On the Boards This Week: Nov. 8-14

John Patrick Shanley's body of work is ridiculously popular in actor training because he writes with alarming insight about the complicated nature of how we humans relate to one another, and how messy it almost always is. Every scene in Danny and the Deep Blue Sea is an acting class staple, because our messiness is revealed to us through two characters whose social simplicity reveals massive confusion, something we can certainly all relate to. The plot is simply this: two angry, messed-up people meet in a bar, see the possibility of an end to their loneliness in one another, and take it to the bedroom. It demands connectivity with your partner, which is why everybody ends up doing it in class. Features James Bell and Jodie Dowdall (above), whom I've worked with before and thus can assure you that she is awesome.

Wajdi Mouawad. I know it's a tough one, but remember that name. I hereby declare him to be the next Really Important North American playwright. His stunning play Scorched was recently awarded Toronto's Dora award for best play, which my company couldn't get the rights to produce, and we want to, really, really badly. The Western Canadian premier of Tideline, another play by the Lebanese-Quebecois Mouawad hits the Roundhouse tonight. This is most definitely a do-not-miss production if, you know, you like watching great art.

Borderlines at the Playwrights Theatre Centre. From the press release, I'm not too sure what to write about this one, but it sounds kinda interesting. It appears to be a one-man show about...growing up...Latino? Maybe? Or about Latino family life? Or about the history of Latino-Canadians? Well, here, what do you think?

Photo courtesy of Make Our Own Productions