TO Sketchfest’s Dave Barclay explains his show . . . and his baby-naming advice
In this (pseudo-) interview, solo sketch comedian Dave Barclay explains the process he used to create his new show “Please Name your baby Dave Barclay.”
Theatre
Bea Labikova on the innovation and inclusivity of the “Women From Space” festival
What happens when boundary-pushing women in music take centre stage? One answer is Toronto’s Women From Space Festival, a dynamic
Playwright Gillian Clark is crafting magic and hope in “Adventures”
“If Adventures can leave audiences with one lingering thought or feeling, it’s the comfort in the unknown. We’re maybe acknowledging a collective comfort in the unknown.” ~ Interview with playwright Gillian Clark
The Road to Production: “Hypothetical Baby” by Rachel Cairns
“When I realized he wasn’t going to help me navigate the process, it was upsetting and enraging—but also my writer-brain immediately registered the conflict.” ~ Rachel Cairns, Artist Perspective
Vivian Chong’s Blind Dates Illuminates Connection, Love, and the Art of Being Seen
“Connection could be short or long. It could be heartfelt, or it could be short-lived. It could be coming with baggage from others, or from my past. It could be light and fluffy – but there’s no one way. This is what is so fascinating for me to capture in Blind Dates.” ~ Interview with Vivian Chong
Louise Lambert on the raw, unflinching truth of “People, Places & Things”
“I didn’t think twice. I jumped at the chance to play this role… I can’t remember the last time I resonated so deeply with a character.” ~ Interview with Louise Lambert
Julia Nish-Lapidus confronts Shakespeare’s “Merchant” with conviction and complexity
“We’re really putting our history and culture on the stage, and exploring the play through a Jewish lens.” ~ Julia Nish-Lapidus
“It matters to the people who have fought to be seen” – Jan Smith is unforgettable in “Dinner With The Duchess”
“Of course, it matters. It matters to the people who have felt overlooked. To the ones who have had to fight to be seen. To every artist who has poured their soul into something, only to watch the world move on without them.” ~ Jan Alexandra Smith
Eric Woolfe on puppets, magic, and the haunting return of Billy Wuthergloom
“Puppetry and magic performed together is very disarming. They play off each other, and the viewer quickly gets nudged into a special kind of openness.” ~ Eric Woolfe