Stage - The Globe and Mail

Dance Nation’s depiction of adolescent intensity gets lost in its utter weirdness

The play’s central gimmick is funny for about half a minute, then the clichés descend like a storm

Oliver Dennis in Dance Nation CMTxOTM_Elana Emer photography_6595A

Oliver Dennis in Dance Nation CMTxOTM_Elana Emer photography_6595A

Martha Schabas

4 min read

5 hours ago

Oliver Dennis in Dance Nation CMTxOTM_Elana Emer photography_6595A

Oliver Dennis in Dance Nation CMTxOTM_Elana Emer photography_6595A

Dance Nation’s depiction of adolescent intensity gets lost in its utter weirdness

Martha Schabas

4 min read

April 17, 2026

Eric Da Silva, a member of the Artists of Atelier Ballet, performs with soprano Meghan Lindsay in Opera Atelier's production of Pelléas et Mélisande.

Eric Da Silva, a member of the Artists of Atelier Ballet, performs with soprano Meghan Lindsay in Opera Atelier's production of Pelléas et Mélisande.

Opera Atelier’s youngest work centres a love triangle and raises a deep question

5 min read

April 17, 2026

(L to R) Amaka Umeh, Nancy Palk, Michelle Monteith, Belinda Corpuz, and Sabryn Rock in Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary.

(L to R) Amaka Umeh, Nancy Palk, Michelle Monteith, Belinda Corpuz, and Sabryn Rock in Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary.

review

Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary is a disappointing Bible play about the women in Jesus’s orbit

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

April 17, 2026

Stratford Festival artistic Antoni Cimolino at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Oct. 13, 2020. Barry Avrich's film following Cimolino through the festival’s recent years will premiere at Hot Docs on April 27.

Stratford Festival artistic Antoni Cimolino at the Tom Patterson Theatre, Oct. 13, 2020. Barry Avrich's film following Cimolino through the festival’s recent years will premiere at Hot Docs on April 27.

Barry Avrich peeks behind the curtain at Antoni Cimolino’s retirement from the Stratford Festival

5 min read

April 16, 2026

Sophia Walker, Clyde’s Production Photos – April 2026
Photos by Dahlia Katz.

Sophia Walker, Clyde’s Production Photos – April 2026
Photos by Dahlia Katz.

review

Clyde’s, about the lifelong search for the perfect sandwich, goes skimpy on plot and heavy on drama

4 min read

April 15, 2026

Sophia Walker in rehearsal for Clydes-photobyDahliaKatz-0962

Sophia Walker in rehearsal for Clydes-photobyDahliaKatz-0962

Sophia Walker’s had a big year. But sandwich dramedy Clyde’s marks a new chapter for the actor

4 min read

April 14, 2026

Tracey Nepinak, left, and Teneil Whiskeyjack in Strife.

Tracey Nepinak, left, and Teneil Whiskeyjack in Strife.

In Strife, playwright Matthew MacKenzie takes aim at whitewashed activism

Aisling Murphy

3 min read

April 14, 2026

Alan Menken arrives at the world premiere of The Little Mermaid at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023.

Alan Menken arrives at the world premiere of The Little Mermaid at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on May 8, 2023.

With solo concert, decorated composer Alan Menken brings Disney animation to life

4 min read

April 6, 2026

Zaiba Baig in Kainchee Lagaa and Jhooti.

Zaiba Baig in Kainchee Lagaa and Jhooti.

review

Zaiba Baig returns to the stage with a pair of – sort of – trans rage plays

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

April 1, 2026

Ryan Carter in BAT OUT OF HELL, credit Chris Davis Studio 2. For Q&A with live entertainment promoter Michael Cohl. Story on Bat Out of Hell musical

Ryan Carter in BAT OUT OF HELL, credit Chris Davis Studio 2. For Q&A with live entertainment promoter Michael Cohl. Story on Bat Out of Hell musical

Promoter Michael Cohl on bringing Bat Out of Hell back to Canada and ticket scalping

4 min read

March 26, 2026

Larkin in World’s Gone Wild.

Larkin in World’s Gone Wild.

review

World’s Gone Wild marks an edgy new chapter for the Second City in Toronto

Aisling Murphy

3 min read

March 24, 2026

The 2026-27 season at Crow’s Theatre will include a number of works that adapt Canadian books into stage shows, beginning with A Fine Balance, adapted from the Giller Prize-winning 1995 novel. Chris Abraham, Crow’s Theatre’s artistic director, is pictured in 2020.

The 2026-27 season at Crow’s Theatre will include a number of works that adapt Canadian books into stage shows, beginning with A Fine Balance, adapted from the Giller Prize-winning 1995 novel. Chris Abraham, Crow’s Theatre’s artistic director, is pictured in 2020.

CanLit adaptations dominate Crow’s Theatre’s 2026-27 season

5 min read

March 23, 2026

Madeline Charlemagne, left, as Roxanne and Eryn Jean Norvill as Cyrano.

Madeline Charlemagne, left, as Roxanne and Eryn Jean Norvill as Cyrano.

review

Cyrano, a lesbian retelling of the 1897 classic play, ought to work – but doesn’t

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

March 20, 2026

Goodnight Desdemona Promo Photo from the Canadian Stage.

Goodnight Desdemona Promo Photo from the Canadian Stage.

exclusive

Canadian Stage 2026-27 season to include Cabaret and Goodnight Desdemona (Good Morning Juliet)

4 min read

March 20, 2026

Tomson Highway at his home in Gatineau, QC, on February 12, 2026.

Tomson Highway at his home in Gatineau, QC, on February 12, 2026.

After decades in the making, Tomson Highway’s Rose blooms onstage

9 min read

March 17, 2026

IMM Production still 3: Photo of Himanshu Sitlani and Neha Poduval. Photo by Dahila Katz. Photos for IMM-Permanent Resident review

IMM Production still 3: Photo of Himanshu Sitlani and Neha Poduval. Photo by Dahila Katz. Photos for IMM-Permanent Resident review

review

An IMM-Permanent Resident explores the painful, personal underbelly of Canadian immigration

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

March 17, 2026

Noah Parets and Beckanne Sisk in Pinocchio. Photo by Bruce Zinger

Noah Parets and Beckanne Sisk in Pinocchio. Photo by Bruce Zinger

Spectacle over substance in the National Ballet’s Pinocchio

Martha Schabas

3 min read

March 16, 2026

Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.

Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.

Tarragon’s 2026-27 season will include Kat Sandler’s Yaga plus five world premiere plays

3 min read

March 14, 2026

Judith Thompson’s latest play Queen Maeve follows Mrs. Nurmi, an elderly grandmother living out her days in a decrepit nursing home at the Tarragon Theatre.

Judith Thompson’s latest play Queen Maeve follows Mrs. Nurmi, an elderly grandmother living out her days in a decrepit nursing home at the Tarragon Theatre.

Judith Thompson’s Queen Maeve is an inconsistent – but irresistible – plunge into old age

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

March 11, 2026

Annika Tupper, Shaemus Swets. Photo Curtis Perry After the Rain at NAC Ottawa

Annika Tupper, Shaemus Swets. Photo Curtis Perry After the Rain at NAC Ottawa

A year ago, After the Rain felt underbaked and cutesy. With rewrites, it’s an electric new musical

Aisling Murphy

5 min read

March 11, 2026

WhyNotWYWDFL2026-photobyDahliaKatz-4627
WHAT YOU WON’T DO FOR LOVE
A Why Not Theatre production
Featuring
Sturla Alvsvaag, Tara Cullis, Michelle Mohammed, David Suzuki

WhyNotWYWDFL2026-photobyDahliaKatz-4627
WHAT YOU WON’T DO FOR LOVE
A Why Not Theatre production
Featuring
Sturla Alvsvaag, Tara Cullis, Michelle Mohammed, David Suzuki

There are two sides to David Suzuki. Both appear in this intimate stage play

4 min read

March 11, 2026

Juliette Schroeder and the Company of The Drowsy Chaperone. Set Design by Jessica Balyk, Lighting Design by Jay Hines, Costume Design by Gabe Woo.

Juliette Schroeder and the Company of The Drowsy Chaperone. Set Design by Jessica Balyk, Lighting Design by Jay Hines, Costume Design by Gabe Woo.

The Drowsy Chaperone returns to its show tune-loving roots at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto

4 min read

March 10, 2026

Danielle Wade as Maizy and Erick Pinnick as Grandpa in The North American Tour of SHUCKED. Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

Danielle Wade as Maizy and Erick Pinnick as Grandpa in The North American Tour of SHUCKED. Photo Credit: Matthew Murphy and Evan Zimmerman

review

Shucked is a cornucopia of dad-jokes and relentless puns

Ilana Lucas

4 min read

March 9, 2026

Q&A with Iranian theatre-maker Ava Alavi.
undercurrents-01
Sound premiered in February 2026 at undercurrents in Ottawa, ON

Q&A with Iranian theatre-maker Ava Alavi.
undercurrents-01
Sound premiered in February 2026 at undercurrents in Ottawa, ON

‘It’s a kind of survivor’s guilt’: How an Iranian theatre-maker brought geopolitical conflict to Canadian audiences

5 min read

March 6, 2026

Sarena Parmar in The Surrogate .selects.260222.KendraEpikPhotography.39

Sarena Parmar in The Surrogate .selects.260222.KendraEpikPhotography.39

review

Cross-border snark meets The Pitt in The Surrogate, a blistering drama about a broken healthcare system

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

March 2, 2026

Genevieve Penn Nabity with Artists of the Ballet in Flight Pattern. Photo by Ted Belton. Courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.

Genevieve Penn Nabity with Artists of the Ballet in Flight Pattern. Photo by Ted Belton. Courtesy of The National Ballet of Canada.

review

Contrasting approaches to movement and meaning define National Ballet’s latest mixed bill

Martha Schabas

4 min read

March 2, 2026

Love You Forever and More Munsch brings storybook magic to the Young People’s Theatre stage
YPTLoveYouForever-photobyDahliaKatz-5136

5136: David Andrew Reid in YPT’s Love You Forever And More Munsch. Set Design by Robin Fisher, Costume Design by Jung A Im, Lighting Design by Jareth Li. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

Love You Forever and More Munsch brings storybook magic to the Young People’s Theatre stage
YPTLoveYouForever-photobyDahliaKatz-5136

5136: David Andrew Reid in YPT’s Love You Forever And More Munsch. Set Design by Robin Fisher, Costume Design by Jung A Im, Lighting Design by Jareth Li. Photo by Dahlia Katz.

Love You Forever and More Munsch brings storybook magic to the Young People’s Theatre stage

4 min read

March 2, 2026

Production photo of Little Willy, Created & Designed by Ronnie Burkett. Credit: Dahlia Katz

Production photo of Little Willy, Created & Designed by Ronnie Burkett. Credit: Dahlia Katz

review

Little Willy is a laugh-out-loud parody of Romeo and Juliet – with very little Shakespeare

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

February 27, 2026

Ordena Stephens-Thompson and Tony Nappo in The Neighbours at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.

Ordena Stephens-Thompson and Tony Nappo in The Neighbours at Tarragon Theatre in Toronto.

review

The Neighbours is a gutsy, grisly play about the monster living next door

Aisling Murphy

4 min read

February 26, 2026

The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light

by Drew Hayden Taylor

February 24 - March 8, 2026

In a world of fakes, who can you trust?
Nazhi Nigig runs an art gallery on the Otter Lake First Nation. She has made an international name for herself as an expert in recognizing counterfeits of the work of Norval Morrisseau and other Indigenous artist through special techniques - including identifying the use of Red Cadmium Light, a paint colour that can indicate a forgery. Her daughter Beverly is a successful Indigenous educator, up for a big promotion. When a reporter begins to dig into the world of counterfeit Indigenous art, a discovery is made that risks jeopardizing both women’s careers, and their relationship, forever.

Calla Adubofour-Poku Vinnie Alberto Charlene Van Beukenhout

Director: Tracey Nepinak Set & Props Designer: Adam Parboosingh Costume Designer: Amy McPherson Lighting Designer: Anika Binding Sound Designer/Composer: Ryan Black Stage Manager: Michael Duggan Assistant Stage Manager: Michelle Lagassé Sound Design Mentor: Dasha Plett Vocal Coach: Shannon Vickers

The Undeniable Accusations of Red Cadmium Light

by Drew Hayden Taylor

February 24 - March 8, 2026

In a world of fakes, who can you trust?
Nazhi Nigig runs an art gallery on the Otter Lake First Nation. She has made an international name for herself as an expert in recognizing counterfeits of the work of Norval Morrisseau and other Indigenous artist through special techniques - including identifying the use of Red Cadmium Light, a paint colour that can indicate a forgery. Her daughter Beverly is a successful Indigenous educator, up for a big promotion. When a reporter begins to dig into the world of counterfeit Indigenous art, a discovery is made that risks jeopardizing both women’s careers, and their relationship, forever.

Calla Adubofour-Poku Vinnie Alberto Charlene Van Beukenhout

Director: Tracey Nepinak Set & Props Designer: Adam Parboosingh Costume Designer: Amy McPherson Lighting Designer: Anika Binding Sound Designer/Composer: Ryan Black Stage Manager: Michael Duggan Assistant Stage Manager: Michelle Lagassé Sound Design Mentor: Dasha Plett Vocal Coach: Shannon Vickers

New Drew Hayden Taylor play investigates Indigenous art fraud – and a fraught mother-daughter relationship

3 min read

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