Let's Grab Coffee

In this week’s episode I sit down with Stephan Dickson. Stephan Dickson is a choreographer and performer and was the associate choreographer for both The Music Man and The Rocky Horror Show this past year at the Stratford Festival. In our conversation today we discuss his training in dance from an early age and how a danced based education has benefited him in his life and career, what spoke to him about musical theatre specifically, as well as the importance of being able to use the language of every aspect of theatre when working on a show both as a performer and a creative team member. We also discuss some of his most positive experiences in the industry so far and what made them so positive, his transition into working as a choreographer and the advice he would give other performers looking to do the same, as well as where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Jeremy Walmsley. Jeremy Walmsley is an actor, singer, and musician originally from Manitoba. In our conversation today we discuss what motivated him to begin performing growing up in a more rural community, what he learned from his time in school and the importance of finding your own artistic voice, as well as what he learned from his move to Toronto and how he established himself in a new city. We also discuss how he began working both in the film and television world and as a gigging musician, some of his most positive experiences in the industry and what made them so positive, as well as where he hopes to see theatre as well as local live music in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Darren Burkett. Darren Burkett is an actor, singer, dancer, choreographer, and teacher originally from British Columbia. In our conversation today we discuss his experiences growing up performing and how they have shaped his career, how he got involved in the theatre community in British Columbia and what he learned from some of his earliest experiences in the industry, as well as the people he looked to for guidance and what he learned from those mentors. We also discuss his work as a dance captain and the advice he would give other performers interested in working as dance captains, his experience auditioning for, rehearsing, and portraying the role of Michael Wormwood in the first national tour of Matilda, as well as where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Camille Eanga-Selenge. Camille Eanga-Selenge is an actor, singer, and dancer originally from Ottawa. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to theatre and her background in dance, her experiences at the University of Ottawa and how her year studying Psychology has translated into her theatre career, as well as what she learned from her training at Sheridan College. We also discuss her experiences performing in the Broadway, second national tour, and Australian national tour of Book of Mormon, what she has learned from her experiences working as a dance captain/swing and the advice she would give other performers looking to do the same, as well as the importance knowing when it’s time to make changes in your life and where she hope to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Cameron Carver. Cameron Carver is a theatre director, choreographer, and movement director originally from London Ontario. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre through the arts programs that were offered in London, his time at Sheridan College and the main lessons he took from his time in school, as well as some of his first experiences in the industry and what he learned from those experiences. We also discuss what spoke to him about directing and choreographing, his experiences getting his Masters of the Arts in Theatre Directing at the Bristol Old Vic Theatre School in the UK, as well as how the theatre industry in Canada differs from the theatre industry in the UK and where he sees both theatre industries headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Aaron Hastelow. Aaron Hastelow is an actor, singer, and dancer who most recently starred as Jesus in Jesus Christ Superstar at the Charlottetown Festival. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre growing up, his experiences at Sheridan and the main lessons he took from his time in school, as well as his experiences at the Shaw Festival and the things he learned as a member of that company. We also discuss his experiences at the Charlottetown Festival, stepping into the role of Jesus this year in Jesus Christ Superstar and what he has learned from that experience, as well as future goals for himself and where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Calvin Laveck. Calvin Laveck is an actor, singer, dancer, and musician originally from the Yukon. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre growing up in the Yukon, his time in school and the main lessons he took from his training, as well as what he learned from some of his first experiences in the industry. We also discuss his experience performing in Anne & Gilbert this year and what he has learned from performing in a longer run, the trend of actor musicians and what it offers to audiences that is unique, as well as future goals for himself and where he sees theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Adam Sergison. Adam Sergison is an actor, dancer, and singer originally from Pickering Ontario. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre and some of his early experiences performing shortly after leaving high school, his training in dance and the main benefits he feels training in dance from an early age provides, as well his experiences working as a dancer in the world of film and television. We also discuss what he has learned from some of his most positive performing experiences in the industry, his transition to working as a choreographer and what he has learned from the process, as well as where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Amir Haidar. Amir Haidar is a Toronto based performer and is currently one of the standbys for the Toronto production of Come From Away. In our conversation today we discuss how he was introduced to theatre growing up in Lebanon, the path that he took with his training and what he learned from his time in school, as well as the importance of self motivation and self awareness in this industry. We also discuss his experiences with pantomime and what he learned from performing in the Stirling Festival Theatre Christmas Panto for four years, his experiences auditioning for and being a part of the Toronto production of Come From Away, as well as where he hopes to see theatre in Canada headed in the future.

In this week’s episode I sit down with Stacey Kay. Stacey Kay is a performer, motivational speaker, and songwriter who most recently released her first full-length album titled “11 O’Clock Number”. In our conversation today we discuss how she was introduced to performing and her experiences growing up that lead her to pursue a career in the arts, her time at Sheridan College and the important things she learned about herself during her time in school, as well as her first experiences in the industry and the main lessons she took from those early experiences. We also discuss how she began writing and working more in the world of pop music, the ways technology and social media can help artists to reach new audiences and grow their fan base, as well as where she sees the music and theatre industries in Canada headed in the future.