DART Critics Class 2017-18

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…

“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…

Welcome to the inaugural episode of the DARTcritics Presents: Two Peas in a Podcast! This podcast explores topics, themes, trends, conventions, and tropes in theatre and performance through the context of specific productions. In this first episode, hosts Mae and Andria – theatre critics and Brock University Dramatic A…

Emma McCormick and Kristina Ojaperv write, A technical rehearsal for a show with no lighting design is definitely not your typical tech. Our next rehearsal visit is during the series of technical and dress rehearsals, in the final days before This Will Be Excellent’s first performance. These rehearsals, however, operat…

The DARTcritics class of 2018 share their thoughts on Jordan Tannahill’s newest play Declarations, a post-dramatic exploration of grief that premiered at Toronto’s Canadian Stage in January: Catherine Tait writes, How does one approach the imminent loss of a parent? In the case of Jordan Tannahill the answers are exqui…

Emma McCormick and Kristina Ojaperv write… While a vision may look good in theory, it is how the cast and creative team build a show in rehearsal which gives that vision substance. On January 25th and 31st, we attended rehearsals of This Will be Excellent after meeting with director Erin Brubacher. Rehearsals take plac…

For their first review of 2018, the DARTcritics class attended Matt MacKenzie’s Bears, a co-production between Alberta Aboriginal Performing Arts and Punctuate! Theatre, in association with Native Earth Performing Arts at The Theatre Centre in Toronto. MacKenzie’s dark comedy is both an exploration of Indigenous cosmol…