Fringe Show Reviews

Winnipeg Free Press - ONLINE EDITION

Medicine

Written by: TJ Dawe

Presented by: Local Rascal Productions, Toronto, ON

Venue 16: PTE Mainstage

Our Rating: Your Average Rating:

07/21/2012 4:47 PM | Comments: 0

Vancouver storyteller TJ Dawe can be irritating when he dons his teacher hat and merely informs us of stuff he thinks we should know.

Fortunately, there’s little of that in his genuinely moving new monologue. It’s the true story of how he took the psychoactive drug ayahuasca, supervised by shamans, to try to overcome a disturbing personal problem.

By courageously revealing his own shame — and honestly acting it, not detaching from it — Dawe touches all of us wounded children who are ashamed of our destructive habits and secrets, desperate to be cradled, afraid to ask for what we need.

Dawe is maturing into an artist who knows how to find those universal truths. His childhood memory of drawing a spiritual picture that couldn’t be appreciated by his parents is just one of the small gems in this soul-nourishing story.

— Alison Mayes

From the Fringe program:

Fringe circuit perennial TJ Dawe (Lucky 9, The Slipknot, Totem Figures) returns with a story about a retreat led by Dr. Gabor Mate involving the ingestion of the Peruvian shamanic plant medicine ayahuasca and the exhumation of a great big secret.

This is TJ's 90-somethingth Fringe.

"Dawe has storytelling down to a fine art - his timing and delivery are masterful" - Vancouver Sun

"A master monologist - he's a true original and a total delight" - Toronto Star

Recommended for: Mature audience

Length: 60 min

Tickets: $10

Under 14 not admitted.

Warnings: Subject matter, language, sexual content

History

Updated on Saturday, July 21, 2012 at 4:47 PM CDT:
Adds review

Fact Check

Have you found an error, or know of something we’ve missed in one of our stories? Please use the form below and let us know.

* Required

In which story did you find the error? *
Please post the headline of the story or the title of the video with the error.
What was the error? *
Please post exactly what was wrong with the story.
What should we have written?
Please indicate your source for the correct information.
Who else should we interview to improve this story?
Please include any contact information you may have.
Can we contact you in the future for advice on stories about this topic?
Yes

No
First Name: *
Last Name: *
E–mail Address: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Phone: *
This will only be used to contact you if we have a question about your submission, it will not be used to identify you or be published.
Colour:
Are you blue? If you can see this, leave it blank and get some CSS support.
Enter the words that you see: * This is to prevent our forms from being filled out automatically.
You have failed to correctly identify the words in the box above. Please try again.

More Fringe Show Reviews

Undock

You can comment on most stories on winnipegfreepress.com. You can also agree or disagree with other comments. All you need to do is register and/or login and you can join the conversation and give your feedback.

Have Your Say

New to commenting? Check out our Frequently Asked Questions.

The Winnipeg Free Press does not necessarily endorse any of the views posted. By submitting your comment, you agree to our Terms and Conditions. These terms were revised effective April 16, 2010.