Podcasts about toronto fringe

Welcome back to the 296th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 296th episode we bring you the second instalment of our very special multi part deep dive into Toronto Fringe 2026 Review Roundup. Join Jillian Robinson, Mackenzie Horner, and Ryan Borochovitz as they blitz through the final thirteen shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity!Catch up on Part 1: ⁠https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccbbjNYFO4g⁠Catch up on Part 2: https://youtu.be/l-4AYZ4yYzQ TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeNSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [don't expect anything interesting over there]; if you enjoy his theatre thoughts, more can be found at ⁠https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz⁠ Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to ⁠coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

Blythe (she/her) holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the University of Alberta, but calls Toronto home, where she is an active member of the community. For Gangway she is currently working on their play Digital Divergence, a design first creation process centring on who we are in different mediums. For her solo projects, Blythe is developing her play Uplifting Stories for Seniors, which won Second Place Winner of the Toronto Fringe 2025 24 hour Playwriting Contest. An active member of Showing Up For Racial Justice, her art practice has come to involve work with grassroots community advocacy, melding together direct action and art; she was a co-producer/performer of the political play reading community event 8 Men Speak (The Theatre Centre, 2024); Favourite performances: The Drowning Girls (Guild Festival Theatre), An Acorn: a text for performance (impel Theatre/Oldham Coliseum) and the play-turned-short film & Other Concerns (dir. Sabina Olivia Lambert), which debuted at the Big Apple Film Festival (NYC) and the Female Eye Film Festival (Toronto) in 2024, and Available Now on CBC Gem. Honourable mentions: She has had the opportunity to work on two Thomas McKechnie projects - 12 Letters from Your Lover, Lost at Sea (zietpunktheatre), and was an anti-capitalist worm in Life and death and life and death and life (dir. Steven Hao).Blythe is an AMY Project Board Member, and also works with the project Anchoring Accessibility (with lead artist Leslie Ting, Dr. Jessica Watkin and Macy Siu) - which “works to find ways through practice-based research to support artists in the sector to develop relational and pragmatic approaches to accessibility and confidence by creating creative tools (the protocol) and educational materials.”Instagram: @blythe_haynes@and_other_concerns Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Welcome back to the 295th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 295th episode we bring you the second instalment of our very special multi part deep dive into Toronto Fringe 2026 Review Roundup. Join Jillian Robinson and Ryan Borochovitz as they blitz through the next fifteen shows they saw at this year's festival (including a discussion of the show that Jill performed in), unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Catch up on Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ccbbjNYFO4gStay tuned for Part 3, coming soon! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00 – Intro 5:45 – A Conversation with Myself 27:59 – Imagined Love39:03 – Lifeguard 48:22 – Springtime 1:03:00 – Neuro-DIVE! 1:12:44 – Gerry's Imaginarium 1:19:44 – Snacey! 1:28:52 – Sincerely, E 1:37:48 – Orbit 1:47:42 – Echoes of You 1:58:26 – outside these walls, everyone is sleeping 2:08:45 – Mary, Mary. 2:24:14 – Tortoise, the Hare, the Truth 2:34:18 – Ooga Chaka 2:45:27 – Such Ado! (not a review) 3:03:20 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [don't expect anything interesting over there]; if you enjoy his theatre thoughts, more can be found at https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

Welcome back to the 294th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 294th episode we bring you the first instalment of our very special multi part deep dive into Toronto Fringe 2026 Review Roundup. Join Mackenzie Horner and Ryan Borochovitz as they blitz through the first sixteen shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Don't forget to stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3, coming soon! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00:00 – Intro 3:16 – Whose Lineage is it Anyway? An Improvised Shakespearean History 18:44 – Romeo and Juliet, Part 1 - Shakespeare: Say It! 26:42 – At Home with the Bards 36:13 – God Save the Sodomites 45:51 – SHOWSTOPPER 50:46 – Assembly Süggested 58:39 – The Remainders 1:09:40 – Stupid Cupid 1:18:50 – Sinner. A Musical Tragicomedy about Breaking Up with White Jesus1:26:19 – Songs for Moby Dick1:33:54 – The First Vampire1:41:02 – You Choose: An Improvised Murder Mystery1:48:59 – $20 Sandwich Ruins Your Childhood1:55:24 – Every Fringe Show You've Ever Seen All At Once 2:01:39 – U UP? 2:13:26 – CAMP! 2:43:05 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeNSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [don't expect anything interesting over there]; if you enjoy his theatre thoughts, more can be found at https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

About This Episode: Playwright and writer Natalie Kaye joins Phil Rickaby to talk about her wildly ambitious new musical, 1920s Walking Around in a Dream, playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. The show is a screwball comedy set in an imagined 1920s Jazz Age Chicago, and it's a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, translated not into modern English, but into the heightened, slang-drenched language of the Jazz Age. It's a project Natalie has been quietly nurturing for at least a decade, and hearing her describe its journey from a single translated sonnet to a fully staged musical is genuinely thrilling. This episode explores: How a single translated Shakespeare sonnet launched a decade-long project Why A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Jazz Age are a perfect match Silent film, vaudeville, and the Marx Brothers as creative inspirations The challenge of writing dense, heightened language that audiences can actually follow What it means to finally relinquish control and trust your cast and director And much more! Guest: ✍️ Natalie Kaye Natalie Kaye (she/her) Playwright. Natalie is an award-winning playwright and a published poet. She is also a dancer, choreographer and aerial silks performer. A graduate of York University and the University of Toronto, Natalie has a Masters' in Drama. She has worked in theatre as a producer, director, playwright, actor and dramaturg. Her one-act play, Mood Swings, won first place in the Pat the Dog's 24-hour play contest. The play was workshopped by Pat the Dog in February, 2014 and received a full production at Toronto Fringe in 2016 where it was called "beautiful" "well-executed" and "poetic" by Mooney on Theatre. Her short plays, Universe Inc. and A Toast were produced by Newborn Theatre at the Odds and Ends Festival. She is a member of the Vault Creation Lab's writer's group. She co-wrote #1 Clown Comedy With Victor & Priscilla at Toronto Fringe in 2025. Connect with Natalie Kaye:

About This Episode: As the Toronto Fringe Festival prepares to launch, Phil Rickaby gathers four of Toronto's most dedicated theatre content creators (Janine Marley from A View from the Box, Ryan Borochovitz from The Cup Podcast, Alexandra Lean from Being Dramatic, and Ryan McCollom from Plates & Playbills) for a lively live stream preview of the 2026 festival. Together they dig into what makes Fringe such a unique and exciting event, share their personal histories with the festival, and break down what their coverage will look like across podcasts, written reviews, and social media throughout the run. This episode explores: Each panelists Toronto Fringe Top 5, must see shows, plus a wildcard selection largely based on title alone. A breakdown of how each content creator covers Fringe, from roundup podcast episodes and daily written reviews to short-form TikTok recaps Practical tips for navigating venues, surviving the heat, eating on a budget, and planning your Fringe days geographically And much more Connect with Janine Marley, Ryan Borochovitz, Alexandra Lean, and Ryan McCollom:

About This Episode: In this episode, Phil sits down with Marla Torgerson, a Calgary-based singer-songwriter and classically trained vocalist who has written and performs her debut theatrical work, Sinner, a one-woman musical tragic comedy about growing up in the evangelical Bible Belt of central Alberta and the long, often painful process of leaving fundamentalist religion behind. What starts as a conversation about a show becomes a wide-ranging, deeply personal discussion between two people who have both done the hard work of deconstructing their faith and are still finding new layers to unpack. This episode explores: How Marla went from singer-songwriter and opera graduate to writing her debut solo theatrical work over eight years The specific moment that cracked open her deconstruction, and why she frames Sinner as breaking up with white Jesus rather than religion broadly Why evangelical culture treats men and women differently, and how the Proverbs 31 woman ideal is actually a subversive power structure The prosperity gospel, megachurches, and why Marla argues that being rich is evidence of a lack of faith And much more! Guest:

Grab your glad rags, we're putting on the Ritz! Fun flappers & zany bootleggers have madcap love affairs in the Roaring Twenties in this witty screwball musical comedy inspired by A Midsummer Night's Dream. 1920's music by Cole Porter, Fats Waller, Jerome Kern & more in new musical arrangements by Director Declan Meagher, recently of Disney Cruise Line.Written by award-winning playwright Natalie Kaye, co-writer of 2025's Toronto Fringe #1 Clown Comedy With Victor & Priscilla, praised by press as: "hilarious" -Toronto Star; "side-splittingly funny" -Fringe Review UK; "bursting with theatrical joy" -Parton & Pearl.The musical will have added shows August 8,9,15,16 in an outdoor family-friendly version at St. James Park Saturday and Sunday at 4pm & 7pm, presented by Old Town BIA and Alumnae Theatre.Unspoken Theatre is in our 15th year! Recent Productions: "Dead Of Winter Festival's The Matchmaker" with spindle collective & Eldritch Theatre. "Victor & Priscilla Go To The Circus" with Theatre Gargantua.PG-13 for mature themes, smoking, alcohol & sex references. An Educational Guide is available online.We will also perform at a Toronto Fringe Musicals free preview event on Sat June 27 at 2pm, called "Stage Meets Pitch" outdoors at Dundas and Bathurst.We donate to the environmental charity Don't Mess With The Don! Find out more about them here: https://www.dontmesswiththedon.ca/We have not used AI in the creation or marketing of this production.

About this episode: Chris Cracknell is a Hamilton-based composer, musician, performer, and web series creator who has channelled a pandemic-era creative crisis into something genuinely extraordinary: a non-canonical musical adventure called Pookumhura Mistress of B-Roll, playing at Theatre Passe-Muraille as part of the Toronto Fringe's Musical Theatre Hub. The show draws on Chris's nearly two decades as a World of Warcraft player, but don't let that fool you into thinking you need to know anything about the game. At its heart, this is a show about how people use online spaces to find community, explore identity, and connect with each other across the divides that increasingly define our world. Chris and Phil dig into the origins of the Pookumhura web series, which Chris created as a way to climb out of pandemic-era depression one tiny creative act at a time. What started as the bare minimum (taking a gummy and ad-libbing awkward conversations with in-game NPCs) eventually snowballed into a full eleven-episode season and then a stage musical. It's a story about the power of low-stakes creative momentum, and the surprising places it can take you. Guest:

The Toronto Fringe Festival runs June 30-July 12 at locations throughout the city. We'll be on site reviewing as much as we possibly can, so be sure to bookmark our Fringe Homepage to read all our reviews as they're published. In the meantime, we asked the artists to send us their best show pitch for a taste of what there is to look forward to at the festival this year. Check out Part Two of our audio preview below or on our podcast feed and get excited for thirteen days of theatre magic and madness. Hear Part One HERE Read more about the productions and book your tickets at fringetoronto.com. The post 2026 Toronto Fringe Preview, Part 2 appeared first on My Entertainment World.

The Toronto Fringe Festival runs June 30-July 12 at locations throughout the city. We'll be on site reviewing as much as we possibly can, so be sure to bookmark our Fringe Homepage to read all our reviews as they're published. In the meantime, we asked the artists to send us their best show pitch for a taste of what there is to look forward to at the festival this year. Check out Part One of our audio preview below or on our podcast feed and get excited for thirteen days of theatre magic and madness. Hear Part Two HERE (coming tomorrow at noon!) Read more about the productions and book your tickets at fringetoronto.com. The post 2026 Toronto Fringe Preview, Part 1 appeared first on My Entertainment World.

History starts around 30minstoday we set the stage for Laurel Canyon. We also talk about Rob Ford and other pressing matters. Enjoy

Read transcriptAbout This Episode: What would happen if a newly elected Premier of Ontario was forced to live on minimum wage? That's the provocative (and deeply funny) question at the heart of Minimum, the political satire written and performed by Victoria Sullivan. After winning Best in Venue at the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival, Victoria is bringing the show to Toronto Fringe, and the timing couldn't feel more apt. Victoria is an actor, playwright, and producer based in Hamilton, working under the banner of Be Victorious (and sometimes the Intergalactic Federation of Space Beers - it's a long story). She holds a master's degree from TMU, where her Dante-inspired thesis project Daniel T's Inferno Latte became a critically lauded Fringe hit. With four consecutive Fringe runs under her belt, she knows what it takes to make a show land; and she's ready to find out how Toronto audiences respond to political absurdism in the current climate. This episode explores: How the experience of moving to Toronto and working for minimum wage sparked the idea for Minimum Why Victoria chose a fictional premier over the actual Premier and what creative freedom that decision unlocked Returning to a show with the same cast but a new director, and what that reinvestigation revealed The changing landscape of Fringe marketing - from flyering lineups to social media ads - and what actually works And much more! Guest:

Blair is in a Toronto Fringe show!History starts around 33minsWe are kicking off summer school with out first (very dense) episode of the Romanovs!!! Enjoy girls

About This Episode: What do we really know about our dads — and what have we never been able to say out loud? Taylor Trowbridge joins Phil to talk about her new solo show Dads, playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Part stand-up, part storytelling, part audience game, the show invites people to sit with the full range of their experiences with their fathers: the funny, the complicated, and the quietly unresolved. Taylor and Phil dig into the generational forces that shaped so many dads — wartime trauma, boomer expectations, the rigid masculinity that made emotional connection difficult — and how those patterns echo forward into all of us. Taylor also shares how her brother Dylan is directing the show, why the family collaboration just makes sense, and what it was like to turn questions about her own dad into a piece of theatre. This episode explores: What Dads is — and why Taylor wanted to build a show around audience interaction, games, and stand-up The generational and emotional weight fathers carry, and how masculinity shapes the father-child relationship Working with her brother Dylan Trowbridge as director, and why no chemistry test was needed Tool for Rebellion: Taylor's verbatim theatre piece on incel culture, the Toronto van attack, and the limits of empathy And much more! Guest:

About This Episode: What happens when an engineer decides to write a play? If you're Rymn Wadhwa, you end up with one of the most inventive premises at this year's Toronto Fringe Festival. Assembly Sϋggested follows two women building an IKEA chair (and maybe, just maybe, a relationship ) guided by an instruction manual that gets increasingly, wonderfully absurd. It's a debut play with a deceptively simple setup that promises real emotional depth. This is Rymn's first play, first Fringe, and first podcast interview, and it's a conversation full of warmth, honesty, and real excitement about what theatre can do. If you're heading to the Toronto Fringe this year, Assembly Sϋggested is one to put on your list. This episode explores: The ingenious premise of Assembly Sϋggested and how a friendship became the blueprint for a play about building and breaking things How Rymn's engineering mindset and chess background shape the way she structures drama — including charting emotional highs and lows in spreadsheets How such a personal play evolved into something with no villains, only two people with different needs Creating Original music for the play, and suiting it to the performer And much more! Guest: ♟️ Rymn Wadhwa Rymn is a Toronto-based playwright, artist, and engineer interested in structure, performance, and the narratives we build around everyday events. Her debut play, Assembly Sϋggested, premieres at the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival. Connect with Rymn

About This Episode: Chantel Winters is a Toronto-based actor, playwright, and producer who has built a career by refusing to wait for permission. In this conversation with host Phil Rickaby, Chantel talks about how the realities of the audition grind pushed her toward making her own work. The conversation also digs into & Other Concerns, the film adaptation of the 2019 Fringe hit An Atlas in a Necktie and Other Concerns, how it evolved from a pandemic Zoom project into a short film now available for free on CBC Gem, and what Chantel learned about producing for screen along the way. She also speaks candidly about the shift from non-union to union work, the exhaustion of self-tape culture, the state of diversity in Canadian film and theatre, and why, despite everything, theatre will always be her first love. This episode explores: How the audition grind pushed Chantel toward playwriting and producing her own work What producing outside of Fringe taught her about ticket sales, venue costs, and the gap between expectations and reality The evolution of And Other Concerns from Toronto Fringe to a short film now streaming free on CBC Gem How Eartha Kitt inspired her play, Dear Ms. Kitt. And much more! Guest:

Read transcriptAbout This Episode Blythe Haynes returns to Stageworthy for a wide-ranging conversation with host Phil Rickaby about indie theatre, artistic process, community, and the evolution of a Fringe hit into a feature film. Blythe reflects on how Toronto's theatre scene has changed since the pandemic, why she believes artists need spaces to experiment and fail, and what Canadian theatre can learn from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe model. The conversation also explores the challenges of sustaining indie work in Toronto, the importance of artistic community, and how Blythe's own understanding of her career shifted during the lockdown years. They also discuss the journey of An Atlas, A Necktie, and Other Concerns — the acclaimed 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival production that eventually became the filmed adaptation And Other Concerns, now streaming on CBC Gem. Blythe shares what it was like adapting the theatrical piece into film, acting while serving as a producer, and working within the unusual constraint of keeping the story confined to a single room. The episode also touches on rehearsal room culture, emotional safety in performance, outdoor theatre disasters, the realities of producing independent work, Gangway Theatre's long-developing project Digital Divergence, and Blythe's growing interest in playwriting and collaborative creation. This episode explores The state of Toronto indie theatre post-pandemic Why Fringe in Canada functions differently than Edinburgh Building artistic community outside traditional theatre spaces Turning An Atlas, A Necktie, and Other Concerns into a film Emotional safety and accessibility in rehearsal rooms Performing The Drowning Girls outdoors in near-hypothermic conditions The importance of process over product in artistic work and much more Guest:

About This Episode: Bryn Kennedy returns to Stageworthy to talk about directing Riot King's production of The Moors by Jen Silverman — a darkly comic Victorian Gothic play about isolation, power, and the cost of giving up community. Bryn shares why this unsettling tale of spinster sisters, a mysterious governess, a mastiff dog, and a moorhen feels urgently relevant in our age of individualism and loneliness. Beyond The Moors, Bryn and Phil dig into big questions facing Canadian theatre: How do we reach audiences who aren't already theatre people? Why do we struggle to communicate story in our marketing? And what can we learn from Hollywood, fringe festivals, and even church about building community and inviting people in? Bryn also reflects on her work as a director, actor, producer, and marketer — and what she learned about the next generation of theatre-makers while managing Musical Stage Company's One Song Glory program. This episode explores: Why The Moors speaks to our culture of isolation and individualism The magic of the BMO Incubator Space at the Theatre Centre What Riot King gets right about indie theatre community Why we need to stop assuming everyone knows the classics What Bryn learned from working with fearless theatre kids And much more! Guest:

About This Episode: Creative producer Alexis Eastman joins Stageworthy host Phil Rickaby to explore what it really means to be a creative producer in Canadian theatre. From her early days making work at the Toronto Fringe to her current role supporting artists through long-term development processes, Alexis shares insights into how she bridges the administrative and creative aspects of theatre-making. She discusses her collaborations with artists like Adam Lazarus on shows including Daughter and the upcoming Versus, and how her approach to producing integrates her into the creative process as a true collaborator. Alexis also opens up about how becoming a mother profoundly changed her perspective on producing, the importance of failure in the creative process, and her journey from devised theatre to discovering she's actually a novelist. She reflects on growing up in an evangelical church and how that shaped her artistic practice, the necessity of boredom for creativity, and why long-term relationships between artists and producers lead to deeper, more rigorous work. This episode explores: What a creative producer actually does and how it differs from traditional producing The importance of long-term artist support and development in theatre How motherhood transformed Alexis's approach to producing and collaboration Working with Adam Lazarus on Daughter and the new show Versus Why failure and time are essential ingredients in the creative process And much more! Guest:

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with Emily Jeffers for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about artistic identity, collaboration, and carving out a sustainable life in theatre. Emily shares insights into her creative journey, reflecting on the evolution of her practice and the realities of working as an artist today. From navigating uncertainty to embracing curiosity, she speaks candidly about the challenges and rewards of making work that feels both personal and communal. The conversation explores process, risk-taking, and the importance of staying open to change in an ever-shifting theatrical landscape. This episode explores: Emily's path into theatre and the experiences that shaped her voice The balance between artistic ambition and practical sustainability Collaboration as a creative engine The role of vulnerability in performance and creation Redefining success on your own terms And much more! Guest:

Welcome back to the 241st episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 241st episode we bring you the third and final instalment of our very special three-part Toronto Fringe 2025 Review Roundup. Join Jillian Robinson, Mackenzie Horner, and Ryan Borochovitz as they try to blitz through the final fourteen shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Catch up on Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtBoqIHnLCI And Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2UkeDPQXM8w TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00:00 – Intro 0:05:31 – Singing Psychic Game Show 0:12:13 – This Show Will Change Your Life 0:19:20 – Potato Potato 0:26:48 – My Pet Lizard, Liz: The Shakespearean Existential Crisis that Led to His Ultimate Demise 0:35:32 – The Perils of Being Born in the Fall 0:43:38 – Don't Fall In 0:48:54 – Lucian, Plato, and the Secrets of the Pussy 0:55:27 – Regarding Antigone 1:06:11 – In the Diving Bell 1:16:48 – At the End of Kaliyuga 1:24:41 – Me and You and the Highland Coo 1:34:29 – Killy Willy 1:43:34 – David Lynch's Seinfeld 1:52:42 – Ctrl Alt Delete: An Alphabetical Musical 2:04:59 – Final Thoughts on Toronto Fringe 2025 2:11:04 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeNSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAuJillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [don't expect anything interesting over there]; if you enjoy his theatre thoughts, more can be found at https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz; see also, his article about clowns at the Toronto Fringe, published in Intermission Magazine: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/features/fringe-clown/ Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

Welcome back to the 240th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 240th episode we bring you the second instalment of our very special three-part Toronto Fringe 2025 Review Roundup. Join Jillian Robinson and Ryan Borochovitz as they try to blitz through the next fourteen shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Catch up on Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CtBoqIHnLCI Stay tuned for Part 3, coming soon! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:02 – #1 Clown Comedy with Victor & Priscilla 0:12:04 – Sweet and Sultry Burlesque 0:20:41 – Sex Goddess 0:29:44 – Have Fun Kids 0:46:27 – Siranoush 0:53:25 – Very Shady Arab Ladies 1:01:10 – Bob Marley: How Reggae Changed the World 1:14:04 – String of Pearls 1:32:33 – Fish Tales: Reel Stories, Reel Magic, You'll Be Hooked! 1:41:06 – Mutual Aim 1:53:47 – Quiltro 2:04:05 – Apothecary 2:26:37 – ALPHA 2:40:14 – Zeitgeist 2:59:54 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96; it's not too late to see Jill performing in 500 Doubloons at the Hamilton Fringe Festival: https://hftco.ca/events/500-doubloons/ Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [don't expect anything interesting over there]; if you enjoy his theatre thoughts, more can be found at https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz; see also, his article about clowns at the Toronto Fringe, published in Intermission Magazine: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/features/fringe-clown/ Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

Welcome back to the 239th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 239th episode we bring you the first instalment of our very special multi part deep dive into Toronto Fringe 2025 Review Roundup. Join Mackenzie Horner and Ryan Borochovitz as they try to blitz through the first eighteen shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3, coming soon! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:17 – The Ensemble 0:09:39 – The Adding Machine 0:19:31 – The Rhinoceros Collective 0:29:25 – The Iron Mask 0:35:59 – The Zucchini Club0:42:42 – Waiting for Coffee 0:50:11 – Broken Teléfono 0:56:48 – $$$ (Money Money Money) 1:05:06 – Milk Milk Lemonade 1:10:34 – Stroke of Genius: Pantomime Masturbation throughout Performing Arts History 1:24:39 – Songs By a Wannabe 1:34:39 – Justice for Maurice Henry Carter 1:41:45 – Edgar in the Red Room 1:46:04 – Honey Never Spoils 1:55:30 – Hoody 2:00:57 – Galen's Grocer 2:08:01 – Quiz Icarus 2:17:16 – Iris (Says Goodbye) 2:44:17 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeN Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [don't expect anything interesting over there]; if you enjoy his theatre thoughts, more can be found at https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz; see also, his article about clowns at the Toronto Fringe, published in Intermission Magazine: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/features/fringe-clown/ Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

Little did Allana and I know when we recorded this episode two and half years ago, that this summer, she would directing and dramaturging my new solo show – Something To Look Forward To – running right now at the Toronto Fringe.The irony of this is that Something to Look Forward To tells the behind-the-scenes story of how Happy Funny Amazing — this very podcast — came to be and how making it helped me deal with some heavy grief after losing two of my brothers.  The show celebrates of the power of storytelling and the importance of art – while also being relatable funny and honest. I've had some great reviews and audience responses so far — and that means the world to me."...prepare to have your life changed. Because with Something To Look Forward To, your life will be changed." - Slotkin Letter "...the writer's sense of detail and her questing spirit are moving...Above all, she has a great rapport with the audience. Since she performs in the round, there's nowhere to hide — a fitting metaphor for the show's honesty." - Glenn Sumi, Toronto Star. "...Joanne O'Sullivan tells this hilarious and harrowing story with such timing (bravo to her and director Allana Harkin), pacing, nuance and conviction that she has us all sitting forward at what will come next" - Slotkin LetterI've only got five shows left and I'd love to see you there:Sunday July 6 at 9:45 PMTuesday July 8 at 5:45 PMWednesday July 9 at 4:00 PMThursday July 10 at 7:00 PMand Saturday July 12 at 12:30 PM.

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby brings you a fourth and final Toronto Fringe Extra episode, featuring interviews with 4 Toronto Fringe Artists, in advance of the Toronto Fringe Festival, running July 2-13 at various locations around Toronto. In this episode: Ronit Rubenstein, creator and performer of Things My Dad Kept SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/things-my-dad-kept Alice Lundy, director and producer of The Adding Machine SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/adding-machine Nam Nguyen one of the writers and performers of Q_uiz Icarus_ SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/quiz-icarus Sara Mayfield, writer and performer of Who Drinks Mocktails on the Beach?! SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/who-drinks-mocktails-beach If you value thoughtful conversations about Canadian theatre, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Backers get early access to episodes and help shape future roundtable discussions. Subscribe & Follow:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Rachel Kennedy and Laura Paduch, the co-leads of the Toronto Fringe Festival. With the 2024 edition just days away, Rachel and Laura share insights into what makes this year's festival unique, including the exciting new partnership with Soulpepper Theatre, the return of beloved venues, and the community-building magic that Fringe fosters year after year. They also reflect on their personal journeys with Fringe, the evolution of self-producing in theatre, and the vital role that Fringe plays in launching careers. This episode explores: What a Fringe Festival is and how the Toronto Fringe operates The 2024 move to a central hub at Soulpepper in the Distillery District The return and growth of unconventional venues across the city The evolution and merging of the Next Stage Festival into Fringe Peer mentorship and producer pods supporting first-time creators Why Fringe is vital for risk-taking, experimentation, and community-building Guests:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby brings you a third Toronto Fringe Extra episode, featuring interviews with 4 Toronto Fringe Artists, in advance of the Toronto Fringe Festival, running July 2-13 at various locations around Toronto. In this episode: Laura Piccinin, co-creator and producer of the new musical Apothecary SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/apothecary From Regarding Antigone, Dramaturg esi calendar and Assistant Director, Sarah Larmony SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/regarding-antigone Alicia Payne, playwright and co-prodcer of Justice for Maurice Henry Carter SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/justice-maurice-henry-carter Writer and performer of Terrible Fish, Montreal's Caitlin Murphy. SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/terrible-fish Watch for another Toronto Fringe Extra on Thursday, Next week! If you value thoughtful conversations about Canadian theatre, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Backers get early access to episodes and help shape future roundtable discussions. Subscribe & Follow:

Makeshift Company to present Adams Prize 1st Runner-Up, a bold new musical by Annika Tupper. "All That She Wrote" debuts at the Toronto Fringe this Summer after a year of development by Makeshift's The Spark Project. This brand new musical drops us into a world obsessed with True Crime, confronting the meaning of justice, Queer friendship, Twitch live-streaming, retribution, and U-Haul lesbians. With direction and dramaturgy by Ally Chozik, music direction by Nicholas Mustapha, and choreography by Mara Turenne, "All That She Wrote" promises to leave audiences unsettled, inspired, and questioning the colonial structures on which this country depends.

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby brings you another special Toronto Fringe Extra episode, featuring interviews with 4 Toronto Fringe Artists, in advance of the Toronto Fringe Festival, running July 2-13 at various locations around Toronto. In this episode: Emma Golden the writer and producer of the true Halifax story, Potato Potato SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/potato-potato Laura Anne Harris the writer and performer of the raw, tender, and quietly radical, Have Fun Kids. SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/have-fun-kids Matti Mclean, creator and performer of A Canadian Explains Eurovision to other Canadians SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/canadian-explains-eurovision-other-canadians  Sashoya Simpson, writer of LULU takes us into a world of Afro-Caribbean folklore, legacy and ancestry. SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/lulu  Watch for another Toronto Fringe Extra on Thursday, Next week! If you value thoughtful conversations about Canadian theatre, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Backers get early access to episodes and help shape future roundtable discussions. Subscribe & Follow:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby assembles a who's who of Toronto theatre podcasters, to talk about Toronto Fringe, shows you should see, the Next Stage Festival, ticket prices and much more! This episode features podcasters: Alison Mullings from Creative Full Time Janine Marley from A View From the Box Alexandra Lean from Being Dramatic Ryan Borochovitz from Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast. This episode was live streamed on youtube on July 17, 7:30pm. Support Stageworthy If you value thoughtful conversations about Canadian theatre, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Backers get early access to episodes and help shape future roundtable discussions. Subscribe & Follow:

ApothecaryIn a world built for men, women create community.Within the magical walls of a living sanctuary, situated in neither time nor place, Lady and Tilly work tirelessly and secretly to support all women in need as they appear at their door. Imperfect themselves, our protagonists discover what it means to do good in a world of complicated nuance.Toronto Fringe veterans Laura Piccinin, Allison Wither and Cass Van Wyck, together with 14 artists, present the new Canadian musical, "Apothecary"; a magical and timeless sanctuary for all women in need, no matter when they're from.

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby brings you a special Toronto Fringe Extra episode, featuring interviews with 4 Toronto Fringe Artists, in advance of the Toronto Fringe Festival, running July 2-13 at various locations around Toronto. In this episode: Dawna Wightman, playwright and performer in HOODY, an edgy retelling of Little Red Riding Hood for people who have kept their child soul. SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/hoody Adam Bailey, creator and performer of Adam Bailey: My Three Deaths in which Adam learns that no matter how many times you die - you only live once. SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/adam-bailey-my-three-deaths Composer and comedian Eli Pasic on Screamin in the Rain, in which he sings his tasteless, original ditties! SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/screamin-rain Fuschia Boston talks about String of Pearls, an exploration of how a shift of power influences the lives of a theatre company shaping both their artistic journeys and their personal relationships. SHOW INFO AND TICKETS: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/string-pearls Watch for another Toronto Fringe Extra on Thursday, Next week! Support Stageworthy If you value thoughtful conversations about Canadian theatre, consider supporting the podcast on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Backers get early access to episodes and help shape future roundtable discussions. Subscribe & Follow:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes back actor, singer, playwright, and producer Rebecca Perry, marking a full-circle moment as Rebecca was Phil's very first podcast guest nearly eight years ago. Rebecca shares the journey of her acclaimed solo show Confessions of a Redheaded Coffee Shop Girl, which debuted at the Toronto Fringe ten years ago and has since toured internationally, including a sold-out run at the Edinburgh Fringe. Rebecca discusses the evolution of the show over the years, her preparation for returning to Edinburgh and Toronto Fringe for the show's 10th anniversary, and the realities of crowdfunding and producing as an independent artist. She also reflects on the importance of adapting material in response to live audiences, the sense of community on the Canadian Fringe circuit, and the challenges and joys of international touring. This episode explores: How Confessions of a Redheaded Coffee Shop Girl has evolved over a decade The distinct culture and audience vibe of different Fringe festivals (Toronto, Edinburgh, Winnipeg, Edmonton) Preparing for the marathon that is Edinburgh Fringe Navigating grants, crowdfunding, and financial challenges as an indie artist Building an international touring career and the importance of networking The excitement of bringing the show to a new generation of audiences Guest:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with actor, writer, and theatre creator Scott Garland. A fixture in Toronto's theatre community, Scott is passionate about playwriting, dramaturgy, and fostering creative spaces. He was one of the curators of Sing for Your Supper, a monthly play reading series that gave playwrights a chance to hear their work performed. Scott is also a founding member of Silent Protagonist, a puppet theatre company that gained attention with Frankensteinesque at the Toronto Fringe. In this conversation, he shares insights on theatre school, the challenges of independent theatre, and the importance of building artistic community. This episode dives into: Scott's early theatre influences and what led him to pursue acting. His experience in multiple theatre schools and how training shaped his career. The evolution of Sing for Your Supper and its role in supporting new playwrights. Why Toronto's theatre community needs more development opportunities before production. His work with Silent Protagonist and the art of puppetry in theatre. His experience in voice acting, including People Watching. The emotional impact of the pandemic on artists and why we need bold, fearless creativity. Guest:

Welcome back to the 220th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 220th episode we bring you a Duet Review of MONKS, created and performed by Veronica Hortigüela and Annie Luján, presented by (and at) The Theatre Centre. Join Jillian Robinson and Ryan Borochovitz, as they discuss everything from donkeys to lentils, clowns to capitalism, and the radical potential of doing nothing. MONKS is playing at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St W, Toronto, ON) until March 2nd, 2025. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://theatrecentre.org/event/monks/ NOTE: The entire run has already sold out (wow!); however, there will an in-person waitlist at the venue one-hour before each performance.This review contains many SPOILERS for MONKS. It will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [13:07] mark, followed by a more in-depth/anything goes/spoiler-rich discussion. If you intend to see the production, we recommend you stop watching after that point, or at least proceed at your own risk. Check out our original review of MONKS from its premiere at Toronto Fringe 2024: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BDKw_MDJLEY&t=3812s Follow our panelists: Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – [Just send all that love to CoH instead; he won't mind!]; if you enjoy his theatre thoughts, more can be found at https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatreIf you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

Welcome back to the 203th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 203th episode we bring you Part 2 of our two-part Review Roundup covering all six shows in the 2024 Next Stage Theatre Festival (presented by Toronto Fringe). Join Jillian Robinson and Ryan Borochovitz as they reflect upon the remaining three pieces they attended, completely jettisoning their intended ten-minute allotment per show (not sorry!). In these reviews, they shine a light on the end of the world, unpack asexual dramaturgy, and have a long conversation about histories of Indigenous erasure. Catch up on Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jXjOdvbCriA The Next Stage Festival is currently running at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street, Toronto, ON) until November 27th, 2024. Information about the show line-up and tickets can be found at the following link: https://fringetoronto.com/next-stage/shows WARNING: This review roundup contains spoilers for all three shows being covered. TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00 – Intro 2:29 – This Feels Like the End 24:53 – Prude 44:31 – Civilized 1:02:03 – Interlude … which Ryan promises will be relevant 1:12:25 – (Now, back to) Civilized 1:28:47 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [just this once!] Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Welcome back to the 202nd episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 202nd episode we bring you Part 1 of our two-part Review Roundup covering all six shows in the 2024 Next Stage Theatre Festival (presented by Toronto Fringe). Join Mackenzie Horner, Jillian Robinson, and Ryan Borochovitz as they reflect upon the first three pieces they attended, struggle to adhere to their intended ten-minute allotment per show (oops!), and discuss everything from anti-Haitian xenophobia, to high school choirs, to duty of care. Stay tuned for Parts 2, coming soon! The Next Stage Festival is currently running at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street, Toronto, ON) until November 27th, 2024. Information about the show line-up and tickets can be found at the following link: https://fringetoronto.com/next-stage/shows WARNING: This review roundup contains spoilers for all three shows being covered. TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00:00 – Intro 0:02:25 – The Noose 0:14:00 – I Was Unbecoming Then 0:36:25 – Gemini 1:03:26 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeNSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – [Just send all that love to CoH instead; he won't mind!] Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Welcome back to the 188th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 188th episode we bring you the first instalment of our very special multi part deep dive into Toronto Fringe 2024 Review Roundup. Join Jillian Robinson and Ryan Borochovitz as they try to blitz through the first nine shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Don't forget to stay tuned for Parts 2 and 3, coming soon! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:02:58 – Boy Boy and the Magic Drum 00:14:56 – You, Hamlet 00:27:59 – Painting By Numbers 00:38:50 – Mind the Umbrellas 00:51:25 – Bus Stop 01:02:21 – Before We Go 01:13:28 – gutted 01:23:18 – The First Jew in Canada: A Trans Tale 01:37:21 – Crime After Crime (After Crime) 01:51:32 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [just this once!]; see also, his Toronto Fringe reviews in Intermission Magazine: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/tofringe-2024/ Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Welcome back to the 189th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 189th episode we bring you the second instalment of our very special multi part deep dive into Toronto Fringe 2024 Review Roundup. Join Mackenzie Horner and Ryan Borochovitz as they try to blitz through the next sixteen shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Catch up on Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj_wxsX1tGs&t=2241s Don't forget to stay tuned for Part 3, coming soon! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:02:30 – Stiff & Sons 00:15:48 – Cabaret of Murder 00:28:53 – Rat Academy 00:37:42 – The Kid Was a Spy 00:53:28 – Gulp 01:05:33 – Dead Right 01:18:46 – Gringas 01:26:54 – Get a Clue 01:33:26 – Unfurnished 01:41:33 – Cancelled! 01:53:47 – Are You Lovin' It? 02:00:15 – Koli Kari 02:08:45 – Scenes from an Italian Restaurant 02:18:12 – Escape from Toronto 02:29:47 – Artificially Intelligent 02:38:15 – The Bluffs 02:49:18 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeat Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeN Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [just this once!]; see also, his Toronto Fringe reviews in Intermission Magazine: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/tofringe-2024/ Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Welcome back to the 190th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 190th episode we bring you the final instalment of our very special multi part deep dive into Toronto Fringe 2024 Review Roundup. Join Mackenzie Horner, Jillian Robinson, and Ryan Borochovitz as they blitz through the remaining fifteen shows they saw at this year's festival, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Catch up on Part 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lj_wxsX1tGs&t=2241s And Part 2: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFGOJTtVljI&t=654s TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 00:00:00 – Intro 00:03:53 – Patty Picker 00:17:47 – Girls' Night Cabin Fever 00:30:43 – 86 Me: The Restaurant Play 00:45:21 – Sheila! The Musical 00:50:23 – Disarming Venus 00:59:04 – AbracadabraHaHa 01:09:30 – Colonial Circus 01:21:04 – Madame Winifred's Circus of Wonders 01:33:45 – Rosamund: A New Musical 01:50:59 – Toba Tek Singh 02:03:03 – Tape 02:15:27 – Rooted: A Musical Poem 02:22:37 – Desperate Measures 02:32:50 – Crosstown 02:46:44 – MONKS 02:59:18 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeat Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeN Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96 Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [just this once!]; see also, his Toronto Fringe reviews in Intermission Magazine: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/reviews/tofringe-2024/ Follow Cup of Hemlock Theatre on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Jewelle Blackman is a Dora nominated Canadian actor, violinist, singer/songwriter and playwright.  Born and bred in Toronto, Jewelle has worked extensively in theatre, television and film across North America.  She was most recently seen on Broadway starring as “Persephone” in the Tony and Grammy winning Best Musical HADESTOWN.  The same show where she made her Broadway debut and was part of the OBC originating the role of “Contralto Fate”. While in New York Jewelle performed two sold-out Cabarets at the iconic 54 Below and was the anthem singer at Madison Square Gardens. Canadian credits include the Companies of HADESTOWN, WE WILL ROCK YOU; THE LION KING; CAROLINE OR CHANGE; DREAMGIRLS; CROWNS, and three seasons at The Stratford Festival. She was also the headliner for the Toronto Symphony's 2023 Canada Day Celebration. Jewelle's other show ROOTED: A Musical Poem is also debuting at the Toronto Fringe this year and will be presented Off-Broadway later this summer. Rooted: A Musical Poem "Rooted what does it mean to me? To be stuck in the ground like this tree." A contemporary fable for the ages, ROOTED begs the question what does it mean to be rooted and how does our idea of being rooted change as we grow? With R'n'B, soul, and soaring strings, this musical poem is brought to life in the heart of Central Park.

Jewelle Blackman is a Dora nominated Canadian actor, violinist, singer/songwriter and playwright.  Born and bred in Toronto, Jewelle has worked extensively in theatre, television and film across North America.  She was most recently seen on Broadway starring as “Persephone” in the Tony and Grammy winning Best Musical HADESTOWN.  The same show where she made her Broadway debut and was part of the OBC originating the role of “Contralto Fate”. While in New York Jewelle performed two sold-out Cabarets at the iconic 54 Below and was the anthem singer at Madison Square Gardens. Canadian credits include the Companies of HADESTOWN, WE WILL ROCK YOU; THE LION KING; CAROLINE OR CHANGE; DREAMGIRLS; CROWNS, and three seasons at The Stratford Festival. She was also the headliner for the Toronto Symphony's 2023 Canada Day Celebration. Jewelle's other show ROOTED: A Musical Poem is also debuting at the Toronto Fringe this year and will be presented Off-Broadway later this summer. BOY BOY AND THE MAGIC DRUM The annual Peace Parade has been cancelled and it's up to the self-doubting Boy Boy to save it. Will he figure out the mystery of the rainbow brew in time? This heart-warming, soca-inspired musical is the 2024 Adam's Prize winner, adapted from the children's book "Boy Boy and the Magic Drum" by Machel Montano. Celebrating the sounds of steel pan and the spirit of Trinidad and Tobago in a joyful, family friendly, new show.

Host Luisa Lyons chats with Sam Boer, co-founder of The Uncommon Folk Collective and one of the composers behind Ursa: A Folk Musical, a theatre-concert hybrid that received its world premier in 2022 as part of the Toronto Fringe NextStage Festival. In this episode, learn about learn about the Uncommon Folk Collective, and delve into the process of developing Ursa: A Folk Musical. Hear about the daunting process of filming the musical for the Toronto Fringe NextStage Festival, and the importance of funding and recording new musicals. Sam Boer is a musician, writer, and theatre practitioner. He and Jake Schindler co-founded The Uncommon Folk Collective: a group dedicated to crafting music-forward theatre experiences. Their first original show, Ursa: A Folk Musical, was praised by The Guardian as a "winning, foot-tapping account of grizzly adolescence" and has been presented through the Toronto Fringe's NextStage Festival, the Stratford Festival's online streaming platform, the Kingston Grand Theatre, and Tweed & Company Theatre. Sam also records off-kilter folk music under the name Samson Wrote. His debut album Pigeon (2019), garnered a Canadian Folk Music Award nomination and led to tours across Canada and Europe.SHOW LINKSThe Uncommon Folk Collective: https://uncommonfolkcollective.com/InstagramUrsa: A Folk MusicalTrailerLive Performance clipsSamson Wrotehttps://samsonwrote.bandcamp.com/album/pigeonInstagramSupport the showFilmed Live Musicals is where musicals come home. Use the searchable database to find musicals filmed on stage to watch from the comfort of your living room! Visit www.filmedlivemusicals.com to learn more. Follow us on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and YouTube. You can also support the site at Patreon. Patrons get early access to the podcast and site content, no matter how much you pledge. Become a Patron today!Filmed Live Musicals is created by Luisa Lyons, an Australian actor, writer, and musician. Luisa holds a Masters in Music Theatre from London's Royal Central School of Speech and Drama and now lives, works, and plays in New York. Learn more at www.luisalyons.com and follow on Twitter, Instagram, and Facebook.

Welcome back to the 142nd episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 142nd episode we bring you the second half of our very special two-part Toronto Fringe 2023 Review Roundup. Join host Mackenzie Horner and Ryan Borochovitz, as they blitz through another fifteen shows, unpack all of their thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00 – Intro 4:22 – Dead End 12:06 – Fatal Charade 18:58 – All that Remains 26:14 – Curious K Explores the Paleozoic 32:07 – Exorcist: An Operetta 39:58 – Amor De Cosmos 45:24 – Pyramid 51:04 – Things We Lost in the Fire 58:02 – June 1:05:11 – Mail Ordered (Major SPOILERS begin at 1:06:48) 1:17:16 – Emo Majok: African Aussie 1:21:22 – Third Wheel 1:29:52 – i carry your heart with me 1:38:14 – Back to the Bar 1:44:50 – Killing Time: A Game Show Musical 1:55:46 – Sign off Catch up with PART 1: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DZxffV4X_Nw Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeat Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeN Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [just this once!] --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Welcome back to the 141st episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 141st episode we bring you the first half of our very special two-part Toronto Fringe 2023 Review Roundup. Join host Mackenzie Horner, as he prompts Ryan Borochovitz to blitz through the first fifteen shows he saw at this year's festival, unpack all of his thoughts, and commemorate this moment in local theatre history for posterity! Don't forget to tune in next week for Part 2! TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 0:00 – Intro 9:32 – Insert Clown Here 17:28 – Blake & Clay's Gay Agenda 23:56 – Good Old Days 30:50 – Dancer 38:14 – Corporate Finch 43:30 – The End of Everything 49:21 – Frankenstein(esque) 54:44 – Something Fishy 57:26 – One Card Left 1:03:25 – Jackes & Jills 1:08:22 – Featherhead 1:13:38 – Retrograde 1:20:05 – The Bad Mitzvah 1:24:46 – The Will of a Woman 1:30:59 – La Voix Humaine 1:41:53 – Sign Off Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeat Apple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeN Spotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Ryan Borochovitz – Instagram: @ryanborochovitz [just this once!] --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

Welcome back to the 140th episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 140th episode we bring you newest episode of our latest branch of The Cup called “The Cup: Editorial.” This time we explore the representation of Jewish characters in theatrical performance, and how this particular religious/cultural/ethnic identity fits into ongoing conversations about #RepresentationMatters. Join host Ryan Borochovitz, as he and special guest Max Ackerman discuss everything from Merchant of Venice to Fiddler on the Roof, from Leo Frank to Anne Frank, and impassionedly share their differing views on the question: Must Shylock Be a Jew? CONTENT WARNING: Please be advised that this conversation contains references to anti-Semitism, racism, and other forms of identity-based prejudice and discrimination. Follow our panelists: Ryan Borochovitz – [Just send all that love to CoH instead; he won't mind!] Max Ackerman – Instagram: @mackerman12 // @dandeliontheatreto // https://www.dandeliontheatreto.com/ Check out The Bad Mitzvah (produced by Max) at Toronto Fringe: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/bad-mitzvah Check out DEATH: A Love Story (written and directed by Max) at Hamilton Fringe: https://hftco.ca/events/death-a-love-story/ Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatre If you'd like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

The cast and choreographer of Unfurl enter a roundtable conversation with Bri to dig deeper into the artistic process and themes of the show. The new work will be premiering at the upcoming Toronto Fringe Festival show. Performances run July 5th, 8th, 9th, 11th, 12th, 14th, and 16th at the Alumnae Theatre. Buy tickets to Unfurl- linktr.ee/unfurl2023 Connect with Alli- linktr.ee/allicarry Connect with Marina on Instagram- @marinaaelyse Connect with Mio- linktr.ee/Mio_Sakamoto Connect with Reece: Instagram- @reececcaldwell Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/reece.caldwell.9 Connect with Simon: Instagram- @simonmazziotti Facebook- https://www.facebook.com/simon.mazziotti.9 YouTube- https://www.youtube.com/@simonmazziotti6884 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/bri-clarke/message

Welcome back to the 101st episode of The Cup which is our a weekly (give or take, TBD, these are unprecedented times) performing arts talk show presented by Cup of Hemlock Theatre. With the theatres on a come back we offer a mix of both reviews of live shows we've seen and continued reviews of prophet productions! For our 101st episode we have a new artist interview. This particular conversation was hosted by our Co-Artistic Producer Ryan Borochovitz and the artist who took on the hot seat was Jade Walker, playwright and director of Bruno & Hogginfritz, which is hot off its Toronto Fringe premiere and will soon to be continuing its run at Vancouver Fringe. Ryan and Jade talk all about this sublime new piece, the value of a good high school drama teacher, and making absurd art in an absurd world. Bruno & Hogginfritz is playing at The NEST (1398 Cartwright St, Vancouver, BC) as part of the Vancouver Fringe Festival, from September 10th to 18th, 2022! Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://www.vancouverfringe.com/festival/bruno-hogginfritz/ Follow Jade – Instagram: @jadeangelmindfreak // Personal Website: https://jadedaniellewalker.wixsite.com/website Follow the show – Instagram: @brunoandhogginfritz --- Support this podcast: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/cup-of-hemlock-theatre/support

EPISODE TIMELINE4:00- Christel's 7(ish)-minute story12:30- When was this story first told?13:30- Christel's process15:30- Twists & surprise17:00- Presence & re-living18:00- When the audience gets ahead19:00- Christel's entry into storytelling21:00- The storytelling community22:00- What might you change in this story?24:00- Pro tips25:00- Favorite tellers26:00- Christel's workChristel Bartelse is a Toronto based actor, storyteller, writer, creator and teacher, she got her start in comedy and improv with the physical comedy duo, The Burnt Marshmallows (Canadian Comedy Award Nominees).  She has also created and written six award winning solo shows  and has toured them all across Canada, the U.S. and the U.K.  Christel is Co-Producer and Co-Host of the Toronto storytelling show "But That's Another Story" and has told her stories on several personal story stages across the Toronto area as well as online during the pandemic. Recently she was awarded the 99 Second Story-Grand Slam Winner through GRIT Storytelling. She teaches numerous workshops in improv, physical comedy, and solo creation around the city and is a faculty member of Humber College, The Toronto Film School and George BrownCollege.   Follow her on instagram @cbartelseBut That's Another Story: http://butthatsanotherstory.ca/But That's Another Story- Digital Show Link, Toronto Fringe https://fringetoronto.com/digital-fringe/show/thats-another-story-festival-favouritesImprov for Storytellers: https://storytellingtoronto.org/courses/GRIT's Mental Health Happyish Hour (open mic)Support this podcast at — https://redcircle.com/grit/donations