About This Episode:

In this special roundtable episode of Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by theatre critics and podcasters Janine Marley (A View From the Box) and Ryan Borochovitz (The Cup / Cup of Hemlock Theatre) for an in-depth conversation reflecting on the past year in Toronto theatre.

Connect with Janine and A View From the Box:

🌐 Website: aviewfromthebox.net [https://aviewfromthebox.net/]

📸 Instagram: @avuefromthebox [https://www.instagram.com/avuefromthebox/]

🦋 Bluesky: @aviewfromthebox.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/aviewfromthebox.bsky.social]

__

Connect with Ryan and The Cup of Hemlock Podcast:

📸 Instagram: @cohtheatre [https://www.instagram.com/cohtheatre/]

🔴 Youtube: @cupofhemlocktheatre2934 [https://www.youtube.com/@cupofhemlocktheatre2934]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Toronto Theatre Year in Review with A View From the Box and The Cup

About This Episode:

This week, Phil Rickaby welcomes Stephanie Malek, performer and producer, to discuss the magic of improvised musicals, the history of Bad Dog Theatre, and the power of finding community through art. Stephanie, who is involved in the show Holiday, an improvised musical, shares insights into the rigorous training required for musical improv, the importance of nurturing other artists, and more!

In this episode:

 * Holiday, the Improvised Musical at Factory Theatre

 * Bad Dog Theatre, Improv and the community

 * The Fandom Show Podcast

 * And more!

Guest: 🎭 Stephanie Malek

Stephanie Malek (she/her) is a producer, performer, fangirl, comedian, singer, and all around nerd from Toronto, ON. She is known for producing and performing in the Dora-nominated improvised musical Holiday! An Improvised Musical! She can be found performing at comedy venues around Toronto and the world at festivals such as JFL, New Zealand Improv Fest, and Toronto Sketchfest.

Connect with Stephanie and Bad Dog Theatre:

🌐 Website: baddogtheatre.com [http://baddogtheatre.com/]

📸 Instagram: @baddogtheatre [https://instagram.com/baddogtheatre] | @stephanie_malek [https://instagram.com/stephanie_malek]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Stephanie Malek

About This Episode:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Kanika Ambrose, an award-winning playwright, librettist, and screenwriter whose work spans theatre, opera, and television. Kanika shares her path from writing poetry as a child to becoming one of Canada’s most exciting multidisciplinary storytellers, known for blending sharp social insight with bold, imaginative worlds. She discusses her three plays in production right now: our place, at Black Theatre Workshop, The Christmas Market at Crow's in association with b Current and Studio 180 Theatre and Moonlight Schooner at Canadian Stage, in association with Necessary Angel and Tarragon Theatre.

This episode explores:

 * Kanika’s creative beginnings and path to becoming a playwright

 * Finding her voice in writing after initially pursuing acting

 * How motherhood reshaped her creative life

 * Creating space for Black women and Caribbean stories in Canadian theatre

 * and much more!

Guest: ✍️ Kanika Ambrose

Kanika Ambrose is a two-time Dora Award winning playwright, opera librettist, and screenwriter.  Her play “our place,” was first produced by Cahoots Theatre and Theatre Passe Muraille in November 2022 and received a Dora Mavor Moore Award for “Outstanding New Play” in 2023. She received a second “Outstanding New Play” Dora in 2024 for “Truth” which premiered at Young People’s Theatre earlier the same year.

Moonlight Schooner Tickets: 🎟️ https://my.canadianstage.com/overview/9330

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Kanika Ambrose

About This Episode:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Fiona Sauder, co-founder and Artistic Director of Bad Hats Theatre. Known for their inventive, musical, family-friendly adaptations of classic literature, Bad Hats has become one of Toronto’s most celebrated indie theatre companies. Fiona shares the origin story of the company, beginning with a serendipitous brewery production of Peter Pan and growing into a long-standing partnership with Soulpepper, as well as their upcoming production of Narnia.

This episode explores:

 * The origins and evolution of Bad Hats Theatre

 * How Fiona approaches adapting iconic children’s literature

 * Theatre as a space of joy, presence, and shared imagination

 * Fiona’s artistic journey from Ottawa to George Brown to Soulpepper

 * And much more!

Guest: 🎭 Fiona Sauder

Fiona Sauder is a Director, Writer, and Performer from Ottawa, ON. The co-founder, and Artistic Director of Bad Hats Theatre, Fiona is a multi-Dora Award winning artist whose writing has been presented across Canada. Select Directing credits include: Narnia, Alice In Wonderland, (Asst.), Life In A Box, Piper (Bad Hats Theatre); The Wind In The Willows, Holiday Inn (Asst.) (Shaw Festival); Every Brilliant Thing, Bed And Breakfast(Orillia Opera House); A Year With Frog and Toad (Capitol Theatre); Uncovered: The Music of ABBA, The Music of Dolly Parton (Musical Stage Co.).

Connect with Fiona & Bad Hats Theatre:

🌐 Website: badhatstheatre.com [https://badhatstheatre.com/]

📸 Instagram: @badhatstheatre [https://www.instagram.com/badhatstheatre]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Fiona Sauder

About This Episode:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Dian Marie Bridge, Artistic Director of the Black Theatre Workshop (BTW) in Montreal. Dian discusses the legacy of BTW, which is celebrating its 55th anniversary this year , as one of Canada's oldest Black and ethnocultural theatre companies. The conversation delves into the company's commitment to community service and fostering new talent through its influential program, as well as BTW's production of Kanika Ambrose's Our Place at Montreal's Segal Centre for Performing Arts (Studio) from Nov. 19-30.

This episode explores:

 * BTW’s 55th Anniversary and Mission

 * The Play Our Place, by Kanika Ambrose

 * BTW's Club Zed Festival, featuring work by Black writers

 * The Theatre scene in Montreal

 * BTW's Artist Mentor Program

 * And much more!

Guest: 🎭 Dian Marie Bridge

Dian Marie Bridge is an award-winning writer, director, dramaturge and creative producer who seeks to open spaces, provide platform, enrich community-bridge building. She was previously Associate Artistic Director at Luminato Festival Toronto, Artistic Director intern at Obsidian Theatre, Artist-in-Residence at Necessary Angel Theatre, Founding Artistic Producer of Cric Crac Collective, and 4LargeHeads multi-arts Collective, and a member of Stratford Festival’s Michael Langham Workshop for Classical Direction. Dian holds a degree in Theatre Arts and Dramatic Literature from Brock University and was enrolled in the University of Minnesota’s Theatre Arts and Dance program (Twin Cities).Previous work includes Our Place; Vierge; Every Day She Rose (BTW), Beloved: A Celebration of Toni Morrison and Black Women Writers; Guided By Starlight; Golden Hour (Luminato Festival Toronto), The Mountain Top (Persephone Theatre), Made In Congo (Theatre Row United Solo Festival), Aneemah’s Spot (Cric Crac  Collective /Motion Live), Geometry; Domesticity; Fuzz; Cotton Comes Home (4LargeHeads Collective)

Connect with Dian and Black Theatre Workshop:

🌐 Website: blacktheatreworkshop.ca [https://blacktheatreworkshop.ca]

📸 Instagram: @theatrebtw [https://instagram.com/theatrebtw]

📸 Instagram: @dianmariebridge [https://instagram.com/dianmariebridge]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Dian Marie Bridge

About This Episode:

This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Aaron Joel Craig (Same Boat Theatre) and Stephanie Hope Lawlor (Rooks Theatre) to discuss their co-production of Ibsen’s A Doll’s House in Hamilton.

This episode explores:

 * Reimagining A Doll’s House as a story for 2025 audiences
 * The intersection of feminism, capitalism, and personal freedom
 * Building independent theatre in Hamilton’s evolving arts scene
 * The power of site-specific and intimate performance spaces
 * Collaboration between Rooks Theatre and Same Boat Theatre
 * Creating sustainability and opportunity for indie theatre artists
 * How theatre can thrive outside major city centers
 * Turning creative frustration into community impact

Guests:

🎭 Aaron Joel Craig

Aaron Joel Craig (he/him) is a director, dramaturge, designer and performer. His theatre work focuses on questions of identity, power and how to stay hopeful in a difficult world. Some past projects include Test, Your Own Sons and The Conspiracy of Michael, and the national tour of Whale Fall, all with Same Boat, and Henry the Fifth and Waiting for Godot for Redeemer University and, most recently, Hamlet, the inaugural site-specific co-production by Same Boat and Rook’s Theatre. He lives in the East End of Hamilton with his partner, Cath, their two kids, and his probably-too-big record collection. You can find him some days at Last Supper Books, a new independent bookstore on James Street North, which also serves as the home of Same Boat Theatre’s monthly play reading and development series, Dispatches.

🎭 Stephanie Hope Lawlor

Stephanie is an award-winning multi-hyphenate who lives and works in Hamilton. She spends her days crafting artistic community, facilitating space for brave individuals to hone their creative voices, and making theatre with really great people.

Selected Theatre: Hamlet (Rook’s x Same Boat), Rebecca in Whale Fall (Same Boat Theatre in Hamilton, Vancouver, Toronto, then Hamilton again), Eleanor in Never Not Once, Cassandra in One Night Only, Liesl in The Sound of Music (Theatre Aquarius), Mary/Flowers in Mary’s Wedding, Vanda in Venus in Fur (Rook’s Theatre), Snow White (Drayton Ent.), Young Leda in Provenance (Berkeley Street Theatre), Florence in Why Do Fools Fall in Love? (Stage West), KC Downing in My Favorite Year, Wagner/Wrath in Doctor Faustus (RAPA), Mary Snow in Salt-Water Moon (Studio Theatre). In Concert: Don’t Laugh (Unless I’m Trying to be Funny) (cabaret debut), From Broadway With Love, Isabella Tarantella (Brott Music Festival), Stephanie and Shane meet Stephen, Women of Musical Theatre Festival (MAP, 2 seasons). Workshops: Too many to name, for Theatre Aquarius, Young Peoples’ Theatre, Young Street Theatricals, Berkeley Street Theatre, Sullivan Entertainment. Training: Randolph Academy for the Performing Arts (Randolph College), McMaster University.

Stephanie serves as Associate Artistic Director at the Hamilton Conservatory for the Arts and Director of Programming for the HCA Theatre School, and is a two-time Hamilton Arts Award nominee and the recipient of the only Innovation - Cutting Edge Gilded Hammer Award for her work in the Hamilton theatre community (2020).

Connect with Aaron & Stephanie:

🌐 Same Boat Theatre: sameboattheatre.com [https://sameboattheatre.com/] 🌐 Rooks Theatre: rookstheatre.com [https://www.rookstheatre.com] 📸 Same Boat Theatre on Instagram: @sameboattheatre [https://www.instagram.com/sameboattheatre/] 📸 Aaron on Instagram: @aaronjoelcraig [https://www.instagram.com/aaronjoelcraig] 📸 Rooks Theatre

Aaron Joel Craig & Stephanie Hope Lawlor

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Will Parry, actor, singer, and content creator based in Toronto. Known for his work as a musical theatre performer and social media consultant for artists and theatre companies, Will shares insights into how creatives can better express their authentic selves online while building stronger connections with audiences.

This episode explores:

 * Balancing social media and theatre careers
 * Authenticity and “brand voice” for artists and theatre companies
 * Finding confidence in sharing your work online
 * Discovering puppetry through The Wizard of Oz and beyond
 * The art of cabaret and creating personal connection on stage
 * Writing for young audiences and exploring digital culture through theatre
 * and more!

Guest: 🎭 Will Parry

Will Parry (they/he) is an Actor-Singer-Content Creator based in Toronto. Recent theatre credits include Hare in Hare & Tortoise (Carousel Players), Milky White/Steward/etc. in Into the Woods (Koerner Hall), Seán/Donald The Leprechaun in The Wild Rovers (Smile Theatre), Toto in Wizard of Oz: The Panto (Drayton Entertainment), Magician/Demonstrator in Illusionarium (Starvox Entertainment), and Scuttle in The Little Mermaid (SLC Stage). They have also created and performed in cabarets with Theatre Gargantua, Icarus Theatre, and a self-produced virtual cabaret during isolation, Here I Am: A Cabaret. He is a graduate of the St. Lawrence College Music Theatre Performance Program. In addition to being a performer, Will is a Social Media Content Creator. As a creator, Will has collaborated with brands including Fabricland, White Claw, and Freshii with management clients including CBC Kids’ Ukulele U, Koerner Hall, Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy, CGDC, and more!

Connect with Will: 🌐 Website: www.will-parry.com [https://www.will-parry.com/] 📸 Instagram: @willxparry [https://www.instagram.com/willxparry/] 🎵 TikTok: @willxparry [https://www.tiktok.com/@willxparry]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

Will Parry

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby welcomes Steven Hao, actor, director, and artistic director of Puckers Theatre Company. Currently in his second season at the Stratford Festival, Steven shares his journey from Victoria, BC, to the national stage, performing in acclaimed productions like Anne of Green Gables, Forgiveness, Salesman in China, and Romeo and Juliet.

This episode explores:

 * Steven’s journey from improv and high school musicals to the Stratford Festival
 * Building a company (Puckers) to champion new voices and sustainable theatre
 * The need for long-term investment in Canadian plays and playwrights
 * Artistic leadership and the challenges of developing the next generation of ADs
 * Balancing performing, directing, and leadership
 * And much more

Guest: 🎭 Steven Hao

郝邦宇 Steven Hao is an award winning director, actor, writer, and the Artistic Director of Pucker’s, currently based in Tkaronto. In his directing work, there's a huge emphasis put on 'play' that usually guides his staging process and the creative yet efficient application of design. For that reason, his work is often highly sensorial and heavily conceptual: compact with innovative stage pictures and invigorating sound and lighting design. His work can be found across many stages in Ontario, primarily with a focus on new Canadian works. Most recently, Steven appeared in the world premiere of Kat Sandler’s adaptation of Anne of Green Gables, as well as Salesman in China at the Stratford Festival, and he’s grateful for the continued opportunity to support new play development everywhere he goes. His selected theatre credits include: For Directing: Assistant Director, CRAZE (Tarragon Theatre); Director, Death to the Prometheans (Studio 180); Director, One Song Glory (Musical Stage Company); Director, life and death and life and death and life and death and life. (CCTA/ACMJIS); Assistant Director, Rocking Horse Winner (Tapestry Opera/Crow's Theatre); Director, Ordinary Days (Shifting Ground Collective); Assistant Director, Heroes of the Fourth Turning (Howland Company/Crow’s Theatre); Assistant Director, Dragon’s Tale (Tapestry Opera); Assistant Director, The Chinese Lady (Crow’s Theatre/Studio 180 Theatre/fu-GEN Theatre); Director, A Perfect Bowl of Pho (Toronto Fringe Festival/Kick & Push Festival); Director, I and You (Precipice Productions); Director, Constellations (Precipice Productions). For Acting: Two Seasons at the Stratford Festival, Anne of Green Gables, Forgiveness, Romeo & Juliet, Salesman in China (Stratford Festival); Pirithous/Wooer, The Two Noble Kinsmen (Shakespeare Bash’d); Puck, A Midsummer Night’s Dream (Canadian Stage); Cockroach, Cockroach (Tarragon Theatre). Upcoming: Director, Ride the Cyclone (Shifting Ground Collective); Director, Concord Floral (Pucker’s); Performer, Pu Songling: Strange Tales (Crow's Theatre); Third Season at Stratford Festival. Grateful to the entire team front and behind Concord Floral.

Connect with Steven: 📸 Instagram: @steven_haoby [https://instagram.com/steven_haoby] 🦋 Bluesky: stevenhao.bsky.social [https://bsky.app/profile/stevenhao.bsky.social]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] |

#436 – Steven Hao

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Emily Dix, artistic executive director of Bygone Theatre and the lead behind their mixed use affordable arts space, The Bridge. Emily shares the company’s journey from its beginnings in classic theatre to its evolution into original Canadian works that blend vintage aesthetics with contemporary themes. She discusses her creative process, the importance of atmosphere and design, and the challenges and rewards of running an independent theatre company.

This episode explores:

 * The evolution of Bygone Theatre
 * Building immersive, design-driven theatre experiences
 * Challenges and opportunities of running an indie company in Toronto
 * The role of aesthetics, nostalgia, and storytelling in Emily’s work
 * Directing, producing, and writing for small-scale theatre
 * Fostering community and mentorship in the theatre scene

Guest: 🎭 Emily Dix

Emily Dix is the Artistic Executive Director of Bygone Theatre, and the lead behind their mixed-use, affordable arts space, The Bridge, located at 379 Adelaide St. W. She has nearly 20 years of directing, producing and design experience in theatre, and has dabbled in film and tv as a researcher, designer and production coordinator. She has a degree in English, cinema studies and drama from UofT, and a paralegal diploma from Seneca College. In addition to running Bygone Theatre for 13 seasons, Emily has worked with companies such as Tarragon Theatre, Crow's Theatre, Theatre 20, Hart House Theatre, and numerous indie companies.

Connect with Emily & Bygone Theatre: 🌐 Website: www.bygonetheatre.com [https://www.bygonetheatre.com/] 📸 Instagram: @bygonetheatre [https://www.instagram.com/bygonetheatre] | @379thebridge [https://www.instagram.com/379thebridge]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit the notification bell!

#435 – Emily Dix

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by actor, singer, and producer Michael Esposito II. Michael discusses the challenges and rewards of mounting Daniel MacIvor's solo play, Monster, which he is producing and performing in Kelowna, B.C. He shares the creative process of integrating projections and music into the show to make it feel more like an immersive "monster experience" than a traditional one-person play. Michael also talks about his background in Toronto and New York, the evolving theatre scene in Kelowna, and his other work in the Okanagan Valley, including themed jazz shows at a local speakeasy winery.

This episode explores:

 * Bringing Daniel MacIvor’s Monster to life in Kelowna
 * The creative freedom and risks of solo performance
 * Using projection in live theatre
 * Building independent theatre outside major city centres
 * The importance of community and adaptability for artists
 * The joy and discipline of performing across genres—from MacIvor to musical theatre and jazz

Guest: 🎭 Michael Esposito II

Michael is an international actor and singer. Since graduating from the University of Toronto and Sheridan College, Michael has travelled the world performing on six different continents. His most recent work includes Eddie Birdlace in Dogfight and Monster by Daniel MacIvor. Some of his previous work includes Alan Menken’s The Apprenticeship of Duddy Kravitz, Jersey Boys, and Disney Cruise Lines. His work in film includes The One That Got Away, Dive Shop, Adult Adoption, and The Avenue. He has been a featured vocalist on Canada's Got Talent and Casino Rama. His album "Night and Day" is available on iTunes and Spotify. Find out more about upcoming shows by following @mespo2 on Instagram.

Monster: A chilling one-person play performed by Michael Esposito II and directed by Angela Quinn.

MONSTER intricately peels back the psychological layers of 16 captivating characters, revealing the haunting core of their individual experiences. With a masterful blend of suspense, wit, and raw emotion, MONSTER beckons you to confront your deepest fears and embrace the profound complexities that define our humanity.

~ A finalist for the Governor General's Award for Drama ~

Connect with Michael: 🌐 Website: kemeproductions.com [https://kemeproductions.com] 📸 Instagram: @monsterplay2025 [https://instagram.com/monsterplay2025] | @mespo2 [https://instagram.com/mespo2] 🎵 TikTok: @mespo2 [https://www.tiktok.com/@mespo2] 🎶 Listen to Michael’s album Night and Day on Apple Music [https://music.apple.com/ca/album/night-and-day/351267606]

Support Stageworthy: If you love the show, consider supporting on Patreon: patreon.com/stageworthy [https://patreon.com/stageworthy] Patrons get early access to episodes, participate in conversations about topics to cover, and more. With three backer levels: $2, $7, and $20.

Subscribe & Follow: 🎧 Listen on Apple Podcasts [https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/stageworthy/id1071732834] | Spotify [https://open.spotify.com/show/0b9Vl5lsMKqDc1UIYl5thh] | Podchaser [https://www.podchaser.com/podcasts/stageworthy-416634] | Amazon Music [https://music.amazon.com/podcasts/ca3db4c6-c5b6-4791-b23f-2af83272ac85/stageworthy] | iHeart Radio [https://www.iheart.com/podcast/1310-stageworthy-271061892/] 📺 Watch on YouTube [https://www.youtube.com/@Stageworthy] – Like, subscribe & hit

#434 – Michael Esposito II

Hosted by writer and performing, Phil Rickaby, Stageworthy is a weekly podcast about the performing arts in Canada. In each episode features intimate and knowledgeable discussions with artists from different disciplines, about creating and presenting work, the creative process, and more. Episodes arrive every Tuesday, with bonus episodes now and then.