We're spoiled for choice

Ten new plays and operas that feature some of Canada's top talent

- JOSHUA CHONG

Canadian author Yann Martel's timeless story "Life of Pi" has been adapted for the stage in a production arriving in Toronto in September.

Fall is always the busiest time of year for Toronto’s performing arts scene. And this season is no exception. After the usual summer lull, when the focus shifts away from the city and toward the numerous arts festivals across the province, local companies are kicking into high gear and preparing to launch their upcoming seasons.

In the weeks and months ahead, Toronto audiences will be spoiled for choice. This fall will see the return of several blockbuster shows — “Come From Away,” “The Lion King” and “The Master Plan,” to name a few — along with a bevy of new productions featuring some of Canada’s top talents and up-and-coming stars.

Here are the top new shows that should be on your radar in the fall.

Rosmersholm

Henrik Ibsen has had quite the year in Canadian theatre. The Norwegian playwright received not just one but two high-profile productions of his tragedy “Hedda Gabler” — the first at Coal Mine Theatre, followed closely by another that’s currently running at the Stratford Festival. This fall, Ibsen will figuratively tread the boards again when Crow’s Theatre presents “Rosmersholm,” his haunting 1886 drama about a former clergyman who’s forced to confront his wife’s suicide and an impending wave of political turmoil. The play, in a new adaptation by Duncan Macmillan, will be directed by Crow’s Theatre artistic director Chris Abraham. His in-the-round production will feature a who’s who of Canadian theatre stars, including Jonathan Young, Virgilia Griffith, Ben Carlson and Kate Hennig. Sept. 3 to Oct. 6 at the Streetcar Crowsnest’s Guloien Theatre, 345 Carlaw Ave.

Life of Pi