Recent Features

Turbulent describes his life and even his work, but a kind of calm has set in on Ken Gass and he sets EYES ON THE FUTURE. In this fascinating interview, conducted by Christian Baines, Gass moves on from his woes with Factory and talks about his new company, The Canadian Repertory Theatre, already preparing its first outings.

Gorman

When we asked Matt Gorman to write about the trials and tribulations of a small company in a very big market, he offered us his lovely and almost elegiac REMEMBER...EVERYTHING which explains what Cart/Horse is up against even as it prepares its next production.

In THE CANADIAN OPERA COMPANY STUDIO ENSEMBLE; THEN BUT ESPECIALLY NOW, Wendy Nielsen tells the history of the glorious institute and how it has grown into one of the major training grounds (and competitions) in the world.

Matty Burns left school, waited, waited some more and then realized it was time to take action. In FROM NAPKINS TO OPENING he describes the creation of Tagged and It's Complicated, a two-hander musical about love in the new age...not always a pretty sight.

Burke's Oleanna

MAMET'S POLITICS SQUARED, an interview by Christopher Douglas, explores Jacqui Burke's approach to her her production of the controversial playwright's Oleanna. Burke must deal with the violence - verbal and physical of the play - and decipher the enigmatic relationship of shifting power. 

In THE KING OF COLLABORATION Canadian Stage Artistic Director Matthew Jocelyn tells Christian Baines that running the company has now become a delicate job of matching each production (dance or theatre) to the proper space and audience, even while inviting the company's audience to explore beyond their boundaries.

There is something quite special about The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine - the iconic Canadian work that examines rage within one couple. The play - 25 years old this year - still troubles. Its writer, Robert Morgan, tells us how it came to be in the delightful ANGER EXPLORED AND THE OH-OH MOMENT.

Simard

There is French, English...and then there is wordless. Director/writer Yves Simard talks about removing all the words to create images about alienation that will not also alienate the audience. His first-person piece, ME AND I ON THE SKY is an object lesson on bringing a reader into the process of creation.

As director Miles Potter prepares one of the most anticipated (and maybe significant) openings of the 2012-13 season, he takes us behind the scenes to prep and rehearsal for Michael Healey's Proud in THE PLAY (NOT THE CONTROVERSY) IS THE THING. His description of the process is delightful and funny and shows that even during heated debate, actors, writer and director can find their bliss. 

Marcus

When Modern Times Stage Company prepares a season, there it is not merely a question of grinding plays into the season. Co-directors Peter Farbridges and Soheil Parsa research, test, read and reread, travel and consider long and hard before announcing. This year, as Parsa writes in THE LESSON AND FORGIVENESS, the plays have resonance beyond the company.

Oh! what a year Acting Up Stage has had! Their production of Caroline, or Change was a critical and box office success and pulled down a ton-weight of Dora Awards. But artistic director, Mitchell Marcus, has to look toward the future now and expectations are exceptionally high. In his first-person piece, THE JOURNEY OF A YEAR, he presents that season and all the decisions which went into its making.

Against The Grain Theatre artistic director, Joel Ivany, has let us into his heart and company many times over many different articles for The Charlebois Post; in his most recent piece for us - A DIARY OF ONE WHO APPEARS - he introduces his team as well as an exciting season - precisely the kind of year that has put this small, vibrant team on the opera map.

Hand

Singer Gregory Finney describes his journey not just to find his place but also, quite literally, his voice in F@*! I'M IN THE WRONG FACH

Jason Hand poses questions about design in HURRY SUNDOWN that most people - even theatre people - never think about. Hand designed the lighting for the present outdoor production of Midsummer Night's dream and explains how the position of the sun - as it changes throughout the run of the work - can change everything.

In OPERA WITH A TWIST Aria Umezawa introduces our readers to Opera 5. Theatre? Yes. Opera? Yes. Multimedia? The pictures show you that. But also no, no, no. Opera 5 is for people who know and for those who want to understand this not-so-complex art and the company is on a mission to explain and to bring it on.

Adamczak

IN DEFENCE OF LEGALLY BLONDE AND THE CONTEMPORARY MUSICAL musical theatre pundit Stuart Munro offers a long form article on why this musical - yet another work based on a movie - works within the framework it sets out for itself and for the audience. Using several YouTube videos he examines the structure of the piece and why it is something a little better than just pure fun.

Shane Adamczak is a Fringer to his heart and he is bringing his show ZACK ADAMS: The Complete History of Zack Adams to the Toronto Fringe. Take a moment and read what he has to say in WHAT IS A FRINGE FESTIVAL: AN "ARTIST'S"PERSPECTIVE.

Joel Ivany, Artistic Director of Against The Grain Theatre, is not only a frequent CharPo contributor, he is also head of one of the most exciting companies in the country. They do opera and they do theatre and they do it on a scale that is small, intimate and - ultimately - haunting. As he prepares his production of Turn Of The Screw (Benjamin Britten's spook story), he talks about what he has found in its text in KILLING CURIOSITY.