Articles
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Articles
- Category: Arts and Entertainment
Don't miss a beat from the upcoming Paris Olympics! Be immune from the Fear of Missing Out (FOMO) with Olympic FOMO, your daily Olympics recap, in 20 minutes or less.
The CBC's Olympics programming for the Paris Games is bringing some extra spice to Canadian viewers with Olympic FOMO, a show hosted by well-known and beloved radio personalities Mark Strong and Jememi. Through their next-level access to Paris 2024, they'll offer some truly unique perspectives and showcase cultural diversity on this global stage!
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
An interview with Jay Northcott, a multidisciplinary artist, director, playwright, and burlesque dancer. They joined the 2023 season of the Stratford Festival as an assistant director on the production of King Lear. We discuss the importance of including diverse perspectives and stories within the Black experience to create a more inclusive and vibrant artistic landscape. Topics include celebrating the richness of "black identities" and encouraging the exploration of different narratives and the intersection of art, identity, and self-belief.
In the conversation, Jay dives into their journey, reflecting on the challenges they faced as a young multiracial individual growing up in a predominantly white neighbourhood in Spruce Grove, Alberta. They open up about their artistic influences, drawing inspiration from pop culture icons like Paris Hilton and Beyoncé. Aesthetics and fashion heavily drive their artistic expression, creating unique and engaging live performances.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
An interview with multifaceted actor and performer Joella Crichton. We dive deep into Joella's artistic journey, exploring the unique creativity she discovered within the Afro-Caribbean community as both an actor and Carnival Queen. We learn how her role as a performer becomes a means of self-exploration and human connection, delving into the toolbox of skills she utilizes to bring her stage characters to life.
Joella Crichton's journey as an actor began when her mother asked her what she truly wanted to do. Armed with her passion for acting, she got accepted into the prestigious acting conservatory program at York University. However, while studying there, Joella realized the Eurocentric views of the plays they were analyzing. This realization led her to embark on a mission to find her own voice within those texts and celebrate the diverse voices within them. Inspired by the rich tradition of oral storytelling in the Caribbean, Joella became determined to tell stories that matter and showcase her unique voice.
Join us as we uncover Joella's insights into the power of theatre and her experiences working on this year's Stratford Theatre Festival productions of Les Belles-Soeurs and Wedding Band.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
Stephen, a non-binary performer, brings a fresh perspective to these iconic plays. They shine a light on the significance of having diverse voices in theatre and showcase the remarkable talent of the black queer community.
As always, Stephen's passion for the arts shines through as they discuss their love for various artistic forms such as visual art, movement, poetry, and even their own personal style of performance. They express a desire to see more Black people in the audience, as they believe that diverse perspectives and experiences are essential for a richer cultural landscape.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
An interview with two actors currently on stage at the Stratford Festival's 2023 season. They're performing in two plays: Much Ado About Nothing as well as King Lear. Austin Eckert is a Nigerian-Canadian actor from Regina, Saskatchewan. He went to college in Victoria, BC, at the Canadian College of Performing Arts. He has been working in theatre, film and television for the past eight years. This is his second season at Stratford. Also joining the conversation is Andre Sills. Andre is a Guyanese-Canadian veteran actor and producer. This is his ninth season at Stratford since his debut in 2005. He's a graduate of George Brown College's Theatre program.
During the course of this engaging exchange, we delve into the pressures of striving for excellence at all times and the dream of being allowed to fail in a world where tokenism has too often straight-jacketed the evolution of Black stage performers.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
A discussion with Detroit-based director Sam White, who is currently in her second and favourite season at the Stratford Festival. She discusses how the Stratford Festival has changed over the years and how she works with her cast and crew to create a unique experience for Alice Childress' "Wedding Band." We also delve into Sam's mentors and inspirations who helped build her up, including her parents, who continue to influence her work, and she talks about her passion for sharing Shakespeare's work in the Rust Belt.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
Lee Siegel fell in love with the musical Rent as a teenager after hearing the soundtrack and reading the Rent Bible. He always dreamed of playing Tom Collins, and as he grew older, he appreciated the show's complex themes of love, growth, and finding oneself in a rough city like New York. Lee loves observing people but also enjoys jumping into the action of the city. Playing a part in Rent has been a fulfilling experience for him.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
An interview with performing artists Sandra Caldwell and Amanda De Freitas about their experience on stage with the Stratford Festival's production of the musical Chicago. They discuss their careers and what the show says about women's empowerment and agency.
In this podcast episode, we speak to two performers from the Stratford Festival's current production of the well-known musical Chicago, holding the record as the longest-running American musical on Broadway and is now part of the festival's lineup until October 30th. Directed and choreographed by Donna Feore, the show captures the effervescence of the Roaring Twenties in a tale full of intrigue, adultery, revenge, murder and justice.
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Theatre
Amaka Umeh, the first artist of colour to play Shakespeare's Hamlet in the history of the Stratford Festival, is no stranger to breaking norms. In this conversation, she shares how she has navigated her life upstream from conventions both on and off the stage.
"Art in general, there's no substitute for its healing capabilities, and I think it's some of the best of what we do as human beings."
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- Written by: Meres J. Weche
- Parent Category: Arts and Entertainment
- Category: Spoken Word
An interview with the Spoken Soul Collective (Paulina O'Kieffe-Anthony, Randell Adjei and Dwayne Morgan) on their curation work on the ArtworkxTo-supported exhibition called Scarborough: The Backbone. The exhibition runs until October 2022 at Scarborough Town Centre.
We speak with the Spoken Soul Collective on this episode, comprising three members representing a powerhouse of Toronto's spoken word poetry scene. The three groundbreaking artists are Scarborough Walk of Fame Inductee, Dwayne Morgan, who needs no introduction given his three-decade-long career as a deeply entrenched builder and pioneer of the local and national spoken word scene, award-winning artist, arts educator and executive director at SKETCH Working Arts, Paulina O'Kieffe-Anthony, as well as Scarborough spoken word artist, founding director of R.I.S.E. Edutainment and Ontario's first Poet Laureate, Randell Adjei.
