The Roman God Janus (whom January is named after) is the God of endings and beginnings, of doorways and transitions. This is what this post is going to be about: looking back at what I’ve done in 2022 and what I’m looking forward to in 2023. It was a delight to take stock and look at all that I’ve accomplished this past year. I’m so thankful for the year that was and I’m so excited for a full year of theatre ahead!

            2022 was unique, as we weren’t able to attend live shows until April, however Toronto’s theatre scene quickly bloomed into its full glory quickly, with the summer being full of shows and the return of the Fringe Festival. I’ve done a breakdown below of how many shows I was able to see per month: it must be noted that this is only what I was able to make it out to, there was certainly more on offer.

Including all of the productions that I saw at the Fringe Festival, I saw a total of 75 performances this year! I’m amazed and thrilled that I’ve been able to make it out to so many different theatres, companies, productions, and types of performance. One thing I noticed was the amount of collaboration which occurs amongst companies to produce a show; sometimes there are 2 or 3 different companies working together to get a show like Is God Is off the ground. As much as theatre is a communal experience for the audience, it most certainly is for those behind the scenes as well.

            I’ve been thankful for the kindness and support the theatre community in Toronto (and beyond) has shown me over the past year. Like most people in our industry, I was very uncertain as to how I was going to fit into the theatre world once things opened back up again. When I decided to give my writing a real go, I truly didn’t know what to do or even how to go about getting tickets. Thanks to the folks at the Canadian Theatre Critics Association, along with the wonderful media/publicity teams around the city, I was able to begin my journey reviewing theatre. Since then, I’ve seen more productions than any other year of my life, I’ve met amazing artists and creatives around the city, and I’m able to explore Toronto and what it has to offer via my theatre outings. Never in my wildest dreams would I have imagined that my life was going to be like this, and I am grateful every day for the opportunities I have.

            Now a quick look at what 2023 will have in store for A View from the Box:

• The return of “Waiting in the Wings” and “Thursday Theatre Thoughts”
  • While the end of the year hasn’t provided me much spare time to do these little bonus pieces, one of my goals for 2023 is to keep up with them as much as possible. There’s always tons to talk about!
• New Series: “Beyond the Box”
  • Unfortunately, there are some shows that I’ve been invited to but aren’t able to attend. “Beyond the Box” will highlight these and provide you with info so that you can still check them out!
• Patreon?
  • The next logical step for me is to try and have A View from the Box be my primary job, and along with that I’ll certainly be needing some help. I’m thinking about starting a Patreon which will offer early access to certain posts like “Stage Door Dialogues” or posts written specifically for my Patrons. Keep and eye on my social media for more information as things develop.

Last, but definitely not least, I want to thank you, yes YOU dear reader, for all of your support this year. Whether you’ve been following me from the beginning, or just found me via social media or some other platform, I’m glad you’re here. I’m thankful for your readership and the trust that places in me. I want to keep bringing you as much writing and content as I can. I am fiercely adamant about remaining independent; I want the only impediment to me not seeing a show to be the inability to not be in two places at once. Otherwise, I want to keep seeing everything from the smallest production to the biggest names in Toronto and letting you know what’s out there and what I think you should see. We are incredibly lucky to live in a city bursting with theatre, being created by all kinds of people, going all year round. My greatest wish is that my words inspire you to get out and see something new, something you normally wouldn’t have checked out.

Thank you for an amazing 2022 and I look forward to another banner year in 2023!