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In 1939, Indigenous students bring their living culture to one of the Bard’s problem plays

“There’s no monolithic experience of residential school,” says co-playwright and director Jani Lauzon. “There are some really extraordinary plays already written about residential schools that deal with that [more tragic] lens. We set out to write a different kind of play, with a different gaze.”

Roberto Zucco marks a new era in Buddies’ history of queer theatre

Toronto theatre can be a bit risk-averse. Artistic directors, constrained by limited funding, program obvious crowd-pleasers over boundary-pushing experiments. Playwrights, afraid to ruffle feathers, create spaces that validate the public’s...

Speaking in Draft: Justin Miller

“I love to laugh,” says Miller, an actor, bouffon drag clown, performance artist, and teacher extraordinaire. “Some of the most impactful and meaningful experiences I've had have been shared through a comedic lens. I think you have a far better chance of actually changing people with comedy, because it's in moments of surprise and subversion of expectation that you have a chance to knock them off their balance, and maybe show them something new.”

REVIEW: Life of Pi gleams with unforgettable puppets

Based on the beloved novel by Yann Martel, the exquisite touring production uses puppets as its vocabulary, asking complex questions about storytelling and the power of imagination.

REVIEW: Infinite Life thrums with meditations on chronic illness and pain

Director Jackie Maxwell’s production at Coal Mine Theatre, featuring six generous, empathetic performances, is a paean of understanding for the chronically ill, candidly examining the despair and fury of bodily helplessness in a way that’s magnified by our proximity to the characters in the intimate space.

REVIEW: In Rosmersholm, ghosts abound

While the play’s ideas sizzle and pop with contemporary verve, the story’s an occasionally frustrating vessel for those captivating sentiments on politics and identity.

Gatekeep, gaslight, girlboss: The delight of female rage in theatre

Personally, I support women’s rights and women’s wrongs — especially when it comes to my girl Hedda. And it seems that at least two Ontario directors share my viewpoint, with Hedda Gabler opening twice in the same month at Stratford and at Coal Mine Theatre in Toronto. What makes her story so appealing?

Stratford Festival review: The Goat or, Who Is Sylvia? A review in five acts

The Goat, or Who Is Sylvia? delivers an off-kilter comedy and disturbing tragedy in a fashion that would make the Ancient Greeks proud.

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.

REVIEW: Icarus Theatre’s Fiji combines competing genres

If you enjoy the pitch of a rom-com true-crime mesh, this one's for you. Even if it's not perfect, it's a charming, nimble watch that tugs at the heartstrings.

REVIEW: ARC’s Rockabye glows but over-saturates

Rockabye, though a little longer than it should be, raises many timely questions. Should real lives be valued over ideologies or the other way around? Is it ethical to let someone die for a political cause?

REVIEW: Tarragon’s Greenhouse Festival grows works-in-progress with audience

It’s an absolute pleasure to see art in its process phase, in motion, unfolding, and awaiting input from an audience.