Welcome back to the 297th 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 297th episode we have an episode of “The Cup: Editorial” in which Co-Artistic Producers Ryan Borochovitz and Mackenzie Horner pull together various threads that have been on our minds about the abundance of stage musicals being adapted from popular films – and particularly the tendency of certain theatre-lovers to panic in response to that trend. Is this really something to be concerned about, or are we only making molehills out of anthills? They discuss palimpsestuous pleasure, intellectual property, and seductive nostalgia. 

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] // NEXT Mag: https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitzFollow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatreIf you’d like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to [email protected]

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=ccbbjNYFO4g⁠

Catch 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 ⁠[email protected]

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=ccbbjNYFO4g

Stay tuned for Part 3, coming soon! 

TIMESTAMP NAVIGATOR: 

0:00 – Intro 

5:45 – A Conversation with Myself 

27:59 – Imagined Love

39:03 – 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 [email protected]

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 [email protected]

Welcome back to the 293rd 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 293rd episode we have an episode of “The Cup: Editorial” in which Co-Artistic Producers Ryan Borochovitz and Dr. Robert Motum – author of the 2024 essay from Intermission Magazine, “Why would anyone do a PhD in theatre?” continue their discussion. This time they explore the disciplinary borders, laborious ampersands, and precious time, while digging even deeper into the state of graduate-level Humanities education before spiralling into an unexpectedly lengthy tangent on the peculiar field of Performance Studies.

PART 1 OF THIS DISCUSSION: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R4cL0f9FYxY READ ROBERT’S ORIGINAL ARTICLE: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/artist-perspective/phd-theatre/ Follow our panelists: Dr. Robert Motum – Various Platforms: @robertmotum // Website: https://www.robertmotum.com/ Not-a-Dr. Ryan Borochovitz – NEXT Mag: https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatreIf you’d like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to [email protected]

Welcome back to the 292nd 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 292nd episode we have an episode of “The Cup: Editorial” in which Co-Artistic Producers Ryan Borochovitz and Dr. Robert Motum – author of the 2024 essay from Intermission Magazine, “Why would anyone do a PhD in theatre?” as they get to the bottom of the titular question he posed two years ago. They have a rigorous discussion all about academic burnout, precarious job markets, and micronationalism.LISTEN TO PART 2 OF THIS DISCUSSION!READ ROBERT’S ORIGINAL ARTICLE: https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/artist-perspective/phd-theatre/ Follow our panelists: Dr. Robert Motum – Various Platforms: @robertmotum // Website: https://www.robertmotum.com/Not-a-Dr. Ryan Borochovitz – NEXT Mag: https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitz Follow us on Instagram/Facebook/Twitter: @cohtheatreIf you’d like us to review your upcoming show in Toronto, please send press invites/inquiries to [email protected]

Welcome back to the 291st 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 291st episode we bring you a a new instalment of our subseries 'Screened Plays'. This time we are covering the Oscar winning film Hamnet (2025), directed by Chloé Zhao, starring Jessie Buckley and Paul Mescal, adapted from Maggie O’Farrell’s novel of the same name. Join host Mackenzie Horner and his panelists for a deep dive discussion all about grieving mothers, emotional manipulation, and arthouse cinema for people who don’t like arthouse cinema.Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeNSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu Istvan Dugalin – Instagram: @istvandugalin // Theatre Criticism Blog: https://istvandugalin.com/Macklin – [Prefers not to be followed. Just send all that love to CoH instead; she won’t mind!]Ryan Borochovitz – NEXT Mag: https://nextmag.ca/search/borochovitzFollow 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 [email protected]

Welcome back to the 290th 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 290th episode we bring you a Duet Review of American devotion, a new Marilyn Monroe bio-drama written by Franca Miraglia, directed by Mario D’Alimonte, and presented by By The Word Productions. Join Ryan Borochovitz and special guest Sophie Bouey, as they discuss speculative flights of fancy, biographical factoids, and the way celebrity captures the public’s imagination.American Devotion played at Crow’s Theatre (345 Carlaw Ave, Toronto, ON) until June 21st, 2026. This review contains many SPOILERS for American Devotion. It will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [23:51] 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. Follow our panelists: Sophie Bouey –Instagram: @sophiebouey 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 [email protected]

Welcome back to the 289th 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 289th episode we bring you a Duet Review of Next to Normal, directed by Anthony Goncharov and presented by Bowtie Productions at Native Earth’s Aki Studio. Join Mackenzie Horner and Jillian Robinson as they unpack the struggle of love through grief, the strength of letting the light in, and the importance of holding onto your Henrys. Next to Normal played at Native Earth’s Aki Studio (585 Dundas St. East) until June 6th, 2026. This review contains SPOILERS. The episode will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [14:48] mark, followed by a more in-depth/anything goes/spoiler-rich discussion. If you intend to see the production, if it is remounted in the future, we recommend you stop watching after that point, or at least proceed at your own risk.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 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/inquiriesto [email protected]

Welcome back to the 288th 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 288th episode we bring you a Duet Review of Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish, directed by Joel Grey, presented in Toronto by the Harold Green Jewish Theatre Company, starring Steven Skybell as Tevye alongside a heavy-hitting Canadian ensemble. Join Mackenzie Horner and returning guest Lori Ossip, as they revisit Anatevka to discuss not-quite-dead-yet languages, the texture of authenticity, and the reclamation of tradition. Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish played at the Elgin Theatre (189 Yonge St., Toronto, ON) until June 7th, 2026. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://hgjewishtheatre.com/2025-2026-Fiddler-on-the-Roof.html This review contains many SPOILERS for Fiddler on the Roof in Yiddish. It will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [26:44] 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. Follow our panelists: Lori Ossip – Instagram: @girllikestheatre // Blog: https://girllikestheatre.com/ // Her other article on Yiddish Fiddler: https://www.ottawalife.com/article/in-this-production-of-fiddler-on-the-roof-tevye-speaks-in-yiddish-but-the-warning-is-universal/ Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeNSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAu 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 [email protected]