This is the first of a series of episodes called One Big Massive Retweet. I’m borrowing the concept of retweeting from Twitter. However, this episode has nothing to do with Twitter. I’m just referring to the concept of spreading the word about resources that originally came from another source.

This series of episodes will be about all the books, podcasts, and web sites that give me inspiration and that I consider essential for the actor. I’m starting with Fourteen Essential Books that will help you understand the artistic, emotional, and pragmatic aspects of being an actor. This episode covers the first four.

Resources and Inspiration for Acting and Theatre Addicts is a collection of permanent pages with links to all of these resources. I will be building those pages over the next month.

Edmonton actor Richard Lee Hsi reveals what it’s like to create a play collectively. He talks about mask work and the unique experience of portraying real life people on stage.

Excerpts from this interview were presented in the audio documentary about The Invisible Project. This is the whole interview.

More About The Invisible Project

Audio Documentary
Recording of the Play at a Live Performance
Interview with a Shelter Client
Interview with David van Belle, the play’s Director and Facilitator

Episode 20 contains an in-depth interview with director and facilitator David van Belle about The Invisible Project, a play about homelessness. The interview was recorded last January after the performance of the play at the Drop-In Centre shelter in Calgary. The Invisible Project was also performed at City Hall as part of Calgary’s High Performance Rodeo.

In this interview, David van Belle

• Discusses how The Invisible Project relates to other theatre projects in his career.
• Tells us about the background of the project and the research that was done on site by his company at the Drop-In Centre and Mustard Seed shelters.
• Tells us the story of the unusual auditions he held for the actors on the project.
• Talks about the response to the play from members of the homeless community, who were part of the audiences for the performances.

Check out Episode 16 for more information and to see a slide show of photos from the play taken by mask maker Douglas R. Witt.

Episode 19 features an audio interview with Drop-In Centre shelter client and volunteer Linda Coleman. In this interview, Linda Coleman discusses her reaction to the The Invisible Project, a play about homelessness, and how the content of the play related to her own life experiences.

If you want more background on The Invisible Project, you can listen to Episode 16 and Episode 17.

The Drop-In Centre is a homeless shelter that can house up to 1250 men and women per night and that serves up to 3500 meals per day. The Invisible Project is an original play based on on-site research with homeless people, featuring masks created by Douglas Witt.

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Episode 16 of Dramatic Impact was an audio documentary about the play The Invisible Project; and as promised, this new episode consists of an edited stereo recording of the play. I recorded the play last January when it was performed at The Calgary Drop-In Centre, a homeless shelter that can house up to 1250 men and women per night and that serves up to 3500 meals per day.

For more background on the play, I recommend listening to Episode 16 and checking out that blog post, which includes photos by mask maker and photographer Douglas R. Witt.

© 2009 Douglas R. Witt

1. Download this episode (25.4 MB)(Instructions for Downloading: Right click the link and choose Save Link As or Save Target As. Choose a folder on your computer to save it to. Then open the .mp3 audio file in any media player on your computer.)

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Something new for Dramatic Impact, an audio documentary. This is also our first episode about a play that was researched and created outside the traditional theatre community. The Invisible Project is a play that was created collectively and researched in Calgary’s homeless shelters. The performances of the play that I recorded last January were at Calgary City Hall and at the Calgary Drop-In Centre, a shelter that can house up to 1250 men and women per night and that serves up to 3500 meals per day. The Drop-In Centre was also where the play’s director and facilitator, David van Belle, assistant director, Aviva Zimmerman, stage manager, Paisley Sim, mask maker, Douglas R. Witt, mask assistant, Carla Ritchie, set and lighting designer, Terry Gunvordahl, and actors Molly Flood, Richard Lee Hsi, and Jed Tomlinson rehearsed and researched the show.

The music in the play was captured from adhoc “performances” given by clients at the Drop-In Centre. I also used snippets of this music for segues in the documentary.

Next Month

• An edited stereo recording of the performance of the play at the Drop-In Centre shelter.
• Recordings of the parts of the interviews not included in Episode 16. The interviews, which you’ll hear in Episode 16 and in later episodes, were with (in order of presentation) Linda Coleman, Drop-In Centre client and volunteer, David van Belle, director and facilitator, and Richard Lee Hsi, actor.

More About The Invisible Project and This is My City

Video About the Positive Impact the Mask Making Workshop had on One Homeless Participant (Directed by Dominique Keller for the City of Calgary)

The City of Calgary This is My City Initiative
Douglas R. Witt’s Photos on Flikr

More About Homelessness and The Calgary Drop-In Centre

Calgary Drop-In Centre Web Site
Drop-In Centre Blog

This episode of the Dramatic Impact podcast features an interview with Edmonton actor and singer Cory Christensen. Cory shares discoveries he’s made about his craft on stage and in rehearsal.

Cory Christensen

James discusses his approach to directing and what excites him most about theatre as an art form. He compares the pleasures of acting and directing, talks about some of his peak experiences, and discusses some of his upcoming projects.
Three easy ways you can listen to this podcast:

1. Download this episode (17.5 MB)(Right click the link and choose Save Link As or Save Target As. Choose a folder on your computer to save it to. Then open the .mp3 audio file in any media player on your computer.)

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2. Play now.

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3. Subscribe to the podcast using the Add to iTunes or RSS Podcast Feed links in the sidebar on the Dramatic Impact web site.

More About James MacDonald

Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia Listing about James

Dramatic Impact Theme Music

Contact for Aaron and Mike Sabourin, creators of the Dramatic Impact theme music

This episode features the opera singer, tenor, and career music educator, Lary Benson. Lary reveals the arduous work involved in balancing technique with expression as an opera singer, and gives advice to singers to help them rediscover the feeling of a song each time they perform.

Lary Benson

More on Lary Benson

Lary’s page at MacEwan University’s Conservatory of Music web site

In this interview, Timothy J. Anderson sheds light on how he comes by his unique combination of gifts and accomplishments. Hear how this actor, singer, director, playwright, and librettist discovered his love of music and performing. Timothy also discusses how performing in the chorus for world class opera productions at the National Arts Centre in Ottawa shaped him, and how he developed his skills as an actor. In addition, Timothy reveals what he would consider a dream project, shares his philosophy of acting, and discusses the pitfalls of the workshopping process.

Timothy J. Anderson

Mentioned in this Episode

Contact for Aaron and Mike Sabourin, Creators of the Dramatic Impact theme music

Site about the composer, Aram Khachaturian
National Arts Centre web site
Timothy’s novel, Resisting Adonis, at Amazon.com

On this episode we’re hearing from the talented and delightful Michele Brown, a veteran Canadian actor who was featured in Episode 7: Secrets of the Actor, part 1. This is the first of the “Rest of the Interviews” series, in which I’m going to present material that I recorded for Episodes 7 and 8 that did not pertain to the Secrets of the Actor topic. It’s fascinating material that you won’t want to miss.

Michele discusses her origins as an actor, her creative process, the satisfaction that she gets from helping students at the University of Alberta discover their own creativity, and how her motivation for being an actor has changed over the years.

Michele Brown

Mentioned in this Epsiode

Download the script for Spring Alibi
Synopsis for Should’ve
Download the script for Should’ve

This is part 2 of an in-depth interview with Governor General’s Award-winning playwright Vern Thiessen. For part 1 of the interview, listen to Episode 9.

In this second half of the interview, Vern talks to Elaine about the influence of his family. He discusses his dark and surreal play, Blowfish, and talks about the use of history in his plays.

Vern also treats us to another reading, tells us about upcoming opportunities to see his work, and describes some of his current projects.

More on Vern Thiessen

Canadian Theatre Encylopedia article on Vern
Review of North Carolina Production of Blowfish

Additional Links

Enclyclopedia of World Biography article on Fritz Haber
National Public Radio (NPR) Morning Edition audio segment on Fritz Haber

This is part 1 of an in-depth interview with Canadian playwright Vern Thiessen. Part 2 will be released in Episode 10.

Vern is a well known playwright, whose plays have been produced internationally. His play Einstein’s Gift won the Governor General’s Award, Canada’s highest honour for playwriting.

Some of Vern’s other plays include Vimy, Shakespeare’s Will, Apple, Blowfish, The Resurrection of John Frum, and The Courier.

Coming on September 9, 2008: An In-Depth Interview With Canadian Playwright Vern Thiessen. Vern’s plays have been performed internationally. He is the author of the Governor General’s Award-winning play Einstein’s Gift. Some of his other plays include Vimy, Shakespeare’s Will, and Blowfish.

As promised, here is part two of Secrets of the Actor, a series of interviews with actors talking about how acting has influenced them and enriched their lives.

This episode features Yemie Sonuga, James MacDonald, and Lary Benson.

Photo Gallery for Episode 8

Yemie Sonuga

Lary Benson

Secrets of the Actor will be presented in two parts. Part 2 will be released in the next couple of weeks. Part 1 features 3 Canadian actors talking about how the art of acting has enriched their lives and given them special insights into life. The discussion also focuses on the role that actors play in society and what they try to bring to their audiences.

Featured on this episode are Michele Brown, Timothy J. Anderson, and Cory Christensen. Part 2 will feature James MacDonald, Yemie Sonuga, and Lary Benson.

Acknowledgements

Special thanks to Podcasting Consultant Adam Weiss for helping me with the hairy technical problems inherent in moving to a new feed address and web site. He was very generous with his time, and gave me a lot of thoughtful advice.

Check out his web site at www.podcastconsultant.net

I also want to thank Derek Gomez for his help with the redirect of the feed.

Photo Gallery for Episode 7

Michele Brown

Timothy J. Anderson

Cory Christensen

A panel discussion moderated by Theatre Alberta’s Jill Connell. This episode explores several questions about contemporary theatre. The panellists discuss whether we should see theatre as under threat because of film and television and whether theatre artists should evolve to meet the demands of new forms of theatre and changing audience sensibilities. The panellists include Kevin Kerr, Morwyn Brebner, Kelly Reay, and David van Belle.

Mentioned in this Episode

Sage Theatre
Electric Company Theatre
Tarragon Theatre

Canadian playwright Trina Davies talks about her journey from being a poet and actor to becoming a playwright. She discusses her latest projects and talks about the special power of theatre to touch the minds and imaginations of people and get them thinking about crucial human issues.

Mentioned in this Episode

Dancing Sky Theatre
Straight.com article on Women at Play(S) 3
Broadway World.com article on Raw, Raw, Raw

More on Trina Davies

Trina’s Web Site
Alberta Playwrights’ Network Listing for Trina Davies

Learn from dramaturg and director Vanessa Porteous how directors, dramaturgs, and playwrights interact during the rehearsal process for a new play. Vanessa reveals the elements of theatre she finds most pleasurable, what kinds of theatrical experiences she aims to create for an audience, and gives advice to playwrights who are just starting out.

More on Vanessa Porteous

Globe and Mail article about Vanessa
Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia Article about Vanessa

In this episode, David van Belle tells Elaine about the Calgary theatre company, One Yellow Rabbit, and how it has influenced him. He also discusses the differences between performance creation and more traditional forms of theatre and talks about his own original works.

Mentioned in this episode

Ghost River Theatre production of Everything is Terribly Nice Here
Theo van Gogh

More on David van Belle

David’s web site

In this episode we present the first of four short interviews with theatre artists who were instructors at PlayWorks Ink 2007. In this first interview, Calgary-based actor Christopher Hunt gives us a glimpse of what fuels his love of theatre and his dedication to his craft.

Mentioned in this Episode

Alberta Theatre Projects
Vertigo Theatre
CanStage

More on Christopher Hunt

Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia article on Christopher
Christopher Receives 2018 Harry and Martha Cohen Award at Alberta Theatre Projects in Calgary

Kicking off the Dramatic Impact series is a recording of Morwyn Brebner’s thought-provoking, funny, and inspirational PlayWorks Ink keynote address, “Plays Well With Others.”

In this entertaining and articulate keynote address, Morwyn challenges us to stand up for our artistic visions, to explore new theatrical forms, and to use our art as a way of engaging with the issues of our time. Many people who heard Morwyn’s address at the conference wanted to hear it again. Those of you who missed it can listen to this recording and feel like you were there.

Acknowledgements

The music featured on Dramatic Impact was composed and performed by Aaron Sabourin and edited by Mike Sabourin. If you need original music for any of your own projects, please feel free to contact them.

Thanks to Scott Johns at the Glenbow Museum in Calgary for his audio expertise on-site at PlayWorks Ink.

Thanks to Derek Gomez for technical help with the podcast feed.

Mentioned in this Episode

Alberta Playwrights’ Network

More about Morwyn Brebner

Canadian Theatre Encyclopedia article about Morwyn