Brave New Productions 2014/15 Season

Saison 2014/15

Founded in 2003 with the goal of bringing something new to the world of entertainment, to stage shows that have never been seen in Montreal – all this for as little as 10$ per show.

Fondé en 2003 avec le but d'apporter quelque chose de nouveau au monde du divertissement, de mettre en scène des spectacles qui n'ont jamais été vus à Montréal – tout cela pour aussi peu que 10$ par spectacle.

For more info and upcoming shows go to:  

 Pour plus d'informations et les spectacles seront à venir aller à :

http://www.bravenewproductions.com/

or email @ / envoyer courriel a:

mail@bravenewproductions.com

Chronicle of shows seen / Chronique de spectacles vue :

At Mainline (3997 Boulevard St-Laurent, Montreal, Quebec) August 20-30 2014 @ 8pm

Au Mainline (3997 Boulevard St-Laurent, Montréal, Québec) du 20 au 30 Août 2014 @ 20h

Mistakes were Made Written by / Écrit par Craig Wright  

Directed by / Mise en scène par Emma McQueen, Stephanie McKenna and Nir Guzinski;

Starring / Mettant en vedette :

Donald Rees as / comme Felix Artifex

 Stephanie Coco Palermo as / comme Esther (receptionist / réceptionniste)

 Denise (goldfish - puppeteer / poisson rouge - marionettiste Sean Curley)

Denise

B-list Off-Broadway producer Felix Artifex desperately wants to make a name for himself.  When a gargantuan epic play about the French Revolution comes across his desk, he sees it as his ticket to professional and personal redemption. Things look promising at first, but soon start to unravel. His ‘star attraction’ wants to play a role that is not in the original script and a fund raiser has gone sour. The drivers transporting a flock of sheep is being held hostage by rebels. But as the day wears on, Artifex slowly ties the noose tighter and tighter around his neck as he tries to appease deranged egos, concerned financiers, scared drivers and anything or anyone that could derail his dream.  

The result is an extremely hilarious 70m as Donald Rees deftly changes his tone depending on who is calling; deals with his intrusive receptionist, Esther as she announces who is on the line and constantly warns him not to feed the fish, Denise. Denise is Artifax’s only source of consolation.  

Felix Artifex, producteur B-liste d’Off-Broadway, cherche désespérément à se faire un nom pour lui-même. Quand une épique pièce de théâtre gargantuesque sur la Révolution Française arrive sur ​​son bureau, il le voit comme son ticket pour sa rédemption professionnelle et personnelle. Les choses semblent prometteurs au début, mais bientôt commencer à démêler. Son « attraction phare »veut jouer un rôle qui n'est pas dans le script original et une levée de fonds tourne mal. Les chauffeurs transportant un troupeau de moutons est pris en otage par les rebelles. Mais comme la journée s’avance, Artifex s’attache lentement le nœud coulant de plus en plus serré autour de son cou alors qu'il tente d'apaiser les egos dérangé, ses financiers concernés, les pilotes pris par la peur et n'importe quoi ou n'importe qui, qui pourrait faire dérailler son rêve.
Le résultat est un 70m très hilarant comme Donald Rees change adroitement son ton en fonction de la personne qui appelle; faire face a Esther, sa réceptionniste intrusive, car elle annonce qui est sur la ligne et lui avertit constamment  de ne pas nourrir Denise, le  poisson. Denise est la seule source de consolation pour Artifax.

“The Railway Man”

An indelible masterpiece of history

Reviewed by Nancy Snipper

Rarely does a film come along that captures so poignantly a piece of horrific history with editing so artful that we are left to pick up the pieces and calm our emotions.  Ingeniously colliding the past and the present, the film’s director, Jonathan Teplizky has brilliantly woven together the severe breakdown and recovery of our hero, Lomax (Colin Firth). Based on a true story, the film dramatically reveals this brave man’s agony as he reconciles the past with the present while living in denial and then finally dealing with what he suffered as a prisoner of war at the barbaric hands of the Japanese – in particular one sicko while in captivity during WWII. 

Flashbacks and his present life are equally horrific as he relives unspeakable torture – all while he was one of the ‘slaves’ building the railway in the Far East. Friendship has no boundaries – as we learn at the resolution of this film and the reuniting of torturer with victim.

This film was viewed, compliments of Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.

 Ce film a été visionné, avec les compliments de Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.

“Divergent”

Reviewed by Nancy Snipper

Frightening science fiction… or is it?

There are five factions that make up future society to serve people against the beyond land where war-torn Chicago rests.

Beatrice belongs to the faction of her parents – Abnegation – a faction of goodly generous folk who help others. However, when time comes to choose which faction she wishes to join, she chooses Dauntless, a faction of basically mercenaries, posing as police, as she finds out later on; they are a terror to reckon with. Training for the Dauntless group is gruelling; after all, they are the watch dogs – the protectors. But it turns out Beatrice is a Divergent – and Divergents are a threat to all factions, as they think out of the box. They are killed. The film is full of suspense and human behaviour that puts into question the fate of Mankind. A great film that exceeds “The Hunger Games”.

This film was viewed, compliments of Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.

 Ce film a été visionné, avec les compliments de Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.

“Rage”

Reviewed by Nancy Snipper

 

A real gripper of a furious film

Paul Maguire (Nicolas Cage) is a respectable business man and loving father and husband, but he used to be killer when he was in his teens. His gang of buddies must reunite with him to source out who killed his teenage daughter one night while he Paul is out. The search leads him to the Russian Mafia, but he is mistaken when he thinks they are the culprits who killed his daughter. In fact, the killer can be found right in his own neighbourhood and in his own home the night her life was taken. A true twist of plot suspense with great casting. But there is one glitch: Danny Glover plays the chief detective, and he looks worn out. Too many cop parts for the law-abiding enforcer/actor. Directed by Paco Cabezas, the film has an edgy Latino feel for sure, even though it’s about Irish guys and Russians.

This film was viewed, compliments of Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.

 Ce film a été visionné, avec les compliments de Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.

“Noah” builds big effects that get drowned out by all the sturm and drang

Reviewed by Nancy Snipper

Russell Crowe (Noah) almost becomes a caricature of himself – a demon – as he transforms from being a kind, empathetic and loving husband and dad to a hateful one. Once he sees across his barren land where his family lives the terror that men can wreak, he turns into a man bent on one purpose: to get out of there, wait for the rain and ensure the animals on the ark that he is building with the help of volcanic-like huge monsters will be secure enough to build a new world without any more humans on board or babies that might grow up to be terrible. He wants to start the new world anew without humans. There is a glitch; the girl he saved years ago is carrying twins. Noah’s son is the father. Crowe does not play character transformations well; he internalizes too much and it comes off as boring.

The film is epic Biblica that does not live up to “the Word of God”.

This film was viewed, compliments of Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.

 Ce film a été visionné, avec les compliments de Le SuperClub Vidéotron, 5000, rue Wellington Verdun, QC.