The Performers Podcast (Keith Tomasek)

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 and Dolls," "The Sound of Music," and "Fiddler on the Roof," just to name a few.

In 2016 she gained notoriety for directing the first ever professional production of "A Chorus Line" with all new, original choreography which Feore created.

I spoke with Feore about her work directing and choreographing the world premiere of "The Hockey Sweater," a new musical is based on the beloved short story by Roch Carrier.

The animated short film adaptation of Carrier's story received the Best Animated Film award at the 1981 British Academy Film Awards.

We talk about the creative process behind adapting the story to a stage musical.

Feore, who is known for seeking out the best actors, also talks about her audition process and what she expects from actors.

Rodrigo Beilfuss is a Brazilian-born Canadian actor-director with a German last name, who trained in England and now calls Winnipeg, Manitoba his home. He is the artistic director of Shakespeare in the Ruins.

Growing up in Brazil, Beilfuss envisioned a career as a diplomat. He was well on his way after being accepted to law school, but he faced a fork in the road when he was also accepted to a cultural exchange program in Winnipeg. He chose Winnipeg thinking he'd return to Brazil, and a career in the foreign service after the cultural exchange was completed.

As part of his cultural exchange program, Beilfuss was introduced to the works of Shakespeare; he fell in love with the Bard's words and soon traded his pursuit of a diplomatic career for a one in theatre.

Beilfuss admits that when he was first introduced to Shakespeare, he didn't understand much of the language. However, his realization that he was not alone in his struggle to comprehend Shakespeare's work ultimately gave him the confidence to work through it. "Ironically, Shakespeare gave me a sense of belonging - everyone was confused; everyone was terrified," says Beilfuss.

From Winnipeg Beilfuss traveled to Stratford, Ontario and England where he studied at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Art. His master's thesis research at LAMDA examined the process, and cultural impact, of performing Shakespeare in different languages - a natural topic for Beilfuss, whose first language was not English.

SHOW NOTES:

Website: http://www.rodrigobeilfuss.com/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RBeilfuss

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rbeilfuss/?hl=en

Cyrus Lane podcast

Lisa-Repo-Martell Podcast

Joseph-Ziegler Podcast

Stream Macbeth from Stratford as part of the Shakespeare Film Festival

Hamlet at the Rose Theatre Brampton with Pakistani-Canadian star Ahad Raza, directed by Haysam Kadri a graduate of the Birmingham Conservatory at the Stratford Festival.

Shakespeare In The Ruins website

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 his term as Executive Director, Radio/Audio, and Director of Program Development for CBC Radio, overseeing the development and launch of the broadcaster’s new generation of programming including "Q," "Under the Influence," "The Debaters," and "Spark."

In our podcast, Chris discusses the value of figuring out "what is the story I'm trying to tell" before you begin your interview.

The value of eliciting emotions and drama from your guests because the host or narrator can provide the fact.

We play a podcast clip that demonstrate how to create the audio illusion you are recording on location with your guest when you are actually recording from your office on Skype or Zencaster.

Chris provides information for freelance podcast producers hoping to work with Pacific Content.

Show Notes
Pacific Content
Zencaster
Shopify TGIM podcast

Ron James is one of the most successful comedians in Canada.

With a comedian’s eye for satire and a poet’s ear for language, Ron cuts a wide swath through contemporary culture making him a stand out amongst stand-ups.

His path to success includes improvising with Second City, a stint on a TV show in the U.S., and his own shows "Blackfly" and "The Ron James Show" in Canada. His annual New Year's Eve special on CBC is a comedy tradition with over a million viewers from coast to coast.

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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 2018.

We discuss his writing process and the impact of production budgets on his artistic process.

He shares one of the best ever audition stories that changed his life but not in the way you'd think.

Follow Mark on Twitter: @markjdcrawford

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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 worked with doing hundreds of shows each year.

Through all of this David's taken risks and he opens up about the ups and downs of his many ventures.

David's a lifelong learner who's in the process of meeting the requirements to become a member of the Director's Guild of Canada, but most impressive is that through all the ups and downs and transitions in his entertainment career he's been a great husband and father.

SHOW NOTES
David's Website DavidMerry.com
David Merry on YouTube
David's New Year's Eve show in Ottawa with Ben Miner and Jessica Holmes! Info and tickets

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 naturally I spent a bit of time in our podcast talking with My about how she makes money from her Good Tickle Brain webcomic. Of course we also talk about Shakespeare and her favourite shows on the playbill at the Stratford Festival.

No spoilers here, you’ll have to listen to the podcast to find out.

Show Notes

Good Tickle Brain
Lady Macbeth’s relationship advice
Utah Shakespeare Festival
@bardfilm
The University of Iowa’s film studies page about “Omkara,” composer/director Vishal Bhardwaj’s transposition of the story of “Othello” to the landscape and culture of contemporary eastern Uttar Pradesh

Mya at the Stratford Festival Forum
Wed., September 6, 10:45 am to 12 pm
Info and tickets

Dave Merheje won the Juno award for best comedy album with his 2018 release “Good Friend Bad Grammar.”

I've been hoping to interview Merheje since I first saw him perform a killer set at the Winnipeg Comedy Festival. His rhythmic comedic style celebrates family and personal frustrations that truly spoke to me, not only as a fan of comedy but more significantly as a father and a son.

He's on the Netflix special "Comedians of the World."

Watch for his upcoming regular appearance in the Hulu show “Ramy,” with Ramy Youssef, which starts streaming April 19.

Follow Dave on Twitter.
Follow Dave on Facebook.

Follow Dave on Instagram.

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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 Performance Program. They also worked with Goodspeed Musicals, a non-profit organization dedicated to musical theater based in Connecticut.

Come From Away is a perfect intersection of David's love of folk music and Irene's love of Broadway musicals.

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Gavin Crawford is one of Canada's most creative and exciting comedic performers.

From his days at The Comedy Network to his years as a cast member of "This Hour Has Twenty Two Minutes," to his recent work as host of CBC Radio's "Because News" Crawford's unique sense of humour always shines brightly.

In January, Crawford stars in the one-person show "Fully Committed" at the Grand Theatre in London.

In the podcast, you'll learn about how he prepares for his performance in which de is 40 different characters.

And you won't believe what he said to Andrew Lloyd Webber when he was hosting the Canadian version of the reality show "How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria?," which aired on CBC in the summer of 2008.

We also discuss his path from graduating with a BFA Acting from the University of British Columbia to joining Toronto's improvisation comedy troupe The Second City.

Writer, comedian and craft beer nerd Christina Walkinshaw discusses her journey from journalism school to becoming a professional comedian and publishing a blog detailing her exploits on Tinder.

She explains how a vacation fling in New York made her realize she’d relish similar experiences at home in Toronto.

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Comedian, writer, Jeff Rothpan is originally from Montreal.

His comedy career began when he was just 16 years old.

Soon after an appearance at The Just For Laughs Comedy Festival he moved to L.A., but despite his success at the Festival he struggled in L.A.

But by the time he hit age 23 he hit his stride and he appeared on the Tonight Show with Jay Leno.

We talk about his path to success.

These days Jeff is one of the busiest comedy writers in LA, working on TV shows, films and providing material for Jeff Dunham, whom Forbes magazine consistently ranks as one of the top grossing comedians in the United States.

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I first met Dave Martin in 1997 when he was doing a character named "Glue Guy." It was an edgy bit that helped propel him into the ranks of a comedian's comedian.

These days he performs across Canada and hosts the "Guilty Pleasures" podcast. Prior to that he co-hosted "Anything Goes" with Daren Frost on SiriusXM.

Dave has performed at the Just For Laughs festival and on CBC Radio's The Debaters.

We discuss, among other things, preparing for a dream gig at Massey Hall, the comedians who helped him hone his act and finding love online.

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This podcast interview with A.J. Bridel was recorded in 2015.

A.J. had recently appeared in "Kinky Boots" with Alan Mingo Jr., whose Broadway credits include Sebastian in Disney's "The Little Mermaid" (Original Broadway cast member) and Tom Collins in "Rent."

A.J. graduated from Eastwood Collegiate in Kitchener as an "A" student, starring in the school play. She is candid about her early personal struggle that occurred two years earlier; while working through her parent's separation and lashing out, she had been kicked out of the school play because of her inability to focus and collaborate.

With the help of friends and family, A.J. managed to get back on track by focusing on theatre and her schoolwork.

It was impressive and courageous of A.J. to share this story, back in 2015 before many people discussed personal mental issues.

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 our conversation, Steffi explains the secret to her success and how a vision board helped her focus on a dream gig performing in the first Broadway national tour of "Spring Awakening."

We also talk about her television work on "Crawford" with Mike Clattenburg, best known as a creator, writer and director of the comedy series "Trailer Park Boys."

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Steffi on Twitter | Instagram

Donny Most, is best known for his role as Ralph Malph on the hit TV show "Happy Days."

Most explains how Henry Winkler went against his director's wishes to create a defining moment in the development of his character Fonzie.

He shares stories about working with "Happy Days" creator Garry Marshall who went on to develop other popular shows such as "Mork and Mindy" and more recently "Pretty Woman" and "The Princess Diaries."

Most is currently performing in "ART" at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse. The production runs until October 20.

"Art," which won the Tony for Best Play, delves into male bonding in a hilarious yet touching way.

More info about "Art":

Click Drayton Entertainment

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 and There’s Going to be Laundry."

A few years later, she started a new life, moving to a farm where, she took a break from creating and traversed her internal landscape, surveying her life, and how it intersected with those around her.

And soon the former urban dweller let herself fall into the rhythms the surrounding nature.

She's performed at top theatres in Canada and is recognized for not only her writing and performing, but her work as an impresario.

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Liisa Repo-Martell is an intense actor. She has performed Shakespeare with Keanu Reeves, co-created innovative theatrical hybrids exploring documentary, academic and artistic work.

In April 2020 you can see Liisa at the Globe Theatre in Regina, Saskatchewan in The Boy in the Moon is the true story of a family’s journey raising their son Walker, who suffers from an extremely rare genetic disorder.

Thanks to Stratford Tea Leaves for sponsoring The Performers Podcast.

Johanna's YouTube, GoPro video "Momhead" was an overnight sensation, receiving 2,400,000 views in a few days. We discuss the steps that led to its success. The YouTube, GoPro video was featured on BuzzFeed, and subsequently Johanna was interviewed by major international news organizations.

Shortly after the video went viral Stein landed a deal to write a sitcom pilot for CBS.

The pilot is being produced with Will Arnett, and will be based on Stein's book "How Not to Calm a Child on a Plane."

I first met Johanna Stein when we were both performing at the Winnipeg Fringe Fetsival. We talk about how the Fringe was a launch pad for her career.

We also discuss the creative process that led her from doing stand up comedy to motherhood and then writing a book which served as the foundation for the viral video.

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David Stones is a poet based in Stratford Ontario. His poems have been published internationally and won awards.

Recently he’s been performing a stage adaptation of his book poems titled “Infinite Sequels.” On stage Stones is accompanied by a violinist which ads an imaginative aspect to his words.

The London Free Press’ Joe Belanger noted that “‘Infinite Sequels’ is a brilliant, beautiful piece of theatre. Stone recites his poignant poetry with mostly subtle gesture, movement and animated face, asking us to face moments and questions about our lives we may not have even recognized.”

In our conversation Stones admits his love of poetry goes back to his youth confessing that it was only later in life after his career and kids were no longer a pressing concern that he found the freedom to truly hone his work and share it publically.

He talks about his creative process, his inspiration Dylan Thomas and Leonard Cohen to name a few, and the intersection of poetry and social media.

PODCAST SHOW NOTES:
David Stones Website
David Stone on Instagram
Ladies and Gentlemen… Mr. Leonard Cohen – watch for free at NFB.ca

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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 to improve her acting skills working under the direction of some of North America's finest directors.

Currently, you can see McClellan in "Shirley Valentine," at the Victoria Playhouse Petrolia.

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Dan Chameroy has performed across North America, including the tour of 'Matilda the Musical.'
He made his Toronto stage debut in 1991 as part of the Canadian cast of 'Les Miserables' at The Royal Alexandra Theatre and performed in the legendary pre-Broadway production of 'The Drowsy Chaperone.'

We discuss his work with Gary Griffin and Donna Feore at the Stratford Festival.

Dan also opens up about his work's physical demands and the time he hurt his back so badly he wasn't sure he'd ever perform again.

Don't miss Dan's performance on Saturday, December 19 and Sunday, December 20 in Ross Petty's virtual production 'There's No Place Like Home For The Holidays.'

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 he never received the investment he was offered when he appeared on the TV show "Dragon's Den."

Murray's Website: http://www.murrayfoster.ca/

The Secret Life of The American Musical on Amazon

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 Mainichi Newspaper chain.

He only began writing professionally at age 31.

Here in Canada Philip is a nominee for the Red Maple Award and the Silver Birch Award.

Philip has sat on provincial literary juries, Canada Council juries, and he sat across from me for an to discuss his life and creative process.

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Philip Roy's book Submarine Outlaw

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 her radio hit. We discuss the difference between writing a hit for radio and writing to explore her own feelings.

Gryner was also the driving force behind the recording of Bowie's "Space Oddity," by Chris Hadfield, in outer space while he was the commander of the International Space Station. 

As well as touring to support her own work Gryner is also the founder of the popular folk act "Trent Severn."

Watch for Gryner's upcoming project "Only of Earth," an 80's synth-pop and 70's classic rock-infused album.

Show Notes.

Emm Gryner's website

Video:  Emm Gryner and Joe Sumner celebrate David Bowie at Terminal 5 in New York

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 podcast we discuss how Lennox, along with David Sonenberg, Michael Cohl and Tony Smith, produced Jim Steinman's Bat Out of Hell for the stage.

Steinman's anthemic rock songs form the foundation of a magical stage experience that transports audiences to another world courtesy director, and multimedia-theater pioneer, Jay Scheib's use of musical theatre and opera traditions layered with alluring, multi-camera video projections.

Bat Out of Hell is unlike anything that has come before it and Lennox addresses the risks, and rewards, associated with producing such an extravaganza.

For more details on the show visit http://batoutofhellmusical.com/

For Toronto tickets visit: https://www.mirvish.com/shows/bat-out-of-hell

Follow Bat Out of Hell on Twitter: @BatTheMusical 

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 limited resources.

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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.

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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 Grand.

Later he was an usher, stage manager and eventually, in 2004, he and his husband, Bruce Sellery (also from London) married in the balcony at The Grand.

Before arriving at the Grand, Dennis was the Artistic Director of Theatre Calgary since 2005 where, as well as developing new plays, he built some impressive partnerships with the American Conservatory Theater in San Francisco, the Shaw Festival and Bard on the Beach.

So our conversation leans towards the business of running a theatre and finding a life balance.

Show Notes

The Grand Theatre's website

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 worker, jazz musician, orchestrator and magician.

Along the way, Thompson refined both his comedy and magical skills which led to the creation of his nightclub act The Great Tomsoni & Co.

When was the last time you had the chance to spend fifty minutes with a living legend reflecting on his life? It was an honour for me, and I hope you find the time for this intimate interview.

Thompson's secrets have been collected in a two-volume publication: "The Magic of Johnny Thompson."

It includes contributions from Teller and Lance Burton both of whom learned significantly from Thompson and both of whom we discuss in the interview. Other magicians who come up in the interview include Piff the Magic Dragon, Marshall Brodien and the inventor of the "bra trick" Howard Brooks.

Get details about the "The Magic of Johnny Thompson" and watch archival video at Magicana

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Michael Healey has gone from writing a play that debuted at the Toronto Fringe Festival to having his work appear at the Stratford Festival. It's an impressive trajectory that includes writing "The Drawer Boy," one of the most-produced plays in North America.

Healey discusses everything from how he writes scenes to his process in the rehearsal room. Healey, who has suffered from depression, opens up about his path from the days he could barely get out of bed to his most productive and happy days.

I enjoy Healey's political comedy and his sense of humor truly shines in our chat.

Tony Nappo is a Canadian actor who graduated from the American Academy of Dramatic Arts in New York and has appeared in critically acclaimed television, film and stage productions.
As well as discussing parenting and acting, Tony shares the story of how he managed to kick his drug habit after a 5-day bender that almost killed him.
He also publishes the weekly column Nappoholics on https://www.intermissionmagazine.ca/

Comedian Martha Chaves has been headlining comedy clubs for almost 20 years,

She is also a keynote speaker using her poignant sense of humor to raise awareness about serious issues, including sexuality and oppression.
More recently Martha has been writing plays.

She discusses all of this and more.

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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 hockey three times a week.

Seán Cullen and I talk about his improvisation and writing, as well as his path to success in comedy.

He also talks about his work on stage and why he describes his time performing 8 shows a week in "The Producers" as "just trying not to get sick."

Seán mentions his time as a CBC Radio host and says "I was rambling completely and this drove the CBC Mad." But his rambling got the attention of a book publisher that led to the opportunity to his write books for young readers.

Seán's Books:

Hamish X and the Cheese Pirates
Hamish X and the Hollow Mountain
The Prince of Neither Here Nor There
The Prince of Two Tribes[Paperback]

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Bruce Dow is an award-winning performer who has played featured rolls on Broadway five times.

When Broadway was shut down, Dow was in previews with the show "Diana." Dow who resides in Canada, was one of the thousands of people who work on Broadway that had to figure out their next steps.

In our podcast you'll hear how the cast and crew working on "Diana" learned about the show closing down after Bill de Blasio, Mayor of New York City, has declared that all theaters close temporarily due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

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 approach to nutrition is saving lives - just ask Penn Jillette or Kevin Smith.

Julieanna and Ray wrote "The Idiot's Guide to Plant Based Nutrition." The book goes deep into the science of nutrition but also has super-handy summaries at the end of each chapter with a list of "The Least you need to know."

The book has everything from how to equip your kitchen, ( I loved the bit about handy utensils) to a chapter on the plant-based pregnancy.

Julieanna Hever completed her bachelors of arts degree in Theatre from UCLA and then went on to do a masters of science degree in Nutrition from Cal State Northridge, thus bridging her three biggest passions for life food, performing, and helping people.

Ray Cronise is a former NASA scientist currently focused on disrupting diet and nutrition advice. He helped Penn Jillette, and Kevin Smith recover from near-death experiences and has helped thousands of others regain the youthful vitality that comes with proper nutrition.

Show Notes

Idiot's Guide to Plant-Based Nutrition
by Julieanna Hever and Raymond J. Cronise.

The Instant Pot. A a versatile multi-cooker that can do the job of a pressure cooker, slow cooker, rice cooker, steamer, and more. Every kitchen should have an

Follow Julieanna on Instagram
Follow Ray on Instagram

Follow on Twitter.
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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 dream of performing on the Festival stage at The Stratford Festival finally came true he took his father on a tour of the theatre to share his joy and excitement of performing in the legendary theatre.

Together they snuck onto the thrust stage and Smith’s father had the opportunity to stand where legendary actors from Brian Bedford and Len Cariou to Maggie Smith and Jessica Tandy have performed.

Looking around the theatre from centre stage Smith’s father said “This is the big leagues. This is your Wrigley Field,” comparing the Festival stage to Chicago’s legendary baseball park.

Smith’s mother was an academic, in our conversation Smith describes his home life as an eclectic scene with athletes, deep thinkers and a grandfather with a great sense of humor.

Our podcast covers Smith’s path to success, from his home in Chicago to university in Ohio and life as an American born actor working in Canada.

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 blowing the audition before you even open your mouth.

We discuss working with director Chris Abram on The Matchmaker and Othello.

Mike opens up about the struggles he faced learning Shakespeare and how participating in team sports impacts his work.

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For over three decades, Tony Award-winner Bob Martin has worked as an actor and writer. Early in his career, Martin was directing for Second City in Toronto. He's also written for TV, with the Chicago Tribune calling Slings and Arrows "one of the most loving satires to have ever graced television." He 's best known for writing and starring in the hilarious The Drowsy Chaperone, for which Martin won the 2006 Tony Award for "Best Book of a Musical."
His most recent Broadway show, The Prom, received 7 Tony Award nominations.
We talk about how the revision process is crucial to a great script
Martin updates us on the Broadway adaptations of The Princess Bride, NIght at the Museum and Slings and Arrows.
And Martin explains why it can be emotionally challenging to watch a performance of The Drowsy Chaperone.

Follow Bob Martin on Twitter.

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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 / choreographer Donna Feore so I asked him how they manage to have a successful marriage and raise their children while working around the world.

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Her writing has been featured in an anthology of great comedy, alongside that of Jerry Seinfeld, Chris Rock, Dennis Miller and Joan Rivers.

She's the host of NPR's trivia show "Ask Me Another" and a regular contributor to the popular storytelling event, podcast and radio program The Moth.

We talk about Ophira's life changing decision to leave the acting and comedy scene in Toronto and start from scratch in New York City, her writing routines and more.

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"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 careers of several actors and writers.

"Kim’s Convenience" follows in the footsteps of Fringe shows including "Life After," "Da Kink in My Hair," "Machomer," "The Drowsy Chaperone" and others that have gone onto great things.

We talk about the time in his life when Ins gave up a job with security, benefits and a housing allowance, everything that would have set him up for a traditional life, but it wasn’t a job in the Arts which Ins knew he needed to truly enjoy life.

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Natalie is a Canadian actor who received great reviews for her performance as Glinda in the U.S. touring company of "Wicked." Natalie is currently appearing at The Stratford Festival in "Crazy For You" and "Man of La Mancha."

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John Wing is a very funny person. His ease with a comedic turn of phrase belies the hard work behind his success. In this episode, John talks about his writing regime. He shares the story of the two years he spent perfecting jokes to appear on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and how diligent he was about making the Tonight Show talent coordinator, Jim McCauley, laugh. His diligence paid off: he’s appeared on the Tonight Show six times!

John was a semi-finalist on America’s Got Talent.

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