FF Blog & More

From the Artistic Director's Chair Series - #6 "Theatre is Meant to be Heard" by Emily Oriold Why I Write (And Why We Read Aloud). As we prepare for our upcoming 3rd Annual Fostered Playwrights Festival, which includes my own play, Every Little Thing, I've been thinking a lot abut why...

2026 FOSTERED PLAYWRIGHTS FESTIVAL - HOMEGROWN CANADIAN COMEDY! FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE January 23, 2026 | St. Catharines, ON…  The 3rd Annual Fostered Playwrights Festival is set to take the stage, April 17-19, 2026. This year’s Fostered Playwrights Festival invites you to immerse yourself in four compelling new works, presented...

From the Artistic Director's Chair Series - #4 "Celebrating Our Own" by Emily Oriold As we close out our 10th Anniversary Season, I’ve been doing a lot of reflecting—on where we are now, and on where this whole adventure began. Anniversaries have a way of inviting us to pause,...

A Niagara Christmas Carol At The Foster Festival Directed by Emily Oriold It’s become quite the thing for regional theatre companies to create bespoke variations of Charles Dickens’ “A Christmas Carol.” The Foster Festival’s entry in the growing list, A Niagara Christmas Carol moves the action to the Niagara...

From the Artistic Director's Chair Series - #3 "All the World's a Stage" by Emily Oriold All the World’s a Stage… and Ours Has 16 Days to Get Ready. During our post-show talkbacks, there’s one question that pops up quite frequently: “How long do you rehearse a show?” The answer...

From the Artistic Director's Chair Series - #2 "Unexpected Delights of Live Theatre" by Emily Oriold Wardrobe Malfunctions and Other Unexpected Delights of Live Theatre. As Halloween rolls around, I can’t help but think about costumes — the joy of transforming into someone (or something!) entirely different for just...

SCREWBALL COMEDY REVIEW - The Slotkin Letter Directed by Emily Oriold In a screwball comedy the language seems archaic, women are “dames” but in control; men are masculine and think they are supreme until the ‘dame’ appears and puts him in his place; romance is bubbling; laughs...

ON A FIRST NAME BASIS REVIEW - Ontariostage.com Directed by Emily Oriold The Foster Festival is celebrating its ten year anniversary by reviving the play that opened their first season, Norm Foster’s artfully crafted and very funny two-hander On A First Name Basis. David Kilbride (Jamie Williams) is a wealthy...