Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast

Welcome back to the 306th 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 306th episode we have a new artist interview. This particular conversation is between our Co-Artistic Producer and Keith Barker, award-winning playwright, director, dramaturg, and performer, the former artistic director of Native Earth Performing Arts, and currently Director of the Foerster Bernstein New Play Development Program at the Stratford Festival. Together these two discuss all about live horror performance, matriarchal inheritance, and planting seeds in the Studio Theatre.

The Veil (co-authored by Keith Barker and Thomas Morgan Jones) is running as part of the Stratford Festival’s Meighen Forum, at the Tom Patterson Theatre’s Lazaridis Hall (111 Lakeside Dr, Stratford, ON) from October 23 to 31, 2026. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://www.stratfordfestival.ca/WhatsOn/PlaysAndEvents/TheForum/The-Veil Raised By Women (written and performed by Keith Barker) is running at Canadian Stage’s Berkeley Street Theatre (26 Berkeley St, Toronto, ON) from March 27 to April 11, 2027. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://www.canadianstage.com/shows-events/season/raised-by-women This interview contains SPOILERS for The Veil, enclosed between 21:10 and 49:00. If you intend to see the production, we recommend skipping over that section, or at least proceeding at your own risk.Follow Keith – Instagram: @keeferbarkerRead Ryan’s coverage of The Veil in NEXT Magazine:https://nextmag.ca/theatre-scenes-dance-divisive-receptions-and-a-query-from-beyond-the-veil/ https://nextmag.ca/theatre-scenes-tis-the-season-to-be-spooky-with-these-spine-tingling-shows/ https://nextmag.ca/theatre-scenes-our-top-10-favourite-plays-of-2025/ https://nextmag.ca/theatre-scenes-yet-another-12-shows-to-see-a-second-time-before-the-end-of-2026/ 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 305th 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 305th episode we bring you a Duet Review of Bootycandy, directed by Jay Northcott, co-produced by Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Obsidian Theatre Company. Join Jillian Robinson and Mackenzie Horner as they examine the many facets of Sutter, applaud the synergy of a connected creative team, and recognize the power of unveiling and resisting the THEYHEARDS. Bootycandy is playing at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre (12 Alexander Street, Toronto, ON) until October 17, 2026. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://bit.ly/4rVd63gThis review contains SPOILERS. The episode will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [16:16] 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/inquiries to [email protected].

Welcome back to the 304th 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 304th episode we bring you a Duet Review of Heaven, choreographed by Sasha Ivanochko and produced in association with The Theatre Centre. Join Jillian Robinson and Bri Clarke as they unearth the human instinct to express while exploding, explore while extinguishing all while ultimately asking the question ‘What do we owe each other?’. Heaven played in the Franco Boni Theatre at The Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St. W.) from September 29 - October 3, 2026. This review contains SPOILERS. The episode will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [00:26:10] 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:Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96Bri Clarke - Instagram: @brianna_clarkee // Website: www.briclarke.ca // Email: [email protected] 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 303rd 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 303rd episode we bring you a Duet Review of To A Flame, directed & choreographed by Josette Bushell-Mingo, English to ASL translation by Dawn Jani Birley, and presented by 1s1/Nightwood Theatre in association with Modern Stage Company and Why Not Theatre at the Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre. Join Jillian Robinson and Mackenzie Horner as they recount the polished poetics, grotesque girlhood, and silent scenery inside of Father’s house. To A Flame played at Nancy & Ed Jackman Performance Centre (877 Yonge St.) from September 22 - October 4, 2026. This review contains SPOILERS. The episode will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [20:22] 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/inquiries to [email protected].

Welcome back to the 302nd 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 302nd episode we bring you a Duet Review of Mama, a new solo show written and performed by Tia Baum, directed by Keren Edelist. Join Ryan Borochovitz and special guest Katie Lawrence, as they discuss propulsive projections, physicist’s felines, and the disembodied manosphere.Mama made its world premiere at CineCycle (129 Spadina Ave, Toronto, ON) from September 11th to 13th, 2026. You can learn more about the production from the following link: https://www.eventbrite.ca/e/mama-one-womans-quest-tickets-1992004519140 This review contains many SPOILERS for Mama. It will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [21:37] mark, followed by a more in-depth/anything goes/spoiler-rich discussion. If you intend to see the production (in a future iteration), we recommend you stop watching after that point, or at least proceed at your own risk. Follow our panelists: Katie Lawrence – Instagram: @katie_ella_lawrence 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 301st 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 301st episode we bring you a Duet Review of Walden by Amy Berryman, presented in its Canadian premiere by Icarus Theatre, directed by Erik Richards and starring Charlotte Dennis, Emily Anne Corcoran, and Oshen Aoun. Join Jillian Robinson and Ryan Borochovitz as they discuss life in the woods, life beyond Earth, and fertile soil.Walden is playing at the Theatre Centre (1115 Queen St W, Toronto, ON) until September 26th, 2026. Tickets can be purchased from the following link: https://theatrecentre.org/event/walden-icarus-theatre/ This review contains many SPOILERS for Walden. It will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [14:11] 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: Jillian Robinson – Instagram: @jillian.robinson96Ryan 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: @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 very special and milestone 300th 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. To celebrate this big moment in our company we are reviewing the 2025 pro-shot of Merrily We Roll Along, preserving the 2023 Broadway revival, directed by Maria Friedman, starring Jonathan Groff, Daniel Radcliffe, and Lindsay Mendez. Join CoHT’s golden trio (Mackenzie Horner, Jillian Robinson, and Ryan Borochovitz) as these old friends get up close and personal about camera techniques, toxic relationships, and their official rankings of Sondheim’s musicals. On behalf of the whole team, we would sincerely like to thank everyone who has helped us get this far, from guests to listeners, and everyone in between. Looking forward (and backwards) to the next hundred!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 // 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 299th 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 299th episode we bring you a a new instalment of our subseries 'Screened Plays'. This time we are covering Titus (1999), directed by Julie Taymor, starring Sir Anthony Hopkins as the titular Titus and two-time Academy Award winner Jessica Lange as Tamora, based on William Shakespeare's tragic play Titus Andronicus. Join Co-Artistic Producer Mackenzie Horner and his amazing co-panelist the returning Graeme McClelland, as they discuss whether Taymor’s unique directorial stylistic choices worked, if the film’s violence went too far or if it didn’t go far enough, and they dive into the memorable 2011 Stratford Festival production they both saw in their youth.Follow our panelists: Mackenzie Horner (Before the Downbeat: A Musical Podcast) – Instagram/Facebook: BeforetheDownbeatApple Podcasts: https://apple.co/3aYbBeNSpotify: https://spoti.fi/3sAbjAuGraeme McClelland – Instagram: instagraeme999 // Facebook: Graeme McClelland 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 298th 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 298th episode we bring you a Duet Review of The Pavilion, directed by Chloë Rose Flowers and presented by King Theatre Company and Pine Farms Orchard at Pine Farms Orchard. Join Jillian Robinson and Victoria Wilson as they reminisce about the beauty of the universe, the importance of time, and the realization that sometimes moments just need to officially burn down. The Pavilion is playing at Pine Farms Orchard (2700 16th Sideroad, King City, ON.) from August 11 - August 22, 2026. This review contains SPOILERS. The episode will begin with a general non-spoiler review until the [00:15:09] 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 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 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]