a spicy soulpepper season to come

There aren’t many Canadian companies that would have the balls to mix the likes of Neil Simon, William Shakespeare, and Caryl Churchill, all within one season.

Even fewer who would add Chekhov, Congreve, Anouilh, and Stoppard.

Cries of "it'll scare people off", and "it's too weird", comments like "there's no consistency" and "there's nothing to keep my interest" would be the norm. Particularly in Toronto, where the tall poppies are frequently clipped down.

The first word that came to my mind, reading over the list of planned works is, eclectic.
Second word, awesome.

Anyone who knows me will tell you I’m an unabashed Soulpepper fan.

Soulpepper is the artist-founded theatre company out of Toronto. Over the years, they've produced a delicious cornucopia of theatrical delights, including Mirandolina, Don Carlos, Hamlet, The Real Thing, King Lear and my favourite production, Waiting for Godot.

Even when their work was comci-comca, I always admired their ideals –that is, to provide, as they put it, “the world’s greatest stories in vital Canadian interpretations”.

Man, I love that.

Why?

I’d waited so, so long for a classical theatre company in this city –I was sick of driving out of town to face summer crowds, limited runs, and simplistic, unchallenging productions.

I wanted a company that would present the classics I loved in new, fresh ways –one that would be relevant, daring, challenging, and most of all, yeah, Canadian.

Cause that matters –a lot.

Soulpepper has made a commitment to promoting and fostering Canadian talent. In other words, they’ve put their money where their ideals are. They provide training in the form of an academy, and also participate in youth and community access programs. They have a roster of amazing Canadian artists, and aren’t afraid to toot the horn when it comes to homegrown talent.

At the same time, they’re wise enough to incorporate a myriad of international influences –notably their work with amazing Hungarian director Laszlo Marton.

As I looked through the offerings for next year, I couldn't help but smile.

The season begins with the incredible David French play Salt-Water Moon (January 5-31). French is one of our greatest playwrights, and it’s entirely fitting Soulpepper opens with the prequel to his breakthrough play, Leaving Home. This past season’s production, directed by Ted Dykstra, was by turns moving, smart, sad, and funny. It’s good to see French’s work getting the attention it rightly deserves, and equally good to see Dykstra at the helm again in January.

Then there's Neil Simon's The Odd Couple (February 9-April 19), featuring Soulpepper stalwarts Albert Schultz & Diego Matamoros.

I can hear the theatre purists griping now: "that's not classical theatre!"

Oh shut UP.

The casting alone is worth the price of admission. Schultz & Matamoros are both gifted comedic actors with incredible timing, rhythm and a great sense of one another's nuances.
I can’t wait.

Speaking of comedy, the Restoration comedy The Way of the World is set to be produced July 2nd to August 2nd, with a stellar cast of Mike Shara, William Webster and Nancy Palk. It'll be directed by Peter Hinton, the artistic director of English Theatre at The National Arts Centre in Ottawa. In fact, it's a co-production with the NAC –thus reinforcing Soulpepper’s mandate to provide and promote great Canadian interpretations by and for Canadians. Hinton himself has a reputation for being not only a flag-waver, but an artistically innovative and daring director; witness his all-Canadian programming of the NAC, his partnership with the RSC (for The Penelopiad), and his production of The Odyssey last season at Stratford. He did an audacious job with Homer; I can hardly wait to see what he'll do with William Congreve.

Representing the epitome of the classical theatre ideal is As You Like It, running February 26th to April 19th. Featuring members of the Soulpepper Academy, I'll be curious to see how a production I've never fully felt satisfied with (having seen it several times) plays out under Schultz's direction.

Spring also brings the drama of 'Night Mother (May 13-June 21), with Megan Follows, and her real-life mother, actor Dawn Greenhalgh. A wrenching piece of theatre that examines the ever-difficult mother-daughter relationship, I imagine this could well be Soulpepper's acting Tour de Force of the season -unless of course you count the solo Under Milk Wood production with Kenneth Welsh, running July 11th to August 2nd.

Soulpepper has wisely chosen to re-mount the hugely popular one-man (with music) production after its incredible success at last June's Luminato festival. Yippee!

Being a huge Dylan Thomas fan, and knowing how complex his work can be to perform, I was in awe -and not just over Welsh's transformation through over 30 different characters, either.

The marriage of Thomas' poetic language, Welsh’s accents and gestures, and the sound of live music and foley effects was a magical experience that reminded me (and I am sure everyone in the audience) of the transformative power of theatre at its very finest. No fancy effects, no tricks, no preciousness or gimmicky. Just great acting, powerful storytelling, and good design, all in one compact package. Who could ask for anything more?

More is what Toronto theatre lovers get, though, with remounts of the Marton-directed Uncle Vanya (June 4-21), Caryl Churchill’s Top Girls (October 25-November 22), and A Christmas Carol (December 2-27).

I’ll be curious to see the remount of Vanya, since I absolutely loved what he did with another Chekhov favourite, Three Sisters, with playwright Nicolas Billon this past season.

Other awesomeness?

Tom Stoppard’s The Real Inspector Hound and Peter Schaeffer’s Black Comedy, in a double-bill (August 20-September 20), Lorraine Hansbury’s A Raisin in the Sun (October 19-November 19), and Jean Anouilh’s Ring Round the Moon (August 23-Septemnber 20).

Ambitious, eclectic… holy smokes.

I know, I'm gushing. I can't help it.

But, to quote a friend of mine, "I just want to like stuff now. I'm sick of not liking stuff."

Those words have stuck with me for a long time.

So after decades of criticism, sneering, cynicism and sarcasm directed at the hard work of many, I can safely say, no more.

Soulpepper is one poppy I am not cutting down.