"If Lewis is able to train this AI model of her father to say words that she longs to hear him say, something that might be redeeming, that might offer a deeper insight than he was able to give her in life, can that be healing, or will it always be wishful thinking because it’s not the real truth? Lewis asks the AI model what she should do with him once she’s finished with this show. Should she delete him? Would that be, in some way, like dying twice?" Thank you to Amanda Cam

Explaining Mass for Shut-Outs Davis says, “I grew up Catholic, and I’m not anymore, and I realized that I kind of liked the framework of Catholic Mass, because it’s kind of theatrical, and there were some things about it that moved me, even as the content really bothered me. So, Mass For Shut-Outs is sort of my take on a communal experience that brings people together, that critiques the Catholic Church a little bit, and also asks questions about why we are drawn to religion

“I’m invested in the audience experience,” says McCormack about the festival as a whole, “and what kind of a leap [folks] are making as artists to tell a story in a new way. I’m really leaning into non-traditional work, and work that’s gently participatory, and work that is playful or challenging in some way- leaning beyond a traditional theatre piece. I’m really excited by things that are high tech or handmade, but lean into another genre. With Shortcuts, Manual, and Epiderm

“It doesn’t feel like theatre. If you’re thinking about what a play is, these shows don’t fit into that mould.” - Kat McCormack, EFT Artistic Director Thank you to Steve Gow at CityNews for the wonderful article about STAGES! Read the full story here!

Check out the interview here: https://www.cbc.ca/listen/live-radio/1-37-mainstreet-ns/clip/16212858-frenchys-thrift-musical-making-its-world-premiere-summer

We invite Nova Scotian artists to take part in PITCH ROOM, where you can share your project ideas with presenters, producers, programmers, and other industry guests during the Industry Series at STAGES 2026. PITCH ROOM lets artists give a short, focused pitch about a project they want to develop, tour, present, or take to the next stage. It’s a chance to practice talking about your work, get real-time feedback, build connections, and see how presenters and producers respond