Kate Lumpkin is the founder and lead casting director of Kate Lumpkin Casting, CSA. We discuss the importance of making a good self-tape for auditions, the growing demand for actors who can handle experiential theatre, why knowing who you are as a human is the most important thing that informs you as an artist, and lots more! Kate has collectiv ...…

Alexis Gordon is one of the young stars of Canadian theatre. Her work at the Stratford Festival (Carousel, the Sound of Music, Guys and Dolls, Coriolanus, The Tempest...) has been getting great reviews. In the upcoming summer theatre season she’ll be at the Shaw Festival - one of several Stratford Festival Company members making the move to Sha ...…

Colm Feore is one of North America’s top classically trained actors who has appeared on stages around the world, on the big screen and on television. We discuss his stage work on Broadway with Denzel Washington, his film work with Judi Dench & Vin Diesel, his work at the Stratford Festival, and more. Colm is married to the very busy director / ...…

As a performer, your lifestyle is not the same as the average person's daily 9-to-5 routine. You're up late, you have busy rehearsal schedules, you eat when you can because despite whatever is happening in your life the show must go on! So when I had the chance to speak with Julieanna Hever and Ray Cronise i was thanking my lucky stars. Their a ...…

Barry Anderson is an actor and songwriter based in New York City. On Broadway, Barry has appeared in 'Legally Blonde The Musical' and 'Jersey Boys.' However, it’s Barry’s international performances with the touring company of 'Jersey Boys' that interested me most. He performed over 2,000 times with the tour! How do you keep healthy and happy wh ...…

Phil Rickaby is an actor, playwright and founding member of keystone Theatre. Phil is also the host of the Toronto theatre podcast “Stageworthy.” We also compare notes on religion, our theatre training and Phil’s family life, before we move into his writing process. Thanks to my sponsors: AnthroDesk The best sit/stand desk. Details here. Chefs ...…

Charlotte Gowdy is a graduate of the National Theatre School in Montreal and Ecole Philipe Gaulier in Paris. As an actor, she’s played lead roles at the Shaw Festival and theatres across Canada. These days she’s making a career transition as she follows her heart’s desire to direct! As well as a career transition, Charlotte has gone through som ...…

Johnny Thompson is one of the most respected minds in magic. These days he works with Penn & Teller on both their TV show "Fool Us" and their show at the Rio in Las Vegas. His passion for show business began at a young age, and he was drawn to carny sideshow. Thompson shares the story of the evolution of his career from a pitchman to sewer work ...…

The ticketing institute helps you drive more audience development and that means more new people, attending more shows, more often. Andrew is also the force behind the Ticketing Professionals Conference and a board member of the International Ticketing Association. If you produce plays or any kind of show, you'll enjoy this episode. Thanks to m ...…

Mark Crawford is a playwright and actor. His play "The Birds and the Bees," which premiered in 2016 at the Blyth Festival and quickly became one of the most-produced Canadian plays of the decade, is runs at the Huron Country Playhouse II until Sept. 1. His most recent play, "The New Canadian Curling Club," premiered at the Blyth Festival in 201 ...…

Mike Shara is one of Canada’s most accomplished actors with multiple seasons at the Stratford Festival and the Shaw Festival. He covers a wide range of topics from his time at Theatre School to the limitations of acting in Canadian television. Mike's worst audition story is a classic and, even better, he has some great thoughts on how to avoid ...…

For 20 years Wayne Turmel worked as a stand-up comedian touring throughout North America, headlining clubs and concerts. He appeared on the TV show “Evening at the Improv” and opened for bands such as Chicago and Hall and Oates. In his mid-life, Wayne began a second career in business development and training. He now helps clients around the wo ...…

Ken Davenport is a Broadway producer whose credits include Once On This Island, The Play That Goes Wrong, Groundhog Day, Deaf West Theatre’s Spring Awakening, Macbeth starring Alan Cumming, Godspell, and Kinky Boots just to name a few. You'll find out how he financed his first few shows and the marketing strategy he used to promote them with li ...…

Nora McLellan is one of Canada's most celebrated and respected actors. In this episode we begin by discussing her early days in Vancouver and move forward to the Shaw Festival and her recent performance in the Annie Baker play "John." McClellan is candid about the ups and downs of life and the arts as well as some of the lessons she's learned t ...…

My son Cole began reading Philip Roy’s “Submarine Outlaw” series at age 7 and he’s rediscovering them again now. It’s perfect summer reading for the kids. Roy's book “Me and Mr. Bell” has been translated into Japanese and selected as one of the books for a Japanese book review contest sponsored by the School Library Association in Japan and Mai ...…

Steffi DiDomenicantonio is currently performing in the Toronto production of "Come From Away." At the age of 29, she's achieved great things, and I know her career is just beginning. Although Steffi rose to national prominence as a finalist in the 2006 season of "Canadian Idol," she's been a musical theatre performer for most of her life. In ou ...…

Murray is best known for his work as bassist in the Canadian bands Moxy Früvous and Great Big Sea. In 2014, he directed the Independent Film, "The Cocksure Lads Movie" which is now being developed into a musical "Chelsea Sunrise" with the Canadian Music Theatre Project at Sheridan College. You'll hear how he wrote the songs for the play and why ...…

Chris Boyce is the Co-Founder and Executive Producer at Pacific Content, who produce podcasts for big brands including Shopify’s “TGIM” and Slack’s the “Slack Variety Pack” which Fast Company described as “‘This American Life,’ meets ‘The Office,’ meets ‘Monty Python.'” I spoke with Chris at Podcamp Toronto, in 2016. Chris' background includes ...…

Are you a risk taker? Have you managed to find a balance between the creative process and earning a good living? As a writer, David Merry has written jokes for legendary comedians including Joan Rivers and Rodney Dangerfield. As a magician, he’s invented some spectacular tricks And as a comedian, he’s one the most “in-demand” performers I’ve wo ...…

Bethany Joy Lenz stars in the new movie “Snowed Inn Christmas” premiering on Lifetime, Saturday, December 16 at 8 pm. Canadian readers can see it on W Network Sunday, December 17 at 6 pm. The Los Angeles Times and the Detroit Free Press picked “Snowed Inn Christmas” as a TV highlight of the week with the latter adding it’s a “feel-good movie… a ...…

As well as playing lead roles on Broadway, Ilana Levine has worked with iconic film directors including Sydney Lumet and Robert Altmann. We talk about her experiences working with, and learning from actors who have won Tony Awards and Academy Awards. She has appeared in many television shows including Law and Order and Seinfeld. As you'll hear, ...…

How do you raise 1 million dollars for your theatre? Dennis Garnhum is the Artistic Director of the Grand Theatre, in London, Ontario. Within a few months of taking on the new job he, along with development team, raised 1 million dollars for the theatre. Garnhum Grew up in London, and he was 13 years old when he first appeared on stage at the G ...…

Emm Gryner has found the sweet spot between being an independent artist and raising a family. In her early 20s Gryner had a hit song on the radio, toured with David Bowie and then transitioned to a successful career as an independent artist. Her songwriting has been praised by the likes of Bono and we discuss how a songwriting contest led to he ...…

Cyrus Lane has appeared in many productions with the Stratford Festival, Outside the March, and CBC TV’s Murdoch Mysteries. He's currently rehearsing for his role as Ebenezer Scrooge in Ross Petty's “A Christmas Carol the Family Musical with a Scrooge Loose!” at the Elgin theatre in Toronto. At this year's Stratford Festival he appeared in “Tim ...…

Randy Lennox is the President of Bell Media, Canada's leading content creation company with assets in television, radio, out-of-home advertising, and digital media. Previously Lennox was the CEO of Universal Music Canada the country's largest music record label, where he signed and championed internationally renowned Canadian artists. In our po ...…

Donna Feore has choreographed performances at the Opéra National de Lyon France and the Canadian Opera Company but she's best known for her work directing at the Stratford Festival, North America's largest classical repertory theatre company. Her work at the festival includes critically acclaimed productions, all with new choreography of "Guys ...…

Raoul Bhaneja is producing and starring in the upcoming production of "Disgraced." The Pulitzer Prize winning play returns to the Panasonic Theatre in Toronto on November 11 after a critically acclaimed run in 2016. The play deals with faith, politics and the notion of "tolerance." The powerful subject matter draws in audiences that, as Bhaneja ...…

For almost 30 years Brian D. Johnson was the film critic and Arts writer for Macleans, Canada's top current affairs magazine. His work as a critic explored art with the insight of not only a passionate observer but also an accomplished artist with a fascination of the human condition. Brian's directorial debut, the documentary “Al Purdy Was Her ...…

Best-selling author Jeff Goins’s most recent book is "Real Artists Don’t Starve." You'll learn how Goins dismantled the myths about starving artists by painstakingly researching successful artists. We cover the basics like why working alone can be a barrier to success and how thriving artists aren't reluctant to borrow (steal, really) from thei ...…

E.B. Smith grew up with a father who, as baseball player with Chicago Cubs, understood what it meant to dream. The Chicago Cubs hold Major League Baseball’s longest championships drought going from 1908 to 2016 without winning a world series. Smith’s father understood the value of hard work and practice in pursuit of a dream. So when Smith’s dr ...…

Mya Gosling is the creator of the popular webcomic Good Tickle Brain, the world’s foremost and possibly only stick-figure Shakespeare webcomic. I love Mya’s work, she makes Shakespeare super fun. Based on our conversation it’s clear to me that her primary goal is to share her love of Shakespeare with others, and that’s a good thing. So naturall ...…

Joanne has performed stand-up comedy across the country, she’s also done storytelling at the Stratford Festival’s “Late Night with Lucy Peacock cabarets,” and improvisation for four seasons of “Sin City,” Toronto’s popular live, improvised soap opera. She's been a writer on the hit TV shows "This Hour has Twenty Two Minutes" and the "Baroness V ...…

Gil Garratt is the artistic director at the Blyth Festival, which focuses on new play development and work with rural themes. Plays developed at Blyth have been produced around the world, which is impressive especially considering Blyth is a rural town of 1,000 people. In our conversation Garratt shares his progressive thoughts on the Canadian ...…

Michael Rubinoff is the Associate Dean of Sheridan College’s Department of Visual and Performing Arts. He’s also the creator and a producer of the Broadway hit musical "Come From Away." If you have ever wondered how an idea becomes a Broadway show you’ll love this episode. We start out by talking about Michael’s time studying law at the Univers ...…

Ken Cuperus is an award winning screenwriter and producer. We met decades ago when Ken approached me after a performance at the Winnipeg Fringe festival, asking if I'd help his comedy troupe. A few years later Ken and his pals, known as the Brave New Weasels, were performing to sold out crowds at Fringe Festivals. We talk about the gutsy move t ...…

Robert Chafe is an award winning playwright whose work has been seen across Canada, the UK, and Australia. Two of his plays ("Tempting Providence" and "Butler’s Marsh"), were shortlisted for the Governor General’s Award for Drama. His play "Afterimage" won the award in 2010. Robert is Artistic Director and playwright for Artistic Fraud of Newfo ...…

Irene Sankoff and David Hein are the co-writers of the hit Broadway show "Come From Away." We talk about how Irene and David interviewed people to create the foundation for the musical. They explain the development process, with theatre students at The Canadian Music Theatre Project, which is part of the Sheridan College Music Theatre Performan ...…

Stephanie Rothenberg is currently an ensemble member in "Sunset Boulevard," with Glenn Close, on Broadway. Prior to appearing in "Sunset Boulevard," Rothenberg was a part of the original Broadway ensemble of "How to Succeed in Business Without Really Trying" starring Daniel Radcliffe and understudied the role of Rosemary, performing it many tim ...…

Sandra's career began in Toronto on the stages of The Second City and the legendary night club The Rivoli where she shared the highs and lows of a struggling young performer with fellow entertainers including The Kids in the Hall. But it was at the Edmonton Fringe Festival where Sandra finally broke out, with her hit show "My Boyfriend’s Back a ...…

Joseph was born in Minneapolis and studied theatre at the University of Minnesota. He was accepted into the National Theatre School of Canada and graduated in 1979. From 1980-82 he was a member of Christopher Newton's first acting ensemble at The Shaw Festival. In the podcast he talks about performing with Nora McLellan in Brecht's "A Respectab ...…

Seán Cullen was regular on the Tonight Show and he's appeared on stages in Chicago, Toronto and at the Stratford Festival. He writes books for young readers, his "Hamish X and The Cheese Pirates," won the Arthur Ellis Award for Best Juvenile Crime Book. Plus he has a podcast, the Seanpod, and with all that going on he still finds time to play h ...…

Ross Petty is one of Canada's most successful and enduring theatrical impresarios. For the past 20 years he’s been producing family musicals at Toronto’s historic Elgin theatre. The shows are in the tradition of the British holiday Pantomime, where actors ad lib and the audience interacts with the antics on stage. If you’ve ever produced a show ...…

Naomi went from dreaming about doing the works of Shakespeare and Shaw to abandoning the theatre classics for The Second City. These days you might recognize Naomi from her role in the hit comedy TV show “Mr.D” where she plays Bobbi the gym teacher. And in the theatre and comedy community she’s well respected as a founding member, and performer ...…

Susan is best know for playing Fantine in "Les Miserables" on Broadway and with the first international tour. Susan shares some of the techniques she used to play one of the most celebrated parts in musical theatre. We also discuss the time, early in her career, Susan lost a job as a cruise ship entertainer. as well as her critically acclaimed ...…

"Kim's Convenience," a play by Ins Choi, debuted at the 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival where Ins both directed and acted. Today it's one of Canada's most successful theatrical works, with productions across Canada and in New York. The CBC TV show, based on the play, launched in 2016 and has been renewed for a third season. It's launched the caree ...…

Bethany has been dancing for most of her life. She's danced in New York and at some of the best theatres in Canada. She also gives back to the dance community by sharing her skills with younger dancers. She loves educating and mentoring young dancers to be the strongest performer; mentally, emotionally, and physically. She's particularly enjoys ...…

Rebecca is an innovative artists and a creative entrepreneur. I Interviewed Rebecca after a performance of her show "Blind Date," an improvisational show unlike anything I’ve ever seen before. Rebecca is truly a theatre innovator. Rebecca recently won a Dora Mavor Moore award for her performance in "Blind Date" and her other show, "Legend Has I ...…

Bruce is best known for his four featured roles on Broadway, his 12 seasons in leading roles at the Stratford Festival and his Dora Mavor Moore Award-winning performances at Buddies in Bad Times, the world's largest and longest running LGBTQ theatre. His career at the Stratford Festival began as an ensemble member in HMS Pinafore and he went on ...…

Nicky Guadagni has been nominated for five Gemini awards and won two for her roles in "Major Crime" and "Blue Murder." Her one woman show "Hooked" started as private performance in people's home and eventually made it's way to the Fringe Festival in Edinburgh. In the podcast we talk about acting, producing at festivals, her training at the Roya ...…

Brooke is an award winning actor who, when she was in her teens, launched her career by working as a production assistant at the Shaw Festival, often driving actors to and from Toronto. She has an expansive career but I decided to focus our chat on her solo performance "Trudeau Stories." She met Trudeau at the National Theatre School of Canada ...…