We’re back! Last year, we spent a great weekend covering the theatrical side of St. Catharines’ In The Soil Arts Festival. This year we’re at it again – along with two more DART critics, Alex and Elizabeth – and we’re not restricting ourselves to just one theatre festival. All summer long, we will be providing coverage…

Here are highlights from the recent colloquium, The Changing Face of Criticism in the Digital Age, held at Brock University this March. Videos edited by Dramatic Arts students Jessica De Hoog, Emily Ferrier, Misha Harding, James Keating, Nicholas Leno, Brianne Lidstone, Hayley Malouin, and Kendra Neaves. Theatre in Nia…

Critics in residence Nicholas Leno and Hayley Malouin write, How can we write an ending to a weekend that has been the most hectic, fun, and inspiring experience we’d had since making this little ol’ town our home? We aren’t quite sure, but we’re definitely going to try. If you loved In The Soil as much as we did, then…

Critic in residence Hayley Malouin writes, “We are all Creator-made. And the Creator does not make junk.” On Sunday evening Debajehmujig Theatre Group presented The Global Savages, an hour-long event sharing the cultural and spiritual history of the Anishinaabeg people. It is not so much a performance as a kind of heig…

Critic in residence Hayley Malouin writes, Let’s get one thing straight: we refuse to stop gushing about In The Soil. As our criticism for the festival comes to a close (this year’s, at least!), and with it my engagement with Once, Nick and I wanted to have a post-festival chat with Twitches and Itches artistic directo…

Critic in residence Nicholas Leno writes, Well that’s all folks! In The Soil is wrapped up and the shows are over. Or are they? Yesterday Hayley and I sat down with some artists from In The Soil to discuss the future life of projects that premiered in this year’s local arts festival. Among them, still sporting the bean…

Critic in residence Hayley Malouin writes, Things that grow in the soil: carrots; leeks; potatoes; brilliantly unique homegrown festivals! Playing Sunday night at the Mikado, Suitcase In Point’s appropriately titled The Dirty Cabaret III brought the 2014 In The Soil Arts Festival to a close. Stuffed full of raunchy jok…

Critic in residence Nicholas Leno writes, In a world where smartphones, tablets, and computers provide constant connection to others and to a variety of media platforms, the simplicity of pen and paper often gets lost. So, shut off your phones and leave your computers at home because Rituals of The Unfamiliar doesn’t n…

Critic in residence Hayley Malouin writes, Fame! Misfortune! And SO many fences! On Saturday night, Rob Feetham – The Other Houdini – performed to a merry crowd at Mikados Bar. A chaotic cluster of pranks, audience participation, and pratfalls, The Other Houdini chronicles the rise and fall of a mediocre escape artist.…

Critic in residence Nicholas Leno writes, Paper can be anything, even children’s theatre! Paper Song gracefully floated into In The Soil Saturday afternoon at the Sullivan Mahoney Courthouse Theatre. It features classic stories of good versus evil from Japanese culture. Paper Song is based around the folktale of Tsuru…