In this week’s episode, I sit down with Stephen Guy-McGrath. Stephen Guy-McGrath is a Dora award-winning actor, musician, and playwright originally from Newfoundland who has worked across the country for over 25 years. In our conversation today we discuss the moments in his life that lead him into the theatre industry, how our performing careers have different phases and how to navigating ageing both into and out of roles, as well as how he began writing and his show “Bully”. We also discuss the importance craft in “jukebox musicals” and why certain shows such as “Mamma Mia” and “Million Dollar Quartet” are so popular, people’s desire for exclusivity and how we can use it to grow theatre audiences, as well as his show “Spinning Yarns” which is a part of the Charlottetown Festival’s upcoming season and where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Mitchell Marcus. Mitchell Marcus is the Artistic & Managing Director of the Musical Stage Company and a Let’s Grab Coffee veteran. In our conversation today we recap some of the Musical Stage Company’s biggest moments over the past year and what they learned from those experiences, the importance of having a clear idea of your personal or company mandate and allowing that mandate to dictate how you navigate the industry, as well as the concept of vertical programming and how it relates to the Musical Stage Company’s unique place in the Toronto theatre industry. We also discuss some of the exciting programs the Musical Stage Company is offering such as their Make Me A Song and Launch Pad programs, what they have learned from their partnership with Britta Johnson through the Crescendo series and what people can expect from their third show in the series Kelly v Kelly, as well as what audiences can look forward to in the coming year from the Musical Stage Company and where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Matt Lacas. Matt Lacas is an actor, director, and the creator of We Are Here Productions. In our conversation today we discuss the important shift that is occurring with regards to how mental health is talked about, how sometimes our desire to be “genuine” can actually have an opposite effect, as well as what he has learned from training both in Quebec as well as Ontario. We also discuss how his company We Are Here Productions was created and what he has learned through their first two productions, their upcoming production of Urinetown to benefit WaterAid Canada and how it has differed from the company’s past experiences, as well as where he hopes to see We Are Here Productions and theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Shawn Wright. Shawn Wright is an actor and playwright whose play “Ghost Light” has been produced across Canada by companies such as Tweed & Company, Theatre New Brunswick, and the Charlottetown Festival. In our conversation today we discuss his experiences growing up watching his mother perform in community theatre and the effect it had on his relationship to performing, his path into the industry and what aspects of an actor are inherent versus what aspects can be trained, as well as what he learned from some of his earliest experiences in the industry. We also discuss the ways in which all of us in the theatre community can help to foster stronger connections amongst each other, the duty of established professionals to look out for emerging artists, as well as the creation of his play “Ghost Light” and where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Daniel Williston. Daniel Williston is an actor, singer, and musician originally from Moose Jaw Saskatchewan. In our conversation today we discuss his experiences with theatre and music growing up in Moose Jaw, the importance of recognizing that in theatre you are only going to get out of your work and training what you are willing to put into it, as well as what he learned from his time in school and how there is no “one size fits all” when it comes to navigating the industry. We also discuss how both the amount of content we consume as well as the ways we consume content have changed drastically, what we both learned from our experiences doing stand up comedy and the new perspectives it has given him when it comes to his theatre work, as well as the issue with the illusion performers have of  “making it” in the industry and where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Alex Panneton and Jared Klein. Alex Panneton and Jared Klein are the writers of “Back To B4: A Bingo Bonanza” which just finished up a tour with Smile Theatre. In our conversation today we discuss how they first were introduced to writing and what spoke to them about writing for theatre, their time in theatre school and the main lessons they took from their training, as well as how they first met and eventually became writing partners. We also discuss the creation of “Back To B4: A Bingo Bonanza” and the advice they would give both fellow writers as well as people about to tour a show, the presence of social media in the arts and how it can be used to create new and exciting experiences for audiences, as well as what they have learned through touring their show and where they hope to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Kaylee Harwood. Kaylee Harwood is an actor, singer, dancer, and is currently the cover for Carole King and Cynthia Weil in the national tour of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre and her background in dance, how what we perceive on stage and what in reality is actually happening are not always the same thing, as well as the importance of not only working hard but figuring out the why behind the hard work you are doing. We also discuss her experiences working at both the Shaw Festival and Stratford Festival, what she has learned through her experiences on tour in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical, as well as where she sees theatre in Canada headed in the future and the types of things that are exciting her in the industry.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Van Wilmott. Van Wilmott is the Artistic Director of the Mayfield Dinner Theatre in Edmonton. In our conversation today we discuss what goes into programming a season and the importance of honouring what the audience wants, looking not only at each individual show but at the entire season as a whole, as well as the relationship between pop music and musical theatre and how it has shifted in recent years. We also discuss some of his most positive experiences at the Mayfield and what made them so positive, what he has learned from developing a relationship with the Edmonton audiences, as well as where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Madelaine Knight. Madelaine Knight is an Edmonton based actor who is currently performing in Lend Me A Tenor at the Mayfield Dinner Theatre. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre and the importance of arts-based extracurricular activities, her time at Grant McEwan and what she learned from her experiences in school, as well as what she learned from some of her first professional experiences performing in TYA shows. We also discuss what is unique about the Edmonton arts community, the importance of recognizing the difference between what we perceive and what is really happening, as well as where she sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode, I sit down with Kate Ryan. Kate Ryan is an actor, director, and teacher at MacEwan University. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre and her experiences growing up with parents who worked in the theatre industry, her experiences at the University of Alberta and what she learned from her time in school, as well as what she learned from some of her first experiences in the industry. We also discuss how she began working as a director/teacher and the main lessons she tries to instill in the students she works with, her experiences running KayBridge Productions and Plain Jane Theatre Company, as well as where she sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.