Announcing What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab

iPhoto caption: What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab

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/ Jan 3, 2025

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Following the success of the IBPOC Critics Lab in partnership with the Stratford Festival in 2023, Intermission is continuing to advance the theatre criticism field, this time in Southwestern Ontario, and with a focus on musical theatre. 

Theatre Aquarius’ National Centre for New Musicals, the Grand Theatre, and Intermission Magazine are pleased to announce What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab. What Writing Can Do is timed to coincide with the Theatre Aquarius and Grand Theatre co-production of Waitress. This exciting co-production will serve as a jumping-off point for discussions throughout the Lab.

Co-led by Intermission editorial advisor Karen Fricker and incoming senior editor Liam Donovan, What Writing Can Do is an educational space for individuals in the Hamilton and London regions who want to develop their theatre criticism skills. The program is open 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. 

What to Expect

In the Musical Theatre Critics Lab, participants will receive training in how to write about theatre, with a specific focus on responding to musical theatre. If participants are particularly interested in multimedia forms of response (such as podcasting and social media), the program will work with them in building those skills.

The program will consist of four to five masterclass sessions on Zoom. Each session will include an overview of a musical theatre topic followed by instruction and training about criticism. Musical theatre topics will include aspects of the art form such as directing, music directing, and choreography. Critical sessions, taught by Fricker and Donovan, will include “How to Write a Musical Theatre Review 101,” “Shaping and Pitching a Story,” “Cultivating Your Own Voice,” and workshopping of the participants’ writing. Expert speakers will include critic and curator Saffron Maeve, cultural critic Jose Solís, music director Patrick Bowman, choreographer Genny Sermonia, director (and Grand Theatre artistic director) Rachel Peake, director/choreographer/performer Ray Hogg, and more.

As part of the Lab, and with the support of Intermission’s editorial team, each participant will create an article for Intermission and leave with that published piece, as well as practical knowledge of the editorial process, content creation tools, and a reminder that it is important to honour their voices first, in order to celebrate the culture and art forms they’re covering. As part of the program, participants will see Waitress in both London and Hamilton to examine how producing musical theatre in different venues affects production choices and audience experience.

Participants are constantly reminded that the work of a critic is to be the mediator between the art and the audience. Critics exist to open up dialogue, not to end it. 

What Writing Can Do will be held via Zoom on February 3, 10, 17, 24, and March 3 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.

Waitress plays at the Grand Theatre from March 25 to April 12 and at Theatre Aquarius from April 30 to May 17.

Participants will receive a $500 honorarium for participating in the Lab.

How to Apply

Applications are now open on Jotform. Please click here to access the application. Applications are due by 11:59 p.m. EST on January 13, 2025.

Intermission Magazine, the Grand Theatre, and Theatre Aquarius / the National Centre for New Musicals 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.

What Writing Can Do was developed by Karen Fricker, Lia Karidas, Neal Miller, Mary Francis Moore, Aisling Murphy, and Rachel Peake.