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#ShakesbeersShowdown is where Toronto’s hottest indie Shakespeare companies face-off in a battle of winner-takes-all, loser-drinks-most, as contestants cold read scenes from Shakespeare’s notoriously-hard-to-read First Folio. The rules are simple: if you screw up, you drink! The winner is crowned the revered Shakesbeers Showdown Heavyweight Champion (complete with championship belt), and the losers…get a lot of beer. All funds raised go towards the 2018 Shakespeare-In-Hospitals Program, set to launch this fall. INTRODUCING YOUR 2018 COMPETITORS: Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare CollectiveShakey-Shake and Friends Theatre CompanyShakespeare in the RuffSkipping Stones TheatreTheatre By CommitteeShakespeare BASH'dTheatre ARTaud The Reviewers The People AndStratford Festival LET'S GET READY TO RRRRUMBLE! **************************<wbr />********** Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective is proud to present the seventh annual Shakesbeers Showdown: Jurassic Bard April 27th, 2018 at918 Bathurst Centre for Culture, Arts, Media & Education Doors: 6:00pm Show: 7:00pm General: $25 Student/Arts Worker: $22 at the door ($18 online) Honorary Judge: $100 TICKETS NOW ON SALE: http://www.nowtickets.ca/<wbr />events/52109998/<wbr />shakesbeersshowdown-jurassi<wbr />c-bard

Set in and around the Princess Margaret Hospital, the story of Alan and Moira exposes the harsh realities of the solitude and fears that accompany cancer treatment with brutal honesty and wry humour. Pettle’s writing comes from a place of awful familiarity, as he explains in his forward, "It’s July 15, 1995, and I’m back in the hospital - radioactive iodine therapy, cancer treatment’s answer to solitary confinement. Why did I write this play? I wrote it to survive days like this. [...] I wrote it not only for those who have passed on to other journeys, but for all those who remain in Therac corridors everywhere. People that are not just statistics in flimsy pamphlets or black numbers on manila envelopes, but individuals with brilliant minds and raging spirits, with awe-inspiring courage and beautiful children."It was the personal connection to this story that brought this production into existence and provides the motivation to engage in the realities of the content beyond the story-telling. As well as donating a percentage of both the ticket proceeds and additional fundraising efforts to the Princess Margaret Cancer Foundation and Gilda’s Club Greater Toronto , the production is coordinating with several organizations to provide talk-back opportunities and other activities in support of the individuals and families fighting the disease both known and unknown to us.Cass Van Wyck: Twitter: @classvanwyck Instagram: classvanwyckJessie Fraser: Instagram: slackbabyChristopher Lewis:http://www.majorcallisto.com/ Instagram: majorcallistoTickets: https://www.brownpapertickets.com/event/3373355 Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/events/1886254528331793/

These awesome indie theatre creators sat down with host Phil Rickaby as part of the first Indie Theatre Creators Roundtable: Christel Bartelse, Victoria Urquhart, Victoria Velenosi, and Janelle Hanna. Christel Bartelse is an Actor, Comic, Writer, Teacher, and Solo Show creator living in Toronto. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program, Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and has studied Clown extensively with John Turner & Michael Kennard (Mump and Smoot) as well as Sue Morrison, Philippe Gaulier and Francine Cote.She had the pleasure of performing with Mump and Smoot in “Something” at the Westbury Theatre in Edmonton. She is a member of Faustwork Mask Theatre/Prologue for the Performing Arts and performs the show The Mask Messenger in schools regularly. In 2008 she developed her first solo show “CHAOTICA” which went onto to win numerous awards and garnered rave reviews. She developed 2 other solo shows “ONEymoon” & “Significant Me” and all three solo shows have been nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award “Best One Person Show”.Christel continues to tour her work, and has toured across Canada, to the US & the UK. She has been teaching for over 15 years. She has taught Improv at the Second City, teaches Mask, Clown, Dance, Movement, independently to schools all across the GTA and currently teaches Clown/Movement at the Toronto Film School and teaches and directs Clowns at Humber College in the Comedy & Writing Program. http://christelbartelse.com/ Twitter:@cbartelse Victoria Urquhart is a Toronto-based actor and director from Caledon. She is also a graduate from the University of Windsor’s 2010 B.F.A. Acting Program. This training has helped her to develop a focus on marrying Physical Theatre Practices with Classical Text. This fascination, combined with her leadership and organizational skills developed through working six consecutive summers at a residential camp have led her to a passion for directing, and the creation of The Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective in Toronto. Through the SOTMSC, she has directed, produced, and sometimes performed in several community projects, including the Shakespeare-On-The-Subway Project, several sessions of Shakespeare-In-Hospitals, and JULIUS CAESAR PROJECT, garnering 4 N’s from NOW magazine at the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival. Other theatre credits include: Waiting for Alonzo with Empty Box Theatre (2015), Teach Me with Newborn Theatre, and Macbeth with Hart House Theatre. Twitter: @gnitenet Victoria Velenosi is a storyteller and tells stories to anyone who will listen. She is half of the partnership that runs Brick and Mortar, home of The Attic, The Box and The Commons. At any given time, she can be found either on stage, behind a computer, or under a pile of cats. Most impressive credits include a list of shows you’ve probably never heard of. ☺ Vikki is a graduate of the University of Windsor Acting Program and Straeon Acting Studios. Vikki believes that every artist has an important voice and, with the right stage, they can change the world. #DREAMBIGGER @VikkiVelenosi Janelle Hanna is an actor, educator, and short sassy woman, and is thrilled to be premiering her first full length solo show Bad Baby Presents: Rules Control the Fun at the Toronto Fringe. Other Fringe credits include: Eternal Friendship with a Spotless Smile (Patron’s Pick),Virginia Aldridge, BSc, Sitting in a Tree, and Fantastic Extravagance. Other credits include: Frankenstein Live (The Arts Engine), Knot Tied (Lab Cab Festival), Eligible(BravoFact), Neighbourhood Watch, The Duvet (Film Army), Swell Broad,Commencement (Convection Productions), Last Man Hanged, Ring Round the Moon, Pillar to Port Walkabout (Gairbraid Theatre), Anne of Green Gables (Stirling Festival Theatre). Janelle is a graduate of the Masters in Acting program at York University where she played such roles as Cordelia/Foole in King Lear, the Knight in The Knight of the Burning Pestle, Volumnia in Coriolanus, Alcestis in Alcestis, and Flute/Thisbe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is also a graduate of the joint acting program at Sheridan College and the University of Toronto Mississauga (Theatre Erindale) @janellemhanna Stageworthy:https://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Since moving to Toronto in the fall of 2014, Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon has firmly established himself as a versatile singer, performing in a wide range of repertoire. He won the Dora Award for Best Male Performance as Paul in Tapestry Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner and earned glowing reviews as Gernando in Haydn’s L’Isola disabitata with Voicebox: Opera in Concert.Asitha recently starred in Edith Smyth’s The Boatswain’s Mate with Opera 5, and in 2018 debuts as Polidoro in Scarlatti’s Erminia with Opera Lafayette in Washington and New York.Asitha shared the stage with soprano Erin Wall in Songmasters Recital Series and has appeared as a soloist with Toronto Bach Festival, Theatre of Early Music, Ottawa Bach Choir and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.Twitter: @asithatennekoon Instagram: asithatennekoonStageworthy:https://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Ryan M. Sero is a professional actor and writer. Past roles include Herbert Milk (A Modicum of Freedom), The Raccoon (Inbetween Places), Sancho Panza (Don Quixote), Mephistophiles (Doctor Faustus), Romeo (Romeo & Juliet: An Escapist Comedy), and Don John/ Don Pedro (Much Ado About Nothing). Plays he has written include A Modicum of Freedom, Romeo & Juliet: An Escapist Comedy, The Cheese, Miracles Don't Come Cheap, and the upcomingFor 'Daws to Peck At - which will be part of the Pearl Company's StaycationFestival in August. He frequently works with Decoder Ring Theatre (an online audio drama group), Artword Theatre, and The Mysterious Players (improv murder mysteries). He is the artistic director of Make Art Theatre. Richard III At the end of the War of the Roses, Richard feels miserable. He wants nothing more than the crown won by his brother, Edward IV. He sets out to take the crown by force and cunning, fueled by his envy and pride. He weaves a spider's web of lies, turning allies into enemies, and threatening to topple the entire kingdom as soon as he gains it... Richard III is William Shakespeare's most lovably evil villain, as renowned for his charm as for his horrific acts. His scheming politician archetype is seen to this day in dramas such as House of Cards and Game of Thrones, and, far too often, in real life as well. Richard III plays until March 24 at the Staircase Theatre.The Staircase Theatre 27 Dundurn Street North Hamilton. Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/make.art.theatrehttps://makearttheatre.weebly.com

Bryce Hodgson (Director, Co-Writer, Co-Set Designer) Bryce is a graduate of the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City, co founder of the Blind Pig Theatre in Vancouver, long time member of the Godlight theatre company (NYC) and Artistic director of the Blood Pact Theatre. Bryce writes, acts, and creates music for theatre productions. Bryce also shoots pictures, makes zines and over the years has played in many different punk bands. Theatre credits include In the Heat of the Night, Deliverance, (Godlight) Much Ado About Nothing (Unit 102), Piranha Club (Blood Pact), Kitty Kitty Kitty, Suburbia, This is our Youth, and Frankenstein (Blind Pig). Some TV and Film credits include The Killing, Kid Cannabis, Supernatural, Farely Legal, Diary of a Whimpy Kid, Falling Skies and is currently has a regular role on the series iZombie which is about to start production on its 4th season.In 2015 he was nominated for a drama desk award for his work in DeliveranceInstagram: @bryce_hodgsonCharlie Kerr (Co-writer, Hogan) Charlie Kerr is an actor, a musician and a playwright. His extensive work in these three fields has awarded him recognition last year as a 'Star To Watch' according to Variety Magazine, E! Canada and the Whistler Film Festival. He recently starred in 'Lost Solace' directed by: Chris Scheuerman (due out this year) and 'Ice Blue' directed by: Sandi Somers (currently doing it's festival run). "After Wrestling" is the third play he has written together with Bryce Hodgson, the other two being "Piranha Club" which premiered in Vancouver and "Kill Your Parents In Viking, Alberta" which premiered in Toronto as a collaboration with The Storefront theatre. He wants to thank everyone at Factory theatre, and everyone involved with Blood Pact, but mostly whoever is reading this program. You could be anywhere in the world right now, and you're here with us, we appreciate that. Enjoy the show.Twitter:@mattandsamsbroInstagram: @mattandsamsbrotherAfter Wrestling When your best friend kills himself and Facebook stalking your ex-girlfriend just ain't what it used to be, look no further than rolling in duck feces and living in the park. Unfortunately for Hogan, his sister and the cops don't share his same enthusiasm for DIY self-help. After Wrestling is a slacker-comedy turned suicide-mystery that finds itself in a booze- and grief- fuelled magic realism debate on love, life, and after-death.Facebook:https://www.facebook.com/BloodPactTheatre/AFTER WRESTLINGWritten by Bryce Hodgson and Charlie Kerr Directed by Bryce Hodgson February 24 – March 18, 2018World PremiereFactory Studio Theatre, 125 Bathurst Street Starring Gabe Grey, Charlie Kerr, Libby Osler, Anthony Shim Tuesday - Saturday @ 8pm, Sunday @ 2pmSingle tickets start at just $20 for previews and range from $30-$50 for regular performancesStudent, Arts Worker and Senior prices also availablePurchase in person at Factory, 125 Bathurst Street, visit factorytheatre.ca or call 416.504.9971

Massimo Pagliaroli is a graduate of York University’s Directing program and has been working as an actor, writer and director for over fifteen years. Playwriting credits include Cheapskate (a winner in the 2005 Toronto Fringe New Play competition) Happy Together and Young Couple in Love. His current project, Inch of Your Life, was workshoped in Toronto and received it's U.S premiere at Edgemar Theatre in Santa Monica, California. He is a co-founder of The Theatre Circuit and currently serves as it's Artistic Director. Instagram: massimillions Massimo Pagliaroli's INCH OF YOUR LIFE: EPISODE 1 was the comedy hit of 2016's Toronto Fringe Festival, receiving the coveted “Patron's Pick”. INCH OF YOUR LIFE: THE TRILOGY stars eight of Toronto's rising stage stars: Luis Fernandes; Antonino Pruiti; Alex Clay; Ceridwen Kingstone; Giovanna Pandullo; Brandon Knox; Jonathan Sconza; and Jack Everett. The performance dates for INCH OF YOUR LIFE: THE TRILOGY are: Episode 1/The Pilot - March 7-17, 2018 - *MARCH 8th OPENING*Episode 2/The Middle Part - May 9-19, 2018 - *MAY 10th OPENING*Episode 3/The Last Bit - July 18-28, 2018 - *JULY 19th OPENING* Tickets for INCH OF YOUR LIFE: Episode 1/The Pilot are on sale TODAY at www.artsboxoffice.ca The Theatre Circuit was created with the intention of producing work that celebrates and highlights the artistic diversity of Toronto; cultivating an artistic hub in which to nurture, support, and promote Toronto-based theatre artists; fostering a community in which emerging, established, and returning theatre artists can connect and develop fruitful creative partnerships; and, engaging and entertaining the people of Toronto while attracting broader audiences to support local theatre productions. Also as part of its first season is THE LAST PERFORMANCE by Hole in the Wall Productions starring Jonathan Sconza & Steven Vlahos and directed by Ceridwen Kingstone. The Theatre Circuit is comprised of founding members Massimo Pagliaroli (Artistic Director) and Carlo Vitelli (Managing Director), and Susan Lock, Alex Clay, Ceridwen Kingstone, Jonathan Sconza, Steven Vlahos & Andrea Healey (Resident Artists & Associate Producers). www.thetheatrecircuit.com@theatrecircuit Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Having performed from her hometown of Brantford, Ontario to Singapore, Melody has enjoyed moving from dramatic to comedic roles for over the last twenty years. Soon after graduating with a BFA from York University’s Theatre Performance program she began work with now Artistic Director of the Tarragon Theatre, Richard Rose on the Manitoba Theatre Centres’ The Glass Menagerie. Melody then became one of a core group of actors with Necessary Angel Theatre Company. The group dedicated themselves to bringing new Canadian plays to life, (It’s All True, Swollen Tongues, and The Piper). Having worked with many of Canada’s most respected theatre companies, Melody has originated many memorable theatre roles such as Sugar in Claudia Dey’s Trout Stanley for Factory Theatre, Olive/Eva in Jason Sherman’s It’s All True for Tarragon Theatre and a Dora win for the titular role of Mercy in Little Mercy’s First Murder/Tarragon-Shaw Festival. Other favourites include: Assassins for Talk is Free/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, 7 Stories/ Theatre Calgary/CanStage (Betty Mitchell award nomination), In the Next Room Tarragon/MTC, Florence Gibson's I Think I Can YPT/National Arts Centre, Our Town/Two Planks and a Passion (Merrit Award nomination), Blithe Spirit/Soulpepper. Logging 8 Dora nominations for acting over the years Melody also co created the musical Mimi with Rick Roberts and Allen Cole for the Tarragon Theatre in 2009.www.melodyjohnson.ca Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Melody-Johnson-214058295823079/ Tickets to Person of Interest: http://www.tarragontheatre.com/show/person-of-interest/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Emmilia Gordon Emmelia is a Vancouver actor making the big leap into the Toronto theatre scene. Fierce will be her first semi professional debut in Toronto and couldn’t have ask for a more supportive and kick ass team. She is two time Jessie Richardson award winner (New Canadian Kid, Green Thumb Theatre & Dissolve, Shameless Hussy Productions) Acting credits include: Lady Parts (Pi Theatre); The Food Project (Theatre by Committee); Perter and the Starcatcher, (Arts Club Theatre); Proud, (Firehall Arts Centre (Jessie nominated)); Dirty Old Woman (wet ink collective); Fat Pig (Short, Sharp & Pointy); Measure for Measure (Honest Fishmongers/Pacific Theatre); The After Party (Sum Theatre/Pull Fest); Twelve Angry Men (Hardline Productions); She’s also had the pleasure of being co-creator, alongside Pippa Mackie, of the touring Fringe hit The Progressive Polygamists and an improviser in The Life Game created by Keith Johnstone. Emmelia is a graduate of Studio 58 and the recipient of the Antony Holland Scholarship for dedication and outstanding ability. ​Co-founder of Criminal Girlfriends. http://www.emmeliagordon.com/ Twitter: @emmmmelia Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/emmeliagordon Wes Berger Fierce will be the fourth World Premiere production of a play by George F. Walker for which Wes has served as director, after Parents Night (CrazyLady), The Bigger Issue (CrazyLady) and, most recently, The Chance (Leroy St Theatre). Wes also directed Walker's Criminal Genius (Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects) and acted in first productions of Walker's plays, The Ravine (Lyndesfarne Theatre Projects) and The Damage Done (Canadian Rep). Other directing credits include Rukmini's Gold (Red Betty), The Beauty Queen of Leenane (Connemara Collective), Scenic View (ECT), Larger Than Life: The Musical (Ghostlight Projects), Speed-the-Plow (Theatre Proteus), and his own play, FOOL (SummerWorks Festival). Wes also served as director and dramaturge for his partner Sarah Murphy-Dyson’s play The Naked Ballerina (SOULO Festival, In The Soil Festival, Toronto Fringe Festival) for which he was cited by NOW Magazine for Outstanding Direction. Fierce Two women. A retired professional woman, arrested while wandering in traffic is found to be under the influence of a potent "drug cocktail." She is ordered by the court to undergo treatment, and placed in a clinic run by a psychiatrist who has her own difficult history. A volatile 75-minute encounter, fuelled by painful revelations - and their mutual distaste of politeness - provocatively ensues. Filled with Walker's trademark ferocious and finely-honed wit,Fierce stars Vancouver / Toronto / Montreal actor and performance artist Marisa Crockett as the psychiatrist Maggie and Vancouver's Emmelia Gordon (two-time Jessie Richardson award winner making her Toronto debut) as her patient, Jayne. These two starry-eyed drifters met while taking an acting workshop with the playwright. Kindred spirits, the two women created Criminal Girlfriends to produce this edgy comedy, born out of a common desire to make intense, punchy theatre happen in intimate spaces http://www.criminalgirlfriends.com/ Criminal Girlfriends proudly presents the world premiere ofFierce by George F. WalkerDirected by Wes BergerStarring Marisa Crockett and Emmelia Gordon Previews February 15 & 16, Opens Saturday, February 17 and runs to March 3, 2018Red Sandcastle Theatre, 922 Queen St. East, TorontoMonday-Saturday @ 8pm (except no show on Monday February 26); Sunday matinee on February 25 @ 3pm Ticket Prices: February 15 & 16 Previews & February 25 Matinee - Pay-what-you-can Regular Run: February 17-March 3 - $25 (Arts Workers/Students/ Seniors $20 and Youth 25 & under $15) Tickets at: https://fiercetoronto.brownpapertickets.com/ Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Chris Tolley is a writer, director and producer, and the Co-Artistic Director of Expect Theatre. After graduating from York University he teamed up with Laura Mullin, and together they have created award-winning multi-disciplinary productions that have toured across Canada and the US.Chris’ work has been nominated for five Dora Awards in the General Theatre category, and has been shortlisted twice for the Toronto Arts Foundation Awards. In 2006 both Chis and Laura won Harbourfront Centre’s inaugural FreshGround commissioning award.His most notable works include Romeo/Juliet REMIXED (Toronto and Philadelphia), STATIC (World Stage Festival) and AWAKE (Next Stage Festival). Other work with Mullin include the CBC Radio drama, The Tunnel Runners, and the short film, AWAKE.Most recently, Chris and Laura launched PlayME, a national digital theatre dedicated to producing Canada’s most innovative theatre works distributed globally via podcasts.He sits on the Board of the Playwrights Guild of Canada and serves as the Contracts Chair. He is also on a number of other theatre boards.Outside of theatre, Chris is also very active in national politics. In 2015, Chris ran in the federal election as the Green Party’s candidate in Toronto-Danforth, advocating for the cultural issues he is passionate about. His campaign resulted in the best showing for the Green Party in the GTA and surrounding area, and was recognized as one of the strongest campaigns run nationally.Twitter: @christolleyLaura Mullin is a playwright, director and producer, and the Co-Artistic Director of Expect Theatre and The Spark Collective. She graduated from York University with a bachelor of Fine Arts in Theatre before forming Expect and Spark with Chris Tolley. She has created and produced several highly acclaimed productions with Tolley that have toured nationally and internationally.Selected writing and directing credits: Romeo/Juliet Remixed (5 Dora award nominations, winner of Outstanding Choreography), EXPECT/ Spark; Tunnel Runners, CBC Radio; STATIC, Harbourfront Centre’s World Stage Festival; AWAKE, Next Stage Festival; AWAKE The Short Film; Rapid Eye Movement & To The Kid That I was, Nuit Blanche; One Sleepless Night, International Festival of Authors; Allowance (in development); Burusera, Watermark Theatre (national 21 city tour & to be published in the Playwright’s Guild Short Play Anthology); History of Visual Sources (short story).Awards & Commissions: Toronto Arts Foundation Award (short listed 2009 & 2013); Harbourfront Centre’s inaugural Fresh Ground Commissioning Award; Dora Award nomination for Outstanding Production for Romeo / Juliet Remixed (General Theatre category), Ontario Arts Council’s Creator’s Reserve from Nightwood Theatre (2013) and Crow’s Theatre (2015) for Allowance, Watermark Theatre Commission of Burusera for Canada 300’s national tour (2015).Twitter: @expectlaura PlayME Expect Theatre has created an exciting new initiative that celebrates the best of Canadian Indie Theatre on a national and international scale. The project helps raise the profile of Canadian playwrights by highlighting new works through a series of podcasts, making it accessible to audiences worldwide. PlayME is transforming the way we experience Canadian theatre, by taking a bold and innovative approach to disseminating plays. The podcast features distinguished actors, and focuses on current and relevant scripts geared to the growing “on-demand” audience. Expect’s Artistic Directors, Laura Mullin and Chris Tolley are spearheading this project, in partnership with organizations such as The Toronto Fringe Festival and the Playwrights Guild of Canada. http://www.playmepodcast.com/http://expect.org/ Twitter: @expecttheatre Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Kat Sandler Kat Sandler is a writer, director and the Artistic Director of Theatre Brouhaha. She has directed twelve of her original plays in the last six years, including Toronto Best of Fringe hits Bright Lights, Punch Up and Help Yourself (winner of the New Play Contest), Delicacy(Summerworks Spotlight Award), and Liver, Cockfight and Retreat (Storefront Theatre). Other directing credits include Big Plans, 27 Wagons Full of Cotton, Cabaret, and The Goat, or Who is Sylvia. She was a member of the Tarragon Playwrights Unit, where she developed, Mustard (Dora Mavor Moore Award, Outstanding New Play) and is currently the Canada Council Playwright in Residence at Tarragon. She was the 2015 recipient of NOW Magazine’s Audience Choice Award for Best Director and Best Playwright. Kat is a graduate of the Queen’s University Drama Program.Twitter:@katsandlerInstagram: ksandler24Donna-Michelle St. Bernard Donna-Michelle St. Bernard aka Belladonna the Blest is an emcee, playwright, administrator and agitator. She has worked as a dramaturge with Keith Barker, Celia Green, Fiona Rae Clarke, Camila Diaz Varela, Joseph Tisiga, Tylor Pennock and The Movement Project. DM is emcee in residence at Theatre Passe Muraille and playwright in residence at lemonTree Creations. Upcoming: Forbidden with Afarin Mansouri for Tapestry54ology.wordpress.comTwitter: @BelladonnaNHPBang Bang A white playwright uses the shooting of an unarmed young Black man by a police officer as a “jumping off point” for his hit play that is soon to be adapted into a major movie. As Hollywood comes knocking for the writer, he makes a surprise visit to the home of the officer involved. With Sandler’s trademark wit, BANG BANG traces the impact of what it means to be inspired by true events. Bang Bang runs January 27–February 18, 2018 at Factory Theatre.Tickets:https://www.factorytheatre.ca/2017-18-season/bang-bang/Twitter:@FactoryToronto Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FactoryTheatreTO/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

JULIA NISH-LAPIDUS Julia is an actor, director, and producer, as well as a Co-Founder and Co-Artistic Director of Shakespeare BASH'd, where she has produced all of the company's productions. She has worked as the Managing Director of Common Boots Theatre and is now part of the team at The Theatre Centre. For Shakespeare BASH'd, Julia has directed The Comedy of Errors, and assistant directed The Changeling. She has also performed in many BASH'd productions, including The Taming of the Shrew, Romeo & Juliet, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, Hamlet, Twelfth Night, and Volpone (staged reading). Selected Additional Credits: Talk to Me Like the Rain and Let Me Listen and This Property is Condemned (Director, The Playwright Project), Modern Love (Co-Creator, Next Stage), As You Like It (Text Coach, Theatre By the Bay), and as an actor OVER, See Bob Run (Theatre Caravel), reasons to the pretty (The Labute Cycle), The Forest (Red One Theatre Collective), Dublin Carol (Fly on the Wall).​ Julia is a member of the Advisory Board for the Canadian Stage GYM program and a graduate of the joint acting program at UofT and Sheridan College. JAMES WALLIS James has been a Shakespeare fan all his life, having performed with Resurgence Theatre Company as a teenager and again as a professional later in his career. After graduating from Ryerson Theatre School, James jumped right into the big bad world of commercial work and film & television acting. He has been seen in a number of national commercials, including spots for Boston Pizza, Honda, and Expedia. Also, he has appeared on The Jon Dore Show, XIII: The Series and in a number of feature films including: And Now A Word From Our Sponsors and The Movie Out Here. In 2010, James co-founded Shakespeare BASH’d with his wife, Julia. For the company, James has directed staged readings of Romeo and Juliet (2010), A Midsummer Night’s Dream (2011), Edward II (2015), and Volpone (2017), as well as the full productions of Romeo & Juliet, Love's Labour's Lost, Macbeth, The Merry Wives of Windsor, and Twelfth Night. He played Petruchio in the company's Best of Fringe winning production of The Taming of the Shrew in 2012 and the remount in 2015, and played Benedick in their sold-out production of Much Ado About Nothing in the 2013 Toronto Fringe. In addition, here are some of James’ selected theatre credits: A Midsummer Nights’ Dream, Shakespeare’s Magic, and The Taming of the Shrew (Theatre by the Bay), Danny, King of the Basement (Roseneath Theatre, US Tour), Sleeping Beauty (Sudbury Theatre Centre), Paradise by the River (Shadowpath Theatre). James just completed his second season at the Stratford Festival as part of the Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Directing. There he has assistant directed Macbeth, Bunny, and Romeo and Juliet. Shakespeare BASH'd presents Richard III by William Shakespeare February 6-11, 2018 at the Monarch Tavern (12 Clinton St) Shakespeare's epic drama about a powerful villain manipulating his way to the crown is given a barroom staging by Shakespeare BASH'd. You don't want to miss this bare-bones, visceral, and all too relevant production. Tickets on sale now at www.shakespearebashd.com $20 online $25 at the door (pending availability) SHOWTIMES: Tuesday, February 6 - 7:30pm Wednesday, February 7 - 7:30pm Thursday, February 8 - 7:30pm Friday, February 9 - 7:30pm Saturday, February 10 - 2:00pm Saturday, February 10 - 7:30pm Sunday, February 11 - 2:00pm Directed by Julia Nish-Lapidus Featuring: Cosette Derome, Jade Douris, Jennifer Dzialoszynski, Suzette McCanny, Shalyn McFaul, Drew O’Hara, Trevor Pease, Catherine Rainville, James Wallis, Kelly Wong, Joseph Zita Associate Director: Megan Miles Stage Manager: Christopher Brackett Fight Director: Nate Bitton Movement Coach: Brad Cook Marketing Design: Kyle Purcell Website: www.shakespearebashd.com Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ShakespeareBASHd/ Twitter: @ShakesBASHd Instagram: @ShakesBASHd Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Franny is an actor and playwright based in the GTA. She has performed her award-winning original work in Toronto, Hamilton, Oakville,, Stratford, Winnipeg MB, Saint John NB and New York City. She is returning for a second season at the Port Stanley Festival Theatre this summer. www.frannymcb.com Twitter: @franny_mcb Instagram: franny_mcb Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/frannymcb/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Bil Antoniou has been performing for a number of years, amassing a number of interesting experiences that resulted from his decision to say yes to everything. Among them are appearing in Tom Stoppard's Arcadia at Hart House (his favourite), singing Thenardier in Les Miserables at Honest Ed's on their closing weekend, a few stints as Jesus and a Pharisee on a wagon and making love to pots and pans in the middle of Michigan. Along the way he decided to take his love of writing and seriously and began writing plays, which thus far have resulted in four productions that, despite having forced him to say yes to fewer other projects, have gone well, including The Best Men at Bread and Circus in 2011, Operation Impervious at the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival, and two productions in 2015 at Red Sandcastle Theatre, We Say Such Terrible Things and Heart of the Storm. Between theatre gigs, he spends his free time writing film reviews for his blog, MyOldAddiction.com, or editing one of his two podcasts, BGM: Bad Gay Movies Bitchy Gay Men and My Criterions, a journey through his film collection.https://myoldaddiction.com/BGM: Bad Gay Movies Bitchy Gay MenMy CriterionsStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Audrey Dwyer has been a theatre artist, teacher and mentor for over fifteen years. She was a mentor for the Summerworks Leadership Program and led the program in 2012 and 2013. She was the Assistant Coordinator and Educator for Nightwood Theatre’s Write from the Hip program from 2008 to 2010. She has taught improvisation with TIFF and leads screenplay courses for young women. Her theatre credits include: Blue Planet (YPT), One Thing Leads to Another (YPT – Dora Awards for Outstanding Ensemble and Outstanding New Play), Patty’s Cake (Carousel Players – Dora Award Outstanding Play), Danny, King of the Basement (Roseneath Theatre). She won The Cayle Chernin Award for Theatre (Playwriting) in 2015. Audrey was the Associate Artistic Director of Nightwood Theatre and was the Artistic Director of Cow Over Moon Children’s Theatre. Audrey graduated from The National Theatre School.Calpurnia A hilarious and provocative look at class, race, and appropriation, Calpurnia invites us into an outrageous and unexpected evening at the home of a wealthy Jamaican-Canadian family. As Justice Lawrence Gordon (Andrew Moodie) prepares for an important dinner to introduce his son Mark (Matthew G. Brown) to a Senior Partner at a prominent law firm (Don Allison), his daughter Julie (Meghan Swaby) grapples with her new screenplay. Seeking to redress To Kill a Mockingbird through the perspective of Calpurnia – the Finch family maid – Julie, privileged and disconnected from domestic work, turns to her long-term Filipina caregiver Precy (Carolyn Fe) for research on servitude. But as Julie examines mammy culture from the inside out, her tactics are met with explosive results.A Nightwood Theatre and Sulong Theatre Co-production Written and directed by Audrey Dwyer January 14 – February 4, 2018 Tickets: buddiesinbadtimes.com/show/calpurnia/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

EmmaClaire Brightlyn is an actor arrived in Toronto. With an MA in Classical and Contemporary Text Performance from the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, EmmaClaire has spent the last 8 years performing and making work in the UK. She has been a company member with Ipdip Theatre, creating engaging work for under 4 year olds and the big people who come with them, as well as an actor with Playwright’s Studio Scotland, workshopping new pieces of theatre. In 2012, EmmaClaire was part of the multi-award winning short film, Notes and has been involved with the production company Worrying Drake and director John McPhail ever since. Most recently she was seen as Apemantus in Timon of Athens, and Goneril in Queen Lear with Bard in the Botanics, Scotland’s largest Shakespeare Festival.EmmaClaire also works internationally as a Fight Director and Instructor.http://www.emmaclairebrightlyn.com/ Instagram: emcbrightlyn

Originating from Niagara, Jess McAuley is a Brock University graduate (theatre studies, honours) with a passion for devised theatre, writing, and pushing the bounds of adventure on stage.Her recent credits with New Twist include Peter Panhandler (co-creator/producer, 2017), Guilty Pleasures (writer/director, 2016). Previously, Jess has worked with Something-Something Productions for the 2013 production of The Rocky Horror Show (Usherette/Janet), Fragmentos (Maria Chambers, Brock University, 2013), and collaborated with NeXt Theatre Company in The Arab Spring Monologues (2013).Jess is taking the next steps with New Twist in touring the company with her first ever solo show - to premiere in the London Fringe Festival (2018). Currently untitled, the show is a true coming of age story, beginning in high school and all the way to graduation; it’s a story of finding love and closure while navigating through her depression and melancholy. Though she is a lover of fiction and adventure, Jess has morphed the show into a “confessional”, and invites the audience to peak inside her life through her old journals, letters and photos. You may laugh, you may cry, but Jess hopes that above all she inspires survivors to find courage in standing up for themselves against their own demons and vices.

Victoria Urquhart is a Toronto-based actor and director from Caledon. She is also a graduate from the University of Windsor’s 2010 B.F.A. Acting Program. This training has helped her to develop a focus on marrying Physical Theatre Practices with Classical Text. This fascination, combined with her leadership and organizational skills developed through working six consecutive summers at a residential camp have led her to a passion for directing, and the creation of The Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective in Toronto. Through the SOTMSC, she has directed, produced, and sometimes performed in several community projects, including the Shakespeare-On-The-Subway Project, several sessions of Shakespeare-In-Hospitals, and JULIUS CAESAR PROJECT, garnering 4 N’s from NOW magazine at the 2014 Toronto Fringe Festival. Other theatre credits include: Waiting for Alonzo with Empty Box Theatre (2015), Teach Me with Newborn Theatre, and Macbeth with Hart House Theatre.Do not miss Spur of the Moment Shakespeare-in-Hospitals La Maschera Gala on December 14, 2017.Twitter: @gnitenetTwitter: @shakespur Instagram:@shakespurhttps://shakehospitals2017.brownpapertickets.com/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Lucy Eveleigh is the Executive Director of the Toronto Fringe Festival, and has been the Managing Director of the Toronto Fringe for the last five years, after two years as the General Manager for the SummerWorks Performance Festival and three years as the General Manager of the Pleasance Theatre in London, England. Her extensive knowledge of theatre administration and company management, and her passion for the mandate of the Fringe movement, make her the ideal candidate to lead this organization into its 30th year and beyond.@eveleigh_lucyToronto Fringehttps://fringetoronto.com/@Toronto_FringeStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Grace fell in love with the theatre at a tender age playing Goldilocks in nursery school. In high school she toured Macbeth and The Two Gentlemen of Verona with Montreal Shakespeare Theatre Company. Grace spent her summers exploring and cultivating her passion for classical theatre with the Stratford Festival’s Shakespeare School and Theatre Performance Intensive under the direction of Edward Darayni. In summer of 2011, she appeared in Ottawa parks and the National Arts Centre’s 4th stage playing Desdemona in Salamander Shakespeare Co.'s Othello.Graduating in 2012 from Dawson College’s Dome Theatre Program, Grace’s hunger for challenging material was always satisfied during her time there, where she played an interesting range of leading and supporting roles - including Portia in The Merchant of Venice, Masha in Three Sisters and Alma in Tennessee William’s Summer and Smoke. She was honored to be chosen as the recipient of the Beryl and Willie Moser Award for Theatre in recognition of 'outstanding acting ability.’ In her second year, she wrote the play The Art of Arousal, based on the life of modernist artist, Henri Matisse. The play premiered at the Mainline Theatre and The Factory Line’s 1st Gala for Student Drama - Grace was awarded ‘Best Actor’ for her role as Olga Meerson, and her dedicated team took home the grand prize of ‘Best Production.’Constantly striving to further expand her talent, Grace is excited to explore every artistic possibility from stage to screen and looks forward to a long and fruitful career in the performing arts.Check out Grace in theatre penumbra's production of David Mamet's Oleana, at the Red Sandcastle in Toronto, November 21 - December 3.Twitter: @gracegordon1564 Instagram: gracegordon1theatre penumbra Twitter:@TheatrePenumbra Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theatrepenumbra/ Oleana Tickets: https://mametoleanna.bpt.me/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Factory Theatre, in association with b current performing arts, is proud to present the world premiere of trace, a one-man-two-piano-play written, composed and performed by former Factory Artistic Associate Jeff Ho (Ophelia, Prince Hamlet/Why Not Theatre), and directed by Factory Artistic Director Nina LeeAquino.A painfully personal story of family and genealogy, trace follows the footprints taken by Jeff’s great grandmother who fled the Japanese in WWII by escaping to Hong Kong, losing one of her two sons during the trek; his mother’s similar pilgrimage to Canada, also with two sons in tow; and by Jeff himself, when he too embarked on a journey, moving from Markham to Montreal to pursue an uncharacteristically Chinese life.Spanning 100 years and three generations, and featuring virtuosic original piano compositions composed by Jeff, traceis a chamber play structured as a piano sonata with a prelude, three movements and a coda. A convergence of theatrical and symphonic storytelling, trace celebrates the courage and strength of his matriarchal forebears while acknowledging the lasting implications of familial sacrifice.trace marks the playwriting debut from Jeff Ho, referred to as a “discreet revelation” by the Montreal Gazette. Select acting credits include: Hana’s Suitcase (Tour: Toronto/Montreal/Seattle/YPT), Unknown Soldier (lemontree/Architect Theatre), Murderers Confess at Christmastime (Outside the March), Taming of the Shrew, Romeo and Juliet (Repercussion Theatre), Incorporated (SyFy/CBS), and Orphan Black (BBC America). As a playwright, Jeff has held residencies with the Stratford Playwright’s Retreat 2016, Nightswimming, Cahoots Hot House Unit, Banff Centre Playwrights Lab, and Factory Theatre. Jeff began playing piano at age five, graduated from the National Theatre School in 2013, and won a Harold award in 2017.Twitter: @kjeffhoFactory Theatre:https://www.factorytheatre.ca/2017-18-season/trace/ Twitter: @factorytoronto Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/FactoryTheatreTO/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

This year Jacquie P. Thomas celebrates her 25<sup>th</sup> Season as the Artistic Director of Theatre Gargantua, which she founded in 1992. In addition to her role as founder and Artistic Director, Jacquie has served Gargantua as an actor, director, producer, composer, choreographer, dramaturge and writer, earning 10 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations for her artistic contributions to the company. Her most recent directorial projects include the upcoming November 2017 presentation of Reflector as well as Avaricious, The Sacrifice Zone and Imprints, among others. Other selected credits include the Ossetynski Actors Lab in Los Angeles, Roy Hart Theatre in France, The National Theatre of Greece and the Gardzienice Theatre Association of Poland. Under her leadership, Theatre Gargantua has earned over 30 Dora nominations and awards for categories including Outstanding New Play, Direction, Sound Design, Set Design and Lighting Design. She has also directed and led an 11-city tour of Phantom Limb across the UK, a headlining tour of Raging Dreams: into the Visceral to the Portland Oregon Performance Festival, and the transfer of e-Dentity to the Royal Alexandra Theatre as part of the Mirvish Theatre subscription season. Jacquie was awarded a Harold Award for contributions to Toronto’s independent theatre community, and the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medal in 2013 for contributions to Canadian culture and community. http://theatregargantua.ca/ Twitter: @TGargantua Instagram: TheatreGargantua Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheatreGargantua Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Sarah Lynn Strange is stoked to be Phil’s 100th podcast! 2017 marks a banner year, with 8 of 12 months working on stage, classics like Singin’ In The Rain and My Fair Lady, to a Disney dream role in Beauty & The Beast, and capping off the year with A Christmas Story… which pssst she has never even seen the movie of, don’t tell anyone!! A Sheridan Graduate, previous credits include evil queen’s and lots of mothers, not a character actress in any way <img src= "https://static.xx.fbcdn.net/images/emoji.php/v9/z4c/1/16/1f642.png" alt="🙂" /> She can be heard as series lead Dilys Price on the animated show “Fireman Sam”, as well as on new Nickelodeon show “Worry Eaters” as Berta the big Chicken. http://www.sarahlynstrange.com Twitter: @srsloaf Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Cathy Huang is an Asian-Canadian multidisciplinary theatre and film artist, and a classically trained singer and pianist. She aims to redefine what it means to be Canadian, and eventually start her own company to create art for and support young people that feel caught between their Asian and Canadian identities. Cathy is one of Nightwood Theatre’s 2017/18 Young Innovators, and is the recipient of Theatre Ontario’s first Summer Intensive Youth Scholarship, having recently returned from Donna-Michelle St. Bernard’s playwriting course in Stratford. Past credits include The Headless Hipster (Adrian - Sixteen F ilms Limited), Go Home (playwright / director / actor / deviser), lady in the red dress (Sylvia), IRIS (Madison), The Three Ladies of London (Lucre / Love), and BUST (Alex). Cathy is playing Agnes in Filament Incubator / Epigraph Collective’s Imp from November 15-26, and co-writing / acting in HERstory Counts Theatre Company’s production from December 14-17.http://www.twitter.com/kaffreeehttp://www.instagram.com/kaffreehttp://www.youtube.com/kaffreee

Will is a graduate from the BFA Acting program at the University of Windsor. Will has trained at the Moscow Art Theatre School, and completed workshops with R.A.D.A., the Stratford Festival, and the S.I.T.I. Company from New York. He is also certified teacher of the Michael Chekhov Acting Technique (GLMCC).Selected Credits Include: Albert Einstein in Picasso at the Lapin Agile (Seven Siblings), Victor Frankenstein in Frankenstein (Echo Productions), Aladdin in Aladdin (Globus Theatre), Bernardo/Gravedigger/Player Queen in Hamlet (Unit 102 Actors Co), Sebastian in Twelfth Night (Hart House), Valere in Tartuffe, Constantine in The Seagull, Alfred David in Welfarewell (University Players), Demetrius in A Midsummer Night’s Dream, Bassanio in The Merchant of Venice, and David/Timmy from Lion in the Streets (U.Windsor). Will is passionate about cultivating and producing the development of Fantastic Realism, while educating performers with the ideals of Michael Chekhov.http://www.willking.ca/ Twitter: @WillKingActor Instagram: willkingsSeven Siblings Theatrehttp://www.sevensiblingstheatre.ca/ Twitter: @SevenSiblingsCo Instagram: sevensiblingstheatre Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sevensiblingstheatreco/ Indiegogo Campaign: https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/future-theatre-festival/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Nigel Shawn Williams is a four-time Dora Mavor Moore Award-winner as both actor and director. His theatre credits include The Merchant of Venice for Bard on the Beach this past summer, five seasons at Stratford Festival, four seasons at Shaw Festival, as well as performances in Montreal, Toronto, Winnipeg, Calgary and Vancouver. Nigel is also heavily involved in new play development and mentoring young and emerging artists through the difficult transition from training schools to professional life.Nigel is the director of Cahoots Theatre and Obsidian Theatre's world premiere of Amanda Parris’ OTHER SIDE OF THE GAME.Set before the rise of Black Lives Matter, OTHER SIDE OF THEGAME is a time-spanning work that tells the story of silenced Black women who organize communities, protect loved ones, battle institutions, and live each day by a ride-or-die philosophy. This first-time partnership between Cahoots and Obsidian also marks the professional playwriting debut for Amanda Parris. Inspired by interviews conducted with individuals in Toronto and Halifax, OTHER SIDE OF THEGAME gives voice to Black women who support their men, their families and communities, even in the face of dire consequences. Set in Toronto, straddling modern day and the 1970s Black civil rights movement, the play is evocative and lyrical in its presentation of a population under siege.@nswnigelOther Side of the Gamehttp://www.cahoots.ca/https://www.obsidiantheatre.com/ Tickets: http://www.nativeearth.ca/otherside/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Adam Paolozza is a director, performer, producer, teacher and Artistic Director of Bad New Days. As a performer Adam has collaborated with Zou Theatre, Fixt Point, Why Not Theatre, Soulpepper, Vertical City, Litmus Theatre & Ahuri Theatre. His co-translation of Pier Paolo Pasolini's Pylade (a modern re-telling of theOresteia story) was recently debuted in NYC by legendary La Mama theatre and toured all over Europe. He regularly teaches privately, giving classes based on his interpretation of the Lecoq pedagogy, designed to open up students' minds and bodies to spontaneity. He's a sessional instructor at Soulpepper Academy and guest instructor at Ryerson (he directed 2016's The Holiday Trilogy) and at U of T. Adam is currently directing Bad New Days and Ahuri Theatre's production of Flashing Lights. Twitter: @adampaolozza Flashing Lights: Created by award winning Bad New Days (The Double) and Ahuri Theatre (This is the Point), FLASHING LIGHTS is an original play exploring how digital technology is radically shaping human evolution.FLASHING LIGHTS tells the tale of Peter (Dan Watson), an unremarkable guy who inexplicably becomes famous. His dizzying rise and fall effects everyone around him, in particular his family; his savvy wife Shannon (Miranda Calderon) and their child Ter (Liz Peterson). What starts off as a portrait of contemporary family life quickly unravels into a meditation on the borders between digital and physical existence and the future of this brave new world being created. Bad New Days:https://www.badnewdays.com/ Twitter: @badnewdays Ahuri Theatre:http://www.ahuritheatre.com/ Twitter: @Ahuritheatre Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ahuritheatre Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

A documentary play that looks at gender roles and sexual consent in the wake of the Ghomeshi scandal, Asking For It considers the various ways in which sexual consent is understood personally, culturally, and legally. Moon speaks with people of all ages and backgrounds about their assumptions and experiences around consent to sexual relations, and with crown prosecutors and legal experts about the current state of sexual assault law in Canada. The conversations are candid, funny, often uncomfortable, and describe experiences of shame, power, ambiguity, and misunderstanding in communication about sex.Ellie Moon:@elliemoonerBrendan Healy:http://misterbrendanhealy.com/Website: http://crowstheatre.com/whats-on/view-all/asking-for-it Twitter: @askingtheplay Instagram: askingforitplayStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Tennille Read is a Toronto based artist and graduate of George Brown Theatre School and Queen's University's Stage and Screen Studies. Selected theatre credits include: The Death of Mrs. Gandhi and the Beginning of New Physics (Everything but the Bard), This Hotel (Talk is Free Theatre), Hanger (Toronto Fringe Festival), Birth (Pandemic Theatre), Delicacy (Theatre Brouhaha), No Exit (Soup Can Theatre). Selected Film and TV credits include: Condor (MGM/DirectTV), Schitt's Creek (CBC), Eyewitness (USA), The Escape (Spy Films), I Lost My Mind (official selection of the Palm Springs Short Film Festival 2017), Heroes Reborn (NBC), and Shadowhunters (ABC Family). Upcoming: Gray (Theatre Inamorata). She enjoys painting in her free time.Twitter: @tennilleread Instagram: tennillereadTheatre Inamorata:http://www.theatreinamorata.com/ Twitter: @theainamorata Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/theatreinamorata/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Michael Ross Albert is the author of several plays including Miss (FringeNYC; upcoming: Unit 102 Actors Company); The Farmers Lit the Fields on Fire (Edinburgh Fringe Festival); The Grass is Greenest at the Houston Astrodome (FringeNYC, published by Applause in Best American Short Plays 2014-2015); and Karenin’s Anna (Toronto Fringe Festival, “Outstanding New Play,” -- NOW Magazine).Along with the Storefront Theatre, Michael produced the sold-out world premiere production of his play Tough Jews in the heart of Toronto’s Kensington Market. The production was nominated for 6 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Production.His play Starfishes opened Off-Broadway at the Theatre at Dance New Amsterdam and is included in Best American Short Plays 2010-2011. It has since been performed across the United States and Canada.Michael received an MFA in Playwriting from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Michael is an associate member of the Dramatists Guild of America, and a member of the Playwrights Guild of Canada.

Nina Okens is a Toronto based Designer. Her work has been seen in such productions as Pea Green Theatre Group’s Clique Claque and Three Men in a Boat, Cahoots Theatre Company and Theatre Passe Muraille’s Ultrasound, Théâtre Français de Toronto’s Albertine En Cinq Temps. She has also designed subtitles for recent productions at Théâtre Français de Toronto.Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Tamlynn is an actor, writer, occasional director, infrequent musician, and constant avid cheese lover (despite her lactose intolerance.) She completed her BFA in Acting with a Certificate in Arts Management at the University of Windsor in 2015. Recent credits include: Writer/Performer for Bedwetter (Drawing Board Productions); Lisa Fulvi in Evidence to the Contrary (Tree of Life Theatre); Bassianus in Titus Andronicus (Seven Siblings Theatre); Writer/Performer for #staystrong (Drawing Board Productions); Candy in Make Love Not War (Small But Mighty Productions); Performer/Producer/Co-­‐Creator for (in)decision (Drawing Board Productions). Tamlynn is also a member of the sketch comedy group Cookie Biscuits, who can be found on YouTube or at cookie-biscuits.com. She hopes to also eventually pursue stand-up, but feels she must first conquer her intense fear of failure. So…stay tuned.www.tamlynnbryson.com@tamlynnbrysonDrawing Board Productions Insta: drawingboardprod Twitter: @drawingprodStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Courtney Ch'ng Lancaster is presently a resident artist and the Shen Fellow at Soulpepper Theatre Company. She is a Founding Member of The Howland Company and a graduate of UBC, the Citadel/Banff Theatre Program and the Soulpepper Academy. Selected theatre credits include Spoon River, Blood Wedding, Incident at Vichy, The Dining Room, Eurydice, Of Human Bondage, Marat/Sade, Alligator Pie, Idiot’s Delight, The Barber of Seville, The Royal Comedians, The Crucible, Death of a Salesman, Assistant Director on The Anger in Ernest and Ernestine (Soulpepper); The Flood Thereafter (Canadian Stage); As You Like It (Blue Bridge); Pride and Prejudice (Citadel); 52 Pick-Up (Co-Director, Howland Company). Screen credits include The Drawer Boy feature film, Murdoch Mysteries, Fringe, Supernatural and Shattered. http://www.courtneylancaster.com/@courtneyvlhttp://www.theatreinamorata.com/@theainamorataStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

In light of recent events, there's no interview this week. Instead, host Phil Rickaby has some things on his mind.Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

DIVINE, performed by an all female cast, takes place in a dystopian Ontario: The Great Lakes are bone dry and the boreal forest has vanished under extreme arid heat. Bandits roam the desolate landscape searching ruined towns for the vanished element now sacred on the lips of women: water. Narrated by one of the only children left in the world, DIVINE follows a pair of scavengers searching for a mysterious water diviner, who’s rumoured to be able to talk to water, but they’re not the only ones…DIVINE meshes art with activism while exploring a catastrophic future that feels all to imminent alongside current headlines decrying groundwater contamination, water advisories, and industrial pollution (particularly the current local drama surrounding the Nestle plant in Guelph).DIVINE has partnered with the World Wildlife Fund’s Freshwater Program and the Wellington Water Watchers in the hopes of bringing greater audience awareness to the important cause of water rightthestorefronttheatre.com/ Twitter: @StorefrontTO Instagram: the_storefronttoDivine at Summerworks: http://summerworks.ca/artists/divine/Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Pearle Harbour's Chautauqua is a darkly comic, wildly immersive extravaganza - part cabaret, part tragicomedy, and part tent revival. Pass through the milky folds of Pearle's beautiful Tent, and be sheltered from the inharmony of our troubled times. The world may be falling apart, but Pearle will show you there's more that unites us than divides us. website: pearleharbour.comfacebook.com/thepearleharbourinsta: @pearleharbourShow link: www.summerworks.ca/artists/pearle-harbours-chautauquawww.facebook.com/events/237748573390455 Pearle Harbour is an all-American gal who's sweet-as-pie and sharp-as-nails, Pearle Harbour was born on [information withheld], when America was still Great. During the War, she served as a stewardess aboard top-secret bomber missions, including [information withheld], and even [information withheld]! An accomplished soloist - on the boards and in the sheets - Pearle has played to audiences at The RISER Project (Why Not Theatre), Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Theatre Passe Muraille, Opera5, The Comedy Bar, The Wrecking Ball, Videofag, Nightwood Theatre, Pressgang Storytelling, Clay & Paper Theatre, The Gladstone Hotel, and countless cabarets, concerts, and clubs across Ontario.Justin Miller is a Dora-nominated writer, actor, and solo performer. He has studied with internationally renowned performers, including Philippe Gaulier, John Turner (Mump & Smoot), Karen Hines (The Pochsy Plays, Crawlspace), Carlos Garcia Estevez, Katrien Van Beurden, and Denise Fujiwara. He is the co-founder of Pearle Harbour Presents, and is currently an artist-in-residence at Theatre Passe Muraille.

Theatre Topikos is proud to be bringing Wordplay to the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe this August! Wordplay is a dark comedy about a fag and his hag. No words are off limits between friends. Cut between their work environment and their debate, Jess and Nick, using dark humour (and a lot of naughty words) push the boundaries of their friendship as they question appropriate and appropriated word use within the dynamics of society and each other. Premiered at Toronto's Gay Play Day 2014, remounted at the International Dublin Gay Theatre Festival in 2016. ‘Funny and thought-provoking, with mercurial dialogue and a sharp pop culture sensibility’ (Cate McKim, GayPlayDay). Nominated for Best New Writing (IDGTF). **** (TheOutMost.com). http://theatretopikos.com/@theatretopikos@Jess_Bryson@nickwmay Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Melanie Pyne A Founding member of Triple ByPass Productions (Producer/Actor) - playing Denise inJohn Patrick Shanley's 'Savage in Limbo' at Toronto's Storefront theatre, Sandy in George F. Walker's'The End of Civilization' at Fraser Studio's Toronto, Jo-Ellen in Eric Bogosian's "Skunkweed'- InToronto's 2015 Fringe Festival at Theater Passe Muraille, and Boochie in Stephen Adley Gurigis 'Den ofThieves' at Toronto's UNIT 102. Well versed in theatre, she has tackled such playwrights as, Timothy Findlay, Michelle Trembley andmost recently Mohammad Yaghoubi's 'A Moment of Silence' - w/Nowadays Theatre Company/Summerworks 2016 Theatre Festival Toronto. Recent film and TV credits: 'Conduit' directed by Anastasia Cronkite,'Lakes' directed by Tim O'Brien. 'Shadow Animal' -Paranormal Investigator.For The 48 Hour Film Project, producing,writing and acting in- 2014 "Lemonade" ,2015 “Strapped”, 2016 "Fumbled"Studied at Humber College's Theatre Program, Seneca College, Fanshawe Theatre Program graduate and StraeonActing Studios alumni. www.melaniepyne.com@PyneMelanie instagram- melsp13 Chris Whitby A professional actor of 15 years, Chris has been working in all facets of the industry whether it is theatre, film, television, voice and new media. He is a graduate of Second City’sConservatory and for the past ten years honed his skills as an actor and storyteller at Carter ThorStudios and later Straeon Acting Studios. Most recently Chris played the role of Paul in Stephen AdlyGuirgis' 'Den of Thieves', Jerry in Eric Bogosian’s Skunkweed and Henry Cape in George F. Walker’s The End ofCivilization. He also made his directorial debut with the Canadian premiere of Freeway Strangler, which had asuccessful run in 2014. Other theatre credits include Savage in Limbo by John Patrick Shanley, Neil Labute’s Bash –The Latterday Plays, A Clockwork Orange, Moat & Castle and the cult hit Coed Prison Sluts - The Musical. Some ofChris’ film and television credits include: Murdoch Mysteries, A&E’s The Breakout Kings, Rogue and the web seriesAsset which was screened in the LA, Vancouver and Toronto Webfests. He also voices multiple characters in theanimated series The Bagel & Becky Show. https://vimeo.com/113521648@chriswhitby17 Adult Entertainment Get up, go to work, come home...to what? Day after day, trying to be good, fighting incessant mundaneness; the facade of forced suburban niceness is fading fast. George F. Walker's ‘Adult Entertainment’ opens to a seedy room in a suburban motel. Max, a weary detective, finds himself back in this room with Jayne, a defence attorney, six months after they decided never see each other again. Why are they again, secretly meeting? For sex? To exchange information? To make a backhanded deal? Jayne used to care about her job, Max too, but now they’re just putting in time. Maybe they've just given up. Jayne mentions a young client of hers, whom she feels sorry for. A glimmer that perhaps Jayne still cares, but needs Max's help to sway the case in her client’s favour. Max’s gives his volatile partner Donny some instructions, not Donny’s strong suit. Donny is fighting his own demons, having an infinity for booze and hookers, yet still has a deep love for his estranged wife Pam. During an attempted reconciliation with Pam, Donny’s sloppy police work comes back to haunt them. One action starts a chain of chaotic events that leads to Max, Donny, Jayne and Pam finding themselves in a situation far worse than any of them could have anticipated. Cops, lawyers, husbands, wives, truth and lies. Sex, liquor, secret deals, fist fights and perhaps even love. You never know what your going to find behind the door of a motel... www.triplebypassproductions.comhttp://www.facebook.com/triplebypassproductions@triplebypass_to instagram- triplebypass_to Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Janelle Hanna is an actor, educator, and short sassy woman, and is thrilled to be premiering her first full length solo show Bad Baby Presents: Rules Control the Fun at the Toronto Fringe. This will be Janelle’s 5<sup>th</sup> Toronto Fringe appearance, past Fringe credits include: Eternal Friendship with a Spotless Smile (Patron’s Pick),Virginia Aldridge, BSc, Sitting in a Tree, and Fantastic Extravagance. Other credits include: Frankenstein Live (The Arts Engine), Knot Tied (Lab Cab Festival), Eligible(BravoFact), Neighbourhood Watch, The Duvet (Film Army), Swell Broad,Commencement (Convection Productions), Last Man Hanged, Ring Round the Moon, Pillar to Port Walkabout (Gairbraid Theatre), Anne of Green Gables (Stirling Festival Theatre). Janelle is a graduate of the Masters in Acting program at York University where she played such roles as Cordelia/Foole in King Lear, the Knight in The Knight of the Burning Pestle, Volumnia in Coriolanus, Alcestis in Alcestis, and Flute/Thisbe in A Midsummer Night’s Dream. She is also a graduate of the joint acting program at Sheridan College and the University of Toronto Mississauga (Theatre Erindale) @janellemhanna Bad Baby Presents: Rules Control the FunBad Baby is a very talented and attractive actor. She wanted to be an actor so she could sleep in and kiss boys. This is her first Fringe show. She’s seen a lot of Fringe shows though. A lot. And she knows all the rules. All of them. With a total of 13 Toronto Fringe tent romances under their collective belts, the teams that brought you Almost, Again (Best of Fringe) and Eternal Friendship with a Spotless Smile (Patron’s Pick) are back with an all new Fringe adventure. Come see Bad Baby’s first Fringe festival hit! At the Annex Theatre (736 Bathurst Street at the Randolph Centre for the Arts) Friday July 7th - 1:15pm Saturday July 8th - 9:15pm Monday July 10th - 4:30pm Wednesday July 12th - 7:30pm Thursday July 13th – 12:00pm Friday July 14th - 11:00pm Sunday July 16th - 4:00pm For tickets, please visit www.fringetoronto.com www.larkandwhimsytheatre.com@Lark_and_Whimsy Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyP

Ardyth Johnson trained with mime artist Adrian Pecknold at The Manitoba Theatre School in Winnipeg and then received a scholarship with The Manitoba Theatre Centre to further her studies with Mime Unlimited School of Physical Theatre (Jacque Le Coq) in Toronto (graduate). Ardyth studied and graduated at Second City Conservatory, also master clown and buffoon with Philippe Gaulier, plus other masters of mime, corporeal mime, clown, slap stick and comedy. Ardyth she holds a B.A in theatre studies from the University of Winnipeg. Ardyth has toured throughout North America with Mime Unlimited, Theatre Beyond Words and many other companies. When Ardyth is not performing, she is busy teaching physical theatre all over Canada and Internationally.http://www.ardythjohnson.weebly.comhttp://www.ardythjohnsonhighlanddance.weebly.comWeirder Thou ArtNorth American humans you think William Shakespeare wrote Mac Beth ha, ha, ha..well we'll tell you the truth (wink wink) who really wrote the play. Three bouffon women (if you want to call them that) put the weird in the Wyrd sisters. The bouffon search for humanity brings William Shakespeare on a reluctant journey from a living hell to acceptance. https://fringetoronto.com/festivals/fringe/event/weirder-thou-artStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Chantal is an artist and educator with a diploma in musical theatre from the Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts. She has been behind the annual Oakville Holiday Pantomime for the past four years as co-writer, director, and choreographer. As a writer, director and producer, her work has been seen in several festivals including the Toronto and Vancouver Fringe Festivals as well as The Short Short Play Festival. The 2017 Toronto Fringe will be her third as writer/producer for “GREY”, previous years were her plays “Perceptions of Love in the Pursuit of Happiness” and “Quarterlife”. Selected acting credits include TV’s “About A Girl”, “Blood Ties”, and “Psych” as well as performing on stage in cabarets, musicals, and plays both in Toronto and Vancouver. Chantal works with drama students aged 12-95 through Sheridan College, Centre Stage Theatre School, and Shadowpath Theatre Productions, who honoured her with their Artist of the Year Award in 2015.@chantalfordeGrey:Twleve years ago Richard Buttle killed Jayden Alexander. Today is the day of his parole hearing where he must not only face his own history, but also the father of the boy he killed.Jumping through time, the circumstances that lead to the crime begin to unravel. Who was really to blame?In this new drama it becomes very clear that not everything in life is as black and white as one would like to perceive.Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace16 Ryerson Ave., Toronto, ONFriday, July 7 – 8:00pmSaturday, July 8 – 4:00pmMonday, July 10 – 3:15pmWednesday, July 12 – 5:45pmThursday, July 13 - 12:00pmSaturday, July 15 – 11:00pmSunday, July 16 – 2:45pmwww.threefiveproductions.comhttps://www.facebook.com/perceptionplay

The Seat Next to the King Behind the door of a public washroom in a Washington, D.C. park, two lives linked to the country's most influential figures collide when a white man seeking a sexual encounter meets a black male stranger. Winner of the 2017 Toronto Fringe FesIval New Play Contest, this bold, affecting piece tackles race, sex, the meaning of 'manhood', and the cost of reconciling each for two disparate human beings with a shared innate need. Featuring blistering performances by Kwaku Okyere and Conor Ling, The Seat Next To The King is directed by Tanisha Taitt. The Seat Next to the King was the winner of the 2017 Toronto Fringe Festival New Play Contest Tanisha Taitt - Director Tanisha is a director/actor/playwright/arts educator/activist and accidental essayist. She has worked with Obsidian, NAC, The Musical Stage Company, Nightwood, BIBT and Soulpepper, and spent two seasons as a Resident Artist-Educator with YPT. Tanisha is a Drama mentor for tdsbCreates, a TDSB/TAC initiative that brings professional artists into classrooms to nurture artistic expression in students and teachers. She is an Anti-Oppression facilitator and Director of the Peace Camp program for Children's Peace Theatre, an organization that teaches young people about conflict transformation through theatre. Also a singer and songsmith, she is a recipient of the Canadian Music Publishers Association Songwriters Award for excellence in songwriting. Tanisha spent 7 years as the Toronto and then the National producer for V-Day/One Billion Rising -- the global movement to end violence against women and girls. In 2014, she founded Teenage Graceland, a youth theatre collective that challenges societal attitudes leading to gender-based violence. Tanisha was 'Harolded' in 2013 and in 2015, critic Lynn Slotkin bestowed upon her an inaugural “Tootsie” Award in the “They Can Do Anything” category. She is currently writing two musical theatrical works: FORCE, a musical about rape; and ERACED, which began when she heard the voices of unarmed dead black men singing to her in her sleep. Tanisha is the new co-host of The HUM Human Rights & the Arts podcast and will make her hosting debut this June. She is a two-time YWCA Woman of Distinction nominee for her commitment to artistic excellence and social justice. Steven Elliott Jackson – Playwright Steven Elliott Jackson was the recipient of the 2017 Best New Play at the Toronto Fringe for “The Seat Next To The King” and previously placed second in the contest in 2007 for “The State Of Tennessee”. He is the Artistic Director for Minmar Gaslight Productions as well as its family theatre company, 3 Little Bears Productions with his partner Todd Davies. Previous credits: Brothers And Arms (2010, Toronto Fringe Festival), The Dark Part Of The Snow (2011, Mount Marty College, Yankton, ND), Real Life Superhero (2012, Toronto Dance Theatre), The State Of Tennessee (2013, Theatre Passe Muraille), Rapunzel (adaptation, 2014, Toronto Kids Fringe/Stage Centre Productions), Threesome (2016, Red Sandcastle Theatre). Upcoming Productions: The Prince’s Big Adventure (Nov. 2017, Stage Centre Productions), A Question Of Character (Jan. 2017/ Stage Centre Productions), Real Life Superhero (Spring 2018, Brandon, MB) and currently he is developing Kick Start: Featuring the music of Lisa Loeb for a future reading.

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. Watch 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.Sex T-Rex will be presenting three of their award-winning shows at Fringe Festivals across Canada: Watch Out WildKat (Atlantic Fringe Best Comedy), SwordPlay: A Play of Swords (Just for Laughs Best Comedy) and something completely different for Toronto audiences: a puppet show set in the Paddock tavern called Bendy Sign Tavern (Insight Production’s Pilot Week winner).Twitter: @sextrexwww.sextrexcomedy.comStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Maureen Gualtieri, playwright and general word-wrangler, was born and raised in Toronto. Her newest play, Odd One Out, will be premiering at the 2017 Toronto Fringe. Her work has been seen at previous editions of the Toronto Fringe (BQ, as part of Trip; Monkey Love), Protestival (Whose Body is This; The Franklin Street Elementary School Grades 1, 2, & 3 Present Their Spring Pageant, “Officer Bubbles Goes to Hell, Or, Civil Disobedience is for Everybody!”), and other local festivals. She has directed, assistant directed, stage managed and script coordinated in venues such as Hart House Theatre, the Hamilton Fringe, and Tarragon Theatre. She graduated from the National Theatre School of Canada's playwriting program in 2012. Odd One Out: 1950. A love triangle. A secret attraction. A college student disappears in the woods. Ten years later, her rival lovers reunite in an attempt to solve the otherworldly mystery: what really happened to Clementine Yates? Playwright: Maureen Gualtieri Director: Elizabeth Traicus Cast: Krystina Bojanowski, Jesse Byiers, Mattie Driscoll At the Tarragon Theatre ExtraSpace (30 Bridgman Ave) as part of the Toronto Fringe: Friday July 7 at 8:30pm Saturday July 8 at 11:15pm Monday July 10 at 4:15pm Tuesday July 11 at 2:45pm< Thursday July 13 at 7:45pm Saturday July 15 at 5:15pm Sunday July 16 at 2:30pm Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter: @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPo

Scott Dermody a Markham, Ontario native, he is now a Toronto-based theatre professional. He is the co-founder and creative core member of Soup Can Theatre and is the Youth Outreach Coordinator for the Toronto Alliance for the Performing Arts (TAPA). Scott’s career in the performing arts thus far encompasses on and off stage roles. He has been a Producer for most Soup Can Theatre shows, as well as having a crack at Directing (for Soup Can Theatre and V-Day Toronto) and Production Managing (Soup Can Theatre, Single Thread Theatre, and V-Day Toronto). Through Theatre Ontario's Professional Theatre Training Program, Scott worked with and was mentored by Aislinn Rose, independent producer and Artistic Producer of Praxis Theatre. As an actor, Scott has played in classics, avant-garde multidisciplinary work, clown turns, children’s theatre, murder mysteries and a few short films. He has taught introductory theatre courses in GTA-area schools, and ran a theatre camp in Vaughan for two years. Scott holds a BA in theatre from Queen’s University.@scottdermodyhttp://www.tapa.ca@tapa_TOhttp://soupcantheatre.com@soupcantheatreStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Pantsuit Improv are graduates of Bad Dog Comedy Theatre's Narrative Studio program, with past direction by Etan Muskat (Interim Artistic Director of Bad Dog Theatre) and training with Jess Bryson (Bad Dog Academy Director), Colin Munch (Second City Toronto mainstage), and Sex T-Rex (2016 Second City Award for Best Comedy, Wasteland). Inspired by captivating storytelling, Pantsuit creates comedic performances that mirror current film and television.Since their acclaimed Narrative Studio graduate show Family Portrait in August 2016 as part of Bad Dog’s Homecoming Week, Pantsuit has performed at the Big City Improv Festival; received an Honourable Mention at the 2016 Blockbuster Week competition; and on Wednesday, May 17th at 9:30pm, Pantsuit headlines the final episode of Spring Binge at Bad Dog Theatre with The Magic-Er School Bus: improvised adventures with Ms. Frizzle's new class!Pantsuit Improv is: Hamed Dar, Brittney Drysdale, Tara Federko​, Devon Henderson,​ Christina Nicolaou,​ Cecilia Serafina​, Jackie Twomey, Terris Taylor and Ivan Yuen.Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/PantsuitImprov/ Twitter: @PantsuitImprov Instagram: PantsuitImprov

Annie is an actor/mover, shaker & theatre creator! Currently based in Toronto, but originally from Minnesota, she is a graduate of George Brown acting school and holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Manitoba. Outside of Toronto she has created and performed in shows in Minneapolis, San Francisco & Winnipeg. She is a co-founder of Fourth Gorgon Theatre, as well as a founding member of Theatre Georgian Bay. Most recent productions: The Jungle Book (Magnus Theatre), Twelfth Night (Theatre Georgian Bay), We Must have More Men (Theatre by the Bay), Romeo & Juliet and Peter Pan at Old Flame Brewing Co., You Know I Know at the Toronto Fringe, Pirate Life (Pirate Life), Molly Bloom (Fourth Gorgon Theatre), Upcoming: The Dark Lady (Mystic Horde), Turtleneck (EmerGENce Theatre), and is currently creating a new musical adaptation of Pippi Longstocking by Astrid Lindgren to set sail on Lake Ontario this summer! Instagram: tuma2ma Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/annie.tuma Website: http://www.fourthgorgon.com/ Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Luke Reece is a storyteller, community builder, and artist-educator from Mississauga. He loves engaging with young-in-craft artists that are as diverse as the community he lives in. Luke is the Apprentice General Manager and a Resident Artist-Educator at Young People’s Theatre, Artistic Director of Little Black Afro Theatre, co-creator of Dark Nights, captain of the 2017 Toronto Poetry Slam Team, and previously the Associate General Manager of Obsidian Theatre Company. He has a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree from York University, where he studied Theatre and Creative writing.Twitter: @lareece93 Instagram: lareece93www.littleblackafro.com Twitter: @littleblackafro Instagram: littleblackafrowww.darknights.ca@darknightsTOdarknightsTOStageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Mad Power is an arts organization dedicated to the encouragement of artistic achievement and the protection of the rights of psychiatric survivors. Miles G. Cohen (Producer & Project Director) Mr. Cohen is a survivor with 40 years theatre experience. A graduate Of Bishop’s University, Canadian Mime School, Playhouse Acting School, and an alumnus of The Second City Touring Company he has performed and taught in theatres and institutions across Canada. He currently teaches at “Learn” a CAMH day program as well as “Encore” a CAMH pilot program for patients on the ward. He is a member and past board member for Workman Arts; a CAMH based arts organization. He is a founding director for Friendly Spike Theatre and a founding member of Kytes youth theatre for street youth. He has been a facilitator for an adult encounter group at Bridgepoint Health Centre and taught meditation at the Ralph Thornton Centre. Stephen LaFrenie (Producer and Actor) Stephen has performed and taught physical theatre for over 38 years. His training includes Ecole Jacques Lecoq, Mime School Unlimited, Dean Gilmour, and Tony Montanaro. He has toured extensively across Canada, to Spain, Australia, France, Hungary, Jamaica, Haiti and the U.S. Recent collaborations have been with Toronto’s Keystone Theatre, co-creating their two latest productions of “The Last Man on Earth” & "Gold Fever", both which premiered at the Toronto Clown Festival and enjoyed great success on the Canadian Fringe circuit. Other collaborations include Gabrielle Houle performing with Toronto Consort. Over the last 16 years he has toured with both Faustwork Mask Theatre and with Metaphysical Theatre’s production of "Fool’s Gold", which he co-created. He has received multiple Arts in Education grants from the Ontario Arts Council and taught in schools, colleges/universities across Canada and in Australia. Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Alex Dault is the Artistic Director of Theatre by the Bay in Barrie, Ontario. The company recently pivoted from performing classics to devising new work. Alex is in the process of creating a verbatim play called "The Five Points" about downtown Barrie created from more than one hundred interviews with local people over the course of the last six months. This show will be presented in July 2017 at the Mady Centre for the Performing Arts. 2016 will be Alex’s eleventh season with the company. For Theatre by the Bay, he has directed productions of Macbeth, Romeo & Juliet and Nine Mile Portage. He previously acted in The Tempest, Twelfth Night, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Much Ado About Nothing, As You Like it and was part of the original young company production of Treasure Island in 2002. Alex is also a member of Single Thread Theatre Company, a company which creates site-specific theatre all over Canada. Alex has studied at Ecole Philipe Gaulier, George Brown Theatre School and Queen’s University. @alexdaulthttp://www.singlethread.ca/ @theatrebythebayhttp://theatrebythebay.com/https://www.facebook.com/BarrieTheatrebytheBay/ Stageworthy:http://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod