A site-specific, interactive interpretation of Menotti’s “The Medium”

When: October 17–27
Where: Spadina Museum: Historic House and Gardens, 285 Spadina Road, Toronto, Ontario M5R 2V5
Price: $46.50; 13+ recommended

Tags: #opera, #spooky, #séance, #historicvenue, #immersivetheatre, #sitespecific, #interactive, #ContentAdvisory, #MobilityAdvisory (see below)

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Deep inside the haunting world of Edwardian Toronto, restless spirits occupy an infamous historic mansion when called forth by a meddling psychic. Unfolding amidst a bewitching séance, The Medium takes you on a candlelit journey from this realm into the beyond — where something sinister has taken root.

This interpretation of Menotti’s “The Medium” blurs the boundaries of traditional opera, as audiences are led throughout Spadina Museum. Guided by interactive characters, the ghostly plot unravels amid a series of themed rooms throughout the third floor — a preserved historic space left untouched since the early 1900s.

Revolving around a notorious psychic’s decent into madness, and the vengeful spirits she invokes, “The Medium” explores the commercialization of grief and our fascination with life beyond death. For the love of money, Madame Flora promises to reunite bereaved parents with their recently deceased children, taking advantage of her patrons’ grief for a price. However, as she dabbles in the dark arts, she accidentally opens a door that should have remained closed. Questioning her own sanity, Madame Flora comes to understand that despite both her deceit and disbelief, the dead respond when called upon. Provoked by fear and fuelled by the ghosts of her past, “The Medium” examines whether Flora truly woke the dead, or simply lost her mind.

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Contact Level: None

Content Advisories: Adult content (violence, alcohol abuse, strong language), periods of darkness, gunshot effects, strobe lights. Not recommended for children under the age of thirteen.

Although the show spans three floors of Spadina Museum, there is an elevator available for anyone who requires mobility assistance.