Podcasts about touchstone theatre

Get More LVWITHLOVE Content at LVwithLOVE.com The SouthSide Film Festival is proud to present Rooted — a new documentary tracing 50 years of creative life in Bethlehem, Pennsylvania. In this episode, George Wacker sits down with three of the artists featured in the film: Bill George of Touchstone Theatre, Doug Roysdon of Mock Turtle Marionette Theatre, and Dave Fry of Godfrey Daniels. Together, they reflect on what it means to create and collaborate in a post-industrial city shaped by both hardship and hope. We talk about the early days of the Lehigh Valley arts scene, the personal and cultural challenges that defined their work, and how a community of artists helped transform Bethlehem from a steel town into a space for bold, grassroots creativity. Rooted Screening: Sunday, June 15, 2025 at 2:00 PM Location: Baker Hall at Zoellner Arts Center Tickets: Get them here Listen to the podcast: www.lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com/podcast/rooted Southside Film Festival Dates: June 10–14, 2025 (with a showing of Rooted on the 15th!) Locations: Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Touchstone Theatre, PBS39, and more Info & Tickets: ssff.org Watch Episode Thank you to our Partners! L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Programs WDIY Lehigh Valley Health Network Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company

Get More LVWITHLOVE Content at LVwithLOVE.com The SouthSide Film Festival is turning 21 — and it's still one of the Lehigh Valley's most vibrant, volunteer-driven cultural events. In this episode, George Wacker sits down with Festival Director Jen Cotto and longtime jury member Ben Bertalan to talk about the grassroots origins of the fest, how they choose which films to feature (“Would you pay $10 to see it?”), and what makes this year's event more international and community-driven than ever. We get into past favorites like Tucker & Dale vs. Evil, this year's picks like 25 Cats from Qatar and 40 Watts from Nowhere, and how the SouthSide Film Festival remains a celebration of weird, wonderful cinema — built by and for the Lehigh Valley. Festival Dates: June 10–14, 2025 (with a showing of Rooted on the 15th!) Locations: Cathedral Church of the Nativity, Touchstone Theatre, PBS39, and more Info & Tickets: ssff.org Watch Episode https://youtu.be/wErRTUrvj1Y Thank you to our Partners! L.L. Bean Outdoor Discovery Programs WDIY Lehigh Valley Health Network Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company SouthSide Film Festival Turns 21 and Stays Purely Indie The SouthSide Film Festival returns June 10 through 14 in South Bethlehem. In this episode of Lehigh Valley with Love, host George Wacker talks with Festival Director Jen Cotto and longtime jury member Ben Bertalan about what makes this grassroots, international film event so unique. It began as a casual idea between friends at a coffee shop. Two decades later, it has become a fully independent, volunteer-powered celebration of independent film with global reach and deep local roots. “We are an international film festival. We have films from Qatar and Cyprus this year. Ireland. Almost every state in the United States.” — Jen Cotto What Makes a SouthSide Film? Each year, the jury screens hundreds of submissions. Films come through FilmFreeway, and the process begins in the fall. “We start meeting in September through April. We sit and we watch these films and we say, would we suggest people spend $10 to see this?” — Jen Cotto That simple question shapes every selection. Jury members consider story, plot, acting, technical quality, and whether the film offers something worth an audience’s time and money. A Festival Built on Volunteer Power SouthSide Film Festival has no corporate sponsors or large institutional backers. It operates on community energy and independence. “We are not affiliated with any other nonprofit in the area. Everybody thinks we're part of ArtsQuest. We are not. We don't get any money from them.” — Jen Cotto “We are such a best-kept secret in the Valley. If we were to get a bigger audience, I'm not expecting us to get Musikfest numbers. But we would be comfortable with two or three times the audience we have.” — Jen Cotto This Festival Is About Connection More than just screenings, SouthSide offers Q&A sessions with filmmakers and real audience interaction. There are no competitive prizes or red carpet ceremonies. Instead, there is conversation. “We don't really give prizes. We give an audience award, where people write in their favorite feature and short film. That's it. We don't offer a monetary prize.” — Jen Cotto What to Watch in 2025 25 Cats from QatarA documentary about an organization that rescues stray cats and brings them to the U.S. “That one's showing Wednesday night. The filmmaker is going to be there. It's a great film.” — Jen Cotto 40 Watts from NowhereThe story of a pirate radio station in 1990s San Francisco “I had read her book in the early 2000s. I was amazed. There's a documentary on it. Now I want to see it.” — Ben Bertalan How to Attend June 10–14, 2025 Info and tickets: https://southsidefilmfestival.com Screening Locations Cathedral Church of the Nativity Touchstone Theatre PBS39 Frank Banko Alehouse Cinema (Friday late-night screening) Festival HQ: Deja Brew Coffeehouse (tickets, info, programs) Want to Get Involved? SouthSide is always looking for new volunteers and future jury members. The best way to join is to stop by Deja Brew, message on Instagram or Facebook, or visit the website. “We are always on the lookout for people who want to help. Board members, volunteers. Some nights on the jury can get unruly, but we're always open to more people.” — Jen Cotto Listen to the Full Episode www.lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com/podcast/southside

Get More LVWITHLOVE Content Guests: Mary Wright – Education Director & Ensemble Member, Touchstone Theatre Krista Metter – Local Actor, Teaching Artist, and Touchstone Collaborator In this episode of the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast, host George Wacker talks with Mary Wright and Krista Metter from Touchstone Theatre about the 20th Annual Young Playwrights' Festival, taking place Sunday, May 18 at 3 PM at Northeast Middle School in Bethlehem. This unique festival brings to life a selection of original one-act plays written by local elementary and middle school students—performed onstage by professional actors and community volunteers. The Young Playwrights' Lab began more than 20 years ago as an after-school program designed to foster literacy, confidence, and creative expression. Today, it's impacted over 2,000 students and remains one of the most joyful, collaborative, and heartfelt nights of theater in the region. Learn more + get tickets: https://touchstone.org/events/young-playwrights-festival/ Support the program through the Right to Future campaign at touchstone.org Watch Episode Watch On Youtube———-www.lvwithlove.com Thank you to our Partners! WDIY Lehigh Valley Health Network Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company Episode Recap Celebrating 20 Years of Young Playwrights at Touchstone TheatreWhat happens when you hand the script over to kids? You get mad scientists, Greek gods, talking sharks—and themes that hit surprisingly deep. Mary Wright, who helped launch the program more than two decades ago, describes the festival as “a window into what kids care about right now.” With themes ranging from friendship and family to bullying and climate action, the work is wildly imaginative and undeniably heartfelt. Touchstone's Young Playwrights' Lab uses improv games, writing exercises, and group collaboration to help students develop their own one-act plays. Each year, a handful of these are selected and professionally staged as part of the festival. Krista Metter, who made her debut in last year's production as a scene-stealing octopus, shares how being part of the cast made her feel “like a kid again”—and how the program builds deep community ties by giving young voices a real spotlight. “It's not just a performance,” says Mary. “It's a celebration. A party. And the kids are at the center of it all.” With over 100 plays written this year alone and countless community members stepping in to help with directing, costumes, and production—this event has become one of the Lehigh Valley's most treasured arts traditions. Learn more: https://touchstone.org/events/young-playwrights-festival/ Listen to the episode: https://lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com/podcast/youngplaywrights20 Follow: @lvwithlove | @TouchstoneTheatre

Get More LVWITHLOVE content Thank you to our Partners! Lehigh Valley Health Network WDIY Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate  Molly’s Irish Grille & Sports Pub Banko Beverage Company 4K VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/3GifJedvJRw In this episode, we dive into Festival UnBound, Touchstone Theatre's vibrant arts festival that runs October 2-6, 2024. We're joined by Mary Wright and Samantha Beedle to discuss this year's highlights, from Kinetic Light's breathtaking performances showcasing disability in a new light, to events like a guided canoe tour on the Lehigh River and a poetry walk along scenic trails. This festival is all about connecting community through art, interaction, and shared experiences! Check out more details at https://touchstone.org/festival-unbound/ GUESTS Sam Beedle – Touchstone Theatre Mary Wright – Touchstone Theatre LINKS Festival Ubound: https://touchstone.org/festival-unbound/

In this episode Elaine chats to Canadian theatre maker Claire Love Wilson. We talk about their show Morag You're a Long Time Died. Which is touring Scotland/Ireland/England this month after a successful month at the Edinburgh Festival. We chat about the show, generational relationships and much more. Tickets here: http://clairelovewilson.com/morag-youre-a-long-time-deid Morag You're a Long Time Died Morag's death left a silence in her place. When her grand-daughter Sam inherits her piano, she also inherits the mystery of Morag's story. An intimate letter composed of fragmented Scottish ballads leads Sam to uncover Morag's possible queerness. In piecing together Morag's history through their shared Scottish musical heritage, Sam discovers a voice of her own. This new experimental musical warps, disrupts, and reconfigures traditional Scottish storytelling, ballad singing and participatory community dance. Reimagining ceilidh theatre from a queer perspective, original compositions are playfully interwoven with electronic loops and interactive dancing to tell old stories anew. Claire Love Wilson Claire Love Wilson (she/they) is queer white/Scottish settler multidisciplinary artist living on the ancestral and unceded territories of the xwməθkwəy̓əm (Musqueam), Skwxwú7mesh (Squamish), and Səl̓ílwətaʔ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil- Waututh) First Nations. She works as a theatre-maker, actor, playwright, musician, and singer-songwriter. Claire has been featured as a creator and performer at the Vancouver Fringe Festival, the rEvolver festival, The Shift Festival, and Theatre Under the Gun in collaboration with companies like The Only Animal, Urban Ink, the frank theatre, Aphotic Theatre and ITSAZOO Theatre. Claire has also facilitated workshops on her personal loop- based performance practice “Song-Walking” locally as part of Interplay Festival and the Vancouver Outsider Arts Festival, as well as internationally at the University of The West of Scotland, the Scottish Storytelling Centre, and BAM in Paris. Claire is the co- creator, lead performer and co-producer of the experimental musical “Morag, You're a Long Time Deid” (MORAG), which works to queer traditional Scottish ballads through loop-based soundscaping and storytelling. As a work in development MORAG has been showcased at the National Theatre of Scotland, The Scottish Storytelling Centre and at PushOff! in Vancouver. The production premiered as part of Touchstone Theatre's 45th anniversary season in June 2022. MORAG had its UK premiere at the 2024 Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is now on tour in Scotland, Ireland and England. OUR WEBSITE - www.persistentandnasty.co.uk HIPA GUIDES: HIPA GUIDES Equity Toolkit: Link Stellar Quines: Link Persistent Pal & Nasty Hero - Pals and Hero Membership Email – persistentandnasty@gmail.com Instagram - @persistentandnasty Twitter - @PersistentNasty Coffee Morning Eventbrite - Coffee Morning Tickets LINKTREE - LINKTR.EE Resources Samaritans - Rape Crisis Scotland - Rape Crisis UK ArtsMinds - BAPAM Freelancers Make Theatre Work Stonewall UK - Trevor Project - Mermaids UK Switchboard LGBT+ - GATE PLANNED PARENTHOOD DONATE - DONATE ABORTION SUPPORT NETWORK UK - ASN.COM- DONATE

Show notes below:   Talking Shit With Tara Cheyenne is a Tara Cheyenne Performance Production www.taracheyenne.com Instagram: @TaraCheyenneTCP  /  FB: https://www.facebook.com/taracheyenneperformance Podcast produced, edited and music by Marc Stewart Music www.marcstewartmusic.com    © 2024 Tara Cheyenne Performance   Subscribe/follow share through Podbean and Google Podcasts and Apple Podcasts and Spotify.   Donate! To keep this podcast ad-free please go to:  https://www.canadahelps.org/en/dn/13386   Links: https://www.adamgrantwarren.com/ https://realwheels.ca/disability-tour-bus/ About Adam: Now based in Vancouver, Adam was born and raised in Newfoundland, Canada. He started writing professionally in his early twenties, as a radio columnist for the CBC Morning Show. In that time, he also became Newfoundland's youngest ever winner of both the Arts and Letters Award for Fiction, and the George Story Medal of Excellence in the Arts. Adam then moved west to study – and eventually teach – at Vancouver Film School. His films have since screened as official selections at festivals including California's Newport Beach Film Festival, the National Screen Institute's Online All-Star Reel, and the Vancouver International Film Festival – where Float took home the honours for Best Canadian Short in 2012. In 2016, Conocerlos: Get to Know Them earned him his first BC Film Award nomination for Best Screenwriting. In dance, Adam is an associate artist with All Bodies Dance Project. His choreography and collaborations have featured at festivals including Vancouver's 12 Minutes Max, Victoria's SKAMpede, and Calgary's Fluid Festival. His current residency at The Dance Centre finds him working alongside TJ Dawe, Su-Feh Lee, and longtime collaborator Naomi Brand on a new solo piece: Good Bully. Beyond his residency, Adam is also part of New Works' CanDance Exchange and Propeller's Digital Disability and Dance initiative in Ottawa. In the theatre, Adam is a Jessie Award winning actor whose west coast performance highlights include productions of his own shows, Last Train In and Lights, as well as Touchstone Theatre's Kill Me Now, and Realwheels Theatre's CREEPS. Looking ahead, his latest play, Saturday Nights at Axles, is in development at Realwheels, where he is now Co-Artistic Director. About Tara:   Tara Cheyenne Friedenberg, is an award winning creator, performer, choreographer, director, writer, and artistic director of Tara Cheyenne Performance, working across disciplines in film, dance, theatre, and experimental performance. She is renowned as a trailblazer in interdisciplinary performance and as a mighty performer "who defies categorization on any level". Along with her own creations Tara has collaborated with many theatre companies and artists including; Zee Zee Theatre, Bard on the Beach, ItsaZoo Theatre, The Arts Club, Boca De Lupo, Ruby Slippers, The Firehall Arts Centre, Vertigo Theatre (Calgary).  With a string of celebrated solo shows to her credit (including bANGER, Goggles, Porno Death Cult, I can't remember the word for I can't remember, Body Parts, Pants), multidisciplinary collaborations, commissions and boundary bending ensemble creations Tara's work is celebrated both nationally and internationally.  Tara is known for her unique and dynamic hybrid of dance, comedy and theatre. She is sought after for creating innovative movement for theatre and has performed her full length solos and ensemble works around the world (highlights: DanceBase/Edinburgh, South Bank Centre/London, On the Boards/Seattle USA, High Performance Rodeo/Calgary etc.). Recent works include a collaboration with Italian dance/performance artist Silvia Gribaudi, empty.swimming.pool, (Castiglioncello, Bassano, Victoria and Vancouver), ensemble creation, how to be,  which premiered at The Cultch, and her solo I can't remember the word for I can't remember, toured widely, and her newest solo Body Parts has been made into a stunning film which is currently touring virtually. Tara lives on the unceded Coast Salish territories with her partner composer Marc Stewart and their child.

Get more LVwithLOVE Thank you to our Partners! WXPN Wind Creek Event Center Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate  Molly's Irish Grille & Sports Pub VIDEO VERSION: https://youtu.be/As97qGbCTlk We talk with Matt Prideaux of Touchstone Theatre about Hidden Bethlehem, a part of the upcoming Festival Unbound. Do you know of a hidden gem, item, or location in Bethlehem and want to share it for sake of community art and theatre? Then click this link: www.touchstone.org/festival_unbound/hidden-bethlehem/ "WHAT IS HIDDEN BETHLEHEM? A chance for anyone in our community to shine a spotlight on the places and people in Bethlehem that they believe deserve to be seen and appreciated. There is a lot in Bethlehem that people love and frequent, but there are some truly wonderful places and people that not enough folks know about – share them with us! Do you know a place in Bethlehem that you feel goes unseen? A person who brings joy to those around them, and who makes their neighborhood a little bit better everyday? Do you have a hidden talent that you want the world to know about? Tell us about somewhere or someone that you feel is overlooked or under-appreciated." GUESTS Matt Prideaux: Touchstone Theatre Links Hidden Bethlehem: www.touchstone.org/festival_unbound/hidden-bethlehem/

This week, we recorded live at Godfrey Daniels with the Managing Director, Ramona Labarre. Ramona is a Texas native who came to Bethlehem in 1985. Looking for music on the left end of the dial, she found Hep Cat's Holiday - hosted by Dave Fry - on WMUH radio, where she heard that Nanci Griffith would be performing at a place called Godfrey Daniels. She remembers finding and walking into the club one evening to buy tickets. Nanci Griffith at Godfrey's: an intimate concert with only about 30 in attendance. Needless to say, she caught the magic that night. She answered the call to start volunteering. It didn't take long to figure out that she could be part of a group of like-minded folks who helped bring live music to the masses.She was soon enlisted to help behind the scenes. By 1990, she was invited to join the board. In the late 1990s, she joined the conference staff for the Northeast Regional Folk Alliance and International Folk Alliance for 10 years, an important nexus for folk artists, venues, radio, festivals, press and record companies, and others. In 2010, she was recognized as Volunteer of the Year by the Bethlehem Fine Arts Commission, due no doubt to her volunteer time with Godfrey's, and her years (2003-2009) with the Celtic Cultural Alliance (Celtic Classic festival). At CCA, she was public relations; bookkeeper; volunteer coordinator; festival finance director. The Lehigh Valley music scene is truly a large, generous and open hearted community - very much like a family. The people who I count as my best friends today, she met at Godfrey's or thru herwork at Godfrey's.Godfrey's partners with several area arts organizations: WDIY; Touchstone Theatre; Celtic Classic; ArtsQuest/MusikFest. The LV Charter High School for the Performing Arts. Godfrey Daniels has been recognized by the LV Music Awards. Godfrey's is supported financially by a strong membership program; and local foundations such as Martin Guitar Foundation; also the PCA.

Video Version Here Get in touch with Lehigh Valley with Love In this episode, we talk with Touchstone Theatre General Manager/Ensemble Member, Emma Ackerman; Artistic Director, James P. Jordan; and ensemble member and creator Samantha Beedle; to talk all things Christmas City Follies on the very stage it will be taking place. Christmas Ciy Follies runs December 2 - 19, 2021! "Kick off the holiday season with jingle bells, ukuleles, and the return of our annual winter vaudeville! Join us for the twenty-second iteration of this homegrown variety show, celebrating the season through music, merriment, and traditions new and old. Touchstone is ready to help you ring in the holidays!" - Visit www.touchstone.org for more information. Tickets can be found here If you'd like to learn more about the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast and the opportunities we can provide through sponsorship and collaboration, be sure to reach us at info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Or click here Thank you to our sponsors! Michael Bernadyn of RE/MAX Real Estate Molly's Irish Grille & Sports Pub Venture X

Welcome to Episode 42 of No Rain Date, your weekly podcast featuring local news and interviews. This week, publisher and NRD host Josh Popichak is joined by Kimberly Levitt of the Bradbury-Sullivan LGBT Community Center to discuss their new public health campaign “Mammograms Can Be A Lifesaver” and how it’s designed to help equalize access to breast cancer screenings in the Lehigh Valley. Our second guest this week is Emma Ackerman, an ensemble member and general manager of Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem. Emma shares what the past year has been like for the 40-year-old community theater, which due to COVID-19 has adapted in order to safely entertain audiences. As always, Josh has a roundup of the latest local headlines from another busy news–and weather–week. Don’t forget that No Rain Date is available for download on iTunes, Spotify, iHeartRadio, Amazon Music, Stitcher, Deezer, RadioPublic, Tunein, Google Play and other apps, in addition to Saucon Source. Each episode of No Rain Date features news, information and interviews with people who are making a difference in our area. To learn more, suggest a guest or share feedback with us, please email josh@sauconsource.com. No Rain Date is edited and produced by Jonny Hart. Thanks for listening!

This episode is brought to you by Made Possible in the Lehigh Valley  Learn more about how they are telling Lehigh Valley stories and how it can help you! ——————————————————- Welcome to the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast. The aim of this podcast is to connect you to stories and personalities living in or affecting the Lehigh Valley area of Pennsylvania, encompassing the cities of Allentown, Bethlehem, and Easton and many other wonderful communities in-between. We talk to business owners, musicians, authors, students, politicians, and maybe even you. Get all of our links here. Want to be a guest? info@lehighvalleywithlovemedia.com Subscribe to the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast. ——————————————————- We speak with James P. Jordan, Artistic Director at Touchstone Theatre in Bethlehem, about performing during COVID, adapting, thinking way outside of the box, and looking to the past for guidance. Be sure to check out their website for upcoming performances. LINKS Touchstone Theatre Website

TOUCHSTONE THEATRE (Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, USA) was founded in 1981 as a street theatre troupe and slowly grew to be a professional not-for-profit theatre dedicated to the creation of original work. At its center is a resident ensemble of theatre artists rooted in the local community of Bethlehem, the Greater Lehigh Valley of Pennsylvania and the international community of Ensemble Theatres. With Christopher and JP we speak shortly about their story, about how we met each other, about Touchstone Theatre and then enter a long "money talk". We speak about funding strategies and public support for the Arts, the situation and history in the USA and in Germany and the Netherlands; we speak about Theatre Networks and helping each other. We touch the current situation in the USA and how Touchstone is reacting. We ask ourselves more generally how to act in times of chaos - and find that it's our duty to create beauty. In the beginning and in the end we listen to some sweet Accordion music by our friend Jonas de Rave (Gent, BE).

Gerard Stropnicky, Playwright, and Laurie McCants, Actor & Director, speaking about "Festival UnBound" produced by Touchstone Theatre in the Lehigh Valley from October 4 through 13, 2019, a ten-day festival of arts and civic dialogue on the future of the region. Stropnicky's play, "Prometheus/Redux" runs 10/4-10/6 at the LV Charter School for the Arts, 321, E. Third Street. McCants directs and acts in "Hidden Seed: Bethlehem's Forgotten Utopia" 10/5-10/9 at the Single Sisters House, 50 W. Church Street in Bethlehem & 10/10 at PBS39 at SteelStacks, 839 Sesame Place in Bethlehem www.festivalunbound.com 610-867-1689

Touchstone Theatre Artistic Director, JP Jordan, sat down with us to discuss the upcoming “Festival UnBound” event, growing up in Tamaqua, and how art can directly affect a community. Festival UnBound is based on “Celebrating our home, Bethlehem, the Lehigh Valley, and commemorating twenty years of change since Touchstone’s Steelbound: Art of an Industry. Touchstone will, with our Community, National, and International Partners, forge a vision — through art — for our future,” according to the festival’s website. JP has has helped produce over seventy productions since arriving at Touchstone, serving in multiple capacities including director, designer, composer, actor, and playwright. Get more information on Festival UnBound here and watch a preview video below or link here. Subscribe to the Lehigh Valley with Love Podcast. This episode features the Song “Goodbye Syndrome” by Sunsets North. (www.sunsetsnorth.com)

Terry Fallis is a celebrated Canadian author of novels such as Up and Down (2012) and One Brother Shy (2017). Before writing the hit 2008 novel, The Best Laid Plans—about a man who must run a seemingly hopeless political campaign in order to get out of politics—Terry worked as a political staffer for several MPs and ministers, and in public relations with Thornley Fallis. Terry joins Ben to discuss the SNC-Lavalin scandal, the liabilities of Justin Trudeau's style, the power of perspective in politics, and much more. About the Guest “Terry Fallis writes just about the tidiest romantic comedic novels you can find on earth, let alone in Canada.” - The Globe and Mail A two-time winner of the Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour, Terry Fallis is the award-winning author of six national bestsellers, including his most recent One Brother Shy (2017), all published by McClelland & Stewart. His debut novel, The Best Laid Plans (2008),won the 2008 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour and was crowned the 2011 winner of CBC Canada Reads as the "essential Canadian novel of the decade." In January 2014, CBC aired a six-part television miniseries based on The Best Laid Plans earning very positive reviews. In September 2015, it debuted as a stage musical in Vancouver, produced by Touchstone Theatre and Patrick Street Productions. The High Road (2010) was published in September 2010 and was a finalist for the 2011 Stephen Leacock Medal for Humour. Terry’s third novel, Up and Down (2012), was released in September 2012. It debuted on The Globe and Mail bestsellers list, was a finalist for the 2013 Leacock Medal, and won the 2013 Ontario Library Association Evergreen Award. Terry’s fourth novel, No Relation (2014), hit bookstores in May 2014, opened on The Globe and Mail bestsellers list, and won the 2015 Leacock Medal. M&S published Terry’s fifth novel, Poles Apart (2015), in October 2015, opening on several bestsellers lists including The Globe and Mail. It was a finalist for the 2016 Leacock Medal. One Brother Shy (2017) was published in May 2017 and was an instant bestseller. In June, 2013, the Canadian Booksellers Association presented Terry with the Libris Award for Author of the Year. Terry Fallis earned a Bachelor of Engineering degree from McMaster University (1983) where he became engulfed in university politics and somehow persuaded the undergraduates to elect him President of the Students Union. After graduation, he turned his back on engineering and joined future Prime Minister Jean Chretien’s full time staff for the 1984 federal Liberal Leadership campaign. He served on the political staff of the Liberal Minister of State for Youth, the Honourable Jean Lapierre, in the short-lived cabinet of Prime Minister John Turner. He stayed with Lapierre as his Legislative Assistant in opposition (1984-85) following the landslide victory of Brian Mulroney and the Progressive Conservative Party. Terry returned to Toronto in 1985 as Legislative Assistant to the Honourable Robert Nixon, Treasurer (now called Finance Minister) in the newly-elected Liberal Ontario government led by Premier David Peterson. For nearly eight years (1988-95) after leaving provincial politics, he was a government affairs and communications consultant with the international PR firm, Hill and Knowlton, including stints as Vice President running the Ontario government affairs group and finally President of Berger & Associates, a Hill and Knowlton subsidiary. In 1995, he co-founded Thornley Fallis with Joe Thornley, a full service communications consulting agency with offices in Ottawa and Toronto. Terry also created and co-hosted more than 200 episodes of the popular business podcast, Inside PR. For more than 25 years, Terry has counselled corporate and government clients on various fronts including crisis communications, media relations, issues management, marketing communications, public opinion polling, public affairs, stakeholder relations, etc. He has also written speeches for CEOs, cabinet ministers, and other community leaders. Terry is a sought-after speaker, sits on a number of boards, and lives in Toronto with his wife and two sons. Learn more about Terry and follow him on Twitter (@TerryFallis).

Hannah is a new friend of mine that I met working in the Young Company at the 2017 In Tune Conference with Touchstone Theatre. She is a UBC student and is a powerhouse actor in the BFA program there, where she has been very succesful. I can't wait for her to start really taking the Vancouver theatre scene by storm, and let me tell you, it is definitely going to happen! We started the session talking about her schooling, and the thing I found most fascinating was the idea of how overwhelming it can be to finally finish a long term goal. Hannah says in this episode that she had been working towards theatre school for almost a decade; and it's been such as defining aspect of her life that she doesn't really know who she is without it. I don't want to talk too much about the details, but but suffice to say that she has an amazing life story, and is a very inspiring individual. Please like and subscribe if you haven't already. You're all rockstars, thank you for your support! Love to you all!

In today’s episode, I interview Alex Shade the president of First Generation, an integrative marketing firm based in Allentown, PA. Alex has guided strategic marketing and training initiatives for companies including Crayola, Olympus, Touchstone Theatre, Mack Trucks, The Department of Veterans Affairs and The Department of Education. She has held various management positions at The National Broadcasting Company (NBC) and Disney/Buena Vista Television and has vast experience overseeing production for television, videos and multi-platform campaigns. Listen to our conversation where she gives insight to running a creative business, the balance between managing and creating, how to delight your clients and how to consistently stay inspired to create the best. http://www.firstgencom.com

Presently, I am leading a Touchstone Theatre initiative called Festival UnBound, Celebrating out 21st. Century Village, planned for October of 2019.  This is the most difficult thing with which I've ever ever been involved.  Once we were two Bethlehems, and it was 100 years ago North and South realized the importance of working together and became “one” (and, we’re still working on it). Here’s an image of the two Bethlehems, in “the good ol’ days”, when “working together” may seem to us a remarkably less complex challenge, but back then it was as “crazy hard” as anything one could imagine.  To create a Festival of original art envisioning the future of our community, we’ve got to get EVERYBODY working together, collaborating to imagine what kind of future we want for this city called “Bethlehem”--through dialogue and the creation of original art.  The problem is, more and more, as we sit down and talk with folks, it becomes apparent that everything affects everything else.  Let’s say you’re homeless. One might be homeless because one is dysfunctionally dyslexic.  One might be dysfunctionally dyslexic because the educational system didn’t recognize it and teach good coping mechanisms.  The educational system may have failed you because you were living in a poor community and there weren’t funds for such things.  There weren’t funds for such things because the political system was too combative to achieve anything but band-aid solutions.  Combativeness got out of hand because of entrenched, old power structures and a media that feeds on sensationalism in order to sell information to the general public.  And… I could go on FOREVER!  Everything’s connected.  Still, there you are, homeless!    Now, how does one make a work of art, many works of art, out of that that will help transform the community?  It’s tempting to despair at our social dysfunctionality, but if we look at the bigger picture, it’s clear we’re making great progress! Here’s a fascinating article called: A History of Global Living Conditions in 5 Charts.  The conclusion of this article states succinctly: “The successful transformation of our living conditions (is) possible only because of collaboration. Such a transformation would be impossible for a single person to accomplish. It is our collective brains and our collaborative effort that are needed for such an improvement.”  An NGO for the United Nations recently wrote: “If community is to further the progress of society in its own right – complementing the roles played by individuals and social institutions–a much more expansive conception of community life must be actively embraced. New patterns of action and interaction will have to be built, and new forms of relationship and association constructed. Experimentation, trial and error, and a robust process of learning about the nature of lasting cultural change will be vital – all of which require effort and no small amount of sacrifice… Movement in this direction will require qualitatively different approaches to decision-making than those adopted in the past.”  Festival (un)Bound is one of those “qualitatively different approaches”, and that's the task I find myself facing here in the middle of 2018.  BIO: Bill received his B.A. in English Literature from Lehigh University and his M.F.A. in Acting/Directing from the Dallas Theatre Centre of Trinity University. He studied mime with Paul Curtis of The American Mime Theatre, co-founded the People’s Theatre Company in 1977 and later co-founded Touchstone Theatre in 1981 where he was Producing Director until 1990. 

Join our conversation and hear from an actor who has been in front of the camera, behind it and on stage. Gene Connelly is an actor, producer and writer/director whose film work includes Snatch and Grab (2017), This Time Tomorrow (2016) and The Writer"s Muse (2010). Onstage Gene has performed locally at The Pennsylvania Playhouse, Pines Dinner Theater and Touchstone Theatre as well as all over the Poconos, New York, NJ and Philadelphia.  Born and raised in Eastern Pennsylvania, Gene joined the USAF after highschool and was stationed in Idaho and Texas. After serving his country, Gene pursued his passion for performing; first in various bands as a lead vocalist and later has a sought after performer in stage musicals. He has performed all over Pennsylvania and New Jersey and had his NYC theatre debut in the 2007 revival of Dark of the Moon. Gene's dedication and hard work ethic would lead him to do comedies and dramas and eventually to TV/film and commercial work. He is a founding member of Fade In / Fade Out; a non-profit consortium of likeminded filmmakers dedicated to making filmmaking more accessible to the Lehigh Valley.  Establishing himself has a dependable actor in a variety of genres' Gene continues to be an actor that can't be boxed in.

Robert Christopher Riley hails from the Flatbush section of Brooklyn (NY), but has deep Caribbean roots, as he was raised by his Trinidadian mother and grandmother while having a father from Barbados. Riley is a graduate of Brooklyn Technical High School (‘98) where he earned a Regents diploma before attending Lehigh University (’03) in Bethlehem, PA., for his B.A. in Theatre. While attending Lehigh, Riley was cast in the role of ‘Walter Lee’ in the play, “A Raisin in the Sun” and later went on to co-write along with Kashi Johnson (his professor and mentor), “Untold Truths: Why We Always Sit Together”. The play, which was about the minority experience at predominately white institutions of education, received rave reviews and was performed nightly before sold-out audiences at the Touchstone Theatre. After graduation, in the fall of 2003, Riley accepted a full-scholarship to Ohio University’s MFA-Acting Program. While completing his degree (’06), he was cast in several independent films as well as numerous commercials and print ads. Riley continued his career by doing voiceover work for Verizon, the NFL and Rockstar Games, to name a few. Most recently, in April 2012, he was cast as ‘Terrence Wall’ (a series regular) in VH1’s “Hit the Floor”.