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Members of the DARTcritics class of 2019 deliberate on the nature of masculinity and how it manifested itself in PARADIGM Productions‘ premiere of The Scavenger’s Daughter. The show ran from January 15th – 27th and was presented at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.  Josh Loewen writes, Dispatch: More Cook. Characters call…

In the first round of reviews from the 2019 DARTcritics class, students Heather Janser and Matt Lazaris-Brunner offer their takes on Rajiv Joseph’s play Gruesome Playground Injuries. Gruesome Playground Injuries, directed by Chris Bretecher, was presented at The Assembly Theatre and produced by Leroy Street Theatre.  H…

In the winter, Toronto’s Factory Theatre becomes home to Fringe Toronto’s Next Stage Festival, the self-described “curated, boutique” festival. For those unfamiliar with the Toronto Fringe Festival, it’s an annual theatre festival that features indie artists performing all over the city. Rather than plan the roster by…

Tarndeep Pannu writes, The DART Mainstage talkback is an integral part of the mandate of our Dramatic Arts degree. It brings the praxis element of theatre, the weaving together of theory and practice, to the fore, so that every student has an opportunity to learn from the theatrical process. Tarndeep Pannu, Karen Frick…

For their final review of the term, the DARTcritics class of 2017-18 caught Machine de Cirque at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre. This is the group’s first time reviewing a touring show – and a circus show, to boot. While individual responses varied, none were without passion: Abigail Bloomfield writes,  Hugh J…

The DARTcritics class of 2017-18 recently saw Tarragon’s remounting of Hannah Moscovitch’s Bunny. Originally premiering at the Stratford Festival in 2016, Bunny explores the themes of desire, shame, female sexuality, and friendship. Our critics weigh in on these themes below:  Emma McCormick writes, With its raw acting…

The DARTcritics class of 2017-18 took on the challenge of reviewing theatre for young people, catching Carousel Player’s production of Jordi Mand’s new play The Will Be Excellent at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre, where it performed two public matinees before resuming its tour of elementary schools in Southern…

Emma McCormick and Kristina Ojaperv write, At last, the day for excellence arrives – the first performance of This Will Be Excellent. Arriving at Oakridge Public School early on February 5th, we are excited to see the culmination of the many rehearsals that came before. The show is set up in the gymnasium, with the fin…

It’s been over a week since Essential Collective Theatre’s world premiere of Our Lady of Delicias opened at the FirstOntario Performing Arts Centre and I’m still bumping into people buzzing about it. Politically charged, hilariously delivered, and satisfyingly ambiguous, it’s a play that sparks discussion, discussion t…

“You know theatre. The lights, the sound, the spectacle. When you take your seat in the auditorium, no matter the size, you know you’re in for a treat. Audiences come from far and wide to be whisked away into thrilling tales of love, drama, comedy, and more. We come for what’s on stage, but what we don’t get to see is…