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Amira Benjamin
Amira Benjamin is an undergraduate student at the University of Ottawa in sociology and anthropology. She is interested in all forms of journalism, especially arts and community reporting. You can find them critically analyzing Marvel movies or filling up a Pokedex. They are a member of the 2023 cohort of the IBPOC Critics Lab, supported by Intermission Magazine and the Stratford Festival.
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iPhoto caption: Jaime Lujan in 'Reina.' Photo by Eden Graham.
REVIEW: Documenting seven Toronto indie shows, from Factory Theatre to the Tranzac Club and beyond
I’ve started writing brief reviews of Toronto productions Intermission isn’t otherwise covering, and stowing them away until I collect enough to publish in a batch. And now here I am, with seven.
iPhoto caption: 'The Hound of the Baskervilles 'rehearsal photo courtesy of Lighthouse Festival.
Three actors juggle 17 roles in Lighthouse Festival’s The Hound of the Baskervilles
“[I’ll] be taking off a full tweed suit and putting on a Victorian dress,” says actor Andrew Scanlon. “There will be a lot of coordination that needs to go on.”
iPhoto caption: 'Queen of the Night' promo photo courtesy of Luminato Festival.
REVIEW: Two site-specific Luminato concerts explore the significance of daily ritual
Grounded in a heightened sense of time and place, both Dawn Chorus and Queen of the Night Communion express curiosity about how art can disrupt patterns of living.
iPhoto caption: Justin Collette in 'Beetlejuice.' 2022 photo by Matthew Murphy.
REVIEW: For a show about death, Beetlejuice is impressively full of life
It's a thoroughly entertaining musical that even improves on the original film, adding a far more cohesive storyline, clearer character motivations, and an updated sense of humour.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Hans Ravn.
The Bentway’s Sand Flight asks how we might navigate a world remade by climate collapse
“We’re not only conveying dystopia,” says co-creator Jonas Corell Petersen. “Yes, we die. Yes, we dry out. But that makes way for something new, and the dancers carry hopefulness in their movement.”
iPhoto caption: Andrew Penner and Deborah Hay in 'After the Rain.' Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: After the Rain transforms the Tarragon Mainspace into a passionate folk-rock concert
The performers of this world premiere musical got a lot of laughs from the buzzing opening night audience, but make no mistake, they got quite a few audible tears out of us, too.
iPhoto caption: Snow in Midsummer production still by David Cooper.
REVIEW: Snow in Midsummer is a timeless, brilliant tragedy
Directed by NAC English Theatre artistic director Nina Lee Aquino, the gorgeous details of the production allow audiences to feel the gravitas of every character.
iPhoto caption: Wendy and Peter Pan production still by David Hou.
Wendy and Peter Pan explores the power of love — and grief
“Part of what gets me through the very emotionally tumultuous ending of the story is remembering that Wendy has to live for the family members who are still there,” says Cynthia Jimenez-Hicks, who plays Wendy in the Stratford Festival’s production of Wendy and Peter Pan. “I just think that that's such a beautiful part of this adaptation.”
REVIEW: Ottawa’s undercurrents festival explores a vast sea of emotions and styles
Curated by Ottawa Fringe, the 14th rendition of undercurrents festival has concluded, having brought fresh, fiery theatre productions to audiences in Canada's capital.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: Prison Dancer at the NAC is a rehabilitating tale of humanity
Carmen Leilani De Jesus, Romeo Candido, and Nina Lee Aquino have created a contemporary classic with Prison Dancer.
iPhoto caption: Photo by Jeremy Daniel.
REVIEW: Hairspray in Ottawa is a sugar-sweet song and dance down memory lane
Did someone order some Hairspray? Well, it’s arrived at the National Arts Centre, and it’s more than ready to win your heart over.
REVIEW: The Supine Cobbler is a hilarious, deeply intimate trip to the abortion clinic at GCTC
The play is strange, which is a loving compliment to Connell’s playwriting, but also entirely familiar; the space used feels endless, a testament to how malleable the play is and the strength of Pearlman’s direction.
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