Local Theatre Critic on Reviewing, Show Business, and Burlington’s 2025 Highlights

By: Emily R. Zarevich, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Burlington Local-News.ca

 

If you recognize Gregory Flis’s name or his photograph, it means that you are either a regular reader of his theatre reviews or you are a frequent attendee of productions at local theatres such as the Drury Lane Theatre located on New Street. Flis holds the spot of theatre reviewer for local editions of Village Media, where, with reliable consistency, he publishes his essays on community theatre shows in the general area. Being also an actor who has starred in serious stage plays such as To Kill a Mockingbird in Hamilton, Flis has the background to understand the technical undertakings of local productions, and write from the perspective of an informed audience member whose reviews can shape public perception.

 

Theatre reviewing is not easy work. Besides the administrative task of arranging one’s busy schedule to see shows, a theatre critic must also be adept at observation, notetaking, composition, and diplomacy, especially for community theatre, which is an entirely voluntary enterprise. In a local theatre scene where critics can also be participants, Flis occupies a role that raises questions about objectivity, influence, and responsibility — questions he is candid about navigating. The community counts on the local theatre critic to be critical but fair, and Flis is open about how he approaches that balance, happy to share his perspectives on his craft. He also has plenty of praise for what Burlington has accomplished this year as a theatre town. Answers have been condensed and lightly edited for clarity and flow.

 

Flis on reviewing community theatre as an active participant in the Burlington theatre scene:

I’m in a somewhat unusual position to submit objective reviews, because I know so many community theatre members, but I try to keep objective, but also kind. In a small way, I see my purpose as promoting community theatre shows. They are non-profit, after all, and yet they invariably put together shows that rival professional productions elsewhere. I am often asked by community theatres if I will review a play for them. I don’t unless it’s something I really want to see.

 

Flis on the technical process of writing a theatre review:

It’s not for procrastinators! Shows that I review tend to last three or four weeks, and the review should get out ASAP so that the theatres can sell more tickets. When reviewing, I watch with a careful eye. I try to make occasional notes on specifics I don’t want to forget, but in the dark so as to not disturb audience members. I ask myself, often during and after a show, what my overall impression was, and that is often how I start a review. As an analogy, as a guest, how would you tell your host you loved a meal they served? “Oh my, that was exceptional!” you would say. Or  “That was really good,” or “That was very filling.” Then you provide details. So I consider details without leaving too much out.

 

Before my first and overall impression of a play, or at least directly afterwards, I give readers some background to the play, something that entails what to expect. For example, at Drury Lane’s recent Christmas pantomime, you need to know that they are often based on common fairy tales but with some twists. Prince Charming was played by a girl, and the ugly stepsisters to Cinderella were played by two men. Or for Mel Brooks’ Young Frankenstein, you need to know it’s a comic version based on the grandson of Victor Frankenstein inheriting his estate.

 

Flis on what he considers to be the components of a successful community theatre show:

A fully successful community theatre show has to pull together so many features, almost always from volunteers. It’s a wonder that any show gets produced at all. A committee is formed to choose future shows. They pore over dozens of scripts and decide what is doable and right for their theatre. A director and producer are chosen. They find actors and the assorted group of backstage people. Props, costumes, lighting, sound, and stage construction. So it’s hard not to appreciate community theatre shows just for enduring. A critic’s eye must look at all those things.

 

In the end, the sound and lighting or costumes and props will only stand out if they do not work. They do for the most part, and it’s not worth dwelling on the ones that don’t, though they may be mentioned in passing in a review. So, it often comes down to story and acting, or story and acting and singing. Story is often a matter of taste. “De gustibus non disputandum est,” Cicero said, meaning that there is no arguing about matters of taste. I can only tell you what I like and why, but sometimes, I can appreciate what I see on stage without liking the story. I may hint at the bad writing, but appreciate the production values of acting.

 

Flis on what he considers to be the most successful theatre productions in Burlington in the year 2025:

It’s very hard to say what show was Burlington’s best this past year for a few reasons. Firstly, I do not get to see everything, though I did see all of Theatre Burlington’s shows and Drury Lane’s as well. It’s also hard to say because I am an actor and singer, and last year, I performed small parts in Drury Lane’s Music Hall and A Gentleman’s Guide to Love and Murder. Both with bias and a professional eye, I look on A Gentleman’s Guide from an insider’s perspective, and I see the tremendous work by the production crew and actors alike just moving set pieces around. The swift movement of sets coordinated by Bill Everett was a marvel. And I’m told that what the audience saw rivalled professional shows. “I would have considered my money well spent if I spent hundreds of dollars to see that show on a New York stage,” a friend told me.

 

From a less biased perspective, I really loved Theatre Burlington’s Bluebirds, based on the real-life letters of three nurses who served on the front in World War I. It was a story worth telling as we approach an era when none of us has a direct memory of the World Wars of the twentieth century. And it was worth telling to reinforce the concept that women also showed courage and strength in times of war.

 

The play itself is as lyrical as a poem, and the three actors were exceptional. Again, however, I have shared the stage with two in the past. This would be Christine Marchetti and Jennifer Graham. This may indicate a slight bias. But you could also say I had high expectations of them. They, along with Vanessa Scott, did not disappoint in the least. In essence, it was a simple story that was beautifully written and wonderfully performed.

 

Editor’s note: This interview is part of Local-news.ca’s ongoing coverage of Burlington’s theatre ecosystem. Interviewing a critic does not constitute endorsement of their reviews or opinions.