This past week, I enjoyed a lovely meal and a glass of cabernet at the 107 Fourth Ave. Wine Bar & Cafe before catching one of the final performances of political comedy Plan B at the Great Canadian Theatre Company. The evening stands out from many others I’ve experienced, and is still running around in my mind.
The back deck at the wine bar is just that. It is a simple, small, raised space that embraces the trunk of an old leafy tree and accommodates a few nonchalantly placed potted geraniums. A little slice of urban heaven, the deck offers a quiet, intimate spot, hidden from the noise and heat of the city. I noticed the late day sunshine filtering through fire escapes high above. I welcomed the lengthening shadows as they overlapped the messy chaos of the back lot. I detected a warm breeze - but instead felt cool -protected by the rough historic brick of the surrounding buildings. I let go of my day easily, and watched dusk settle in.
Later, at the theatre, I waited outside for the show to begin. In front of impressively tall and heavy doors, I mingled anonymously with those who were awaiting the start of the show. I could see in when I was outside and out when I was inside, and I felt a part of many communities at once. Walking up and down the street, I was reassured. It seemed clear there would be a lively place to go afterwards, and that others just out from the show might also join.
On the corner of Wellington and Holland Ave., the new Irving Greenberg Theatre is a modern, airy and unpretentious structure that somehow evokes nostalgia. No post production parking garages, no long lonely corridors or back door exits, this is a place where the audience lingers and the players play.
The success of a production or the quality of cuisine is only part of the equation. What distinguishes a great night out from just a good one is the sum of the experience. Be open to the intangibles, as difficult as they may be to decipher. They are most responsible for lasting impressions.
