PlayME will be back in January. In the meantime, here's something we think you’ll like. Limited Capacity is a collection of six short stories about the strange and twisted ways we interact with the internet, and with each other. Each immersive episode is packed with intimate and jarring stories that are both completely familiar and somehow confoundingly alien. It’s like Black Mirror for your ears. From the fiendishly clever mind of Rob Norman, co-creator of the hit podcast Personal Best. More episodes are available at: smarturl.it/limitedcapacity

Chris talks to actor and playwright Mark Crawford, who shares how growing up as a gay kid on a farm in southwestern Ontario has impacted his writing and the audience he likes to reach. He talks about why he feels rural theatre-goers are ready for queer narratives, why he doesn't mind being "accessible" and what he’s learned from eavesdropping on audiences.

Chris talks to playwright Keith Barker, a member of the Métis Nation of Ontario, who explains why he's drawn to writing about loss and how his family has been touched by suicide. He also reflects on what it might mean to "feel deep love and no regrets," how nature helps us grieve and why he does his best writing when he like giving up.

By Keith Barker. We meet Paul as he tries to visit his estranged wife, Lucille, on the first anniversary of their son Craig’s death. But Liset, Lucille’s protective sister, sends him away. “Some days are better than others and today is not one of those days.” Then, Paul is visited by Jim — his best friend and Liset’s husband. The two men have grown distant, and an argument about “fruits'' quickly turns into something deeper.

By Keith Barker. We trace family tensions back in time. They start off arguing about one thing — dirty laundry, smashed plates, a broken hand — but eventually get to the thing no one really knows how to talk about. A son and nephew, “a good kid,” who took his own life. Sharp words and serious accusations fly. But Lucille finds hope in a creature who keeps visiting the garden.

By Keith Barker. We keep moving back and forth in time. Paul confronts Jim about a perceived betrayal, later to find out it may have been an act of mercy. Liset drives the creature from the garden, and her sister disappears into the backwoods to find it. Paul and Lucille finally meet by the tracks and remember an old story. “One day, as sometimes happens, things changed.”

Laura talks to playwright Jordi Mand. The Toronto-based playwright, who has worked with some of Canada’s most prominent companies, shares why she’s drawn to female-driven narratives and why she loves to craft characters that represent some of her greatest fears. Jordi also shares the audience’s emotional reactions to her hit show and how it led to some candid post-show confessions.

By Jordi Mand. Marion digs for details about Teresa’s future and starts to poke holes in her naive plans. Teresa’s inexperience shows as Marion lays out what life might look like for her a few years from now. Teresa reveals she has a lot more at stake than Marion knows, and they realize they share some common ground and have both experienced heartbreak. Marion asks Teresa for help to get her life back to the way it once was, but Teresa discovers the depth of Marion’s revenge.

By Jordi Mand. Accusations fly from both sides as the women argue about how they’ve arrived in an adversarial situation that threatens Marion’s family. Marion corners Teresa with probing and intimate questions about her personal life. Teresa refuses to answer her queries until she can’t take it anymore and decides to fight back. She lands a blow that promises to blow up Marion’s home life.

By Jordi Mand. Marion, a middle-aged working mother, arrives at her son Alex’s private elementary school — ostensibly for the school’s parent/teacher night. Teresa, Alex’s twenty-something teacher, wasn’t expecting her but reluctantly agrees to a brief meeting about Alex’s academic progress. The two share a tense exchange about school policy and Teresa’s teaching style until Marion reveals the real reason for her unannounced visit.