The Thousand Islands Playhouse Podcast: From the Greenroom

Join Allison and Stephanie as they speak with Director Thomas Alderson, Choreographer Jesse Weafer and Assistant Choreographer/ Dance Captain Tyler Pearse about their collaborative process when bringing Grease to the stage, the differences between dancing for film and stage, and the enduring power of one of the world's best-loved musicals.

Stephanie and Allison talk to director Sheila McCarthy about how she continues to reinvent herself over her decades-long career, how her experience as an actor informs her directing, and her favourite place in Gananoque for sweet potato fries.

Join Allison and Stephanie as they spill some tea with the women of Women of the Fur Trade. Actors Danelle Charette, Alison Beckwith, and Joelle Peters discuss their personal connections to this play, the importance of humour when telling historical stories, and the mysterious sixth character only found in the script.

Join Allison and Stephanie as they speak with director Evalyn Parry and performer Karin Randoja about The Piano Teacher , as well as their longtime artistic collaboration, the intricacies of performing a play about grief, and what exactly is "devised" theatre?

Join Allison and Stephanie as they chat with music director and bandleader Sarah Richardson about the depth of Dolly Parton, the experience of coming back to 9 to 5, and the many hats she wears as both music director and bandleader.

Join Allison and Stephanie as they speak to Stage Manager Rebecca Eamon Campbell about her process for working on plays and musicals, the importance of empathy in art, and the fantastic team mounting a very special production of The Drawer Boy .

Allison and Stephanie speak with actors Kyle Brown and Romi Shraiter about their experience working on Mark Crawford's Stag and Doe. They discuss reinventing wedding traditions, the similarities and differences of playing comedy and drama, and who is the best at stag and doe games.

Allison and Stephanie speak with the director of Cottagers and Indians , Kevin John Atawakon Saylor, about his passion for arts education, the importance of humour in Indigenous theatre, and Gananoque's connection to the history of land and water rights in Canada.

Join Allison and special guest host Teddy Moynihan as they chat with the four children playing Jane and Michael Banks about what it was like to audition for Mary Poppins, their favourite songs, and where the best spots are to visit in Gananoque.

Join Allison and Stephanie for the first episode of the 2025 season of the Playhouse Podcast as they dive into How The Other Half Loves , They chat with Set Designer Vickie Marston and Costume Designer Kaelen MacDonald about the collaborative process of designing a show, the differences between theatre and film, and the challenges of trying to fit two sets onto one stage.

Join Allison and Stephanie for the final episode of the 2024 podcast. And what a guest to finish off a fantastic season! Kathryn MacKay is a founding member of the Playhouse, and was instrumental in the creation of the Firehall Theatre space. Stephanie and Allison chat with her about her work with PeerLess Productions, her return to the Firehall for it's 20th anniversary, and what she's enjoying m...

Stephanie and Allison chat with Jesus Christ Superstar's Choreographer Nicol Spinola about taking the musical across the country, the relationship between choreographer and director, and experience producing immersive site-specific musical theatre in Vancouver.

Allison and Stephanie speak with set and costume designer Jawon Kang and lighting designer Christian Horoszczak about their work on Doubt: A Parable , their history of collaboration, and their favourite type of theatre to design for.

Join Stephanie, Allison, and actors Maev Beaty and Wade Bogert-O'Brien as they speak about Mary's Wedding , the magic of Stephen Massicotte's prose, love letters, and how to mail an orange.

Stephanie and Allison speak with Murder for Two's Music Director Avery-Jean Brennan about her work on the show as it travelled from Nova Scotia to Gananoque, the unique opportunities of music directing for actor/musicians, and the mysterious and important "third character" onstage.

Join Allison and special guest host Kyla Musselman (host of the podcast "Tits & Teeth") as they chat with performers Annika Tupper (Sophie) and Brandon Antonio (Sky) about their thoughts on the state of Canadian Musical Theatre, their recent work in Canada and abroad, and how it feels to take on ABBA's iconic songs in this season's production of Mamma Mia! Annika and Brandon also go head-to-he...

Allison and Stephanie speak with Director Krista Jackson and Playwright Sophia Fabiilli about the first show of our 2024 season, Liars at a Funeral

Hosts Allison and Marta talk with Human Cargo Artistic Director, Christopher Morris. They discuss the work that Human Cargo does, what the process of creating The Runner was like and how the decision was made to have the entire piece take place on a treadmill.

In this episode, Allison chats with Tyler Check (Guy) and Chris Barillaro (Music Director) about the magic of Once, the challenges and excitement of playing live instruments on stage, and the difference between "diegetic" and "non-diegetic" sound. They also wonder, "Where is Marta McDonald?"

On this episode, hosts Allison and Marta talk to the two actors from Sexual Misconduct of the Middle Classes , Jonas Chernick and Romi Shraiter. They discuss their relationship with this play that has lead them to this production, what it's like doing such intense and nuanced content, and how they delveloped their characters.

Allison and Marta talk with Bittergirl - The Musical's Stage Manager, Kat Chin. They catch up with Kat during her preparation week before rehearsals even began! They discuss what it means to be a stage manager and how you approach each different production.

Allison & Marta chat with Director, Lisa Karen Cox and Set Designer, Sarah Uwadiae about Intimate Apparel. They talk about using space to create private moments in a story, and what it means to have an intimacy coordinator on a production.

Join hosts Allison Hess and Marta McDonald as they chat with Director/Choreographer of The Sound of Music, Naomi Costain. They chat about what it's like being both Director and Choreographer, what it's been like working with the large group of local kids and so much more!

Welcome to the 2023 season! Hosts Allison Hess and Marta McDonald chat with two of the actors starring in Baskerville - A Sherlock Holmes Mystery. Jamie and Colin are playing Sherlock and Holmes respectively. They chat about what it's like playing such iconic characters and how they are enjoying their time in Gananoque.

On this episode of the Playhouse podcast, hosts Sophia and Allison chat with Director & Choreographer Julie Tomaino and Music Director David Terriault about Jersey Boys