uc-of

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.
LEARN MOREQ&A: Casey and Diana director Andrew Kushnir on bringing the acclaimed drama to Theatre Aquarius
“There’s lots to grieve right now in the world,” says Kushnir. “But there are so few communal places to be with that grief. And I do think grieving in public normalizes a universal human condition: that we’ve all loved and lost something (time, a dream, a way of life) — or, more commonly, a dear someone.”
Meet the participants of What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab
Theatre Aquarius’ National Centre for New Musicals, the Grand Theatre, and Intermission Magazine are excited to announce the cohort of What Writing Can Do: The 2025 Musical Theatre Critics Lab.
REVIEW: Mirvish’s Just For One Day gives Live Aid the showchoir treatment
It’s a group effort to a rather incredible degree — many of the songs are essentially riff battles, with the singers hot-potatoing the melody around.
REVIEW: A Streetcar Named Desire pulls into Theatre Calgary for the first time in over two decades
You’ll find everything you might expect from a take on A Streetcar Named Desire: sensuality, top-notch performances, and all.
REVIEW: Cliff Cardinal’s CBC Special is a real gem
Cliff Cardinal’s CBC Special may not broadcast on Canadian television, but it is, indeed, quite special.
REVIEW: La Reine-garçon hits like an avalanche at the COC
This co-production between the Canadian Opera Company and the Opéra de Montréal is eminently watchable.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Comments