Podcasts about stratford shakespeare festival

In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby speaks with Toronto-based performer, voice educator, and multidisciplinary artist Tahirih Vejdani. Born in Saint John, NB, and raised in Regina, Tahirih shares the inspiring and non-traditional journey that led her from classical music training in the Prairies to becoming a sought-after artist and educator in Canada's theatre scene. They discuss her early connection to choirs, her work as a singer and actor at Stratford Festival, and the founding of Ground Floor Team, an organization devoted to care-based rehearsal practices and conflict transformation in theatre. Tahirih also reflects on returning to school for vocal pedagogy and the evolving nature of her touring career. This episode explores: How classical music shaped Tahirih's performance journey Transitioning from musician to actor in the world of Shakespeare The founding and mission of Ground Floor Team and the ARCS methodology Touring across Canada with Catalyst Theatre's The Invisible: Agents of Ungentlemanly Warfare Her return to school to complete a Master's in Vocal Pedagogy Insights on fostering healthier rehearsal spaces in Canadian theatre Guest:

In a twist the Bard himself would've be proud of, a Javanese shadow theatre is a star turn at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Taranaki. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin went to a workshop run by the troupe.

On today's episode, I talk to playwright and TV writer Susan Coyne. Originally from Winnipeg, Manitoba, Susan studied intellectual history before pivoting to acting. She acted in several seasons of the Stratford Festival (which was formerly known as the Stratford Shakespeare Festival) and then became a playwright. In the early aughts, Susan - along with Mark McKinney and Bob Martin, created the brilliant TV show Slings & Arrows, and over the three seasons won numerous Gemini Awards for writing and acting in the show. Since then, Susan has worked in TV and film both in the US and Canada, and most recently wrote on Mozart in the Jungle and Daisy Jones & the Six. This is the website for Beginnings, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, follow me on Twitter. Check out my free philosophy Substack where I write essays every couple months here and my old casiopop band's lost album here! And the comedy podcast I do with my wife Naomi Couples Therapy can be found here!  

In this episode, co-host Marlis Schweitzer considers how the enduring popularity of Shakespeare in the Park and other forms of outdoor Shakespeare continues to guide how Canadians see, hear, and experience Shakespeare. After a short summary of the “open air” movement, which celebrated the virtues of producing Shakespeare outdoors, she speaks with several guests, including the artistic leadership of Toronto's Shakespeare in the Ruff, about the importance of outdoor Shakespeare today. The second half of the episode focuses more directly on the legacy of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, a company that began producing Shakespeare outdoors - in a tent - and is now arguably the most dominant theatre company in Canada. The episode concludes with a conversation with Melissa Poll, the Equity, Diversity and Inclusion dramaturge at Vancouver's Bard on the Beach, interspersed with comments from Cole Alvis, a two-Spirit Michif Metis actor and director, and now casting associate with the Stratford Festival. This episode features conversations with Patricia Allison, Cole Alvis, Raoul Bhaneja, Karen Fricker, Christine Horne, Erin Kelly, Peter Kuling, Anita La Selva, Keira Loughran, Elizabeth Pentland, Melissa Poll, PJ Prudat, Jamie Robinson, Nassim Abu Sarari, Sara Topham, Jeff Yung Episode 4 ASL translation courtesy of Dawn Jani Birley. Interpretation by Dawn Jani Birley, Robert Haughton, Sage Lovell, and Alice Lo. Content note: This episode contains discussion of potlatch bans, colonialism, white supremacy, and racism. Listener discretion advised. Here are some links to things discussed in the episode and some suggestions for further reading: Sheldon Cheney, The Open-Air Theatre (1918) The Potlatch Ban, from The Canadian Encyclopedia  Some outdoor theatre companies: Bard on the Beach, Greater Victoria Shakespeare Festival, Shakespeare on the Saskatchewan, Shakespeare in the Ruins, Shakespeare in the Ruff, Dream in High Park, Shakespeare in the Park, Bard in the Barracks, Shakespeare by the Sea (Halifax), Shakespeare by the Sea Festival (St. John's) Stratford Festival timeline Morten Parker's Oscar-nominated 1953 documentary, The Stratford Adventure, produced by the National Film Board of Canada Ian Rae, “The Stratford Festival and Canadian Cultural Nationalism,” from The Oxford Handbook of Canadian Literature, ed. Cynthia Conchita Sugars (2016) Glossary definition and additional resources on the #inthedressingroom conversation Bard on the Beach's Company Commitments “Ndo-Mshkawgaabwimi - We all are standing strong,” a video with “stories of endurance, resistance and resilience” told by members of the Indigenous Circle at Stratford (2020)

This week Ben and Norah contemplate the questions “are you… or have you ever been…,”  but first they talk about what they have been up to.  Surprising nobody, Norah has been watching plays and Ben has been (GASP!) playing his PS5.  After the definition ceremonies they discover that they each have very different first thoughts, but they both agree that experience can be vastly different for an individual.  They take a detour through the philosophical before moving on to games.  Finally, Ben talks about the origin of experience points in games, how video games utilize XP, and a few terms for Norah to add to her gamer glossary. 00:00:20 - 1 word, 2 hosts, stories, trivia, mumbo-jumbo, beige, and Futurama 00:02:20 - The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, sacking creative directors, and critiques 00:05:01 - Taking pills, Little Women, Little Richard the Second, and a Wrinkle in Time  00:07:30 - American Players Theater in Spring Green Wisconsin, and Frank Lloyd Wright 00:09:02 - Ben finished Deathloop and started on Ghostwire Tokyo and Ridiculous Fishing EX 00:11:52 - Presenting the definition and origin: Norah takes the noun and Ben takes the verb 00:15:02 - Jimi Hendrix and generational perspectives on playing the Star Spangled Banner 00:18:38 - The Isley Brothers, and what does the song “Are you experienced” mean?  00:21:37 - One of Ben's favorite movies “Brainstorm,” and a spoiler alert for a 40 year old film  00:25:15 - Recording brainwaves, drawing parallels to VR, and Norah is older than Ben 00:28:39 - Pinecones, too many variables, comprehensive Wikipedia articles, and webs 00:31:18 - “If there was a way you could experience something in a virtual environment…” 00:35:27 - Adrenalin, internalizing, a trip to Lithuania, food based profiling, and phrases  00:40:20 - A philosophical question, the senses, acquiring experience in games, and XP 00:43:04 - A “Dungeons & Dragons” origin, and experience points in roleplaying games 00:45:17 - Gaining experience points in “Ghostwire: Tokyo,” and Norah grasps the concept 00:48:00 - Types of XP growth progressions, eating, grinding, power-leveling, and a respec   00:53:42 - Do we want games to present realistic ways of gaining experience? 00:57:22 - Expectations, perceptions, perspectives on video games experience, and balance 01:01:35 - Vaguely putting a bow on the experience show… sort of!  Follow Two Vague on… Our website: http://www.twovaguepodcast.com  On Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/two_vague_podcast On YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/@twovaguepodcast On Twitter: https://twitter.com/TwoVaguePodcast For show appearance and other inquiries, contact us at: twovaguepodcast@gmail.com

David is a Canadian psychiatrist, professor of psychiatry at the University of Toronto, author, lecturer and mental health advocate. He most recently served from 2003-2022 as the Senior Medical Advisor of the Centre for Addiction and Mental Health (CAMH) and a psychiatric consultant.  Beyond his mental health work, he is a member of the board of the Royal Conservatory of Music. He has also chaired the board of governors of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival of Canada as well as chairing the board of directors of the Off Centre Music Salon, a professional chamber music ensemble. David served on the board of directors of the Glenn Gould Foundation.

It's Rapare, Thursday April the 6th Anei nga kaupapa mo tenei haora.. Top stories this morning... The Reserve Bank's surprise 50 basis points rate hike baffles some economists. Former Prime MInister Jacinda Ardern bows out of Parliament delivering her valedictory speech last night. Health officials are urgently trying to sequence a strain of whooping cough they say is unusually deadly. In the US, Donald Trump's court appearance reinvigorates his Presidential campaign And the Stratford Shakespeare Festival gets underway in Taranaki

The be-all and end-all of the Bard is on show at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival in Taranaki this month. Back for the first time in a decade, the event boasts performances from luminaries such as Michael Hurst, features drive-in movies and culminates in Baldrick's Big Day Out. Taranaki Whanganui reporter Robin Martin went along to take a look.  

Imagine: You are lost in a storm, looking for shelter. You find a castle and knock on the door... About today's storyteller: Ginette Mohr is a writer, performer, and producer of Catch Me in the Kitchen Audio Adventures and Audio Snacks. She works to motivate a more conscious and compassionate community through the creation of imaginative, participatory experiences. Her theatre credits include The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Neptune Theatre, Young People's Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Drayton Entertainment, Theatre Direct, Theatre Aquarius, The Quickening Theatre, SNAFU Dance Theatre, Keystone Theatre, Canvas Sky Theatre, and The Second City. You can catch her in the kitchen drawing with her kids. Draw and share... What do you imagine the characters look like? What was your favourite moment in the story? If you'd like to share a drawing you've made inspired by 'The Princess and the Pea', you can do that at catchmeinthekitchen.com/fan-art and we will post it on our story fridge! Catch the latest! Subscribe to our newsletter at catchmeinthekitchen.com to get the latest stories, songs, and activities. If you have a minute, drop us a note - we would love to hear from you! Our first audiobook, ‘Pigs, Princesses, and One Tough Turtle', along with a paperback copy, is available through our website. Les mots sont délicieux! Words are delicious. French/English from today's snack: la reine: the queen un oiseau: a bird un poème: a poem une princesse: a princess maman: mom les calèches royales: the royal carriages le château: the castle une vraie princesse: a real princess un cheval: a horse la nuit: the night les pantalons: pants une nuit: one night la porte: the door un pois: a pea la pluie: the rain une cuillère: a spoon le monde: the world moi aussi: me too demain: tomorrow bonne nuit: good night le matelas: the mattress attendez: wait merci: thank you la fin: the end Merci beaucoup! Merci à Ginette Mohr for ‘The Princess and the Pea.' This story was directed by Liz Pounsett and performed by Ginette Mohr and Stephen LaFrenie. Audio snack episode narration by Professor Pineapple, Ginette Mohr, and Bearkin. Episode music composed and performed by Tim Freeman, The Pickle Peppers, and Red Velvet Revolution. 'Fun Times Ahead' performed by Dream-Protocol. See you soon! A bientôt! Support Catch Me in the Kitchen Audio Snacks: an English-French stories podcast for kids by contributing to their tip jar: https://tips.pinecast.com/jar/catch-me-in-the-kitchen-audio-

On today's Bizzimumzi episode, Ashley is joined in conversation with famed Broadway actress, Nikki James.         Nikki M. James originated the role of “Nabalungiâ in the Tony Award-winning musical The Book of Mormon, for which she received the Tony Award as Best Featured Actress in a Musical. Other Broadway credits include All Shook Up and The Adventures of Tom Sawyer. Additional theater credits include Romeo and Juliet, Caesar and Cleopatra opposite Christopher Plummer at Stratford Shakespeare Festival, The Wiz at La Jolla Playhouse, Bernarda Alba at Lincoln Center, House of Flowers at Encores! and Walmartopia.        Nikki and her husband are expecting a baby girl and they couldn't be more excited. Nikki found out the news they were expecting while working on a show in Washington, DC. She gave it her all, 8 shows a week, and her girl thrived in her tummy during the entire show's run. Nikki laughs that she never expected to be belting it out on stage in 4 inch heels and a corset while expecting but she also found it to be incredibly liberating.        During this Bizzimumzi chat we also discuss:     * Handling Baby Loss   * Expecting while performing   * Fitness for my body and mind    * Genetic Testing in the early stages   * The Positive Birth Company as a source of community   * Nikki Bergen, The Belle Method, fab resource for expecting Mom's.    * High Risk Pregnancy    * How liberating it is to tell a stranger you are expecting.        This Bizzimumzi episode is sponsored by Bumpdate.  Bumpdate is transforming the way we embrace our pregnancies with the first-ever mobile app allowing close friends and families to support expecting parents while they share their expected due dates, pregnancy timelines, gift registry links, planned location of delivery, baby names or nicknames and genders, children's birthdays and ages, and much more in a private, streamlined way. Unlike other apps with due date calculators, Bumpdate has an easy-to-read trimester meter and real-time pregnancy calculations by number of weeks and days. While the app predominantly targets pregnant women and parents, it's also a way for family and friends to intimately follow along their journey and remember to check-in during milestone moments and events. To learn more click here: Bumpdate         Bizzimumzi Social Media Resources:   Facebook / Instagram / Twitter / Youtube      

I met Tal Shulman at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival where he blew me away in a small role in Shakespeare in Love. We talk about being Canadian, Jewish, Gay, socialism and so much more.Support the show (https://www.facebook.com/ReallyLegalPodcast)

Intro to this Episode In this Episode of In the Holding Room we are joined by performer, David Silvestre for our “Performer Spotlight” segment. Amongst other notable performances, David has been seen at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 42nd Street and The Pirates of Penzance. He appeared on the Toronto stage in the productions of Kinky Boots. He understudied Ramin Karimaloo as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and is currently in (although the show is on hiatus) Come From Away. Our “Professor’s Corner” segment features composer, conductor, musical director extraordinaire, Sean Michael Flowers, back again talking about why you should write letters to your heroes. In “Thank you 5” this week, I will be talking about the improv games you should be playing to better prepare yourself for your auditions. Episode Summary David walks us through some of his auditions including the one for Les Misérables where Cameron Mackintosh calls Boublil and Schonberg into the room to hear him sing. Sean drops value bombs as to why cultivating your network is incredibly important and what things to look out for when first starting out, as well as tips to find mentors to help you grow. I also discuss one of my passions, which is Improv, and the games that will help you better connect with your material, so you have a well thought out monologue and song performance for your auditions. Quotable quotes from this Episode “Don’t limit yourself, especially at an audition” “Anything that makes my time in front of the piano less and in front of the casting director more.” “Oh good! Now I’m going to sing Bring Him Home for Cameron Mackintosh, no biggie” “You never know who you are standing next to, because they could go on to be stars!” “You must have the audacity to believe the impossible is possible” Resources For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit: https://performerstuff.com/ Engage with the Show facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom David Silvestre: Audition Coaching https://www.silvestristudio.com/

Intro to this Episode In this Episode of In the Holding Room we are joined by performer, David Silvestre for our “Performer Spotlight” segment. Amongst other notable performances, David has been seen at The Stratford Shakespeare Festival in 42nd Street and The Pirates of Penzance. He appeared on the Toronto stage in the productions of Kinky Boots. He understudied Ramin Karimaloo as Jean Valjean in Les Misérables and is currently in (although the show is on hiatus) Come From Away. Our “Professor’s Corner” segment features composer, conductor, musical director extraordinaire, Sean Michael Flowers, back again talking about why you should write letters to your heroes. In “Thank you 5” this week, I will be talking about the improv games you should be playing to better prepare yourself for your auditions. Episode Summary David walks us through some of his auditions including the one for Les Misérables where Cameron Mackintosh calls Boublil and Schonberg into the room to hear him sing. Sean drops value bombs as to why cultivating your network is incredibly important and what things to look out for when first starting out, as well as tips to find mentors to help you grow. I also discuss one of my passions, which is Improv, and the games that will help you better connect with your material, so you have a well thought out monologue and song performance for your auditions. Quotable quotes from this Episode “Don’t limit yourself, especially at an audition” “Anything that makes my time in front of the piano less and in front of the casting director more.” “Oh good! Now I’m going to sing Bring Him Home for Cameron Mackintosh, no biggie” “You never know who you are standing next to, because they could go on to be stars!” “You must have the audacity to believe the impossible is possible” Resources For all your audition needs including sheet music, tracks, monologues advice and so much more visit: https://performerstuff.com/ Engage with the Show facebook.com/InTheHoldingRoom David Silvestre: Audition Coaching https://www.silvestristudio.com/

We have an incredible guest for you today: Lanise Antoine Shelley!! I had the privilege of watching Lanise perform at Stratford Festival in Ontario, Canada years ago and have admired her work and journey ever since.    Lanise Antoine Shelley is a multi-passionate Haitian actress, director, playwright, podcast host and visual artist. You may know her from Chicago Fire, Chicago Med, Empire, Discovery World, and Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Macbeth HD.    She has had the immense pleasure of studying abroad six times while achieving a BFA from Cornish College of the Arts, MFA from ART/MXAT at Harvard University, certificate in classical theatre from the British American Drama Academy in Oxford, England. ​ Additionally, she was nominated for the Princess Grace Award, nominated for a Jeff award, nominated Best Leading Actress by the BTAA, and was Stratford Shakespeare Festival's Chicago Fellow 2016. As a director, she served as Victory Gardens Theater's Directors Inclusion Initiative Fellow 2019.    Learn how over the course of Lanise's prolific career many opportunities birthed out of intuitive pings, and how she routinely summoned the faith, took leaps and followed the calls along the way.    By the end of this episode, you will never show up to an audition without being donned in your finest attire!   You'll discover: How Lanise's vivid imagination as a child catapulted her into many artistic avenues Why Lanise prefers the terms intercountry, intercultural or interracial adoptee vs transracial  What Lanise encourages artists to do to allow themselves to absorb the world and apply it to their art Why Lanise dresses up for auditions (yes, you are Beautiful, Powerful, Gorgeous!) What artistic goal took her 9 years to manifest The 3 plays she performed in at Stratford Festival that blew her expectations  The biggest takeaways she got from studying at the Moscow Art Theatre  How she was inspired by a birth chart reading that ignited the trajectory of her podcast “When They Were Young” How she wrote and directed her play “Pretended” in quarantine Why Lanise is on a crusade to lift the fog and misconceptions on the fairytale centric qualities of adoption  How Lanise can talk so freely because of the healing work she has done    We explore all of this and SO much more!! Take a screenshot of this episode and tag @lantoines and @serabanda in your Instagram stories to let us know what you thought of this episode!   Lanise provides her own special #speechforthestage for us so be sure to stick to the end and incorporate these awesome trills into your routine.    Visit Lanise on facebook!   Check out Lanise's website!   Tune into When They Were Young: Amplifying Voices of Adoptees and check out @youngadoptee on Instagram!   Be sure to check out One Child Nation on Amazon.    Write me a wish letter and let me know what you want to discuss next! impulse@actortoartist.com   Join the International Ensemble on Instagram: @actortoartist   Grab my Free Energy Exercise to co-create your dream #actorslife!   Disclaimer: Your use of the content on this podcast, content on actortoartist.com, content on our social media or content from our email list is at your own risk. Actor to Artist does not guarantee any results from using this content and is for educational purposes only. It is your responsibility to do your own research, consult, and obtain a professional for your medical, psychological, legal, financial, health or other help that you may need for your situation.

This episode features a lively chat about Shakespeare and playwriting with Craig Ester! While listening, share the show on social media! Support the show by leaving a rating or review on Apple Podcasts and subscribe wherever you listen to podcasts. Thanks for listening, I appreciate you!The Tea aka Topics: Theatre, Shakespeare, Classical Theatre, Chekhov, Performing, Acting, Royal Shakespeare Company, Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Detroit Theatre Programs, Mosaic Youth Theatre, Mapping the Text, Performing Shakespeare, Ball State University, Jennifer Blackmer, Zulu Manhood Ceremonies, PlaywritingSupport the show!Continue the conversation on Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/lifeintheatrepodcast/Follow the pod on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lifeintheatrepodcastInterested in sponsoring the podcast? Email the host athttps://www.tylercalhoun.com/contactFOLLOW CRAIG: https://www.craigesterjr.com/https://www.facebook.com/Sonnets4SanityPodcast Art by Christine FranzenTheme music by Tommy BarkerSupport the show (https://www.patreon.com/lifeintheatrepodcast)

Today on the pod we have a forward thinking chat with the super compassionate, always passionate, David Connolly, who reminds us it’s always better to glitter than be bitter! David Connolly is the Associate Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment, where he has helmed over thirty productions! David leads Drayton's Youth Training Program and is also an adjunct professor to many performing arts colleges across Canada. Having also been the only below knee double amputee performer to ever perform on Broadway, he is also a huge advocate for very-abled-actors within the community. In our discussion with David we talk about his new initiative that began in response to social distancing, Matinee to Z. We also have an important discussion about people with disabilities, that encourages us to broaden our thinking beyond any labels, and David gets us excited about our 'new normal' going forward.David’s career has been vast and diverse. He was a cast member in the Broadway revival of Shenandoah, and from there become a company member of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. David then moved to LA and spent 7 years working as an Associate Producer and Creative Director at Anita Mann Productions. He brought that knowledge back to Canada to choreograph, cast, and co-direct the CBC smash hit children’s series, The Doodlebops. Some of David’s other director/choreographer credits include; Newsies, Priscilla, Queen of the Desert, Hairspray, Singin’ In The Rain, Mamma Mia! First Wives Club, The Musical, and Disney’s High School Musical. Come hang with us, grab a drink, and let’s all get through this together.

Kim Coates is a Canadian-American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American films and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and in the lead role of Macbeth performed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He also starred as Alexander “Tig” Trager in the FX series Sons of Anarchy. Key Points 1. Follow Your Bliss Life is too short to live every day doing things that you dislike. If you love something, do it, end of story. If you want to be an actor, act. If you want to be a musician, play music. If you want to start a business, do it! Don’t let anyone or anything hold you back from pursuing what you love. Follow your bliss, and the rest will fall into place. 2. Be Willing to Wait Until You Are Ready Once you have committed to a path, whether it is business, acting, athletics etc. be willing to wait until you are ready to take the big leap. For Kim, he continued to master his craft of acting on stage for 8 years before he took the leap into television. For you, it may mean working an apprenticeship for a few years before you start your business, it may mean playing local gigs with your band for a few years before you quit your job and try touring. Don’t rush things. Excellence takes time. 3. Failure is Not an Option Success is simple, you simply have to remove the possibility of failure from your mind. When failure is no longer an option, success is inevitable. Once you have started following your bliss and prepared yourself for the leap, it is time to burn your boats and leave yourself no choice but to succeed. Whether that is moving to a new city, quitting your job, or investing all of your dispensable cash into a business, when you give yourself no way out, you will succeed. 4. Keep Your Head on Straight Once you start to see success, it is easy to let it go to your head. You have to be diligent in making sure that you keep your head on straight. Stay away from the masses living the rock star lifestyle who will end up ruining their career within a few short years. If you want longevity in whatever path you select, you have to continually grow and avoid things that are detrimental to your public image and success. 5. A Real Man Listens More and Talks Less  You were given two ears and one mouth for a reason, use them in that proportion.

Anyone who has beat out Heart and Soul on the piano, fell in love with the soundtrack to “Sleepless in Seattle” or can remember Ray Charles singing Georgia on My Mind is familiar with Hoagy Carmichael’s music. His song Stardust has been recorded over 2000 times and was selected for inclusion in the National Recording Registry at the Library of Congress in 2004. For the last six years, Carmichael’s son Hoagy Bix, Tony-nominated director Susan H. Schulman, and choreographer Michael Lichtefeld have been developing a new musical featuring songs from Carmichael’s catalog called STARDUST ROAD. Hear what they have to say about that, Hoagy Carmichael's legacy, and more.  https://rduonstage.com/2019/10/20/podcast-transcript-the-birth-of-the-new-musical-stardust-road-with-hoagy-bix-carmichael-tony-nominee-susan-h-schulman-and-michael-lichtefeld/ (To read a transcript of this episode, click here.) About the Guests Hoagy Bix Carmichael is a film, television, and theatrical producer. He worked as assistant director for Hecht Hill Lancaster of such films as “The Rabbit Trap” (Universal Pictures), “Elmer Gantry” (Columbia Pictures), and ”Separate Tables” (Columbia Pictures). While at WGBH/TV in Boston, he co-produced many productions including “On Being Black,” “The Music Shop” and “The Advocates” for PBS. He was the managing director/producer for “Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.” Mr. Carmichael co-manages the Hoagy Carmichael music catalog, and was the Artistic Producer of the “Hoagy Carmichael Centennial Celebration.” A founding member of AmSong, Inc., an advocacy organization for American songwriters, Carmichael served as its president for three years. https://www.hoagy.com/ (https://www.hoagy.com/) Susan H. Schulman’s Broadway credits include the Tony Award-winning musical THE SECRET GARDEN as well as its highly successful national tour, the revival of SWEENEY TODD at the Circle in the Square, for which she received a Tony Award nomination, the revival of THE SOUND OF MUSIC (Tony nomination for Outstanding Revival) and LITTLE WOMEN, the musical and its successful national tour. For her direction of the highly acclaimed musical VIOLET, winner of The New York Drama Critic’s Circle Award for Best Musical, Schulman received a Drama Desk nomination for Best Director. She received an Obie Award for directing MERRILY WE ROLL ALONG at the York Theatre a production which also received the Lucille Lortel Award for Outstanding Revival, as well as several Outer Critics and Drama Desk nominations. For the prestigious Stratford Festival of Canada, she has directed nine productions and her many regional and national tour productions are SUNSET BOULEVARD with Petula Clark and the premiere of HEARTLAND. Schulman is a member of the executive board of SDC, a graduate of the Yale Drama School, Hofstra University, and New York’s famed High School of Performing Arts. Michael Lichtefeld choreographed six Broadway musicals including, LITTLE WOMEN, THE SOUND OF MUSIC, THE SECRET GARDEN, GENTLEMEN PREFER BLONDES and LAUGHING ROOM ONLY. He worked off-Broadway choreographing eight musicals and 10 national/international tours. For the Stratford Shakespeare Festival, he choreographed nine musicals and directed/choreographed SOUTH PACIFIC and MY ONE AND ONLY. He has also been nominated for the Drama Desk Award and three outer Critics’ Circle Awards. This summer he will travel to Australia for the 25th Anniversary remount of THE SECRET GARDEN with Susan H. Schulman. Connect with RDU on Stage Facebook – @rduonstage Twitter – @rduonstage Instagram – @rduonstage Web http://www.rduonstage.com/ (www.rduonstage.com) Support this podcast

The late, great jazz composer and bandleader Duke Ellington once said, “Whether it be Shakespeare or jazz, the only thing that counts is the emotional effect on the listener.” In the summer of 1956, Ellington found himself seriously digging the bard. Inspired by his encounters with the Stratford Shakespeare Festival while on tour in Stratford, Ontario, he composed a twelve-part suite titled “Such Sweet Thunder.” This week, the critically acclaimed suite becomes the soundtrack for a new joint production from Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, Nine Network of Public Media, Jazz St. Louis, and The Big Muddy Dance Company. In this segment, Sarah Fenske talks about the production with Tom Ridgely, executive producer of Shakespeare Festival St. Louis, and Gene Dobbs Bradford, president and CEO of Jazz St. Louis.

Sarah Joy BennettSarah Joy Bennett is an actor, writer and designer. She is a member of Keystone Theatre, which creates original works in the style of silent film, and with them has toured Canada with their shows The Last Man On Earth and Gold Fever.Other past projects as a co-creator include Theatre Sasa’s puppetry-based The Pressed Fairy Book, and Power Of Flight’s original musical The Ballad Of One-Eyed Jack. She has also performed with Classic Theatre Festival, Odyssey Theatre, Brookstone Theatre, and Metaphysical Theatre. As the burlesque performer Cherry Temple, she has been featured in international burlesque festivals, and at Le Tambour Royal Theatre, in Paris.Her writing work includes Postcards (CBC Radio, Out Front), and Trophy, a Summerworks Festival installation for which she was part of a team of writers and storytellers.Ginette MohrGinette is an award-winning performer, director and playwright. Her twenty-year career in the performing arts has galvanized her love for live experiences and direct contact with people. Driven by curiosity, she works to motivate a more conscious and compassionate community through the creation of imaginative, participatory theatre.She has created theatre with companies that include: The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Neptune Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, Theatre New Brunswick, Drayton Entertainment, Theatre Direct, Theatre Aquarius, The Quickening Theatre, Keystone Theatre, and The Second City. Ginette recently directed and co-created Snack Music and Table Top Tales with SNAFU Dance Theatre.Night FeedAs an exhausted new mother nurses in the dark of yet another night, her apartment comes to life; possessions possessed with the demons of fear, self-doubt and anxiety, a chorus of objects and body parts. You know, standard parenting stuff.Fringe veterans-turned-mothers Sarah Joy Bennett and Ginette Mohr return to Toronto Fringe with CLUNK Puppet Lab, turning their brand of imaginative storytelling to tackle motherhood, injecting a healthy dose of the bizarre and surreal to make sense of “the most meaningful time of your life”.www.nightfeed.ca Instagram: nightfeedplay Twitter: @nightfeedplay Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/nightfeedplay Tickets: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/night-feed

Steve Rankin is an actor, director, fight director and musician. His career spans over 40 years acting in plays in regional theaters all over the country and Off Broadway and most notably on Broadway in a production of Henry IV at Lincoln Center. On TV and film he has over 100 credits including: Men In Black, Blue Streak, various Star Trek series and many many more. As a Fight Director his fights have been seen in productions all over the world. On Broadway he has staged 18 shows including Tony winners Henry IV, The Who's Tommy, Jersey Boys, Memphis and most recently Ain't Too Proud the life and times of the Temptations. He won a Drama Desk Award for Best Fight Choreography for Carousel. Also 50 productions of Shakespeare most notably at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival currently he is staging Coriolanus for Shakespeare in the Park for the Public Theater in NY. As a musician Steve plays mandolin, guitar and bouzouki with the Susie Glaze New Folk Ensemble. The group has recorded 7 CD's the most recent being Not That Kind of Girl and the soon to be released Live from McCabe's. Their CD Listen To the Mockingbird and other songs of the Lincoln era is a sound track for the Abraham Lincoln Museum in Springfield, Illinois. Steve also plays in a group called The Enterprise Blues Band performing at Star Trek Conventions all over the world. They have 2 CD's the most recent is called Intergalactic Roots Music. Info for both band can be found at susieglaze.com and ebluesband.com.

Kim Coates is a Canadian-American actor who has worked in both Canadian and American films and television series. He has worked on Broadway portraying Stanley Kowalski in A Streetcar Named Desire and in the lead role of Macbeth performed at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival. He also starred as Alexander “Tig” Trager in the FX series Sons of Anarchy. Key Points 1. Follow Your Bliss Life is too short to live every day doing things that you dislike. If you love something, do it, end of story. If you want to be an actor, act. If you want to be a musician, play music. If you want to start a business, do it! Don't let anyone or anything hold you back from pursuing what you love. Follow your bliss, and the rest will fall into place. 2. Be Willing to Wait Until You Are Ready Once you have committed to a path, whether it is business, acting, athletics etc. be willing to wait until you are ready to take the big leap. For Kim, he continued to master his craft of acting on stage for 8 years before he took the leap into television. For you, it may mean working an apprenticeship for a few years before you start your business, it may mean playing local gigs with your band for a few years before you quit your job and try touring. Don't rush things. Excellence takes time. 3. Failure is Not an Option Success is simple, you simply have to remove the possibility of failure from your mind. When failure is no longer an option, success is inevitable. Once you have started following your bliss and prepared yourself for the leap, it is time to burn your boats and leave yourself no choice but to succeed. Whether that is moving to a new city, quitting your job, or investing all of your dispensable cash into a business, when you give yourself no way out, you will succeed. 4. Keep Your Head on Straight Once you start to see success, it is easy to let it go to your head. You have to be diligent in making sure that you keep your head on straight. Stay away from the masses living the rock star lifestyle who will end up ruining their career within a few short years. If you want longevity in whatever path you select, you have to continually grow and avoid things that are detrimental to your public image and success. 5. A Real Man Listens More and Talks Less  You were given two ears and one mouth for a reason, use them in that proportion.

Mentorship. Canada vs US. Female empowerment. Money. Magical mixes of motivation.  We cover it all with this incredible man. Jay T Schramek has a twenty year teaching career spanning Canada’s most prestigious post-secondary arts institutions and dozens of dance studios. A graduate of Ryerson University’s dance program and a former Mr. Dance of Canada, he has been a faculty member at the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts, George Brown College and Saint Lawrence College.As a performer, he continues to work in theatres across the continent. He has performed for The Stratford Shakespeare Festival, Mirvish Productions, Capitol Theatre, Charlottetown Festival, Stage West, Drayton Entertainment, Clearchannel Entertainment and dozens more. Jay is one of North America’s most prolific talent adjudicators and has judged and hosted over 100 talent competitions, pageants and festivals across the globe. He is a member and contributor to the Professional Adjudicator Alliance manual, has written articles for The Agent’s Book and had a column in Dance Canada Quarterly. Jay is a recipient of a Tyrone Guthrie Award and a Maud Whitmore Scholarship. He recently became the exclusive Canadian distributor of Miller and Ben tap shoes. Check out Tap Shoes Canada to buy the world’s best tap dancing shoes!

Des McAnuff is the American-Canadian former artistic director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and director of such Broadway musical theatre productions as Big River, The Who's Tommy and Jersey Boys. He was artistic director of the La Jolla Playhouse, which he revived in 1983, during which time the theatre won more than 200 awards. For the Playhouse, he directed Romeo and Juliet, A Mad World, My Masters, Big River, As You Like It, A Walk in the Woods, Two Rooms, 80 Days, Macbeth, Three Sisters, Elmer Gantry, Much Ado About Nothing, The Who's Tommy, and How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying. He has directed two motion pictures, The Adventures of Rocky and Bullwinkle (2000) and Cousin Bette (1998). Des has directed some of my favorite shows on Broadway. On top of his directorial credits, Des has been the Director-In-Charge at both the La Jolla Playhouse and the Stratford Festival, taking both organizations to new heights during his reign. As you can imagine, he and I had a lot to talk about, including . . . How starting a theater company with other like-minded up-and-comers helped launch his career (that theater company is the now powerhouse producing org, The Dodgers, by the way). How he develops a show . . . which is never the same way twice. How the Broadway/Regional Theater enhancement model was born  . . and why he thinks what’s happening in that market today is “dangerous.” The challenges of creating a musical with pre-existing music (Tommy, Jersey Boys) and his tips on how to do it. What show (or should I say “shows”?) he’s dying to direct . . . and why.   Keep up with me: @KenDavenportBway www.theproducersperspective.com Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Episode 114: The Working Actor: Back to School   Actor Steve Ross has spent 11 years at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and has performed for many years across Canada. He talks about the first step in his acting career - going to the National Theatre School. What stays with him about that time? Why did he choose that school? Why did he almost leave? Did it prepare him for a career as a working actor? Listen in and find out.   Show Notes National Theatre School of Canada Steve Ross @ The Stratford Festival Join our email list Among Friends and Clutter Episode Transcript Welcome to TFP – The Theatrefolk Podcast – the place to be for Drama teachers, Drama students, and theatre educators everywhere. I'm Lindsay Price, resident playwright for Theatrefolk. Hello, I hope you're well. Thanks for listening. Welcome to Episode 114. You can find all the links for this episode at theatrefolk.com/episode114. Today, we continue our Working Actor series on the podcast. What is it like to be a working actor? How did a choice of school help? What is it like to tour? What's something you should definitely not do? The focus for this week is “back to school.” How does theatre school help prepare a working actor? Today, I talk to actor Steve Ross who is just finishing up his eleventh year of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival and he started his journey at Canada's National Theatre School and I just need to preface that, when I was recording this podcast, I was suffering from a mild case of consumption – better known as a cold – I'm sniffling and coughing, all that fun stuff. I apologize greatly. Lindsay: Hello everyone! I'm here with Steve Ross. Hello Steve! Steve: Hello! How are you? Lindsay: I'm wonderful. Thank you so much for joining me today. Steve: Pleasure. Lindsay: All right. So, first of all, where in the world are you right now? Steve: I am in Stratford. I am in my eleventh season at the Stratford Festival. Lindsay: Is that lovely to have a long-term job? Do you look forward to it every year? Steve: It's fantastic. Lindsay: Yeah? Steve: Not only is it nice to have an eight-month gig in general but it's also just a really fantastic place to work. I have loved it since I got here. I didn't intend to ever get here. Lindsay: No? Steve: No, I didn't ever think I would, actually. It was sort of assumed when I went to the National Theatre School. It's kind of a pipeline and people just immediately head to Stratford, but I didn't because I wanted to really look at musicals. When I graduated, it was the time of the big, big musicals and multiple musicals running in Toronto and I wanted to focus on that. So, I moved to Toronto right away instead of pursuing Stratford and I was there for seven years before they called me to come in to audition and I finally did get my head around, “Yeah, we could do both; we can do musicals and classical stuff here,” and I have since fallen deeply in love with the place. Lindsay: Isn't that interesting? I think sometimes actors get into their head that they can only be one kind of actor, do one kind of thing. Steve: Yeah. Lindsay: Is that something that you went through when you were a younger actor? Steve: Well, I think I imposed it on myself, weirdly. There I was at a really wonderful classical school that was giving you wonderful classical training and all I wanted was to do musicals and I guess I was too narrow-minded. That's all I wanted to do and I actually almost quit NTS. Lindsay: Wow. Steve: Because I thought, “You know what? If I'm going to do this, I should focus more on musical theatre,” and, as I was on my way to quit, our singing teacher at NTS walked by me in the hall – and he was a great guy – and he said, “Oh, where are you going?” I said, “I think I'm going to quit and go to Sheraton for musical theatre,” and, completely innocently, he went, “Oh, that's weird.

John Hirsch: In October of 1984, Hungarian-Canadian director John Hirsch, who directed classical theatre for thirty-two years and served as Artistic Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival from 1981-1985, sat down with Richard Harden for a ninety-minute roundtable discussion. He talks about the definition of classical theatre, which he defines as plays which survive the test of time and speak to audiences of all ages, and classicists, who submerge themselves in a single subject. Hirsch and Harden discuss Shakespeare, Chekhov, and the ecology of playwriting in which playwrights must know the classics to write new ones. The industry struggles they address, including financial accessibility and lack of importance outside of the arts world, bear a striking resemblance to those facing the theatre world over twenty-five years later. For an insightful exploration of classical theatre or to recall a time when an expensive Broadway ticket cost only $45, listen to this interview! Originally recorded - October 10, 1984. Running Time - 1:25:14 © 1984 SDCF

Where do the stars from Broadway’s biggest shows stop before the curtain? The Wing’s Downstage Center. From the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to the La Jolla Playhouse to Broadway, the current revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" has the theatre world buzzing. In the latest Downstage Center, two of the shows stars, Bruce Dow and Josh Young, discuss the origins of the current revival, roles, dramaturgy, the script, and surprise visits early on from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Where do the stars from Broadway’s biggest shows stop before the curtain? The Wing’s Downstage Center. From the Stratford Shakespeare Festival to the La Jolla Playhouse to Broadway, the current revival of "Jesus Christ Superstar" has the theatre world buzzing. In the latest Downstage Center, two of the shows stars, Bruce Dow and Josh Young, discuss the origins of the current revival, roles, dramaturgy, the script, and surprise visits early on from Andrew Lloyd Webber and Tim Rice.

Brian Dennehy portrays two contrasting miscreants in productions of Shakespeare's “Twelfth Night” and Harold Pinter's “Homecoming” at the Stratford Shakespeare Festival.

In October of 1984, Hungarian-Canadian director John Hirsch, who directed classical theatre for thirty-two years and served as Artistic Director of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival from 1981-1985, sat down with Richard Harden for a ninety-minute roundtable discussion. He talks about the definition of classical theatre, which he defines as plays which survive the test of time and speak to audiences of all ages, and classicists, who submerge themselves in a single subject. Hirsch and Harden discuss Shakespeare, Chekhov, and the ecology of playwriting in which playwrights must know the classics to write new ones. The industry struggles they address, including financial accessibility and lack of importance outside of the arts world, bear a striking resemblance to those facing the theatre world over twenty-five years later. For an insightful exploration of classical theatre or to recall a time when an expensive Broadway ticket cost "only" $45, listen to this interview!

Martha Henry, actor, director and long-time member of the Stratford Shakespeare Festival company speaks with Laurie Brown in the final National Arts Centre English Theatre 2007-08 Celebrity Speakers Series.