Life in Stages with Joel Greenberg

Daniel MacIvor is a playwright, performer, and producer who divides his time between  Toronto and Nova Scoti, a. He has been the recipient of a Governor General’s Literary  Award, the Siminovitch Prize for Theatre a New York Obie Award and a GLAAD  Award. Currently Daniel runs Toronto-based reWork Productions developing new  theatre and media. The generosity of our sponsors for Season 5 is deeply appreciated: Tim Zeigler of Tim Zeigler Wealth Management (zeiglerwealth.com), returning for his third season sponsorship, and Marc Bondy of Outlook Promotions (outlookpromo.com) signing on for his first season. They, and many individual donors, have helped to make Life in Stages possible.

Yes, Life in Stages, Season 4 played its final episode with the return visit of Mark McGrinder. However, as we sail through a Toronto summer, it struck me that a bonus episode would not be amiss. So, here we are with a shift in focus and topic: I am the guest on Mike’s own podcast, Toronto Mike’d. Yes, we’ve exchanged roles before, but that was on Life in Stages. This time, I have joined Mike on his turf and I was only too happy to address issues that my own podcast has not broadcast. NOTE: The new season, Season 5, is recording mid-August through mid-September – you know that I’ll advise you all when the new season is scheduled to begin dropping.

Mark was the first guest to join Life in Stages. That was two years ago, so it’s time to check in now that theatre has returned to its normal challenge of daily survival. When we spoke the first time, Mark had just become the Artistic Director of Studio 180 Theatre. In our conversation we didn’t discuss our family connection: Mark is married to Jessica, my older daughter. We weren’t being coy by omitting that detail, since I’d met Mark more than ten years before he and Jess found each other. And as two of the five founding members of Studio 180, Mark and I already had a steady working relationship.Back to this episode, the final one in Season 4. This is a much more give-and-take conversation than most preceding episodes. And it’s a welcome opportunity to share the studio with Mark and Mike as we bring Season 4 to a close.NOTE: Season 5 is already scheduled to record, so standby for another series of conversations beginning early Fall.

Paul and I first met when we were working on “The Overwhelming” JT Rogers’ play about the Rwandan genocide. Subsequently, we worked together again on “Stuff Happens” and “The Normal Heart” – all Studio 180 Theatre productions. In addition, Paul’s work as actor, director, fight director and fight captain has taken him across the country. Among his acting credits, Paul includes “As You Like It”, “A Doll’s House, Part 2”, “Sense and Sensibility”, Shakespeare in Love”, “The Audience” and “A Few Good Men” for the Manitoba Theatre Centre. At the Stratford Festival, Paul performed in “Macbeth”, “Amadeus”, “The Country Wife” and “Twelfth Night”.Paul directed “Witness for the Prosecution” for MTC and “La Chanson de l’Elephant” for Cercle Moliere.Paul lives and works in Winnipeg.

Award-winning actor, singer, director, theatre creator, and educator, Bruce Dow (AACE, ACTRA, AEA, CAEA, SAG-AFTRA) (http://www.brucedow.com) is best known for five featured roles on Broadway, twelve seasons in leading roles at the Stratford Festival, and award-winning performances in Toronto and Washington, D.C. During the pandemic, Bruce returned to university to study Intercultural Psychotherapy and Multi-Faith Psychospiritual Therapy, earning a Master’s Degree in Psychospiritual Studies. Now in private clinical practice as a Registered Psychotherapist (CRPO), Registered Counselling Therapist (NSCCT), and Certified Psychospiritual Therapist (CASC-ACSS), he works through Consonance Psychotherapy Services (https://consonancepsych.com) and is verified by Psychology Today (https://www.psychologytoday.com/ca). Bruce’s current research explores not what we do, but how we engage with ourselves in the doing. His recent workshops in safe and effective use of Self have been presented at Dalhousie University’s Fountain School of the Arts, Fanshawe College, STAPLES Canada, Community Counselling of London, and The Presbytery of East Toronto. Bruce is represented by Christopher Oldfield, Oldfield Management (https://www.oldfieldmanagement.com) @brucedowrp.