Director's Notes Podcast
12 Episodes
What determines a play’s artistic vision? What fuels the narrative and propels it from page to stage? What transports the audience from their own world to the life of another?
The question does not lie with “what” but rather with “who.”
Director’s Notes, the official podcast from STRATFEST@HOME, delves into the creative minds of this season’s directors, offering an intimate look at the artistic vision and relentless work behind each production through the eyes of the people who bring the Festival’s shows to life.
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E01: Seana McKenna talks Twelfth Night with Lydie Dubuisson | Director's Notes
Episode 1
Twelfth Night director Seana McKenna and assistant director Lydie Dubuisson discuss their time spent collaborating with a strong collective of female creatives.
Listen as the actor-turned-director shares how her extensive acting background has shaped her perspective on this particular production ... -
E02: Thom Allison talks La Cage aux Folles with Krista Jackson |Director's Notes
Episode 2
TEARS AND GLITTER.
That's exactly what you should expect from the 2024 production of La Cage aux Folles.
Join director Thom Allison with host Krista Jackson (Co-Director and Dramaturge, The Diviners) as they dive into this extravagant production’s “magic tinkle trunk of wonder,” to discuss everyt... -
E03: Molly Atkinson talks Hedda Gabler with Antoni Cimolino | Director's Notes
Episode 3
What happens when you restrict a woman from expressing her thoughts? What is it like to be a woman in a patriarchal world?
Molly Atkinson, Director of Hedda Gabler, sits down with Stratford Festival Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino to address these questions as they discuss Henrik Ibsen's contro... -
E04: Esther Jun Talks Cymbeline with Thomas Morgan Jones | Director's Notes
Episode 4
"If we can teleport people, even just for a second, into a place elsewhere, our job as directors is done."
Join director Esther Jun and Thomas Morgan Jones, director of Wendy and Peter Pan, as they discuss Jun’s epic fantasy, Cymbeline. Listen as Jun and Jones discuss the director’s approach to a... -
E05: Donna Feore talks Something Rotten! with Scott Wentworth | Director's Notes
Episode 5
Join director and choreographer Donna Feore as she catches up with long-time friend and past castmate Scott Wentworth to discuss Something Rotten! Listen as Feore shares the parallels between Shakespeare and musicals. Whether the actor is singing a song or delivering a soliloquy, the result is th...
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E06: Sam White talks Romeo and Juliet with Weyni Mengesha | Director's Notes
Episode 6
Join director Sam White and guest host, Soulpepper Theatre’s Artistic Director Weyni Mengesha, as they talk about White’s love of Shakespeare, her decision to direct the Stratford Festival’s 2024 production of Romeo and Juliet, and more.
Listen as the director responds to burning questions, like... -
E07: Thomas Morgan Jones talks Wendy and Peter Pan with Molly Atkinson
Episode 7
Join the director of Wendy and Peter Pan, Thomas Morgan Jones, as he teaches us how to fight pirates with Molly Atkinson, director of Hedda Gabler!
Jones’s excitement is palpable as he discusses his passion for creating theatre for young people. "Children are the audiences of the future, but they... -
E08: Dean Gabourie talks The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? with Esther Jun
Episode 8
If you think your family is complex, think again!
Join director Dean Gabourie in a conversation about the intricacies of Edward Albee's The Goat or, Who is Sylvia? with Esther Jun, director of Cymbeline and Director of Langham Directors' Workshop. Listen as Gabourie and Jun discuss the inspiratio... -
E09: André Sills talks Get That Hope with Dean Gabourie | Director’s Notes
Episode 9
"What happens outside, happens inside."
Join director André Sills and Dean Gabourie, director of The Goat or, Who is Sylvia?, as they discuss Sills’ Festival directorial debut, Get That Hope, a new play by Toronto playwright Andrea Scott.
Listen as Sills describes his direction style, how he rede... -
E10: Antoni Cimolino talks London Assurance with Jovanni Sy | Director's Notes
Episode 10
In this episode, Artistic Director Antoni Cimolino discusses his experience directing London Assurance—an unusual comedic creation from the 19th century—with host Jovanni Sy, director and co-playwright of Salesman in China. Listen as Cimolino provides an overview of 19th-century works while highl...
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E11: Co-Writer and Director Jovanni Sy talks Salesman in China with Thom Allison
Episode 11
Co-writer and director Jovanni Sy 施崇梵, in conversation with Thom Allison, director of La Cage aux Folles, describes his seven-year journey collaborating with co-writer and partner, Leanna Brodie 白仁耐, to bring Salesman in China 推销员在中国 to life as a bilingual piece to bridge cultures together.
List... -
E12: Krista Jackson and Geneviève Pelletier talk The Diviners with Keith Barker
Episode 12
Co-director and dramaturg Krista Jackson and co-director and cultural consultant Geneviève Pelletier discuss Margaret Laurence's autobiographical novel adaptation The Diviners with Keith Barker, director of Foerster Bernstein New Play Development.
Listen as they speak on the importance of the Red...