Drew Hayden Taylor on power of Indigenous humour
Prolific playwright Drew Hayden Taylor addressed a full house at the John J. Conklin Theatre on Jan. 19 as the department of English, theatre, film…
theatre
Broadway fairy fantasy brought to life
One of Broadway legend Stephen Sondheim’s most popular and enduring works is also one of his silliest on paper. The fairy tale mashup musical Into…
Students sowing Seeds
The U of M department of English, theatre, film & media’s (ETFM) theatre program returns with their first stage production since the spring of 2020…
Lunch B.H.A.G.G. performances coming this April
This month, you can catch two new online productions from the University of Manitoba’s theatre program. The first show is Antigone Now by Melissa Cooper and the second is The Theory of Everything by Prince Gomolvilas. The plays are being presented as part of the theatre program’s Lunch B.H.A.G.G. series: “short, one-act shows” that are directed by students and meant to be held during lunch hours, hence the play on the word “lunch bag.”
A modern look at an old classic
Just in time for World Theatre Day on March 27, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre has mounted Calpurnia, a provocative work written by the theatre’s own associate artistic director Audrey Dwyer. The play explores the significant issues of privilege, race and intersectionality, but is billed as a comedy — a challenging balance to maintain.
A duo of digital theatre productions
After the live production of Bad Parent by Ins Choi was cancelled, Prairie Theatre Exchange (PTE) is presenting a duo of digital theatre shows to run throughout the month of March and the beginning of April. The projects are available to view for free on the company’s website.
A blend of science, art and activism
This month, the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre presents Sea Sick, written and performed by Alanna Mitchell, as part of the second annual The Bridge: A Festival of Ideas.
Presenting a pandemic from the past
The University of Manitoba’s theatre program is preparing for its first mainstage show of the season, Unity (1918).
An innovative new space for community theatre
On the corner of Ellice Avenue and Sherbrook Street stands a building with a long history in entertainment, from which a new theatre company called the Gargoyle Theatre is emerging. Its inaugural play Sonja and Richard, written by Steven Ratzlaff and directed by Bill Kerr, will be presented next month.
The spectre of Shakespeare
This winter, Shakespeare in the Ruins (SIR) presents a remounted production of Shakespeare’s Will, written by Winnipeg-born playwright and two-time Governor General’s Award winner, Vern Thiessen. The play’s original run was in early 2020 during ShakespeareFest, the final iteration the Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre’s Master Playwright Festival. It was filmed for the screen on the mainstage at Prairie Theatre Exchange with video direction by local filmmaker Sam Vint.