Life in Stages with Joel Greenberg

Michael’s jam-packed resume is itself a testament to the many stages in a professional actor’s life. So, having Michael join me in conversation is precisely what I’d aimed my podcast to include.Selecting from among the many, many credits will provide a snapshot – our conversation will offer much more.Film and television credits include “Chucky” (regular guest star), “Fellow Travelers” (recurring role), “Guillermo del Toro presents THE VIEWING”, “Designated Survivor”, “Alaias Grace”, “Hemlock Grove” (series regular), “Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town”, “The Tommy Douglas Story” (title character) and “The Newsroom”.West End and Broadway credits include “The Lord of the Rings”, “The Tin Pan Alley Rag” and Fiddler on the Roof”.Stage credits include many seasons at both the Shaw and Stratford Festivals, “The Importance of Being Earnest” (Neptune Theatre), “Jitters” (Manitoba Theatre Centre), “The Producers” (Mirvish Productions), “Billy Bishop Goes to War” (Orangeville Theatre), “She Loves Me” (Drayton Festival), “Peter Pan”, “Pericles”, “The Seagull” and “Oscar Remembered (Stratford Festival), “Rope”, “Brigadoon”, “Wait Until Dark” and “Anything Goes” (Shaw Festival).I worked with Michael in the Studio 180 Theatre/Musical Stage Company production of “Parade”.

Deb and I met about 25 years ago when we were both working on the Canadian premiere of “The Laramie Project”, the production that launched Studio 180 Theatre. And during its subsequent run the following year, at Buddies, Deb returned to the company. Additional stage credits include “Steel Magnolias” (Capitol Theatre), “The Curious Incident…” (YES Theatre), “Doubt” (BNE Theatre), “The Penelopiad” (The Grand), “”Parfumerie” (Soulpepper) and “Innocence Lost” (Blyth Festival).Film and television credits include “The Boys/ Season 5”, “Murdoch Mysteries”, Station Eleven”, “The Good Witch”, “Cracked”, “A History of Violence”, “This is Wonderland” “11th Hour” and “The Man in the Attic”.Apart from her many professional credits, I can add that Deb has what is, perhaps, the industry’s most infectious laugh.

Jim is a multi-talented writer-performer-director with more than 50 years of professional experience. I first saw Jim in the original Toronto production of “Godspell”, and soon after I was working with him on a series of original musical revues: “Tonight at 8:30…9 O’Clock in Newfoundland (Series 1, 2 and 3), I’ll Tell You Mine…If You Tell Me Yours”, “The Moose that Roared”. For these, he was writer, composer, performer – not EGOT, perhaps, but pretty damn close in Canadian terms. Playwriting credits include, among many others, “The Mystery of Oak Island Treasure” (Chalmers Award), Jacob Two-Two Meets the Hooded Fang (Dora Award). Jim’s original musicals include “Colours in the Storm”, “Thin Ice” and “Dancer” (A Musical in Ten Furlongs – Marek Norman, Composer). Interspersed with many more projects, Jim has also taken on roles as producer, director, artistic director and Founding President of both The Guild of Canadian Musical Theatre Writers (1982-88) and The Group of Several (1982-87).

Lucy just completed her 38th season at the Stratford Festival and was the recipient of the Stratford Festival Legacy Award in 2023.She has played in over 85 productions at Stratford and has performed in approximately 45 Shakespeare plays including Lady Macbeth in last season's Macbeth directed by Robert Lepage. Throughout her 40-year career she has journeyed through the stories of Ophelia, Rosalind, Viola, Portia, Helena, Desdemona, Titania, Beatrice, Volumnia, Queen Elizabeth, Cymbeline, Gwendolyn, Duchess of Malfi, Masha, Mary Stuart, and Satan. She has explored the leading roles in The Goat, Three Tall Women, All My Sons, Private Lives, Hello Dolly!, The King and I, For the Pleasure of Seeing Her Again, Les Belles Sours, her critically acclaimed one woman show, The Blonde the Brunette and the Vengeful Redhead, and very much enjoyed her 2-year sold-out run of her cabaret Late Night with Lucy at the Studio Theater in Stratford. A 4th generation classical actress, Lucy was born in England, grew up in Montreal and the Eastern Townships, is a graduate of the National Theater School, and has performed across Canada and in New York.

David has spent as much of his career onstage as he has in front of cameras. Stage credits include “The Nether” (Studio 180 theatre/Coalmine), “The Boy in the Moon” (Crows), “Noises Off” (Soulpepper), “Doubt” (Canadian Stage), “Frost/Nixon” (Vancouver Playhouse/ Canadian Stage), “Amadeus” (Citadel Theatre), “The Trials of Ezra Pound” (Stratford Festival) and “Nothing Sacred” (Winter Garden Theatre). Film and television roles have included “Burden of Truth”, “Designated Survivor”, “Saving Hope”, “Flashpoint”, “Republic of Doyle”, “The is Wonderland”, “Cold Squad”, “The Spiral Staircase” and “Street Legal”. Far too many credits to include them all here – best way forward: listen to my conversation with David and you’ll learn far more than any list of credits can provide.

Linda began her professional career at Second City (Toronto) where she performed, directed and conducted workshops. She has appeared in and directed many plays, films and television shows throughout Canada, the US, Europe, Russia and New Zealand.Stage credits include her work with the Stratford Festival, Tarragon Theatre, Canadian Stage, Theatre Aquarius, Studio 180 Theatre and Theatre Calgary, among many others.Television includes “Seinfeld”, “Fargo”, “Third Rock from the Sun”, “Everyone Loves Raymond”, “Monk”, “Degrassi”, “Sweet Z” and “Sisters”.Film credits include “Waiting for Guffman”, “Best in Show”, “Cinderella Man”, and 3 “Ernest” movies.Animation credits include “Paw Patrol”, “Thomas the Tank, “Cat in the Hat”, “Madeline” and “Fugged About “It”.Directing credits include Colin Mochrie in “HYPROV” (Just for Laughs and the Edinburgh Festival) and a season of “Love It or Lose It”.Linda is probably best known as the Philadelphia Cream Cheese Angel (a campaign that ran for over 26 years) – and for all this (and more) her proudest work-to-date is her fabulous, blended family.

Tom has been a member of the Stratford Company for 12 seasons. Additionally, he has performed in “Someone Else”, “The Seagull” and “The Wedding Party”, at Crows Theatre, Hairspray, both in Toronto and on Broadway, “Hamlet” at the National Arts Centre, Robert Lepage’s “Romeo et Juliette”, “I Am My Own Wife”, at the Vancouver Playhouse, and “Tartuffe”, at Canadian Stage. On television and in film, Tom can be seen in “This is Wonderland”, The Day After Tomorrow”, “Under the Banner of Heaven” and Guillermo del Toro’s “Cabinet of Curiosities”.Tom has just completed a highly successful run in Michael Healey’s new play. “Rogers V. Rogers” and in the 2026 summer season at the Shaw Festival, “Amadeus” and “Heartbreak House” will be added to his considerable resume.

Bringing this season to a close, Mike becomes host to Joel -- and this is their 3rd conversation, which makes sense since we are in Season 3 -- how the podcast has developed, is developing, will continue to evolve PLUS the reality of stepping down from Studio 180 Theatre after 20 years as Artistic Director and, altogether, 50 years in the professional theatre world. Regrets? Triumphs? Dreams? Tune in and listen to Mike and Joel jostle, challenge and underline the pure pleasure of podcasting.

Judith is the author of more than a dozen plays, all produced in Canada and many  translated and produced internationally. She has written two produced films and  two television films, plus many radio plays. Judith lists among her many awards two Governor General Awards, a Toronto Arts  Award, a Dora Award and a Chalmers Award, The Epilepsy Ontario Award, the  Susan Smith Blackburn Award and The Amnesty International Freedom of  Expressions Award  In addition, she is an Officer of the Order of Canada as well as a member of the  Royal Society. For over 30 years, Judith has taught theatre at the University of Guelph.

A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Susan has appeared in  leading roles in theatres across the country, including The Royal Manitoba Theatre  centre, The Citadel, The Banff Centre, The Stratford Festival, The Shaw Festival. As a founding member of Soulpepper Theatre Company, she appeared in Don  Carlos during the company’s inaugural season. Among other Soulpepper  productions were her own adaptations of Platonov, Betrayal, A Chorus of  Disapproval and The Winter’s Tale. On the small screen, Susan has appeared in such series as Amazon’s Mozart in the Jungle, CBS’s Ransom, HBO Canada’s Less than Kind, and recurring roles on  CTV/Hulu’s Cardinal and Global TV’s Departure. As though this isn’t enough, and it isn’t, Susan is the renowned co-creator and co-writer of the internationally-acclaimed mini-series Slings and  Arrows. In 2017, Susan was awarded the Order of Canada. (And there’s a lot more to add, so please check out Susan’s professional history.)

Evan has been a leading player across various stages and screens in Canada and  the United States for 30 years.  As a longtime member of both the Stratford and Shaw festivals, he has played ‘Sky  Masterson’ in Guys & Dolls, ‘Mercutio’ in Romeo and Juliet, the title role in  Pericles, ‘Stanhope’ in Journey’s End, ‘Jack” in The Importance of Being Earnest.  Musical theatre credits include his Dora Award-winning performance in Fun  Home, as well as starring roles in We Will Rock You and Dear Evan Hansen. In film and television, Evan has been seen in Under the Banner of Heaven,  Murdoch Mysteries, Holly Hobbie, and his Canadian Screen nominated  performance in Departure.

I first saw Barbara in a Toronto production of The Dining Room. I was completely  taken with her performance, her warmth, her clarity. I hoped that I would have  the opportunity of working with her, and in 2006 we finally did get to work  together — The Arab-Israeli Cookbook provided the opportunity. And I’ve  followed her career since then. Theatre audiences will know Barbara from her performances in A Doll’s House  (Belfry Theatre, Victoria), Calendar Girls (Royal Alex, Toronto/MTC, Winnipeg),  Half Life (Tarragon Theatre, Toronto), Criminals in Love/Escape from Happiness  (Factory Theatre, Toronto). Film and Television audiences will recognize Barbara from Learning to Love Again,  Skinwalkers, Hyper Cube, The Boys, Murdoch Mysteries, Best Laid Plans, Little  Mosque on the Prairie and Wonderland. 

Brad is among the most produced and prolific Canadian playwrights. Born in  Edmonton, he won his first playwriting competition at the age of 17. He hasn’t  stopped writing since. Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love, which premiered at  Alberta Theatre projects PlayRites in 1989, after being developed by Workshop  West (Edmonton), launched an international career with productions that  followed in Toronto, New York, Chicago, Milan and London. The play has been  translated into many languages and has recently been produced in Athens, Sao  Paulo and Buenos Aires. The film version, Love and Human Remains, won Brad a  Genie Award in 1994 for Best Adapted Screenplay. Poor Superman, Martin Yesterday, Snake in Fridge, Cold Meat Party, True Love Lies  and 5 @ 50 followed – as have many, many more. Brad’s two musicals are Outrageous (composed by Joey Miller) and Prom Night of  the Living Dead (composed by Darrin Hagen).Do yourselves a favour and check out Brad’s complete professional history - you  can find him at www.Bradfraser.net.

Drew’s tally of theatre, film and television credits is daunting, and this thumbnail  sketch barely scratches the surface. Fourteen seasons at the Shaw Festival include roles in The Devil’s Disciple, The  Playboy of the Western World, Cavalcade, The Front Page and Cyrano de Bergerac.  Elsewhere, and right across the country, Andrew has performed in Cymbeline and  Richard III (Stratford Festival), Blithe Spirit (Neptune Theatre, Halifax), Stuff  Happens (Studio 180 Theatre/Mirvish Productions), The Philadelphia Story (MTC,  Winnipeg) and Travesties (Vancouver Playhouse). Andrew’s film and television appearances include Fahrenheit 451, Lizzie Borden,  Untitled History Project, Virgin Suicides, Drop Dead Gorgeous, The Night Before,  The Morning After, Anne with an E, Designated Survivor, 12 Monkeys, Orphan  Black, Trailer Park Boys, Missing, Degrassi: the Next Generation and The  Associates. 

Many of my guests have discussed the paths they followed through careers both  linear and pin-ball like. Allan Stratton begins by stating that he was raised by a  single mom in Bruce County, Sarnia and London. He has lived in Manhattan, Montreal, Vancouver and Switzerland — but mostly in  Toronto. Allan began his professional life as an actor, moved on to playwriting (I ‘met’ Allan  by directing his very successful play, Nurse Jane Goes to Hawaii — we didn’t meet  at the time, and it’s likely that until reading this, if he does read it, he won’t have  known that our separate paths crossed), and then he spent a few years as head of  an arts school. Since 2000, Allan has been a novelist. His books have won awards and have been  published in over 20 countries — look him up to get the full picture.

Ben is in his 50th year as a professional actor. And as weighty as this is, his family  history that is equally striking. To take nothing away from Ben, himself, his lineage traces back to his maternal  grandparents, Sir Lewis Casson and Dame Sybil Thorndike. Ann Casson and Douglas Campbell are his parents. And his ‘inheritance’ extends to his siblings, of  course. Back to Ben: his career began in England, where he trained at the Bristol Old Vic  Theatre School. He returned to Canada to play Troilus at the National Arts Centre.  Thereafter, Ben spent 14 seasons at the Shaw Festival, 10 seasons at Stratford, 4  with the National Arts Centre and 2 with Theatre Plus, in Toronto. In addition, Ben  has played in theatres across the country, and he has appeared in various  Canadian television series and TV film specials. 

Jon and I met in the early 90’s at the University of Waterloo where he was among  the students who, years later, performed in The Laramie Project, the play that  launched Studio 180 Theatre. Following his training at the National Theatre School of Canada, we worked  together again on Our Class. Many seasons followed at the Stratford Festival,  where he continues to perform. Among his many festival credits are Henry VIII,  The Music Man, Orpheus Descending and Hamlet. Elsewhere, Jon has worked at the Blyth Festival, Canadian Stage and Soulpepper. Law and Order: Toronto, Republic of Doyle, Murdoch Mysteries and Nikita  represent some of Jon’s tv and film work.

Paul juggles a career as playwright and actor with effortless dexterity. Having  trained at the National Theatre School, Paul understands the value of being both  on and offstage, although as a playwright it can be fairly argued that he is as  present as anyone, maybe even more so. Paul’s capacity to move between classical and new work is further proof of a  natural affinity for stages of all kinds. Many seasons at Stratford have included  roles such as Bottom, Lancelot Gobbo and Donalbain. Elsewhere, Paul has worked  with Factory Theatre (Toronto), National Arts Centre, Centaur Theatre (Montreal),  Tarragon Theatre and the Citadel Theatre (Edmonton). Playwright credits include The Gay Heritage Project, High Gravel Blind and  Offensive Shadows. 

Among the country’s most versatile actors, Nora has performed in every style, just  about everywhere in Canada.  Listing many of her theatre credits will illustrate her range: Measure for Measure  (Arts Club, Vancouver), John (Company Theatre, Toronto), For the Pleasure of  Seeing Her Again (Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon), The Matchmaker (Stratford  Festival), The Heiress (Shaw Festival), The Stone Angel (Canadian Stage), Hello,  Dolly (Citadel Theatre, Edmonton). Nora’s work in film and television has included Son of a Critch, Cardinal, Saving  Hope, Orphan Black and The Associates.

Matthew has worked in both opera and theatre for the past 20 years. Born in  Canada, Matthew has spent much of his professional life in Europe, where his  theatrical work includes the French-language premieres of Dancing at Lughnasa,  by Brian Friel, Nightingale and Our country’s Good, by Timberlake Wertenbaker.  His translation of Fernando Krapp Wrote Me This Letter, by Tankred Dorst, was  among his first projects as Artistic Director at Canadian Stage. (He continued as  Artistic and General Director until June 2018.) After spending 3 seasons as Resident Director at the opera studio of the Paris  Opera-La Bastille, he was appointed Director of the Atelier du Chin, in Colmar,  France. Numerous opera productions include Larmes de Couteau and Alexandre  Bis by Bohuslav Martinu, Lucia di Lammermoor (Oper Frankfurt), and Die Trilogie  dee Frauen (Staatsoper Hamburg). Matthew was named Knight of the Order of Arts and Letters by the French  Ministry of Culture in July 2008.

Multi award-winning actor, Rosemary’s resume is its own mini-series. The range of  her theatre, television and film credits is more than this brief snapshot can fairly  provide. I first saw Rosemary at the Centaur Theatre, in Montreal, where her performance  in Wit stays with me still. Raw, uncompromising, visceral — all these words barely  convey the power she brought to the stage. Additionally, she has performed in  Long Day’s Journey Into Night, Tartuffe, King Charles III, Fallen Angels and A  Streetcar Named Desire. Television performances include Fellow Travellers, Street Legal, Orphan Black, This  is Wonderland and The Road to Avonlea. Total Recall, Twins and Dreamcatcher are  but a few of the many films in which Rosemary has performed.

Ronnie is one of Canada’s foremost theatre artists, credited with creating some of  the world’s most elaborate and provocative puppetry. Ronnie Burkett Theatre of  Marionettes was formed in 1986, continuously playing to great critical and public  acclaim on Canada’s major stages, and as a guest company on numerous  international tours abroad. Among Ronnie’s many awards as playwright, actor and designer, are the 2009  Siminovitch Prize in Theatre and The Herbert Whittaker Drama Bench Award for  outstanding Contribution to Canadian Theatre.  International acclaim has included the Village Voice Obie Award, the GLAAD  Award for Outstanding Theater, four Citations of Excellence in the Arts of Puppetry  from the American Center of the Union Internationale de la Marionette. In 2019 Ronnie was appointed as an Officer of the Order of Canada, and in 2024  he received the Governor General’s Performing Arts Award for Lifetime  Achievement in Theatre. He is the recipient of the Emmy Award for Excellence in  Puppetry. To learn more and to discover Ronnie’s full professional biography, check him out  at johnlambert.ca. 

Currently Co-Artistic Director of Harold Green Jewish Theatre, Avery has an  extensive resume as an actor both in Canada and beyond. In Canada, Avery’s performed in Guys & Dolls, Annie Get Your Gun, Hairspray,  Sunset Boulevard and Little Shop of Horrors.  Internationally, Avery was seen in Man of La Mancha, Candide, Pirates of  Penzance and The Pajama Game among many others.

Thanks to Zieglerwealth.com -- and continued thanks to all those who help, and have helped, to keep Life in Stages moving forward since our launch exactly one year ago, I'm thrilled to introduce you to this season's sponsor -- and Life in Stage's first season sponsor, in fact: http://Zieglerwealth.com, owned by Tim Zeigler, contacted me during Season 2 with his generous offer to support the podcast. That he found me without my having to figure out how/where sponsors hide out, is all the more delightful.

Introducing each of my guests is one of the challenges coordinating the roster for  Life in Stages. The artists who accept my invitation to sit down and talk about their  professional and personal stories represent the finest artists in the country. Each  background is rich, varied, intriguing. Jimmy Mezon is no exception — in fact, his depth and range are nothing short of  intimidating. And I’ve had the good fortune to see him play in as wide a range of  theatrical styles as one can imagine. There’s nothing he cannot do and, in fact, has  not done. A foundational presence at the Shaw Festival has included roles in St. Joan, The  Madness of King George, The Intellectual Homosexual’s Guide to Capitalism and  Socialism, Faith Healer, Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Pygmalion, Nothing Sacred, The  Seagull and Translations. His performance in Picnic remains a standout for me - a role that played against so  many strong, powerful characters that have dominated his stage career. Film and television credits include Workin’ Moms, Frankie Drake Mysteries,  Murdoch Mysteries, Passchendaele, Road to Avonlea and Dieppe. 

Joel Greenberg has an announcement to make regarding a third season of Life in Stages.

Welcome to the final episode in Series 2 – but please note that Series 3 is on  its way. This week, our guest host is Jody Howze. I met Jody in the mid-80’s when she  was a student in the Theatre Programme at Humber College and I was the  Programme Director. After graduating from Humber, Jody performed in several  professional productions that I directed. Our friendship has continued as we’ve followed different paths, and since  launching Life in Stages, Jody has provided many insights about the project. At  the same time, she has asked many questions that attest to her careful  attention to all my guests’ conversations.  Rather than restricting Jody’s comments and questions to our one-on-one  chats, I invited her to step into the Host chair for this episode. I can’t think of a  more fitting way to conclude Series 2.

Robert Thomson may be among the busiest and most sought-after actors in  the country. “May”? Change that to ‘Is”. His list of accomplishments is as long as it is varied, which is to say that it’s  mighty long. Theatre, film, television – he has mastered them all, and his  commitment has taken him behind the scenes of projects that are fueled by a  passion with no restraint. In our conversation, you’ll also learn that Robert’s career extends well beyond  performing and engages with timely social and political causes. It’s no back-handed compliment to add that Robert is among the most Canadian of  personalities that I’ve had the very good fortune to have met and to have  worked with. Listen to all that he has to say in Episode 26 – this is time very  well spent. 

Seana is yet one more guest whose professional resume approaches the  magnitude of an anthology. It’s entirely accurate to say that she has done just  about everything that one can imagine an actor accomplishing. Trained at the  National Theatre School, Seana has played every major theatre in the country,  has added film and television to her credits, and has achieved star status in a  country that too often prides itself as a country with no star system at all. I  think that Seana puts a lie to that tiresome boast.

I’ve known Allen for more than 20 years, but until we met recently, I had no  idea that, in addition to being Artistic Director at both Young People’s Theatre,  Toronto, and the Prairie Theatre Exchange, Winnipeg, his career as an actor  was his principal focus. As another guest who came up through the Vancouver Playhouse Theatre  School, Allen reinforces the fact that this was a first-rate training ground. And  as he discusses the path he followed, a path that is as geographical as it is  developmental, we travel from the West right across the country with  substantial stops along the way. Finally, it’s Toronto that has claimed Allen as  one of its own, and I know that you’ll find our conversation both engaging and  revealing. 

Anyone fortunate enough to have seen “Blind Date” has already met Rebecca  Northan, although speaking with her is an altogether calmer experience than  watching her interact with an audience. Speaking with her from Edmonton,  where she was on tour with “Goblin: Macbeth”, I learned that clown work is  merely one of many skills that Rebecca has developed throughout her career.  Second City, in Toronto and on tour, was her opportunity to refine both her  writing and her audience engagement chops. And as an actor, i.e., one who  can actually learn others’ lines of dialogue and create a character without a  red nose, Rebecca is as committed and focussed as she is when she is  creating her own work and, by extension, her own world.

Tom has as varied a resume as any actor you are ever likely to encounter. In  fact, when we first started our conversation, I said that I felt an urgency to  cover enough ground to fairly represent him. Tom’s easy manner removed any  concern I may have had. We talked soon after he had returned from Ottawa, where he was performing  in “Salesman in China”, the same production that premiered at the Stratford  Festival this past season. Back home, where he is always happy to spend  time, Tom discussed the early influences that helped to shape both his  dreams and his approach to the work that would define his professional life.  He pays special tribute to many of the people with whom he has worked and  from whom he has continued to learn.

Maria began her career (and her life) in the United States. But once she had a  taste of life in Canada, both personal and professional, Toronto soon became  her home base. And I met Maria when we worked together on a production of  “Lend Me a Tenor”, at Theatre Aquarius – and that was probably about 30  years ago. Maria has worked in every medium and she has criss-crossed the  performing landscape with an enviable agility.  Our conversation ranges from early influences in Chicago and at the Stratford  Festival. Maria discusses the perennial artist’s challenge with finding a  balance between work and family – and the added challenge of career when  the family is grown and no longer the daily focus. So, a chatty segment of  today’s conversation might be titled Life After Active Parenting. 

Nancy is originally from Winnipeg, studied at Queen’s University and then  trained at The National Theatre School, in Montreal. She was among the first  members of the Young Company at the Stratford Festival, which soon led to  the creation of Soulpepper Theatre Company, of which Nancy is a founding  member. (She continues to represent the Founding Members on the  Soulpepper Board.) Nancy has worked across the country, although her base continues to be in  Toronto. Anyone who has attended theatre in the city has seen Nancy in many  productions in many venues. Nancy has worked in film and television,  although she is quick to point out that at almost 6-feet tall, casting directors  have tended to overlook her.

Jonathan and I met at an audition. I didn’t cast him, but I knew that I wanted to  work with him one day. Before I had that opportunity, I saw My Own Private  Oshawa, his revelatory solo play about his escape to Toronto and his life as a  young gay man finding his way. The Normal Heart and My Night with Reg are recent plays that, finally, allowed  us the shameless pleasure of working together. Jonathan has much more to  fill in between arriving in Toronto and working with Studio 180 Theatre – tune  into this episode and listen as Jonathan guides you through the path that he  created for himself.

Morris’s recollection of how discovering theatre transformed him is both  moving and chuckle-worthy. Like so many of my guests, he underlines that, for  him, the work is a necessity. For survival, sure, but much, much more than  that: Morris makes it clear, without having to say it literally, that he cannot be  doing anything else with his professional life. Playwright, director, actor – Morris works, and has worked, across the country  and beyond. His more than 100 theatre and opera productions are balanced  by an enviable body of plays, many of which have received national and  international productions. Morris is the recipient of the Governor General’s Award for Drama – in 1994 for The Ends of the Earth and in 2004 for  Girl in the Goldfish Bowl.

Jessica is my older daughter, so let’s get that on the table and move on.  Jess discusses her college years at McGill, where she focussed on Political  Science and Women’s Studies. But it was her passionate involvement with  both theatre and music – strictly extracurricular – that defined four years  spent on a student-driven campus, where she was inspired by like-minded  friends.  Theatre school in New York followed and the exploits of surviving that city  reveal a tenacity and resilience that have served her well. Jessica discusses  her move back to Toronto, the ways in which the two cities are so different,  and how she came to be a permanent member of Studio 180 Theatre. At the  same time, we discuss a career apart from any family connection and the  opportunities that being a central member of an indie theatre company can  offer. In Jessica’s conversation, you’ll hear how actors’ careers demand  flexibility and how they discover skills that they’d never explored while in  theatre school.

Ted is among our guests who has accomplished just about everything one can  imagine a theatre artist achieving. As an actor, a musician, a writer, and more  recently a producer, Ted demonstrates the widest possible range with an  inexhaustible energy to match. In our conversation, he discusses the projects  that have brought him a very public profile.  Ted goes further and reveals that seeing his name on a West End marquee  yielded results that he couldn’t have imagined. He exposes aspects of his  career and personal life that, as our producer said, are not the items that one  adds to a professional resume or theatre programme bio. For all this, I know  that you’ll respond to Ted’s honesty and lack of bravura just as I did.

Sharry and I met and worked together for the first time as company members  in the Summer Festival of Arts in Montreal, 1969. I directed Sharry on  productions of The Fantasticks, America Hurrah, and Oh, What a Lovely War!  The festival was fertile ground for many of us as we did our best to start  professional careers.  Sharry takes us through her training in London, her return to Canada, where  she performed in a variety of musical and dramatic productions. The work  took her to the Charlottetown Festival, Stratford and the Shaw Festival, where  she is a longtime member of the Company. In our conversation, Sharry  explains how being at the Shaw Festival and living in Niagara-on-the-Lake has  contributed to a healthy and supportive family life.

Patrick’s career might have been in the Law, following his father and  grandfather before him, had he not found himself in a university production  about the same time that he was writing the LSAT. As he will tell us, Chekov  upended him and reshaped his professional life. A long-serving member of the Shaw Festival company, since the early 2000’s,  Patrick’s first years in the profession were a mix of regional and local (i.e.,  Toronto) theatre. Seasons with Theatre Plus provided a stronger base of varied  and challenging roles, and on-and-off at Stratford taught Patrick the  importance of being in the moment rather than planning too far ahead.

Corrine joins me as the first of our new season’s guests. Although we haven’t  worked together before, I have certainly seen her work in many Toronto and  Shaw Festival productions. And we have met socially a few times, enough for  me to recognize that Corrine’s passion for the theatre, as both performer and  attendee, is intense. In the best way, of course. Perhaps this accounts for her  many awards, coast-to-coast.  In this episode, Corrine looks back at the early influences that led her to an  acting career and the professional life that she was drawn to. You’ll  experience the full-on drive and purpose that speaks to the resilience  demanded of any performing artist. 

Series 2 of Life in Stages begins with Mike engaging me in conversation about  my thoughts and responses to Series 1’s 11 episodes. We discuss how a first time opportunity played out, what was learned and what changes might be  implemented in this follow-up series.   It’s also a fun conversation between new, best friends.

LIFE IN STAGES ends Series One with this special episode,  responding to comments and suggestions from listeners and  supporters.  It seems that my ten episodes as the podcast host have sparked  some curiosity about my own path, journey, trajectory, whatever.  And so, here we are with roles reversed – Mike Boon, producer  and one-man-does-it-all, also the host of his own terrific  podcast, Toronto Mike’d, takes on host duties while I switch to  the guest chair – more figurative than literal, but you get it.  LIFE IN STAGES, Series One, has been a true pleasure. I heard  the term ‘passion project’ early in my podcast exploration when I  underlined that I was not aiming to monetize or seeking  advertising for the podcast. To those who have offered support,  and to those who wish to help cover the running costs as I plan  Series Two for the new year, my heartfelt thanks and deep  appreciation.  I look forward to talking with many more guests and welcoming  even more listeners.  NOTE: please consider supporting the running cost of this  podcast by e-transfer: [email protected] or by going to: patreon.com/lifeinstages And you can find us on –  Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/lifeinstagespodcast/ Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lifeinstagespodcast/

One aspect that links all our guests is the unqualified ability to refuse to take ‘No’ for an answer. Fiona Reid understands this as well as anyone. Born in England, Fiona moved to Canada when she was 12 – and although it may be slightly hyperbolic to say so, Fiona has been working steadily since then. She has performed in theatres across Canada, including many seasons at both the Stratford and Shaw Festivals. She has acted in the USA and the UK, and in 2019 played in the Broadway production of Harry Potter and the Cursed Child. A multi award-winning actor, Fiona added the Order of Canada to her arsenal in 2006. We worked together early in our respective careers and I am so pleased that Fiona had the time to include LIFE IN STAGES in her always busy schedule. ---- NOTE: please consider supporting the running cost of this podcast by sending an e-transfer to [email protected] or by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/lifeinstages.  And you can find us on – Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/lifeinstagespodcast/ Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lifeinstagespodcast/

Enjoy this quick bonus episode of Life in Stages in which Joel Greenberg makes an exciting announcement.

When Ron was performing in the Studio 180-HGJT production of My Name is Asher Lev, I was struck by the fact that audience members refused to believe that he wasn’t as Jewish as the role he’d played onstage. But that is precisely what defines Ron Lea, an actor who so completely inhabits the characters he plays, whether on stage, on film or television.  In our conversation, Ron walks us through his professional and personal life with the simple, straightforward approach that he seems to take with life.  Ron’s professional ‘road trip’ from Montreal to Toronto to Los Angeles to Vancouver and back to Toronto is told without missing the hard bits. How does a family with twin infants relocate and then relocate again in a foreign country? When the work takes you away from your family for months at a time – in one year when you see your family for no more than a few days in total – how does the family negotiate its own way forward? Sitting down with Ron while he revisited the stages of his life was a real honour. ---- NOTE: please consider supporting the running cost of this podcast by sending an e-transfer to [email protected] or by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/lifeinstages.  And you can find us on – Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/lifeinstagespodcast/ Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lifeinstagespodcast/

Of all my guests this first season series, I have known Janelle Hutchison the longest. We met in the early 70’s when we were cast as understudies for the cabaret revue, What’s a Nice Country Like You Doing in a State Like This? I was hired to understudy Martin Short and Janelle covered for Andrea Martin. Janelle has long since added considerably to her professional CV – perhaps most celebrated of her stage appearances was as Mme. Thenardier in the Canadian production of Les Miserables. Janelle is comfortable and engaging as she explores her years of musical and non-musical theatre work, her screenwriting, her success in television commercials and her shift to film and television casting as well as administration at the Stratford Festival. The culmination of Janelle’s eclectic professional life must be in her management of the Tisch School’s Musical Theatre programme at NYU. It’s fascinating to learn that the sum of all past projects, credits and accomplishments could be synthesized into a New York-based academic setting. ---- NOTE: please consider supporting the running cost of this podcast by sending an e-transfer to [email protected] or by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/lifeinstages.  And you can find us on – Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/lifeinstagespodcast/ Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lifeinstagespodcast/

Sterling Jarvis began his performing life as a singer – bands, receptions of all kinds. But that wasn’t how I met him. In fact, I first worked with Sterling on The Overwhelming, a play about the Rwandan genocide – not exactly The Lion King or We Will Rock You, the two theatre productions he had just completed. Sterling discusses his rather atypical career path -- touring with The Book of Mormon and his subsequent run in the Broadway production and then the sudden lockdown in 2020. What happens to an actor, to all actors, when the work just stops dead? How does a transplanted Toronto-based actor cope in New York City when the lights have been turned off? Sterling also reveals that as the father of a child, herself an aspiring actor-singer, he has had an active role in her professional development. ---- NOTE: please consider supporting the running cost of this podcast by sending an e-transfer to [email protected] or by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/lifeinstages.  And you can find us on – Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/lifeinstagespodcast/ Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lifeinstagespodcast/

Early in my conversation with Tracy Michailidis, as we discuss professional training, she jokingly refers to herself as ‘an impostor’ because, rather than attending a conservatory programme, she chose a liberal arts education. And as we chat further, Tracy details the depth of study, the vitality and shared passions of her cohort, friends she has worked with and maintains to this day. All joking aside, it’s abundantly clear that Tracy hasn’t been hobbled by her decision. We discuss Tracy’s early career, when she was cast in a leading role at the Charlottetown Festival. She reveals what being in the touring production of Beauty and the Beast taught her and, later, what playing in the Broadway production added to the experience of living and working in New York. Apart from our career-focussed chatting, it is abundantly clear that for Tracy, both personally and professionally, her love of, and commitment to, her family is her grounding place, the foundation that frees her to dream without restraint.  ---- NOTE: please consider supporting the running cost of this podcast by sending an e-transfer to [email protected] or by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/lifeinstages.  And you can find us on – Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/lifeinstagespodcast/ Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lifeinstagespodcast/

It’s hard to believe that Michael Healey, playwright of The Drawer Boy and The Master Plan (and several original and adapted projects in between), spent the first ten years of his career as an actor before writing for the stage became his principal passion. Which is not to say that he gave up his acting career.  On the contrary, I first met and worked with Michael on the Studio 180 Theatre production of Stuff Happens, in 2008 and 2009, and a few years later on Clybourne Park. Michael’s wholly candid and generous description of his career, his insecurities and his insights into a profession beset by constant challenges is as refreshing as it is entertaining. ---- NOTE: please consider supporting the running cost of this podcast by sending an e-transfer to [email protected] or by becoming a Patron at patreon.com/lifeinstages.  And you can find us on – Instagram – http://www.instagram.com/lifeinstagespodcast/ Facebook – http://www.facebook.com/lifeinstagespodcast/