The Bellows: From Page To Stage / December 10, 2018 by Michael Kruse

This time on The Bellows we feature a conversation about the genesis and production of Pearle Harbour: Chautauqua, from the spark of an idea to the gathering of the creative team and the final realization in the marvelous 40-seat revival tent installed at Theatre Passe Muraille in October in 2018. A subset of the creative team, creator of the Pearle Harbour persona, Justin Miller, musical director and composer Steven Conway and stage manager Guiseppe Condello discuss the development of a fabulous piece of bouffant theatre and drag performance.

The Bellows Toronto is a collective committed to fostering discussion about all issues concerning theatre production and has existed since 2015. The Bellows is Pip Bradford, Rebecca Hooton, Kevin Hutson, Christopher Ross, and Michael Kruse.

Bios

Giuseppe Condello

Stage Mananger for Pearle Harbour. Guiseppe is a Toronto based stage manager, theatre technician and budding lighting designer. He has managed stages for Canadian Rep Theatre's remount of TOUGH! (2016) and Dreams (2016) by Wajdi Mouawad. As lighting designer, Giuseppe lit the stage for the world premiere of George F. Walker's Damage Done (2016), and more recently, The Beckett Shorts (2017) for director Adam Paolozza. Giuseppe has been Pearle's stage manager since the very beginning, and has become her good luck charm.

Steven Conway

Steven's teaching philosophy is that effectively communicating enthusiasm is the best way to inspire it in others. He is thrilled to have the chance to share his love of music with Rainbow Songs students.

Trained for 10 years in piano and theory at the Royal Conservatory of Music, with a background in choir, musical theatre, and improv, Steven is also self-taught in a variety of instruments, and is constantly seeking new ways to expand his musical vocabulary.

After completing his Master’s degree in Theatre and Performance Studies from the University of Toronto in 2015, Steven has performed in musical ensembles across the city, and continues to work as a musical director, accompanist, and composer within Toronto’s independent theatre scene.

As a member of the Rainbow Songs team, Steven is eager to facilitate learning, community, and joy through the love of music.

Justin Miller

Artistic Director for Pearle Harbour. Justin is a queer, Toronto-based theatre artist. As a creator, his work explores bouffon, clown, drag, and the writing that can be magnified by those styles. As a writer, he's the author of seven full-length shows in the Pearle Harbour series. As an actor, his work has been called "riveting" (NOW) and "a tour de force" (Stage Door). He has won the Audience Choice Award at SummerWorks; nominations include the Dora Award for Outstanding Male Performance, and Outstanding Solo Performance by My Entertainment World.

Pearle Harbour

An all-American gal who's sweet-as-pie and sharp-as-nails, Pearle Harbour was born on [information withheld], when America was still Great. During the War, she served as a stewardess aboard top-secret bomber missions, including [information withheld], and even [information withheld]!

An accomplished soloist - on the boards and in the sheets - Pearle has played to audiences at The SummerWorks Performance Festival, The Second City, Buddies In Bad Times Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, The Theatre Centre, Toronto Sketch Comedy Festival, Opera5, Videofag, The Comedy Bar, The Wrecking Ball, Pressgang Storytelling, The Gladstone Hotel, and countless cabarets, concerts, and clubs across Canada.

The Bellows: Unions and Other Associations / October 2, 2018 by Michael Kruse

Its time for another presentation of The Bellows! This time a discussion with stage manager Megan Speakman, stagehand Sally Roberts, and designer Simon Rossiter about unions and associations and how they work to protect the rights of the theatre workers they represent. the conversation took place at Theatre Passe Muraille on September 21st, 2018.

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Bios

CHRISTOPHER ROSS

Christopher Ross has extensive experience as a technician, stage manager, and production manager. he has worked in most of Toronto’s independent theatres, and has been a venue technician for the Fringe Festival, the Next Stage Theatre Festival, and the Summerworks performance festival. he is currently the head technician of the Theatre Passe Muraille Backspace.

MEGHAN SPEAKMAN

Born in Hamilton, Ontario and raised in Jerseyville, Ontario, Megan now works in Toronto as a stage manager. Megan’s theatre credits include Animal Farm, A Moveable Feast: Paris in the '20s. , Oh What a Lovely War (Soulpepper), Stupidhead! (Theatre Passe Muraille); Outside (Roseneath Theatre); One Slight Hitch (Upper Canada Playhouse); Real Estate (Lighthouse Festival Theatre); Dib and Dob and the Journey Home (Manitoba Theatre for Young People); For a Good Time Call Kathy Blanchard (Outside Inside). Megan is a graduate of Ryerson Theatre School (Toronto).

SALLY ROBERTS

Sally is currently the head technician of the Downstairs Theatre at the Canadian Stage Company. She is a member of IATSE local 58, where she works as a live events technician specializing in electrics, lighting design and management. Sally started freelancing in the corporate AV and theatre worlds while studying performance production at Ryerson University. Since graduating, Sally has had the pleasure of traveling with The Tenors as the lighting designer on their "Lead With Your Heart" Tour of the US. She has also trained with Coalition Music to develop strong skills in live sound and tour management.

SIMON ROSSITER

Simon is a Toronto-based lighting designer who occasionally designs scenery. He has created more than one hundred and fifty original lighting designs over the last ten years for a diversity of theatre and dance companies throughout Canada, and is the lighting director of the annual Fall for Dance North festival at the Sony Centre and the Next Stage Theatre Festival at the Factory Theatre. He has received two Dora Mavor Moore awards for outstanding lighting design, is a graduate of the Ryerson Theatre School, and is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.

The Bellows: Stage Management for Smarties / March 26, 2018 by Michael Kruse

This time on the panel, finally a conversation of the crew/creative members who keep the entire machine together communicating from early days of workshops through the grueling tech-week and then single-handedly corralling all of the artists together to perform the same great show (if you'r luck) over and over again. Stage managers are experts in communication, project management, social psychology and most have an absolute obsession about what is the best post it note. And of course us designers could not do what we do with them.

The Bellows is a monthly discussion about the nitty gritty of theatre production and is comprised of Pip Bradford, Rebecca Hooton, Kevin Hutson, Christopher Ross, and Michael Kruse.

NOTE: This file was originally rendered with some channels on mute (!). It has now been re-rendered properly. Our apologies for the sound problem!

Bios

Erika Morey

Erika Morey is a Canadian stage manager who was born and raised in Moncton, New Brunswick, but is now based out of Toronto. In the city, she has worked for companies like Theatre Passe Muraille, Factory Theatre, Young People’s Theatre, Modern Times Stage Company, Theatre Gargantua, the Toronto International Film Festival, and Tarragon Theatre. She’s also a veteran of the Ontario summer stock scene, and often finds herself in very glamourous tiny towns such as Gananoque, Kincardine, Collingwood, Orillia, Port Dover, Port Colborne and Port Stanley.

Tara Mohan

Selected Credits: Avenue Q (Lower Ossington Theatre), Chatroom & Citizenship(Toronto Youth Theatre), 7th Annual Showcase (Outside Looking In), Dora’s Pirate Adventure (Lower Ossington Theatre), Unleashed 2014 (George Brown Dance), ASM for Acceleration 2014 (The School of Toronto Dance Theatre), Silent Voices(Dancetheatre David Earle), Project L (Human Body Expression), Arkemy (Gadfly), Toronto Urban Dance Symposium (Gadfly), Camila’s Bones (Maloka Theatre), ASM for Yonge-Dundas Stage (Toronto Pride), 6th Annual Showcase (Outside Looking In), Aforismo (Gadfly), Assistant Stage Manager/Metcalf Foundation Intern for Toronto Dance Theatre’s 2012/2013 Season.
About: Tara is a professional stage manager and is pleased to be working with Hart House Theatre for the first time

The Bellows: Trash vs. Treasure / January 29, 2018 by Michael Kruse

On this episode of The Bellows our trusty moderator Kevin Hutson talks with Ian Garrett and Ryan Wilson about what do do with that old set or how to build a more sustainable design. This installment of the monthly production panel discussion was recorded at the Wychwood Barns in Toronto on Oct 24 2017.

The Bellows is Pip Bradford, Rebecca Hooton, Kevin Hutson, Christopher Ross, and Michael Kruse.

Bios

Ian Garrett

Ian Garrett is Associate Professor of Ecological Design for Performance at York University; is director of the Center for Sustainable Practice in the Arts, a US think tank on sustainability in arts and culture; and is the resident designer for the Indy Convergence, an arts accelerator in Indianapolis, Toronto, and Haiti. He is a member of the Performance Studies International Performance+Design Working Group and is the Curator for the US for the 2019 Prague Quadrennial. He maintains a design practice focused on the integration technology and scenography. He was executive producer for Transmission at the FuturePlay Festival in Edinburgh and Future of Storytelling Festival in New York. Other recent creative interactive projects include Theatre Panik's durational performance, Peep, at Scotiabank Nuit Blanche; Erika Batdorf's Micro-theatre for Burnish at the Theatre Centre and Venice Biennale, the set and energy capture systems for Zata Omm Dance Projects’ Vox:Lumen at the Harbourfront Centre, and the geolocated Silo No. 5 on Maria Island, Tasmania. He has worked on installations such as DTAH Architects’ Ravine Portal and on the lighting team for the Crimson Collective’s Ascension, a 150’ wide, origami-style crane sculpture at the 2010 Coachella Music Festival. He serves on the Board of Directors for Associated Designers of Canada.

Ryan Wilson

Ryan Wilson is a passionate artist whose talent, collaborative spirit and work ethic have earned him praise from his peers. Currently the head scenic carpenter at Young People’s Theatre (Toronto), he has worked at numerous theatre companies, including Soulpepper Theatre Company (Toronto), fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company (Toronto), Factory Theatre (Toronto) and Globe Theatre (Regina, Sask.). As a freelance production manager/technical director at fu-GEN Asian Canadian Theatre Company, Wilson worked on four productions: Ching Chong Chinaman (2013), Brown Balls (2011), lady in the red dress (2009) and Banana Boys (2008). Ryan Wilson graduated with a Bachelor of Fine Arts from Ryerson University’s Theatre School in 2007.

The Bellows: Contracts and Fees 2 / November 6, 2017 by Michael Kruse

Another installment of the Bellows for this episode. This is a compliment to the previous episode on Contracts and Fees we did earlier in 2017. This time with production manager Erin Birkenbergs and producer Sue Balint. This covered areas we did not have a chance in the last episode and I am sure you will learn even more from this discussion. The Bellows was recorded on September 23 2017 at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. As normal, the panel discussion was moderated by Kevin Hutson and hosted by Christopher Ross.

Bios

Erin Birkenbergs

Erin studied theatre at York University, and has spent the past three seasons as Factory Theatre's Production Manager in Toronto. Previous to that she was a Freelance Production Manager and technician for theatre, opera and dance. Selected credits include: opdog/Underdog, Ruined (Obsidian Theatre); Window on Toronto (Soulpepper); The Story (Theatre Columbus); The Mill Parts 1-4 (Theatrefront); A Synonym for Love (Volcano Theatre); The Test (The Company Theatre); Turn of the Screw (Against the Grain Theatre); Svadba - Wedding (Queen of Puddings Music Theatre); La Calisto (Glenn Gould School of Opera).

Sue Balint

Sue has been working in arts management for the past decade, acting as producer for Modern Times Stage Company for several seasons, and for Theatrefront’s Dora award-winning play cycle, The Mill (Parts 1-4). She has also worked with visual artist/architect Philip Beesley, and most recently served as producer for SummerWorks’ Progress festival and Aluna/Modern Times’ co-production of Blood Wedding (Bodas de Sangre). Sue holds degrees in Theatre and Religion (Queen’s University) and Journalism (King’s College).

The Bellows: Getting Started in Design / July 4, 2017 by Michael Kruse

This time on our presentation of The Bellows, a topic close to the heart of this podcast, Getting Started in Design. Moderator Christopher Ross speaks with lighting designer Jareth Li, performance designer Shannon Lea Doyle, sound designer and composer Alex Williams, and lighting Designer Michael Kruse (:)) about their best advice on getting becoming a theatrical designer.

Bios

Jareth Li

Jareth is a freelance lighting designer based in Toronto. Select lighting designs include: The Glass Menagerie, Casimir and Carolin (The Howland Company); Sinners’ Lounge (Canada’s Wonderland); Dusk Dances (Dusk Dances – Sylvie Bouchard); Crazy For You (Port Hope Festival Theatre); The Trial of Judith K (Thought for Food Productions); Mourning Dove (Sudbury Theatre Centre); Dangerous Liaisons (Red One Collective/Storefront); The Widow (SummerWorks); Disco Pigs (A Lasting Dose Productions). Jareth is a member of the Associated Designers of Canada.

Shannon Lea Doyle

Shannon Lea Doyle is a scenographer and sculptor from Toronto. In the past year Shannon has collaborated with directors Leah Cherniak, Frank Cox-O’Connell, Alessandro Costantini, Mikaela Davies, Sarah Kits, Jeannette Lambermont-Morey, Adam Lazarus, Viktor Lukawski Gregory Prest, Albert Shultz, Guillermo Verdecchia, and Michael Wheeler. Shannon is currently assistant to the 2016 7a*11d International Festival of Performance Art in Toronto, designing The Last Wife at The Belfry in Victoria, B.C. and working on a new sculpture series. She holds a BFA in Sculpture and Installation from OCAD University and is a graduate of the Soulpepper Academy where she worked under the mentorship of Lorenzo Savoini. Find more details on her website at: shannonleadoyle.com

Alex Williams

Alex Williams has worked for 12 years on Hollywood features, television series, documentary and indie film productions in both sound and picture editing departments, such as Acts of Imagination, X-Men 3, Scary Movie 4, News for the Church and Mustard Pancakes. Alex holds a B.F.A. In Film/Video from Emily Carr Institute of Art and Design (Film/Video), studied at Concordia University, The Banff Centre, and under Emmy and Juno-award winning sound mixer, William Butler.

Michael Kruse

Michael is a Toronto based lighting designer and has lit over 125 shows for theatre, dance, opera and corporate events. A graduate of Ryerson Theatre School, Michael was at the Shaw Festival for four seasons, the Blyth Festival for nine seasons, and has worked across the country and abroad. He has been honored with several Dora nominations in lighting design including Studio 180's The Laramie Project and Theatre Direct's Alphonse, and a Sterling nomination for the hit November Theatre show The Black Rider: The Casting of the Magic Bullets that toured Canada and made an appearance at the Tarragon Theatre in 2008. Michael designs have also been seen at the Factory Theater, Theatre Passe Muraille, Theatre New Brunswick, The Globe Theatre, Regina, Theatre Network, Edmonton, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, Carousel Players, and many others. Michael currently works as an advanced care paramedic for York Region Paramedic Services.

The 2017 Harolds Sham-Cast: A Special Presentation of The Bellows / June 14, 2017 by Michael Kruse

Detail from a painting of Harold Kandel by Kirsten Johnson

On June 13th, Toronto theatre artists were feted again by the irreverent and always random Harold Awards. Established in 1995 by 13 bad-ass independent theatre artists, the awards have wound their way through the theatre community, establishing a timeline of independent theatre creators that have pushed the boundaries and held everything together in the Toronto theatre scene. The new artists are "Harolded" by the previous year's winners, who look for theatre creators who inspire them professionally, or personally, or surrealistically and come from all aspects of the theatre, on stage and off. Stage managers, producers, educators, administrators designers and yes actors and directors make up all of the recipients of what Daniel MacIvor has called "the most important award a theatre artist can win".

See the Harold's webpage for the history of the award, named after Harold Kandel, an eccentric and vocal theatre lover who became an entrenched theatre super-fan and who was loved and who, when he started talking back to the actors on stage during a show, could instill that cold sweat that let you know you had to pull out all of your acting chops to make it through that performance, or risk being heckled!

The Ken McDougall award for directing, sponsored originally by Platform 9, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, and Theatre Passe Muraille is the only prize that comes with cash and was added in 1996 to honor the passing of Ken McDougall, a leading director in the Toronto Indy scene. In 2012, the year that I was one of the organizing artists as a Haroldee from 2011, we established the Barbara Fingerote Award to honor the great and unswerving volunteers without whom no theatre could operate in Toronto. Barbara Fingerote is a volunteer, now retired but who keeps getting pulled back in, who was to be found at every indie theater in Toronto at one time or another and who stood for the love we all have of theatre.

The Bellows crew was asked to come and record the show and interview some folks during it, and as you will find out, was a target of a classic Harold's ruse. While in some years the recipients were told they were winning, most years, it is kept a secret, and it is part of the game to see if you can get your Haroldee to the party without them knowing. They can't prepare and the surprise is everything.

If you work or aspire to work in the Toronto theatre scene, you will not be disappointed in this edited version (at 1:20, it is a might bit shorter than the 2 hrs it usually takes) and you will hear interviews conducted by Pip Bradford and Rebecca Hooton with some past and present inductees into the awards interspersed in the show.

OH! A quick note - in the extro I mention it was recorded at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto, but that was a mistake - it was recorded at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre!

The Bellows: Media Relations / February 20, 2017 by Michael Kruse

On January 16th, 2017, the Bellows reconvened again to discuss another pressing and mysterious issue in the production of Canadian Theatre: media relations. Kevin Hutson spoke to Steve Fisher, Rennie Reddie and now Title Block veteran, Sue Edworthy about selling the show and growing your audience. Bios are below, can you guess who does promotions every day?

Bios

Steve Fisher

Steve Fisher holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree in Theatre, and an Acting - Performance diploma from Ryerson University. He writes a weekly arts & entertainment column for Torontoist, and contributes regularly to Post City and Now Magazine. Other outlets he has written for include The AV Club, CBC Music, and The Grid. He was a 2015 nominee for a National Magazine Award for his Torontoist contributions, and won the bi-annual 2016 Nathan Cohen Award, the top award for theatre criticism in Canada, in the short form review category.

Renna Reddie

Renna is the proud producer of multiple Dora Mavor Moore Award nominated shows. She is the inaugural Toronto Fringe TD Bank Young Producer and current Wrecking Ball member. She works extensively in event and talent coordination and has over 7 years of festival logistics with JFL42, Hot Docs, Luminato and many more.

Sue Edworthy

Sue Edworthy has worked in the non-profit performing arts for over fifteen years and is a self-described city enthusiast. Her passion for the performing arts has led her to stints in theatre, dance and opera organizations in and around Toronto such as Luminato, Opera Atelier, and Theatre Passe Muraille. She is a 2010 Harold Award recipient and recipient of a CharPR Prize for best publicity 2012 and 2013, and the 2015 recipient of the Leonard McHardy and John Harvey Award for Arts Leadership. She is a former Board member for The Toronto Fringe and The Toronto Alliance for the Performing arts, and a current Board member for the Canadian Dance Assembly and Expect Theatre. Currently a part time instructor at Ryerson Theatre School and Humber College, Sue runs Sue Edworthy Arts Planning, a freelance marketing, PR, producing and strategic planning company for the Toronto independent arts community, and is much in demand as a social media and marketing consultant. Sue holds a BFA Specialized Honors from York University. For more information, visit www.sueedworthy.ca , find Sue Edworthy Arts Planning on Facebook or follow her on Twitter @sueedworthy.

#38 The Bellows: Ask Me Anything / January 16, 2017 by Michael Kruse

On this episode we once again return to The Bellows, a monthly informal discussion about theatre production that is recorded in Toronto, this time at Theatre Passe Muraille on November 16th, 2016. Carpenter and Bellows founder Kevin Hutson moderates a Q and A with some of Toronto theatre production's bright lights, with questions poised by the Bellows audience. Taking the spotlight this time are Bellows veterans Remington North and Dave Degrow, as well as Rebecca Hooten and newly minted theatre technician Cameron Kirk. They are asked a number of smart questions about their career in theatre and their thoughts on theatre production, while Kevin makes sure their ego's do not get too inflated.

Bios

KEVIN HUTSON

Kevin is a scenic carpenter, former technician and occasional project manager. He comes from Scarborough and loves talking about work over beer.

PIP BRADFORD

Pip Bradford has been working in theatre exclusively since she quit the porn store back in ’07, and she has hated writing bios the whole time. She has production managed for companies around Ontario including Why Not Theatre, Crow’s Theatre, The Theatre Centre, The Lower Ossington Theatre, FADO Performance Art, and Stand-Up Dance, and worked in innumerable capacities for countless others. When Pip isn’t production managing or teaching production management to the young, she makes interactive art pieces with Rebecca Vandevelde for Art Is Hard Productions, including the upcoming Blanket Fort at the Theatre Centre in January 2017. In the spare time left over from her spare time, Pip is one of the hosts of The Bellows, a monthly production artist mixer that fosters community among production peeps in Toronto.

CHRISTOPHER ROSS

remington north

David degrow

David DeGrow is a designer, academic, and teacher whose work has been seen across Toronto and across Canada, and has been nominated for three Dora Awards. He is PhD Candidate at the University of Toronto, where his dissertation examines how theatre space shapes artistic mandate, audience and the theatre’s relationship with the city. Selected lighting designs include: Pyaasa (Theatre Passe Muraille/Theatre Jones Roy); Tap-Ex: Metallurgy (Tapestry); Monday Nights (Sixth Man/Theatre Centre); Morro & Jasp: 9-5 (UNIT Productions/Factory); Tagged (Greenthumb/YPT); The Hours That Remain (Gwaandak); the tin drum (Unspun); Dreaming of Rob Ford (Mike Daisey/Crow’s). Recent Production Management/Technical Direction credits include: Salt Baby National Tour (Salt Baby Collective/Globe); Fashion Straight from the Art (University of Toronto/Mirvish); All the sex I’ve ever had (Mammalian Diving Reflex/Luminato); Belleville (Company); Forgiveness (Modern Times); Passion Play (Outside the March/Sheep No Wool/Convergence); Justice (Gwaandak/National Arts Centre); Cafe Daughter (Gwaandak Theatre - National Tour); ZED.TO-Patient Zero (The Mission Business - Nuit Blanche); The Pub Operas (Tapestry).

rebecca hooton

Rebecca Hooton is a Toronto based deviser, director, production manager, and a founding member of Raw Matter Project.

Cameron kirk

Cameron Kirk is a recent graduate of Humber Colleges Technical Theatre Production program. He spent the summer of 2016 working at the Blyth Theatre Festival as a Carpenter. Since he's been back in the big city he's been freelancing as a carpenter and technician; picking up calls in various spaces throughout the city and dabbling in the wonderful world of corporate events. Cameron is striving to be a Technical Director but wants to keep his hand in more creative pockets of theatre. Specifically, set and sound design. His set design dabut was at Array Music, with Glass Reflections Collectives 'Bonds Beyond' which premiered on October 27th. Cameron is excited about kicking off his career in the world of theatre and eagerly awaits what challenges and opportunities lie ahead.

#36 The Bellows: Contracts and Fees / November 21, 2016 by Michael Kruse

In this next episode of The Bellows, a conversation about contracts and fees. How do you negotiate to your advantage? What are the necessary parts of a contract and is it worth having an agent or being a member of the Associated Designers of Canada? Moderator Kevin Hutson talks to Kesta Graham, business agent at The Tarragon Theatre, designer Simon Rossiter, and the executive director at the ADC Shiela Skye. This was recorded on October 17th 2016 at The Central bar in Mirvish Village, Toronto, Ontario.

Bios

Kevin Hutson

Kevin is a scenic carpenter, former technician and occasional project manager. He comes from Scarborough and loves talking about work over beer.

Kesta Graham

Kesta is currently the Business Manager for Tarragon Theatre in Toronto. She has spent the last 10 years full time in arts management in a variety of positions including General Manager of Studio 180 Theatre (2008-2015), freelance producer/ consultant, and Treasurer for Common Boots (formerly Theatre Columbus). Experience in project management ranges from collective/ profit share, workshops, co-productions, full seasons, long run productions and large scale musicals. Prior to becoming a full time arts administrator, Kesta spent 10 years as an actor/producer and part time project coordinator for kitchen and bath renovations. .

Simon Rossiter

Sheila Sky

Sheila has been active in Toronto’s vibrant performing arts scene since the mid ‘80s. She has undertaken management, strategic and logistical planning, marketing, publicity, fundraising and producing in both the commercial and non-profit sectors. Her career has spanned Fringe to Broadway, and she has worked for clients in drama and musical theatre, dance, opera, devised theatre, puppetry, comedy and contemporary classical music. She is the Executive Director of Associate Designer of Canada and their fundraising arm, the ADCF; and is Treasurer of the inaugural Board of the Alliance of Women in Theatre. She is the owner of Sky Arts Management which provides management services for arts organizations and their projects, as well as a consulting practice.

#34 The Bellows: The Beer Economy / October 30, 2016 by Michael Kruse

On this episode, another presentation of The Bellows, a monthly informal discussion about theatre production that is presented by Pip Bradford, Kevin Hutson, and Christopher Ross. This time, our crew met at The Central bar in Toronto and discussed The Beer Economy; the informal barter system that everyone in Canadian theater, both professional and amateur alike will be familiar with. This was recorded on September 16th, 2016 and featured panalist Jiv Parasram, Maya Rabinovitch, Julia Nish-Lapidus, and Christopher Ross. The panel was moderated by Pip Bradford.

Bios

Pip Bradford

Julia Nish-Lapidus

Julia is an actor, producer, director, as well as a Co-Founder and Artistic Producer of Shakespeare BASH'd, where she has produced all of the company's sold-out productions. She has worked as the Managing Director of Common Boots Theatre (formerly Theatre Columbus) and is now part of the team at The Theatre Centre, as the Box Office & Front of House Manager. She is a member of the Advisory Board for the Canadian Stage GYM program and a graduate of the joint acting program at UofT and Sheridan College.

Jivesh Parasram

Jivesh Parasram is an award winning multi-disciplinary artist of Indo-Caribbean descent. He is the Founding Artistic Producer of Pandemic Theatre, a core member of “The Wrecking Ball,” and serves as Theatre Passe Muraille’s Associate Artistic Producer. With Pandemic and Theatre Lab he co-founded the Collective Studio and Event Space. Jiv also works as a facilitator and community activator. He is currently completing a fellowship as part of the 2016 cohort of Cultural Leaders Lab (Toronto Arts Council/Banff Centre). Further professional service engagements include the Ad Hoc Assembly, the Theatre Committee for the Toronto Arts Council, The Tom Hendry Awards, and Theatre Ontario. Jiv's worked in varied capacities in the theatre community, often simultaneously. These include roles as: director, dramaturge, playwright/creator, producer, performer, technician, stage manager, designer, and production manager.

Maya Rabinovitch

Maya Rabinovitch is a director, dramaturg and producer. Select directing credits include Unintentionally Depressing Children’s Tales (SummerWorks/Vidiofag), Transfusions (SummerWorks/AMY Project), Fantastic Extravagance (Toronto Fringe), 18 Twitching Cheerleaders (Edmonton Fringe), Zero Visibility (AMY Project/SummerWorks), I Will Not Hatch! (Berkeley Street Theatre), Double Double (Toronto Fringe), and nisha ahuja’s A World of Bananas (Hysteria Festival). Maya’s company, the Steady State Theatre Project, focuses on creative methods for new play development. Maya’s first libretto was presented by Essential Opera in Toronto and at the Open Ears Festival in Kitchener, as well as Halifax. Maya sat on Factory Theatre’s Board of Directors from 2006-2012.

Christopher Ross

#32 The Bellows: Leaving the Business / September 3, 2016 by Michael Kruse

This presentation of The Bellows, a monthly informal discussion about living and working in theatre, concerns leaving the business. What do you do when you get into your career in theatre and discover that there is something you are missing? Maria Costa, Michelle Bailey, and Katie Pounder discuss their entrance, love of, and eventual exit from theatre. There is life after theatre, if you want one, but it is not always the one you plan for. The Bellows is organised by Christopher Ross, Pip Bradford, and Kevin Hutson.

MODERATOR

Kevin Hutson, head scenic carpenter at the Tarragon Theatre

PANEL

Maria Costa, administrative coordination at Radiation Safety Institute of Canada, and formerly a stage manager for 20 years, and a supervisor at Humber College.

Michelle Bailey, owner/operator of Barkbusters Hamilton-Niagara, and formally a wardrobe technician.

Katie Pounder, associate director of student services at Pearson Higher Learning Education, and formerly an arts administrator at Young People's Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, and Tapestry Opera.

#29 The Bellows: Mo' Money Mo' Problems / April 4, 2016 by Michael Kruse

On this episode we return to The Bellows, a monthly informal discussion about working in the theatre recorded live at Theatre Passe Muraille on March 22, 2016. For this discussion, the guest panel spoke about that dreaded time of year: tax season. If you are a working artist and the end of April always raises your heart rate, listen to this comprehensive talk about how to organize yourself to make tax-time easier.

Moderator

Kevin Hutson, head scenic carptenter at the Tarragon Theatre

Panel

Scratch Anderson, book keeper

Kesta Graham, business manager, Tarragon Theatre

Ian Edmonds, chartered professional accountant

Beth Brown, managing director, Nightwood Theatre

LINKS

#27 The Bellows: Why You Should Hire a Production Manager / March 15, 2016 by Michael Kruse

The panel from The Bellows: Why You Should Hire a Production Manager. From Left to Right Eleanor Antoncic, Kevin Hutson, Pip Bradford, Remington North, Kaitlin Hicke, Ryan Wilson, and Christopher Ross — The panel from The Bellows: Why You Should Hire a Production Manager. From Left to Right Eleanor Antoncic, Kevin Hutson, Pip Bradford, Remington North, Kaitlin Hicke, Ryan Wilson, and Christopher Ross

In this special presentation of The Bellows, the panel discusses the reasons you need to hire a production manager for your theatrical production. It may seem obvious to production staff and designers why it is essential to have a PM, but many small companies eschew this position out of economic need. This discussion was recorded on February 22 2016 at Theatre Passe Muraille as part of an informal series called The Bellows meant to build community and encourage collaboration and information sharing.

The panel was moderated by scenic carpenter and bellows co-founder Kevin Hutson, and he was joined by Eleanor Antoncic, production manager at the Tarragon Theatre, Remington North who is the Director of Facilities and Production at the Theatre Centre, Kaitlin Hickey a freelance production manager and designer, and Ryan Wilson who is the head scenic carpenter at Young People's Theatre.

Bios

Kevin Hutson

Kevin is the head carpenter at The Tarragon Theatre in Toronto and one of the founders of The Bellows. Kevin has also performed as a production manager, technical director, lighting designer and general technician in Toronto for may years.

Eleanor Antoncic

Remington North

Kaitlin Hickey

Kaitlin Hickey (Lighting Designer) is a production designer based in Toronto, ON. Recent theatre credits include: Art Direction, The Rural Newfoundland Project (In Good Company), Assistant Projection Design, You Never Can Tell and Sweet Charity (Shaw Festival), Associate Projection Design, R-E-B-E-C-C-A (Theatre Passe Muraille), Production Designer, Chapel Arm (Mindless Theatrics), Associate Projection Designer & Video Technician, A Moveable Beast (Volcano Theatre), Production Manager & Lighting Designer, The Book of Judith (Selfconscious Theatre), Associate Video Designer, Beatrice and Virgil (Factory Theatre), Production Manager Weather the Weather (Theatre Columbus). She is an artistic associate of Mindless Theatrics in St. John’s Newfoundland, a graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, and holds a B.Sc. from St. Francis Xavier University.

Ryan Wilson

The Bellows and The Title Block LIve on Periscope / January 16, 2016 by Michael Kruse

On February 22 2016, at 19:45 EST The Title Block will be broadcasting its recording session of The Bellows live on the mobile app Periscope. This month's talk will be Why You Need to Hire a Production Manager. it is sure to be an enjoyable and informative discussion. Instructions to join us live are below:

1. Download the app on ITunes or your android device.

2. Sign in using your Twitter account or your phone number (it is easier with a twitter account). Make sure to enter your confirmation code in order to complete the sign in procedure.

3. Create your Periscope name and you are good to go!

4. Search for @thetitleblockCA or The Title Block in periscope and join the session after 19:15 EST. You can add comments and I will be monitoring the broadcast throughout the session and will replay when I can.

For more detailed instructions see this link.

To listen to the first episode of The Bellows, go here.

#24 The Bellows: How To Get Hired in Theatre / January 15, 2016 by Michael Kruse

The Bellows founders Kevin Hutson and Sarah "Pip" Bradford

This week a special episode recorded on November 16th, 2015 at Theatre Passe Muraille in Toronto. The Bellows is a monthly panel discussion on the art and business of theatre production which promises to create "a place for artists in performance to get together, share information, and get to know more about the production side of the business." Created by Sarah "Pip" Bradford, Kevin Hutson and Christopher Ross, the discussion is curated by working professionals and should appeal to newcomer's and veteran's alike.

From L to R: Jason Golinski, Shanna Miller, Kevin Hutson, Ray Salverda

The Title Block has teamed up with The Bellows to record and broadcast live via Periscope these panels so that they reach a wider audience and every working or aspiring production person can benefit. In this episode the panel, made up of Kevin Hutson, Jason Golinksi, Shanna Miller, and Ray Salverda, discuss how to get hired and stay working in the theatre. Ever wonder how to set and negotiate your fee? The panel may have your answer. This is the first in many recordings and the next one will be broadcast live via Periscope on January 18th 2015, so don't miss it!