Stageworthy — Listen to the Podcast

Stageworthy

A Performing Arts and Arts podcast Explicit

About the show

Now in its 10th year, Stageworthy is Canada’s theatre podcast, bringing you in-depth interviews with theatre artists, panel discussions, and more. Each week, host Phil Rickaby sits down with the people who make theatre happen: from household names to artists you should know. Whether you're an audience member, a theatre maker, or just plain curious about Canadian theatre, Stageworthy offers a front-row seat to the conversations shaping the industry. New episodes every Tuesday.

Newest episodes

Adam Lazarus is Throwing a Party About Falling Apart

Nov 10, 2026 1 hr 15 min

Read transcript About This Episode: Adam Lazarus is an award-winning theatre creator, director, and acting instructor whose work has toured nationally and internationally. His show Daughter, a searingly provocative exploration of toxic masculinity, has played stages around the world. Now he's back with something new: Versus, a one-person show running at the Theatre Centre in Toronto from November 11 to 28, and it might just be the most hopeful thing he's ever made. Guest: 🎭 Adam Lazarus Adam Lazarus is an award-winning theatre creator, actor, director, and acting instructor whose work has been showcased nationally, in the United States, Australia and in Europe. Adam brings a dark and comic sensibility to all of his work and is known for dynamic and implicating solo performances, including the international thought disrupter Daughter; the radical race oration The Art of Building a Bunker (co-written with Guillermo Verdecchia), the vicious bouffon love play Wonderland, and his latest anxiety odyssey Versus. Adam has acted as a creation director and coach for countless actors, musicians, speakers, comedians, dancers and performance artists, helping them to spark and form characters and narratives, worlds and images. He is s a graduate and former apprentice of Phillipe Gaulier and a regular acting instructor at the National Theatre School of Canada, Canadian Film Centre, Pig Iron, University of Toronto, Columbia, and Penn. Notable credits include Jenn Kidwell’s off-Broadway hit We Come to Collect; Other People by Daniel Brooks; The Appointment by Lightening Rod Special; Honey, I‘m Home by Lester Trips; No One’s Special at the Hot Dog Cart by Charlie Petch, Appetite for Volcano/Theatre Passe Muraille; [boxhead] for Crow’s Theatre/Mamalian Diving Reflex; Tyumen, Then for Groundwater Productions; and Le Fain de Partie for Luminato Festival. Currently: Adam is developing a reverse home invasion horror called At the Speed of Business, and his first novel of bouffon m...

Antoni Cimolino on Leaving the Stratford Festival after 39 Years

Nov 3, 2026 53 min

Read transcript About This Episode: Antoni Cimolino has spent 39 years at the Stratford Festival: as actor, producer, executive director, and finally as artistic director since 2012. In this wide-ranging conversation with host Phil Rickaby, Cimolino reflects on what drew him to Stratford as a teenager, the moment a play on the thrust stage changed the course of his life, and the long arc from audacious young actor (who once offered toaster ovens in exchange for an audition) to the outgoing steward of one of the world's great theatre institutions. Cimolino talks candidly about programming his final season around themes of forgiveness and the power of theatre, the existential financial crisis the pandemic brought to Stratford, and why he ultimately stayed on longer than he had planned. He also digs deep into the unique demands of the thrust stage, the philosophy behind commissioning ambitious new Canadian work, and what it meant to shepherd the festival through a fundamental shift in how audiences consume entertainment. This is a generous, thoughtful conversation with someone who has dedicated his professional life to a single institution, and who leaves it, by almost any measure, in better shape than he found it. Guest: 🎭 Antoni Cimolino Antoni Cimolino is the artistic director of the Stratford Festival, a post he was named to in 2012, having served as general director, executive director and general manager, in addition to other roles. He began at the Stratford Festival in 1988, as an actor, taking on his first directing projects in the mid-1990s. Highlights of his career include playing Romeo to Megan Follows's Juliet; directing Richard Monette in Filumena, William Hutt in Twelfth Night, Brian Bedford in Love's Labour's Lost and Martha Henry in The Tempest; the creation of the multimillion-dollar Endowment Foundation; the renovation of the Avon Theatre and the creation of the Studio Theatre; and the building of the glorious new Tom Patterson Theatre. In 201...

Steffi DiDomenicantonio Has Some Hot Takes on Musical Theatre in Canada

Oct 27, 2026 1 hr 13 min

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, Phil talks with Steffi DiDomenicantonio: actor, musical theatre artist, and Canadian Idol alumna better known as Steffi D. From the very first question, the conversation takes off into a frank and energetic discussion about the state of musical theatre in Canada: the shortage of venues, the lack of homegrown stars, the price of tickets, and more. Guest: 🎤 Steffi DiDomenicantonio Montreal born and Ottawa raised Steffi DiDomenicantonio is a bilingual Dora Award nominated performer who has appeared on stages and screens for almost 20 years. Most notably, she played the role of Ilse over 600 times in 44 cities in the first Broadway national tour of Spring Awakening, was a Top 5 finalist on Season 4 of Canadian Idol and performed the role of Janice & Others in the original Canadian cast of the smash-hit musical Come From Away over 1,300 times in Canada and on tour in the United States. Her other favourite theatre credits include leading lady turns in productions of Cabaret, Next to Normal, The Last Five Years, The Addams Family, The Rocky Horror Show, Cinderella, Rock of Ages and the Heated Rivalry musical. On the small screen, she has appeared in over 60 TV shows, movies and commercials including Transplant, Frankie Drake, The Umbrella Academy, Mayday, Star Trek, Crawford, Murdoch Mysteries, Stage Fright (with Meatloaf) and Chucky. Steffi was named after tennis legend Steffi Graf and she is a proud Italian French-Canadian musical theatre nerd slash Liza Minnelli lookalike who loves karaoke, trivia, thrifting, horror movies, poutine and Taylor Swift, all at once or separately and in no particular order. Her current record breaking DuoLingo streak is over 1,545 days long. Connect with Steffi 🌐 Website: www.steffid.ca 📸 Instagram: @steffid5 Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support S...

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All episodes

The newest 50 of 491 episodes

Adam Lazarus is Throwing a Party About Falling Apart

Nov 10, 2026 1 hr 15 min

Antoni Cimolino on Leaving the Stratford Festival after 39 Years

Nov 3, 2026 53 min

Steffi DiDomenicantonio Has Some Hot Takes on Musical Theatre in Canada

Oct 27, 2026 1 hr 13 min

Ron Kennell on Clown Noses, Dark Places, and Why Comedy Is Harder Than Drama

Oct 20, 2026 1 hr 3 min

About This Episode: This week, Phil sits down with Ron Kennell, Canadian actor, emerging playwright, and former George Brown College classmate, for a wide-ranging conversation that spans decades of theatre-making, international adventure, and the stubborn will it takes to keep going in this industry. Ron has spent nearly a decade at the Stratford Festival, made his Shaw Festival debut, appeared on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, and voiced characters in video games. He's also a writer, with a commissioned play about local Ontario psychic Vera McNicol and several screenplays on the go. Guest: 🎭 Ron Kennell From CBS’s Star Trek to CBC’s Sort Of. From the Stratford Festival to the Fadjr Theatre Festival in Iran. From touring - kids show in Quebec’s Arctic Circle, to playing a drag queen in the legend of George McBride at the Arts Centre in Vancouver. From voice acting in Far Cry (Primal) to writing feature film Dr Cabbie. Ron had had a varied career developed and sustained through his roots in the theatre. Connect with Ron 📸 Instagram: @resident_artisan Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve, Makambe Can't commit to monthly support? Leave a one-time tip here: ko-fi.com/stageworthy Read transcript

Annie Luján & Veronica Hortigüela are Bringing Chaos to the Monastery with Monks

Oct 13, 2026 1 hr 2 min

About This Episode: Annie Luján and Veronica Hortigüela are the creators and performers behind Monks, a two-person clown show about a pair of medieval Spanish monks who invite a wagon full of strangers to spend a day at their monastery; and chaos ensues. What started as a self-funded, unscripted experiment at the Toronto Fringe in 2024 became one of the hottest tickets in the city, spawning multiple remounts and a triumphant run at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe before returning home to Toronto for a full production at Tarragon Theatre. Guests: 🎭 Annie Luján & Veronica Hortigüela Annie Luján (she/her) is a Dora Award-winning Costa Rican-Canadian actor and clown. She is a graduate of the 2022 Soulpepper Academy and Concordia University. As a clown, Annie has trained/worked internationally in Italy, the U.S., the U.K. and Canada. Her credits include: Laura Secord’s Thing (Crow’s - Upcoming), Dance Nation (Coal Mine), The Welkin, King Lear (Soulpepper), A Little Closer (The Vault) Last Landscape (Bad New Days), Comedy of Errors (The Grove) and Storybook Search (Bad Hats). Veronica Hortigüela (she/her) is a Dora-Award winning Spanish-Canadian actor, clown, and playwright, born and raised in Scarborough, Ontario. She is one half of the creative/performance team behind MONKS (Tarragon, Edinburgh Fringe, Theatre Centre, Crow’s, County Stage, Toronto Fringe). She's passionate about seeing theatre through various phases of development and has had the pleasure of working with Canadian Stage, Crow’s, Buddies in Bad Times, Stratford, Tarragon, Factory, Shakespeare in the Ruff, and YPT on the development of new plays. Performance credits include: The Shoplifters [Upcoming], Bremen Town, Feast (Tarragon Theatre), The Bidding War, Prodigal (Crow’s Theatre), Casimir and Caroline (Howland Co., Dora Award - Best Ensemble), Little Women, Every Little Nookie (Stratford Festival) and Dry Land (Cue6). Connect with Annie & Veronica: 📸 Instagram: @monksonstage Get Tickets to Monks...

Kelly Taylor and Hools Kay are Un (Capital F) Famous in Toronto

Oct 6, 2026 58 min

About This Episode: Kelly Taylor is the kind of artist who doesn't wait for permission. When the roles aren't coming, she writes them. When she doesn't get into fringe, she books her own theatre. When she needs a director, she calls a friend she trusts, Hools Kay. That spirit is exactly what Un (Capital F) Famous is built on: a show about an actress who loses everything and has to find her way back to the art that made her fall in love with performing in the first place. In this conversation, Kelly and Hools talk about how the show came together, what it was like growing up in a clown family, Fringe touring and much more! Guests: 🎭 Kelly Taylor and Hools Kay Kelly Taylor is a jill-of-all-trades who has extensive experience wearing many different creative hats. Hailing from a family of literal- clowns, comedy runs through the this purple haired millennial veins. Kelly is a voice actor specializing in animation, a writer, a producer and an actor. Kelly creates comedy inspired by her zany life and engages her audiences through her personal flare and eternal optimism. A neurodivergent, queer, creative, Hools Kay has been around the block for all things art making. After spending the last 7 years working on creating their own series and having that bubble burst abruptly this past summer, Hools is super stoked to be in the director's chair for their Toronto directorial debut. As an actor, Hools can be found doing interactive performances with companies across the city like The Dinner Detective and EscapeShow. They have always found brilliance in collective creation with passionate artists, and working alongside Kelly Taylor fits that description perfectly. Connect with Kelly & Hools Kelly's Instagram: @itskellytaylor Hools' Instagram: @hookslaybae Get tickets to Un (Capital F) Famous: https://www.eventbrite.com/o/kelly-taylor-121616969983 Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Li...

Jay Northcott is Bringing Joy, Blackness, and Bootycandy to Buddies in Bad Times

Sep 29, 2026 1 hr 8 min

In this episode: Jay Northcott is a director, educator, and multidisciplinary artist whose work is rooted in joy, specificity, and a deep commitment to centring the full humanity of Black and queer artists. In this conversation, Jay joins Stageworthy host, Phil Rickaby to talk about Bootycandy, Robert O'Hara's wildly funny and emotionally complex play running at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in association with Obsidian Theatre; and why a play written by an American offers a powerful opportunity to interrogate what it means to make distinctly Canadian art. Guest: 🎭 Jay Northcott Jay (They/Them) is a multidisciplinary Creator, Director, Producer, and former Big Brother Canada contestant. Central to Jay’s creative and artistic practice is their advocacy for marginalized communities including Palestinians, Indigenous, Black, Racialized, Queer, Trans folks and beyond. The art they create is a window into their world, soul, values, and imagination. Art is freedom and freedom breathes life. Credits include: 7 METHODS OF KILLING KYLIE JENNER (Obsidian Theatre), KING LEAR (Stratford Festival), COTTAGERS AND INDIANS (Watermark Theatre, PEI), CONCORD FLORAL (Randolph College), 21 BLACK FUTURES (Obsidian Theatre, CBC), THE PARASITE (Theatre Outrè), PREMIUM CONTENT (Major Matt Mason). Connect with Jay: 📸 Instagram: @jaythemcott Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve, Makambe Can't commit to monthly support? Leave a one-time tip here: ko-fi.com/stageworthy Read transcript

Erin Shields is Bringing Deaf and Hearing Worlds Together in To A Flame

Sep 22, 2026 57 min

About This Episode: Playwright Erin Shields joins Phil for a wide-ranging conversation about To a Flame, her loose adaptation of Edgar Allan Poe's The Fall of the House of Usher, a production fifteen years in the making that features both deaf and hearing performers and is performed in spoken English and American Sign Language. Erin also reflects on a remarkable year of productions, from Mary, Mary, Mary, Mary to Medusa to You Always, and how the pandemic, gave her the space to experiment with form in ways she hadn't before, and much more! Guest: ✍️ Erin Shields Erin Shields is a Canadian playwright, actor and educator based in Toronto. Most of her work highlights the negation or misrepresentation of women in classical texts by adapting these stories through a feminist lens for a contemporary audience. She likes making large plays for large stages. Her work has played across Canada and beyond. Connect with Erin 🌐 Website: www.erinshields.ca 📸 Instagram: @shieldserin1 Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Can't commit to monthly support? Leave a one-time tip here: ko-fi.com/stageworthy Read transcript

Jacklyn Francis on Why Theatre Matters More Than Ever Right Now

Sep 15, 2026 1 hr 4 min

Jacklyn Francis has been making theatre in Canada for more than three decades, and in this conversation she brings the kind of hard-won perspective that only comes from years of navigating the industry's rhythms, disappointments, and genuine joys. In this episode, they talk about what it really feels like to work at a major festival like Stratford, the art of understudying, the strange grief that follows closing night, and much more! Guest: 🎭 Jacklyn Francis Jacklyn Francis is a proud Canadian stage and screen actor whose career spans more than three decades across theatre, film and television. She most recently starred as Alice in Sexy Laundry, at the Drayton Festival Theatre. A longtime member of the Stratford Festival company, her Stratford credits include Forgiveness, As You Like It, 1939, Hamlet-911, Henry VIII, Julius Caesar, To Kill a Mockingbird, The Changeling, Pride and Prejudice and Richard III. She has also performed leading roles at theatres across Canada, including the Citadel Theatre, Canadian Stage, Blyth Festival, Thousand Islands Playhouse, The Sudbury Theatre Centre, The Globe Theatre, Equity Showcase, Shakespeare in The Ruff, Buddies in Bad Times, Theatre Northwest, Resurgence, Shakespeare by the Bay and appearances at The Toronto Fringe. On screen, Jacklyn’s recent credits include HBO’s Welcome to Derry, NBC’s Brilliant Minds and Ruby and the Well, alongside appearances in Murdoch Mysteries, Rookie Blue, Flashpoint, Little Mosque on the Prairie, Missing and Our Hero. A graduate of George Brown Theatre School with additional professional development at the Banff Centre/Citadel Theatre, Jacklyn is a recipient of the Jean A. Chalmers Apprentice Award and the Tanya Award in recognition of excellence at the Stratford Festival (in 2018, Jacklyn was the first actor ever to win this award) Connect with Jacklyn 📸 Instagram: @jacklynjax Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch o...

Curtis Campbell has something to say about AI in the arts

Sep 8, 2026 1 hr 11 min

In this episode Curtis Campbell joins host Phil Rickaby to talk about AI in the theatre. In the lead up to this summer's Toronto Fringe, it was noticed that a number of shows were using AI generated posters, which sparked a discourse on social media about whether Generative AI should be used in the Fringe and beyond. This conversation spread to the Edinburgh Fringe, where AI generated posters were also seen. In this episode Curtis and Phil talk about AI, its use in the arts, and whether AI should be embraced or avoided. Note: in this episode, Curtis mentions a video that Phil published about his poster creation process. That video can be found here. Guest: 🎭 Curtis Campbell Curtis Campbell is a writer and theatre artist. Some previous credits as a writer and director include Katherine Is Not A Communist, Imp, BETR With Bevan and Color Me Pablo. His novel Dragging Mason County was be published by Annick Press in 2023. His plays Gay For Pay with Blake & Clay and Blake & Clay's Gay Agenda were Fringe hits. Connect with Curtis 🌐 website: campwrites.weebly.com 📸 Instagram: @curtisdangcampbell Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heather, Jeanette, Steve Can't commit to monthly support? Leave a one-time tip here: ko-fi.com/stageworthy Read transcript

Sara Farb is Bringing one of Musical Theatre's Great Roles to Life

Sep 1, 2026 58 min

About this episode Sara Farb is a veteran of the Canadian theatre stage, having made her debut at the age of 9. Now she's bringing the role of Fanny Brice to life in Shaw Festival's Funny Girl. In this conversation, Sara joins host Phil Rickaby to reflect on the show, writing for the theatre, and what keeps her going. This episode explores What it takes to perform a show like Funny Girl Joining the Shaw Festival for the first time Performing on Broadway in Harry Potter and the Cursed Child That time she almost gave up the theatre to become a copywriter. And much more! Guest: 🎭 Sara Farb Sara is an actor and writer. She wrote the book for the musical Kelly v. Kelly with Britta Johnson (music and lyrics) which premiered at Canadian Stage and Musical Stage Company in 2023; the show is a recipient of the Tom Hendry award and multiple Dora nominations. With Britta, she also co-wrote the Dora-nominated short musical He Is Coming. She wrote the book for the new musical Way Out There with Anton Lipovetsky (music and lyrics) which makes its premiere at YES! Theatre/Theatre Sudbury in spring of 2026. Her play, R-E-B-E-C-C-A, which she wrote and starred in, premiered at Theatre Passe Muraille. She is currently working on a new musical with Aaron Jensen (music and lyrics) about the forgotten female creator of the creature from Creature from the Black Lagoon. As an actor, Sara has performed on Broadway, in seven seasons at the Stratford Festival, and all over Canada. She is currently starring as Fanny Brice in Funny Girl at the Shaw Festival. Connect with Sara 📸 Instagram: @farb.sara Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels:...

Madelaine Rose is Scaring Audiences One Kitchen at a Time

Aug 25, 2026 1 hr 12 min

About This Episode: What happens when a self-described field mouse - someone who jumps at a cat's sneeze - decides to write a horror play? You get Passed Down, a one-person horror show about a woman who inherits her great aunt's house and discovers she may have inherited a little more than just the property. Performer, producer, director, and grant writer Madelaine Rose joins Phil to talk about bringing this solo horror play to the Halifax Fringe Festival, and why choosing the kitchen as the setting for a haunted house story was a deliberate and unsettling choice. This episode explores: The origins of Passed Down - from a 24-hour Toronto Fringe playwriting contest to a full 60-minute solo horror show The challenge of producing, acting, and writing your own Fringe show - and how Madelaine learned to compartmentalize and set a hard deadline on revisions Emotional safety in the rehearsal room - why the theatre industry has historically been better at getting actors into emotional scenes than getting them out again The biggest mistake artists make when writing grant applications (hint: they forget the boring stuff) And much more! Guest: 👻 Madelaine Rose Madelaine Rose (she/they) is a performer, producer and all-around creative. They are the current co-chair of outACTRAto, and the inaugural chair of the ACTRA National Progress Pride Committee. As a member of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community her mandate as a producer is to create the type of art she wishes to see in the world, art which creates space for more leading, and diverse roles for women, gender non-conforming, and queer artists. Their work as a theatre creator and filmmaker has been showcased and recognized from coast to coast, and around the globe. They are co-founder of Sigh No More Productions, and the Solo’d Out Theatre festival, and they can be seen acting in such award-winning works as The Perfect Bite (Secret City Adventures/ Netflix), My Best Friend’s Date (Sigh No More Productions), and The Heist… Almost (...

Sharry Flett Is Reflecting on 34 Seasons at the Shaw Festival

Aug 18, 2026 56 min

About This Episode: Sharry Flett has spent 34 seasons at the Shaw Festival - long enough to have watched the company evolve through three artistic directors, raise a daughter who appeared on its stages, and welcome back former students she once coached as the people now directing her. In this conversation with host Phil Rickaby, Sharry reflects on what keeps drawing her back to Niagara-on-the-Lake, and what it felt like to walk into rehearsals for Wind in the Willows and find Fiona Sauder, André Morin, and fight director Jack Davidson Rennie - all artists she had mentored at George Brown College, now in positions of leadership. This episode explores: What it was like for Sharry to be directed by three former students she had coached at George Brown College; and how she navigated that full-circle moment Playing Rat in Wind in the Willows: how the original Kenneth Grahame book shaped her approach to the character Why performing for children demands complete honesty and commitment; and how that discipline serves actors in any room The Shaw Festival under three artistic directors: Christopher Newton, Jackie Maxwell, and Tim Carroll, and how the ensemble ethos has remained constant through each Sharry's path from medicine to music to theatre, including the moment picking up a flute sent electricity through her arm The importance of teaching; and what Sharry gains from students when she brings Shaw's language alive in the room And much more! Guest: Sharry Flett SHAW 2026: Funny Girl, The Wind in the Willows; 34th season. FOR THE SHAW: Anything Goes, May I Have The Pleasure?, My Fair Lady, The Secret Garden, The Apple Cart, The Clearing, The Doctor’s Dilemma, Everybody, Cyrano de Bergerac, Man and Superman, Me and My Girl, Uncle Vanya, The Philadelphia Story, Enchanted April, Lady Windermere’s Fan, Come Back Little Sheba, Maria Severa, Age of Arousal, Sunday in the Park with George, The Little Foxes, Getting Married, The Magic Fire, Major Barbara, The Autumn Garden, F...

Christopher Gaze is Sharing What It Takes to Build a Theatre Festival That Lasts

Aug 11, 2026 55 min

About This Episode: Christopher Gaze is the founder and artistic director of Bard on the Beach, Vancouver's beloved outdoor Shakespeare festival now in its 37th season. In this conversation, Christopher talks with Phil about how a $35,000 co-op startup in 1990 grew into one of Canada's largest theatre companies, drawing 80,000 people a season to a pair of tented stages in Vanier Park overlooking English Bay and the mountains beyond. This episode explores: How Bard on the Beach began in 1990 with $35,000, a Canada Council Explorations Grant, and a company of 27 co-op members The influence of mentor Douglas Campbell: his force field in the audition room, his wilderness years, and why his name is on Bard's second stage Programming a season: from Douglas casually suggesting Twelfth Night over the phone to today's collaborative circle of senior theatre practitioners Goblin Oedipus, Antigone, and how Christopher was famously wrong about Goblin Macbeth (it sold out before opening night) And much more! Guest: 🎭 Christopher Gaze Christopher Gaze is best known as the Founder and Artistic Director of Bard on the Beach Shakespeare Festival, which celebrates its thirty-seventh season in 2026. He hosts the Vancouver Symphony Orchestra’s popular Tea & Trumpets series and also their annual Traditional Christmas concerts. Connect with Christopher Gaze: 📸 Instagram: @gazechristopher 📖 Buy The Road to Bard (Harbour Publishing) 🌐 Website: bardonthebeach.org 📸 Instagram: @bardonthebeach Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Thank you to my Patrons: Chris, Georgia, Heather J, Tanisha, Aisling, Cassie, Heat...

Ming Hudson is Directing Antigone at Bard on the Beach

Aug 4, 2026 1 hr 2 min

About This Episode: Director Ming Hudson joins Phil Rickaby to talk about bringing Antigone to Bard on the Beach in Vancouver - a production seven years in the making, created collaboratively with playwright Kate Besworth. It's a minimalist, intimate reimagining of a 2,500-year-old story about a woman who does the right thing even when told not to, and Ming shares how it came together from a literal bonfire in rural Nova Scotia to the thrust stage at Bard. This episode explores: How a seven-year collaboration with playwright Kate Besworth shaped this bold, minimal production of Antigone The "arrow" model of non-hierarchical directing and why Ming loves saying "I don't know" Making her Bard on the Beach directing debut after years as a performer with the company The Edmonton Fringe, the Edinburgh Fringe, and why fringe festivals are essential to Canadian theatre ecology What D&D has taught Ming about vulnerability, play, and building stronger creative relationships And much more! Guest: 🎭 Ming Hudson Ming (she/her) is a Vancouver based artist who pays rent on the lands stolen from the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh Nations. For over 20 years, she has worked as a freelance performer, collaborative director, devised theatre creator, independent producer, and teaching artist on the West Coast, across Canada, and abroad. Her specializations are in physical theatre and the creation of new work as a collective ensemble. A graduate of the Creating Theatre and Performance program at LISPA (now arthaus.berlin), Ming also holds a MA in Ensemble Theatre (Rose Bruford), and a BFA in Acting (UVic). Ming has worked for: Bard on the Beach, Zee Zee Theatre, 25th Street Theatre, The Arts Club, Studio 58, SFU, UBC, Dell'Arte International, UVic, vAct, Two Planks and a Passion, TheatreOne, Chemainus Theatre Festival, CCPA, Gwaandak Theatre, Green Thumb Theatre, Theatre Replacement, Atomic Vaudeville, Firehall Arts Centre, Boca del Lupo, Concrete Theatre, and Kaleidoscope...

Tim Carroll is making the Shaw Festival into a two-way conversation with its audience

Jul 28, 2026 56 min

About This Episode: Tim Carroll has been the artistic director of the Shaw Festival for a decade, and in that time he's reshaped the festival's mandate, expanded its reach into the community, and built a company culture grounded in playfulness, humility, and genuine artistic ambition. This episode explores: How Tim balances directing two major productions, Heartbreak House and Amadeus, in a single season, and why Tom Rooney is at the centre of both The economics of theatre: why even one of Canada's largest festivals relies on donations for half its income, and how a small-audience show can be as valuable as a sellout musical Why Tim abolished the Shaw Festival's mandate and replaced it with a mission; and what that difference actually means in practice How working at Shakespeare's Globe with Mark Rylance shaped every aspect of Tim's directing philosophy, from shared light to trusting the unexpected And much more! Guest: 🎭 Tim Carroll im Carroll currently serves as Artistic Director of The Shaw Festival at Niagara-on-the-Lake, a position he's held since 2017. Carroll may be best known for his years as Associate Director at London’s Globe Theatre, in particular for his productions of Richard III and Twelfth Night, starring Mark Rylance, for whose Broadway run in the 2013-14 season he was Tony-nominated and Mark Rylance won the Tony Award for Best Featured Actor. Carroll worked with the English Shakespeare Company before serving as the artistic director of the Northcott Theatre in Exeter. Carroll also served as the artistic director for the Kent Opera, and he is a founding member of the experimental theatre group the Factory in London. Carroll’s directing work has spanned not only the Globe but the globe, from theatres in Hungary, Norway, Portugal, Romania, and Canada! Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you...

Ryan McCollom is Making Canadian Theatre Impossible to Ignore

Jul 21, 2026 56 min

About This Episode: Ryan McCollom is a Toronto-based theatre content creator behind the popular TikTok and Instagram account Plates and Playbills, and he's on a mission to get more people through the doors of indie and smaller professional theatres across the city. What started as personal documentation of his own growing love of theatre has evolved into a platform dedicated to closing the gap between the big Mirvish productions most people know and the rich, underserved world of indie and community theatre that most audiences don't even know exists. This episode explores: How Ryan went from cooking videos during COVID to becoming one of Toronto's most visible theatre content creators The difference between being a theatre critic and a theatre commentator and why Ryan is careful about that line Why the Stratford Festival was the wake-up call that made Ryan realize theatre needed younger audiences now What indie theatres could be doing on social media to reach new audiences without spending a dime Canadian cultural cringe in the performing arts: why audiences wait for American or British validation before embracing homegrown work And much more! Guest: 🎭 Ryan McCollom Ryan is a Toronto-based content creator dedicated to making theatre more accessible and approachable for new audiences while also encouraging seasoned theatre-goers to explore smaller professional companies and indie productions. While his coverage primarily focuses on the Toronto theatre scene, Ryan also documents his travels and the productions he experiences around the world, sharing an honest perspective as an everyday theatre fan. Connect with Ryan: 📸 Instagram: @platesandplaybills_ 🎥 TikTok: @platesandplaybills_ Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get...

Peter Fernandes is Making His Directing Debut at the Shaw Festival with Sleuth

Jul 14, 2026 1 hr 1 min

About This Episode: Peter Fernandes is many things at once: an award-winning actor, a magic and illusions designer, and now a first-time director at one of Canada's most celebrated theatre festivals. In this conversation, Peter joins Phil to talk about what it's like to make your directing debut with Sleuth at the Shaw Festival, a mystery that demands the same sleight-of-hand thinking Peter has honed as a magic practitioner. The terror of stepping into a new role, the joy of being trusted with it, and the surprise of discovering how much his illusion work shaped his directorial instincts. This episode explores: Directing Sleuth at the Shaw Festival as a debut; and why pure excitement quickly turned to terror How magic and illusions design shaped Peter's approach to staging a mystery Hosting the Dora Awards while being nominated for one (and which one was scarier) The case for taking comedy - and musical theatre - as seriously as any other art form And much more! Guest: 🎭 Peter Fernandes Peter Fernandes is an award-winning theatre creator based out of Toronto. As a performer, select credits include One For the Pot, One Man Two Guvnors, The Importance of Being Earnest, Damn Yankees, Charley’s Aunt, Christmas Carol, The Russian Play, Brigadoon (Shaw); Fat Ham (Canadian Stage) Bidding War, The Master Plan, Fifteen Dogs (Crow’s); Almost a Full Moon, Peter and the Starcatcher (Citadel); Rose, Father Comes Home From the Wars, Alligator Pie, Incident at Vichy, The Just, Marat/Sade, The Dybbuk, Spoon River, Tartuffe, The Crucible, Idiot’s Delight (Soulpepper); Vietgone (RMTC); Romeo & Juliet, Midsummer Night’s Dream, Love & Information, Twelfth Night, King Lear (Canadian Stage); Jerusalem (Outside the March/Company); You’re a Good Man, Charlie Brown! (MTYP); Onegin (NAC/Musical Stage); Passing Strange (Musical Stage/Obsidian). Creative credits include: Director, Sleuth (SHAW) Associate Director - Wights, Octet, A Strange Loop (Crow’s), Assistant Director - Sherlock Hol...

Natalie Kaye is Channelling Harpo Marx, Mae West, and Shakespeare All at Once

Jul 7, 2026 56 min

About This Episode: Playwright and writer Natalie Kaye joins Phil Rickaby to talk about her wildly ambitious new musical, 1920s Walking Around in a Dream, playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. The show is a screwball comedy set in an imagined 1920s Jazz Age Chicago, and it's a retelling of Shakespeare's A Midsummer Night's Dream, translated not into modern English, but into the heightened, slang-drenched language of the Jazz Age. It's a project Natalie has been quietly nurturing for at least a decade, and hearing her describe its journey from a single translated sonnet to a fully staged musical is genuinely thrilling. This episode explores: How a single translated Shakespeare sonnet launched a decade-long project Why A Midsummer Night's Dream and the Jazz Age are a perfect match Silent film, vaudeville, and the Marx Brothers as creative inspirations The challenge of writing dense, heightened language that audiences can actually follow What it means to finally relinquish control and trust your cast and director And much more! Guest: ✍️ Natalie Kaye Natalie Kaye (she/her) Playwright. Natalie is an award-winning playwright and a published poet. She is also a dancer, choreographer and aerial silks performer. A graduate of York University and the University of Toronto, Natalie has a Masters' in Drama. She has worked in theatre as a producer, director, playwright, actor and dramaturg. Her one-act play, Mood Swings, won first place in the Pat the Dog's 24-hour play contest. The play was workshopped by Pat the Dog in February, 2014 and received a full production at Toronto Fringe in 2016 where it was called "beautiful" "well-executed" and "poetic" by Mooney on Theatre. Her short plays, Universe Inc. and A Toast were produced by Newborn Theatre at the Odds and Ends Festival. She is a member of the Vault Creation Lab's writer's group. She co-wrote #1 Clown Comedy With Victor & Priscilla at Toronto Fringe in 2025. Connect with Natalie Kaye: 🌐 Website: unspokentheatre...

Your Guide to the 2026 Toronto Fringe, with Four of Toronto's Essential Theatre Voices

Jun 30, 2026 1 hr 17 min

About This Episode: As the Toronto Fringe Festival prepares to launch, Phil Rickaby gathers four of Toronto's most dedicated theatre content creators (Janine Marley from A View from the Box, Ryan Borochovitz from The Cup Podcast, Alexandra Lean from Being Dramatic, and Ryan McCollom from Plates & Playbills) for a lively live stream preview of the 2026 festival. Together they dig into what makes Fringe such a unique and exciting event, share their personal histories with the festival, and break down what their coverage will look like across podcasts, written reviews, and social media throughout the run. This episode explores: Each panelists Toronto Fringe Top 5, must see shows, plus a wildcard selection largely based on title alone. A breakdown of how each content creator covers Fringe, from roundup podcast episodes and daily written reviews to short-form TikTok recaps Practical tips for navigating venues, surviving the heat, eating on a budget, and planning your Fringe days geographically And much more Connect with Janine Marley, Ryan Borochovitz, Alexandra Lean, and Ryan McCollom: 🎙️ Ryan Borochovitz: The Cup Podcast 📺 Youtube: @cupofhemlocktheatre2934https://www.youtube.com/@cupofhemlocktheatre2934 📝 Alexandra Lean: Bad Reviewer and Being Dramatic ✒️ Bad Reviewer: badreviewer.substack.com 🎙️ Being Dramatic: https://open.spotify.com/show/04EUsQsiw1wrUMNLjdqDmy 📸 Ryan McCollom: Plates and Playbills on Instagram 🤳 Instagram: @platesandplaybills_ 📹 TikTok: @platesandplaybills_ 🌐 Janine Marley: A View from the Box ✏️ Website: aviewfromthebox.net 📹 Tiktok: @aviewfromthebox 📸 Instagram: @avuefromthebox Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to...

Marla Torgerson is Bringing her Show about Breaking Up with White Jesus to Toronto Fringe

Jun 25, 2026 1 hr 10 min

About This Episode: In this episode, Phil sits down with Marla Torgerson, a Calgary-based singer-songwriter and classically trained vocalist who has written and performs her debut theatrical work, Sinner, a one-woman musical tragic comedy about growing up in the evangelical Bible Belt of central Alberta and the long, often painful process of leaving fundamentalist religion behind. What starts as a conversation about a show becomes a wide-ranging, deeply personal discussion between two people who have both done the hard work of deconstructing their faith and are still finding new layers to unpack. This episode explores: How Marla went from singer-songwriter and opera graduate to writing her debut solo theatrical work over eight years The specific moment that cracked open her deconstruction, and why she frames Sinner as breaking up with white Jesus rather than religion broadly Why evangelical culture treats men and women differently, and how the Proverbs 31 woman ideal is actually a subversive power structure The prosperity gospel, megachurches, and why Marla argues that being rich is evidence of a lack of faith And much more! Guest: 🎤 Marla Torgerson Marla Torgerson is a Calgary-based singer-songwriter, performer, writer, and comedienne. Originally trained in classical voice, she holds a Bachelor of Arts in Music and has performed throughout Canada, the United States, Europe, and South Korea. Her work combines soaring vocals, sharp humour, and deeply personal storytelling. Drawing from her experiences within North American evangelical culture, Marla creates work that examines faith, identity, belonging, and transformation with honesty, nuance, and compassion. Outside of theatre, she works professionally as a vocalist and songwriter, having been a background vocalist for legends like Sarah Mclachlan, and lived and recorded in Nashville, Tennessee alongside Grammy winning musicians, Marla has built a career that spans music, comedy, and live performance. SINN...

Chris Cracknell is Making Theatre About Online Community, Identity, and Finding Your People

Jun 23, 2026 1 hr 0 min

About this episode: Chris Cracknell is a Hamilton-based composer, musician, performer, and web series creator who has channelled a pandemic-era creative crisis into something genuinely extraordinary: a non-canonical musical adventure called Pookumhura Mistress of B-Roll, playing at Theatre Passe-Muraille as part of the Toronto Fringe's Musical Theatre Hub. The show draws on Chris's nearly two decades as a World of Warcraft player, but don't let that fool you into thinking you need to know anything about the game. At its heart, this is a show about how people use online spaces to find community, explore identity, and connect with each other across the divides that increasingly define our world. Chris and Phil dig into the origins of the Pookumhura web series, which Chris created as a way to climb out of pandemic-era depression one tiny creative act at a time. What started as the bare minimum (taking a gummy and ad-libbing awkward conversations with in-game NPCs) eventually snowballed into a full eleven-episode season and then a stage musical. It's a story about the power of low-stakes creative momentum, and the surprising places it can take you. Guest: 🎮 Chris Cracknell Chris Cracknell, a former webcomic artist and fixture of the Hamilton music and theatre communities has employed his talents in a wide variety of productions. He has performed in such diverse roles as Doctor Frank N. Furter in the Waterdown Village Theatre's 2012 production of "The Rocky Horror Show" and Mr. Kurlansky in the 2017 film "Chewed" by Mike Trebilcock and far too many Hamilton Fringe Festival productions to list. Tickets to Pookamhura: https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/non-canonical-musical-adventure-pookamhura-mistress-b-roll Connect with Chris: 🌐 Website: www.pookplay.ca 📸 Instagram: @pookamhura Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stag...

Victoria Sullivan is Forcing Ontario's Premier to Live on Minimum Wage at Toronto Fringe

Jun 18, 2026 1 hr 3 min

Read transcript About This Episode: What would happen if a newly elected Premier of Ontario was forced to live on minimum wage? That's the provocative (and deeply funny) question at the heart of Minimum, the political satire written and performed by Victoria Sullivan. After winning Best in Venue at the 2025 Hamilton Fringe Festival, Victoria is bringing the show to Toronto Fringe, and the timing couldn't feel more apt. Victoria is an actor, playwright, and producer based in Hamilton, working under the banner of Be Victorious (and sometimes the Intergalactic Federation of Space Beers - it's a long story). She holds a master's degree from TMU, where her Dante-inspired thesis project Daniel T's Inferno Latte became a critically lauded Fringe hit. With four consecutive Fringe runs under her belt, she knows what it takes to make a show land; and she's ready to find out how Toronto audiences respond to political absurdism in the current climate. This episode explores: How the experience of moving to Toronto and working for minimum wage sparked the idea for Minimum Why Victoria chose a fictional premier over the actual Premier and what creative freedom that decision unlocked Returning to a show with the same cast but a new director, and what that reinvestigation revealed The changing landscape of Fringe marketing - from flyering lineups to social media ads - and what actually works And much more! Guest: 🎭 Victoria Sullivan Victoria Sullivan is an award-winning scriptwriter, producer and actress who currently resides in Hamilton, Ontario. Victoria completed an MFA in Scriptwriting and Story Design at Toronto Metropolitan University in 2023. Her thesis project is a female-led, television adaptation of Dante’s Inferno, with a modern-day interpretation of the entry requirements into Hell. Victoria produced and starred in a stage adaptation of Danielle Tea’s Infernal Latte on Tarragon Mainstage for the Toronto 2023 Fringe Festival to rave reviews and critical acclaim. S...

Kathleen Welch is Bringing Dark Celtic Mythology to the Toronto Stage with Siofra

Jun 16, 2026 53 min

Read transcript About This Episode: Kathleen Welch is a playwright, composer, director, and actor, and one of the founding members of The Spindle Collective; the Toronto-based company making some of the most compelling horror theatre in Canada right now. She joined Phil to talk about Siofra, Spindle Collective's latest show, which opens at the Red Sandcastle Theatre on June 17th. Rooted in the Irish mythology of changeling babies, Siofra is the second in a trilogy of folklore-inspired horror plays that Kathleen has written with Spindle Collective co-founder Natalia Bushnik. The conversation moves through the rich terrain of folklore and what makes it such fertile ground for original storytelling — from Romanian demons to Germanic winter witches, and now to the west of Ireland in the 1860s. Kathleen talks about the collaborative writing process she and Natalia developed during COVID, why writing with a trusted partner makes all the difference, and how Siofra surprised even its own creators when the humor started emerging in rehearsal. Kathleen also talks about the Dead of Winter Festival, the horror theatre festival she and Natalia launched in partnership with Eldritch Theatre, why genre theatre is a powerful way to bring new audiences into the room, and what she believes makes horror such a naturally feminist form of storytelling. This episode explores: The mythology of Irish changeling babies and how it shapes the story of Siofra How The Spindle Collective was born during COVID from a shared love of folklore and horror The Dead of Winter Festival: what they learned in year one, including surviving a polar vortex Why horror is uniquely suited to feminist storytelling and bringing new audiences to theatre And much more! Guest: 🎭 Kathleen Welch Kathleen Welch is a playwright, composer, director, and actor. She is a founding member of spindle collective, which focuses on the creation of horror theatre and dark folklore epics. With Natalia Bushnik, she co-wrote...

Taylor Trowbridge is bringing DADS to Toronto Fringe

Jun 11, 2026 50 min

About This Episode: What do we really know about our dads — and what have we never been able to say out loud? Taylor Trowbridge joins Phil to talk about her new solo show Dads, playing at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Part stand-up, part storytelling, part audience game, the show invites people to sit with the full range of their experiences with their fathers: the funny, the complicated, and the quietly unresolved. Taylor and Phil dig into the generational forces that shaped so many dads — wartime trauma, boomer expectations, the rigid masculinity that made emotional connection difficult — and how those patterns echo forward into all of us. Taylor also shares how her brother Dylan is directing the show, why the family collaboration just makes sense, and what it was like to turn questions about her own dad into a piece of theatre. This episode explores: What Dads is — and why Taylor wanted to build a show around audience interaction, games, and stand-up The generational and emotional weight fathers carry, and how masculinity shapes the father-child relationship Working with her brother Dylan Trowbridge as director, and why no chemistry test was needed Tool for Rebellion: Taylor's verbatim theatre piece on incel culture, the Toronto van attack, and the limits of empathy And much more! Guest: 🎭 Taylor Trowbridge Taylor Trowbridge (she/her) is an actor, educator, and award-wining playwright. As an actor, she has performed for theatre companies such as Canadian Stage, The Shaw Festival, Nightwood Theatre, Bard on the Beach and SummerWorks Festival, and for TV shows such as The Handmaid’s Tale, Upload, SKYMED, Orphan Black, Murdoch Mysteries and Copper. Taylor’s documentary play Tool for Rebellion was part of Studio 180's IN DEVELOPMENT program in 2022 and 2023 and received the Equity Showcase Cayle Chernin Award for Theatre. Her new play DADS – a playful, interactive solo show – will be at Toronto Fringe from June 30th to July 12th. Get Tickets to DADS: http://f...

Stephen Drover is Directing the Macbeth He's Been Thinking About for Twenty Years

Jun 9, 2026 1 hr 0 min

Read transcript About this episode: Stephen Drover has directed Macbeth before; twenty years ago, the day after it closed, he wanted to do it again. Now, as both adapter and director for Bard on the Beach in Vancouver, he's finally getting that chance. In this rich conversation, Stephen talks about approaching Shakespeare not as a sacred text to be served but as a living collaboration, asking not what the words inherently mean but what meaning is being created in this specific theatre, for this specific audience, right now. The conversation covers the challenge of stripping away cultural baggage around the witches, to building a post-environmental dystopia as the world of the play, to why Stephen leans into the brutal, blood-soaked reality of the play rather than sanitizing it for comfortable consumption. He also reflects on how becoming a parent has changed the way he receives Macbeth's deeply embedded anxieties about children and grief. This episode explores: Approaching Shakespeare as a collaborator rather than a proprietor — and what that means in practice for this production The concentric rings of Stephen's career: actor to director to artistic director to dramaturg How a late diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder and ADHD illuminates why theatre suits his brain so well New play development at the Arts Club and the 'one size fits one' philosophy And much more! Guest: 🎭 Stephen Drover Stephen is a dramaturg and director originally from Newfoundland and presently based on the lands of the Musqueam, Squamish, and Tsleil-Waututh peoples (Vancouver, British Columbia). He holds a BFA in Theatre from Memorial University of Newfoundland, an MFA in Directing from the University of British Columbia, and an MA in Theatre Theory and Dramaturgy from the University of Ottawa. Since 2018, he has served as Head of New Works and Professional Engagement at Arts Club Theatre Company, where he leads the commissioning and development of new plays. His dramaturgical work th...

Rymn Wadhwa is an Engineer Turned Playwright at Toronto Fringe

Jun 2, 2026 53 min

About This Episode: What happens when an engineer decides to write a play? If you're Rymn Wadhwa, you end up with one of the most inventive premises at this year's Toronto Fringe Festival. Assembly Sϋggested follows two women building an IKEA chair (and maybe, just maybe, a relationship ) guided by an instruction manual that gets increasingly, wonderfully absurd. It's a debut play with a deceptively simple setup that promises real emotional depth. This is Rymn's first play, first Fringe, and first podcast interview, and it's a conversation full of warmth, honesty, and real excitement about what theatre can do. If you're heading to the Toronto Fringe this year, Assembly Sϋggested is one to put on your list. This episode explores: The ingenious premise of Assembly Sϋggested and how a friendship became the blueprint for a play about building and breaking things How Rymn's engineering mindset and chess background shape the way she structures drama — including charting emotional highs and lows in spreadsheets How such a personal play evolved into something with no villains, only two people with different needs Creating Original music for the play, and suiting it to the performer And much more! Guest: ♟️ Rymn Wadhwa Rymn is a Toronto-based playwright, artist, and engineer interested in structure, performance, and the narratives we build around everyday events. Her debut play, Assembly Sϋggested, premieres at the 2026 Toronto Fringe Festival. Connect with Rymn 🌐 Website: assemblysuggested.com 📸 Instagram: @assemblysuggested Get tickets (starting June 3): https://fringetoronto.com/fringe/show/assembly-suggested Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell! Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover,...

Chantel Winters on Planting Clues in Her Scripts, the Reality of Producing, & Other Concerns

May 26, 2026 58 min

About This Episode: Chantel Winters is a Toronto-based actor, playwright, and producer who has built a career by refusing to wait for permission. In this conversation with host Phil Rickaby, Chantel talks about how the realities of the audition grind pushed her toward making her own work. The conversation also digs into & Other Concerns, the film adaptation of the 2019 Fringe hit An Atlas in a Necktie and Other Concerns, how it evolved from a pandemic Zoom project into a short film now available for free on CBC Gem, and what Chantel learned about producing for screen along the way. She also speaks candidly about the shift from non-union to union work, the exhaustion of self-tape culture, the state of diversity in Canadian film and theatre, and why, despite everything, theatre will always be her first love. This episode explores: How the audition grind pushed Chantel toward playwriting and producing her own work What producing outside of Fringe taught her about ticket sales, venue costs, and the gap between expectations and reality The evolution of And Other Concerns from Toronto Fringe to a short film now streaming free on CBC Gem How Eartha Kitt inspired her play, Dear Ms. Kitt. And much more! Guest: 🎭 Chantel Winters Chantel Winters is an actor, playwright and producer born and raised in Toronto. Select theatre credits include: 'Honey Never Spoils' Toronto Fringe 2025; 'Good People' Bloor West Village Players; 'An Atlas, a Necktie & Other Concerns' Toronto Fringe 2019; 'Professionally Ethnic' Summerworks 2017. Now Magazine named Professionally Ethnic one of the outstanding ensembles of the season. She recently re-mounted her one-act play, 'Dear Ms. Kitt' under Hard-Bitten Productions. Chantel’s first film producer credit for the short, ‘& Other Concerns’ based on the Fringe hit, is now available on CBC Gem. Connect with Chantel 📸 Instagram: @chantel.winters Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radi...

Blythe Haynes on Creative Risk, Accessibility, Emotional Safety, & Other Concerns

May 19, 2026 1 hr 0 min

Read transcript About This Episode Blythe Haynes returns to Stageworthy for a wide-ranging conversation with host Phil Rickaby about indie theatre, artistic process, community, and the evolution of a Fringe hit into a feature film. Blythe reflects on how Toronto’s theatre scene has changed since the pandemic, why she believes artists need spaces to experiment and fail, and what Canadian theatre can learn from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe model. The conversation also explores the challenges of sustaining indie work in Toronto, the importance of artistic community, and how Blythe’s own understanding of her career shifted during the lockdown years. They also discuss the journey of An Atlas, A Necktie, and Other Concerns — the acclaimed 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival production that eventually became the filmed adaptation And Other Concerns, now streaming on CBC Gem. Blythe shares what it was like adapting the theatrical piece into film, acting while serving as a producer, and working within the unusual constraint of keeping the story confined to a single room. The episode also touches on rehearsal room culture, emotional safety in performance, outdoor theatre disasters, the realities of producing independent work, Gangway Theatre’s long-developing project Digital Divergence, and Blythe’s growing interest in playwriting and collaborative creation. This episode explores The state of Toronto indie theatre post-pandemic Why Fringe in Canada functions differently than Edinburgh Building artistic community outside traditional theatre spaces Turning An Atlas, A Necktie, and Other Concerns into a film Emotional safety and accessibility in rehearsal rooms Performing The Drowning Girls outdoors in near-hypothermic conditions The importance of process over product in artistic work and much more Guest: 🎭 Blythe Haynes BLYTHE HAYNES (she/her). Actor, Theatre Maker & Co-Artistic Director Gangway! Theatre Co. Blythe holds her Bachelor of Fine Arts in Acting from the Universit...

Susanna Fournier is Spending a Season in Hell with take rimbaud

May 12, 2026 1 hr 15 min

About This Episode: Playwright, director, and theatre maker Susanna Fournier joins Phil Rickaby fresh from rehearsal to talk about take rimbaud, her ambitious new production at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre in association with the Howland Company. Inspired by Arthur Rimbaud's iconic prose poem A Season in Hell, the play is a decade-plus labour of love that explores what it means to be a young artist crashing into the hard realities of the industry — and what happens when you refuse to take the path of least resistance. Susanna and Phil dig into the state of Canadian theatre with refreshing candour: the fear of artistic risk, the pressure to program safe and familiar work, and what it costs artists, emotionally, financially, and creatively, to keep showing up. From graduating the National Theatre School and navigating the post-theatre-school identity crisis, to collaborating with director ted witzel and the Howland Company across twelve years of drafts, workshops, and rewrites, Susanna reflects on what it means to grow up inside a play; and what it takes to finally let it become what it needs to be. This episode explores: What take rimbaud is, and why Rimbaud's A Season in Hell still feels urgently relatable to artists today The culture of artistic risk-aversion in Canadian theatre and why safe programming may be slowly destroying the art form Why theatre may actually become more essential, not less, in a world where AI is replacing on-screen performers The millennial anxiety baked into the play, and what twelve years of drafts taught Susanna about herself as an artist And much more! Guest: ✍️ Susanna Fournier Susanna Fournier is an award-winning Canadian playwright, theatre maker/director, and educator. Her play texts include: The Empire Trilogy (The Philosopher’s Wife, The Scavenger’s Daughter, Four Sisters), take rimbaud, PYPER, Next Time I Die, HEART/BODY, Always Still the Dawn, and antigone lives*. Her work centres on form-as-meaning and holistic dramaturg...

Lisa Marie DiLiberto is making theatre that doesn’t sit quietly

May 5, 2026 1 hr 7 min

About This Episode: Lisa Marie DiLiberto, Artistic Director of Theatre Direct, joins Phil Rickaby for a wide-ranging conversation about one of Canada's most enduring theatre companies for young audiences. With the company approaching its 50th anniversary in 2026, Lisa Marie shares how she's been preparing to honour that legacy — from digging through decades of archives to planning a celebration at the Canadian Theatre Museum that will feature five decades of performance. Lisa Marie traces her own journey from training in classical acting at George Brown Theatre School and clowning with Philippe Gaulier in Paris, through founding her own company Fixpoint Theatre, to taking the helm at Theatre Direct in 2019. She speaks candidly about the realities of sustaining an arts career in Canada, the value of collaboration over competition between theatre companies, and how COVID reshaped, and in some ways reinvigorated, the work she wanted to do. This episode explores: Theatre Direct's history, mission, and preparations for its 50th anniversary season in 2026 Lisa Marie's path from George Brown Theatre School and Paris clown training to founding Fixpoint Theatre and leading Theatre Direct Why Theatre for Young Audiences is vital - and how to reach kids who didn't choose to be there Site-specific and participatory theatre as a strategy for engaging young audiences and navigating gatekeepers And much more! Guest: 🎭 Lisa Marie DiLiberto Lisa Marie is the Artistic Director of Theatre Direct Canada, formerly Artistic Director and founder of FIXT POINT Arts and Media, and co-creator of The Tale of a Town, a site-specific theatre and media project that has toured to every province and territory in Canada. She is a Dora nominated Director and the co-creator of Main Street Ontario an animated series now airing its second season on TVO. Ms. DiLiberto holds a Masters of Arts in Theatre and Performance Studies from York University where she is currently pursuing her PhD. Past post...

Dr. Janet McMordie is Mixing Medicine and Acting with Vitals

Apr 28, 2026 1 hr 1 min

About This Episode: What happens when a sports medicine physician rediscovers her inner theatre kid during a global pandemic? In this episode, Phil sits down with Dr. Janet McMordie, a physician, actor, podcast host, and Team Canada Paralympics doctor, for a genuinely surprising conversation about what it means to pursue two very different callings at once. Janet shares how Second City's free online improv classes for healthcare workers during COVID cracked open a creative life she'd tucked away during years of medical training. From community theatre up north to landing an agent at a showcase, her path back to the stage has been anything but conventional — and she's leaning into every messy, joyful step of it. Now Janet is producing and starring in a remount of Rosamund Small's acclaimed play Vitals at Factory Theatre (May 2 - 10), directed by Alaine Hutton. She opens up about what it's like to hire yourself when the industry won't, the humbling surprise of discovering that the script is only 10–20% of the show, and why she believes theatre - real humans breathing the same air - is exactly what the world needs right now. This episode explores: How pandemic improv classes reignited Janet's lifelong love of performance What it's like to navigate the identity of being both Dr. McMordie and an actor Producing Vitals at Factory Theatre — finding funding through small businesses when grants fall short Being a Team Canada physician at the 2024 Paris Paralympics The politics of sport, the politics of theatre, and why artists can't just 'stay in their lane' And much more! Guest: 🩺 Dr. Janet McMordie Dr. Janet McMordie is a Sport & Exercise Medicine Physician with specialty training in Women’s Sexual Health. She completed medical school, family medicine residency, and sport medicine fellowship at McMaster University. She holds a diploma in Sports Medicine from the Canadian Academy of Sport and Exercise Medicine (CASEM) and is a member of the International Society for...

Alexis Milligan Knows what Doctors can Learn from Theatre

Apr 21, 2026 1 hr 3 min

About This Episode: What does it mean to move with intention? For Alexis Milligan, movement is everything — every breath, every blink, every shift of weight tells a story. As the Resident Movement Director at the Shaw Festival, Alexis works at the intersection of physical storytelling, design, and performance, helping actors inhabit their roles from the inside out. In this episode, Phil and Alexis dig into what movement direction actually is, how it differs from choreography, and why getting rehearsal corsets and headpieces into the room early can mean the difference between injury and artistry. But Alexis's work extends well beyond the rehearsal hall. She is the creator and director of the Groundbreaking Theatre of Medicine program — an accredited continuing professional development program through the University of Toronto that brings performing arts skills directly to physicians, surgeons, and healthcare providers. The research is unambiguous: when patients feel heard and seen by their doctors, their outcomes improve. Alexis is building the bridge between those two worlds, using theatre games, movement exercises, and the transferable skills of the performing arts to fill critical gaps in medical education. Alexis also opens up about podcasting — both as the host of Finding Creativity and as the host of the Shaw Festival's own Let's Get This Shaw on the Road podcast. She and Phil share a candid conversation about the realities of building an audience for niche arts programming, the importance of pulling back the curtain for audiences, and why Canadian theatre needs to get louder about the value it brings to communities. This episode explores: What movement direction is — and how it differs from choreography The physical challenges of period costuming and why rehearsal corsets matter from day one Emotional bleed, the actor's cool-down, and the practice of 'taking off the mask' How the Theatre of Medicine is using performing arts skills to improve patient outco...

Logan Robbins Is Giving Puppets (and the Planet) a Fighting Chance

Apr 14, 2026 57 min

About This Episode: Logan Robbins is one of those rare theatre artists whose work sits at the intersection of science, storytelling, and a deep love for the natural world. As the artistic director of the Unnatural Disaster Theatre Company in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Logan has built a practice rooted in environmental themes, puppetry, site-specific work, and creating space for emerging artists to find their footing in the professional theatre world. It's a conversation full of warmth, curiosity, and genuine passion for what theatre can do. Phil and Logan cover a lot of ground - from the origins of the Unnatural Disaster Theatre Company and what sustainable theatre actually looks like in practice, to Logan's unusual path from aspiring marine biologist to professional puppeteer. Along the way, they get into the magic of making inanimate objects breathe, the Grogu effect on public perception of puppetry, and a surprisingly relatable detour into dyscalculia. This is also a conversation about community, what it means to build one, how Halifax's independent theatre scene functions with limited space, and why Logan started not one but two puppet festivals in the same year. If you've ever felt the inexplicable joy of watching a puppet come to life, this episode will remind you exactly why that feeling matters. This episode explores: How the Unnatural Disaster Theatre Company was founded and what sustainable theatre means in practice Logan's journey from zookeeper and marine biology student to professional puppeteer and theatre maker The magic of puppetry and why breath is the key to bringing any object to life The Halifax theatre scene: independent companies, the Bus Stop Theatre, and Neptune's growing role as a community hub Launching the Objective Puppet Test festival and the Atlantic Festival of Puppetry Arts And much more! Guest: 🎭 Logan Robbins Logan “Lo” Robins is a queer environmental theatre maker, puppeteer, director, producer, stage manager, science communicat...

Bryn Kennedy is Wearing Many Hats in Toronto's Indie Theatre Scene

Apr 7, 2026 57 min

About This Episode: Bryn Kennedy returns to Stageworthy to talk about directing Riot King's production of The Moors by Jen Silverman — a darkly comic Victorian Gothic play about isolation, power, and the cost of giving up community. Bryn shares why this unsettling tale of spinster sisters, a mysterious governess, a mastiff dog, and a moorhen feels urgently relevant in our age of individualism and loneliness. Beyond The Moors, Bryn and Phil dig into big questions facing Canadian theatre: How do we reach audiences who aren't already theatre people? Why do we struggle to communicate story in our marketing? And what can we learn from Hollywood, fringe festivals, and even church about building community and inviting people in? Bryn also reflects on her work as a director, actor, producer, and marketer — and what she learned about the next generation of theatre-makers while managing Musical Stage Company's One Song Glory program. This episode explores: Why The Moors speaks to our culture of isolation and individualism The magic of the BMO Incubator Space at the Theatre Centre What Riot King gets right about indie theatre community Why we need to stop assuming everyone knows the classics What Bryn learned from working with fearless theatre kids And much more! Guest: 🎭 Bryn Kennedy Bryn Kennedy (she/her) is a director, producer, sometimes actor, spreadsheet planner, community builder and life-long learner. As a director, her favourite credits include the upcoming production of The Moors with Riot King, a new interpretation of Vitals by Rosamund Small (Outstanding Solo Performance Nomination, My Entertainment Awards), Beneath the Bed by Gabriel Golin (sold out, site specific run at Toronto Fringe) and new, speculative fiction play JANE by Camille Intson (inaugural Tarragon Greenhouse Residency). She is an alumni of Director's Lab North, Musical Stage Company‘s Apprentice Program and the Stratford Festival Langham Directors Workshop, where she was the recipient of the...

Miriam Cummings Finds Freedom Through Solo Performance and Teaching

Mar 31, 2026 1 hr 4 min

About This Episode: In this episode, Phil sits down with Miriam Cummings, a playwright, performer, and educator who creates deeply personal solo theatre. Miriam shares how a tongue-in-cheek suggestion at Canada's National Voice Institute led her to write and perform her first solo show, The One, and how that experience opened up new ways of being vulnerable on stage. She reflects on the protective barriers she built as a young actor after experiencing profound loss, and how solo performance helped her dismantle those walls and get closer to herself as an artist. Miriam also discusses her second solo show, Wide, which pushed the boundaries of audience participation and co-creation, and how moving from Montreal to BC transformed both her body and her art. As an educator, she believes everyone has inherent presence and that actor training is about uncovering the joy of play we all had as children. This conversation explores grief, presence, the writing process, and the courage it takes to be honest on stage. This episode explores: How a casual suggestion led Miriam to create her first solo show The terrifying vulnerability of hearing your own writing read aloud for the first time Navigating grief and loss in theatre school and building protective barriers as an actor The difference between creating The One and Wide, and the role of movement in Miriam's writing process Teaching presence, play, and helping adults reclaim what they loved as children And much more! Guest: 🎭 Miriam Cummings Miriam (she/her) is an artist, actor, and educator who creates on the ancestral, unceded territory of the Syilx Okanagan Nation. Playful improvisation that connects breath, body, and voice to image is at the core of Miriam’s practice. She holds an MFA (Performance & Creative Writing) from UBCO and a BFA (Acting) from Concordia University. Based in Tiohtià:ke / Montréal for more than a decade, Miriam performed with local companies such as Repercussion Theatre, Montréal Improv, and...

Alexis Eastman on Devised Theatre, Novel Writing, Creative Producing and Artistic Identity

Mar 24, 2026 1 hr 4 min

About This Episode: Creative producer Alexis Eastman joins Stageworthy host Phil Rickaby to explore what it really means to be a creative producer in Canadian theatre. From her early days making work at the Toronto Fringe to her current role supporting artists through long-term development processes, Alexis shares insights into how she bridges the administrative and creative aspects of theatre-making. She discusses her collaborations with artists like Adam Lazarus on shows including Daughter and the upcoming Versus, and how her approach to producing integrates her into the creative process as a true collaborator. Alexis also opens up about how becoming a mother profoundly changed her perspective on producing, the importance of failure in the creative process, and her journey from devised theatre to discovering she's actually a novelist. She reflects on growing up in an evangelical church and how that shaped her artistic practice, the necessity of boredom for creativity, and why long-term relationships between artists and producers lead to deeper, more rigorous work. This episode explores: What a creative producer actually does and how it differs from traditional producing The importance of long-term artist support and development in theatre How motherhood transformed Alexis's approach to producing and collaboration Working with Adam Lazarus on Daughter and the new show Versus Why failure and time are essential ingredients in the creative process And much more! Guest: 🎭 Alexis Eastman Alexis Eastman is a writer and creative producer based in Toronto. A graduate of York University's Creative Ensemble program, she learned her producing craft at the Theatre Centre under Ashlyn Rose, where she served as producer from 2018. Alexis works as a creative collaborator integrated into the artistic process from idea through development to premiere and beyond. She has collaborated extensively with artists including Adam Lazarus on Daughter and the upcoming show Versus. Beyo...

Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak Are Sneaking Improv into Mainstream Canadian Theatre

Mar 17, 2026 51 min

About This Episode: What happens when three goblins discover the complete works of Shakespeare and decide to stage Macbeth? Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak, the creative minds behind Spontaneous Theatre and the Goblin Empire, join Phil to share the wild origin story of Goblin:Macbeth; from a rushed eight-day creation to becoming a phenomenon at major Canadian theatre festivals. They discuss the challenges of performing in Hollywood-grade silicone masks, the art of caring for audiences while embodying creatures, and how they've managed to sneak improvisation into prestigious Canadian theatre companies like the Stratford and Shaw Festivals. This episode explores: The serendipitous eight-day creation of Goblin Macbeth and performing in expensive silicone masks How mask work, clown technique, and bouffon influence the goblins' relationship with audiences Sneaking improvisation into mainstream Canadian theatre at Stratford and Shaw Festivals The legacy of Keith Johnstone and Loose Moose Theatre Company in shaping Canadian improv Why live theatre is the antidote to artificial intelligence and isolation And much more! Guests: 🎭 Rebecca Northan and Bruce Horak Rebecca Northan is a "Jill-of-all-trades": actor, director, playwright, improviser,producer, and sometimes-prop-maker. She is the Artistic Producer of Spontaneous Theatre, known for its audience-centered creations that almost always break the fourth wall. Rebecca has worked across Canada as an actor and director. Most recently she co-created Murder-on-the-Lake for the Shaw Festival, which played to 87% houses in the 2025 season. In 2026, Rebecca will travel to Bard on the Beach, in Vancouver, to direct the Merry Wives of Windsor, and will then remain perform in Goblin:Oedipus. Rebecca, and co-creators Bruce Horak & Ellis Lalonde continue to expand the "Goblin Empire", with several future Goblin projects in the hopper. Rebecca is a Canadian Comedy Award Winner, and has also starred in two Canadian TV series ("Ali...

Tika McLean is Building Community in Art and Every Day

Mar 10, 2026 57 min

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

Emily Jeffers is Making Theatre on Her Terms

Mar 3, 2026 59 min

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

Virginia Woodall is Building Community at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival

Feb 24, 2026 55 min

About This Episode In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby speaks with Virginia Woodall, producer at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. With the festival entering its 21st year, Virginia shares the story of how she moved from volunteer to producer, how 164 submissions become a 12-day lineup of 78 troupes, and why sketch comedy deserves recognition as its own artistic discipline. In this episode: The evolution of the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival How the programming committee evaluates 160+ submissions Why sketch comedy is a distinct art form — not just “theatre adjacent” Community-building within the sketch scene The role of monthly comedy cabarets Why Virginia calls Sketchfest “Comedy Christmas” And more! Guest: 🎭 Virginia Woodall Virginia Woodall is a producer at the Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival. She's an arts administrator and creative producer with a background that bridges the cultural and corporate sectors (she’s a textbook Libra: very balanced). Drawing on years of experience in comedy, live performance, and festival production, she combines strategic thinking with a deep love for the creative process. Her prior work in corporate sales and marketing helps her build buzz, grow partnerships, and develop organizational growth strategies. Virginia is passionate about creating inclusive, accessible, and joyful arts experiences that support artists and strengthen community. Connect with Virginia & Toronto SketchFest 🌐 Website: torontosketchfest.com 📷 Instagram: @tosketchfesthttps://www.instagram.com/tosketchfest/ 📷 Instagram: @iamvirginiawoodall Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notifi...

Anusree Roy Writes in Service of the Story

Feb 17, 2026 43 min

About This Episode In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby speaks with acclaimed playwright, actor, and screenwriter Anusree Roy about her newest play, Through the Eyes of God, now onstage at Theatre Passe-Muraille. The conversation explores Roy’s evolving artistic process, the deeply personal roots of her storytelling, and her journey between theatre and television writing. In this episode: Writing as an act of witnessing and responsibility The emotional and ethical weight of socially engaged theatre Navigating the Canadian theatre landscape as a playwright of colour Collaboration, trust, and the rehearsal room as community Sustaining an artistic life while carrying urgent stories And much more! Guest: 🎭 Anusree Roy Anusree is a two time Governor General’s Award-nominated and four-time Dora Award-winning writer, actor, and director. Anusree is currently the Co-Executive Producer and writer for the Allegiance S3 (CBC) television series. She has also worked on Interview With The Vampire S3 (AMC), Allegiance S2 (CBC), Transplant S2 (NBC/Netflix/CTV), I Woke Up a Vampire (Netflix), SkyMed (Paramount+/CBC), Remedy (Global TV), Killjoys (SyFy), and Nurses S1 & S2 (NBC/Global TV). For theatre, Anusree’s plays include: Through the Eyes of God, Sisters, Trident Moon, Little Pretty and The Exceptional, Sultans of the Street, Brothel # 9, Roshni, Letters to my Grandma, and Pyaasa. She is the recipient of the K.M. Hunter Award, the RBC Emerging Artist Award, the Carol Bolt Award and the Siminovitch Protégé Prize. She was the 2018 finalist for the Susan Smith Blackburn Prize (the largest and oldest playwriting prize for women writing for English-speaking theatre). Currently, she is the commissioned playwright at Tarragon Theatre, writing her new play, 147, 8th Street. Anusree is presently developing a feature film inspired by her audio play, Sisters, as well as directing and premiering her short films, The Birthday Party and God’s Plan (winner of Best Performa...

Scholarship Meets Theatre and Art with Dienye Waboso Amajor

Feb 10, 2026 1 hr 3 min

About This Episode: In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with Dienye Waboso Amajor — a Dora-nominated Nigerian actor, writer, and interdisciplinary artist living and working in Ontario. With an academic background in theatre and performance studies and ongoing doctoral research, Dienye’s practice bridges performance, scholarship, and cultural storytelling. This Episode Explores: Dienye’s journey as a Nigerian artist working in Canada The relationship between scholarship and performance practice Creating work grounded in lived experience and research The role of voice — personal, cultural, and artistic Balancing academic study with creative practice And much more! Guest: 🎭 Dienye Waboso Amajor Dienye Waboso Amajor is a Dora Nominated Nigerian Actor, Writer, Performer and Mother who lives and works in Ontario. Dienye holds an MA in Theatre and Performance studies from York University with a keen interest in Pre-Colonial African Theory, Performance and Development. Dienye is a published writer whose work can be found on the online publication She Does the City. In 2022, she developed and debuted a new visual and photographic work titled “Rest” which seeks to prioritize and localize the exploration and imagery of Black bodies in a state of Rest. Dienye is currently continuing her studies as a PhD student in the Theatre Dance and Performance program at York University. She currently works with Suitcase in Point Multi Arts company as the Associate Artistic Director. Connect with Dienye 📸 Instagram: @sodiandtheboys Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Tim Porter Makes Theatre Work Outside the Big City

Feb 3, 2026 54 min

About This Episode: In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with Tim Porter, founding Artistic Director of Tweed & Company Theatre, to talk about what it means to build a sustainable professional theatre company outside of major urban centres. This Episode Explores: Founding Tweed & Company and building a company from the ground up Why regional and rural theatre matters in Canada Audience relationships outside major urban centres Sustainability, scale, and expectations in Canadian theatre The difference between serving a community and chasing prestige And much more! Guest: 🎭 Tim Porter: Tim is a performer, writer, and director from Tweed Ontario. As Tweed & Company’s founding Artistic Director, he’s written/directed several full Canadian musicals and directed/performed in countless others. Acting credits include: Nine seasons with Drayton Entertainment performing in countless shows including Buddy the Elf in ELF!, George in the Drowsy Chaperone, six pantos as the Buttons track, Les Mis, Man of La Mancha, Marathon of Hope, Kinky Boots, Singing in the Rain, and many more.; multiple North American tours as Rooney Doodle in CBC’s ‘The Doodlebops’; the original Canadian Productions of ‘Evil Dead: The Musical’ and ‘Cannibal: The Musical’. Tim is also a King Charles the 3rd Coronation Medal recipient, two time Premier’s Award of Ontario nominee and Terry Doyle Memorial Award recipient (Drayton Entertainment). He is honoured to produce quality theatre for Hastings County and Eastern Ontario. Connect with Tim and Tweed & Company: 🌐 Website: www.tweedandcompany.com 📷 Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/tweedandcompany/ Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Musi...

Jack Burrill Makes Shakespeare Feel Dangerous Again

Jan 27, 2026 53 min

About This Episode: In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby speaks with Jack Burrill, actor, director, acting coach, and Artistic Director of Unchained Theatre. What begins as a shared nerd-out over Shakespeare quickly becomes a wide-ranging conversation about why these 400-year-old plays still matter - and how indie theatre is often where their most exciting reinventions happen. This episode explores: Founding Unchained Theatre during the pandemic Modernizing classic texts without losing their soul Performing Shakespeare in small, intimate spaces Why indie theatre matters in Toronto’s ecosystem Theatre as an irreplaceable live experience And much more! Guest: 🎭 Jack Burrill Jack Burrill is an actor, a director, a writer, teacher and the proud Artistic Director and co-founder of Unchained Theatre. As Jack has taken part in productions that he has both acted in and directed (often at the same time.) Some of Jack’s credits include Denise Shepard (Laramie Project), Wargrave (And Then There Were None), Sir Toby Belch (Twelfth Night), Titania/Theseus (Midsummer Night's Dream), Falstaff (Henry IV Part 1). And recently Jack will be Claudius in Hamlet. Jack was recently nominated by Broadway World for his performance as Titania/Thesus in Thaumatrope Theatres production of Midsummer Nights Dream. Jack was trained at Centennial CollegeTheatre Arts and Performance program. As well as being trained in both the Grotowski method by Ara Glenn-Johanson and the Michael Chekhov Technique by Rena Polley and Lionel Walsh, with an aspiration to be trained in more of the legendary practitioner’s methods. He hopes to continue his work and research by producing Shakespeare and learning the different approaches to the craft of acting to pass it on to future generations of actors and artists. Connect with Jack Burrill & Unchained Theatre: 📸 Instagram: @jackieb123_______ 📸 Instagram: @unchained_theatre_company___ Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider s...

The Arts Are a National Defence Strategy

Jan 24, 2026 21 min

About This Episode: In this solo Stageworthy episode, host Phil Rickaby takes a deep dive into the idea of “nation-building” — and why Canada keeps getting it wrong. Sparked by post-election rhetoric around pipelines, railways, housing, and AI infrastructure, Phil argues that these are construction projects, not nation-building ones. True nation-building, he suggests, happens through culture — and specifically through the arts. Drawing on Canadian history, from the Massey Commission to the creation of the Canada Council for the Arts, Phil traces how arts funding was once understood as a form of national defence — a way of protecting Canadian identity from cultural erasure. He contrasts that history with today’s fixation on GDP, ROI, and “bankable” outcomes, and asks what happens to a country when its soul is treated as discretionary. This episode is part rant, part cultural history lesson, and part call to action — urging Canada to remember that theatres, music, film, and storytelling don’t just entertain us. They define us. Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Gabrielle Martin is Programming the World for Local Audiences

Jan 20, 2026 51 min

About This Episode: In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with Gabrielle Martin, Artistic Director of Vancouver’s PuSh International Performing Arts Festival. Gabrielle discusses her unconventional path into arts leadership, the realities of curating large-scale interdisciplinary work, and the responsibility of presenting challenging, global performance within a local context. This episode explores: Gabrielle’s journey into arts leadership and festival direction The role of PuSh Festival within Vancouver’s cultural ecosystem Curating interdisciplinary and international performance Audience engagement and accessibility in contemporary performance The realities of producing large-scale work in Canada Care, sustainability, and leadership in the performing arts And much more! Guest: 🎭 Gabrielle Martin Gabrielle Martin is a cultural producer and live arts curator practicing transformative experiential design in one of society’s few remaining ritual spaces. Her work prioritizes embodied criticality, imagination, pluralism, and risk. It centres the body, and is framed by social and political urgencies. Gabrielle has a BFA in Contemporary Dance from Concordia University (Montréal), a Certificate in Dramaturgy from the Centre National des Arts du Cirque (Châlons-en-Champagne), and an MA in Arts and Cultural Management from Rome Business School. Recently, Gabrielle has participated on curatorial and selection juries for Denmark’s CPH Stage International Days, England’s Horizon Showcase, and Canada’s Governor General’s Performing Arts Award in Dance. Before joining PuSh in 2021, she worked as Festival Manager with the Vancouver International Dance Festival. Prior to working in arts management, Gabrielle performed over 1,400 shows internationally with Cirque du Soleil’s TORUK – The First Flight and Cavalia, participated in choreographic residencies in Belgium, Sweden and France, and presented her work in the UK, US, and across Canada. Connec...

Producing Is a Relationship Job with Reid Vanier

Jan 13, 2026 53 min

About This Episode: In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with theatre producer and arts leader Reid Vanier for a candid conversation about producing, leadership, and building sustainable theatre ecosystems. Reid reflects on his path into the industry, the realities of working behind the scenes, the theatre scene in Whitehorse, and the evolving responsibilities of producers in today’s cultural landscape. This episode explores: Reid’s journey into theatre producing and arts leadership Balancing artistic ambition with organizational sustainability Leadership styles within theatre companies and cultural institutions Supporting artists while managing limited resources The evolving landscape of Canadian theatre production Collaboration, trust, and communication in creative teams And more! Guest: 🎭 Reid Vanier Reid (he/him) is a director and actor originally from Ontario but now based in Whitehorse, Yukon. He was worked on and off-stage at numerous theatres and arts organizations in Canada, including the Stratford Festival and Shaw Festival, and currently serves as the President of the Guild Hall in Whitehorse. Reid is also an award-winning podcaster and comedian. Selected directing: The Weir, Monty Python's Spamalot, Mustard (The Guild), Fiddler on the Roof (Yukon Theatre for Young People), Matt & Ben (Hot Cousin Productions), An Ideal Husband (KW Youth Theatre), The Real Inspector Hound, Hamlet, Romeo & Juliet (Standard Deviation Theatre). Selected acting: Two Gentlemen of Verona (Yukon Theatre for Young People), Good Night Desdemona Good Morning Juliet (The Guild), The Three Musketeers, Henry V (Stratford Festival), La Persistencia, The Dumb Waiter, On the Harmfulness of Tobacco (Standard Deviation Theatre). Selected workshops: Klondike: The Musical (The Guild), Body 13 (The MT Space). Training: University of Waterloo. Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early ac...

From Teacher to Director to Theatre Critic with Joe Szekeres

Jan 6, 2026 49 min

In this episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby sits down with Joe Szekeres, founder of Our Theatre Voice, for an in-depth conversation about theatre criticism, community theatre, and why live performance still matters. As Stageworthy enters its tenth year, this discussion reflects on the changing landscape of Canadian theatre journalism, the responsibilities of reviewers, and the importance of constructive, thoughtful criticism. This episode explores: Joe’s path from community theatre to theatre criticism The founding and philosophy behind Our Theatre Voice The value of training and mentorship in theatre criticism Constructive criticism versus negativity Funding pressures and their impact on production choices Championing Canadian stories and homegrown work And much more! Guest: 🎭 Joe Szekeres Actor/director for 30+ years in the local community theatre scene in Durham Region. Retired 33-year Catholic school educator. Founder, Editor and Publisher of OUR THEATRE VOICE. I had also written for Onstage Blog (founder: Chris Peterson) until 2020, when COVID hit and Onstage changed its formatting. Chris encouraged me to go out on my own. Connect with Joe: 🌐 Website: www.ourtheatrevoice.com 📸 Instagram: @ourtheatrevoice Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Toronto Theatre Year in Review with A View From the Box and The Cup

Dec 16, 2025 1 hr 10 min

About This Episode: In this special roundtable episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by theatre critics and podcasters Janine Marley (A View From the Box) and Ryan Borochovitz (The Cup / Cup of Hemlock Theatre) for an in-depth conversation reflecting on the past year in Toronto theatre. Connect with Janine and A View From the Box: 🌐 Website: aviewfromthebox.net 📸 Instagram: @avuefromthebox 🦋 Bluesky: @aviewfromthebox.bsky.social __ Connect with Ryan and The Cup of Hemlock Podcast: 📸 Instagram: @cohtheatre 🔴 Youtube: @cupofhemlocktheatre2934 Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20. Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts | Spotify | Podchaser | Amazon Music | iHeart Radio 📺 Watch on YouTube – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

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Podcast details

Created by: Stageworthy
Status: Active
Latest episode: Nov 10, 2026
Episodes: 491
Release period: Weekly
Avg. episode length: 57 min
Explicit: Yes
Language: English

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