It’s time for the 47^th Annual Rhubarb Festival! Hosted by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, this festival of new works featuring artists from at home and abroad is sure to push boundaries and open minds. This year’s curator is Ludmylla Reis, and I was able to ask them some questions about this year’s festival, what it’s like to program a whole theatre festival, and what audiences can expect from Rhubarb 47!

1. Could you please introduce yourself to my readers and tell us a bit about your role with the Rhubarb
Festival? 

Hello! I’m Ludmylla Reis, and I’m the Festival Director for Rhubarb! 2026. This means I both curate and produce the festival here at Buddies in Bad Times.

2. For those who aren’t familiar, can you please tell us a bit about the Rhubarb Festival?

Rhubarb! started at the same time as Buddies (47 years ago) and, since then, has been housing experiments in performance. The shape that takes changes with time both because we as Toronto artists change and also because, you know, times change. The core of it, as I see it, has always been about holding the space for experimentation, as well as nurturing it, and our flexibility about what the festival looks like supports that goal. We have been three weeks long, we had shows happening at the same time or in repertory, and we have even been a book. 

3. Was there a theme or ethos you had in mind when planning this year’s festival?

We define our 2026 theme, Hybrid Creatures, and that is because the artists this year are smashing things together, creating experiments that result in a hybrid of sorts, and every Rhubarb artist is a bit of a creature. Also, as part of the journey of experimenting, our cohort has taken detours into different aspects of their work and will be figuring out what those results mean with us as they share in the festival. Mostly, I wanted to foster a collective movement of trying new things in new ways, along with engaging in collaboration. I think of the cohort as one and the four nights of the festival as one long piece as well. You can choose to eat just a bite, but I want the four-course meal – and that’s pretty cool. Something I came to love about Rhubarb is hearing back from folks who, by looking at show descriptions, weren’t really sure about attending a certain night. But because it’s Rhubarb, they came anyway, and that night ended up being the most remarkable for them. Because they are completely unexpected. They offer you something brand new. I say that if there is a night you think it’s not gonna be your vibe, go. That might be the best time you have with us.

4. Is there a show or shows you’re especially looking forward to this year?

On the last day of the festival, we are experimenting not only with art-making but also with collective events. We are having chats, criticism, and conversations, all happening with some uncommon facilitation, as well as local artists engaging with the touring show, and I’m very excited to see what all of that looks like. As a curator, I’m also experimenting with what a festival like Rhubarb! can do and taking my detours from what we understood last year. 

5. What can audiences expect from the Rhubarb Festival?

That every single day we have something different to prepare for. Make sure you read the instructions sent with your ticket in detail, because you will need to bring headphones one day, wear a mask on the other, and watch one thing to be able to understand the next. Also, we start at 7:30 PM every day, but each night ends at a different time, so don’t make later plans; just come hang out at Rhubarb. Dive in, make it a retreat from the world for a few days, and leave at the other side with a different perspective on Festival-making, group gathering and Live art.

I want to thank Ludmylla for taking the time to answer my questions! The Rhubarb Festival runs at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre from February 4 – 7. For more information and tickets, visit: https://buddiesinbadtimes.com/show/rhubarb-festival-2026/

---

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