Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast

Cup of Hemlock Theatre
  • 5.0 (3)
  • Performing Arts
  • Updated Biweekly

Cup of Hemlock Theatre is a Toronto-based collective devoted to facilitating in-depth dialogue on the art and practice of theatre. Utilizing digital platforms to connect, showcase, and promote theatre artists, scholars, and enthusiasts from all over the map, we aim to foster community, creativity, and critical discussion.

  1. 6d ago

    297. The Cup | Gee, Why Is Every Movie Becoming a Musical? | Editorial

    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 coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

  2. Jul 25

    296. The Cup | Toronto Fringe Review Roundup 2026 (PART 3)

    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 ⁠coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

  3. Jul 20

    295. The Cup | Toronto Fringe Review Roundup 2026 (PART 2)

    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 coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

  4. Jul 14

    294. The Cup | Toronto Fringe Review Roundup 2026 (PART 1)

    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 coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

  5. Jun 29

    293. The Cup | PhDs & Performance Studies | Editorial

    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 coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

  6. Jun 29

    292. The Cup | No, but really, why would anyone do a PhD in theatre? | Editorial

    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 coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

  7. Jun 29

    291. The Cup | Hamnet (2025) | Screened Plays

    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 coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

  8. Jun 29

    290. The Cup | American Devotion (By The Word Productions)

    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 coh.theatre.MM@gmail.com

See All (297)

Trailer

5
out of 5
3 Ratings

About

Cup of Hemlock Theatre is a Toronto-based collective devoted to facilitating in-depth dialogue on the art and practice of theatre. Utilizing digital platforms to connect, showcase, and promote theatre artists, scholars, and enthusiasts from all over the map, we aim to foster community, creativity, and critical discussion.

Information

  • Creator
    Cup of Hemlock Theatre
  • Years Active
    2021 - 2026
  • Episodes
    297
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Cup of Hemlock Theatre
  • Show Website
    Cup of Hemlock Theatre Podcast