Artists in Depth: Recent Episodes
Alan Powell & Bill Key
Established artists reflect on their work and how it links to their identity. No matter your choice of expression Artists in Depth provides an opportunity for the listener to ask the same questions of themselves that are being asked of our guests and to reflect on their own identity through the work they've created. Subscribe at www.artistsindepth.com
Welcome to part 2 of our two part podcast where we continue our discussion with Dr. Jessica Hartley on Neurodivergence in acting training and educating the educators. If you missed part one in episode 4 I strongly suggest you listen to it first before diving into this one.
Just to recap: Jessica is the Course Leader for the MA/MFA in Actor Training and Coaching at the RoyalCentral School of Speech and Drama.
Let’s jump right in and pick up where we left off…
Our Guest today is Dr. Jessica Hartley PART 1 of 2
https://www.cssd.ac.uk/staff-profiles/jessica-hartley
Rupturing the cycles of Shame in Education, TEDx Royal Central
Jessica was a successful drama teacher and Head of Drama in comprehensive schools across London and the South East of England and has worked as a freelance director and educator specialising in circus training and contemporary performance.
She trained as a director at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama in London England under the mentorship of Catherine Alexander, and was subsequently short-listed for the Oxford Samuel Beckett Theatre Trust Award on four separate occasions.
Jessica has worked for Portsmouth University, The University of Greenwich, Brunel University, Tara Arts, Surrey County Arts, The Why Not Institute - and ran a few bars in Cheltenham, Gloucestershire. In 2013 Jessica found a permanent home at the Royal Central School of Speech and Drama working with pedagogy and risk-taking. Currently she is Course Leader for the MA/MFA in Actor Training and Coaching.
She also delivered the Keynote address ‘Vulnerabilityin a Crisis: Pedagogy, critical reflection and positionality in Actor Training‘ at AusAct 2019 at Queensland University of Technology.
Jessica’s areas of expertise are;
- Freedom and coercion in Pedagogy
- Consent and boundaries in Actor Training
- Dignity and compassion in teaching
- Risk, vulnerability, and wellbeing
- Oracy
- Phenomenology
- Clown
- Failure
- Neuroinclusivity
I’m still getting my head around what we talked about, but I can tell you it covered her areas of expertise, and it rocked my world. For Bill and I, it was an inspiring and very engaging conversation – so much so that I couldn’t edit anything out – so this episode is part one of two… and if you have time after the podcast check out her TEDx talk
Catch part two of Dr. Jessica Hartley in Episode 5 of Artists in Depth.
Our guest today is Lou Platt
https://www.artistwellbeing.co.uk/
Lou is Founder & Director of the Artist Wellbeing Company in Birmingham, England.She began supporting the mental health of those working in creative industries in 2012. Her qualifications and experience in Dramatherapy, Clinical supervision, and Internal Family Systems along with a background as an independent theatre maker & performer synthesized to create her role as Artist Wellbeing Practitioner.
As an Artist Wellbeing Practitioner, Lou has worked with notable theatre companies such as the Globe, Royal Court, Bristol Old Vic, and Nottingham Playhouse to name a few. In TV and film her client list includes Amazon Prime, BBC, HBO and Netflix among others. Lou also works in dance, visual arts, writing and the music industries.
Our discussion began with Lou’s journey as Dramatherapist into the creative industry workingwith theatre practitioners and expanding to actors, writers, directors, crew and actually anyone involved in production.
Lou talked about the challenges of being an Artist Wellbeing Practitioner – which is different from being a therapist - though it’s still personal in nature with itspower to reflect and to potentially transform. We talked about the opportunities for change within the industry and the decisions, we as artists, need to make for a healthier working environment when facing into an industry that needs to accept its dysfunction before it can change.
Our guest today is Jani Lauzon
https://www.janilauzon.com/
Jani is a Canadian multidisciplinary artist of Métis/French/Finnish ancestry. She’s a Writer/Actor/Director/Musician and Puppeteer. She is a 9 time Dora Mavor Moore nominated actress, a three time Juno nominated singer/songwriter, aGemini Award winning puppeteer, an award winning director, and an artist educator. Jani is the recipient of the 2024 Equity Showcase Woman of the Year award!
She has produced her own theatre work such as A Side of Dreams, I Call myself Princess, and Prophecy Fog through her company Paper Canoe Projects.
Our discussion included rejuvenating practices for self-care, Body memory, wisdom of the body and reading your body. We then moved on to Patsy Rodenburg and her decision to resign form Guildhall which led to us chatting about the craft of acting and that led to the craft of well-being in acting. All in all it was a very groundingand humbling conversation. Hope you enjoy it…
www.papercanoeprojects.com
https://www.janilauzon.com/
Our Guest today is Mariel Pastor
www.character-mapping.com
Mariel made the more-obvious-than-it-seems progression from entertainment industry executive to mental health therapist - a move she’s never regretted. She is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist based in Portland, Oregon, and an international trainer for Internal Family Systems therapy (also known as IFS) - a powerful psycho-spiritual approach developed by Richard Schwartz that brings wholeness and healing to the "multiple characters in our minds”.
Mariel is the principal author of the official training manual for IFS, and comes to us today with a personal endeavor called Character Mapping - her psychological toolbox that helps actors, writers and directors build comprehensive character backstories with tools for using the storytelling craft for artistic self-discovery.
Our conversation started out with how she works with artists as a therapist and then moved into her work in character mapping and vicarious trauma and the importance of having healthy boundaries between actor and character.
Character Mapping is available as online masterclasses, workshops and customized coaching.
Go to www.character-mapping.com to learn more.
Our guest today is Sara Lovett.
www.saralizlovett.com
Instagram: @saralizlovett
Facebook: Sara Lovett Author
Sara is a writer, performer, expressive art therapist, and somatic movement educator. She holds a BFA in acting from The University of Texas at Austin, and an M.A. in Depth Psychology with a somatic emphasis from Pacifica Graduate Institute where she is also pursuing her doctorate. Through an art-based movement practice called Inscaping, Sara works with clients onlife transitions, and body image, she also works with actors on their self-care as they deal with emotionally challenging roles. She also teaches writing classes on autobiographical writing and overcoming writer’s block. She is the author of the memoir, The Invisible Bones, and is currently writing the companion workbook, The Friendship Index.
We discussed Sara’s journey of healing through authoring hermemoir ‘The Invisible Bones’, and the significance of boundaries between character and actor and safeguarding personal trauma before embodying a character’s trauma. We began with sara’s decision to be a participant in her own research into actor wellbeing that had her taking on the role of Constance in a monologue from Shakespeare’s King John.
Our Guest today is Alexandra Donnachie
https://www.alexandradonnachie.com/
Alex is an award-winning actress, award-nominated writer, theatre maker and voice actor. Her writer-performer credits include the critically acclaimed shows: twenty-eight, When We Died, and 3 Years, 1 Week and a Lemon Drizzle. She’s enjoyedseveral successful runs at the Edfringe as well as touring the UK.
Other acting credits include stints at the Battersea Arts Centre, numerous audio dramas for Big Finish and Audible and plays series regular, 'Jackie' Tate in the Dark Shadows audio drama series. She also performed in The Suffragettes with Lucy Worsley a BAFTA winning production with BBC One.
She is currently working on a large-scale family show with integrated accessibility with the support of Arts Council England, Battersea Arts Centre and Merton Libraries. She is also developing her fourth play and working on the screen adaptation of When We Died.
I invited Alex onto the podcast to talk about the importanceof a self-care routine specifically her self-care process while she was performing her one woman show about sexual abuse at the EdFringe this year. Including how she safeguards her wellbeing after her emotional performances and having boundaries not only between herself and her character but between herself and those audience members who strongly resonate with the shows themes and want to talk with her afterward. We also touched on the unintentional psychological healing that comes from performing her own work.
Our guest today is Sarah Bedi.
https://www.sarahbedi.org/
Sarah is a UK based director whose has mounted productions at Shakespeare’s Globe, Brighton Theatre Royal, Arcola theatre, The Young Vic and the oval house to name a few. She was also co-artistic director of BAZ Productions for 8 years which included overseeing the delivery of their workshops for young people. In fact, Sarah has worked extensively with young people, from directing plays at the Young Vic, and the Unicorn Young Company to facilitating drama workshops for the National Theatre and many others.
They are currently a Trustee on the Board for The Albany , an award winning arts centre supporting marginalised groups across the UK. They are also an associate at Tonic Theatre helping to drive change within arts and culture, making the sector more equitable, diverse and inclusive.
Sarah is a keen researcher developing ways to implement Wellbeing in the Arts, which has included experimenting with arts therapy as part of rehearsal processes, interviews with creatives during lockdown and co-facilitating Directors’ Space, a group exploring resilience and wellbeing, supported by the Young Vic.
In our discussion, Sarah was very open to sharing her past challenges and the journey that motivated her to become not just a director but a responsible artist creating safe rehearsal spaces for her actors.
Additional Interviews:
Shakespeare’s Globe podcast #SuchStuff S8 E2: Being vulnerable
Interview for American Theatre.
Our Guest today is Wendy Crewson
Wendy Crewson was the recipient of a star on Canada’s Walk of Fame in 2015; and the Earle Grey Award, given to fewer than 32 collective recipients since 1986, in recognition by the ACCT and the Canadian Entertainment Industry, for Lifetime Achievement in Television.
One of Canada’s premier actresses, Wendy Crewson has garnered critical and popular acclaim, as well as multiple awards, for her extensive body of work in film and television. Her resume features more than 100 titles, including credits like: Sarah Polley’s indie feature AWAY FROM HER; THE VOW, with Rachel McAdams and Channing Tatum; the Winnie Mandela biopic WINNIE, alongside Jennifer Hudson and Terrance Howard; THE SANTA CLAUSE trilogy opposite Tim Allen; THE CLEARING, with Robert Redford; Eduardo Ponti’s BETWEEN STRANGERS, with Sophia Loren; THE LAST BRICKMAKER IN AMERICA, with Sidney Poitier; BICENTENNIAL MAN with Robin Williams; THE SIXTH DAY with Arnold Schwarzenegger; and of course, her role as Harrison Ford’s First Lady in AIR FORCE ONE.
Throughout her illustrious career, Wendy has amassed more nominations and awards in Canada than any other actress for portraying real women. These are some of her most wellregarded roles and they include: Sue Rodriguez (who went all the way to The Supreme Court of Canada to fight Doctor Assisted suicide while fighting ALS); “Jane Doe” (who made legal history when she sued the police for negligence after being the fifth victim of a serial rapist and realizing that the police knew details and had done nothing to prevent further rapes); Lorraine Evenshen (who tells the story from her own perspective as the wife of popular CFL star Terry Evanshen, who lost his memory after waking up from a coma caused by a car crash); and finally, Louise Arbour (who as the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for both the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and Rwanda, made history with the first indictment of a sitting head of state, for war crimes, the first conviction for genocide and the first to recognize sexual crimes as crimes against humanity).
Wendy starred in five seasons of CTV’s hit medical drama SAVING HOPE, for which she won Best Actress in a Featured Supporting Role at the 2013 CSAs. Wendy was also in the critically acclaimed, Oscar-nominated film, ROOM with Brie Larson; and appeared opposite Ellen Page in Patricia Rozema’s INTO THE FOREST. Wendy was recently seen in the films KODACHROME, with Ed Harris and Jason Sudeikis; DEATH WISH with Bruce Willis.; and director Mimi Leder’s timely feature, ON THE BASIS OF SEX. On the small screen, Wendy recently starred on CBS’s hit medical drama, GOOD SAM; CBC’s popular series FRANKIE DRAKE; in addition to the Hallmark series, WHEN HOPE CALLS; while also shooting the second season of DEPARTURE for Peacock/Global; and her recurring role on TITANS for HBO Max. Before that, she starred in the CTV/ION series THE DETAIL, for which she was nominated for a 2019 CSA. She also recurred in the AMC series THE SON, opposite Pierce Brosnan; and in THE OCTOBER FACTION for Netflix.
Wendy continues to be as busy as ever. She joined the cast of CBC’s hit procedural, PRETTY HARD CASES for its final season, while also shooting in the highly anticipated series GRAY, opposite Patricia Clarkson. Next, she appears in the independent films BACKSPOT, from director D.W. Waterson; and SAM opposite Elliot Page.
We dived right in and started our conversation with the all-consuming fear of ‘coming out’ --and we ended – appropriately, with her sense of belonging in a community and industry that she is so passionate about.
Our guest today is Pat O’Toole
https://www.patotoole.co.uk/
Pat is a life long learner and admits to being a work in progress. Currently she’s a Trainer, Facilitator and Coach for Business, Education and the Performing Arts. Her work encompasses being an acting tutor in drama school, management and leadership training for organisations, directing, personal development coaching, academic research and workshop facilitation around communication and conflict, well being, and building mental fitness.
Pat has an MSc in Social Sciences, a PGCHE in Learning and Teaching in Higher Education, and is a qualified Integrative Counsellor, Coach and Mental Health First aider. She is also a Course Director at Rose Bruford College for Theatre and Performance in the UK and a fellow of the Higher Education Academy working with both performers and technical students as well a being a community activist and organiser.
Our discussion itself was a work in progress not really knowing where we were going and grazing on topics like Being in the Moment, Safety in the acting space, learning to be a human being, integration of self in our careers, dyslexia, our ever expanding perspectives and being a senior and getting a free bus pass -- aptly we started off with the statement’ it’s about the journey not the destination…
Our guest today is UK actor David Nellist
https://www.eamonnbedford.com/davidnellist/#squelch-taas-tab-content-0-1
Davey, as he likes to be called, has been an actor for over 20 years. He has worked in film television and theatre, appearing in london west end theatre productions such as Billy Elliot , Nicholas Nickleby, Pitman Painters and War Horse. He’s treaded the boards at National Theatre, and Shakespeare Globe to name a few.
In television, he can be seen as Dr Mike Stamford in Sherlock - the man who introduced Holmes to Watson. Working with Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman. He’s appeared as a series regular in Breeze Block, 55 degrees north and A Confession working once again with Martin Freeman.
Originally from Newcastle, Davey has lived in London since 2005. His discussion with Bill and I took on the theme of coming to terms with his identity as a working class actor, and his loyalty to his roots as well his need to create community wherever he goes.
http://malcolmholtsunnysideofthestreet.blogspot.com/2016/02/dave-nellist-in-spotlight.html
Our guest today is Dr. Mark Seton
https://www.actorswellbeingacademy.com/
https://www.linkedin.com/in/markcaristonseton/
Dr. Seton is an Honorary Research Associate in the Department of Theatre and Performance Studies at The University of Sydney, Australia. He also teaches actor wellbeing in several drama schools and coaches actors dealing with highly vulnerable and potentially traumatising roles.
He was awarded a Churchill Fellowship to conduct a study tour of actor training healthcare practices in the UK. As a result, the Equity Foundation, in collaboration with the University of Sydney, initiated an internationally ground-breaking Actors’ Wellbeing Study in 2013.
Dr. Seton is a founding member of the Australian Society for Performing Arts Healthcare.
Our discussion with Dr. Seton or Mark (as I like to call him) started with his own journey that led to his research on actors’ mental health. Along the way he dropped some fascinating perspectives on what an actor is, including the importance of vulnerability & resilience – he even talks about the original term he coined - Resilient vulnerability – and describes its significance. Mark doesn’t subscribe to the concept of ‘becoming the character’ his explanation humanises the acting experience.
Our guest today is Kari Iveland
Kari is a Norwegian singer and song maker who started her career in the mid 1980’s when She completed Vocal Performance-studies in Los Angeles and obtained a degree in musicology at the University of Oslo. She has released several albums and worked as a vocal coach, session singer, and free-lance composer and lyricist.
Kari re-entered academia in 2015 and completed her master’s degree at The Norwegian Academy of Music. She is currently working as a PhD Research Fellow for the Department of Popular music at the University of Agder.
Our conversation with Kari took on many paths – her childhood in Bangladesh being raised by missionary parents, how lyrics can be used to identify our life’s narrative & her inspiration for her own lyrics, her 2 year struggle with anorexia in her 20’s & Reliving traumas on stage - all found their way into our discussion.
Our Guest today is Carlos Diaz
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm0224955/
Carlos is an actor/Voice actor, acting coach, dialect coach, director, writer, and father. He was born in Chile to Chilean parents and emigrated to Canada in 1974 a year after the military coup.
He studied acting in New York City and upon his return to Toronto began to work in theatre, film and television and animation. Carlos was a series regular on Canadian TV shows Rent A Goalie, Crash and Burn and The Line. Eventually an abundance of voice work took more and more of his attention with regular roles on animated series such as Atomic Puppet and more recently Hero Elementary. His creative talents have also been recently engaged for a video game franchise.
Our discussion took on a very interesting journey, starting with the importance of being creatively fulfilled, through to revisiting a stage experience that shook his confidence and ending with his creative outlets for anger.
Our guest today is Catherine McNally
www.mcnallykennedyacting.com
Catherine is an award winning Canadian actor, educator, and acting coach with 36 years’ experience in theatre, t.v and film.
She received a BA Honours at Queens’ University in Canada and studied at LAMDA in London England. In Canada, she has created numerous art workshops, and curriculum for the public schools, theatres, and acting studios. She’s also been a professor of Acting at Sheridan college, University of Toronto, George Brown and presently the Toronto Film school. Catherine is also a private acting coach and is currently coaching on Orphan Black Echoes
In 2018, after witnessing unethical, and unregulated practices in the acting coaching space, Catherine founded McNally Kennedy Acting with her husband, renowned actor & coach Robert B. Kennedy. Her motivation was to create safe, creative, and accountable experiences where the actors authenticity is celebrated and their voices are heard -- Catherine is a proud member of the Association of Acting Coaches and Educators (AACE) - adhering to their code of conduct.
Our conversation with Catherine included discussing boundaries for both actors and educators, the similar ethical responsibilities between therapists and acting coaches and educators, power imbalances in acting classes, child actors involved in traumatic story narratives and the awareness their parents need to have to navigate, what can be, an intimating business.
Our guest today is Emile Pandolfi
https://www.emilepandolfi.com
Emile is professional pianist and entertainer based in south Carolina, USA. Emile has over 40 years of performance experience. and has recorded and released over 30 albums.
Since his first release in 1991, Emile has sold over 4.5 million copies in the USA and has reached more than750 million collective streams online. His concert performances include: St. Mark's Square in Venice, the Catherine Winter Palace in St. Petersburg, Liverpool Cathedral, and Sydney Opera House in Australia.
From his early performances on cruise ships to his current solo performance career in concert halls, Emile has used his musical arrangements of classic songs as a vehicle for powerful emotional connection.
Our discussion included- talking about his book: Play It Like You Mean It! Supercharge Your Playing and Let Your Piano Work for You – which is a layperson’s guide for students to understand who they are as pianists and making artistic choices that are authentic.
We also talked about the courage to accept our authentic selves – warts and all –and how music is the language of our soul….
To kick off season two of Artists in Depth I decided to have a conversation with my co-host Bill Key. A former actor turned therapist and still has his hand in the acting world with small projects here and there as well as being a musician. My background is in directing trauma-based narratives for educational purposes. I also do a little bit of acting on the side.
Interestingly, my initial connection with Bill was not through the arts. It was through our work as therapists in training. Bill is now a qualified therapist and has a long list of clients. I work with actors supporting their resilience and development of emotionally complex characters.
My discussion with Bill covered possible motivations for actors wanting to act, the difference between actors and therapists and the courage to express the shadow self, tapping into one’s own trauma, emotional lingerings, and how Projection identification (a therapeutic term) influences the actors’ choices for their character.
Our guest today is Jonathan Emond
Jonathan does not fit our usual profile for guests being that he’s not established yet but it’s who he is as an artist that intrigues me.
Jonathan is Huron Wendat, French, Polish and Canadian and at 26 years old he has many talents of which he pursues all. He’s a gifted pianist, and A poet – having written two yet to be published poetry books.
At 10 yrs old Jonathan suffered a life threatening event when both his kidneys failed and his father donated one of his . The experience motivated Jonathan to become a public speaker sharing his story of survival and encouraging corporations to pledge funds while still in his teens. Today he remains an active ambassador for various children's charities and organisations.
His acting career started as a teenager with his first ever audition for the show called Tactik. After leading for a few episodes alongside great youth talent, he realized that he had a lot to learn. He decided to go study in Los Angeles with renowned acting coach Aaron Speiser, where he blossomed as an artist. Having now worked in Transformers: Age of Extinction, Slaxx, Transplant, La Chute de Sparte, and a leading role in the sci-fi feature - Moment One, his young career promises to keep the audience on their toes.
I had the pleasure of directing Jonathan recently and what caught my attention is his artistic integrity –what I mean by that is – his ability to connect with conviction and his dedication to align himself with the artistic vision while making it personal to him and still serve the overall piece.
Our discussion ran the gamut From his Buddhist views of life to his method approach to acting. With one requiring detaching from his ego and the other involving profound connection to it, he manages to find oneness in both.
Our Guest today is Marcia Johnson.
Marcia is an actor, playwright, dramaturge and librettist. She was born in Jamaica and has lived in Toronto since the age of six. She became a WGC member when her 90-minute Fringe, play Perfect on Paper was commissioned for Sunday Showcase on CBC Radio in 2003. She played the lead in both the stage and radio versions. Perfect on Paper was a silver medalist in the New York Festivals. Other radio dramas include Wifely Duty, The Revival Meeting and Say Ginger Ale (a WGC Screenwriting award finalist.)
Other accomplishments include the world premiere of Serving Elizabeth, in which she also acted, at Western Canada Theatre in February 2020. It was a co-production with Thousand Islands Playhouse whose production was postponed to October 2021. It had a production under a canopy at Stratford Festival and at Belfry Theatre. The play is published by Scirocco Drama.
Marcia has participated in playwrights’ units at Thousand Islands Playhouse, Obsidian Theatre Company, Theatre Passe Muraille as well as Ontario Arts Council Playwright’s Residencies at Blyth Festival and Roseneath Theatre. The short opera My Mother’s Ring for which she wrote the libretto with composer Stephen A. Taylor was nominated for a 2009 Dora Mavor Moore Award in Toronto. Their second collaboration, Paradises Lost, based on the Ursula K. Le Guin novella had excerpted concert performances at Reed College (Third Angle Ensemble) in Portland, Oregon and at The Gershwin Hotel in New York. Paradises Lost had its premiere at University of Illinois and a concert performance for Musical Works in Concert during the SummerWorks Festival.
Marcia Johnson works with several organizations to support members of the theatre community including: Got Your Back Canada where she is a core member. She sits on the Women Playwrights International senior advisory board; is a CASA founding member, a mentorship program pairing mid-career female South African playwrights; and Ergo Arts Pink Fest (selection committee, dramaturg, actor), a festival featuring the works of female, trans and non-binary playwrights. She is also a member of ARCA (Artists for Real Climate Action) finding creative ways help combat the climate crisis.
Our discussion focused on her process and voice as a playwright and the importance of being empathetic to all her characters and how they bring value to her personal development.
Tomi Janežič is a Slovenian theatre director, professor at the Academy for Theatre, Radio, Film, and Television in Ljubljana, Slovenia, and a psychodrama psychotherapist. He is also one of the founders and the artistic director of the Studio for Research on the Art of Acting which runs its activities mostly at Krušče Workcenter for Artistic Research, Creation, Residency and Education in Krušče, Slovenia.
Tomi has worked in most of the former Yugoslav countries. He has directed or lectured in more than a dozen of different countries (from former Yugoslav countries to Bulgaria, Slovakia, Romunia, Italy, Norway, Portugal, Russia etc.) His performances have toured on dozens of international festivals around Europe, in Russia, the United States and in the countries of former Yugoslavia (Vienna, Brussels, Rotterdam, Munich, Düsseldorf, Firenze, Budapest, Nitra, Sofia, Piatra Neamt, Timișoara, Sfântu Gheorghe, Moscow, St. Petersburg, New York, Belgrade, Novi Sad, Sarajevo, Zagreb, Rijeka, Dubrovnik, Split, Skopje, Ohrid, Ljubljana etc.)
Janežič is a recipient of dozens of prizes and awards including Borštnik award, four Sterija awards, two MESS Golden Laurel Wreath awards,[3] two Ardalion Awards, two Grand prix Golden Lion awards, Golden Mask, Golden Bird and Judita awards, two dr. Djuro Rošić awards, and other Grand Prix, international critic and audience awards (including BITEF audience award for best performance) and awards for directing.
Tomi has been described as: "one of the very few researchers of acting in the present-day Europe (Prof. Ognjenka Milićević)"; "a teacher of the best method trained actors I have ever had the pleasure to work with: the level of talent and their desire to improve their craft reminded me of the Actors studio, when I first started in 1968 till Strasberg's death in 1982" (Ed Kovens); the director of the performance characterized by "an unparalleled quality in the art of acting", which "can truly shift the parameters of our emotional and intellectual reality" (Nataša Govedić); "we can already speak about the Janežič System" (Branka Krilović).
Spontaneity was The starting point for our discussion - that is spontaneity (as defined by the father of psychodrama, JL Moreno.) Tomi also shared his perspective on how detachment is necessary in the creation of art.
Our guest today is Dorothy Atabong
https://dorothyatabong.com/
Born in Cameroon, West Africa, Dorothy moved to the US as young woman. After graduating university as a biochemist in Michigan she moved to New York to study acting at the Neighbourhood Playhouse. She eventually settled in Toronto Canada where, among her TV and stage credits, she produced, directed, and starred in the multiple international award-winning short film Sound of Tears – a story inspired by honour killings. The film screened at over 35 film festivals worldwide. Her screenplays are also garnering attention and winning awards. In addition to being featured in the media from the UK to Africa, Dorothy is currently being mentored by legendary Film Director, and two-time Oscar nomimee Atom Egoyan.
In our discussion, Dorothy talked about how her acting gave birth to her voice as a writer and the many stories that she desires to tell.
Our guest today is Joanne Vannicola.
https://joannevannicola.com/
Jo is a Canadian artist who’s first prominent role was in the teen drama 9B, for which they received a Gemini Award nomination for Best Actress in 1989. In 1991, they won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Performance in Maggie's Secret,and in 1994 received a Genie Award nomination for Best Supporting Actress for the film Love and Human Remains. Their TV credits are too numerous to mention – 71 credits on IMDB - of which many are recurring or regular roles.
Jo’s memoir, All We Knew But Couldn't Say, was published in 2019, and shortlisted for a Kobo Emerging Writer Prize in 2020. Their book was listed as a top 21 non-fiction book by Bustle Magazine, a CBC top 40 pick, and featured on numerous shows.
Jo’s passion for social justice and equity issues led to their founding of Youth Out Loud a not for profit organization to raise awareness of child abuse.
An out lesbian prior to coming out as non-binary, Jo was a prominent campaigner for same-sex marriage in Canada and is the current chair of ACTRA's advocacy and support committee for LGBTQ performers.
Our discussion was rich and covered everything from coming out at a young age, to their abuse as a child, living in fear - to survival - to leaving a legacy and the artistic works they’ve created to do just that.
Our guest today is Sonia Gemmiti https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3557507/
Sonia has a distinguished decade-long career as a Set Designer, working on notable films such as Guillermo del Toro’s Crimson Peak and Suicide Squad. In 2016 She was nominated for the Art Directors Guild - Excellence in Design Award.
Sonia now adds director and producer to her list of accomplishments. In 2019, she received the Cayle Chernin Award for Media Production for her script Outside My Window. Receiving mentorship from Canadian Film Director Guy Maddin, Sonia went on to produce and direct, for the first time, a narrative short based on that script. As a result, she’s earned accolades from film festivals in North America and Europe, including the theme prize, Make Your Life a Masterpiece, at the 2021 Asolo Art Film Festival in Italy. If your listening to this podcast before Nov 28 2021, The film will be screening at the Amacort Film Festival- also in Italy- between November 23-28,
Outside my Window is an expressionistic exploration of agoraphobia (a condition Sonia lives with). In our discussion She was very open and honest with her experience directing for the first time and in her personal exploration as an artist.
Our guest today is Schelby Jean-Baptiste.https://agencemva.com/fr/artistes/schelby-jean-baptiste/
Schelby is a Haïtian Canadian actress and filmmaker based in Montreal. She’s known for her roles on Television and the big screen such as Trécee in 'Unité 9', Marie-Carmel in 'L'Heure Bleue' and Chloé in 'L'échappée', to name a few.
She’s been nominated at the Gala du Cinéma Québécoisin the 'best supporting actress' category for her performance in 'Scratch' as well being nominated twice at the Dynastie Gala in the 'actress of the year' category.
Our focus for our discussion centered around her approach to character development, actor self-care and the deep respect she has for the characters she portrays.
Our guest today is Rupinder Nagra.
https://www.rupindernagra.com/
Rupinder was born in Punjab, India and grew up in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada.
He’s known for his critically acclaimed and award winning portrayal of Amal Kumar in the feature film 'Amal'. The film itself won over 20 awards internationally. Other film credits include 'Kurbaan', 'Omerta' and the multiple award winning 'The Etruscan Smile' with Brian Cox. His stage credits include 'The Other Place', 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' and 'My Brother and Sisters.
Rupinder continues to fuel his passion for acting and storytelling by learning from world class Industry leaders such as Stephen Frears and Christopher Doyle. But its his critically acclaimed portrayal of Amal Kumar that has stayed with him and continues to bring him accolades from those who see the film and praise him through social media.
For our discussion Rupinder reflected on Amal being a vessel for his own personal change. He Looked at what it means to be in the moment in his own life Vs his focus on material gain ---we also explored his penchant for not wanting to be himself when he acts and his need to belong and the eye-opening experience he had one night in India while preparing for his role in Amal that impacted his outlook on life.
Our guest today is Anand Jaggernauth.
http://anandsart.com/
Anand is a visual artist born and raised on the beautiful Caribbean island of Trinidad. With a successful career in Geophysics he had little time to pursue his art yet always had a hand in it.
After his brothers passing he made the decision to leave the corporate world and become a fulltime visual artist. Since then he has become the Resident Artist For Canada’s NEO Stock Exchange and has been commissioned to do works for some of Canada’s largest banks and corporations. He also creates his own works and is quite often privately commissioned.
His new works are created using his hands directly on the canvas in what he calls ‘ a dance of the energy of existence and expansion.’
As Bill and I’s first visual artist, and stepping outside of our comfort zone reflecting with actors, our discussion with Anand paralleled a key message his work inspires - taking opportunity to pause.
Our Guest today is Juan Carlos Velis
https://www.imdb.com/name/nm1146884/
Juan Carlos started His acting career in TV at the age of three, in his native El Salvador.
When he was eight, he made his film debut in Paper Boat, a film that represented El Salvador, for which he received critical acclaim.
Now, at age 48 Juan Carlos has worked in theatre, film, tv, radio, voice AND motion caption for video games.
As a stage actor he’s worked in theatre’s across Canada and the United States.
His television credits are endless - with reoccurring roles in past series such as Relic Hunter, The Andromeda strain, Damien, and Incorporated.
As a playwright - his produced plays include, “Further Beyond”, “Borderlines” and “Howling Winds”
There’s more but suffice to say –he’s accomplished.
And you’d never know it talking to him – he’s the most modest man I know.
For our discussion Carlos focused on his native land, and the civil war that forced his family to leave El Salavador when he was 14 and his innocence of not knowing what was going on. His creative outlets are many and all help heal and reframe a past that still impacts his artistic expression.
Our Guest today is UK based actor Gary Oliver.
https://garyoliveractor.com/
Gary began his career in the Theatre most notably seasons at the Royal National Theatre and Royal Shakespeare Company
He's worked with many great directors including Rufus Norris, Sir Trevor Nunn and David Farr.
highlights include Festen at the Almeida and playing Marc Anthony for the RSC,
and Julius Caesar in Stratford, America, and London.
Since 2012 he’s worked solely in tv and film with Game of thrones and the Netflix series - Young Wallander among his many credits
Gary talked about the light and shade that creates a character and although he shows both in his performances for our discussion, we focused on a few of his darker qualities.
Our Guest artist today is Kate Drummond
https://www.katedrummond.com/
Kate is a multi-award winning Canadian actress with an extensive list of credits in film, television and video games.
She is widely known for her role in the People’s Choice Award winning show, Wynonna Earp, streaming on Netflix internationally. She also stars in the SYFY cross-genre HULU/CBC Gem Original series, Utopia Falls. and has guest starred on shows such as Ghostwriter, Saving Hope, Dark Matter, Good Witch and Heartland.
Kate won the 2020 Canadian Screen Award for her lead role in the award-winning feature film Nowhere to be Found. More recently, Kate joined Isabelle Fuhrman in the independent feature, The Novice and the all-star cast of Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson and Kaley Cuoco in The action-comedy The Man From Toronto.
Our discussion with Kate encapsulated everything that Artists in Depth stands for and that we all can relate too, including her fearless search for herself through the artistry of acting to fusing with characters she plays to her achilles heal of needing approval and finding her ‘mama bear’ voice.
Co-host and creator Alan Powell reflects with his co-host Bill Key on their new podcast series involving guest artists exploring links between their creativity and their identity.
Visit https://www.artistsindepth.com/ and sign up for podcast reminders or subscribe here.
This clip from our discussion with Kate encapsulated everything that Artists in Depth stands for and that we all can relate too, including her fearless search for herself through the artistry of acting to fusing with characters she plays to her achilles heal of needing approval and finding her ‘mama bear’ voice.
Kate is a multi-award winning Canadian actress with an extensive list of credits in film, television and video games. She is widely known for her role in the People’s Choice Award winning show, Wynonna Earp, streaming on Netflix internationally. She also stars in the SYFY cross-genre HULU/CBC Gem Original series, Utopia Falls. and has guest starred on shows such as Ghostwriter, Saving Hope, Dark Matter, Good Witch and Heartland.
Kate won the 2020 Canadian Screen Award for her lead role in the award-winning feature film Nowhere to be Found. More recently, Kate joined Isabelle Fuhrman in the independent feature, The Novice and the all-star cast of Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson and Kaley Cuoco in The action-comedy The Man From Toronto.
Sign up for monthly podcast reminders at https://www.artistsindepth.com/ and follow us here.
SEASON ONE STARTS JULY 2021
Our Guest artist today is Kate Drummond
https://www.katedrummond.com/
Kate is a multi-award winning Canadian actress with an extensive list of credits in film, television and video games.
She is widely known for her role in the People’s Choice Award winning show, Wynonna Earp, streaming on Netflix internationally. She also stars in the SYFY cross-genre HULU/CBC Gem Original series, Utopia Falls. and has guest starred on shows such as Ghostwriter, Saving Hope, Dark Matter, Good Witch and Heartland.
Kate won the 2020 Canadian Screen Award for her lead role in the award-winning feature film Nowhere to be Found. More recently, Kate joined Isabelle Fuhrman in the independent feature, The Novice and the all-star cast of Kevin Hart, Woody Harrelson and Kaley Cuoco in The action-comedy The Man From Toronto.
Our discussion with Kate encapsulated everything that Artists in Depth stands for and that we all can relate too, including her fearless search for herself through the artistry of acting to fusing with characters she plays to her achilles heal of needing approval and finding her ‘mama bear’ voice.