Announcing ON Criticism: The 2025/26 Theatre Critics Lab

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/By Liam Donovan / Aug 26, 2025

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Following the success of What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab, four southern Ontario theatres — the Grand Theatre (London), Talk is Free Theatre (Barrie), Tarragon Theatre (Toronto), and Theatre Aquarius (Hamilton) — are collaborating with Intermission Magazine to continue advancing the field of theatre criticism in the province.

Co-led by Intermission editorial advisor Karen Fricker and senior editor Liam Donovan, ON Criticism: The 2025/26 Theatre Critics Lab will bring together six Ontario writers to develop their theatre criticism skills, in collaboration with the Grand, Talk is Free, Tarragon, and Aquarius. The program is open both to writers who have not yet written theatre criticism and those with experience in the field. It aims to equip the next wave of theatre critics with the tools to write and produce meaningful criticism, using traditional and non-traditional approaches. 

ON Criticism runs from the week of October 20, 2025 through March 2026. Exact dates and times of sessions will be scheduled through discussion and mutual agreement between the cohort and program leaders. 

The program will primarily focus on one production in each of the collaborating theatres’ seasons: 

• Twelve Dinners (Talk is Free Theatre) 
• Primary Trust (Grand Theatre, a co-production with Crow’s Theatre)
• It’s a Good Life if You Don’t Weaken (Theatre Aquarius, in partnership with Thousand Islands Playhouse)
• Mischief (Tarragon Theatre, a co-production with Native Earth Performing Arts and Neptune Theatre)

Activities will include two Zoom sessions a month — one about the focus productions listed above and different aspects of theatre programming, the other a hands-on writing workshop. Guest speakers will provide expertise about the focus productions and about building skills and professional competencies in theatre criticism. 

As part of the Lab, and with the support of Intermission’s editorial team, each participant will create one or two articles for Intermission, and leave with those published pieces in their portfolio.

Applicants must be based in Ontario, and the program aims to recruit at least one participant in each of Barrie, Hamilton, London, and Toronto. Former participants in the 2025 What Writing Can Do program are welcome to apply; current participants in the 2025-27 Page Turn program are not eligible to apply. 

Participants will receive a $700 honorarium for participating in the Lab.

How to Apply

Applications are now open: Please click here to access the application form. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EDT on September 15, 2025.

Intermission Magazine, the Grand Theatre, Talk is Free Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, and Theatre Aquarius are committed to creating and practicing company cultures that ensure accessible, equitable, inclusive, and welcoming spaces. We actively encourage the participation of artists, writers, and editors who self-identify as being part of underserved communities. It is our mission to reflect the diversity of our community on and off our stages, and in and behind the scenes of our coverage.

WRITTEN BY

Liam Donovan

Liam is Intermission’s senior editor. He lives in Toronto. His Substack newsletter is available at loamdonovan.substack.com.

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