBTQ2+ youth and help to bring awareness to the discrimination, harassment and bullying based on gender identity and sexual orientation.

The online sale began Oct. 3 at noon on the website or in-store at 1410 Dundas St. W.

Inside Dasha, an innovative new spot by chef Akira Back on King West

By

Samantha Peksa

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12:36 pm

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Restaurant review: Faim de Loup is good but could be great

By

Erin Neilly

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10:53 am

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Joanne Kates trained at the Ecole Cordon Bleu de Cuisine in Paris. She has written articles for numerous publications, including the New York Times, Maclean’s and Chatelaine.

I made a Béarnaise sauce this summer. The tarragon in the garden was in great shape, there was a steak in the fridge and asparagus for dipping in the sauce. Béarnaise sauce is a major commitment.

First there’s the whisking. Almost half an hour of sheer elbow grease. Speaking of greases, there’s the animal fat: Béarnaise, which is simply hollandaise built on shallots cooked down in red wine vinegar, plus fresh tarragon. Which means butter. And egg yolks. In embarrassing and very unPC amounts.

That’s French cooking for ya.

And I can’t help loving it despite what all that butter does to me.

While I was dining at the new Faim de Loup (hungry like the wolf), a cute little boîte at College and Dovercourt, I hear the waiter declaiming over the resto’s Béarnaise sauce to the peeps at the next table. He’s a declaiming sort of guy, which I would prefer toned down. But hey, I guess when you’ve captured diners for a five-course prix fixe for $80 or a seven-course prix fixe for $100 (booze extra), you have permission to declaim.

It’s a pretty little place — 16 seats! The chef/owner is Jeffrey Yap, who cut his teeth at Scaramouche, and at his best moments you can taste it. At his less than best moments the food is sophomoric. The Foxley river oyster (PEI) with picked shallot was a great oyster till it drowned in pickle juice. Blanching radishes, however pretty, takes away their bite, which is all radishes have. Adding pickled pearl onions reminds one too much of the unfortunate oyster, and the pile of croutons fried in duck with a side of brown butter mayo is de trop in the grease department.

Had dinner begun with the BC black cod in a smoky broth of bacon and pork fat, with an update of cassoulet featuring white beans with chives and pork crackling, we would have been in heaven à la française. Then they brought bread. Better late than never. I forgive the late. I forgive the no bread and butter plate, because the house-made bread is so marvellously crunchy, I’m in love. I forgive the no spoon for the broth because the broth is so adorable.

Then chef goes in for the big kill. His savoury porcini cake is intensely fungal, not sweet, a savoury moist hit of pleasure. It comes with intense dots of garlic purée, raw red veined sorel, kale leaves and dehydrated kale powder, oyster mushrooms and puffed wild rice. Kinda great. As is chef’s riff on duck a l’orange. Rare thick duck breast is a lily gilded with citrus relish and deeply caramelized celeriac. Pooling around these delights are two sauces: Sherry vinegar gastrique is when you boil down the vinegar with sugar till it’s syrupy, and add buttloads of butter. There is also — and why not? — a Cointreau-spiked duck jus with … more butter.

In the French manner, they cleanse the palate with a granita of sweetened basil and mint. Dessert, no surprise, is deconstructed. Peach pie taken apart becomes a bed of panna cotta topped with (too much) mint beside peach compote, with a slice of nice crispy pastry. It works.

This guy, Jeffrey Yap, working alone in his open kitchen, with the intensity known only to those who have risked everything on a venture, deserves to make it. He only needs a little tuning and 16 people a night.

Faim de Loup, 940 College St., (416)-901-3246

This Toronto bakery is dishing out traditional empanadas with a twist

By

Nicole Richie

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9:58 am

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Geary Ave. is a hotspot for artisan shops and restaurants. With Parallel’s art-filled interior and outstanding Middle Eastern cuisine and Famiglia Baldassarre’s cult following of pasta aficionados, it’s no wonder this is also home to the city’s most coveted savoury pockets of gold.

Gaucho Pie Co. is a family-run bakery dishing out hundreds of empanadas every day from their location inside the Artisan Factory (116 Geary Ave.). These Argentinian handheld turnovers may seem traditional from the outside, but owner Susan Arevalo has given her mother’s recipe a Toronto twist.

“The new empanada flavours are so exciting as they really embrace and are a testament to our new home being Toronto and its incredible cultural diversity,” says Arevalo.

Gaucho Pie Co. empanadas sport some not-so-typical flavours.

“Each of the flavours has a story; from the kimchi and pork shoulder (we live in Korea-town!) to the Ruben with sauerkraut (my husband is a corned beef aficionado),” she says. “In the end, our business comes from the passion to share who we are now and where we came from.

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A super special visit @gauchopieco from the one and only Elena, my mother or #lala as my kids call her. Our very first #empanada recipe is all thanks to this #incrediblewoman !!! #torontoempanadas #thebestempanadas #gauchopieco #artisanfactory

A post shared by Susan Arevalo (@gauchopieco) on Apr 11, 2019 at 8:41pm PDT

Following her career as an ESL teacher and raising her three children alongside her husband and chef Anthony Walsh, the corporate executive chef across the Oliver & Bonacini empire, Susan decided to follow her own passion for food.

Arevalo’s father was a baker in Argentina and when her family immigrated to Canada in 1976, they carried over the recipes that would soon make a splash at the Arevalo-Walsh family dinner parties and inspire the menu at O&B’s Leña. After years of houseguests complimenting her famed empanadas, Susan and her siblings Claudio and Pedro decided to open up their own bakery and start sharing their family’s tradition with the city.

“It is a classic story of three kids growing up in a bakery, all having very defined feelings about it (not all great!) and through life’s twists and turns, they all collectively end up together doing what their parents did all of those years ago,” says Arevalo.

Gaucho Pie Co. serves empanadas eight different ways. They are sold by the dozen and come in a variety of flavours.

The Rose and Sons empire just got a little smaller

By

Nicole Richie

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10:27 am

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“It is with heavy hearts but excited spirits that I tell you today that Rose and Sons and Big Crow is closing,” announced Anthony Rose and Robert Wilder in the Oct. 1 edition of The Monthly Anthony — their email newsletter. The 6-year-old Dupont restaurant was not only Rose’s first Toronto establishment but his first foray onto Dupont Street. A move that helped transform the area into a dining destination as the affable chef was dubbed the Duke of Dupont.

Rose and Sons was old world in its menu with classics such as his perfectly spiced and juicy pastrami, tender hot brisket and onions, karnatzel, as well as a shmaltz hash, which can only be described as elevated shtetl fare.

Big Crow was gloriously carnivorous, gluttonous and communal. The outdoor restaurant was fitted with long picnic benches and tables that were meant for big meals among friends. A meat-centric menu with a ton of side options, Big Crow was the place to go when you needed a night of country eating in the big city.

The closing came as a shock, as no one had heard of plans for this beloved establishment to shutter this year. Rose had also announced the closing of Schmaltz Appetizing on Ossington earlier this week with plans to bring something new into that space as well.

Rose stated several times in the newsletter that he and his partner Robert Wilder have plans to keep the space and transform it into something new. “We are closing but we are reinventing ourselves into something bigger and better and more interesting for us and for you,” it read.

The Big Crow will be open for service until its final act on Oct. 6, around the time they usually close up their outdoor space for the winter. Rose and Sons, however, will be open for the next month or so.

Rose and Wilder signed off thanking everyone who had contributed to both restaurants over their years of service and urge readers to stay tuned for news of their next venture.

Jeremy Diamond, lawyer, discusses challenges faced by workplace injuries in Canada

By

Jarrod Daley

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10:00 am

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See all posts by Diamond and Diamond Lawyers

As a personal injury lawyer, I’m often asked about the challenges faced by people dealing with workplace injuries. Nobody goes to work expecting to get hurt, but the reality is that each year over 250,000 Canadians are injured on the job. Not only do workplace injuries cause physical pain and suffering, but they can have a major impact on everything from income to relationships, mental wellness and even future employment opportunities.

Injured Workers – Aren’t They Just ‘Faking It’?

To make matters even worse is the fact that injured workers are often viewed with suspicion by insurance companies, management and even their colleagues. Unfortunately, there’s a real stigma around workplace injuries — many people (falsely) believe that workers would rather ‘fake’ an injury than putting in an honest days’ work.

It’s common for insurance companies to do everything in their power to discredit injured workers, and these companies even employ private investigators to spy on employees who are on sick or disability leave.
We’ve all heard stories about how a so-called injured worker was caught spending their time off work enjoying a ski vacation, doing renovations on their homes, or even working for another company while collecting workers’ compensation. While most of these stories are little more than urban myths, these fables add to the stigma experienced by workers who are suffering from a real injury or workplace accident.

The Invisible Pain of Workplace Injuries

Another challenge that injured workers must often face is the tremendous strain the situation puts on their personal lives.

Getting hurt on the job means major changes in day-to-day life. Everything from normal routines to roles within the family is impacted — that means unwelcome, and often stressful disruptions to who does certain chores, how the kids get to and from school, and even changes to who is the breadwinner in the family.

At Diamond and Diamond, we understand that most people take pride in their job, and their self-worth and identity are closely linked to their career. Being unable to return to their previous job, or dealing with post-traumatic stress disorder caused by the workplace injury can lead to depression, anxiety and social withdrawal.

Workplace Injuries Cost More Than You Might Expect

And one of the most obvious effects of a workplace injury is the financial impact it can have. Even injured employees who work in a unionized environment, have a supportive manager or a good workplace insurance plan usually wind up experiencing financial hardship.

The reality is that sick leave usually only pays workers two-thirds of their usual salary, while long-term disability rates are even lower. Few of us can afford to take a 33% cut in pay, but that’s the situation many injured workers face. Add to that the high cost of rehabilitation, medication, therapies and hiring help at home and it’s easy to see why financial stress is high among those who have been hurt at work.

How To Get Help Dealing With A Workplace Injury

The best way to fight back against the stigma, pain and misinformation around workplace injuries is to find a strong advocate who fights for injured workers.

Diamond & Diamond does not handle WSIB cases but can refer you to a firm that does. Diamond & Diamond handles work-related accidents and injuries outside the WSIB regime.

About Jeremy Diamond

Jeremy Diamond is a lawyer and member of both Ontario and Florida Bars. Jeremy practices in the area of Plaintiff personal injury litigation. Click here to learn more about Jeremy Diamond.

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Hot new restaurants opening in Toronto this October

By

Erin Neilly

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11:30 am

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Dasha-cocktail — Creative cocktails from Akira Back’s Dasha

After being awarded a Michelin Star for his restaurant, Dosa in Seoul, chef Akira Back is now taking Toronto by storm. DASHA (620 King St. W.), chef Back’s second Toronto concept, will bring us an imaginative Chinese-inspired menu, as well as creative cocktails and private karaoke rooms.

In a sea of juice bars and European restaurants, Chef Daniel Cancino (Lamesa and Lasa) is bringing a little colour to the streets of Rosedale. MINERAL, the new Asian-inspired spot at the corner of Roxborough and Yonge, is introducing the area to the flavours of the Philippines and beyond.

Opening its eighth Toronto outpost, KUPFERT & KIM (2313 Yonge St.) brings wheatless and meatless superfood snacks to Yonge and Eglinton. This plant-based shop is serving guilt-free grab-and-go meals that are nutritious and completely compostable.

After spending 24 years at its home on Yonge and Eg, LA VECCHIA RISTORANTE (90 Marine Parade Dr.), decided to set up a second shop. The new digs in Etobicoke will make it easy for the west end crowd to enjoy the classic Italian dishes.

Superstar chef Claudio Aprile is teaming up with the Liberty Group to bring us XANGO (461 King St. W.), a stylish new Latin and Asian fusion restaurant on King West. The new spot is taking over the Brassai space, and will also house Arcane nightclub.

Popular Hillcrest Italian bistro NODO is opening up a third location in the former Lambretta space in Leslieville. Known for its from-scratch eats, this upscale eatery will bring its casual vibe and heartfelt eats to 1192 Queen St. E., this fall.

PRIMROSE BAGEL CO. is set to open its first bricks-and-mortar shop in St Clair West village. Sam Davis and his partner Jesse Rapoport have been shopping their hand-rolled, malt boiled bagels all over the city, and this coming fall Primrose will have a place to call home.

Looking for the best daal north of Eglinton? Head into LOTUS FINE INDIAN CUISINE (1554 Avenue Rd.). With hundreds of perfected recipes, Lotus celebrates the diverse regional flavours of India with a modern twist.

With a cool llama as its logo, Mount Pleasant and Eglinton’s SWEET SHADY SHACK (220 Eglinton Ave. E., Unit 2) might be the most adorable bubble tea bar in the city. Serving Taiwanese teas, dessert and soft serve, this colourful shop is definitely insta-worthy.

LANNA (170 Enterprise Blvd.) is bringing authentic Thai cuisine and traditional street food dishes to the people of Markham. Northern classics, like Massaman curry lamb shanks and kao shoi noodles, are just a couple of Lanna’s specialties.

The meloumi sandwich at Smoke Bar & Kitchen

SMOKE BAR & KITCHEN (638 Queen St. W.), the latest spot from the team at Hogtown Smoke, is taking their love for smoke and BBQ and sharing it with us in some creative and non-traditional ways. Try the Meloumi sandwich featuring thick slices of smoked watermelon “ham.”

THE GOODS, or Grand Order of Divine Sweets (1162 Queen St. W.), is coming to Ossington this fall. The bakery will be located at Queen and Beaconsfield and will feature a plethora of delectable treats.

Saturdays are for relaxing with the family, and at SISTERS & CO. (887 Dundas St. W.), everyone’s a part of the inner circle. This Trinity Bellwoods brunch spot is dishing out some simple, yet classic brekkie treats with an Asian spin. Try the bulgogi beef benedict, which could only be described as Koren BBQ for breakfast.

Top Chef alum Elia Herrera (Colibri) is opening up her first all-vegan spot in the expansion of Assembly Chef’s Hall this fall. LOS CO VEGAN will be an ode to Herrera’s Mexican heritage but in a completely plant-based realm.

Mediterranean restaurant and raw bar PÈTROS82 (111 Princes’ Blvd.) has opened up in the ground floor of the Hotel X Toronto. This lounge-style resto is inspired by Greek traditions and the fresh flavours of the Mediterranean Sea.

The stallion of all steak houses, Montreal’s LA QUEUE DE CHEVAL, is setting up shop in the theatre district. In the base of a swanky new condo building, this shop is sure to give STK and Harbour 60 a run for their money.

Why it matters that you speak up if you were affected by the Capital One data breach – An interview with Jeremy Diamond of Diamond and Diamond

By

Jarrod Daley

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10:00 am

0

See all posts by Diamond and Diamond Lawyers

Jeremy Diamond, Lawyer and Managing Partner of personal injury law firm Diamond and Diamond Lawyers, always has his eye out for those who’ve been harmed. Jeremy has done a deep dive into the Capital One data breach to help Canadians understand the importance of this breach and how it is affecting millions of unsuspecting consumers. Jeremy explains what you need to know.

Q: What is the Capital One data breach?

Jeremy Diamond: In July 2019, a hacker gained access to more than 100 million accounts of Capital One customers. This hacker exposed personal and confidential information, including Social Security Numbers and bank account information, and released it to third parties.

Q: How can you know if you’re affected by the Capitol One data breach?

Jeremy Diamond: Capital One, which is required by law to notify everyone affected by the breach, sent out letters and emails to customers to inform them if their personal information was included in the breach. Those affected may include individual consumers and small businesses who applied for Capital One credit cards between 2005 and 2019.

Q: A class-action lawsuit was filed in August 2019 against Capital One on behalf of affected customers. What is a class action lawsuit? How is it different from a mass tort?

Jeremy Diamond: In a class-action lawsuit, the entire class of people affected by a lawsuit is represented. Class action lawsuits, because they pursue one massive claim rather than requiring individuals to file separate claims, can be more effective — and more cost-effective — than individual lawsuits.

Diamond and Diamond’s class-action lawsuit against Capital One allows all Canadians who were victims access to justice. In a class-action lawsuit, the issues are common to everyone in the class, the settlement is handled on mass, and the settlement binds all members of the class.
If you’re a member of the class involved in a class-action lawsuit, you still have the option to opt-out of the class and file your own lawsuit. If you don’t opt-out, you’re considered part of the class.

In contrast, a matter often becomes a mass tort if the issues are too diverse. In a mass tort, multiple related lawsuits against a single defendant are settled individually, with each plaintiff making their own settlement decisions.

Q: Why is it important to speak up and act against Capital One and other large organizations and to hold them accountable?

Jeremy Diamond: Because these companies have a duty to protect their customers. When a data breach like the Capital One breach occurs, it shows the companies are not living up to their responsibilities. Speaking up not only protects your own interests. It also helps ensure that these companies learn from their mistakes and change the way they do business to protect all consumers.

Q: What are next steps? Should I contact Diamond and Diamond Lawyers?

Jeremy Diamond: If you have been a victim of the capital one breach make sure you check Equifax immediately to see if your credit has been compromised. You may want to check your account and banking information as well. More info on Diamond and Diamond’s class-action lawsuit against Capital One is available here.

About Jeremy Diamond

Jeremy Diamond is a lawyer and member of both Ontario and Florida Bars. Jeremy practices in the area of Plaintiff personal injury litigation. Click here to learn more about Jeremy Diamond.

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New Toronto production of ‘A Streetcar Named Desire’ a triumph

By

Ron Johnson

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4:00 am

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A Streetcar Named Desire is a powerhouse of a play. To tackle such demanding work requires boatloads of ambition and skill. Soulpepper’s latest production, which runs until Oct. 27, has both. The result is a stunning effort featuring some of the best acting performances of the year.

The Tennessee Williams play premiered on Broadway in 1947 and has had countless productions and one very memorable film in 1951 starring Vivien Leigh and Marlon Brando.

The plot at this point is well-known. Blanche Dubois travels to New Orleans to seek the comfort of her sister Stella after losing their family estate Belle Reve. Stella has married Stanley Kowalski, an ex-Army Corps engineer with a penchant for wild bouts of drinking and breaking stuff including his partner’s face. Blanche arrives penniless with the intent of settling her nerves after losing her teaching position. As the story unwinds, it becomes clear that she has lost more than just their family home.

The Soulpepper production features Amy Rutherford in the role of Blanche Dubois, who last tromped the boards for the company back in 2008. And in the role of Stanley Kowalski is Mac Fyfe, who won a Dora Award in 2015 for his role in VideoCabaret’s Trudeau and Levesque for Soulpepper.

Although the rest of the cast is wonderful, these are the roles that define A Streetcar Named Desire. And both are tackled with intensity and finesse in this production by two fine actors.

The creative set begins with the corrugated metal completely covering the walls at the back and side of the stage. The primary space consists of two suspended door frames and doors outlining Stella’s small sparsely furnished apartment in which the vast majority of the play takes place. There is also a second, upper apartment door cleverly placed along the back wall of the set with metal stairs leading up to the doorway. As well as, a sliding window that reveals a house band on a few special occasions.

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A post shared by Soulpepper Theatre Company (@soulpeppertheatre) on Sep 27, 2019 at 10:24am PDT

The play clocks in at about 3 hours and 15 minutes including a 20-minute intermission. And, given our microscopic attention spans these days, that length might be intimidating to some. Rest assured, it flies by. This work is so gripping and so well-performed that it seems virtually impossible not to get wrapped up in the story and revel in such special performances.

Indeed, the interplay between Stanley and Blanche is powerful. The two actors so locked into their characters at moments demonstrating sheer desire, rage, horror and devastation in equal parts.

Of course, success with Streetcar begins and ends with Blanche. Her slow descent into madness needs to be precise. There is a balance required. Give away too much, too soon and the audience will have less attachment and empathy with the character. Rutherford gives it her all, as the role demands, and nails the performance.

Rutherford’s Blanche is eccentric and charming in the first act before cracks in the delicate world she’s constructed begin to develop and the desperation grows until she becomes utterly lost and unhinged. It’s a performance that does not fail to keep the audiences’ attention. She demands it. Demands we witness the descent and in so doing see a piece of ourselves in the story as it unfolds. How fleeting it all is. How transitory. Not to mention how relevant the work still is.

And that’s what good theatre does, in the end. It’s as much about our reaction as it is about what takes place on the stage. There’s a reason this play won the Pulitzer Prize and is one of the most iconic works of the 20th century.

Now, there are also a number of clever asides that make this production fun. For instance, the use of musical interludes as well as entrances and exits directly into the aisle. Some of the scenes take place right on the edge of the stage almost in the audience.

Hats off to director Weyni Mengesha who created such a fascinating and fertile environment for these young actors to push themselves to such heights.

Please, go see this play. Such triumphant work needs an audience.

A vegetarian taco joint is taking Grand Electric’s place on Queen West

By

Samantha Peksa

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1:31 pm

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Cauliflower taco at Grand Electric Restaurants — Cauliflower taco @grandelectricrestaurants

The city’s favourite taqueria is going vegetarian. After over a year at their Trinity Bellwoods location, Grand Electric will be closing in November and transforming into a vegetarian and juice bar concept they are calling Tacos Rico.

As an immediate response to the climate rallies this week, the restaurateurs took to Instagram to announce they were ready to be more socially responsible in the restaurant industry and do their part to make a change.

“Beef taco night with your family at home isn’t a big deal, beef taco night in a packed dining room for 12 hours a day is a HUGE deal. That’s 60lbs of beef a day,” said owners Colin Tooke and Ian McGrenaghan in the post.

The team at Grand Electric has always been conscious of sustainability and ethical food sourcing, but admitted in their post that what they’re doing is not enough in the grand scheme of things. “We have sourced free-range livestock, ensured our meat is antibiotic free, yet done absolutely nothing to address the root problem — our restaurants are a non-stop dinner party, where 90 per cent of the menu is meat and fish,” they said.

They also addressed the closure of Electric Mud, commenting that the closure of the divey Parkdale BBQ was also due to environmental impact.

The dramatic concept switch is said to initiate sometime in mid-November with Tooke and McGrenaghan at the foreground advocating for change in the industry and in the way diners dine out. “The science is clear: a massive reduction in meat consumption is essential to mitigate climate change. Meat production is responsible for almost 15 per cent of greenhouse gas globally.”

That being said, the two are not suggesting we give up meat altogether, as their Parkdale location will remain open and go on serving what the restaurateurs consider, “the city’s best fish tacos.” But, they do hope that Tacos Rico will electrify the city with great food and encourage a more mindful consumer base, as well as provide a restaurant in the city that is, in fact, better for the environment.

“While closing a wildly successful business for an unproven concept might seem drastic, we like to refer to this unattributed quote: ‘If you want something you’ve never had, you have to do something you’ve never done.’” The new concept will exist in the same space at 923 Queen St. W. Read more of their Instagram post below.

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A post shared by GRAND ELECTRIC est. 2011 (@grandelectricrestaurants) on Sep 25, 2019 at 8:25am PDT