"We both loved theatre, had our hearts broken by theatre, were born-again theatre lovers and both experienced the highs and lows of romantic relationships," playwright Matthew MacKenzie says of wife and Ukrainian actor Mariya Khomutova.
On a rainy April afternoon, Mariya Khomutova and Matthew MacKenzie were huddled in a small café in Cabbagetown, waiting for the storm to pass.
Despite the downpour, their spirits remained high: Khomutova exudes warmth and kindness, while MacKenzie's calm demeanour reflects the gentle, introverted charm that first attracted her when they met in Kyiv in 2018.
He's an award-winning Indigenous-Canadian playwright and she's a prolific Ukrainian theatre actor. When they met, they were workshopping a play together.
Their courtship blossomed despite long distances and harsh judgments. It led to a marriage that endured a global pandemic, intense scrutiny and the ongoing war in Ukraine. Now the couple relives that experience in their Dora Award-winning play "First Métis Man of Odesa." The play, which they co-wrote and star in, returns to Toronto on Wednesday, making its Soulpepper Theatre debut after touring Canada for more than a year.
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Disgraceful behaviour on Parliament Hill
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