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Rhubarb! Festival director Ludmylla Reis wants artists to embrace ‘the detour’

"We do something formative at some point in the arts, and then we just continue doing that in different fonts until we’re no longer on this earth," says Reis. "The important thing is to know what that is, because you don’t want to be controlled by it. You want to be in control."

Wing Chun Dance Drama is a martial arts movie come to life

“In China — especially in the history of Chinese cinema — Ip Man is a household name,” said Han, in translated written responses to questions over email. Ip had a lasting influence on wing chun, a style of kung fu that originated in southern China over 300 years ago. In his 60s, he trained Bruce Lee, who would go on to become a famous performer in Hong Kong and American martial arts films. 

Theatre Aquarius’ National Summit for New Musicals showcases original works from across Canada

“I want us, as a community, to be confident in our own work,” says Theatre Aquarius artistic director Mary Francis Moore. “I want us to get to a place where we don’t need the validation of outside communities to tell us that we’re good. I want us to be in a place where we have the resources to take chances, so our projects don’t have to leave the country to find success.”

A contemporary Gabriel García Márquez adaptation touches down in Toronto

A Very Old Man with Enormous Wings has toured internationally since 2022, with a shifting cast of performers. Halligan and Beaman, the original actors and co-adaptors, will reprise their roles for the Toronto premiere.

At Soulpepper, Bad Hats’ Narnia completes a trilogy of musicals championing a child’s-eye view of life

"What emerged for us was this idea of life cycles,” reflects Narnia adaptor-director Fiona Sauder. “‘What happens when you get stuck in one season [of life], and what happens when that season comes to an end? [What things] have to die and fall away in order for new things to grow?’”

For composer Njo Kong Kie 楊光奇, the word ‘artist’ is a complicated label

At the ping pong table, eating pastries that Njo had thoughtfully laid out, I listened as this artist reflected on the back and forth of a career that’s bounced between multiple genres and disciplines.