The Firecracker Department - The Blaze Sessions Season 02
218 episodes - English - Latest episode: 11 days ago -Award-winning actor Naomi Snieckus (Second City, Disney’s Zombies) is getting real with fellow artists about their struggles, successes, and everything in between. On Season 02, Jennifer Podemski (Little Bird, Reservation Dogs) joins her to curate inspiring, engaging, and refreshingly honest conversations with women and non-binary individuals at the top of their game in the industry. A new episode is out every 2 weeks.
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Episodes
Jessica Matten wants to be best known for being of service to others
June 12, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBFrom a young age, actress and producer Jessica Matten (Dark Winds) has been focused on creating Indigenous communities to support and be of service to. From her first group Positive Beauty at the age of 13, supporting young Indigenous models with an undercurrent of mental health and wellness, to running programs with the Indigenous Film School and her own company 7 Forward Entertainment, Jessica is focused on consistently pushing others forward towards their goals and healing people through...
Keilani Rose is on a lifelong journey to discover her voice
May 29, 2024 10:00 - 52 minutes - 47 MBThe extraordinary Keilani Rose (Shoresy) is embracing the lifelong journey of self-discovery to find her voice as an artist. Born and raised in Lheidli (The Place Where the Two Rivers Flow Together - also colonially known as Prince George, BC), she tells Naomi and Jennifer how her roots in dance gave her a safe space to find herself and morphed into other areas of artistry she’s used to tell powerful stories. She also shares how her Indigenous cultural values serve as a reminder that all a...
Jennifer Podemski & Naomi Sneickus believe there’s comedy to be found in trauma
May 15, 2024 10:00 - 35 minutes - 41.1 MBIn our kickoff episode for the second season of The Blaze Sessions, Naomi sits down with this season's curator, Jennifer Podemski. As a multi-hyphenate artist, Jennifer’s creativity knows no bounds, and she’s committed to highlighting the importance of cultural sensitivity when it comes to Indigenous content and shining lights on aspects of the industry that still make her angry in an effort to force change. In this discussion with Naomi, Jennifer shares her views on the importance of gr...
The Blaze Sessions Season 2 Trailer
May 01, 2024 10:00 - 3 minutes - 5.63 MBWelcome back to The Blaze Sessions brought to you by the Firecracker Department! Season two is here, and we're thrilled! Hosts Naomi Snieckus (Mr.D, The Madness, The Social, Second City Toronto) and the incredible Jennifer Podemski, ("Little Bird", "Reservation Dogs" and founder of Red Cloud Productions and The Shine Network) have curated inspiring, engaging, and refreshingly honest conversations with women and non-binary individuals at the top of their game in the industry. From sharing ins...
Alana Johnston wants to be the funniest she’s ever been
April 17, 2024 15:24 - 1 hour - 47.2 MBFor the past few years, performer and writer Alana Johnston has made it her mission to incorporate the theme of self-esteem into her artistic work. As the host of The Self-Esteem Party Podcast (on which this episode was first featured), she’s learned that the things we struggle with in regards to self-esteem might follow us forever, and that’s totally okay. She also shares how her perspective has shifted after some major events occurred in her life in recent years, and how she’s now using ...
Anne Rab finds bravery in being bold on stage & in life
April 03, 2024 10:00 - 57 minutes - 78.7 MBAnne Rab’s improv career all started when she met a clown and stumbled into the art form that would change her life. Although it was difficult to make the transition from a city where she had stability and comfort to one completely unknown, she tells Naomi that learned that she didn’t want to play it safe and to make the choice to just go for her dreams. Now, she carries this outlook through her teachings and thrives off of encouraging people to be comfortable with making mistakes and n...
Nadine Antler gives herself permission to do the things she loves
March 20, 2024 10:00 - 1 hour - 103 MBOne thing’s for certain about improviser Nadine Antler is that her strength lies in taking care of people. From studying to be a social worker to putting on a decade-long improv festival and now running her own improv school, Nadine tells Naomi about her desire to help both actors and non-actors through the communication and boundary-setting skills that improv teaches. But despite committing to help others with this, she reveals that her personal challenge is her inner critic and the d...
Vanessa Matsui is a pro at taking things frame by frame
March 06, 2024 11:00 - 58 minutes - 80.8 MBWith her wealth of experience as an actor, writer, improviser, and now a director, Vanessa Matsui always finds time to look back and thank her younger self for having the gumption and bravery to take chances. By stumbling through her experience creating, writing, directing, and acting in the award winning series Ghost BFF, Vanessa tells Naomi about how she learned to just keep going and follow through on her impulses in every role she played. She also recounts the discovery she made that all...
Inbal Lori has a plan to not have a plan
February 21, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 101 MBGrowing up in Israel, the multi-faceted Inbal Lori always knew she would be in the arts and fully embraced the holy trinity of acting, writing, and directing. But amidst her love for creation, she tells Naomi that before she moved to Berlin, she suffered when she played parts that she didn’t write because she wasn’t in control - even though she never had a “plan” in life. Little did she know that when she arrived in Germany, her love and passion for improv would take over her life and teach...
Maria del Mar paved the way for all of us with power and passion
February 07, 2024 14:42 - 1 hour - 89.8 MBMaria del Mar has never let fear hold her back from anything in her extensive career and expansive life. As a young actress with a passion growing up in Ottawa, Maria took a chance and moved to Toronto to fake it ‘till she made it, with roles on incredible shows like Frasier, 24, and Hudson & Rex. The more Maria took chances, the more life presented her with opportunities to try new things and learn from everyone she’s worked with. She tells Naomi how she vowed to always remain open to ever...
Beatrix Brunschko navigates life with her three “me”s
January 24, 2024 11:00 - 1 hour - 113 MBBeatrix Brunschko, aka Trixie, dives headfirst into every twist and turn of her incredible career. She's not just a director of the stage and screen – Trixie's a founding member of Theatre Bahnhof, a professor at the University of Hamburg, and the go-to guru for all things improv. Starting from the wild passion that birthed a theatre company to her game-changing improv workshops, Trixie's all about creating spaces where creativity runs wild and shakes things up for everyone – even our c...
Firecracker Department 2024 Trailer
January 10, 2024 11:00 - 2 minutes - 4.26 MBRev up your year with a brand new season of The Firecracker Department Podcast! Let's ignite 2024 with an explosive lineup of captivating conversations. Join our sensational host, Naomi Snieckus, and an array of global artists as they take you on a heart-pounding journey into the depths of creativity and inspiration. But that's not all – mark your calendars because later this spring, we're bringing you The Blaze Sessions, a special mini-season featuring the extraordinary co-host Jennifer Pod...
Jennifer Holness immerses herself in stories
June 14, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 73.9 MBJennifer Holness is not only a force to be reckoned with, but she is a beacon of change in the industry. An award-winning filmmaker and the co-founder of Hungry Eyes Media (with her partner Sudz Sutherland), she is the first ever recipient of the Firecracker Department's Red Point Award, going to women over 50 who are still creating incredible content and leading the way in out community. After a life-changing health scare in her early twenties, Jennifer learned to go forth confidently in th...
Wendy Crewson stands up for herself
June 07, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 70.2 MBWith a career spanning decades and a multitude of incredible roles in beautiful shows, it’s no wonder actor Wendy Crewson is one of Canada’s brightest and most beloved stars. With credits like Air Force One, Good Sam, Pretty Hard Cases, she is also known as a staunch advocate for ACTRA and FilmOntario and for the role she’s played in helping change the landscape of the industry. But, Wendy says she’s learned the most important person to stand up for, ultimately, is herself. She tells Nao...
Mary Young Leckie lives for her lightbulb moments
May 31, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 63.7 MBIn the Art Gallery of Nova Scotia, Mary Young Leckie had one of her infamous lightbulb moments, which inspired her to produce such amazing shows as M.V.P and the brilliant and award- winning film Maudie. With an immense passion for telling Canadian stories and steadfast activism throughout her career, Mary reveals she has an unwavering belief in all of the stories she tells. She also details the determination she has found to push through the sometimes-long journeys to produce her wo...
Jennifer Podemski acknowledges all her little wins
May 24, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.9 MBJuggling a work-life balance is difficult for many of us, but perhaps even more so for the multi-hyphenate extraordinary talent that is Jennifer Podemski. As she has navigated her career through acting, writing, directing, producing and showrunning (with her beautiful film Little Bird coming up), not to mention her companies The Shine Network and Red Cloud Studios she has learned a few valuable lessons along the way. She tells Naomi and Amanda about how the art of fear management an...
Sheila McCarthy is just going to pretend
May 17, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 71.1 MBSheila McCarthy’s résumé truly reads like an adventure book with twists, turns and surprises that makes her one of the most versatile and unique artists in our community. From playing a maid in The Littlest Hobo to her profound performance as Greta Loewen in Sarah Polley’s Oscar award winning movie Women Talking, her command of the screen is unlike any other - and really makes Naomi and Amanda wonder why she doesn't yet have the Order of Canada. Despite her prolific career, even Sheil...
Adrienne C. Moore never wants to be a GOAT
May 10, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 67.4 MBWhatever Adrienne C. Moore is selling - we’re buying! As the unpredictable drug squad detective Kelly Duff on Pretty Hard Cases, with some other pretty big roles under her belt (hello, Orange is the New Black!) we’d assume Adrienne had achieved GOAT status. But she proudly proclaims that she’d rather just keep striving for it than have already reached it. After a successful career in marketing, Adrienne tells Amanda and Naomi how she learned how to think of herself as a product and work...
Grace Lynn Kung doesn't like labels
May 03, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 72.2 MBGrace Lynn Kung has reached a milestone in her life and career - being number one on the call sheet for the very first time as Marissa Wong in the new crime dramedy Wong and Winchester - and she’s celebrating every moment!. The road to get there hasn’t been easy, but Grace tells Naomi and Amanda how she finds that tuning in to her vulnerability and authenticity helps feed into the various roles she’s played - both onscreen and off. She also divulges how we often use age as an excuse t...
Meredith MacNeill is best friends with failure
April 26, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 52.6 MBWe know Meredith MacNeill as by-the-book, yet frazzled detective Sam Wazowski on Pretty Hard Cases and for her absurd and hilarious comedic sketches on Baroness Von Sketch Show which she wrote and starred in….but the truth is - she’s more than just the wild roles she plays on screen. The depth that she carries through her work comes from recognizing the truth of her life and how she sees the world. She shares with Naomi and Amanda that part of her comedic process involves cozying up...
The Blaze Sessions Season 1 Trailer
April 19, 2023 10:00 - 2 minutes - 3.84 MBGet ready for The Blaze Sessions! Award-winning actors and friends Amanda Brugel and Naomi Snieckus kick off their shoes and dive into honest conversation with eight women at the top of their game in the entertainment industry. It's a showbiz cheat sheet, a dose of creative inspiration and a great ride, all rolled into one. Coming at you April 26.
Amanda Brugel finds beauty in her daily “delights”
April 12, 2023 10:00 - 1 hour - 81.2 MBThe incomparable Amanda Brugel should truly be recognized as an artistic chameleon. With her seamless ability to transition from comedy to drama - in roles like Karina Duff on Pretty Hard Cases and Rita Blue and then effortlessly to her work on The Handmaid’s Tale - Amanda is constantly reinventing herself and breaking away from the proverbial “box” that many actors seem to fall into. But her successes haven’t come without setbacks, and she tells Naomi how she’s learned to be open abo...
Rong Fu
June 08, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 80.8 MBOur guest this week is Chinese-Canadian actor, writer - RONG FU! Rong was born in Qin-an, China and was raised in Toronto, Canada. She knew at a young age that she wanted to be an actor and started her classical training in theatre at Earl Haig, an arts high school in Toronto and then went on to graduate from York University’s Acting Conservatory in 2012. Rong’s theatrical debut was in the critically acclaimed production of THE CRUCIBLE at Soulpepper in Toronto. She has since perform...
Sally Shaar
May 26, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 77.3 MBOur guest this week is Toronto-based Juno-winning vocalist, songwriter, director, music marketing specialist and Syrian-Canadian - SALLY SHAAR! Sally studied with Canadian vocal legends Christine Duncan, Lorraine Lawson, Falconer Abraham, and Micah Barnes. She has such an amazing voice and she’s constantly pushing the boundaries of her voice both on stage and in the studio. Through her studies at Humber College’s music program and an unfortunate bout of tonsillitis, Sally has become a verita...
Veronica Martin
May 16, 2022 22:05 - 58 minutes - 67.2 MBOur guest this week is Greater Toronto-based Coach and Consultant, Crafter, Cook, Sewist, Bread Baker, Head of our Mentorship Department, Facilitator of Firecracker Artists Way Programme and Actioneer VERONICA MARTIN! Veronica has lead and developed both the Mentorship Department and Firecracker Artists Way Program with such heart. Both support women and non-binary folks in the arts who come together to listen and learn. The Mentorship Team includes Kathleen Harquail, Sarah Potter, Emilia...
Kathleen Harquail
May 11, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 80.5 MBOur guest this week is Toronto-based policy advisor, workplace consultant, change maker, film producer AND Firecracker Actioneer and part of our mentorship department - KATHLEEN HARQUAIL! Kathleen has a degree in Hispanic Studies from Trent University, in Peterborough, Canada, and Universidad del Valle de Mexico. As well as, a diploma in screenwriting from George Brown, in Toronto, and is a graduate of Women In Film and Television Toronto’s Media Business Essentials program. Kathleen ca...
Laura Terruso
May 04, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 82.8 MBOur guest this week is screenwriter, director and producer LAURA TERRUSO! Laura is a graduate from NYU’s graduate film program at the Tisch School of the Arts. Her feature film debut as writer, director, producer is FITS AND STARTS which premiered at SXSW 2017. This comedy is about a struggling writer who can't seem to escape his wife's literary success. When a road trip to a publisher's salon takes an unexpected turn, he has to face his own creative shortcomings and find a way to regain...
Teresa M. Ho
April 27, 2022 09:00 - 55 minutes - 63 MBOur guest this week is Toronto-based executive producer, producer TERESA M. HO! Teresa has over 25 years of experience underneath her belt in production finance and management, along with over ten years as a Producer in Canadian Television. She has produced four seasons of CBC’s FRANKIE DRAKE MYSTERIES and two seasons of Corus’s DEPARTURE. Teresa also managed the hit Netflix Series ANNE WITH AN E, and multiple units on NBC Universal’s reboot TV Series HEROES REBORN. Teresa recently launche...
Mae Martin
March 30, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 83.1 MBOur 150th guest this week is London-based award-winning Canadian comedian, actor, writer and producer MAE MARTIN! Mae began doing comedy at the age of 13 and dropped out of school at 15 to pursue comedy full time. They trained at The Second City, and was the youngest person to be nominated for the Tim Sims Encouragement Fund Award. At 16 they were nominated for a Canadian Comedy Award and recently they won a Canadian Comedy Award for their work as a writer on BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW. ...
Lisa Berry
March 23, 2022 09:00 - 1 hour - 76.8 MBOur guest this week is Toronto-based actor, writer, producer, mindfulness and meditation coach and teacher LISA BERRY! Let’s celebrate LISA’s Canadian Screen Award Nomination for Best Lead Performance, Web Program or Series for playing Notice in Obsidian Theatre’s 21 BLACK FUTURES! You may recognize Lisa from her recurring roles as "Billie," aka Death, in The CW’s sci-fi-fantasy hit show SUPERNATURAL, as "Cleophas Garroway" in Freeform and Netflix’s SHADOWHUNTERS: THE MORTAL INSTRU...
Agam Darshi
March 09, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 70.1 MBOur guest this week is Los Angeles-based, born in England, raised all over Canada, award-winning actor and filmmaker AGAM DARSHI! You may recognize Agam from her role as Radha in Oscar-nominated director Deepa Mehta’s film FUNNY BOY. For Radha, she was nominated for a Canadian Screen Award for Performance by an Actress in a Supporting Role and a LEO Award for Best Supporting Performance by a Female in a Motion Picture! Due out this Spring 2022, Agam will be in Emmy-winning Ava Duvernay’...
Shasha Nakhai
March 02, 2022 10:00 - 56 minutes - 64.6 MBOur guest this week is Toronto-based award-winning producer, director and storyteller SHASHA NAKHAI! Shasha’s storytelling work has taken her all over the world, like the Hawaiian coastline in THIRTY EIGHT MINUTES, a Cold War bunker in THE HOLE IN RESERVOIR HILL, the engine room of a decaying ship in THE UNSINKABLE CAPTAIN JOHN, the Philippine sugar mills in THE SUGAR BOWL and the front lines of Nigeria’s energy crisis with TAKE LIGHT. Shasha’s received a Canadian Screen Award nomi...
Martha Chaves
February 23, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 77.6 MBOur guest this week is Toronto based award-winning comedian, actor, activist, emerging playwright and podcaster - MARTHA CHAVES! Martha describes herself as, “the most famous LGBTQ-Nicaraguan-Canadian stand-up comic in the world.” Martha first came to Montreal to study at Concordia University and when her student VISA expired she couldn’t return to Nicaragua to reunite with her family because they had to flee during the Contra War. She had to claim refugee status in Montreal and has ...
Susan Messing
February 16, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 89.5 MBOur guest this week is Chicago-based award-winning actor, improviser, comedian and teacher SUSAN MESSING! Susan is a New Jersey native and a graduate of Northwestern University’s Theatre School. She has been an improviser and comedian for over 35 years! Susan is an alumna of Chicago’s beloved iO Theatre and The Second City’s Mainstage. Susan is a founding member of Chicago’s Annoyance Theatre. It’s an infamous theatre and associated ensemble that deals with absurd and outrageous humour. ...
Liesl Lafferty
February 09, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 99.5 MBOur guest this week is Vancouver-based scriptwriter, story editor, award-winning director AND our co-head of our Writing Department LIESL LAFFERTY! Liesl focuses mainly on creating and developing new works. In 2020, she facilitated scriptwriting workshops in Vancouver with WET INK COLLECTIVE, a writer-driven initiative for women, WESTERN GOLD THEATRE, a premier company that fcouses on sharing and celebrating the talents of senior professional theatre artists and REALWHEELS THEATRE, a threa...
Nelu Handa
February 02, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 83.4 MBOur guest this week is Toronto-based screenwriter, producer and actor NELU HANDA! Nelu wrote for and performed on multiple seasons of award-winning comedy series including: CTV and HULU’s JANN, PBS’s ODD SQUAD, CBC’s TALL BOYZ, and CBC and IFC’s BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW. Nelu won a 2021 Canadian Screen Award for Best Writing, Variety or Sketch Comedy for BARONESS VON SKETCH SHOW. She is a Writer and Consulting Producer for CBC’s RUN THE BURBS, CBC and HBO MAX’s SORT OF. Nelu was a Staff...
Jasmine Renée Thomas
January 26, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 76.3 MBOur guest this week is Toronto-based actor and professional dancer JASMINE RENÉE THOMAS! You may recognize Jasmine from her starring role as Stacey in Disney’s Z-O-M-B-I-E-S 1, 2 and 3. By the age of 4 she was taking Acro, Jazz, Ballet, Hip-Hop, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Tap. After graduating high school, Jasmine knew she wanted to pursuit a professional career in dance and she developed her career with full-time training in Canada, Los Angeles and all across the U.S. Jasmine’s career as a...
Alanis Obomsawin
January 19, 2022 10:00 - 1 hour - 77.8 MBOur first guest of 2022 is singer, songwriter, artist, director, producer, one of Canada’s most distinguished filmmakers and member of the Abenaki Nation ALANIS OBOMSAWIN! Her 53rd film in her 54 year career is HONOUR TO SENATOR MURRAY SINCLAIR ! It made its world premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival and shares the powerful speech Senator Sinclair gave when he accepted the WFM Canada World Peace Award and interspersed with the heartbreaking testimonies from former students imp...
Kylee Russell
December 22, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 84.3 MBOur guest this week is California-based actor, singer, songwriter and dancer KYLEE RUSSELL! She starred as Karin Daniels in Disney Channel’s “JUMP IN!”, along side HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL’s Corbin Bleu and SCREAM QUEEN’s Keke Palmer. Kylee landed the lead role of Young Kari Peterson, with WESTWORLD’s Tessa Thompson playing the Adult Kari Peterson, in Tina Mabry’s award-winning film MISSISSIPPI DAMNED. Kylee’s love for singing shone through when she starred as Hayden Chase, a pop star sensation i...
Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Joanne Hock
December 15, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 81.5 MBOur 13th Reel Women’s Network spotlight guest is North Carolina-based, award-winning writer, director, producer and cinematographer - JOANNE HOCK! She directed features including: THE ULTIMATE LEGACY, DISCARDED THINGS, ANGELS UNWARE, TRINITY GOODHEART and REDNECK ROOTS. One of her latest features WHEN WE LAST SPOKE premiered in theatres October 2020. Set in 1966, it stars Academy Award winner Cloris Leachman, Melissa Gilbert, Darby Camp and Corbin Bernsen. She also directed over 30 episodes...
ENUKA OKUMA
December 08, 2021 10:00 - 59 minutes - 67.6 MBOur guest this week is award-winning actor, writer, producer, director ENUKA OKUMA! Currently, she is a writer on Netflix and CBC’s smash hit WORKIN’ MOMS and stars as Sloane Mitchell. You probably recognize her as the series regular, Traci Nash, on ABC and GLOBAL’s long-running police drama, ROOKIE BLUE. Enuka co-wrote, with Adriana Maggs, a sixth season episode of the show ROOKIE BLUE. She has also guest starred in Showtime’s MASTERS OF SEX, ABC’s HOW TO GET AWAY WITH MURDER and ABC’s GREY...
Karen Walton
December 01, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 84.2 MBOur guest this week is award-winning screenwriter, executive producer and founder of Ink Canada- KAREN WALTON! She is best known for penning the original cult classic horror film, GINGER SNAPS, along with writing and co-executive producing Bell Media and BBC America’s hit sci-fi series, ORPHAN BLACK. Other credits include: Showtime’s QUEER AS FOLK, CTV’s FLASHPOINT, THE LISTENER, THE ELEVENTH HOUR and CBC’s WHAT’S IT LIKE BEING ALONE, STRAIGHT UP, DROP THE BEAT. She also wrote 2 true-life MO...
Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Armin Sethi
November 24, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 69.9 MBOur 12th Reel Women’s Network spotlight guest is writer, producer and crown attorney ARMIN SETHI! Armin has a superpower for making a vision come to life through Fly Away Films with her collaborator and sister Asis Sethi. She is a full-time Crown Attorney in Ontario and in the evenings or early mornings, Armin is the Editor-in-chief of Bollywood Film Fame magazine where she interviews many Bollywood icons. Since 2019, Armin as been a writer and producer for docu-series short films, including...
Jaime Moyer
November 17, 2021 10:00 - 1 hour - 74.1 MBOur guest on the show this week is JAIME MOYER! Jaime voiced April and Colleen on FOX TV’s BOB’s BURGER, guest starred as the Female Snowflake, in FOX’s new animation series THE GREAT NORTH. She has had recurring roles on: PEACOCK’s AP BIO, Netflix’s THE BIG SHOW SHOW, ABC’s MODERN FAMILY, and Disney’s hit show KC UNDERCOVER. She also appeared on NBC’s PARKS AND RECREATION, CBS’s 2 BROKE GIRLS and Hulu’s FUTURE MAN. Jaime wrote for three seasons of Nickelodeon’s LEGO CITY ADVENTURES where sh...
Leesa Levinson
November 10, 2021 10:00 - 41 minutes - 47.7 MBOur guest on the show this week is Toronto-based actor, producer and advocate LEESA LEVINSON! She is a graduate of Wexford Collegiate’s prestigious Performing Arts Musical Theatre Program where Leesa began displaying strange neurological symptoms at 16. At 19, she was diagnosed with Multiple Sclerosis. Leesa continued to pursue her passion at Fanshawe College and attended Ryerson University’s Radio and Television Arts program. Some of Leesa’s credits include CBC and The CW’s CORONER and CTV’...
Niccole Thurman
November 03, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 85.2 MBOur guest on the show this week is a Los Angeles-based actor, writer, and the co-host of the podcast, THE SCROLL DOWN- NICCOLE THURMAN! Niccole and THE SCROLL DOWN’s co-host Marcella Arguello, talk about all things social media, unpacking the vibes and juicy topics from the week and they dissect the main characters—while cracking a few jokes in between. Niccole is the voice of Jabberjaw, Squiddly Diddly and Dee Dee Sykes in the HBO Max animated series JELLYSTONE. You can see Niccole in Netfl...
Reel Women's Network Spotlight: Pearl Gluck
October 27, 2021 09:00 - 52 minutes - 60 MBOur 11th Reel Women’s Network (RWN) spotlight is award-winning writer-director-producer PEARL GLUCK. She creates both documentary and narrative films that explore themes of class, gender, and faith. Her first documentary feature film, DIVAN, is a Hasidic tale five years in the making that was developed in part at the Sundance Institute. It premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival and opened theatrically at the Film Forum in New York City and it broadcasted on the Sundance Channel. Her first na...
Kate James
October 20, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 93.4 MBOur guest on the show this week is New York-based comedy writer, actor, improviser KATE JAMES. Not only does Kate write for WORK IN PROGRESS, she has also written for Comedy Central, NPR, Slate, The Second City, the band Phish and a ton of awards shows. Kate is the co-creator and writer of Schadenfreude, a nationally syndicated comedy show on Chicago Public Radio for two seasons. Kate also writes material for Sir Patrick Stewart's personal and award show appearances like The Golden Globes, B...
Madeleine Sims-Fewer
October 13, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 71 MBOur guest on the show this week is writer-director-actor-producer British-Canadian MADELEINE SIMS-FEWER. She has BFA. with honours in film production at York University and a MFA in acting at the Drama Centre London. She is an alum of the Berlinale Talent Campus 2016 and the Rotterdam Lab this year in 2021. Madeleine met Dusty Mancinelli at the 2015 TIFF Filmmakers’ Lab, and they founded DM FILMS. Their jam is a naturalistic performance style with their films exploring gender politics, huma...
Bilal Baig
October 06, 2021 09:00 - 1 hour - 74.9 MBOur guest on the show this week is a queer, trans-feminine, Muslim playwright, performer and workshop facilitator BILAL BAIG. Their first play ACHA BACHA, had its world premiere in 2018 and it has been published by Playwrights Canada Press. Bilal develops and facilitates workshops for youth in under-resourced neighbourhoods in Toronto, at non-profits, such as RIVERS OF HOPE where they combat Islamophobia through the arts and STORY PLANET which focuses on creative writing and literacy. Bilal ...