When Matthew Mackenzie and Mariya Khomutova first met in Ukraine, they never could have guessed at the incredible, and often terrifying, journey they would go on together to become a family. They talk about this, and so much more, in their play First Métis Man of Odesa, on right now at Soulpepper Theatre Company. I…
In the lobby outside of the Franco Boni Theatre there’s a quote projected onto the wall: “What you are about to see is not wholly inaccurate. But close.” Rose Napoli, author and star of Mad Madge, sets up our expectations for her play perfectly in two brief sentences. Mad Madge explores the extraordinary life of…
Imagine having ideas and plans so big that you simply knew you couldn’t fit them into a single lifetime. What’s a billionaire like Walt Disney to do but freeze his own head in hopes of one day being revived in time to help save the world. Lucas Hnath’s A Public Reading of an Unproduced Screenplay…
You might think you know about Louis Riel and his place in Canada’s History, but I can guarantee you’ve never heard it told like this! Frances Končan’s Women of the Fur Trade, which is being presented by the National Arts Centre Indigenous Theatre and Great Canadian Theatre Company, looks at this tumultuous time in Canada’s…
Who is Shaniqua Jenkins? The casting directors certainly think they know, but under the “sassy” and “bold” exterior they want, lies a whole other woman ready to show them what’s what. Writer and performer bahia watson brings her unique sense of humour and point of view with her play shaniqua in abstraction. In its World…
Rose Napoli is once again delving into the realm of historical fiction with her new play Mad Madge. Like her stunning performance in WILDWOMAN, Napoli is bringing to life author, poet, and would-be empress Margaret Cavendish to life. I asked Rose about what it’s like to write and star in a play, how Cavendish’s writing…
Have you ever had a story you knew you needed to tell? One that rattled inside you until you simply had to let it out? The Inheritance is one such story. Written by Matthew López and directed by Brendan Healy, The Inheritance takes the audience on an intimate journey through the lives of three generations…
I grew up in South-Western Ontario, meaning I am no stranger to the behemoth that is Chemical Valley. Located in Sarnia, Ontario Chemical Valley is a large concentration of chemical plants comprising approximately forty percent of our nation’s chemical industry. However, right at the foot of these massive fire and pollution spewing plants is the…
Without human intervention, how do elephants die? Good Old Neon’s new play Dead Elephants ponders this and much more while exploring themes of death and grief. Written and directed by Co-Artistic Directors Alexander Offord and Nicole Wilson, Dead Elephants delves into these difficult themes through the lens of these magnificent creatures who mourn and grieve…
It is said that there are two sides to every story, but rarely do we get to experience both sides in intimate detail. Donna-Michelle St. Bernard’s 3 Fingers Back allows us to do just that. A pairing of two plays, expertly co-directed by Yvette Nolan and Cole Alvis, 3 Fingers Back asks us to bear…
A View from the Box 