PlayME

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.

By Mark Crawford. In the dark, a phone rings. Early-morning calls are never good news. Brett and Drew wake up to learn that Brett’s Aunt Maggie has died. Then they learn they've lost yet another Toronto house they were trying to buy. Soon they find themselves on a road trip to attend Aunt Maggie's funeral. Once they arrive at her small town, they get another surprise: Aunt Maggie has left Brett her century-old home. When Drew is passed over for a much-anticipated work promotion, the couple decides to ditch Toronto, move to Aunt Maggie’s house and start a B&B. But how will the residents of this small community receive a gay couple from the big city?

By Mark Crawford. Brett and Drew throw themselves into transforming Aunt Maggie’s home into a chic and modern getaway. They meet the locals and befriend a lesbian couple who help make them feel at home. They quickly become involved in the community and even find themselves volunteering to help organize the local Santa Claus parade. But one day they come home to find their house vandalized with homophobic slurs. Not everyone in the town wants them there.

By Mark Crawford. Brett and Drew’s neighbours rally around the couple to show their support. Meanwhile, Brett starts digging into Maggie’s past, asking questions about a photo he found of her when she was young. Their renovator Doug investigates the culprit behind the ransacking of their home and uncovers a family secret. Brett and Drew learn something that has them questioning whether they can ever call this place home.

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.