detroit-review
Karen Fricker
Karen Fricker is a theatre critic at the Toronto Star, editorial advisor for Intermission magazine, adjunct professor of Dramatic Arts at Brock University, and a member of the Canadian Theatre Critics Association. She previously worked as a critic in London, UK; Dublin, Ireland; and New York City, and has a PhD in theatre studies from Trinity College, Dublin. Her book The Original Stage Productions of Robert Lepage: Making Theatre Global (Manchester University Press) was the winner of the 2022 Canadian Association for Theatre Research’s Ann Saddlemyer Award for the best book in English on a Canadian topic. Her research interests also include contemporary circus and the changing nature of theatre criticism in the digital age.
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iPhoto caption: Sara Topham in Hedda Gabler at the Stratford Festival. Photo by David Hou.
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?
iPhoto caption: Photo by Rick Clifford
REVIEWS: Toronto International Film Festival 2024
A filmed production of an experimental Egyptian opera, a TV series penned by Jordan Tannahill, and the moviemaking debut of Broadway director Marianne Elliott are among the offerings at this year’s TIFF with connections to the world of theatre.
iPhoto caption: Kailin Brown in the Broadway National Tour of Chicago. Photo by Jeremy Daniel.
I’m not a woman, I just play one
“As a performer, my job is to play a character, and if that character is right for me it doesn’t matter what gender they are,” writes non-binary actor Kailin Brown. “What matters is that I can make a difference in someone’s life who can relate to the character, or to me as the actor.”
iPhoto caption: Promotional image from The Tempest: A Witch in Algiers at Shakespeare in the Ruff. Photo courtesy of Shakespeare in the Ruff.
REVIEW: The Tempest: A Witch in Algiers brings new meaning to a classic tale
You may think you know the story of The Tempest, Shakespeare’s shipwrecked saga about wizards, spirits, and nobility on a remote island. But in The Tempest: A Witch in Algiers, playwright Makram Ayache invites new consideration of canonized characters,
iPhoto caption: Starr Domingue and Olivia Sinclair-Brisbane in Something Rotten! at the Stratford Festival. Production stills by David Hou.
Yes, those standing ovations at Something Rotten! are real — just ask Portia and Bea
Two mid-show standing ovations? Really? Yes, really. Or so say the leading ladies of Something Rotten!. For those who’ve spent the summer living under a rock, Something Rotten! (written by...
iPhoto caption: A stock image of Lighthouse Festival Theatre in Port Dover.
Lighthouse Festival Theatre announces 2025 season, curated by incoming artistic director Jane Spence
Lighthouse Festival Theatre, located in Port Dover and Port Colborne, has announced its jam-packed 2025 summer season.
Enter Stage Right: The Future of Intermission Magazine
Hello from the new leadership team of Intermission Magazine!
REVIEW: Festival TransAmériques — Weekend Two
Bonjour hi encore – et mon dieu, so many festivals!
Young People’s Theatre Unveils $13.5 Million Renovation
Young People’s Theatre (YPT) is sharing the fruits of it $13.5 million Room for Imagination renovation project.
Bad parents, no. Excellent play, yes.
iPhoto caption: Original photography by Dahlia Katz.
REVIEW: King Henry Five at Driftwood Theatre
This refreshing take on Shakespearean history is well worth a look.
REVIEW: Detroit at Coal Mine Theatre
I appreciated this production as a chance to engage with a well-wrought piece of contemporary dramaturgy, but was also left wondering if Detroit is a play of a moment that has passed.
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