PlayME – New and noteworthy, top ranking drama podcast

Sean Dixon – Playwright

His latest play, Butcher, premiered at Alberta Theatre Projects in 2014. It has since been produced across the country and is being made into a feature film by Rhombus Media.

A graduate of the CFC TV Writing Program, Nic recently wrote for CBC’s TV series X Company.

# 28 – PlayME – The Fall of Andrew Allen

This is a work of fiction about the real Andrew Allen, former head of radio drama during the golden age of radio from 1943 to 1955. He oversaw the work of some of the finest talents of the day – writers and actors such as Lister Sinclair, Mavor Moore, W.O. Mitchell, Jane Mallett, John Drainie, Barry Morse, Christopher Plummer, James Doohan, and many others.

Eric Koch – Writer

Eric Koch who was born in Frankfurt in 1919, lives in Toronto. His grandfather was a court jeweler and his father was an officer in the German army in WWI. Eric was deported to Canada, interned as an enemy alien during WWII. On his release, he remained in Canada, making his career at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. He also is the author of 14 works of fiction and five works of non-fiction.

Barbara Budd – Actor

As Co Host of AS It Happens for 17 years,  Barbara Budd’s  voice became familiar to listeners around the world, hearing her on CBC Radio, on  over 90 stations of American Public Radio,and  on Sirius Satellite.  Before she took her place behind the mic, she was an accomplished actor appearing  in major theatres across Canada.  For  five seasons at the Stratford Festival  she played leading roles  in a total of 23 productions in the company of Dame Maggie Smith, Brian Bedford, Peter Ustinov , William Hutt and Jessica Tandy.

A CLASSIFIED HEART

By Sophie Holdstock

Betting on Death

By Vera Constantineau
Featuring Tony Nappo

#26 – PlayME – Betting On Death

Fonso Morelli likes to bet on horses but always loses. He is in line for an inheritance but his Zia Gena refuses to die.

Vera Constantineau is an Internationally published short story writer and poet. Her work appears in online journals as well as print journals and athologies. She is a member of the Sudbury Writers’ Guild, The Manitoulin Writers’ Circle and the Writers’ Community of Durham Region. In May 2016 Vera won Second Place in the Elora Writer’s Festival Contest and earned an Honorable Mention in the Skugog Literary Contest.

Tony Nappo’s stage work includes: Tarragon’s Mustard, The Summoned,The Golden Dragon,TheRealWorld?; Mirvish’s God of Carnage; Soulpepper’s Twelve Angry Men; Peggy Pickit Sees the Face of God; Canadian Stage The Seagull

The Timekeeper

By Roy Lee Rabideau
Featuring Eric Peterson

#23 – PlayME – The Timekeeper

The Timekeeper is a dark, quirky comedy about a man who fears he is running about of time.

Roy L. Rabideau holds degrees in Visual Arts and Education from the University of Windsor. He is a multidisciplinary artist who has exhibited both here at home and abroad. He is the author of two novels, “The Long Short Summer” and his soon to be published second novel, “The Timekeeper, a Dale Evans mystery”. You can find him on his Facebook page, “We’ll Fly Press”.

Eric Peterson has been an actor in this country for the last forty-five years. Noted for co-creating and originating Billy Bishop Goes To War on stage, as well for television and feature film, his stage career includes hundreds of plays on most major stages across Canada, as well Broadway, London’s West End, the Edinburgh Festival and the Melbourne International Theatre Festive.

His work in Canadian film and television includes such credits as Peter Moss’s mini-series Best Laid Plans, Jerry Ciccoritti’sTrudeau, Deepa Mehta’s Earth, guest star appearances on series such as What Would Sal Do, Slings and Arrows, DaVinci’s Inquest, Murdock Mysteries, Dan For Mayor, The Republic of Doyle, and Cracked, as well as series regular roles: Leon Rabinovich in Street Legal, Judge Malone on This Is Wonderland and Oscar Leroy on the long running, Corner Gas.

He was the recipient of the Gordon Pinsent Award of Excellence in 2009 for his theatre work, as well as, the Earle Grey Award, a lifetime achievement award for his film and television endeavors. He holds an honorary doctorate from the University of Saskatchewan, is a recipient of the Governor General’s Lifetime Artistic Achievement Award (Theatre) and a member of the Order of Canada.

Theory

By Norman Yeung

#19 – PlayME – Theory – Episode 1

#20 – PlayME – Theory – Episode 2

#21 – PlayME – Theory – Episode 3

#22 – PlayME – Bonus Interview with Norman Yeung

How can you remain progressive when progress becomes dangerous?

Isabelle is a young, liberal professor of film theory. She creates an Internet discussion board for her class as a learning tool and encourages them to speak freely. A mysterious student posts questionably offensive comments and videos, testing Isabelle’s open-mindedness. Isabelle abides by her principles and refuses to censor. Amid backlash from her students and urging from her wife, Isabelle must decide on whether to take action against the online offender. She becomes obsessed with this game of cat-and-mouse where she and her tormentor blur the lines between predator and prey. The harassment becomes increasingly vicious and bizarre, attacking Isabelle’s personal and professional life, dismantling her ideal of liberalism.

Theory features Sascha Cole, Ash Knight, Starr Domingue, Qasim Khan, Kyle Orzech, Darrel Gamotin, Audrey Dwyer. The original production was directed by Joanne Williams and the workshop production was directed by Esther Jun.

Playwright’s Notes:

The political spectrum of Left versus Right is not linear but circular. The poles meet. Both the extreme Left and extreme Right have produced similar dictators and agony. The two sensibilities are separated by the thinnest membrane – any one person is capable of committing acts that are “liberal” and “conservative”. This membrane is the irony, the hypocrisy. One nation that espouses liberty to live however we want – freedom – can invade another nation because they live their lives differently. People who censor themselves for the sake of political correctness and fairness in public can joke about skin colour among friends in private. Yet they are not racist. My society considers itself progressive in every manner, from how we conduct our lives to how we communicate through technology, yet we can be unaware of how dangerous our idea of progress can be. If we force our progressiveness upon those who do not want it, they will fight back. I have always been bothered by people forcing their thought upon me. I have been guilty of doing the same. Liberal irony. I believe myself to be as progressively minded as one can get; fellow liberal people ought to be aware of the agony we can inflict. We have been warned.

Grade 8

By Dwayne Morgan

#16 – PlayME – Grade 8 – Episode 1

#17 – PlayME – Grade 8 – Episode 2

#18 – PlayME – Bonus Episode – Interview with Dwayne Morgan

Grade 8 is a heartwarming story of a father’s love. Told with charm, wit, and vulnerability, Grade 8 is a roller coaster of emotions, that will leave you holding on tightly to those you love the most.

A Toronto Fringe Festival hit, Grade 8 looks at what it means to be a black father today, and the role men play in young girls lives as they grow up and become woman.

Told through spoken word, this one-man show is part beat poetry and part urban lyricism.

Grade 8: written and performed by Up From The Roots founder, Dwayne Morgan.

Dwayne Morgan – Playwright

Dwayne Morgan began his career as a performer in 1993. A year later, he founded Up From The Roots entertainment, to promote the positive artistic contributions of African Canadian and urban influenced artists. Morgan is host and producer of his own TV show, Poetically Speaking, on the AfroGlobal Television Network. In 2014, he received the Renaissance Planet Africa Award for Career Achievement, and was acknowledged by the Ontario Black History Society as a Community Trailblazer, following up on his 2013 Scarborough Walk of Fame Induction. Morgan is a member of the Writers’ Union of Canada, a 2012 National Team Poetry Slam Champion, and four-time runner up. He has received both the African Canadian Achievement Award, and the Harry Jerome Award for Excellence in the Arts, and is the winner of 3 Canadian Urban Music Awards (2001, 2003, 2005). In 2005 he was recognized as Poet of Honour at the Canadian Festival of Spoken Word in Vancouver. In 2008, Morgan’s contribution to the Arts and Canadian society were recognized on the Legacy Black History Month poster. Morgan has published 8 books, and has collaborated with Driftwood Studios to film Three Knocks, a ten-minute film based on his domestic violence poem of the same name, which premiered in Toronto’s Reel World Film Festival.

Bonus Interview:

In this bonus episode, we interview the award-winning spoken word artist behind “Grade 8”, Dwayne Morgan. Dwayne speaks about becoming a poet, his struggle to overcome being an “extreme introvert”, and how the birth of his daughter inspired his play.

Lo (or Dear Mr. Wells)

By Rose Napoli

#12 Lo (or Dear Mr. Wells) – Episode 1

#13 – PlayME – Lo (or Dear Mr. Wells) – Episode 2

#14 – Lo (or Dear Mr. Wells) – Eps. #3

#15 – Dear Mr. Wells – Bonus Interview with Rose Napoli

It was ten years ago that Laura was Alan Wells’ student at Corpus Christi High School. She was uncharacteristically intelligent for fifteen years old – perceptive and vulnerable – dream student for a flailing English teacher. Years later, all that remains is the dust of controversy that surrounds their relationship.  Now, at twenty-five years old, Laura has written her first book. She’s called it ‘Dear Mr. Wells’ and Alan is the first person she wants to read it.

Told through the lens of a young woman in retrospect, Lo explores how in the same breath, a relationship can both save and sink us.

Lo (or Dear Mr. Wells) by Rose Napoli.

Featuring Vivien Endicott-Douglas and David Jansen. The original workshop production was directed by Andrea Donaldson.

Produced by Chris Tolley and Laura Mullin.

About Rose Napoli.

Rose is a Toronto-based playwright, actress, and producer. Her first play, Oregano, was shortlisted for the Tarragon Emerging Playwright’s Competition and premiered at the Storefront Theatre enjoying sold-out houses and critical acclaim. Her plays include: Ten Creative Ways to Dispose of your Cremains, Lo (Or Dear Mr Wells), and SHREW (A Big Fat Italian Comedy Inspired by William Shakespeare). She has taken part in Nightwood Theatre’s Write from the Hipprogram and the Playwright’s Unit with the Thousand Islands Playhouse. Coming up, Rose will be developing her short play, A Death and the Marias, into a full-length piece with the Playwright’s Unit at the Tarragon Theatre. As an actress, Rose is a two-time participant in the Banff/Citadel Professional Theatre Program and has worked in theatres across the country. Currently, she is playing the title role in The Incredible Speediness of Jamie Cavanaugh at Roseneath Theatre.

Quiver

By Anna Chatterton

#8 – Quiver – Episode 1

#9 – Quiver – Episode 2

#10 – Quiver – Episode 3

#11 – Quiver Bonus Interview with Anna Chatterton

Maddie’s sweet sixteen sister, Beatrice, is dating someone she shouldn’t. Their brassy single mom, Sheila, makes up with her ex-boyfriend again. So fourteen-year-old Maddie is left to fend for herself with nothing but her bow and arrow.
Sound Design by Michael Rinaldi.

Anna performs Quiver in front a microphone, creating and controlling an aural world for these three family members struggling to keep up. Music design is by Mike Rinaldi, and direction of the stage play was by Andrea Donaldson.

Better Angels

By Andrea Scott

#5 – Better Angels – Episode 1

#6 – Better Angels – Episode 2

#7 – Better Angels – Bonus Interview with Andrea Scott

What do you do when you feel trapped and alone? You could walk out the front door, but you’re even less uncertain of what lies beyond.

Akosua is a young woman late of Ghana who has come to Canada to work as a nanny for Leila and Greg Tate in their beautiful Toronto home.

The couple insist she is a member of their family, but when they increasingly deny her pay she comes to a chilling realization: she is a prisoner.

Written by Andrea Scott and featuring Akosua Amo-Adem, Sascha Cole, Peyson Rock and David Christo, the play premiered at Summerworks in 2015 and was originally directed by Nigel Shawn Williams.

Agamemnon

By Nicola Billon

#1 – Agamemnon – Episode 1

#2 – Agamemnon – Episode 2

#3 – Agamemnon – Episode 3

#4 – Agamemnon – Bonus Episode – Interview with Nicolas Billon

Episode 1 to 3 – Agamemnon

After a ten-year siege, the city of Troy finally lies in ruin. Clytemnestra waits for Agamemnon with murder in her heart.
A visceral, contemporary re-imagining of the opening chapter of Aeschylus’ Oresteia by Governor General award winning playwright Nicolas Billon.

Featuring: Nigel Shawn Williams, Brigit Wilson, Earl Pastko, Susanna Fournier, Ron Kennell, Amy Keating, Zita Nyarady, Marcel Stewart, Samantha Brown. Original stage direction by Sarah Kitz and sound design by Andy Trithardt.

Episode 4 – Interview with Nicolas Billon

In this, our final episode of Agamemnon, Laura Mullin and Chris Tolley interview Governor General  award-winning playwright, Nicolas Billon. Nicolas talks about building his career, writing Agamemnon, and writing tips and insight into the life of a writer. We also talk to Sarah Kitz, the director of the original stage production of Agamemnon.

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