Category Archives: Dance, theatre & musicals

Life is a social media exercise

Posted on March 12, 2016 by barczablog

Life is many things. It might be a dream – as in the title of the classic play Life is a Dream by Pedro Calderon de la Barca (no relation)—but in the collective adaptation of that play that I experienced … Continue reading →

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Questions about Life Is a Dream

Posted on March 7, 2016 by barczablog

Aleksandar Lukac aka Sasha Lukac is a director known on both sides of the Atlantic, a former Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Serbia who now teaches and directs in his own inimitable style at York University. I’ve had … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Popular music & culture, University life | Tagged , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Last tango in Siviglia

Posted on February 24, 2016 by barczablog

There’s a curious mix of adventure and nostalgia that goes with the annual Canadian Opera Company’s Ensemble Studio performance of one of the season’s operas. After having seen a production with a cast of seasoned professionals, each year we get … Continue reading →

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Betroffenheit’s ambitions

Posted on February 21, 2016 by barczablog

I am riding the emotional high of Betroffenheit, a co-creation & co-production of Crystal Pite’s Kidd Pivot and Jonathon Young’s Electric Company Theatre, presented tonight at the Bluma Appel Theatre as part of Canadian Stage’s current season, in a run … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Reviews | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Cakes and Puppets/Buchty a Loutky: La Calisto

Posted on February 11, 2016 by barczablog

The Centre for Drama, Theatre & Performance Studies at University of Toronto are in the midst of a residency by Cakes and Puppets, a Czech puppetry company.  Who are they and what are they presenting in this brief visit? Cakes … Continue reading →

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RWB Going Home Star: the language of truth and reconciliation

Posted on February 6, 2016 by barczablog

I witnessed something extraordinary and beautiful. The Royal Winnipeg Ballet created a full-length work titled Going Home Star: Truth and Reconciliation, one of the most ambitious pieces of theatre I’ve ever seen, a ballet so remarkable that it could be … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Politics | Tagged , , | 4 Comments

Soup Can HERETIC: not the usual martyr

Posted on November 14, 2015 by barczablog

Tonight I watched the latest version of HERETIC, Sarah Thorpe’s latest version of her play with the sub-title ”A Modern Retelling of the Story of Joan of Arc“. I was aware of her objective, to give an old story a … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Spirituality & Religion | Tagged , , | 1 Comment

Hart House Hamlet

Posted on November 5, 2015 by barczablog

I’ve been going to Hart House Theatre for a very long time, going back to my own participation as an undergrad in another century, a place for ambitious productions, a less-than-ideal space built in a lovely old building full of … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews, University life | 2 Comments

10 Questions for Dan Mousseau: Hamlet

Posted on November 4, 2015 by barczablog

I had the pleasure of meeting Dan Mousseau at Ryerson Theatre School, a remarkable training ground for many of the best actors in this country. You can surmise his range from the fact he’s been cast as both John in … Continue reading →

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10 questions for Sarah Thorpe: Heretic

Posted on October 31, 2015 by barczablog

Toronto native Sarah Thorpe studied Theatre at York University, receiving her Bachelor of Arts Degree with Honours in 2007, and also the theatre department’s Mira Friedlander Award for achievements in theatre writing, criticism, world and Canadian theatre studies. Sarah’s affiliation … Continue reading →

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews | Tagged , , | 1 Comment