The effervescent spirit of silent films inspires Keystone Theatre, whose speechless creations rely on physical theatre, title cards and live piano music to tell a story.
The result is an entertaining, laugh-filled hour…click here for full review
Category Archives: press
The Last Man on Earth, Reviewed by Toronto Stage
Director Ginette Mohr has her sights set on funny in a presentation that’s every bit a cerebral awakening as it is smartly amusing and wondrously thoughtful. Relying on 2 black wooden cubes, 4 cream topped pies, and 5 performers, it’s slick, silly and stirring.
That’s because there really are no limitations to this physically imaginative slice of stage heaven. A dash of conflict, a splash of romance and a heap of comical intrigue keeps minds young and old firmly fixed to the unfolding storyline.
The Last Man on Earth, Reviewed by Burke Campbell
It’s rare to watch an adult audience break into spontaneous applause throughout a play, like kids having too much fun to act like grown-ups. But that’s what Keystone Theatre‘s style does to people. You get to enjoy a good old-fashioned melodrama made specifically for the stage, and presented with such physical panache, the audience hardly notices there’s no dialogue.
Keystone Theatre Presents The Last Man on Earth, June 2 201
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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Toronto, April 27 2011 – After the success of 2009’s Dora Award winning production of The Belle of Winnipeg, Keystone Theatre returns to the stage with a new play in the style of a silent film, The Last Man On Earth at the 2011 Toronto Festival of Clowns.
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| Phil Rickaby as Gormless Joe |
In The Last Man on Earth, Gormless Joe just may be the last innocent man on earth! When The Devil makes it his mission to corrupt this last vestage of innocence the battle lines are drawn. Will Joe give in to The Devil’s taunts or will he loose his one chance at love. Dora Award-Winning Keystone Theatre brings to the stage a new play in the style of a silent film. Co-created by Phil Rickaby, Dana Fradkin, Stephen LaFrenie, Janick Hebert, Ginette Mohr (Director), Richard Beaune (Dramaturg/Artistic Director) David Atkinson (Music) & Kimberly Beaune (Stage Manager/Production Manager).
During the creation process, short documentary video segments will be presented at http://www.youtube.com/keystonetheatre
The Last Man on Earth will premiere on June 2, 2011 at 6:30 PM as the opening show of the Toronto Festival of Clowns, at the Pia Bouman School for Ballet and Creative Movement (6 Noble Street, Toronto, ON). Tickets are $10 and available at the door; reserve your tickets at tickets@keystonetheatre.net, or 416-821-3833.
About Keystone Theatre
Keystone Theatre creates, develops and presents new performances inspired by the silent film era. Reaching back to the earliest recorded work and taking our cues from the masters of physical comedy, Keystone Theatre reinvents acting styles that are universally accessible and visually profound. Using our unique physical vocabulary to create characters and develop narratives, Keystone Theatre explores performance styles in multiple media; including theatre, film and music, sometimes all at once.
About the Festival of Clowns
Founded in 2006 by Dave McKay, Sarah Buski and Adam Lazarus, Toronto Festival of Clowns provides new and established clowns and physical performers the opportunity to create and showcase they work. The festival also aims to create awareness of the various forms of physical theatre that are encompassed under the umbrella of “clownâ€, such as red-nose, mime, bouffon, busking, movement, slapstick, commedia del arte, vaudeville, mask and character work. For more information, go to http://www.torontoclown.com