Friday, February 5, 2016

Overwhelming Beauty: KISS & CRY Astonishes at Canadian Stage

This weekend, Michele Anne De May and Jaco Van Dormael of Belgium and their extraordinary crew of technicians reprise their hit production from last season,  KISS & CRY at Canadian Stage.  I saw it last night, and it is a marvel.

Sensual, droll, and heart-breaking, visually mesmerizing, technically astonishing, and achingly lovely, KISS & CRY tells the story of a woman in the winter of her life, remembering her loves.

A series of dioramas and miniature tableaux are employed in relating the story, along with two pairs of incredibly dextrous and expressive hands. These are shot by a series of very fluid tracking cameras and projected onto a massive screen, centre stage. Voiced-over text and music underscore the shifting images, driving and shading the narrative as it unfolds.  The synthesis of sound and image submerses the audience in a dream-scape of couplings, and the myriad emotions the evolving relationships evoke.

If you want to give your best beloved an enchanting Valentine's night, skip dinner in an over-crowded restaurant next weekend, and head to Canadian Stage this week instead.  I can't think of a lovelier, or more romantic gift. Apparently there are still a few tickets left.



Kiss & Cry  continues at Canadian Stage's Bluma Appel Theatre until February 7th. http://www.canadianstage.com or (416) 368 3110.

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