Culture Gecko

Culture Gecko is a haven for news, arts, culture, theatre and pop culture reviews and retrospectives. Covering new businesses, festivals, events, human interest pieces and more. Recently, we are expanding our focus in doing op-eds and deep dives in print and video form. We're especially interested in TV pilots, canceled TV series, underappreciated or TV series before their time, movies, character studies, villain's lists, theatre, plays, productions etc While based in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, we cover things all over the world that fit with our mandate. We would love to hear new voices, experiences, media in any form that deserves a platform or profile. Feel free to reach out if there is something you think we should cover.

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Adventure of Young Turtle Review | Culture Gecko

Persephone Theatre's latest youth series production is The Adventure of the Young Turtle comes from So. Glad Arts. The production is an ench

This is a production that is as radiant and sparkling as its vibrant set design and puppet design. The story is fun, the characters are quirky, relatable and outrageous all anchored with a heartwarming message about acceptance, identity and inclusion and a soundtrack that is as enchanting as it is entertaining.

The production is directed by Jay Northcott and stars Logan Stefura in the title role of the turtle with Emmanuel Dubbledam, Oli Guselle and Amanda Trapp playing various roles as the ensemble.

The Adventure of Young Turtle from So. Glad Arts is a limited engagement. The production runs from March 6-9th 2025 at Persephone Theatre’s Backstage Stage in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.. Tickets can be bought online here or at the box office .    

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The Unplugging Review | Culture Gecko

Live Five's latest production is The Unplugging from Burnt Thicket Theatre. Written by playwright Yvette Nolan and directed by Roxanne Dicke

Burnt Thicket’s The Unplugging Captures a Powerful Stillness in this Post Apocalyptic Indigenous Feminist Fable

Check out our review of Live Five's The Unplugging from Burnt Thicket Theatre.

The Unplugging leaves behind a marvelous mark and impression where the various themes of environmentalism, survival, community, women’s rights and feminism culminate into a thought provoking stew only added by powerful performances and unsettling tone from Dicke’s direction that allows levity to seep through the production.

The Unplugging runs from February 27-March 8th 2025 at La Troupe du Jour's Studio 914 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

#yxe#yxetheatre#sktheatre#CanadianTheatre#IndigeniousTheatre#FeministTheatre#YvetteNolan#TheUnplugging#BurntThicketTheatre#LiveFiveSaskatoon

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The Unplugging Preview | Culture Gecko

Live Five's latest production of its 21st season is THe Unplugging by Burnt Thicket Theatre. The play is written by playwright Yvette Nolan

Burnt Thicket Theatre’s The Unplugging is an Indigenous feminist prairie post apocalyptic survival story

Check out our preview of Live Five's newest production of its 21st season is Yvette Nolan's The Unplugging by Burnt Thicket Theatre The play is directed by Roxanne Dicke and stars Lisa Bayliss, Patsy Tuba and Liam Johnston.

The Unplugging runs from February 27-March 8th 2025 at La Troupe du Jour's Studio 914 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

#yxe#yxetheatre#sktheatre#CanadianTheatre#TheUnplugging#YvetteNolan#BurntThicketTheatre#LiveFiveSaskatoon#IndigeniousTheatre#FeministTheatre#postapocalyptic

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18 Jews Order Chinese Food Review | Culture Gecko

18 Jews Order Chinese Food is not only Persephone's latest production but it's world premiere as well. A hillarrious comedy that delves into

Did you catch Persephone Theatre world premiere of 18 Jews Order Chinese Food?

The play opened the Saskatchewan Jewish Arts Festival that ran from February 5-9th 2025.

18 Jews Order Chinese Food is one the finest tightly written script only added by the magnificently talented cast, precise direction and wonderfully transforming, alluring set design that the entire production, from the director, writer, cast and crew should be nominated. This production deserves to be a contender for future classic. This production is side splitting funny as it is heartfelt and will leave an indelible impression for decades to come.

18 Jews Order Chinese Food ran at Persephone Theatre from February 5-16th 2025 at Persephone Theatre’s Main Stage in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada.

#yxe#yxetheatre#sktheatre#CanadianTheatre#JewishTheatre#SaskatchewanJewishArtsFestival#PersephoneTheatre#JennaBerenbaum#EighteenJewsOrderChineseFood

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Never Never Shakespeare Twelfth Night Review

Never Never Shakespeare returns with their second production, a modern relevant queer take on Shakespeare's comedy, Twelfth Night. Directed

Check out our review for Never Never Shakespeare's second production an iteration of Shakespeare's Twelfth Night.

Simply put, this production majestically confident, magnetic, hilarious yet dreamy, ambitious piece of theatre that is unforgettable and something that should be seen live if possible.

Never Never Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night runs from February 14-23 2025 in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada at La Troupe du Jour.

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Acimowin FIlm Festival Preview | Culture Gecko

The Acimowin Film Festival is a new festival that showcases indiginenous filmakers and stories and experiences of their communities. Found

The Acimowin Film Festival, is a new festival that follows on the heels of the first indigenous film festival of the province, Mispon, that was founded in 2006 and ended in 2016.

  The festival offers eighty films and runs from June fifth to the eighth 2024 in Saskatoon. The films are spread across three different venues, Remai Modern Art Gallery, Roxy Theatre and one final screening at the Broadway Theatre.

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Website Update Continued

Our apologies, while our website was restored on June 5th, our team was unable to publish anything until today.

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UPDATE!

UPDATE!

Regarding our hosting and website issues,

*As of June 4th 2024 at 8PM Saskatchewan time, Culture Gecko's website is now live and active once again!*

Thank you for your patience and understanding and we apologize if anyone was concerned that our content was not available today.

- Culture Gecko Team

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Domain Issues Currently Being Fixed

Just informing everyone that there was a problem with our hosting company, both Culture Gecko's domain and site are NOT FOR SALE!

The issue has been rectified and should be up ASAP.

Once it is fixed, an updated post will be made.

Thank for your your patience or concern if our content was not available today.

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The Reel Whirled Review | Culture Gecko

SUM Theatre's annual Theatre in the Park's newest production, The Reel Whirled is a delightfully fun, 90's nostalgia baked musical extravaga

SUM Theatre’s The Reel Whirled is Delightful Fun, 90s Nostalgic Musical Extravaganza

Sum Theatre’s annual theatre in the park production, The Reel Whirled, is a delightful, 90’s nostalgia baked musical that explores social media and the digital age in an adventure for the whole family.

The production stars Rebecca Spilchak, John Reaney, Jenna Berenbaum, Jesse Fulcher-Gagnon, Ed Mendez, Katie Moore and Megan Zong.

It is written by playwright, Kris Alvarez and co-directed by SUM Theatre’s artistic director, Mackenzie Dawson and S.E. Grummett.

​The play can be watched throughout Saskatoon in a different park each performance from May sixteen to June twenty eighth 2024. Dates for Regina and across Saskatchewan are yet to be announced.

​The premise features three friends, Gladly (Spilchak), MeowMeow (Berenbaum) and BIM (Reaney) who are searching for an influencer, Gigi 5G (Moore) across The Reel Whirled app.

This is the perfect play as a starter kit for young children and families that may not be well versed, overwhelmed or unaware of Saskatoon’s bustling theatre scene. That being said, this is an appealing event for everyone, kids, adults, families alike. It is unapologetically delightful jam packed with a soundtrack filled with nostalgic earworms. The cast radiates positivity and good vibes with an important message sandwiched within.

  The Reel Whirled is a free experience for everyone playing across Saskatoon parks from May 16-June 28 2024. Dates for Regina and across Saskatchewan are yet to be announced. Dates and park locations can be found at SUM Theatre’s site.

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The Reel Whirled Preview | Culture Gecko

SUM THeatre's annual production of their THeatre in the Park is The Reel Whirled. The ply runs from May 16-June 28 2024 in Saskatoon. Dates

Sum Theatre’s The Reel Whirled Promises Fun, Vibrant, Outdoor Experience with a Message

SUM Theatre’s annual production of 2024 is, The Reel Whirled.

The show runs from May 16-June 28 2024 throughout different parks in Saskatoon. Dates for Regina and across Saskatchewan have not been announced at this time

The plot focuses on three young friends, Gladly, MeowMeow and BIM, who go on a journey in the digital app, The Reel Whirled.

Co-directed by SUM Theatre's Artistic Director, Mackenzie Dawson and S.E. Grummett and written by playwright and actor, Kris Alvarez.

The cast includes Rebecca Spilchak, Jenna Berbaum, John Reaney, Jesse Fulcher-Gagnon, Ed Mendez, Katie Moore and Megan Zong.

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Persephone's Little Mermaid Profile | Culture Gecko

As Persephone closed its 49th season with Disney's The Little Mermaid. Artistic director Heather Cant wanted to bring theare magic back to S

Persephone Theatre Swings towards Spectacle closing its 49th Season on the heels of the fiftieth anniversary in 2025.

Persephone Theatre officially closed its Forty ninth season yesterday on May Fifth 2024 with a final swing towards full spectacle with its production of Disney’s The Little Mermaid, the largest undertaking in the theatre company’s forty ninth history.

Read our full profile on Peresephone Theatre and their production of Disney's The Little Mermaid.

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Oblong and Oboe Review | Culture Gecko

Live Five closes's its twentith season with Oblong and Oboe Stir the Pot. The Production is a ray of levity, laughter and populated with cl

Oblong And Oboe Brings an Infectious Bundle of Exhilarating Joy back to the stage

Live Five’s final production of its twentieth season, Oblong & Oboe Stir the Pot ends in a ray of levity, laughter and clowns with a message wrapped inside.

It stars Charlie Peters and Jalisa Gonie as the clown duo, Oblong and Oboe. Also starring Ashleigh Hicks as the Rabble and directed by Johanna Arnott.

The clown show runs from May 9-19th 2024 at The Refinery in Saskatoon.

The premise is a play within a play. Oblong and Oboe are royals. They enact their own dialect, a form of gibberish. The show breaks the fourth wall and encourages and engages the audience. At the risk of breaking the magic on display, any more detail is akin to a magician never revealing the trick. The audience will have to discover the rest on their own.

Oblong & Oboe Stir the Pot is an attraction that may never grace Saskatoon theatre stages ever again. This is a ride that is worth the price of admission in not only being joyfully infectious but hilarious as you never know what’s going to happen and neither does the performers.

  Live Five closes its twentieth season with a warm fuzzy and love letter to theatre populated with clowns that ends strongly and makes you long for more.  

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LEAR Review | Culture Gecko

A trilingual adaptation and co-produced by Gordon Tootoosis Theatre, La Troupe Du Jour and Never, Never Shakespeare, this collabrative creat

LEAR is both a trilingual and three tiered production that creates a new experience, conversation, space and proves change can be necessary

LEAR, the new production coming from Gordon Tootoosis Theatre, La Troupe Du Jour and Never Never Shakespeare is a trilingual adaptation of Shakespeare’s King Lear that has been three years in the making.

This production was co-directed by Jennifer Dawn Bishop of Gordon Tootoosis Theatre and Bob Wicks of Never, Never Shakespeare. Wicks also served as dramaturg,

The cast includes Andrea Folster, Christopher Krug-Iron, Dalton Lightfoot, Bruce McKay, Gabrielle Dufrense, Danielle Spilchen, Paige Francoeur, Kody Farrow, Phillipa Williams, Claire Middleton, Emily Rempel and Leze Pewapsconias.

This production runs from April Twenty Fifth to May Twelfth 2024 at Persephone’s Backstage.

This collaborative creation, made LEAR a unique work of art, that blended Shakespeare’s text of King Lear, French and the multiple Indigenous experiences into an amalgamation that felt otherworldly. This felt akin to peering into another universe, where many things felt familiar yet different and created an unforgettable experience.

Throughout the production the cast would effortlessly switch between different languages, where the experience never felt forced but added another layer of richness to a text that has been adapted for centuries.

Simply put, whether you like Shakespeare, are familiar with his works, the texts or like theatre, this is a very special experience that is not to be missed. An amalgamation of culture, diversity under the foundation laid by Shakespeare that feels new and worthy of standing among the countless iterations.

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Oblong and Oboe Stir The Pot Preview | Culture Gecko

Oblong & Oboe Stir The Pot is the final production of Live Five'sTwentith season. An unadelerted clown show that promises childlike wonder,

Oblong & Oboe Stir the Pot Promises Clowns, Childlike wonder and Revolution

Oblong and Oboe Stir the Pot is Live Five’s final production of its twentith season. It runs from May 9-19th 2024 at the Refinery.

  This upcoming production is an unadulterated clown show, a love letter to the child in all of us. The production hopes to convey to never forget the childlike sense of play, adventure and whimsy without forgetting to make everyone laugh along the way.

The play stars and is co-created by Charlie Peters and Jalisa Gonie as the clown duo Oblong and Oboe. It also stars Ashleigh Hicks as the Rabble. The play is directed by Johanna Arnott.

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The Art Of French Cooking Review | Culture Gecko

25th Street Theatre's latest production, The Art of French Cooking written by playwright Madeline Blais-Dahlem is an extradionary piece of t

The Art of French Cooking is a Celebration Spectacle of the Absurd, Surreal and Female Empowerment

The Art of French of Cooking is 25th St Theatre’s latest offering, after the company has delved back into original productions starting with Fruitcake in 2019.

​The production runs from May 2-12 2024. It plays at the Emrys Jones Theatre which is located at the John Mitchell building also the home of the Drama Department at The University of Saskatchewan.

​Written by playwright, Madeline Blais-Dahlem and directed by Anita Smith. The production stars Sarah Bergbusch, Tim Bratton, Marley Duckett, Bobbi Lee Jones, Elizabeth Nepjuk and Danova Dickson as Boobel Understudy for the dates of May 9-11th 2024.

This extraordinary piece of theatre is Alice in Wonderland with steroids, estrogen, adult content and confidently oozing with female empowerment and sexuality that knows how to have fun without forgetting the points it makes.

The feat of this particular presentation is the onslaught of genres, themes, puns, sexual innuendo and both female empowerment and sexuality presented with such confidence behind the backdrop of a fantastical world, its indescribable.

While art is subjective, this play and production is a new genre that needs a portmanteau to encapsulate of its contents. It also is uniquely visual, mixing physical movement and comedy in a kaleidoscope that only asks the audience to have fun, enjoy the ride and maybe not to forget about the subtext, messaging themes that are just as important.

​Every member of this production, starting with Blais-Dahlem’s wonderful, evocative, ambitious script to the director, the cast and each member of the crew should all be recognized for bringing a work of art to life and creating the unimaginable.

At the risk of speaking too soon, this has the potential of being ingrained in the pantheon of great theatre works that maybe could also be studied decades later with the same importance that we’ve given male playwrights.

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The Art Of French Cooking Preview | Culture Gecko

French Canadian Playwright, Madeline Blais-Dahlem's English language debut is The Art of Cooking. Presented by 25th Street Theatre, this a

The Art of French Cooking offers a Surreal, Absurd, Female Empowerment Tale Twenty Five Years in the Making

25th Street Theatre’s latest production, The Art of French Cooking is written by playwright, Madeline Blais-Dahlem and directed by 25th St Theatre’s artistic director, Anita Smith.

The production runs from May 2-12 2024 at the Emrys Jones Theatre, located at the John Mitchell Building at the University of Saskatchewan.

​It stars Sarah Bergbusch, Tim Bratton, Marley Duckett, Bobbi Lee Jones, Elizabeth Nepjuk and Danova Duckett as Boobel Understudy on the dates from May 9-11th.

​The play has been an undertaking of twenty five years from inception to be a fully formed play ready for the stage.