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Luminato In Review By: Alexandra Posadzki H2O: Luminat’eau With hardly a cloud in the sky, Saturday, June 14th was inarguably an excellent day for a water carnival, whatever that may entail. The lineup for the Harbourfront streetcar spanned the length of the underground Union station corridor. Apparently, Toronto’s multidisciplinary festival of arts and creativity was to end off with a splash. There had been signs for the ‘water carnival’ H2O: Luminat’eau all over the downtown core, as well as on the Luminato website. Although few details were provided, the descriptions suggested little short of a spectacle. I expected rides. I expected games. I expected cotton candy and candy apples. I expected massive fountains squirting 7-foot tall beams of water and dramatic performances. After all, the description said water carnival. Compared to last year’s disorganization, which left me wandering downtown for hours inquiring about a giant ‘balloon room’, this year’s itinerary promised improved coordination. However, upon my arrival at the Harbourfront centre, I realized that the alleged water carnival amounted to little more than several music stages, a pavilion of food, overpriced ice cream bars and activities like splash pools and miniature canoes designed for young children. In addition to the usual Harbourfront food and music installments were an exceptional amount of corporate sponsorships geared towards getting Luminato attendees to switch shampoo brands or hair products. Without a doubt, the highlight of H2O was Newmindspace’s bubble battle, where thousands of bubbles soared into the sky, followed by the afterparty POP! DJs JELO, JustinTyce and TouchBoy gave partiers of all ages an opportunity to dance to electro/house for free, under a large canvas tent. Although the party got shut down early, the energy under a single canvas roof was one to be paralleled.   Shakespeare tends to be a little drab, particularly for younger audiences. This certainly wasn’t the case in with Tim Supple’s Indian-theatre-meets-English-classic A Midsummer Night’s Dream, where a fusion of English, Tamil, Malayalam, Sinhalese, Hindi, Marathi and Bengali comprise the dialogue, while dance and acrobatic spectacles set to a soundtrack of drum beats and string instruments thrill the senses. An unexpected thing happens when you combine an English classic with dynamic Indian choreography- the unique collaborations of eastern and western cultures. The Canadian premier of Supple’s Dream played all week long in the Cannon theatre. The two-hour performance was a perfect fit for the multicultural city of Toronto, where the South Asian community comprises the largest and fastest-growing minority group in the city. Showcasing the richness of raw Indian theatre, the multilingual production is much more than some tacky and superficial hybrid play- it’s the expression of a timeless story in a distinct form. Having traveled all over the world and performing on a multitude of indoor as well as impromptu outdoor stages, Supple’s cast is a wide array of talented actors, dancers and street acrobats from all over India and Sri Lanka. Supple’s Dream is many things- it’s a thrilling and surreal spectacle, in every sense of the word. It’s a delicate balancing act between the comedic and the tragic. At moments, it’s a tad confusing. What’s most surprising about it, however, is that regardless of the fact that less than half of the lines are in English, it leaves the viewer with a more thorough understanding of the story’s themes- reminding us that love and laughter are universal languages. This year’s Luminato Festival has me feeling optimistic and curious for the next.   |