Bahia Watson News

MOTHER'S DAUGHTER, the third and final installment of playwright Kate Hennig's 'Queenmaker Trilogy' had its world premiere at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre Friday night. The play follows the reign of Mary I Queen of England and like the two previous instalments, it is reimagined (or perhaps 'restored') to be told from the perspective of the women at the centre of the story. Directed by Alan Dilworth, this production provides a fitting end to the intimate story of tradition, family, faith, imperfection and sisterhood that audiences first became immersed in 4 years ago.

Soulpepper's production of Kate Hennig's THE VIRGIN TRIAL, originally produced by the Stratford Festival, brings an investigation of power, morals, and misconduct to the stage. The gripping re-imagining looks at Henry VIII's second daughter Elizabeth I (Bahia Watson), a 15-year-old princess who's a few positions behind in line for the throne and extremely charming, if not untrustworthy.

The second part of a trilogy of plays penned by Kate Hennig is currently engrossing audiences at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre. THE VIRGIN TRIAL is a companion to 2015's THE LAST WIFE, which also had its world premiere at the Studio Theatre. This play is set during Elizabeth I's teenage years, when she was the subject of a scandal involving her relationship with her uncle/step-father. Like, THE LAST WIFE, this play takes liberties in terms of historical accuracy, because, quite frankly, we don't actually know exactly what happened behind closed doors. Also like the first play, this one is from the perspective of the women. The performances are brilliant and the writing is clever and witty. This production should not be missed!

This season at the Stratford Festival is the final season for the Tom Patterson Theatre as it currently stands. It will be entirely rebuilt, starting this fall. The current space is going out with a bang, however, in terms of the diverse and exciting productions that can be seen on its stage this season. Each production is excellent, but the most exciting of all may well be Jillian Keiley's production of BAKKHAI. This play may not be for everyone, but if you appreciate good, exciting, and inventive theatre, and don't blush too easily at eroticism on stage, then I highly suggest you get your tickets immediately.

Joe's Pub at The Public has just announced its upcoming nightly performances, December 16-27, 2015. Scroll down or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

Joe's Pub at The Public has just announced its upcoming nightly performances, December 16-27, 2015. Scroll down or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its upcoming nightly performances, running December 9-20, 2015. Scroll down for details or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its upcoming nightly performances, running December 9-20, 2015. Scroll down for details or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its upcoming nightly performances, running November 18-29, 2015. Scroll down or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its upcoming nightly performances, running November 18-29, 2015. Scroll down or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its upcoming lineup for tonight, November 11, through November 22, 2015. Scroll down for details, or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

Joe's Pub at The Public has announced its upcoming lineup for November 11-22, 2015. Scroll down for details, or visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows!

The Public Theater (Artistic Director, Oskar Eustis; Executive Director, Patrick Willingham) announced the exciting international line-up today for the 12th annual UNDER THE RADAR FESTIVAL, running January 6-17, 2016.

The World Premiere of THE LAST WIFE, written by Kate Hennig and directed by Alan Dilworth, took place earlier this month at the Stratford Festival's Studio Theatre. BWW recently had the opportunity to see the show, and found it to present an intriguing combination of history, drama, humour and feminism. 

The production of Chekov's 'The Seagull,' now on at the Berkley Street Theatre, is an uneven disappointment. It fails to engage. Like Theatre 20's production of Stephen Sondheim's 'Company,' presented in the same venue last year, this Crow's Theatre production does not deliver on its exciting promise.

Swift advance sales have prompted the Stratford Festival to extend the runs of four productions, just as the box office has opened to the public. Performances of Carousel, The Alchemist, The Physicists and The Last Wife have been added to the schedule.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its shows running from today, October 1 to 12, 2014. Scroll down for details, and visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows.

Joe's Pub at the Public has announced its shows running from October 1 to 12, 2014. Scroll down for details, and visit www.joespub.com for a complete list of shows.

Someone Else is the third play in a loose trilogy by Kristen Thomson. Opening tonight, it tell sthe story of a married couple who examine their lives as they take a journey through counselling and look at the problems that exist both in and out of their relationship. Director Chris Abraham spoke to BWW about following on the success of I, Claudia, the hopeful message of the show and more.

Albert Schultz, Founding Artistic Director of Soulpepper Theatre Company and General Director of the Young Centre for the Performing Arts today announced a full year's slate of artistic and community-based activity for Soulpepper and the Young Centre in 2013. Over 700 performances representing the remarkable artistic and cultural diversity of the city will happen under the Young Centre's roof next year, including festivals, cabarets, and community partnerships. Soulpepper Theatre Company's repertory season features fifteen plays including two marathon-style theatrical events to be staged in their entirety: Tony Kushner's Pulitzer Prize-winning Angels in America (Part One: Millennium Approaches & Part Two: Perestroika) and Alan Ayckbourn's The Norman Conquests (Table Manners, Living Together & Round and Round the Garden). Soulpepper's season includes adaptations of plays from the classical canon (Beaumarchais/Rossini's The Barber of Seville, Schnitzler's La Ronde, and Dickens' Great Expectations) alongside twentieth-century gems by Tom Stoppard, Joe Orton, Sam Shepard and Canada's John Murrell.