S. Bear Bergman has great faith in the power of theatre to make change, and has been putting his money where his mouth is on that one for some time. A writer, performer, and lecturer, Bear works full time as an artist and cultural worker and loves to see as much live performance as possible – making this a fantastic gig for him.
Mirvish with Opera Atelier presents the striking tale of Idomeneo to Toronto audiences
With Opera Atelier, a company renowned for bringing a corps de ballet and the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra to the opera, there’s little chance of a dull moment onstage – which, to be perfectly honest, is exactly as I prefer. Idomeneo does not disappoint on this score, nor on hardly any other. It’s a banquet of delights, really, though some of the tastes were unexpected.
With a three-year-old and a nine-year-old to consider, it can be difficult to find shows that are accessible to the little one but not boring for the big one (to say nothing of boring for the semi-responsible adult accompanying them). When a show that’s pleasing to all three comes along, like The 26 Letter Dance, it feels like an entire March Break miracle
Since Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, Nanette, started doing big business in views and reviews, all sorts of comedians have written or dusted off longer solo pieces that combine comedy, storytelling, and a little good old theatrical flair. Franco Nguyen’s Good Morning Viet*Mom, playing in the Aki Studio theatre after a solid Next Stage Festival run, is an entry into this category (and a solid one at that).
The Stratford Festival production of Molière’s satirical play is currently on stage in Toronto
355 years ago, the Catholic Church considered Tartuffe so threatening to the moral fabric of society that they pressured the king of France into banning it’s performance. The two most satisfying facts about Canadian Stage‘s completely delightful production of the classic work, honestly, are these: this Tartuffe doesn’t remotely feel 355 years old and yet somehow it still feels dangerous.
School of Rock hits the stage at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre; family fun holiday musical
Here’s what you need to know, from the perspective on an eight-year-old, about School of Rock at the Ed Mirvish Theatre: “That was the awesomest show I’ve ever seen!” While my jaundiced 44-year-old view is perhaps a little less unreservedly complimentary, part of the value for me in bringing actual children to theatre intended for children is to understand what they like, love, or…don’t especially care for. School of Rock fell squarely into the “love,” category and prompted my middle child to ask a question they’ve never, ever asked before: “Do you think they’d let us see that one again?”
Mirvish with Opera Atelier presents the striking tale of Idomeneo to Toronto audiences
Since Hannah Gadsby’s Netflix special, Nanette, started doing big business in views and reviews, all sorts of comedians have written or dusted off longer solo pieces that combine comedy, storytelling, and a little good old theatrical flair. Franco Nguyen’s 
The Stratford Festival production of Molière’s satirical play is currently on stage in Toronto
School of Rock hits the stage at Toronto’s Ed Mirvish Theatre; family fun holiday musical