“A new generation of theatre makers is coming up, and I feel we are going to feel the effects of their force very soon.”

First, I must acknowledge that Anthony Goncharov is a patient artist. I’m thankful for this character quality, as his profile is long overdue.

Since seeing his stage performance in 2022 in Lobby Hero, I have been interested in learning more about the origins of Icarus Theatre, which was among the emerging independent theatres in Toronto at that time.

Icarus is a company I’d like to continue watching because it has big plans on the horizon that look exciting. Goncharov is flattered by the compliment. He has been busy over the last few years in establishing and maintaining Icarus’s name, developing a solid reputation on the Toronto theatre scene. According to the company’s website (www.icarustheatre.ca), one of the company’s goals is to produce high-quality, exciting, and dynamic work.

The company’s 2025-2026 season opener, Oleanna (directed by Goncharov), appears to live up to its goal of creating exciting and dynamic work. David Mamet’s script is not an easy one to stage.

We conducted our conversation via email, which worked best for both of us. His production of Oleanna is now in performance, while the Fall 2025 season is heating up once again for me.

Anthony completed his post-secondary education at Sheridan College. A modest fellow, he attributes any artistic skill he has gleaned to his high school drama teacher, Brad Case:

“I was very lucky in that [Brad] was a working professional actor who respected the fundamentals of the craft and taught me skills that I am still endeavouring to refine to this day.”

Goncharov is also quick to point out other mentors who have helped him along the way: Richard Lam, Laurence Follows, Ted Dykstra and Diana Bentley, all outstanding artists indeed. An important lesson Anthony has learned from Ted and Diana: “uncompromising, high-quality work pays off.”

What was the genesis of the company’s name?

Initially, years ago, while still in his college basement suite, Anthony thought how cool a name like Icarus would be for a theatre company. The more he thought about the mythological character, the more the name Icarus gave Goncharov the goal to strive toward. He clarifies that a lesser-known aspect of the Icarus story is that, while he was warned not to fly too close to the sun, he was also cautioned not to come too near the water and get his feathers wet.  The thought of danger, ambition and pushing forward out of a comfort zone is something Anthony strives for in Icarus’s work.

Anthony believes and supports that Icarus is an important voice on the Toronto independent theatre scene for two reasons. First, he thinks there is little space for emerging talents to reach the stage of working with established individuals. Icarus has had some incredible and emerging talents grace its stage. Anthony says audiences are really excited by the inter-generational fusion of talents and can feel the raw energy and passion that comes from ambition. As the company continues to grow, Anthony does not want to let go of that thriving ambition. He says it would be ‘foolish to distance from and a disservice to the incredible emerging artists who have brought Icarus to where it is today.” The second reason Icarus is a vital voice – Anthony proudly states that the company selects scripts that excite and interest both artists and patrons. (I’ll talk more about what Icarus has planned for the rest of the season shortly.)

While getting artists and patrons excited and interested isn’t unique, Anthony says the more theatre companies there are bringing people into the theatre, the better. Since he’s been involved in building Icarus, he proudly says:

“When I look out into our audience after a show and I see people as young as twenty and people four times that age buzzing over the same show, it tells me we’re doing something right.”

The buzzing has started already. Here’s the link to Our Theatre Voice’s contributing writer Dave Rabjohn’s review of the current show Oleanna: https://ourtheatrevoice.com/oleanna/

There has been a lot of change in the theatre industry, and Goncharov says the Toronto scene in general is going through a massive one. While he acknowledges that some may see the attendance and interest dwindling, Anthony believes the industry is on the verge of a huge breakthrough. New voices have already been established at companies like Soulpepper, where Paolo Santalucia is now the Artistic Director. Change has also occurred at Coal Mine and Crow’s, where the ambition of those involved will bring audiences into vibrant and exciting times.

Icarus’s 25-26 season is a knockout. Dennis Kelly’s DNA will run November 6-16, 2025, at the Theatre Centre BMO Incubator. Polly Stenham’s Julie After Strindberg will run March 19-28, 2026, at Tarragon Theatre’s Extraspace. No word has been released yet on most of the creative team or who has been cast. Goncharov believes these two plays are among the most intriguing to emerge from the UK in the past decade, and it is both incredibly thrilling and scary to perform them for the first time in Toronto. What Anthony can say at this time: Erik Richards (Sound Designer of Fiji and Oleanna), acclaimed director in his hometown of Edmonton, will direct DNA, and long-time company member Emily Corcoran (Lobby Hero, Constellations) will perform the title role in Julie (After Strindberg).

He says further:

“If it wasn’t evident in our working history together already, I trust Erik and Emily Anne very deeply and know that they’re going to do incredible work with these scripts. We’ve already had a few meetings about both productions. Although I’m not able to tell any further details at this time, I’m elated I’ll get the chance to see DNA and Julie (After Strindberg) as an audience member, let alone have them as Icarus productions.”

As an artistic leader, where does Anthony see Icarus in the proverbial five-year plan?

One lesson he has learned through producing is to roll with the punches.  He’s going to keep his dreams and ambitions for the company largely to himself and see how things change and evolve. He’s doing his utmost day by day to ensure a continued ability to keep moving forward into a second three-season show.  He doesn’t say too much about the company’s plans because he had written in our email conversation:

“What’s that phrase? If you want to make God laugh, tell him your plans.”

Now that Oleanna is in its final performances, Anthony will continue to work together and meet with the upcoming two creative teams for the remaining two shows. Additionally, Goncharov is also involved with Coal Mine Theatre. He is a Founding Associate of the Vault Creation Lab at Coal Mine.

What does he have to say about his experience working on Oleanna?

I learned a lot from this production, and I need to find the right script before I run back into a creative role again. Oleanna was three years in the making, and I think I can earnestly say it took everything out of me. I think after this one I might like to do something more lighthearted – but who knows, I usually end up contradicting myself anyway.

To learn more about Icarus Theatre company, visit www.icarustheatre.ca.

Anthony Goncharov’s headshot by Desmond Lazar.