Tag Archives: Fringe

Playwright, Actor: Michael Healey

After graduating from Ryerson’s Theatre School, Michael Healey acted in various productions before he wrote “Kicked.” He produced and performed the one-act monologue at the Toronto Fringe Festival and toured with it, subsequently exploring playwrighting further.

Healey’s impressive career trajectory includes writing “The Drawer Boy,” one of the most-produced Canadian plays in North America. He’s also adapted works for the Stratford Festival, North America’s largest classical repertory theatre company.

In our podcast, you’ll hear Healey explain how being a member of the acting company at the Blyth Festival led to the creation of a life-changing play. It was his time at the Blyth Festival, with Miles Potter and others collaborating on the collective creation “The Farm Show,” that inspired Healey to write “The Drawer Boy.” An international success that The Guardian called “a landmark in Canadian theatre.”

It’s hard to believe now, but Healey says he was on the brink of abandoning his career in theatre when he wrote that play. Healey opens up about the depression he felt after graduating from Ryerson and how he managed to overcome it.

Also in this podcast, you’ll learn how Healey works with actors during the rehearsal process, and why he leaves a box of Tic-Tacs on the table at rehearsals.

Healey explains why he sought legal counsel after the Tarragon Theatre cancelled his play about Canadian prime minister Stephen Harper, “Proud,” and how grateful he is to playwrights across the country who supported him as he drew from a personal line of credit to mount his own production.

Towards the end of the podcast you’ll hear one of the best-ever audition stories that occurred the Shaw Festival.

SHOW NOTES

Michael Healey on Twitter
Miles Potter on Twitter
Paul Wells at Macleans
John Ibbitson on Twitter
The Stratford Festival
The Shaw Festival
The Blyth Festival
Jerry Seinfeld and David Letterman in conversation at the Paley Center – on YouTube.

LISTEN TO MORE EPISODES

Writer, Comedian: Joanne O’Sullivan

Joanne O'Sullivan (1)

Joanne’s written for the hit TV shows “This Hour has Twenty Two Minutes” and the “Baroness Von Sketch Show.”

Joanne has performed stand-up comedy across the country, she’s also done storytelling at the Stratford Festival’s “Late Night with Lucy Peacock cabarets,” and improvisation for four seasons of “Sin City,” Toronto’s popular live, improvised soap opera.

Plus she’s had a hit Fringe Festival show and is about to debut her new show “She Grew Funny” at the Toronto Fringe.

We talk about parenthood and the impact having a daughter had on her career. Prior to writing her latest show Joanne took a course to help with her writing, something she never imaged herself doing at this point in her career, but as you’ll hear it really helped kick start the process that led to her second Fringe Festival show.

SHOW NOTES
Joanne’s Show “She Grew Funny“.
The crowd funding site.
Joanne O’Sullivan on Twitter.
Tracey Erin Smith Soul O Theatre.
Albert Howell on Twitter.

Writers Irene Sankoff & David Hein, Come From Away

Come-From-Away_card

Irene Sankoff and David Hein, the co-writers of the hit Broadway show “Come From Away,” are my guests on this podcast.

Irene and David’s path to success began with a playful musical at the Toronto Fringe Festival, “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish Wiccan Wedding,” which attracted the attention of producer David Mirvish who brought the production to a larger theatre.

Mirvish also discovered “The Drowsy Chaperone” at the Toronto Fringe, so the pressure for “Wiccan Wedding” to succeed was high. Things went well and soon they were working on “Come From Away.”

“Come From Away” is set in the town of Gander, Newfoundland, in the week following the September 11 attacks, when 38 planes were ordered to land unexpectedly in the small town.

The people of Gander opened their homes and their hearts to the thousands of travelers, from all over the world, who were stranded.

Come From Away, Irene Sankoff and David Hein, podcast

In the podcast Irene and David reveal how their creative process began with a trip to Gander, Newfoundland to interview the town’s people and collect true stories that became the foundation for the musical.

They explain the development process, that included meaningful workshops with theatre students at Sheridan College’s Canadian Music Theatre Project and Goodspeed Musicals, a non-profit organization dedicated to musical theater based in Connecticut.

The students at both locations worked on the script and Irene & David discuss how significant this process was to shaping the show.

You’ll also hear how the show hits the sweet spot between David’s love of folk music and Irene’s love of Broadway musicals.

Click for the “Come From Away,” Original Broadway Cast Recording

Come From Away original cast recording

On opening night Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and Sophie Grégoire Trudeau attended the show and met with Irene and David.

Irene Sankoff and David Hein, come from away, justin trudeau

Click the arrow near the top of this page, or this iTunes link, to listen to this podcast about “Come From Away.”

Show Notes
Irene Sankoff and David Hein on Twitter.
Come From Away’s website for tickets, vdieos, etc.
Come From Away on Twitter.
Sheridan College Music Theatre Performance Program.
Goodspeed Musicals.
Washington Post article mentioning Trump’s decision not to attend opening night.
The Grand Theatre Gala with special guest Michael Rubinoff.
Review of “My Mother’s Lesbian Jewish-Wiccan Wedding” at the Toronto Fringe.
About Mirvish Productions
The Toronto Fringe.
Irene and David “A Love Story Times Two” by J. Kelly Nestruck.
“Come From Away” Original Broadway Cast Recording.