NS reviews

Reviews of theatre and art in Nova Scotia and beyond

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The Ins and Outs of Fingers, Spoons, and an Open Marriage: a brave adventure into truths about being a woman, a mother and a lover

Pascale Roger-McKeever strips away all the bells and whistles of theatre and conventional ideas about mothers and sexuality for an amazing, unflinching look at a woman’s life. The Ins and Outs of Fingers, Spoons, and an Open Marriage is honest, gutsy, funny, painful and ultimately liberating theatre by actor/writer Pascale Roger-McKeever, who left Halifax for life and work in California 10 years ago. Her 80-minute play, directed by Austin Pendleton, […]

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Colloquy a must-see on its final weekend; plus buy some textiles in honour of Sandra Alfoldy

Top, from left, jade bowl by Wesley Harris; Venice ring by Vicki Ambery-Smith; middle, landscape brooch by Gill Galloway-Whitehead; bottom, vessels by Yusuke Yamamoto and Ndidi Ekubia. The Mary E. Black Gallery gleams in silver with a must-see metalsmithing show, Colloquy, that wraps up this weekend on the waterfront next door to Pier 21. Curated by Welsh artists Mary Ann Simmons and Beate Gegenwart and Halifax artist Kye-Yeon Son, the […]

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Repeating Patterns: Julie Rosvall at the Lunenburg School of the Arts

Textile artist and printmaker Julie Rosvall takes knitting to a new level in Iterations II, on exhibit to May 9 at the Lunenburg School of the Arts. This is a gentle, thoughtful, lyrical show about process, transformation, preservation and modes of mark making. It has all sorts of metaphorical powers depending on who’s seeing it. Rosvall knits lace with its loopy open holes and exquisite repeating patterns in swatches and […]

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History, travel and the human figure in 3 April art shows

Revising History is a moody, well-concocted exhibit exploring personal history, women’s history and the shadowy nature of history itself. The exhibit, curated by Brandt Eisner and at the Ice House Gallery, Tatamagouche to April 24, features four artists: Jessie Fraser, Kevin MacLean, Jen Worden and Terry Havlis Drahos as well as guest potter Rachel Morouney of Hidden House Pottery. (Her use of patterns and blue and white fit in with […]

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KOQM: powerful stories of L’nu Mi’kmaw women at Neptune Theatre

L’nu (Mi’kmaw) storyteller shalan joudry powerfully brings Mi’kmaw women through the centuries to life in her enchanting, emotionally moving show Koqm. Koqm – playing on Neptune’s main stage to April 17 – is full of heartache, humour and a harsh history. What shines through most is the remarkable spirit of joudry’s women, their strength and their struggle to preserve their culture and people. The play starts with a Mi’kmaw woman […]

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SBTS’s guiding light leaves the company in good hands

I remember many years ago sitting in Trident Cafe on Argyle Street talking to Elizabeth Murphy, Patrick Christopher and the late Jean Morpurgo about their dream to stage Shakespearean plays outdoors in Point Pleasant Park. It seemed like a wonderful but elusive idea for a city where new creative projects were (and still are) hard to fund. However, I underestimated the steely determination of this trio. Now, 28 years later, […]

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Unconfined is chewy, rewarding theatre

Liz Richardson explores the essence of life, connection and the human soul in a fascinating, true story about an American prisoner on death row and his affect on three individuals: a painter, a professor and another prisoner. Unconfined, a 70-minute drama produced by Kazan Co-op at the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia lecture theatre through April 10, is chewy, engaging and thought-provoking theatre. Unconfined is a metaphysical journey taken by […]

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Feel the hand of the maker in Connections and Creations in Tatamagouche

Clockwise from top, Dawn MacNutt, Four Friends, painted, woven, bronze wirecloth; Meryl Cook, Cozy Chakra Joy, rug hooking on linen; Christene Sandeson, Early, acrylic on canvas; Genny Killin, Jawbone, mixed media. You can literally feel hands at work on clay, wool and wire at Connections and Contrasts, a vivid and varied exhibit by five women artists at the Ice House Gallery, Grace Jollymore Centre, Tatamagouche, to March 20. Sculptor Dawn […]

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A Merry Little Covid Christmas Pageant

Due to Covid cancellation of my church’s Christmas pageant I have doctored the original script to reflect the realities of the times. Don’t worry. This will never be performed! START (Narrator is fully masked, as are all the cast, and is in place at the lectern with the brass angel and standing on a box and speaking into the microphone) Narrator: Hear the words of the prophet Isaiah and join […]

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