Pastoral, noun: a literary work (such as a poem or play) dealing with shepherds or rural life in a usually artificial manner and typically drawing a contrast between the innocence and serenity of the simple life and the misery and corruption of city and especially court life. As You Like It is one of Shakespeare’s…
If music be the food of love, play on; Give me excess of it... Music fills the High Park Amphitheatre, feeding the love story which is to come. Shakespeare’s Twelfth Night shows us love in many of its forms, and Gregory Prest’s expertly directed production distills the work down to its very essence and makes…
“They paved paradise and put up a parking lot” Joni Mitchell’s 1970 hit continues to ring true in a society where urban sprawl and diminishing green space remain a perpetual issue. Yet Annie Massey’s new play Pave Paradise takes this idea a step further to debates about what should be done with, and who should…
When was the last time your lover made you a cup of coffee in the morning? For Máire, it’s never happened before, until the morning of her 67th birthday. But her day takes a startling turn when she finds out that lover isn’t who he says he is. Deirdre Kinahan’s powerful play, The Saviour, looks…
“To be, or not to be?”: Shakespeare’s infamous question has permeated our consciousness for over 400 years. Jessica Carmichael has homed in on Hamlet’s meditations on life, death, and grief for her stirring production of Hamlet for this year’s Dream in High Park. Breathing new life into one of Shakespeare’s most recognizable works, this is…
Knock knock! Steve’s home for his monthly dinner with his folks, except he’s never quite sure what he’s going to walk into when he opens the door. An autobiographical journey though an exceptionally formative year in the life of playwright Steve Ross, 12 Dinners shies away from nothing in its examination of both Ross and…
The Bard’s Bus Tour is making one final voyage around Ontario this summer with Jeremy Smith and Steven Gallagher’s Living with Shakespeare. This entrancing look at Smith’s relationship with the works of the Bard is a fitting way to end the legacy of Driftwood’s travelling summer shows. Full of song, memories, and fun, Living with…
The summer wouldn’t be complete without a season of Shakespeare in High Park from Canadian Stage! This is their 40th season, and the 10th time in those 40 years where A Midsummer Night’s Dream has taken centre stage. This year’s production, directed by Jamie Robinson, keeps the tradition vibrantly alive. Featuring an impressive cast and…
A View from the Box 