It's the most wonderful time of the year! Theatre Christmas! The Toronto Fringe Festival! With 123 shows on 27 stages this year, The Toronto Fringe is bigger and better than ever. Once again this year, I'm asking my Fringe Five questions to various Fringe artists to help you get to know their shows a little…
“Af dem hob ikh eyn entfer — Got is a foter un Heylik is zayn Toyre!” From the opening lines of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish I felt the shift: changes both large and small which were taking a story I’ve known for most of my life and giving it new and deeper meaning.…
Spindle Collective is back to bring chills to your spine with their latest work, Síofra. Natalia Bushnik and Kathleen Welch are the creative minds behind SAMCA, Síofra, and the forthcoming SpilleHOLLE. I get to ask them about these shows, about their process, and what audiences can expect from Síofra. Natalia Bushnik and Kathleen Welch 1.…
Vaughan’s Theatre Ya Knowww is heading to downtown Toronto for their inaugural Pan-Asian Theatre Festival. Artistic Director Ethan Persyko took some time to answer my questions about the festival, why a festival like this is so important, and what audiences can expect from the festival’s programming. Ethan Persyko 1. Can you please introduce yourself to…
Chisato Minamimura’s Mark of a Woman is the final presentation of Theatre Passe Muraille’s #BeyondTO series! A truly remarkable piece blending dance and performance, Mark of a Woman is sure to be an unforgettable experience. I asked Chisato about the play, some of the accessibility options available, and her inspiration for the show! Chisato MinamimuraPhoto…
“How many Indigenous artists does it take to make an Opera indigenous?” While this question shouldn’t have to be asked in the first place, it’s what Against the Grain Theatre was faced with when the funding got pulled for their full scale production of Indians on Vacation, an opera based on the novel by Thomas…
“What is Hell?” Take Wilde, famously charged with indecency in a time where it was still illegal to be queer who said: “We are each our own devil, and we make this world our hell.” Or take Huxley, who was so much more than the dystopian fiction we’re forced to read in school, who said:…
The sound of cicadas singing is one of the hallmarks of summer; that chirring can be heard night and day, sometimes at seemingly unbelievable volumes considering they’re insects. You can especially tell the years where the cycles have linked, and the alien-looking creatures cover the trees...or maybe even swarm your home near Trinity Bellwoods Park.…
The content warnings for Vitals on Factory’s website are: “This play contains explicit descriptions of violence, gore, sexual assault, animal and child abuse and self-harm including suicide. It is not recommended for younger audiences.” As such, my review will also be touching on these topics. If you’re planning to see the show, please heed these…
It’s time for the Paprika Festival! This youth-lead festival has been helping to develop the future of Toronto theatre for over 20 years. Melissa Avalos is part of this year’s Playwrights Unit, and I got to ask her about the experience and what audiences can expect from the reading of her latest play. Melissa Avalos…
A View from the Box 