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Fools' Gold premiered
in May 2000 and has toured festivals and schools across Canada for
the last four years. In the fall of 2004 the show will be
presented at the Vancouver Fringe Theatre Festival followed by a tour
of B.C. Fool's Gold is available for booking. " Money
serves Wise Men and governs Fools"
When Pantalone, the Miser conspires with Il Dottore
to fake an illness to convince his daughter, Isabella to marry Count
Viagra, he sets off a chain reaction of mirth and mayhem that catches
everyone in its wake. Pretending that he is allergic to his gold, he
tries to trick Isabella into the arranged marriage. Forced to choose
between her father’s "dying" wish and her love for Lelio, she turns to
Arlecchino, her father’s servant for help. Written and performed by a
cast of talented commedia actors, Meta-Physical Theatre brings you a
show guaranteed to be a feast of foolishness.
Edmonton Sun
(Alberta) Colin
MacLean
TORONTO COMPANY'S LAUGHS GOOD AS
GOLD!!
Fool's Gold - Stage 1 (Five Stars)
I thought the kid was going
to fall off his seat. He was about eight years old and he was
laughing about as hard as an eight-year-old kid can laugh. So was
his mom. And dad. And everyone else. It set me to
thinking, between my own guffaws, of the continuing effect of commedia
dell'arte, a comedic art form that can reach across 400 years and make
some eight-year-old kid laugh in a 21st century Fringe. Perhaps
because it's so basic, so broad, so, well, just plain funny, that it has
never really gone away. You can slap names on its errant children
- call them slapstick or vaudeville- but the lineage is obvious.
Like getting a good custard
pie in the face, commedia is an art and we have all suffered through
efforts at pulling laughs from physical comedy by performers who just
don't get it. I am happy to report that this Toronto-based
company, performing Fool's Gold, not only gets it but is happily
inspired. Bouncing off the audience, the walls and each other with
great glee, they make these silly centuries-old stereotypes as new as
the latest Farrelly brothers movie.
Pantalone (Stephen La Frenie-
displaying the mastery of physical comedy that his years as a mime have
left him) is a wizened old goat who is endeavouring to sell his dewy
young daughter Isabella (Alexis Milligan- who takes what could be a simp
and turns her into a bouncy, animated creature) to the local dirty old
man Count Viagra (a comically overheated David Langlois). He is
first aided, then thwarted, by that favourite of this kind of theatre,
the canny servant Arlecchino (light-on-his-feet Jeff Schwager).
There is also the doctor
whose cures are far worse than the affliction (Langlois again).
The plot has Pantalone and his doc trying to fake an illness so his
daughter will take pity on him and marry the horny but rich old goat,
while she loves the virile young local lout Lelio (Schwager).
This is a company completely
in control of its material and any show that can get Stockwell Day,
Citizen Kane and bubblegum rock into one production has got to have
something going for it. Great moves. Great masks (by Donato and
Amleto Sartori). I could find nothing wrong with this show.
That kid is probably still laughing.
Kumsheen Secondary School
(Lytton, B.C.)
October 25, 2004,
Meta-Physical Theatre,
Dear Actors;
A big “Thank you!” from Kumsheen for your
performance “Fool’s Gold” October 5th. It’s not often that
performers hold the attention of our teenagers as you did and I’m not
sure who enjoyed your performance the most, the students or the
staff. Whichever, it was great. It’s all
about the money! The play’s plot line held our attention but this
could only have happened due to the wonderful acting. The actors
conveyed their passion for acting and working with a young audience.
The students liked the “slap stick” style comedy and the humorous
antics. Adding masks to impart identity was a terrific idea and
allowed for one actor to be several people. Fooled the audience!
The teacher who took digital pictures will be
forwarding them soon. Any play reviews written by students will be
forwarded to you as well. It is always
exciting when “real actors” (as opposed to those on a video) visit our
school. Be assured that your visit was greatly appreciated and will be
the topic of conversation for some time to come. Thank you for your
presentation.
Yours truly,
Judith Urquhart,
Principal
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