Fall theatre season bets big on made-in-Canada productions

FALL CULTURE PREVIEW Fall theatre season bets big on made-in-Canada productions AISLING MURPHY PUBLISHED YESTERDAY Open this photo in gallery: Ins Choi's Son of a Preacherman is a funny drama that combines his experiences of growing up in a family of clergy with his trademark wit, Murphy writes. CHELSEY STUYT/SUPPLIED COMMENTS SHARE SAVE FOR LATER Listen to this article Learn more about audio Log in or create a free account to listen to this article. More fall culture: Film | Albums | TV | Concerts | Visual Art For the past year-and-a-half, many Canadians have opted for local or international goods and experiences over American ones. This fall, major Canadian theatre companies – which plan their seasons far in advance – have started to catch up with the shift in demand, just in time for an escalating trade war. Audiences will find a notable uptick in homegrown and international theatre in the months to come. From an adaptation of a Mona Awad novel to a Canadian musical about a performer with more than 35 siblings around the world, here are five shows to look out for in Toronto and beyond this fall. A highly personal new play from the creator of a hit TV show Open this photo in gallery: Choi's Son of a Preacherman runs at the National Arts Centre in Toronto until Sept. 26. CHELSEY STUYT/SUPPLIED Ins Choi, best known for writing the 2011 play Kim’s Convenience and its TV adaptation, is back this fall with Son of a Preacherman, a funny drama that combines Choi’s experiences of growing up in a family of clergy with his trademark wit. An intimate snapshot of this country’s Korean-Canadian communities – and Choi’s own faith – Son of a Preacherman runs at the National Arts Centre until Sept. 26, then tours to Toronto, Vancouver and Kamloops in October and November. A Canadian musical about a thorny family secret When Our Little Secret: A True New Musical first premiered at the 2023 Toronto Fringe, the show was subtitled “the 23andMe musical.” And rightly so: The piece, written and performed by Noam Tomaschoff, examines the actor’s experience of finding out he’s not really an only child and instead has at least 35 siblings around the world. I left the U.S. for Canada a decade ago. These plays and musicals taught me what it means to be Canadian Our Little Secret has adjusted its title, but after a successful run at Montreal’s Segal Centre last year, the show is just as buzzy as it was three years ago. This fall, a new production directed by…