Stageworthy

Ruth Lawrence’s work as an artist has taken her to Ireland, France, the US, and across Canada. As Artistic Director of White Rooster Theatre, a company in its 16thyear, she produces the work of women writers, garnering accolades and presentations across Canada.She is co-founder and coordinator of the Women’s Work Festival, now celebrating 10 years of developing new plays by women, the festival has a proven record as a successful springboard to production for women playwrights.As a filmmaker, her short films have screened, won awards and nominations across Canada and the US.Ruth won the Joan Orenstein Best Actress Award for Clipper Gold at the 2011 Atlantic Film Festival and the RBC Michelle Jackson Award for Emerging Filmmaker in 2011 for Two Square Feet starring Jeanne Beker. She was named the Newfoundland and Labrador Arts Council’s Artist of the Year for 2011 and in was honoured with the Queen’s Jubilee Medal in 2013. Since 2014, she has produced three award-winning short films for Blue Pinion Films and co-produced her first feature Hunting Pignut (Pope Productions), all with women as writer/directors. Ruth is the co-creator and director of the 5-episode webseries Buy the Boards.She directed her first music video, Bounce Back, in 2015 with award-winning artists The Once and The Swinging Belles (Nine Island Productions). Visit www.whiteroostertheatre.com, www.bluepinionfilms.com (or our Youtube Channel), and www.womensworkfestival.ca to see some of this work.Twitter: @IamRuthLawrence Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ruth.lawrence.980Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

TJ Dawe is an award winning writer/performer/director. Current projects: Medicine, PostSecret: Unheard Voices and Never Shoot a Stampede Queen. Various credits include The Slipknot, The Power of Ignorance, Lucky 9, 52 Pick-up and Dishpig. He did a TEDx talk. He co-wrote the play Toothpaste and Cigars, which has been made into the movie The F Word, starring Daniel Radcliffe. Twitter: @tj_dawehttp://www.tjdawe.ca/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Sex T­-Rex, Toronto’s hottest comedic theatre company, teams up with the Storefront Theatre for a double bill of old school cinematic entertainment and adventure. W​atch out WIldkat!​ and Swordplay, ​both award-winning A resident company at Toronto’s Bad Dog Theatre, has wowed audiences across the country since their inception nearly a decade ago. Watch out WildKat! premiered at the Montreal Fringe in 2014, receiving five star reviews from the CBC, The Torontoist, and Halifax’s The Coast, as well as taking home the awards for Best Show and Best Comedy at the Atlantic and Montreal Fringes. Swordplay: A Play Of Swords, the second half of this action-packed double feature, is a love letter to classic Swashbucklers and retro fantasy video games that inverts the genre’s stereotypes while offering a sophisticated parody on more modern offerings like Game of Thrones.Watch out Wildkat! and Swordplay, both award-winning comedies by Sex T-­Rex, run March 11th ­- 27th.Twitter: @sextrexwww.sextrexcomedy.comStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Active in Toronto's vibrant arts scene since the 1980's, early projects included assisting in producing/coordinating major commercial musical theatre works for Warrack Productions, Bradley/Francis Productions, Brian MacDonald Productions and Ron Francis Theatrical Management. She also coordinated 2 tours in North American for Mirvish Productions (including the Tony nominatedMikado) and the joint 1988 Olympic Arts Festival Tour for Esprit and SMCQ Orchestras. Since founding Sky Arts Management in 2004 she has undertaken general management, strategic and logistical planning, marketing and publicity for Continuum Contemporary Music (including their first European tour), multidisciplinary physical theatre company Theatre Gargantua, South Asian theatre company Rasik Arts, the extreme outdoor operas of R Murray Shafer for Patria Music Theatre Projects as well as 3 one-woman cross Canada tours for comedienne Christel Bartelse. In addition to her work as the Executive Director of Associated Designers of Canada, projects of note include management of the multi-award winning company Puppetmongers and the development of a new multidisciplinary adaptation of the fable Aska & the Wolf for April productions with collaborating artists in director Dragana Varagic, composer Ana Sokolovic and visual artist Vessna Perunovich. Twitter: @skyartsmgmt Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Laura was born to tell stories. Her lifetime of performing began when she was enrolled in dance class at the Canadian Dance Company at the age of 11. She studied psychology at St. Francis Xavier University in Nova Scotia, and after completing her degree, she returned to performance.Laura believes that the purpose of art is to be in love with everything that you do. She has many passions in life, and plans on pursuing each and every one of them. She considers herself to be extraordinarily lucky to have the ability to pursue a life and career in such a fulfilling and infinitely interesting industry. She cannot imagine living happily any other way.Twitter @LaPiccininInstagram: @Lpiccininwebsite: http://cargocollective.com/laurapiccininThe Suicide Key: http://laurapiccinin.ca/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.comTwitter @stageworthyPodFacebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Sarah Winstanley graduated with honours and as Valedictorian from the Academy of Acting College in Winnipeg, Manitoba. Selected credits include Mabel in An Ideal Husband, Ilse in Spring Awakening: The Play and Caliban in The Tempest. You can find her around town doing character simulations at Ryerson University, dancing with the Army of Sass, or on stage every week as Princess Catalina at Medieval Times. If you can't find her it's because she's binge watching Brooklyn Nine Nine in her leopard print onesie.Twitter: @sarah_c_wFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/sarah.winstanley.10

Richard Beaune has performed in every province and territory across Canada in both official languages over a 30 year career. His work as actor and director has garnered rave reviews and several awards, including a Dora Mavor Moore Award and a Canadian Comedy Award, and has been seen in Canada’s largest theatres, including the Stratford and Shaw Festivals, as well as the smallest indie theatres and found spaces. Stylistically, his work has ranged from Shakespeare (29 professional productions and counting) to new works of physical theatre and all stops in between, but always carries a trademark sensibility that he credits to his clown’s heart. A dedicated theatre educator, he has taught at Ryerson University’s Act II Studio, York University and George Brown College, as well as countless workshops. Richard is perhaps best known as the founding Artistic Director of Keystone Theatre, a company that creates new plays in the style of silent film which has been recognized across Canada for its unique and carefully crafted work. He is now returning to a company that he previously founded, Simple Truth Theatre, a company dedicated to plays that focus primarily on the art of acting, regardless of style.Website: http://www.richardbeaune.comStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.comTwitter @stageworthyPodFacebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

A Toronto based actor/singer, Merritt graduated from George Brown Theatre School and holds a BA Honours in Psychology and Drama from Queen's University. She has been a member of the award-winning company Shakey-Shake and Friends for the past 5 years, most recently performing in the 2015 Toronto KidsFringe in Hamlet...A Puppet Epic! She is a proud member of Queen's Players Toronto's Board of Directors and has acted in their last two summer shows. She also loves brunch and is really good at MarioKart64.Twitter: @fullofmerritt Instagram: @merrittcStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Siobhan Richardson and Matt Richardson are actors and fight directors. Siobhan’s theatre credits include Credits include Mo and Jess Kill Susie (Harley Dog Productions), Sofia’s Doll (Film Freak Productions), and Duel of Ages (True Edge Productions). Matt’s theatre credits include (True Edge Productions), Measure for Measure (Shakespeare in the Square), and A Complex Verdict (Do Your Thing Productions). Through Burning Mountain, Matt and Siobhan offer fight direction, consultation and instruction in the art of violence on the stage.Siobhan:www.SiobhanRichardson.comdemo reel: www.tinyurl.com/SRreeltwitter: @fighteractressInstagram: @fighteractressFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/SiobhanRichardsonActresswww.imdb.me/siobhanrichardsonYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/ActorSRMatt:www.MattRichardson.ca/MattRichardsonImdb: http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0724695/Burning Mountain:www.BurningMountain.catwitter: @burningmtnFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/BurningMountainSummitVimeo: https://vimeo.com/theburningmountainYouTube: https://www.youtube.com/user/BurningMountainCanLinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/burning-mountainwww.patreon.com/BurningMountainblog: www.tinyurl.com/fightblogalso: http://www.burningmountain.ca/connect/soapbox-blogStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.comTwitter @stageworthyPodFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/StageworthyPod

Tom is the co-founder and Associate Artistic Director of Theatre Brouhaha. A dramaturge, playwright, puppeteer, and producer, Tom is also the co-creator and Artistic Director of Shakey-Shake and Friends Puppet Shakespeare Company, where he adapts and performs Shakespeare for young audiences. Tom has been the dramaturge and occasional co-creator on all of award-winning playwright Kat Sandler's plays, most recently 'Liver,' 'Retreat,' 'Punch Up' and the forthcoming 'Mustard,' which opens as part of the Tarragon Theatre season next year.Tom also works as an independent communications consultant, focusing on media and presentation training with an audience-centric focus.Recently, he worked as an arts consultant on John Tory's successful mayoral campaign. Tom has a Masters Degree in Theatre Studies from the University of Toronto and a BAH from Queen's University in Theatre and Classics. He also runs a nerd blog (WhaHappen.ca) where he analyses modern mythologies and a podcast that analyses sequels ('Please Sir, I Want Some More' available on iTunes). Next up, Tom will be directing David Ives' All In The Timing at the Highland Arts Theatre in Cape Breton as well as dramaturging the new Theatre Brouhaha play in Fringe. For Shakey-Shake and Friends Tom will be writing and performing Twlefth Night...A Puppet Epic! in FringeKids this summer well as remounting Hamlet...A Puppet Epic in the Best of FringeKids at Solar Stage in April/May.Twitter: @mcgeetdWebsite: http://tdmcgee.comBlog and Podcast: http://www.whahappen.caShakey-Shake and Friends: http://shakeyshakeandfriends.comTheatre Brouhaha: http://theatrebrouhaha.com/Stageworthy:www.stageworthypodcast.comTwitter @stageworthyPodFacebook: facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Welcome to episode 2 of the Stageworthy Podcast, with host Phil Rickaby. This episode’s guest is Sam Rosenthal,an actor, director and was the Artistic Director of Tribal Productions which was the resident theatre company of the Toronto Centre for the Arts (Studio Theatre). As a director, Sam’s work includes The Warsaw Ghetto Uprising ( City Playhouse) , War of the Worlds ( City Playhouse), The Marketeer ( Theatre New Brunswick) , Misery ,The Wild Guys, The Possibilities, A Doll’s House , Death Defying Acts, Office Hours, Dangerous Liaisons, War of the Worlds ( Tribal Productions ). Acting credits include Mr. Cohen in The World Premiere of The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz ( Segal Centre) ,Time Stands Still ( TSS Collective ) On The Other Side of The World ( Harley Dog Productions - Next Stage Festival), Too Many Cooks (Drayton Entertainment).Sam is directing Hogtown, a new and exciting immersive theatrical experience coming to Toronto's Historic Campbell House Museum this January, 2016. Incorporating drama, music and dance, HOGTOWN aims to create a completely immersive environment where the audience has the power to create their own adventure and discover the dark secrets of Toronto’s past.Check out Hogtown:http://www.hogtownexperience.com/Twitter: @hogtownliveInstagram: hogtownliveFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/hogtownexperienceStageworthy:www.stageworthypodcast.comTwitter @stageworthyPodFacebook: facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Welcome to Episode #1 of Stageworthy, with host Phil Rickaby. This episode’s guest is Rebecca Perry, an actor, singer and writer from Toronto. She’s worked with a variety of companies across North America in theatre and film. This year she starred in the Brain Power Studios television movie Forest Fairies and provided voices for two principal characters in the feature film The Fast And The Furriest and her latest show From Judy To Bette is featured at the 2016 Next Stage Theatre Festival. Her solo show, Confessions of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl premiered in Toronto in 2013 at The Storefront Theatre. It subsequently toured the Canadian and US Fringe circuit, garnering critical acclaim, and a live taping for Bell TV’s Onstage On Demand. After opening the 2015 Rose Theatre season, her run of Confessions… at the Edinburgh Fringe 2015 has resulted in a tour of the UK in Spring 2016, including a run at the Brighton Fringe, regional theatre engagements and a repeat appearance at the Edinburgh Fringe 2016! Adventures of a Redheaded Coffeeshop Girl, the follow-up to Confessions..., premièred at the 2015 Toronto Fringe Festival and continued Rebecca's run of sold out festivals.Find Rebecca online at www.redheadedcsg.comTwitter @Redheaded_CSG.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ConfessionsOfARedheadedCoffeeshopGirlFind Stageworthy at www.stageworthypodcast.comTwitter: @StageworthyPodFacebook: http://facebook.com/StageworthyPod