Stageworthy

About This Episode: Bryn Kennedy returns to Stageworthy to talk about directing Riot King's production of The Moors by Jen Silverman — a darkly comic Victorian Gothic play about isolation, power, and the cost of giving up community. Bryn shares why this unsettling tale of spinster sisters, a mysterious governess, a mastiff dog, and a moorhen feels urgently relevant in our age of individualism and loneliness. Beyond The Moors, Bryn and Phil dig into big questions facing Canadian theatre: How do we reach audiences who aren't already theatre people? Why do we struggle to communicate story in our marketing? And what can we learn from Hollywood, fringe festivals, and even church about building community and inviting people in? Bryn also reflects on her work as a director, actor, producer, and marketer — and what she learned about the next generation of theatre-makers while managing Musical Stage Company's One Song Glory program. This episode explores: Why The Moors speaks to our culture of isolation and individualism The magic of the BMO Incubator Space at the Theatre Centre What Riot King gets right about indie theatre community Why we need to stop assuming everyone knows the classics What Bryn learned from working with fearless theatre kids And much more! Guest: 🎭 Bryn Kennedy Bryn Kennedy (she/her) is a director, producer, sometimes actor, spreadsheet planner, community builder and life-long learner. As a director, her favourite credits include the upcoming production of The Moors with Riot King, a new interpretation of Vitals by Rosamund Small (Outstanding Solo Performance Nomination, My Entertainment Awards), Beneath the Bed by Gabriel Golin (sold out, site specific run at Toronto Fringe) and new, speculative fiction play JANE by Camille Intson (inaugural Tarragon Greenhouse Residency). She is an alumni of Director's Lab North, Musical Stage Company‘s Apprentice Program and the Stratford Festival Langham Directors Workshop, where she was the recipient of the Jean Gascon Award for Emerging Director at the Guthrie Awards. She has also held assisting positions with prolific Canadian directors Jackie Maxwell (Withrow Park at Tarragon, Ransacking Troy at Stratford), Chris Abraham (Natasha Pierre and the Great Comet of 1812 and Rogers V Rogers at Crow's) and Peter Pasyk (Hamlet at Stratford). She is currently the Assistant to the Artistic Director at Crow's Theatre and Associate Artistic Director at Directors Lab North. Connect with Bryn Kennedy 🌐 Website: brynkennedy.com 📸 Instagram: @brynkennedy Get tickets to the Moors: https://theatrecentre.org/tickets/?eid=188037 The Moors runs until April 19 at The Theatre Centre. Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

About This Episode: In this episode, Phil sits down with Miriam Cummings, a playwright, performer, and educator who creates deeply personal solo theatre. Miriam shares how a tongue-in-cheek suggestion at Canada's National Voice Institute led her to write and perform her first solo show, The One, and how that experience opened up new ways of being vulnerable on stage. She reflects on the protective barriers she built as a young actor after experiencing profound loss, and how solo performance helped her dismantle those walls and get closer to herself as an artist. Miriam also discusses her second solo show, Wide, which pushed the boundaries of audience participation and co-creation, and how moving from Montreal to BC transformed both her body and her art. As an educator, she believes everyone has inherent presence and that actor training is about uncovering the joy of play we all had as children. This conversation explores grief, presence, the writing process, and the courage it takes to be honest on stage. This episode explores: How a casual suggestion led Miriam to create her first solo show The terrifying vulnerability of hearing your own writing read aloud for the first time Navigating grief and loss in theatre school and building protective barriers as an actor The difference between creating The One and Wide, and the role of movement in Miriam's writing process Teaching presence, play, and helping adults reclaim what they loved as children And much more! Guest: 🎭 Miriam Cummings Miriam (she/her) is an artist, actor, and educator who creates on the ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. Playful improvisation that connects breath, body, and voice to image is at the core of Miriam’s practice. She holds an MFA (Performance & Creative Writing) from UBCO and a BFA (Acting) from Concordia University. Based in Tiohtià:ke / Montréal for more than a decade, Miriam performed with local companies such as Repercussion Theatre, Montréal Improv, and co-founded Hopegrown Productions, an incubator for new plays. Her solo performance and research of psychologically safe actor training methods have been selected for residencies in Ontario, Québec, and British Columbia. Miriam has instructed adults across the country for more than a decade, teaching acting, devising, and creative writing classes as Part-Time Faculty at Concordia University and workshops at Sheridan College, Okanagan College, Geordie Theatre School, Tempest Theatre, Kaleidoscope Theatre, Rosebud School for the Arts, and more. Miriam offers accessible classes for everyone that boost confidence, creativity, and self-expression through actor training techniques and coaches people one-on-one. Connect with Miriam: 📸 Instagram: @mcummings___ Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

About This Episode: Creative producer Alexis Eastman joins Stageworthy host Phil Rickaby to explore what it really means to be a creative producer in Canadian theatre. From her early days making work at the Toronto Fringe to her current role supporting artists through long-term development processes, Alexis shares insights into how she bridges the administrative and creative aspects of theatre-making. She discusses her collaborations with artists like Adam Lazarus on shows including Daughter and the upcoming Versus, and how her approach to producing integrates her into the creative process as a true collaborator. Alexis also opens up about how becoming a mother profoundly changed her perspective on producing, the importance of failure in the creative process, and her journey from devised theatre to discovering she's actually a novelist. She reflects on growing up in an evangelical church and how that shaped her artistic practice, the necessity of boredom for creativity, and why long-term relationships between artists and producers lead to deeper, more rigorous work. This episode explores: What a creative producer actually does and how it differs from traditional producing The importance of long-term artist support and development in theatre How motherhood transformed Alexis's approach to producing and collaboration Working with Adam Lazarus on Daughter and the new show Versus Why failure and time are essential ingredients in the creative process And much more! Guest: 🎭 Alexis Eastman Alexis Eastman is a writer and creative producer based in Toronto. A graduate of York University's Creative Ensemble program, she learned her producing craft at the Theatre Centre under Ashlyn Rose, where she served as producer from 2018. Alexis works as a creative collaborator integrated into the artistic process from idea through development to premiere and beyond. She has collaborated extensively with artists including Adam Lazarus on Daughter and the upcoming show Versus. Beyond producing, Alexis is also a novelist, having discovered that novel writing is her true creative practice. She brings her experience as a mother and her background growing up in an evangelical church to inform her thoughtful, emotionally intelligent approach to supporting artists. Connect with Alexis Eastman: 📸 Instagram: @alexis_leanna Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

About This Episode: What happens when three goblins discover the complete works of Shakespeare and decide to stage Macbeth? Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak, the creative minds behind Spontaneous Theatre and the Goblin Empire, join Phil to share the wild origin story of Goblin:Macbeth; from a rushed eight-day creation to becoming a phenomenon at major Canadian theatre festivals. They discuss the challenges of performing in Hollywood-grade silicone masks, the art of caring for audiences while embodying creatures, and how they've managed to sneak improvisation into prestigious Canadian theatre companies like the Stratford and Shaw Festivals. This episode explores: The serendipitous eight-day creation of Goblin Macbeth and performing in expensive silicone masks How mask work, clown technique, and bouffon influence the goblins' relationship with audiences Sneaking improvisation into mainstream Canadian theatre at Stratford and Shaw Festivals The legacy of Keith Johnstone and Loose Moose Theatre Company in shaping Canadian improv Why live theatre is the antidote to artificial intelligence and isolation And much more! Guests: 🎭 Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak Rebecca Northan is a "Jill-of-all-trades": actor, director, playwright, improviser,producer, and sometimes-prop-maker. She is the Artistic Producer of Spontaneous Theatre, known for its audience-centered creations that almost always break the fourth wall. Rebecca has worked across Canada as an actor and director. Most recently she co-created Murder-on-the-Lake for the Shaw Festival, which played to 87% houses in the 2025 season. In 2026, Rebecca will travel to Bard on the Beach, in Vancouver, to direct the Merry Wives of Windsor, and will then remain perform in Goblin:Oedipus. Rebecca, and co-creators Bruce Horak & Ellis Lalonde continue to expand the "Goblin Empire", with several future Goblin projects in the hopper. Rebecca is a Canadian Comedy Award Winner, and has also starred in two Canadian TV series ("Alice, I Think", and "The Foundation"). She also teaches improvisation occasionally, and hopes to someday launch a training facility. Rebecca's hit show, Blind Date, has toured across Canada, parts the US, off-Broadway, and in London & Oslo. Bruce Horak is originally from Calgary, Alberta where he trained in Theatre and Improvisation at the prestigious Loose Moose Theatre. He has worked professionally in Canada and abroad for over 25 years. He can be seen onscreen in Star Trek: Strange New Worlds for Paramount Plus as the Chief Engineer, Hemmer. When not creating new works and performing onstage, Bruce devotes his time to painting, composing, and writing. Connect with Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak: 🌐 Spontaneous Theatre: spontaneoustheatre.com 📸 Instagram: @spontaneoustheatre 📸 Instagram: @rebeccanorthan 📸 Instagram: @brucehorak Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, Phil Rickaby is joined by the vibrant and multifaceted Tika McLean. In a conversation that is as funny as it is profound, Tika reflects on her journey from a self-described "shy kid" who once froze during a church solo to becoming a bold, multidisciplinary artist who uses her voice to challenge the status quo. In this episode: The "General Creative" Philosophy: Why Tika refuses to choose just one lane between acting, dancing, and painting. Art as Social Commentary: Using satire to address racism and the "distraction economy." Navigating the Industry with Disability: The reality of chronic pain, healthcare "sensitivity," and accessibility on stage. The K-Pop Connection: How global fandoms and the South Korean idol system inspired her new musical project. And much more! Guest: 🎭 Tika McLean Tika McLean is a performer who uses acting, singing, dancing & painting as creative outlets to express her performance abilities to her audience. She created her one woman (for now) production company, Beyond A Productions, and shares her comedy skits, cover songs and dances on her YouTube channel TIKA! (@tikacreates), & LOVES to perform live! Tika strives to build mutual aid networks in her community through her work with various organizations as an outreach worker for people experiencing homelessness, hosting clothing drives and a portable soup kitchen, and handing out Covid fun packages for people in isolation. She continues to volunteer in her community by mentoring youth & young adults to create their own community initiatives & achieve their career goals. She also is the proud creator of GIVE ‘EM LOVE, an art fundraiser platforming communities experiencing oppression due to stigma, to finally have the opportunity to tell their stories to the world. Tika wants you to know that mutual aid networks are key to creating positive change in our communities. Connect with Tika: 📸 Instagram: @angry_black_womban 🎥 TikTok: @angry_black_woman 📺 YouTube: @TikaCreates Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with Emily Jeffers for a thoughtful and wide-ranging conversation about artistic identity, collaboration, and carving out a sustainable life in theatre. Emily shares insights into her creative journey, reflecting on the evolution of her practice and the realities of working as an artist today. From navigating uncertainty to embracing curiosity, she speaks candidly about the challenges and rewards of making work that feels both personal and communal. The conversation explores process, risk-taking, and the importance of staying open to change in an ever-shifting theatrical landscape. This episode explores: Emily’s path into theatre and the experiences that shaped her voice The balance between artistic ambition and practical sustainability Collaboration as a creative engine The role of vulnerability in performance and creation Redefining success on your own terms And much more! Guest: 🎭 Emily Jeffers Emily Jeffers is an actor, producer, comedian and clown based in Toronto. She has developed her comedic sensibilities through instructors and training from l’École Philippe Gaulier (France), Spymonkey Theatre (UK), the Idiot Workshop (Los Angeles), Second City, Bad Dog Theatre, and Sweet Action Theatre. Emily is known for absurd, physical characters like Bitty-Bat, the Mathemagician, and her drag persona Sheonardo DiCaprio. She has performed at Second City, Toronto Sketchfest, Montreal Sketchfest, the Montreal Clown Festival, Toronto Fringe and Edinburgh Fringe. Ever a champion of the ridiculous, Emily also produces the variety shows Tight Five and Sketch Party as well as workshops to support the professional development of clowns and performers in the Toronto community. Connect with Emily: 🌐 website: www.emilyjeffers.ca 📸 Instagram: @blemilybleffers 📸 Instagram: @bittybatshow Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!