It's episode 17 of A View from the Box - The Podcast and I am speaking to the sage and sensational d’bi.young anitafrika.

d’bi.young is an internationally acclaimed visionary dub poet, playwright-performer, director-dramaturge, and activist-scholar, who creates, embodies, and teaches critical dub pedagogy. Culminating their PhD in Black womyn’s theatre at London South Bank University, their research centers on the epistemological, ontological, cosmological, ethical, aesthetic, and somatic emancipation of the oppressed self through theatre-making. d’bi.young developed the Anitafrika Method—a nurturant Black-queer-feminist pedagogy of transformation—offering arts practitioners globally, an intersectional framework of knowing, doing, and being. A widely anthologized Siminovitch Playwright Prize finalist, three-time Dora award winner, and founding Artistic Director of Watah Theatre, Spolrusie Press, and Ubuntu Decolonial Arts Centre in Costa Rica, d’bi.young has authored twelve plays, seven albums, and four poetry collections. d’bi.young currently serves as lead faculty in the training programs of Soulpepper and Obsidian theatre companies. Having recently completed a sessional term at UVic’s Theatre Department, their current initiatives include leading the Black Womxn Theatre Digital Archive project, launching Watah Theatre’s new Black Theatre School, and preparing for the 20th-anniversary production of their multi-ward-winning Sankofa Trilogy.

You can follow d'bi.young on Social Media at: Instagram Facebook

If you'd like to hear by Before You Go! episode with d'bi.young you can join my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

Hi everyone! It's episode 16 of A View from the Box - The Podcast and I am so grateful to have each and every one of you here along with me. Today I get to speak to the incomparable Vanessa Sears.

Vanessa Sears is a Dora Award, Toronto Theatre Critics Award, BroadwayWorld Award and Critic’s Pick Award winning artist. She has starred on stages across Canada including Shaw, Stratford and Mirvish, and made her Broadway debut as an original cast member in ‘New York, New York’. Last year Vanessa starred in the Stratford Festival’s ‘Romeo and Juliet’ as Juliet, and made her panto debut as the Wicked Witch of the West End. Continuing to try new things that scare her, Vanessa is thrilled to be tackling her first ever solo performance in Nightwood Theatre’s production of ‘Shedding a Skin’ by Amanda Wilkin.

You can follow Vanessa on social media at: Facebook Instagram

If you'd like to hear Vanessa's Before You Go! episode, you can join my Patreon at: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

It's episode 15 of A View from the Box - The Podcast! I'm so happy to have the one and only Jonathan Wilson on the show today!

Jonathan Wilson is a queer writer and performer here in Toronto. He had a recurring role as Howie on SUE THOMAS F.B.EYE. Past theatre work includes the recent hit GAY FOR PAY at Crow’s theatre Toronto. Past work includes his Dora Award winning performance as Timon in the Canadian premiere of THE LION KING (The Princess of Wales Theatre) and performances in his own play the Governor General’s and Dora nominated MY OWN PRIVATE OSHAWA (Tarragon Theatre, New Yorker Theatre). Jonathan also starred as Ned Weeks in the critically acclaimed Toronto production of THE NORMAL HEART produced by Stdio 180 Theatre.

His current show, "A Public Display of Affection" is currently on stage at the Studio Theatre at Streetcar Crowsnest until April 20.

You can find Jonathan on Instagram at: Jonathan Wilson (@jonathanwilson2303) • Instagram photos and videos

If you'd like to hear Jonathan's Before You Go! episode, you can join my Patreon at: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

It's episode 14 of A View from the Box - The Podcast and I'm so excited to be chatting with the delightful Tara Sky!

Tara Sky is a Queer mixed blood. They do have Indigenous ancestry. They grew up in the theatre world which was very influential to their practice and how they work today. Tara went to an arts highschool (Etobicoke School of the Arts) and furthered their education at the National Theatre School of Canada. They graduated in 2019 and spent the pandemic months doing workshops before heading to Stratford for three years. Is now doing There is Violence and There is Righteous Violence and There is Death or, The Born-Again Crow at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre.

If you'd like to hear Tara's Before You Go episode, you can join my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

It's lucky episode 13 and I get to chat with Laura Mullin and Chris Tolley of PlayMe and Expect Theatre!

Laura Mullin is a published playwright and writer, a director, producer, and the Co-Artistic Director of the award-winning Expect Theatre. She is also the Co-Host and Producer of CBC’s PlayME Podcast, transforming plays into binge-able audio dramas. She recently wrote the seven-part original audio drama series Tunnel Runners, which she co-created with Chris Tolley and was released in October 2024, which ranked in the top 10 Fiction podcasts on Apple. Chris Tolley is the co-host and producer of CBC Radio’s PlayME, he’s the co-artistic director of EXPECT theatre, and is the President of the Playwright’s Guild of Canada. Chris has been active in federal politics for close to ten years. He has been on the campaign team for three elections and was the Candidate for Toronto-Danforth in both 2015 and 2019 federal elections. His campaigns garnered national media attention and ha was invited to debate some top Canadian politicians including the former Finance Minister, and the Critic for Democratic Reform. We talk about their thrilling audio drama “Tunnel Runners” as well as what audiences can anticipate from PlayME’s 2025 season! The 2025 season launches on March 12th!

Become a Patron here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

Hi everyone! Welcome to episode 12. Today, I get to chat with Rachel Cairns, a playwrights and fantastic podcast host. Rachel Cairns is a performer, writer, director and producer. She is the creator of Aborsh, a podcast about abortion in Canada and its companion project the solo show Hypothetical Baby, a play about the practical and existential considerations in deciding to become a parent… or not. Rachel and I talk about the second season of Aborsh as well as the current production of Hypothetical Baby happening here in Toronto.

You can find Rachel online here: Rachel Cairns (@its.rachel.cairns) • Instagram photos and videos Rachel Cairns (@rachelcairns.bsky.social) — Bluesky

If you'd like to hear Rachel's Before You Go! episode, join my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

Hello there! Welcome to episode 11 of A View from the Box – The Podcast. My name is Janine, and I’m excited to introduce this week’s guest: Jesse Nerenberg. Jesse is excited to return to the Bash’d stage, performing Shakespeare’s timeless works for the first time in nearly five years. He has appeared with Shakespeare Bash’d in Cymbeline, Twelfth Night, Hamlet, Love’s Labour’s Lost, and more. Across Canada, his credits include roles with the St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival, Magnus Theatre, Winnipeg Jewish Theatre, Outside the March, the Citadel Theatre, Repercussion Theatre, and many others. In addition to his stage work, Jesse is a licensed Speech Pathologist, helping adults improve their speech, voice, and communication. His primary interests lie in voice therapy and stuttering therapy.

You can get tickets for "The Merchant of Venice" here: SHAKESPEARE BASH'd - Home

Want to hear the Before You Go! segment from this episode? Join my Patreon at A View from the Box | Patreon

Well hello there! Welcome to episode 10 of A View from the Box - The Podcast. I’m so excited to introduce you to this week’s guest: Arkady Spivak.

Arkady Spivak was cited as a 2020 Canadian Arts Hero by the Globe and Mail. He founded Talk Is Free Theatre in Barrie in 2003, and is the company’s Artistic Producer, in charge of both artistic and administrative visions. Since TIFT's founding, Spivak produced 152 works in Barrie and toured nationally and internationally (most recently to New Zealand, Chile, Argentina and Suriname). In 2018, he produced one of the most ambitious theatre experiences in the world, entitled The Curious Voyage. It was a 3-day long journey, in which each patron became the protagonist of their own story, and was transported, quite literally, from Barrie, Canada and London, UK. TIFT is a recipient of Canada’s prestigious Dora Awards for its productions of Sweeney Todd and Assassins. Spivak has served as a grants juror for the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council for the Arts, and is currently a Juror for the Dora Mavor Moore Awards in a Musical Theatre category and is a Board Member of Tourism Barrie. He has also been a volunteer mentor at Business and the Arts, helping emerging and small-scale companies with organizational development and sponsorship. Spivak is a recipient of the inaugural Barrie Arts Award and a Contribution to Tourism Award. For the past 20 years, Spivak has mentored several young people and emerging artistic leaders. He has also initiated numerous special initiatives with the goal of strengthening the theatre ecology, such as the recent Artist BIG. As the first-of-its-kind initiative for independent artists in Canada, it provides artists with minimum basic income guarantee for three years.

For more info about "Cock" visit: https://www.tift.ca/shows/cock For more info about "For Resting and Breeding" visit: https://www.tift.ca/shows/for-both-resting-and-breeding

If you'd like to hear the Before You Go! segment of this episode, you can become a Patron at A View from the Box | Patreon