Patrick McManus

Two of 2023's most popular shows, Shakespeare's hilarious comedy Much Ado About Nothing and Frances Koncan's brilliant satire Women of the Fur Trade are now available for worldwide streaming on Stratfest@Home.

With a series of hit classic comedies under his belt at Stratford, Chris Abraham is bringing one of Shakespeare’s finest, Much Ado About Nothing, to vivid life at the Festival Theatre. This beloved romantic comedy, featuring Graham Abbey and Maev Beaty, starts previews today.

After making his Stratford Festival debut as the Prince of Denmark more than 20 years ago, Paul Gross returns as the King of England, playing the title role in King Lear.

The Stratford Festival is putting the finishing touches on casting and will soon open its box office for a special holiday pre-sale for tickets to the 13 exciting shows of the 2023 season. With savings up to 25%, this is a perfect opportunity to secure tickets for your favourite shows or buy gifts for the theatre-lovers on your list.

Crow's Theatre presents the Toronto premiere of Lolita Chakrabarti's multi-award-winning play, RED VELVET, directed by Crow's Theatre 2021 RBC Rising Star Emerging Director Prize recipient, Cherissa Richards, November 22 to December 18, 2002 in the Guloien Theatre.

The third and latest in the “Deep Dive” panel series presented by ICG Magazine, which is published by the International Cinematographers Guild (ICG, IATSE Local 600), will delve into the world of unscripted programming spotlighting NBC's acclaimed competition franchise American Ninja Warrior produced by A. Smith & Co. Productions. The virtual panel will take place on November 12 from 11 AM to 12:30 PM (PST). https://bit.ly/34BfcMq

NBC has announced the 2019-20 class of its Alternative Directors Program, the industry's first directing pipeline program for unscripted shows that strives to create equal representation behind the scenes on alternative series.

"One Night For One Drop, Imagined By Cirque Du Soleil," the one-night-only soiree to benefit One Drop, features once-in-a-lifetime performances. This year, audiences around the globe can experience this exclusive event when CBS will premiere "One Night For One Drop, Imagined By Cirque Du Soleil, brought to you by Colgate" on the CBS Television Network on March 16.

CBS will premiere the new entertainment special ONE NIGHT FOR ONE DROP: IMAGINED BY CIRQUE DU SOLEIL, brought to you by COLGATE, Saturday, March 16 (8:00-9:00 PM, ET/PT) on the CBS Television Network. This is the first time that this special charity performance will be televised. The limited commercial experience is made possible by the sponsor COLGATE, which is committed to raising awareness of the global water crisis and making #everydropcount through its Save Water campaign.

The Directors Guild of America  today announced the nominees for Outstanding Directorial Achievement in Television, Commercials and Documentary for 2018.

NBC has announced the inaugural class for its landmark Alternative Directors Program, the industry's first directing pipeline program for unscripted shows. With the new initiative, NBC takes a step toward equal representation behind the scenes on alternative series – an unserved part of the industry when it comes to inclusion efforts, despite the prevalence of unscripted shows on TV. The program gives experienced female and ethnically diverse directors access to expand their repertoire of alternative formats and complex directing styles with the ultimate goal of opening the door to future projects.

Bernard Shaw's celebrated humour is featured in his farcical and funny anti-war O'Flaherty V.C. Directed by Kimberley Rampersad, O'Flaherty V.C. comically reveals why the men of Ireland really went to war. This season's Lunchtime one-act begins previews on May 31 at the Royal George Theatre.

Artistic Director Tim Carroll announces the Shaw Festival's 2018 ensemble. This season's 56 actors will take to the stage in 14 productions, plus numerous Secret Theatre experiences.

Pushing the limits of the Shaw Festival's mission, an edgy slave story from a different era is being presented in The Royal George Theatre. By the looks of it, Shaw's usual audiences are in for an eye opener. Branden Jacobs-Jenkins (aka BJJ) has taken us on his own personal journey of frustrated playwright who takes the advice of his psychologist and writes a play as an homage to an obscure playwright Dion Boucicault. Boucicault's 1859 played entitled 'The Octoroon' has been transformed by BJJ into 'An Octoroon.' In doing so, BJJ creates a prologue of his own invention describing his personal journey in producing the original work, where no white actors would take on a the roles of evil white plantation and slave owners. 'The Octoroon' tells the story of a plantation that is on the brink of being sold, the original owner's sexual relations with a slave that produces an octoroon ( one who possesses 1/8 Negro blood), the threat of new found love, misogyny and the overall treatment of slaves.

The Shaw's production of An Octoroon is perhaps the funniest, and certainly the most subversive, theatre experience this season. Riffing off of Dion Boucicault's melodrama The Octoroon, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Obie Award-winning play is his sardonic, radical response to present and past attitudes of race. Directed by Peter Hinton, An Octoroon makes its Canadian premiere at the Royal George Theatre, beginning previews July 16.

The Shaw's production of An Octoroon is perhaps the funniest, and certainly the most subversive, theatre experience this season. Riffing off of Dion Boucicault's melodrama The Octoroon, Branden Jacobs-Jenkins' Obie Award-winning play is his sardonic, radical response to present and past attitudes of race. Directed by Peter Hinton, An Octoroon makes its Canadian premiere at the Royal George Theatre, beginning previews July 16.

McCAMUS IS BRILLIANT AS KING GEORGE III Mental illness in the 18h Century, aka madness, was as in some respects as poorly understood and accepted then as it is today. Being a monarch would imply that the best care would be at your disposal, but when the malady is unknown, even King George III of England suffered with the illness and often moreso with the treatment. Alan Bennett's 1991 play THE MADNESS OF GEORGE III is being given a lavishly detailed production at the Shaw Festival in Niagara on the Lake. George may be best known as the monarch who lost control of the American colonies in 1776, but he was dealt a worse fate, suffering from Acute Intermittent Porphyria. This disease, which was uncharted at the time, caused periods of confusion, psychosis with unintelligible speech, horrible abdominal pain and itchiness. His production of a blue colored urine was the first medical sign that something was amiss with the King.

Equal parts political comedy and biographical drama, Alan Bennett's The Madness of George III explores the dangerous consequences when a king who loses control of his body, words and mind in the midst of his rule. The Madness of George III debuts at The Shaw's Royal George Theatre on April 11.

The Shaw Festival proudly announces casting for Artistic Director Tim Carroll's first season. The Shaw's 2017 ensemble is a mix of new faces and Festival favourites - each actor ready to entertain and excite audiences in this season's 11 productions.

The Shaw Festival tackles Thornton Wilder's masterpiece OUR TOWN, directed by Molly Smith. The quiet tale is presented in three acts, following the story of a small town at the turn of the century. A number of years pass between each act, allowing for audiences to delve deeper in the lives - hopeful and tragic of its townspeople. Starring Charlie Gallant, Kate Besworth and Benedict Campbell, this moving production also features Patrick Galligan, Catherine McGregor, Patrick McManus and Jenny L. Wright.