Episode Overview: In this episode John and Micah discuss multidisciplinary artistry, the importance of experimentation in the rehearsal space and Gwen Stefani.

More about the speakers:

J O H N I D A L I S is a primarily performance based artist currently residing in Phoenix, Arizona. Their work spans several mediums including music, poetry, and acting. This is their fourth season with GBC. For more info, you can follow them on Instagram, Tiktok, Twitter, and Facebook @johnidalis and their website, johnidalis.com.

Micah Jondel DeShazer (micahjondel.com) is a newly established artistic leader and performer in the Ottawa community. He kicked off his career over the last 15 years, working in Phoenix, Los Angeles, Chicago, Madison, and now in Canada has developed him into an accomplished actor (2018 ariZoni award - Best Actor), director (nominated for 2022 Prix Rideau award; Puzzles), artistic leader and educator. Micah is specifically drawn to bridging the unique experiences of BIPOC, Anglo-Saxon, LGBTQIA+ & religious individuals finding commonality and understanding through the forging of a passionate collective dedicated to multidisciplinary collaboration in pursuit of radical transformation throughout the artistic world.

Producing Company Bio: Grey Box Collective (GBC) devises interdisciplinary, experimental, and post-dramatic work about social and emotional wellbeing (i.e. we make weird art about tough stuff). GBC finds innovative ways of exploring, challenging, and igniting difficult conversations. This is achieved by living in the messy grey areas of life and tackling socially relevant topics such as hate, shame, sexual violence, depression, and anxiety. GBC was founded in 2016 by Molly W. Schenck. Since then, GBC has produced over 20 new works, created by nearly 100 artists, and partnered with a dozen local organizations. GBC has presented work at the Boulder Fringe Festival, the Network of Ensemble Theaters’ annual conference, Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art, and at the Phoenix Center of the Arts while in residency with nue[BOX].  In response to the pandemic, GBC expanded it’s digital offerings by hosting virtual workshops on Trauma-Informed Creative Practices, opening an online store with devising tools, and launching a podcast. For more information, sign up for GBC’s newsletter, check out GBC’s website, and follow GBC on social media.

Links to more about Grey Box Collective:

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/podcast

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/shop

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/product-page/introduction-to-trauma-informed-creative-practices

https://www.greyboxcollective.com/newsletter

https://www.facebook.com/GreyBoxCollective/

https://www.instagram.com/grey_box_collective/

https://www.instagram.com/traumainformedcreativepractice/