#191 - Ellen Denny & Emilio Vieira
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Ellen Denny & Emilio Vieira. Ellen Denny & Emilio Vieira are two Toronto based actors, playwrights, and the creators of “february: a love story” which will be available to stream from February 14th to March 7th. In our conversation today we discuss the main different iterations of this piece and what they learned about themselves and the project through each one, how they began working together as collaborators and their process both individually and as a team when it comes to writing, and the importance of trying to remain as flexible and...
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#190 - Hailey Gillis
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Hailey Gillis. Hailey Gillis is a Toronto based performer who most recently was a part of the Musical Stage Company’s “Porchside Songs” & “Virtual Uncovered” series as well as Crow’s Theatre’s “Ghost Quartet” live steam. In our conversation today we discuss how she has navigated the pandemic as an artist and how it’s shaped her relationship to performing in the “new normal”, the different projects she has worked on in the past 8 months and what she has learned from the experience, as well as the difference of blending...
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#189 - Chris Tsujiuchi
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Chris Tsujiuchi. Chris Tsujiuchi is a performer, musical director, accompanist, and cabaret artist. In our conversation today we discuss his experience navigating the pandemic as an artist, his work with the Musical Stage Company as a part of “Porchside Songs”, and the benefits that can be gained through virtual programming with regards to accessibility. We also discuss this year’s “A Very Christ-erical Christmas Cabaret (Covid Edition)”, the ways in which he has had to pivot to move his annual Christmas cabaret online, as well as what he has...
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#188 - Colin Asuncion
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Colin Asuncion. Colin Asuncion is a multi-talented performer, baker, marketing manager, and one-third of the Toronto based boy band Asian Riffing Trio. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to the performing industry how he has navigated his relationship with it while also maintaining the other aspects of his career, his experiences performing with Asian Riffing Trio over the past few months as a part of the Musical Stage Company’s “Porchside Songs”, as well as the ways in which he has been pursuing his passions during the...
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#187 - Jeff Follis aka "Uropa"
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Jeff Follis. Jeff Follis (aka Uropa) is a Vancouver based drag performer, visual artist, and singer originally from Calgary. In our conversation today we dive into the world of drag and discuss it’s rise in popularity over the past several years, how he first began performing as a drag queen and his process of discovering Uropa, as well as his experiences in theatre school and what he has taken from those experiences moving forward into his drag career. We also discuss both the differences and similarities between drag and other forms of performing...
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#186 - Kelsey Verzotti & Jacob Sheffield
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In this week's episode, I sit down with Kelsey Verzotti & Jacob Sheffield, two multi-talented artists who recently launched SideBiz Studio. SideBiz is an online marketplace that showcases products and services offered by the Canadian arts community. In our conversation today we discuss the inspiration for SideBiz and how the idea was formed, how they took that idea and put it into action, and what they have learned so far through the process of creating their online marketplace. We also discuss the ways in which they are trying to foster a strong sense of community through SideBiz, the...
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#185 - Tara Jackson & Masini McDermott
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Tara Jackson & Masini McDermott. In our conversation today both Tara Jackson & Masini McDermott share their experiences as black women in the Canadian theatre industry, how the theatre industry puts pressure on people of colour to not “cause a fuss” or be “difficult” in the hopes that they are hired again, as well as the importance of remembering that this isn’t a new conversation or issue but one that black people are faced with their entire lives. We also discuss their experiences dealing with everything going on in the world with...
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#184 - Lauren Ritchie
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Lauren Ritchie. Lauren Ritchie is a dance educator, choreographer, and host of the Dance Podcast. In our conversation today we discuss the differences between the ways she was taught to dance and how dance educators are teaching their students now, the importance of having a holistic approach to your training no matter what you are training for, as well as her relationship with goals and the benefits that come from distilling down what the actual intention or want is behind our goals. We also discuss the work she is currently doing with regards to...
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#183 - Douglas Walker
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Douglas Walker. Douglas Walker is an actor, singer, and dancer originally from Scotland. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre and the path that lead him to pursue it professionally, what he learned from his time in school both as a dancer as well as at the Royal Conservatory of Scotland, and what the main similarities and differences are between theatre in the UK and theatre in Canada. We also discuss his experience moving to Canada and how he has gone about developing connections and meeting a wide range of artists in...
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#182 - Kalie Hunter
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In this week’s episode, I sit down with Kalie Hunter. Kalie Hunter is a performer, teacher, adjudicator, and is also one of the owners of Metro Movement in Toronto. In our conversation today we discuss her experiences growing up in B.C. and how she was introduced to the world of dance at a young age, how the dance industry and theatre industry in Canada differ and what each industry can learn from the other, as well as her transition into musical theatre and the advice she would give other dancers looking to diversify their skill sets and identify as musical theatre performers. We also...
info_outlineIn this week’s episode, I sit down with Lianna Makuch. Lianna Makuch is an actor, playwright, and one of the Artistic Producers of Pyretic Productions. In our conversation today we discuss the Toronto production of her play Blood of Our Soil and what she learned from the experience of bringing her show to another city, the different theatre styles that are present in Blood of Our Soil and how they navigated the piece from both an artistic perspective and through the eyes of a producer, as well as some of the new developments with the piece and future plans for the show. We also discuss the benefits that certain limitations can have when it comes to stripping a show down to it's core story or message you are trying to share, the idea of different stages of development when it comes to a new piece of theatre and how different phases of the show require different types of editing, as well as some of her future plans as an artist and the places she hopes to see theatre in Canada continue to move towards.