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iPhoto caption: Photo by Emily Cooper.
REVIEW: Theatre Under the Stars puts a compelling spin on Cats
In the end, Cats left me puzzled, perplexed, and absolutely buzzing. Did I ever learn what Jellicle means? No. Did I have a great time? Absolutely.
iPhoto caption: Images courtesy of Canadian Stage.
At Canadian Stage’s 41st annual Dream in High Park, everyone is Hamlet
“There's something really democratic about outdoor theatre,” says Canadian Stage artistic director Brendan Healy. “Indoor theatre spaces are awesome, but they can sometimes be intimidating and limited. For many people, Dream in High Park is their one trip to the theatre that they do every year. For many young people, it’s their first experience of theatre.”
iPhoto caption: Photo by Emily Cooper.
REVIEW: Theatre Under the Stars puts a compelling spin on Cats
In the end, Cats left me puzzled, perplexed, and absolutely buzzing. Did I ever learn what Jellicle means? No. Did I have a great time? Absolutely.
iPhoto caption: Images courtesy of Canadian Stage.
At Canadian Stage’s 41st annual Dream in High Park, everyone is Hamlet
“There's something really democratic about outdoor theatre,” says Canadian Stage artistic director Brendan Healy. “Indoor theatre spaces are awesome, but they can sometimes be intimidating and limited. For many people, Dream in High Park is their one trip to the theatre that they do every year. For many young people, it’s their first experience of theatre.”
iPhoto caption: Theresa Cutknife headshot by Dahlia Katz.
Speaking in Draft: Theresa Cutknife
“Of course, we all have to make money and make different sacrifices just to pay the bills, because this city is so horribly overpriced,” says Cutknife. “But why? Why do we have to suffer to feel like we’ve paid our dues to the industry?”
iPhoto caption: Two Fringers pose next to a wall of posters. Photo courtesy of Toronto Fringe.
Missing Toronto Fringe? Now’s your chance to make a difference
Following a successful festival, the Toronto Fringe continues to accept donations as part of its Tip the Fringe campaign.
Reviews
iPhoto caption: Photo by Emily Cooper.
REVIEW: Theatre Under the Stars puts a compelling spin on Cats
In the end, Cats left me puzzled, perplexed, and absolutely buzzing. Did I ever learn what Jellicle means? No. Did I have a great time? Absolutely.
iPhoto caption: Photos courtesy of the productions photographed. From L-R, top to bottom: 86 Me, Bus Stop, Rosamund, 1 Santosh Santosh 2 Go, Far-Flung Peoples, Death of a Starman, See You Tomorrow, Before We Go, and Gulp.
Toronto Fringe’s New Young Reviewers 2024 | Round Two
The second round of reviews from the Toronto Fringe's New Young Reviewers program is here!
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: The Last Timbit is a surprisingly charming commercial gem
The Last Timbit, a show of snow and sweets, had a limited run at the Elgin Theatre in June and is getting a streaming release on Crave on August 12. I, for one, am more than curious to see how a wider audience will react.
iPhoto caption: Photo by JVL Photography.
REVIEW: An unabashedly feminist Macbeth hits all the right notes in Ottawa
Kate Smith's pointed interpretation of the classic tragedy is a definite highlight and forecasts riveting things sure to be in store for Fools’ future programming.
iPhoto caption: Photos courtesy of the productions photographed. From L-R, top to bottom: The Apartment, MONKS, the bluffs, Colonial Circus, Rat Academy, Remembrance, Koli Kari, Escape From Toronto, and Sheila The Musical.
Toronto Fringe’s New Young Reviewers 2024 | Round One
The first round of reviews from the Toronto Fringe's New Young Reviewers program is here!
iPhoto caption: Photo courtesy of Lighthouse Festival Theatre.
REVIEW: Lighthouse Theatre brings haunting edge to Mary’s Wedding
If you, like me, enjoy touching tales of love and loss, then you’ll be happy you saw Mary’s Wedding, even if you leave in tears.
Spotlight
iPhoto caption: Philip Akin at home. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
“I don't know why it is being placed on Black people to change minds,” says Akin. “I ain't here to pick your intellectual cotton.”
iPhoto caption: "There are some actors for whom the delight of being funny just fills up every part of what they do, and Maev Beaty is one of those actors," says director Chris Abraham. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
“I’ve really realized that those minutes that I spend on stage are minutes of my life,” says Beaty. “We're not up there to present good, clean work — we’re up there to try and catch some truth for the listener that is shared in real time. You can't do that if you're just presenting your good homework; you have to live.”
“I don’t believe in this world. I don’t see how we can pull ourselves back from the brink. Human beings are greedy, and not mindful, and the only way I can think about making the world better is by getting rid of a lot of it.”
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Artist Perspectives
The spectacle of suffering: Toronto theatre’s addiction to trauma porn
Trauma is everywhere in Toronto — on the streets, subway, and stage — and maybe that’s why I’m so bored by it.
iPhoto caption: Rose Napoli appears as Margaret in her play Mad Madge. Photo by Dahlia Katz.
Rose Napoli reflects on Mad Madge, rom-coms, and the undeniable power of Patrick Swayze.
iPhoto caption: Image by Haley Sarfeld.
Every play is fantastic: A small-city theatre critic’s manifesto
My top priority as a critic will be to furnish every marketing team with as many easily quotable compliments as possible. I'll do this dutifully and without ambivalence.
In many ways, theatre artists and magicians have the same job. We push the bounds of a live experience to startle audiences into confronting their realities. We aim to tell stories that linger. For a magician, there’s no such thing as “it can’t be done.” It can always be done, one way or another.
iPhoto caption: Urjo Kareda was an Estonian-born Canadian theatre and music critic, dramaturg, and stage director. He died in 2001.
A sign outside Urjo Kareda's office read, "no whining." A framed letter inside said "Fuck you, Mr. Kareda."
The good and the bad (and everything in between)
If we’re not building a theatre that can hold the contradictions of our time, let alone the contradictions that make humans human, we probably shouldn’t be making theatre.