Category Archives: Dance, theatre & musicals

Multiple layers and questions raised by Prophetess at Tarragon

Posted on October 8, 2026 by barczablog

My first impression of Prophetess was one of pure delight, laughing with an enthusiastic Tarragon Theatre audience at the delightful clarity of playwright Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) and the direction of Mike Payette. Watching Margaret, a professor obsessed with … Continue reading →

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Provocative To a Flame for an audist world

Posted on October 1, 2026 by barczablog

I’ve learned a new word. My new word is “audism“: discrimination or prejudice against deaf individuals. So if someone practising racism is a racist (practicing discrimination around race), I would add the word audist. When I first tried to type … Continue reading →

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Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) talks about Prophetess: an interview

Posted on September 29, 2026 by barczablog

I am intrigued by Prophetess, a new play from Ho Ka Kei (Jeff Ho) to open October 7th at Tarragon Theatre, described this way on their website: Margaret, the Chair of her English Department — and the Queen of Etymology … Continue reading →

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Having it both ways with Measure for Measure at Crow’s Theatre

Posted on September 21, 2026 by barczablog

Measure for Measure is one of Shakespeare’s “problem plays”. It straddles genre boundaries, enigmatic & challenging, darkly funny. Yes it’s still considered a comedy even though we hear a lot about executions & life in prison, offering glimpses of a … Continue reading →

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Triumphant premiere of new adaptation of A Fine Balance at Crow’s Theatre

Posted on September 10, 2026 by barczablog

I loved it and the audience were vocal in their adoration. In reviewing the September 9th premiere performance of A Fine Balance at Crow’s Theatre, I want to look at what’s so special about Anosh Irani’s new adaptation & the … Continue reading →

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Tyler Seguin’s adaptation of Northanger Abbey premieres at Guild Festival Theatre

Posted on August 10, 2026 by barczablog

There’s a special magic with a new play. When it’s an adaptation of a beloved novel the excitement is greater. Tyler Seguin has adapted Jane Austen’s Northanger Abbey in a production that premiered this weekend at Guild Festival Theatre in … Continue reading →

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Brontë: The World Without comes to Guild Festival Theatre in Scarborough

Posted on July 20, 2026 by barczablog

Gothic Girl Summer began this week at Guild Festival Theatre with Brontë: The World Without, a recent play by Jordi Mand. I laughed loudly for much of the play showing us episodes, a series of scenes from a three-year period … Continue reading →

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Gothic Girl Summer: Tyler Seguin talks about Brontë & Northanger Abbey at Guild Festival Theatre

Posted on July 14, 2026 by barczablog

I heard Guild Festival Theatre’s announcement of their 15th summer in Guild Park. Inspired by Gothic literature and the great women writers of the 19th century, GFT’s 2026 programming features a theatrical imagining of the lives of the beloved Brontë … Continue reading →

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A Toronto Summer Music opening night celebration with Les Arts Florissants

Posted on July 10, 2026 by barczablog

Driving downtown to the concert Thursday night July 9th in Koerner Hall I drove through downpours, hearing of roads closed by local flooding. By the time I got there the weather had cleared up, an auspicious beginning: to the 2026 … Continue reading →

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Discussing The Wounds of Love and Other Gifts, Bruce Dow’s new musical: an interview

Posted on June 23, 2026 by barczablog

In an interview I aim for rapport, to get the subject to trust me, to be open in their answers: language I learned decades ago when I trained to be a psychotherapist, a profession that in the end was beyond … Continue reading →

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