Read A Play With Us!
The Howland Company is proud to host The Reading Group, a free community event where all are welcome to drop in and cold-read a part in the chosen play, with roles switching around on the fly. The readings are a laid-back and social way to read a play together and to get the opportunity to engage in discussion and meet people in the community.
*The RSVP Form opens before each reading and space is available on a first-come-first-served basis. Please keep posted for updates here and through our newsletter.
The Howland Company is thrilled to wrap up our Fall 2025 session led by our Guest Play-Curator: Howland Associate Member – 郝邦宇 Steven Hao. We teamed up with Steven, who curated our Fall season of plays under the theme “Rewrite. Rebel. REVOLUTION.” for us to read:
2025 Fall Reading Group Season At-A-Glance:
COMPLETED: Monday, October 28th – Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. by Alice Birch
COMPLETED: Tuesday, November 25th – John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower
A note from curator 郝邦宇 Steven Hao on the theme – Rewrite. Rebel. REVOLUTION:
“Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. and John Proctor is the Villain and both interrogate how women navigate inherited systems of patriarchy: one through a bold, anarchic dismantling of language, the other through the lens of small-town adolescence and the shadow of classic literature. Where John Proctor is the Villain exposes how feminist awakening collides with community expectations, Revolt. She Said. Revolt Again. explodes those very expectations into fragments. Together, they trace a lineage of rebellion, from questioning the stories we’re taught to burning down the structures that keep us quiet.”
EVENT DETAILS & RSVP INFORMATION:
Next Read: TBA
When: 2026
Location: The Society Clubhouse, 967 College Street, Toronto.
If you are interested in attending The Reading Group:
- RSVPs will open in January. (Space is limited and available on a first-come first-served basis).
- Join us on the night at 7:15pm to read or listen along.
We look forward to reading with you soon!
Get to Know our Fall 2025 Play-Curator:
Fall 2025: 郝邦宇 STEVEN HAO
郝邦宇 Steven Hao is an award winning actor, director, writer and artistic leader passionate about creating art that breaks the boundary of theatre-making. Born and raised in China, Steven’s upbringing and cultural influences deeply impact the way he approaches all things art related. Steven has collaborated with many companies in the past, including Canadian Stage, Musical Stage Company, Crows’ Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Bad Hats Theatre, etc, and most recently the Stratford Festival across various disciplines. Steven is excited to continue the next chapter of his theatrical journey as Artistic Director of Pucker’s and Associate Member alongside the ever so fierce Howland Company and he looks forward to continuing to share stories with everyone.
Keep posted with what The Reading Group is up to by following our hashtag #TheReadingGroupHC
In Case You Missed Them, Here’s What We’ve Read So Far:
2. Look Back in Anger by John Osborne
3. Circle Mirror Transformation by Annie Baker
4. Punk Rock by Simon Stephens
5. Reasons to be Pretty by Neil Labute
6. Eurydice by Sarah Ruhl
7. Rhinoceros by Eugene Ionesco
8. Seminar by Theresa Rebeck
9. A Delicate Balance by Edward Albee
10. After Miss Julie by Patrick Marber
11. Becky Shaw by Gina Gionfriddo
12. The Cherry Orchard by Anton Chekhov
13. Rock n Roll by Tom Stoppard
14. City of Angels by Cy Coleman, David Zippel, and Larry Gelbart
15. Noises Off by Michael Frayn
16. Cymbeline by William Shakespeare
17. Blood Relations by Sharon Pollock
18. Middletown by Will Eno
21. Big Love by Charles Mee
22. Jerusalem by Jez Butterworth
23. The Little Foxes by Lillian Hellman
24. The Weir by Conor McPherson
25. Saint Carmen of the Main by Michel Tremblay
26. The Rover by Aphra Behn
27. This is Our Youth by Kenneth Lonergan
65. The Birthday Party by Harold Pinter
87. How To Defend Yourself by Liliana Padilla
93. John Proctor is the Villain by Kimberly Belflower
The Howland Company 