Stageworthy

A roundtable conversation about Toronto Fringe on the first Saturday, as Tom McGee (Featherweight), Janelle Hanna (Robert.), Belinda Corpuz (Lighters in the Air), Danny Pagett (Prank), and Rebecca Perry (Bikeface) join host Phil Rickaby to talk about Toronto Fringe so far, what they’ve seen, what they are looking forward to seeing and much more. Recorded 10:00, July 7, 2018.Tom McGeeTwitter: @mcgeetd Website: www.tdmcgee.com Theatre Brouhaha: www.theatrebrouhaha.com/ Featherweight: https://fringetoronto.com/festivals/fringe/event/featherweightJanelle Hanna Twitter: @janellemhanna Robert: https://fringetoronto.com/festivals/fringe/event/robertBelinda Corpuz Twitter:@belindarona Instagram: belindacorpuzwww.belindacorpuz.com Lighters in the Air: https://fringetoronto.com/festivals/fringe/event/lighters-airDanny PagettTwitter: @spoonydanInstagram: @danquoPrank: https://fringetoronto.com/festivals/fringe/event/prankRebecca Perry Twitter: @rebeccaperry21www.rebeccaperry.ca Bikeface: https://fringetoronto.com/festiv

Hayley Pace – Artistic Director, Playwright, Performer, DesignerHayley Pace is an award-winning performer from Kitchener, Ontario. She is a graduate of the Devised Theatre & Design programs at York University and since has worked internationally in Antwerp, Prague, Edinburgh Minneapolis and New York. Her storytelling shows include the The Teeny Tiny Music Show and High School Symphony which have played in various venues and festivals throughout Ontario. Other devised work includes A Language for Dogs and Paperweight at the Hamilton Fringe Festival. Other performances include RENT, The Beggar’s Opera and Curtains. Set design credits include set for Peep! (Nuit Blanche/Theatre Panik), and Hamletmachine (Theatre@York). Costume design credits include The Village Green (Applebox Film Company/Rockzeline) and Plato’s Atlantis (Canada’s National Ballet School). Hayley graphic designs all promotional material for her shows, and for various artists such as Socratic Theatre, emerging singer-songwriter T. Thomason, a

Madeleine Brown is a Toronto-based actor. Select acting credits: Imp (Filament Incubator/Epigraph Collective), Seasons (Toronto Fringe), Madeleine Says Sorry (Toronto Fringe), She Kills Monsters (Orphaned Egret) and Rowing (Chrysalis Workshop/Then They Fight/Filament Incubator). A Loran Scholar and 2016/2017 Nightwood Theatre Young Innovator, she is a graduate of Sheridan College/UTM and has trained with Theatre Gargantua, Mermaid Theatre, Second City and Pro Actors Lab. She serves as a volunteer with L'Arche Toronto's Sol Express, a performance troupe for adults with developmental disabilities and has assisted under such directors as Diana Leblanc and Tamara Bernier Evans. Her debut play, Madeleine Says Sorry, premiered at the 2017 Toronto Fringe.@prairiefireplzWhen Beatrice Little sinks her potato-based start-up, she must ascend the ranks of an imposing pyramid scheme in order to rebuild her career. From the "whip smart" losers behind 2017 Toronto Fringe sellout, Madeleine Says Sorry, comes a twisted comedy

A place for everyone and everyone in their place! In order to keep the economy moving, individuals are frequently assigned different jobs, names, religions, and relationships. When a Life Commissioning Agent unexpectedly shows up one evening to re-assign a loving married couple, the couple refuses to separate regardless of punishment. The situation spins further out of control when another newly assigned couple arrives the same evening to take possession of the house and begin their lives together. Secrets, passions, and ideologies collide against a bureaucratic authority. By the end, everyone must deal with either a comfortable yet inhuman status quo or the struggle of dreaming up an alternative world from scratch.CALEB YONG (Director) After a long hiatus, Caleb Yong is pleased to be making theatre again. Caleb most recently co-created and performed in Suck and Blow, which later becameThe Book of Judith (Selfconscious Theatre), and assisted director Jennifer Tarver for That Time — Five Beckett Shorts (Theatr

Kris Hagen is an actor and writer, known for Imposters (2017), Kim's Convenience (2016) and Tugg N Chugger (2015). Kris is also the creator of Lighters in the Air, premiering at the Toronto Fringe Festival. krishagen.com Lighters in the Air A musician named Leo returns to his former hangout, The Empty, a dive bar where the mic is always open. With the help of old friends, a lost love, and The Empty's newest off-beat barflies, Leo rediscovers his passion for the music he left behind. A play about artistic integrity, unfulfilled expectations, nostalgia, romance, and an uncertain future, the show features live performances of original songs. An open mic scene includes different guest musicians and standup comics every night, making each show a unique experience. Written & Directed by Kris Hagen Starring Natalia Bushnik, Belinda Corpuz, Cody Crain, Anna Douglas, Raechel Fisher, Kris Hagen, Olaf Sham, Amanda Silcoff and Taylor Whittaker Monarch Tavern | 12 Clinton St. Showtimes: Wednesday, July 4 - 8pm Thursda

Michael Ross Albert is the author of several plays including Miss (FringeNYC; Unit 102 Actors Company); The Farmers Lit the Fields on Fire (Edinburgh Fringe Festival); The Grass is Greenest at the Houston Astrodome (FringeNYC, published by Applause in Best American Short Plays 2014-2015); and Karenin’s Anna (Toronto Fringe Festival, “Outstanding New Play,” — NOW Magazine).Along with the Storefront Theatre, Michael produced the sold-out world premiere production of his play Tough Jews in the heart of Toronto’s Kensington Market. The production was nominated for 6 Dora Mavor Moore Awards, including Outstanding New Play and Outstanding Production.His play Starfishes opened Off-Broadway at the Theatre at Dance New Amsterdam and is included in Best American Short Plays 2010-2011. It has since been performed across the United States and Canada.Michael received an MFA in Playwriting from the Actors Studio Drama School at Pace University. Michael is an associate member of the Dramatists Guild of America, and a member

Eric Petersen is a graduate of the University of Toronto and Northwestern University. He has returned to Toronto after stints in New York, Chicago and Vancouver. While in Chicago, he was a board member of Halcyon Theatre and brought Ninaz Khodaiji's work to Chicago for its premiere performance. His shorter playlets are often performed at Sing-for-Your-Supper (at various locations around Toronto). In addition to writing plays, he occasionally turns his hand to poetry and has been published in White Wall Review, Gyst, xib, and A House Divided.Eric's play, Final Exam appears as part of the 2018 edition of the Toronto Fringe Festival.

AdamSeelig is the founder and Artistic Director of One Little Goat Theatre Company. He is the author of Every Day in the Morning (slow) (New Star Books, finalist for the 2011 ReLit Award in poetry) and his plays include Ubu Mayor (BookThug 2014), Talking Masks (BookThug 2009), Antigone:Insurgency (2007) and, for children, PLAY: A (Mini) History of Theatre for Kids (Toronto 2016-18). Adam is the writer, director, and composer of MUSIC MUSIC LIFE DEATH MUSIC: An Absurdical, running May 25 - June 10 at Tarragon Extraspace. Tickets: http://onelittlegoat.org/music-music-life-death-music

Carlyn Rhamey is an actor, writer and co-founder of Squirrel Suit Productions, a theatre collective passionate about creating new work and making a positive impact on their community. Through Squirrel Suit, Carlyn wrote and performed her very first one-woman show "SAOR (Free)" on the 2016 CAFF Fringe Tour. Carlyn's latest solo play, The ADHD project can be seen in the 2018 editions of the London, Edmonton, Victoria and Vancouver Fringe Festivals.Carlyn is a Fanshawe College Theatre Arts graduate. Her theatre credits include "Lavinia Andronicus” in Titus Andronicus (Funeral Pyre Theatre),"Ophelia" in Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead (Passionfool Theatre), "Abigail Williams“ in The Crucible (Passionfool Theatre), performer/playwright of In Their Shoes (Squirrel Suit), "Bridget” in Moonshine (Toronto Irish Players), Shakespeare on a Subway (Spur of the Moment Shakespeare Collective). "Ophelia" in Hamlet (Fanshawe Theatre), "Sissy" in Unity (1918) (Fanshawe Theatre).Web: www.squirrelsuit.ca Facebook: https:/

Since Ann Powell and David Powell founded Puppetmongers in 1974, the company has become internationally recognized as a leader and innovator in the field of puppetry. So far we have created a dozen new plays for both young and general audiences, which have earned us and our collaborators a mass of awards.Puppetmongers continues to develop new work on their own and also in collaboration with others, and hosts an annual conference called Fresh Ideas in Puppetry for established and emerging artists to share their passion and expertise in puppetry. This year, the Fresh Ideas in Puppetry day is May 27th, at Aki Studios.In 1996, we started The Toronto School of Puppetry to share our creative approach and provide a collaborative learning space for the puppetry community, and for multi-disciplinary artists interested in expanding their theatrical palette. We also work with students from elementary school up to the post-graduate level.www.puppetmongers.comwww.torontoschoolofpuppetry.com

Belinda CorpuzBelinda is active in Toronto's professional and independent theatre scene. She has developed new Canadian works with Carlos Bulosan Theatre (CBT), Fu-GEN, Cahoots, Soulpepper Theatre, Pencil Kit Productions, and Expect Theatre (as part of the Beats + Intentions Emerging Artist Program). Selected theatre credits include: Through the Bamboo - Staged Reading (Soulpepper Theatre, as part of the Shen Development Series), Perfect Couples (Pencil Kit Productions, 2017 Toronto and Hamilton Fringe Festivals), Hilot Means Healer - Staged Reading (Cahoots Theatre Projects), ANAK (Carlos Bulosan Theatre), Kaldero (Carlos Bulosan Theatre) In the Shadow of Elephants (Carlos Bulosan Theatre), Shotgun Wedding (Carlos Bulosan Theatre, 2011 Toronto Fringe Festival). Belinda has also worked with Toronto-based theatre company, Carlos Bulosan Theatre, as former Artistic Associate and member of their Collective Creation Ensemble, as a theatre creator and performer. Most recently, she debuted Carlos Bulosan Theatre's

Stephen Near is a playwright and performer from Ottawa, ON and a graduate of York University. His plays have been performed across Canada in such festivals as the Ottawa Fringe, the Toronto Fringe, the Hamilton Fringe, New Ideas, and Summerworks. He is an alumnus of the Sage Hill Writing Experience and the Banff Centre and has studied playwriting with Linda Griffiths, David Copelin, Daniel MacIvor, Brian Quirt, and Beverley Cooper. In 2015, Stephen established the First Stage Series of new play development at the Players Guild of Hamilton. Stephen is a member of the Playwright’s Guild of Canada and the Theatre Aquarius Playwrights Unit. Recent writing credits include Monstrous Invisible (Theatre Aquarius), Interface (2011 Hamilton Fringe – New Play Contest 1st Prize), Plain Speak (2012 HamilTEN Festival), Test (2013 Hamilton Fringe – New Play Contest 2nd Runner-Up), The Conspiracy of Michael (2014 Hamilton Fringe), and Finding Mr. Right (2015 Hamilton Fringe). He lives in Hamilton with his wife Leanne, daught

#ShakesbeersShowdown is where Toronto’s hottest indie Shakespeare companies face-off in a battle of winner-takes-all, loser-drinks-most, as contestants cold read scenes from Shakespeare’s notoriously-hard-to-read First Folio. The rules are simple: if you screw up, you drink! The winner is crowned the revered Shakesbeers Showdown Heavyweight Champion (complete with championship belt), and the losers…get a lot of beer. All funds raised go towards the 2018 Shakespeare-In-Hospitals Program, set to launch this fall. INTRODUCING YOUR 2018 COMPETITORS: Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare CollectiveShakey-Shake and Friends Theatre CompanyShakespeare in the RuffSkipping Stones TheatreTheatre By CommitteeShakespeare BASH'dTheatre ARTaud The Reviewers The People AndStratford Festival LET'S GET READY TO RRRRUMBLE! **************************<wbr />********** Spur-Of-The-Moment Shakespeare Collective is proud to present the seventh annual Shakesbeers Showdown: Jurassic Bard April 27th, 2018 at918 Bathurst Centre for Cul

Set in and around the Princess Margaret Hospital, the story of Alan and Moira exposes the harsh realities of the solitude and fears that accompany cancer treatment with brutal honesty and wry humour. Pettle’s writing comes from a place of awful familiarity, as he explains in his forward, "It’s July 15, 1995, and I’m back in the hospital - radioactive iodine therapy, cancer treatment’s answer to solitary confinement. Why did I write this play? I wrote it to survive days like this. [...] I wrote it not only for those who have passed on to other journeys, but for all those who remain in Therac corridors everywhere. People that are not just statistics in flimsy pamphlets or black numbers on manila envelopes, but individuals with brilliant minds and raging spirits, with awe-inspiring courage and beautiful children."It was the personal connection to this story that brought this production into existence and provides the motivation to engage in the realities of the content beyond the story-telling. As well as donati

These awesome indie theatre creators sat down with host Phil Rickaby as part of the first Indie Theatre Creators Roundtable: Christel Bartelse, Victoria Urquhart, Victoria Velenosi, and Janelle Hanna. Christel Bartelse is an Actor, Comic, Writer, Teacher, and Solo Show creator living in Toronto. She is a graduate of the Second City Conservatory Program, Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts and has studied Clown extensively with John Turner & Michael Kennard (Mump and Smoot) as well as Sue Morrison, Philippe Gaulier and Francine Cote.She had the pleasure of performing with Mump and Smoot in “Something” at the Westbury Theatre in Edmonton. She is a member of Faustwork Mask Theatre/Prologue for the Performing Arts and performs the show The Mask Messenger in schools regularly. In 2008 she developed her first solo show “CHAOTICA” which went onto to win numerous awards and garnered rave reviews. She developed 2 other solo shows “ONEymoon” & “Significant Me” and all three solo shows have been nominated f

Since moving to Toronto in the fall of 2014, Sri Lankan tenor Asitha Tennekoon has firmly established himself as a versatile singer, performing in a wide range of repertoire. He won the Dora Award for Best Male Performance as Paul in Tapestry Opera’s Rocking Horse Winner and earned glowing reviews as Gernando in Haydn’s L’Isola disabitata with Voicebox: Opera in Concert.Asitha recently starred in Edith Smyth’s The Boatswain’s Mate with Opera 5, and in 2018 debuts as Polidoro in Scarlatti’s Erminia with Opera Lafayette in Washington and New York.Asitha shared the stage with soprano Erin Wall in Songmasters Recital Series and has appeared as a soloist with Toronto Bach Festival, Theatre of Early Music, Ottawa Bach Choir and Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra.Twitter: @asithatennekoon Instagram: asithatennekoonStageworthy:https://www.stageworthypodcast.com Twitter @stageworthyPod Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod

Ryan M. Sero is a professional actor and writer. Past roles include Herbert Milk (A Modicum of Freedom), The Raccoon (Inbetween Places), Sancho Panza (Don Quixote), Mephistophiles (Doctor Faustus), Romeo (Romeo & Juliet: An Escapist Comedy), and Don John/ Don Pedro (Much Ado About Nothing). Plays he has written include A Modicum of Freedom, Romeo & Juliet: An Escapist Comedy, The Cheese, Miracles Don't Come Cheap, and the upcomingFor 'Daws to Peck At - which will be part of the Pearl Company's StaycationFestival in August. He frequently works with Decoder Ring Theatre (an online audio drama group), Artword Theatre, and The Mysterious Players (improv murder mysteries). He is the artistic director of Make Art Theatre. Richard III At the end of the War of the Roses, Richard feels miserable. He wants nothing more than the crown won by his brother, Edward IV. He sets out to take the crown by force and cunning, fueled by his envy and pride. He weaves a spider's web of lies, turning allies into enemies, and

Bryce Hodgson (Director, Co-Writer, Co-Set Designer) Bryce is a graduate of the Neighbourhood Playhouse in New York City, co founder of the Blind Pig Theatre in Vancouver, long time member of the Godlight theatre company (NYC) and Artistic director of the Blood Pact Theatre. Bryce writes, acts, and creates music for theatre productions. Bryce also shoots pictures, makes zines and over the years has played in many different punk bands. Theatre credits include In the Heat of the Night, Deliverance, (Godlight) Much Ado About Nothing (Unit 102), Piranha Club (Blood Pact), Kitty Kitty Kitty, Suburbia, This is our Youth, and Frankenstein (Blind Pig). Some TV and Film credits include The Killing, Kid Cannabis, Supernatural, Farely Legal, Diary of a Whimpy Kid, Falling Skies and is currently has a regular role on the series iZombie which is about to start production on its 4th season.In 2015 he was nominated for a drama desk award for his work in DeliveranceInstagram: @bryce_hodgsonCharlie Kerr (Co-writer, Hogan) Cha

Massimo Pagliaroli is a graduate of York University’s Directing program and has been working as an actor, writer and director for over fifteen years. Playwriting credits include Cheapskate (a winner in the 2005 Toronto Fringe New Play competition) Happy Together and Young Couple in Love. His current project, Inch of Your Life, was workshoped in Toronto and received it's U.S premiere at Edgemar Theatre in Santa Monica, California. He is a co-founder of The Theatre Circuit and currently serves as it's Artistic Director. Instagram: massimillions Massimo Pagliaroli's INCH OF YOUR LIFE: EPISODE 1 was the comedy hit of 2016's Toronto Fringe Festival, receiving the coveted “Patron's Pick”. INCH OF YOUR LIFE: THE TRILOGY stars eight of Toronto's rising stage stars: Luis Fernandes; Antonino Pruiti; Alex Clay; Ceridwen Kingstone; Giovanna Pandullo; Brandon Knox; Jonathan Sconza; and Jack Everett. The performance dates for INCH OF YOUR LIFE: THE TRILOGY are: Episode 1/The Pilot - March 7-17, 2018 - *MARCH 8th OPENING*Ep

Having performed from her hometown of Brantford, Ontario to Singapore, Melody has enjoyed moving from dramatic to comedic roles for over the last twenty years. Soon after graduating with a BFA from York University’s Theatre Performance program she began work with now Artistic Director of the Tarragon Theatre, Richard Rose on the Manitoba Theatre Centres’ The Glass Menagerie. Melody then became one of a core group of actors with Necessary Angel Theatre Company. The group dedicated themselves to bringing new Canadian plays to life, (It’s All True, Swollen Tongues, and The Piper). Having worked with many of Canada’s most respected theatre companies, Melody has originated many memorable theatre roles such as Sugar in Claudia Dey’s Trout Stanley for Factory Theatre, Olive/Eva in Jason Sherman’s It’s All True for Tarragon Theatre and a Dora win for the titular role of Mercy in Little Mercy’s First Murder/Tarragon-Shaw Festival. Other favourites include: Assassins for Talk is Free/Royal Manitoba Theatre Centre, 7 St