The topic of diversity and inclusion has been becoming a bigger focus for me as a performer. But what does it mean to really dive into this conversation? To dig deeper into topic of diversity and inclusion from a performer/artist point-of-view, I reached out to my friends Alia Rasul and Anand Rajaram to dive into this topic and learn from their experiences.

Alia is talented comedy improvisor/performer, who also serves as the Inclusion Director at the Bad Dog Theatre. I've known her for a few years now, and I just love the work she does in the Toronto comedy community advocating for inclusion and supportive space for performers. She hosts a show called Humans of Improv at the Baddog theatre, which showcases performers who identify as a person of colour (POC). It’s great!!

Anand is an actor, writer, performance artist, as well as a Second City Mainstage Alumni. I first got to know him at the Diversity and Inclusion Symposium hosted by the Bad Dog Theatre back in May 2017. I have been a fan of him since then! You can find Anand taking a theatre full of audiences on a journey through his artistry that shines through as a performer. I just recently saw him in Mustard, it was blown away!!

This is part one of the conversation that I went in and came out as a different person. I hope you find this conversation insightful as much as I did.

Some links! 

Bad Dog Theatre - Inclusion Programs and Community Initiatives

Anand's Imdb 

Alia's Bio

Sun Ra 

Music composed by Ayaka Kinugawa!! 

This episode features a conversation I had with Warren P. Sonoda, and Michael Hitoshi Maddeaux. They are both filmmakers at different stages of their professional careers and personal life. One commonality we all share is that we come from Japanese backgrounds and we’re navigating the entertainment/storytelling industry. We talk about our own origin stories, growing up as Japanese-Canadian, how we relate to the diversity movement, and the importance of expressing your own point-of-view in your own work. I had so much fun connecting with other Japanese storytellers, something that rarely happens! This is a very special episode for me and I hope you enjoy it as well! 

Warren is an award-winning director, who also currently holds the position of National Directors Division Chair at the Director’s Guild of Canada (DGC). His body of work and accomplishments are so extensive, I recommend checking out his biography and  IMDB page. He has over 160 music video credits, and an impressive list of film/tv directing credits including Trailer Park Boys, This Hour Has 22 Minutes, Swearnet: The Movie, just to list a few.

Michael is an up and coming film director and cinematographer who co-founded Shoyu Films, an independent production company, with his film partner Elston Wong. I got to work with them in their latest short film “When You’re Broke and Dating!”. They were so fun to work with, please check out their work on their YouTube page!

We name dropped quite a bit in this episode in the best sense possible. Most of these people are Toronto locals doing great work. I really believe they are worth knowing if you don’t already, so you can find out more about them in the links below!!!

Links

Warren P. Sonoda (CFC profile, IMDB)

Michael Hitoshi Maddeaux (Shoyu Films)

Director's Guild of Canada (Website)

Ingrid Veninger (IMDB, Porcupine Lake) 

Mina Shum (Website, IMDB)

Clement Virgo (IMDB)

Sudz Sutherland (IMDB)

Kat Sandler (Profile from Tarragon Theatre Website)

Joseph Khan (Website, IMDB)

Anand Rajaram (IMDB, Website)

Alia Rasul (Profile from Bad Dog Theatre Company)

Mike Clattenburg (IMDB)

Music by Ayaka Kinugawa (Hooksonic.com)

Thank you for tuning into my conversation with Warren and Michael!

Holly is fearless. She has produced many live comedy shows in the city, produced and starred in "Getting Odd" which received praise in the 2016 Toront Fringe Festival, and is the creator the web series "Female Therapy". 

What's really amazing is that this is only the tip of the iceberg for what Holly has acomplished. We dive in and talk about her time in Toronto, and how she ended up making a well-produced web series without any initial production knowledge, but with just the drive to create a project.  

The power of collaboration and trusting the process was a key component in our talk. One of the biggest take away for me was that it's okay not to know everything, as long as you either take the initiative to learn or bring on team members that can support you. 

We dive into how Holly got her start in the entertainment space, how she dove into various projects, and what she learned from all this wonderful experience!  I really enjoyed this episode, and I hope you do as well!! 

Links:

http://www.hollywyder.com/

https://www.facebook.com/hollyiswyder/ 

Check out Female Therapy!! (Web Series)

Comedies Never Win Production (YouTube Channel, Facebook, Web)

As usual, our music is provided by our friend Ayaka from hooksonic.com! 

He's is a force of creativity and hustle. Having only been here in Toronto for about 4 years, and the amount of acomplishment Florian experienced is simply amazing! His current project, "Rencontres", can be seen on Bell Fibe TV. It's a French language TV series that showcases the people and city of Toronto.

We explore his origin story. I especially enjoyed learning about his hitchhiking/backpacking trip from Vancouver back to Toronto, and how that has affected him. We talk about the work that went into the making of Rencontre, and talk about guerrilla-style fillm making. The approach Florian, and his film parter Brennan Martin took to tell real stories in this medium was simply fascinating to hear! I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I have!!

Related Links

Rencontre on Instagram, Facebook, IMDB, Indigogo page (closed campaign) 

Article about Rencontre via Toronto Guardian  

Previous House Lights Episode with Ivan Wanis-Ruiz  

The Actor's Place (TAP)

Ayaka's Music  

This episode has been 4 months in the making and we were finally able to sit down for a conversation! Ken has been really busy! We cover Ken's origin story - how one deliberate change to improve his life snowballed into the amazing success he is having as a performer today. We talk about classes, teaching, his experience on set, and many principles that has helped Ken along the way. 

I learned a lot from this episode, and I hope you enjoy it as much as I have! Check out the links below to learn more about Ken and his projects! 

As usual, the theme music is by my friend Ayaka at hooksonic.com! 

Links!! 

https://www.thekenhall.com/

Follow Ken on Instagram, and Twitter!

People of Earth IMDB

2-Man No-Show Facebook Page

Ken's NY Fries Commercial Spot :) 

In this show, Davin shares his experience in the web series world in the pre-YouTube era, and how one of his earlier projects develped into a legitamate TV series. We talk about his recent projects, Space Janitors and Deep Six. They are Sci-fi based webseries. You can actually check out Space Janitor here, and find out more about his current project Deep Six through the facebook page and crowdfunding page!

If you love science, this is the web series to check in. Davin and his team went the extra mile to ensure the science was accurate as possible. They consulted Prof. Jaymie Matthews who previously consulted for shows such as Stargate (SG-1). They also used rear-projection technology to bring their scenes to life, which is such an interesting concept not only from a technical point of view but in terms of acting in a scene. Check out rear-projection here!   

We then finally talk about crowdfunding and how Davin and his team worked with the actors of Deep Six. It was really an eye-opening conversation and I hope you enjoy this episode! 

**We recorded in a cafe - there's a bit of cafe ambience/background noise which I couldn't get rid of.. there were some parts were the noise was too much and I had to voice over some parts of the conversation. I apologize for any inconvenience. 

Some Links! 

Deep Six imdb - http://www.imdb.com/title/tt6416100/?ref_=nv_sr_2 

Watch Space Janitors!! - http://geekandsundry.com/shows/space-janitors/ 

Some of the actors mentioned - Tamoh Penikett, Kristien Bruun, Mika Collins, Michelle Morgan

Ron Leach's Scene Study Class (Sept.12-Oct.31st) !! - http://www.ronleach.com/scenedynamics/ 

Music by Ayaka - hooksonic.com  

We talk about what their pre-production, filming, and post-production process looks like for their new project “Mariah ¡Que Baile!”. We talk about, how they went about funding, found actors, putting together a team, submitting to film festivals and more. We get a glimpse of what directors think about when working with actors, and how they apporach storytelling.  

If you wanted an inside look into what making a short film can look like, this is your episode! Anita and Martin also work in the film industry, and the thoughts and knowledge they shared was amazing! I hope you enjoy this episode!

Links!!

About Anita - https://cinematekkitsch.com/

About Martin - https://martin-baena.com/

Support Mariah ¡Que Baile! - https://www.facebook.com/mariahquebaile/

About Steve Ejbick (The Sound Guy!) - https://www.linkedin.com/in/steven-ejbick-63296b35/?ppe=1  

Lester Millado’s (DOP) Cinematography Reel - https://vimeo.com/83605287  

The Talent Scout - http://www.nsi-canada.ca/2017/05/the-talent-scout/#

John Cassavetes - http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0001023/

Podcast music composed by Ayaka Kinugawa (hooksonic.com)

We talk about Neeraja and Clinton's origin story, how they got started in acting. We talk about training, collaborations, and approaches to developing a one-person show. I learned a lot from this conversation, especially about the one person theatre format. Their passion and commitment to the production is contagious, and it's amazing to see how Neeraja's vision of putting up a play is coming to fruition.

"Broken Images" will be playing at the Red Sandcastle Theatre located in Leslieville from Aug.11th to 20th! Please check out their event page for additional information!!

Links:

https://www.facebook.com/brokenimagesplay/ (Broken Images Event Page) 

https://www.instagram.com/brokenimagesplay/ (Broken Images Instagram)

http://hooksonic.com/ (Ayaka's work) 

This concludes the mini-series examining the mindsets of magicians and getting to know the Toronto Magic Community.

We talk about ideas magicians and mentalists deal with when giving a performance. We touch on ideas like originality, suspension of disbelief, ethics, and many things that made me think about my own performances moving forward.

What’s also exciting about this episode is that we talk about the community of magicians in Toronto, and the Toronto Magic Company which Ben is one of the founding members. They are making live magic performances more accessible for everyone in the city. I hope you enjoy the sneak peak into the magical side of Toronto!

Links 

The Toronto Magic Company - https://www.torontomagiccompany.com/

Ben Train - http://bentrain.ca/ 

TMC Social - Facebook, Instagram

Discourse in Magic - http://discourseinmagic.com/ 

Browser's Den of Magic - http://www.browsersden.com/ 

Music by Ayaka from hooksonic!

We talk about how Chris transitioned his career path form being a magic creator to performer. He shares the obstacles and triumphs he faced as he developed into the performer he is today. We had an interesting discussion about drawing parallels between skills and crafts outside of magic and how that ties into anything you choose to pursue. We had a great conversation, and I hope you enjoy this as well! 

Some links related to this episode 

http://www.chrismayhewmagic.com/ (hire Chris!)

https://www.torontomagiccompany.com/ (check out local magic shows!) 

https://www.artofmagic.com/ (want to learn magic?) 

http://discourseinmagic.com/ (Check out this magic podcast by Toronto magicians!) 

http://hooksonic.com/ (looking for music for a project?) 

Kevin's amazing, he performed on the Second City Mainstage, various commercials, and on TV shows such as Sunnyside, Kim’s Convenience (CBC), and Workin' Moms (CBC)! Still early in his career, he has gained much success in the Toronto entertainment scene, and he’s just killing it!!

We talk about how Kevin got his start in the industry, how relationships were key to his success, his experiences and approaches on working on set and much more. It was a really fun conversation full of great information!! 

Also, we have new music for the podcast!! This amazing work was provided by my friend Ayaka Kinugawa, who is also based in Toronto and works in music professionally. You can check out Ayaka and her partner’s work at http://hooksonic.com/ if you are looking for music that can bring your work to life!

Links: 

Kevin's IMDB

Comedy Duo - Soul Decision (check out Conversations with Actors!) 

CBC's Working Moms, Kim's Convenience

Check out Ayaka's work on Hooksonic!!

Thank you so much for listening in, have a great week everybody!!  

We have Toronto based actor Ivan Wanis-Ruis this week! He is also the founder of The Actor's Place (TAP) which provides actors with opportunity to experiment and work on their skill sets. Ivan has built a community of suportive actors through TAP, and now they host an annual film festival. 

We talk about Ivan's transition from the Vancouver entertainment space into the Toronto scene. How TAP got started and grew to what it is today. He also shares his take on how actors should go about starting out in the industry, and is filled with amazing actionable advice for actors. 

The biggest takeaway for me was the power of execution. We tend to get in our heads and make up excuses to avoid action. Ivan is a great example of someone who walks the walk and created something amazing. I really hope you enjoy episode 10 of House Lights!! 

Learn about The Actor's Place (TAP) 

https://www.meetup.com/TheActorsPlace/

https://www.facebook.com/theactorsplace/

http://www.theactorsplace.org/

Check out.. 

Recontre - https://www.indiegogo.com/projects/rencontres-la-serie-rencontres-the-series-tv-film#/

Backline podcast - https://www.facebook.com/thebacklinepod/

Find House Lights on iTunes - please subscribe and leave a great review!! 

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

This week, we have Angela Delfini from Italy, and John Towsen from NYC!! They were visiting Toronto for the Toronto Festival of Clowns and toured a show called "Angela Delfini Explains It All For You".

Their show was an amazing, it was a one-woman show starring Angela which was directed by John. It was one my hightlights from the entire festival!! 

In this episode we talk about their process in collaborating overseas to develop the show. We dive into various topics including the value of clown, mentorship, building relationships, and the power of belonging to a positive tribe to help push you forward. 

Once again it was an action packed episode, I hope you enjoy this episode of House Lights!! 

You can find out more about John Towsen at his blog -> http://physicalcomedy.blogspot.ca/

The Toronto Festival of Clowns -> http://www.torontofestivalofclowns.com/ 

The book "Clowns" -> https://www.amazon.ca/Clowns-John-H-Towsen/dp/0801539625 

**Special thanks to Allan Turner who hosted the Toronto Festival of Clowns and made this interview possible!! 

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

This week we sit down with my friend Nelu and talk about her life. She shares what her transition from a 9-5 career into a 24/7 creative looked like, and her involvement in the comedy community today. 

She is a producer of the hit show Yas Kween which features talents who identifies as Women of Colour/Ethnicity and encouages a space for expression and craft development! You can find out more about it here -> http://baddogtheatre.com/yas-kween/ 

Nelu also has a podcast, also called Yas Kween where she interviews Women of Colour/Ethnicity in the comedy community and it's a great show! You can find them on iTunes!

She has worked on TV shows such as The Beaverton (CTV), Odd Squad (PBS), Almost Genius (CMT), and the Boroness Von Sketch Show (CBC).

In the interview she really shares her wisdom gained from various life experiences, and it made for an amazing interview! 

Find out more about Nelu at http://neluhanda.com/ 

Thank you for supporting House Lights, if you haven't already, please subscribe on iTunes and leave us a great review! 

Have a great week! 

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

We sit down with writer, director, and actor, Leighton Alexander Williams, and cast member Franck Fon. We are later joined by additional cast members, Adrian Walters, Lovell Adams-Grey, and Emmanuel Ofori.

This episode is filled with actionable advice from the talented actors who generously shared their time and thoughts on House Lights.We talk about the process of putting together a production, the importance of accountability, having a strong vision, and much more.

We find out who are the people behind this exciting production, and this episode was really fun to record. Lots of energy and laughs in this one!

Please check out Judas Noir, and support the production these amazing people are bringing to life!

To buy tickets and find out more about the show: http://www.tarragontheatre.com/show/judas-noir/ 

Some things we mention in the episode..

Looking for studio rentals? - www.gottadance.ca

RAW Studios - http://www.sophieannrooney.com/

Toronto Monologue Slam - www.toslam.com

BDB Productions - https://www.facebook.com/BDBProductionsInc/

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

Ron is an inspirational person who wear many hats as a teacher, director, and producer in addition to being a casting director.What was most valuable for me in this episode was our conversation about the power and responsibilities we have as a member of the entertainment industry. I learned so much and I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I do! 

Check out more about Ron at http://www.ronleach.com/ 

Finally, please subscribe to House Lights on iTunes and give us a review! It will help us with reach new listeners and hopefully offer value to a wider audience, and I can’t do that without your help! 

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

Eugene and I are actually high-school friends! We reunite after 9 years of life and catch up in this interesting conversation! 

We talk about all things acting! Eugene shares his take on the distinction between theatrical and screen acting, the value of clown and physicality, and how to deal with burnout. We also dive into the audition process mindsets and much more!! 

Eugene is definitely a unique personality. He offers many tidbits of gold and odd-ball advice that hit hard. I hope you enjoy this episode as much as I did! 

Link: http://www.playwitheugene.com/ 

Support House Lights at.. 

https://www.facebook.com/Houselightspodcast

inst: @houselightspodcast

tw: @houselightspod

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

I admire her a lot for her fearlessness in tackling unique projects. Moniquea's work with her own podcast "Fuck Yes" was one of the big inspirations for starting the House Lights podcast.

Moniquea reflection on her improv instructors was really interesting to hear about, and we touch on how pivitol these relationships can become in our jouney. We also talk about moving forward, setting your mind free from the idea of perfection, and focus more on execution. We dive into much more in this special longer episode. 

I really hope you enjoy this episode!

Find out more about Moniquea at..

https://www.moniqueamarion.com/

https://www.mixcloud.com/FuckYes/

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGisoqYsDYLHwaU2wE44ehQ

Podcast episode with Frank McAnulty (Mentioned in the show) 

https://www.mixcloud.com/FuckYes/fuck-yes-with-moniquea-marion-featuring-frank-mcanulty/

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

To answer this, we shine the House Lights this week on Kristie Gunter, who is an actor, comedian, improviser, and the CEO of Funnies for Families.

Recently, Funnies for Families have generated quite a buzz in the Toronto comedy space. They work tirelessly to bring joy and laugher to children and their families dealing with personal struggles. They currently perform regularly at the Ronald McDonald House, Redwood Woman’s Shelter, and they are expanding!

I witnessed the value of their work first-hand and it is tremendous. The joy and laughter they bring to the people in need is something worth celebrating!

In this episode, we learn who Kristie is, how Funnies for Families originated, and their journey to where they are today. She also shares a few heart warming moments during throughout their journey.

If you were looking to be of service to the community with an art form you love, this episode is for you!

Funnies for Families is looking for volunteer performers!! It’s a great opportunity to be of service and collaborate with an amazing group of people! If you have other skill sets you would like to contribute, reach out!

Please connect with them through their website or social media pages! Let’s show them some love and support!!

Links

www.funniesforfamilies.com

https://www.instagram.com/funniesforfamilies/

https://www.facebook.com/funniesforfamilies/

https://twitter.com/funnies4family

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

In the show we expressed the importance of empowering yourself as an actor. Victoria will be teaching a Business for Actors class at the Second City Training Centre! If you are considering an acting career, or currently pursuing it, you are sure to get valuable insights and information on how to navigate this intense entertainment industry! (http://www.secondcity.com/classes/toronto/business-for-actors/ )

 ** The audio quality has been compromised due to wind issues because we recorded outdoors. I apologize for this inconvenience, but the insights Victoria offers in this episode is great!!

Related Links

What's Victoria up to? 

• http://www.victoriakucher.com/ 
• https://www.instagram.com/twogirls1trenchcoat/ 
• https://www.instagram.com/goddakuch/ 
• https://www.facebook.com/calmspringscomedy/ 

That business for actor class! 

• http://www.secondcity.com/classes/toronto/business-for-actors/

Lynda.com and other under-utilized features of the Toronto Public Library!!

• http://www.torontopubliclibrary.ca/

Thank you for tuning into House Lights!! 

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license. 

For our first episode on House Lights, we have a Q&A session with Talent Agent, Lisa Burke! She is brining over 30 years worth of experience to the show to answer some of our questions. 

We talk about the role and nature of the relationship between talent and agent. We explore how to get an agent if you're seeking representation, as well as things to consider if you want to change agents. 

I had a great time hearing about how the industry space has changed in Toronto over the years. This episode is jam-packed with great advice and perspective for the working actor no matter what stage you are in your career! 

You can find out more about Lisa at http://www.lisaburkeagency.com/

Some other useful resouces regarding talent reprentation in Toronto are.. 

http://www.actratoronto.com/performers/agents-directory/

http://www.tamac.ca/ 

I hope all of you enjoy the show as much as I did, and please stay tuned for future episodes in the weeks to come! 

Music Credit: Sad End Game (Andy's Dandy Mix) by Andrew Wainwright (c) copyright 2017 Licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution Noncommercial  (3.0) license.