It’s been a strong year for Toronto theatre. I saw 145 shows this year in Toronto and beyond, and am happy to report that theatre is alive and well. I’ve laughed, sobbed, coughed (discreetly into a mask), and cheered my way through our stages in 2023. Here are some local highlights.
In Canadian Stage’s production of Italian playwright Stephano Massini’s The Lehman Trilogy, three powerhouse performances, a surprising and meaningful staging, and a sweeping story outweigh the curious neutrality of the script to create a vital, must-see show with high stock value.
Don't miss the Canadian premiere of THE LEHMAN TRILOGY at Canadian Stage. Experience the critically acclaimed play that traces the history of the Lehman Brothers, running from November 14-26.
Stratford Festival has shared news of the death of Marti Maraden, an artistic director, actor and director of rare skill, as well as a beloved colleague and mentor. She died Thursday, August 31, while visiting family in Sweden, having suddenly fallen ill. She was 78 years old.
The Stratford Festival’s production of Richard III featuring Colm Feore in the title role is coming to CBC and CBC Gem this August. Directed for the stage by Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino and for film by Barry Avrich, the production shines new light on Shakespeare’s tale of lethal ambition.
The 2023.24 Crow’s Theatre 40th anniversary season kicks off with multi-award-winning playwright Michael Healey’s THE MASTER PLAN, the highly anticipated stage adaptation of the best-selling book Sideways: The City Google Couldn’t Buy.
Nearing the end of the company’s first full season since 2019 - a season that saw audiences eagerly returning to the joy and thrill of live theatre, bringing back pre-pandemic subscription levels, full houses, and sold-out shows – Canadian Stage has announced an ambitious 23.24 season defined by thrilling and urgently relevant contemporary theatre and performance work from Canada and around the world.
The Stratford Festival’s latest film, Richard III, featuring Colm Feore in the title role, will première in Cineplex theatres across Canada on April 16, with encore screenings on April 17.
The Stratford Festival’s new Tom Patterson Theatre will open its doors to its second production on Tuesday, June 14, as director Scott Wentworth’s production of All’s Well That Ends Well begins performances.
Anticipation has been running high for years and now the time has come to welcome audiences to the next great chapter in Stratford Festival history. The new Tom Patterson Theatre will see its very first public performance on Tuesday, May 10, as Colm Feore takes centre stage as Richard III.
February marks a new beginning at the Stratford Festival with members of the 2022 acting company set to start rehearsals. Over the coming months, these dynamic artists will immerse themselves in 10 extraordinary productions and lead the Festival into the post-pandemic future.
The Stratford Festival is following up on the success of its recent Shakespeare Film Festival with a $10-a-month digital content subscription, Stratfest@Home, offering more Shakespeare and more films, along with new commissions, music, conversation, cooking and comedy.
Thanks to overwhelming demand, the Stratford Festival's 2020 production of Richard III will be extended for another three weeks, giving theatregoers more opportunities to see Colm Feore bring this iconic role to life in the Festival's brand new Tom Patterson Theatre, which opens this spring after more than two years of construction and fundraising.
With the new Tom Patterson Theatre taking shape on the banks of the Avon River, the Stratford Festival is thrilled to announce key casting as it builds the acting company for its monumental 2020 season.
The Stratford Festival is celebrating the World Premiere of Michael Healey's adaptation of Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur's THE FRONT PAGE at the Festival Theatre. A beloved American satire set in 1920's Chicago, THE FRONT PAGE tells the story of journalists in a courthouse pressroom doing whatever they need to do to get their story while at the same time being the only potential failsafe against political corruption at a time when the seedy Chicago subculture was in full swing. Directed by Graham Abbey, this adaptation is updated to include more diversity among the characters. It is a knee slapping night at the theatre whilst also providing a seemingly timeless commentary about the flaws and biases of the criminal justice system.
The Front Page, one of the great satires about the world of journalism, hits the stage in Stratford today, under the direction of Festival veteran Graham Abbey. Written by former Chicago reporters Ben Hecht and Charles MacArthur, and newly adapted by Canadian playwright Michael Healey, this comedy-drama is now in previews at the Festival Theatre and will officially open on Thursday, August 15.
Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino has announced key casting for the 2019 season, including Michael Blake as Othello and Amelia Sargisson as Desdemona in the season opener, Othello, one of Shakespeare's greatest and best-known tragedies.
Gallery Players kicks off its 52nd season with A CHORUS LINE, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.
Gallery Players kicks off its 52nd season with A CHORUS LINE, music by Marvin Hamlisch, lyrics by Edward Kleban and book by James Kirkwood Jr. and Nicholas Dante.