Tag Archives: Stratford Festival

Preview of immersive Titus

I’ve just seen a preview of Who’s Afraid of Titus, Sky Gilbert’s adaptation of Shakespeare’s early play Titus Andronicus. They used the Red Sandcastle Theatre, a space associated with horror through proprietor Eric Woolfe and his Eldritch Theatre cohort. No … Continue reading

Posted in Books & Literature, Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Who’s Afraid of Titus? Sky Gilbert isn’t.

The title Who’s Afraid of Titus? has at least three meanings I can see. 1: Performers who fear that audiences won’t come see an unfamiliar play. 2: Professors (Shakespeare theorists) confused by a play that doesn’t fit the usual template. … Continue reading

Posted in Books & Literature, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Popular music & culture, Press Releases and Announcements | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 4 Comments

A conversation with Doug MacNaughton

Doug MacNaughton is known as much for his acting as for his singing, at home in opera, operetta, music theatre and concert work. As powerful as he sounds in ONE DAY MORE Doug also has the ability to use his … Continue reading

Posted in Animals, domestic & wild, Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

Yes we can

Is he really gone? Alexander Neef may be in Europe with the Paris Opera but it was already a promiscuous relationship, this General Directorship of the COC. Neef was working for his Toronto audience while at the same time taking … Continue reading

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Music and musicology, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Lepage’s Coriolanus: a video sandwich

There’s a particular magic to live theatre that you can almost glimpse in an online transmission, but it’s not really the same, not quite so magical. When I see Coriolanus get into a car onstage that seems to drive into … Continue reading

Posted in Art, Architecture & Design, Cinema, video & DVDs, Dance, theatre & musicals, Opera, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Birds of a Kind

I’ve just seen Birds of a Kind, a recent play by Wajdi Mouawad that received its English language premiere this month at the Stratford Festival’s studio theatre space. I was drawn to it by Ken Gass’s strong recommendation, and recalling my … Continue reading

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Personal ruminations & essays, Politics, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , | 1 Comment

Mother Courage

I just saw Seana McKenna tonight as Mother Courage aka Anna Fierling in Brecht’s play Mother Courage and Her Children, at the Tom Patterson Theatre until September 21st. It’s a horrible week in the news, between civilian planes being shot … Continue reading

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Reviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Crazy For You

It’s summertime, when the livin’ is easy: and Gershwin might be on my mind right now. Summer  musicals are taking over the stages at summer festivals in Stratford & Niagara-on-the-Lake. Crazy For You –the show I saw today at Stratford—is … Continue reading

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals | Tagged , , , , , , , , , | 3 Comments

10 Questions for David Ferry

I first encountered David Ferry as an actor, even though he’s also a director, a dramaturg and a great teacher with extensive experience in theatre, television, film and radio.  In that production of Othello Ferry created the most astonishing Iago, … Continue reading

Posted in Dance, theatre & musicals, Interviews | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments

Big ideas

Elliott Hayes was a playwright & dramaturg, the literary manager of the Stratford Festival for awhile in the 1980s. A friend of mine introduced me to him, a really big deal I thought, an opportunity to maybe get some input … Continue reading

Posted in Essays | Tagged , , , , , , , , , , , | 2 Comments