Ophis – TranscenDance Project

Named after the Greek word for “serpent,” Ophis reimagines the myth of Medusa, blending movement, music, and mythology into a seductive story of power. Audiences don masks and are free to explore the four levels of The Great Hall, uncovering hidden scenes and intimate performances that lead to a breathtaking, all-new finale.

Jan 9 – 18

The Great Hall – 1087 Queen W

https://www.transcendanceproject.com/ophis

All The Cows Are Dead – Talk Is Free Theatre and Bluff City Theatre

A new Canadian musical, All The Cows Are Dead follows an artisan butcher who instructs his petulant and misanthropic nephew how to be more like him, leading both to discover how the butcher and the poet are, in fact, the same. 

All The Cows Are Dead stars Mike Nadajewski and Taylor Garwood, directed by Will Dao.

Jan 22 – 31

80 Bradford Street, Barrie

https://www.tift.ca/shows/all-the-cows-are-dead

Make Banana Cry – Toronto Dance Theatre Production in partnership with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre

“banana” isn’t just slang — it’s a symbol of the performance, erasure, and reclamation of self.

Choreographers Andrew Tay and Stephen Thompson are the co-creators of Make Banana Cry, a genre-defying work merging runway aesthetics with contemporary performance and dance. 

In an attempt to shake off the weight of representation and fetishization, an international cast of six East Asian artists critique, parody, and protest stereotypes of “Asian-ness.” Slipping between the codes of couture and contemporary art, straddling spectacles of consumption and entertainment, Make Banana Cry is an impressive demonstration of physicality, an unrelenting examination of Western xenophobia, and an ingenious show of humour and wit.  Presented for the first time in Toronto after critically acclaimed performances at Impulstanz (Vienna), Portland Institute of Contemporary Art and Festival TransAmériques (Montreal).

Jan 14 – 17

Buddies in Bad Times Theatre – 12 Alexander St

https://buddiesinbadtimes.com/show/make-banana-cry/

A Question of Character – Stakes and Embers, Minimar Gaslight Productions

Set in 1977 Germany, A Question of Character brings a film journalist to the home of a famed director whose talents she admires. On the other side of the door is Leni Riefenstahl. Wearing the shoes of the notorious filmmaker is award-winning playwright, dramaturge, actor and educator Paula Wing. “Re-entering the world of this play feels urgent,” Wing asserts. “It feels necessary to examine the questions this play asks in this moment. Is power the most important thing? Or is it respect? Can your artistic work be separated from the decisions you make to get ahead, to be seen, to grab your chance? What – and who – are we responsible for?”

January 17 – 25

Native Earth’s Aki Studio – 585 Dundas E

https://nativeearth.ca/shows/all-shows/a-question-of-character

---

Thank you to my Patrons:

Natalia, Steve, Brendan, Deborah, Eleanor

And to my supporters who’ve bought me a coffee:

Angelica and Paul, Anonymous, Adrianna, Caitlin, Jonathan, Jada, and Courtney

Would you like to become a Patron? Check out my Patreon at: https://www.patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

Or, you can buy me a coffee at: buymeacoffee.com/aviewfromthebox