Claim OwnershipEveryday Forum Podcast
Subscribed: 1Played: 7
Subscribe
© STRATFEST@HOME by the Stratford Festival
Description
Everyday Forum Podcast returns with the best of thought-provoking events and celebrated guest speakers recorded live from the Stratford Festival's Meighen Forum.
Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
67 Episodes
Reverse
In this episode, join playwright Erin Shields, Nehiyaw storyteller Trina Moyan, and University of Toronto professor Adriana Brook as they explore storytelling as a transformative force across time. From the origins of Greek epic poetry and its roots in oral tradition to its transition to the written page, the panel reflects on how stories like Homer’s Iliad and Odyssey continue to shape culture today. Discover how ancient narratives and modern adaptations such as Shields’ Ransacking Troy reveal the enduring human impulse to share stories as a way of understanding the world. Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.Note: Transcript coming soon.
In this episode, join playwright and actor in Forgiveness Hiro Kanagawa, Editor of the Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia Dr. Anne Nothof and Canadian Studies scholar Peter Hodgins as they examine Canadian cultural identity and explore questions such as, 'How do we define Canadian theatre and art? How exactly does our cultural mosaic influence this definition?' Together, they examine the interplay between art and identity in Canada, discussing how people’s differences shape their understanding of themselves and the importance of Canadian art showcasing diverse narratives on the stage, both locally and globally. Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
What happens when the spotlight suddenly shifts, and someone must step in at a moment’s notice? In this episode, stage manager Maxwell T. Wilson (Dirty Rotten Scoundrels), swing and co-dance captain Anthony MacPherson, and assistant director/casting associate Aaron Jan (The Winter’s Tale) join moderator Monique Lund (Annie) for a candid discussion about the essential but often unsung work of understudies and swings. From the discipline it takes to track multiple roles to the courage required to perform with little warning, they share behind-the-scenes stories that reveal why these artists are true guardians of “the show must go on.”Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
How does sound shape the way we experience a story on stage? In this episode, sound designer Debashis Sinha (Anne of Green Gables) and composer/sound designer Verne Good (Twelfth Night, 2024) join Associate Forum Coordinator James Hyett for an illuminating conversation about the artistry behind theatre’s sonic world. From the delicate serenity of birdsong to the jarring pulse of a jackhammer, they reveal how music, effects, and ambient sound work together to deepen character, set tone, and transport audiences.EPISODE TRANSCRIPTSupport for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
Why are audiences so captivated by characters who blur (or outright cross) the moral line? In this episode, theatre critic Chris Jones is joined by veteran Festival actors Tom McCamus and Jonathan Goad for a thought-provoking conversation about what makes a compelling villain. Drawing on their roles in Macbeth and Dirty Rotten Scoundrels, they explore ego, desire, and the enduring appeal of the morally compromised.Dirty Rotten Scoundrels has been extended to November 23. Don’t miss this “Critic’s Pick” from The Globe and Mail, where cheering for the bad guys has never been so fun.EPISODE TRANSCRIPTSupport for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
We kick off the 2025 season of the Everyday Forum Podcast with a lively chat with cultural commentator Stephen Marche. He talks with the Festival's Artistic Director, Antoni Cimolino, and André Sills, actor and assistant director of Macbeth, about reimagining Shakespeare’s plays for the stage.EPISODE TRANSCRIPT Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
Co-director and dramaturg Krista Jackson and co-director and cultural consultant Geneviève Pelletier discuss Margaret Laurence's autobiographical novel adaptation The Diviners with Keith Barker, director of Foerster Bernstein New Play Development.
Listen as they speak on the importance of the Red River in
the narrative, how the co-adapters Yvette Nolan and Vern Thiessen maintain the story’s river-like flow and how Cameron Carver's choreography embodies the ebb and flow through movement. Hear as Jackson and Pelletier share the production’s goals of reflecting the Métis people for who they are without shame and how individual lives intersect during this time of reconciliation.
Jackson, Pelletier and Barker delve deeply into the process of working at a repertory theatre, including the challenges, skills, rigour and discipline required to produce multiple shows. Watch or listen now!
French translation by Éric Charbonneau.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
The Diviners
Based on the novel by Margaret Laurence
Text by Vern Thiessen with Yvette Nolan
Directed by Krista Jackson with Geneviève Pelletier
Choreographed by Cameron Carver
Set and Lighting Designer - Bretta Gerecke
Costume Designer - Jeff Chief
Composer - Andrina Turenne
Music Director and Arranger, additional composition and Sound Designer - MJ Dandeneau
Dramaturgs - Krista Jackson, Yvette Nolan
Fight Director and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Métis Cultural Consultant - Geneviève Pelletier
Cultural and Praxis Consultant - Dolorès Gosselin
Cultural Consultant - Yvette Nolan
French and Michif Language Consultant - Lina Le Gal
Jigging Consultant - Darla Daniels
Co-writer and director Jovanni Sy 施崇梵, in conversation with Thom Allison, director of La Cage aux Folles, describes his seven-year journey collaborating with co-writer and partner, Leanna Brodie 白仁耐, to bring Salesman in China 推销员在中国 to life as a bilingual piece to bridge cultures together.
Listen as Sy and Allison discuss the workshopping process, including co-dramaturge Bob White's influence, and learn why the partners made a conscious choice to not translate parts of the show as they wanted the audience to feel what Arthur Miller felt during his visit to China.
Watch or listen to the full episode to learn more about this world première and fun anecdotes like the first time Jovanni and Thom were on the stage together.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Salesman in China
By Leanna Brodie 白仁耐 and Jovanni Sy 施崇梵
Suggested by the Memoirs of Arthur Miller and Ying Ruocheng
Chinese Translations by Fang Zhang
Directed by Jovanni Sy 施崇梵
Set Designer - Joanna Yu 余頌恩
Costume Designer - Ming Wong 黄慧明
Lighting Designer - Sophie Tang 汤语菲
Composer and Sound Designer - Alessandro Juliani
Co-Projection Designers - Caroline MacCaull and Sammy Chien (Chimerik 似不像)
Fight Director and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Movement Director - Harriet Chung 鍾浩賢
In this episode, Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino discusses
his experience directing London Assurance—an unusual comedic creation from the 19th century—with host Jovanni Sy, director and co-playwright of Salesman in China. Listen as Cimolino provides an overview of 19th-century works while highlighting the achievements and accomplishments of Dion Boucicault, who wrote London Assurance when only 18.
Diving into the conventions of directing on the Festival’s
famous thrust stage vs. directing on a proscenium like the Avon Theatre, Cimolino and Sy cover technique, creative inspiration and so much more! Watch or listen now.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
London Assurance
By Dion Boucicault
Directed by Antoni Cimolino
Set and Lighting Designer - Lorenzo Savoini
Costume Designer - Francesca Callow
Composer - Wayne Kelso
Sound Designer - Ranil Sonnadara
Fight Director and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Choreographer - Adrienne Gould
Additional text - Richard Bean
"What happens outside, happens inside."
Join director André Sills and Dean Gabourie, director of The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?, as they discuss Sills’ Festival directorial debut, Get That Hope, a new play by Toronto playwright Andrea Scott.
Listen as Sills describes his direction style, how he redefines problem solving and how he approaches rehearsal obstacles differently—by not repairing them but rather by looking for opportunities inside them. Sills and Gabourie also speak of the significance of directing the ground-breaking play and how Sills, the cast and the crew have not taken it lightly, as it is the first Jamaican production to première at the Festival.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Get That Hope
By Andrea Scott
Directed by André Sills
Set and Costume Designer - Sarah Uwadiae
Lighting Designer - Steve Lucas
Composer and Sound Designer - Maddie Bautista
Fight and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
If you think your family is complex, think again!
Join director Dean Gabourie in a conversation about the intricacies of Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? with Esther Jun, director of Cymbeline and Director of Langham Directors' Workshop. Listen as Gabourie and Jun discuss the inspirations behind Gabourie's vision for the show and his delicate approach toward topics such as patriarchy, queerness, misogyny and rage.
Gabourie provides extensive knowledge about The Goat, including the fact that it was one of the few plays Albee openly wrote about gay characters, as well as the integration of Greek tragedies and references embedded in both story and design. Watch or listen to find out more!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?
Directed by Dean Gabourie
Set and Costume Designer - Shawn Kerwin
Lighting Designer - Kaileigh Krysztofiak
Sound Designer - Adam Campbell
Fight and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Join the director of Wendy and Peter Pan, Thomas Morgan Jones, as he teaches us how to fight pirates with Molly Atkinson, director of Hedda Gabler!
Jones’s excitement is palpable as he discusses his passion
for creating theatre for young people. "Children are the audiences of the future, but they are also [the] audiences of now, and they deserve art and culture," believes Jones. Listen as Jones and Atkinson discuss Jones’s approach to mature themes and collaborating with actors in rehearsals as they do their best not to cry while discussing themes of grief and home in Jones’s moving interpretation of Wendy and Peter Pan.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Schulich Children’s Plays
Wendy and Peter Pan
Adapted by Ella Hickson
From the book by J.M. Barrie
Directed by Thomas Morgan Jones
Choreographed by Jera Wolfe
Set and Costume Designer - Robin Fisher
Lighting Designer - Arun Srinivasan
Composer and Sound Designer - Romeo Candido
Fight and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Senior Flying Director and Automation Programmer - Andrea Gentry, ZFX
Special Projects and Automation Programmer - Johnathon
Tackett, ZFX
Join director Sam White and guest host, Soulpepper Theatre’s Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha, as they talk about White’s love of Shakespeare, her decision to direct the Stratford Festival’s 2024 production of Romeo and Juliet, and more.
Listen as the director responds to burning questions, like how she managed to make a Romeo and Juliet production unique after countless interpretations. Or how she made a 400-year-old play relevant to the here and now? White’s thoughtful answers will leave you ready to visit this classic tale of young love with fresh eyes and an open mind.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Romeo and Juliet
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Sam White
Set and Costume Designer - Sue LePage
Lighting Designer - Louise Guinand
Composer and Sound Designer - Debashis Sinha
Fight Director and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Choreographer - Adrienne Gould
Join director and choreographer Donna Feore as she catches up with long-time friend and past castmate Scott Wentworth to discuss Something Rotten! Listen as Feore shares the parallels between Shakespeare and musicals. Whether the actor is singing a song or delivering a soliloquy, the result is the same: “communicating a story” to the audience.
Is this the production that could unite Shakespeare and musical lovers? You bet your Bottom! Feore discusses how this hilarious musical truly has something for everyone. There are even dancing eggs!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Something Rotten!
Book by Karey Kirkpatrick and John
O'farrell
Music and Lyrics by Wayne
Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick
Conceived By Karey Kirkpatrick and
Wayne Kirkpatrick
Directed by Donna Feore
Choreographed by Donna Feore
Music Director - Laura Burton
Set and Costume Designer - Michael
Gianfrancesco
Lighting Designer - Bonnie Beecher
Sound Designer - Haley Parcher
Fight Director and Intimacy
Director - Anita Nittoly
"If we can teleport people, even just for a second, into a place elsewhere, our job as directors is done."
Join director Esther Jun and Thomas Morgan Jones, director of Wendy and Peter Pan, as they discuss Jun’s epic fantasy, Cymbeline.
Listen as Jun and Jones discuss the director’s approach to a plot filled with twists, turns and intertwining plots, such as making the plot clear for the audience as the actors convey grief, fantasy and forgiveness through
Shakespeare's poetry.
For further behind-the-curtain details on how Jun and company worked together to bring Shakespeare’s Cymbeline to life in the Festival’s 2024 epic fantasy adventure, listen in or watch now!
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Cymbeline
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Esther Jun
Set and Lighting Designer - Echo Zhou 周芷會
Costume Designer- Michelle Bohn
Composer- Njo Kong Kie
Sound Designer- Olivia Wheeler
Fight Director and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Movement Director - Alyssa Martin
What happens when you restrict a woman from expressing her thoughts? What is it like to be a woman in a patriarchal world?
Molly Atkinson, Director of Hedda Gabler, sits down with Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino to address these questions as they discuss Henrik Ibsen's controversial play adapted by Patrick Marber. Listen as Atkinson revisits how the play was criticized when it first premièred in Munich due to its depiction of an unconventional woman with “masculine” characteristics. Some may judge Hedda’s ways of navigating a world where men hold control over women, but as Atkinson suggests, Hedda "is all of us." By the end of this conversation, listeners will understand why the director believes everyone in the audience at Hedda Gabler will find moments of understanding and connection to even the play’s complex anti-hero.
Episode Transcript
Hedda Gabler
By Henrik Ibsen
A new version by Patrick Marber
From a literal translation by Karin and Ann Bamborough
Directed by Molly Atkinson
Set and Costume Designer - Lorenzo Savoini
Lighting Designer - Kaileigh Krysztofiak
Composer, Sound Designer - Mishelle Cuttler
Fight and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
TEARS AND GLITTER.
That's exactly what you should expect from the 2024 production of La Cage aux Folles.
Join director Thom Allison with host Krista Jackson (Co-Director and Dramaturge, The Diviners) as they dive into this extravagant production’s “magic tinkle trunk of wonder,” to discuss everything from love and connection to family disputes and acceptance. Listen in as they talk about how family dynamics can be messy and dysfunctional and why the writers didn't shy away from this fact in pursuit of a real, relatable story.
As Allison says, "Audiences are in for an extraordinary ride [and will] leave the show tapping their toes, feeling a bit lighter, understanding their family a little better and wanting to come back to see La Cage aux Folles 18 more times!"
Episode Transcript
La Cage aux Folles
Book by Harvey Fierstein
Music and Lyrics by Jerry Herman
Based on the play by Jean Poiret
Directed by Thom Allison
Choreographed by Cameron Carver
Music Director - Franklin Brasz
Set Designer - Brandon Kleiman
Costume Designer - David Boechler
Lighting Designer - Kimberly Purtell
Makeup Designer - Dino Dilio
Sound Designer - Brian Kenny
Fight and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Drag Consultant - Justin Miller
Twelfth Night director Seana McKenna and assistant director Lydie Dubuisson discuss their time spent collaborating with a strong collective of female creatives.
Listen as the actor-turned-director shares how her extensive acting background has shaped her perspective on this particular production and the significance of the relationship between performers and audience. Mckenna’s discussion will reveal to audiences an insider’s look at why the show is set in 1967—the year of the Flower Child leading up to the Summer of Love— among other insights.
Episode Transcript
Twelfth Night
By William Shakespeare
Directed by Seana McKenna
Set and Costume Designer - Christina Poddubiuk
Lighting Designer - Bonnie Beecher
Composer - Paul Shilton
Sound Designer - Verne Good
Fight and Intimacy Director - Anita Nittoly
Choreographer - Stephanie Graham
The Body Politic was Canada's primary queer periodical from 1971 to 1987. It amplified the lives of queer people and helped galvanize the gay and lesbian liberation movement. Join Raegan Swanson, Executive Director of The ArQuives, Nicholas Hrynyk of Thompson Rivers University and Tim McCaskell, writer, activist and collective member of The Body Politic as they delve into the history of queer news in Canada.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
In this conversation moderated by actor Khadijah Roberts-Abdullah with Assistant Professor of University of Toronto and Director of the Southeast Asian Seminar Series at the Asian Institute, Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy, Elizabeth Wijaya, Co-Executive Director of Artistic Freedom Initiative, Ashley Tucker, and playwright Achiro Olwoch, the history and modern-day realities of censorship are examined, along with the reasons art is censored and the ways artists resist being silenced.
EPISODE TRANSCRIPT
Support for The Meighen Forum is generously provided by Kelly & Michael Meighen and the T.R. Meighen Family Foundation.
Comments
Download from Google Play
Download from App Store
United States