1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:09,560 Thank you for joining me for another episode of YQG In Bloom. 2 00:00:09,560 --> 00:00:15,200 I'm your host, Tracy Martens, and today I am lucky enough to have back for a second 3 00:00:15,200 --> 00:00:21,040 sitting the president and vice president of the Arts Collective Theater, Chris Rabadeau 4 00:00:21,040 --> 00:00:22,640 and Moya McAlister. 5 00:00:22,640 --> 00:00:23,640 Hi. 6 00:00:23,640 --> 00:00:26,600 We're happy to be back. 7 00:00:26,600 --> 00:00:27,600 Thanks for having us. 8 00:00:27,600 --> 00:00:30,640 And again, happy Black History Month. 9 00:00:30,640 --> 00:00:36,320 I'm calling it a happy because I'm learning so much this month thanks to you guys. 10 00:00:36,320 --> 00:00:42,680 And I appreciate the fact that ACT has asked me to do some of these podcasts with the Amesburg 11 00:00:42,680 --> 00:00:49,520 Freedom Museum learning about the new play that they are putting out, The Price of Freedom. 12 00:00:49,520 --> 00:00:55,400 And we just met with Carlos Anthony who wrote and is going to be starring in it. 13 00:00:55,400 --> 00:00:56,560 And thank you guys both. 14 00:00:56,560 --> 00:00:59,560 I really appreciate you both so much. 15 00:00:59,560 --> 00:01:04,920 Well, we always say like with Black History Month, it's just a kickoff, right? 16 00:01:04,920 --> 00:01:09,240 So technically Black History is Canadian history. 17 00:01:09,240 --> 00:01:12,560 So we should be learning about it all year. 18 00:01:12,560 --> 00:01:17,480 And what I love about Windsor Essex is that we have a calendar full of events happening 19 00:01:17,480 --> 00:01:19,280 in the city this month. 20 00:01:19,280 --> 00:01:22,400 And that's just like the icing on the cake, you know? 21 00:01:22,400 --> 00:01:28,840 And I hope that people in Windsor Essex can get out, go to these events, meet these organizations 22 00:01:28,840 --> 00:01:33,800 that are putting on these events so that they can follow them and their event, anything 23 00:01:33,800 --> 00:01:37,520 that they do for the rest of the year as well because there's some really awesome stuff 24 00:01:37,520 --> 00:01:38,520 happening in the city. 25 00:01:38,520 --> 00:01:40,020 There really is. 26 00:01:40,020 --> 00:01:42,440 I'm very excited about it. 27 00:01:42,440 --> 00:01:49,240 Now, The Price of Freedom, I know the last time we talked you had on the docket, you wanted 28 00:01:49,240 --> 00:01:53,800 to create a production with a local playwright. 29 00:01:53,800 --> 00:01:57,560 Did you have this story in mind when you guys started this? 30 00:01:57,560 --> 00:01:59,360 Not at all. 31 00:01:59,360 --> 00:02:03,600 About a year ago, we had met a board member of our, Shelley Davis, had said, I have a 32 00:02:03,600 --> 00:02:07,240 friend who wants to talk to you about doing something with the museum. 33 00:02:07,240 --> 00:02:09,280 I said, great, me and Moja had a chat. 34 00:02:09,280 --> 00:02:10,280 We called, we talked. 35 00:02:10,280 --> 00:02:14,440 And she said, I'd like you to do, you know, a little something, nothing too big, something 36 00:02:14,440 --> 00:02:17,840 where we could do five, 10, 15 minutes at the most that could celebrate. 37 00:02:17,840 --> 00:02:19,520 Could you do something like that with us? 38 00:02:19,520 --> 00:02:23,680 And I looked at Moja and I was just like, I think this might be our next play. 39 00:02:23,680 --> 00:02:28,400 And it was very honest because we said, well, let's not, let's not say what the play is 40 00:02:28,400 --> 00:02:29,400 yet. 41 00:02:29,400 --> 00:02:31,920 Let's find a writer and I want them to feel like they're writing something that they're 42 00:02:31,920 --> 00:02:33,960 passionate about. 43 00:02:33,960 --> 00:02:36,240 So that's what happened. 44 00:02:36,240 --> 00:02:39,360 We met Carlos and he became the writer of the production. 45 00:02:39,360 --> 00:02:40,680 We were really excited about that. 46 00:02:40,680 --> 00:02:43,560 It was very important to us to have the words by a black writer. 47 00:02:43,560 --> 00:02:44,560 Yeah. 48 00:02:44,560 --> 00:02:47,760 What was really great and how we got to meet Carlos, this was through Irene and I. 49 00:02:47,760 --> 00:02:50,480 Irene Moore Davis. 50 00:02:50,480 --> 00:02:57,600 She's part of the Black Historical Research Society and we wanted to make sure that, you 51 00:02:57,600 --> 00:03:02,600 know, if there was somebody in the city that maybe knew about, already was writing about 52 00:03:02,600 --> 00:03:09,480 black history, that they would be a perfect person to come on this project with us. 53 00:03:09,480 --> 00:03:12,760 But she suggested Carlos and we were so happy. 54 00:03:12,760 --> 00:03:17,760 And then we met up and we all together went on a trip to the Amherstburg Freedom Museum 55 00:03:17,760 --> 00:03:21,400 and we wanted to see, we wanted to spend the afternoon there and say, what stood out to 56 00:03:21,400 --> 00:03:22,400 us? 57 00:03:22,400 --> 00:03:24,240 What was not being told enough? 58 00:03:24,240 --> 00:03:28,400 We've heard great stories of history and very relevant and important ones. 59 00:03:28,400 --> 00:03:31,040 But what was the story that we wanted to take forward? 60 00:03:31,040 --> 00:03:36,000 Where's the Windsor story that we wanted to elevate and give more prominence to? 61 00:03:36,000 --> 00:03:42,440 And he settled on the story of John Anderson and we met with the first draft in August. 62 00:03:42,440 --> 00:03:46,760 And that's the amount of time, six, seven, eight months of time just to get here today. 63 00:03:46,760 --> 00:03:48,120 And then we went through many revisions. 64 00:03:48,120 --> 00:03:50,400 I'm always coming at it from a director point of view. 65 00:03:50,400 --> 00:03:53,240 Carlos comes from film and writing and a book author. 66 00:03:53,240 --> 00:03:56,040 So he sees things in smaller images. 67 00:03:56,040 --> 00:03:58,720 I see things in a large moving image, right? 68 00:03:58,720 --> 00:04:03,680 I see things like, well, it's not many scenes, but this image that keeps evolving and it 69 00:04:03,680 --> 00:04:06,840 gets us to the next place, on stage live, right? 70 00:04:06,840 --> 00:04:08,320 We have to be live. 71 00:04:08,320 --> 00:04:11,440 And so guiding Carlos to get there was wonderful. 72 00:04:11,440 --> 00:04:15,520 Then we had the workshops in November, December where we took the words and said, what works, 73 00:04:15,520 --> 00:04:16,520 what doesn't? 74 00:04:16,520 --> 00:04:17,520 Let's get on our feet. 75 00:04:17,520 --> 00:04:18,520 Let's read this through. 76 00:04:18,520 --> 00:04:20,680 What character is missing? 77 00:04:20,680 --> 00:04:22,120 What does John have to encounter? 78 00:04:22,120 --> 00:04:24,200 What's the event that's not there yet? 79 00:04:24,200 --> 00:04:27,320 And what's really great about the workshops, it was very collaborative. 80 00:04:27,320 --> 00:04:33,560 So we invited members of the community, whether or not they were actors, historians, anyone 81 00:04:33,560 --> 00:04:36,880 that was just interested in being a part of this. 82 00:04:36,880 --> 00:04:38,760 And we did script reads. 83 00:04:38,760 --> 00:04:40,600 We did table reads. 84 00:04:40,600 --> 00:04:45,200 And through that, we got, there was a lot of suggestions, power to Carlos. 85 00:04:45,200 --> 00:04:48,000 He took a lot of criticism at first. 86 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:52,160 Everybody was like, oh, you need to do this, or you need to change this, or we don't love 87 00:04:52,160 --> 00:04:53,160 this line. 88 00:04:53,160 --> 00:04:57,840 And he was so, so grateful for all the feedback. 89 00:04:57,840 --> 00:05:02,320 And we always said, we always started off those workshops with Carlos, you can take 90 00:05:02,320 --> 00:05:05,080 whatever is said here, or you can disregard it. 91 00:05:05,080 --> 00:05:08,760 This is your play at the end of the day. 92 00:05:08,760 --> 00:05:11,680 But it was, yeah, six workshops. 93 00:05:11,680 --> 00:05:13,200 Six or six to eight workshops. 94 00:05:13,200 --> 00:05:16,160 And our philosophy was a good idea is a good idea. 95 00:05:16,160 --> 00:05:18,520 We can have a good play, or we can have a great play. 96 00:05:18,520 --> 00:05:20,840 And we're heading towards a great play. 97 00:05:20,840 --> 00:05:23,400 And we started rehearsals in January. 98 00:05:23,400 --> 00:05:25,240 So it's only about three and a half weeks. 99 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,240 It's only been a couple of weeks. 100 00:05:27,240 --> 00:05:29,680 And we're up on stage in three at the Capitol. 101 00:05:29,680 --> 00:05:31,960 So it's a fascinating process. 102 00:05:31,960 --> 00:05:33,440 For a two hour play. 103 00:05:33,440 --> 00:05:39,440 This is a two act world premiere play at the Capitol theater. 104 00:05:39,440 --> 00:05:41,800 Because this was only supposed to be one act. 105 00:05:41,800 --> 00:05:42,800 Correct. 106 00:05:42,800 --> 00:05:43,800 It's grown exponentially. 107 00:05:43,800 --> 00:05:46,560 It needed the story to be told. 108 00:05:46,560 --> 00:05:50,560 And it needed to be, this is a memory play, which means we're going back. 109 00:05:50,560 --> 00:05:54,240 So it's set in 1860, I should say. 110 00:05:54,240 --> 00:05:56,760 And it goes back to being on the plantation. 111 00:05:56,760 --> 00:05:58,720 It goes back to being on the run. 112 00:05:58,720 --> 00:06:01,240 All the stuff that we might have heard about the Underground Railroad, we see in these 113 00:06:01,240 --> 00:06:05,600 events that happen that take place to get him to the ultimate court case. 114 00:06:05,600 --> 00:06:08,600 In which they want him to be extradited back to America. 115 00:06:08,600 --> 00:06:11,880 And if that would have happened, we probably all know what would have happened. 116 00:06:11,880 --> 00:06:16,640 And a escaped person who was enslaved coming back, not so good. 117 00:06:16,640 --> 00:06:17,840 You don't come back. 118 00:06:17,840 --> 00:06:19,920 And so we really want to talk about that. 119 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:21,800 And we wanted to make an education as well. 120 00:06:21,800 --> 00:06:24,240 We have students coming to see this show. 121 00:06:24,240 --> 00:06:25,240 And it's exciting to see. 122 00:06:25,240 --> 00:06:28,520 Listen, we have a lot of great artists in Windsor like Leslie McCurdy, who's been touring 123 00:06:28,520 --> 00:06:32,760 her one-woman show all over North America for like 20 years. 124 00:06:32,760 --> 00:06:33,760 Fantastic stuff. 125 00:06:33,760 --> 00:06:39,760 And we want to continue to introduce new topics so that our youth can see figures from our 126 00:06:39,760 --> 00:06:45,160 history, seeing history alive on stage, and get to know them and see them and ask questions 127 00:06:45,160 --> 00:06:46,680 and talk to the writer. 128 00:06:46,680 --> 00:06:48,960 These are events that should be happening all the time. 129 00:06:48,960 --> 00:06:50,960 And we need to really illuminate them. 130 00:06:50,960 --> 00:06:52,280 And so we're very excited about that. 131 00:06:52,280 --> 00:06:54,400 And I think it's a voice that needs to be heard. 132 00:06:54,400 --> 00:07:03,160 For sure, and I like how it is coming in and has evolved, as Carlos said, as a thriller. 133 00:07:03,160 --> 00:07:11,080 So it makes it more interesting and more exciting to watch it for the younger people, because 134 00:07:11,080 --> 00:07:17,080 you say history and they're going, OK, not more history, not more school. 135 00:07:17,080 --> 00:07:23,120 But if it's presented to them in this way where they're seeing the action and they're 136 00:07:23,120 --> 00:07:29,800 seeing it as a thriller, but this is reality, this horror actually happened. 137 00:07:29,800 --> 00:07:31,560 I've been learning a lot. 138 00:07:31,560 --> 00:07:36,200 Things like Carlos said wrote some of the characters, some of the slave catchers as 139 00:07:36,200 --> 00:07:37,200 black males. 140 00:07:37,200 --> 00:07:39,240 And I'm thinking, well, why would that be? 141 00:07:39,240 --> 00:07:40,440 But they were paid too. 142 00:07:40,440 --> 00:07:42,160 They were told what they had to do as well. 143 00:07:42,160 --> 00:07:44,360 There's a lot of the bounty hunters and stuff. 144 00:07:44,360 --> 00:07:46,760 There's so much history I'm learning too. 145 00:07:46,760 --> 00:07:47,760 We're all learning together. 146 00:07:47,760 --> 00:07:48,760 I'm going, what? 147 00:07:48,760 --> 00:07:50,400 I had no idea. 148 00:07:50,400 --> 00:07:53,240 How about the fact this church where we're seeing right now where we were rehearsing, 149 00:07:53,240 --> 00:07:58,080 we were rehearsing at all Saints churches, our offices located here in our studio space. 150 00:07:58,080 --> 00:08:01,240 And this church was just being built the year he would have come over. 151 00:08:01,240 --> 00:08:04,000 So he probably saw this church being built. 152 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:10,640 It's amazing to think that 175 years later, we're able to practice here knowing that across 153 00:08:10,640 --> 00:08:15,200 it would have been, it was called the barn where they would come and show their papers 154 00:08:15,200 --> 00:08:19,160 to come over to Canada, would have been right across from us where the city hall is around 155 00:08:19,160 --> 00:08:20,160 there. 156 00:08:20,160 --> 00:08:26,600 And he would have been processed, came across to freedom here looking at this church. 157 00:08:26,600 --> 00:08:28,520 That is, to me, that's like- 158 00:08:28,520 --> 00:08:30,480 I'm just speechless. 159 00:08:30,480 --> 00:08:37,840 It's all these pieces coming together to revive a trueness about our society and people who 160 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:40,200 haven't been talked about enough is amazing. 161 00:08:40,200 --> 00:08:42,680 And then how that changed the law. 162 00:08:42,680 --> 00:08:45,600 All these different fragments of this show are so essential. 163 00:08:45,600 --> 00:08:47,120 And I hope people will come and see it. 164 00:08:47,120 --> 00:08:48,120 I hope so. 165 00:08:48,120 --> 00:08:50,040 Yeah, how big is the cast? 166 00:08:50,040 --> 00:08:51,040 There's 16 cast members. 167 00:08:51,040 --> 00:08:52,040 16 cast members. 168 00:08:52,040 --> 00:08:53,040 Yeah. 169 00:08:53,040 --> 00:08:56,160 Funny thing is, and I knew this was going to happen, is a lot of people who come out to 170 00:08:56,160 --> 00:09:00,280 the workshops, they get so invested in the material that they end up being in the cast. 171 00:09:00,280 --> 00:09:02,600 When you say, oh, how did you cast the show? 172 00:09:02,600 --> 00:09:04,280 We really didn't have to. 173 00:09:04,280 --> 00:09:05,280 It's because- 174 00:09:05,280 --> 00:09:06,280 There's already people. 175 00:09:06,280 --> 00:09:07,280 People were part of it. 176 00:09:07,280 --> 00:09:08,280 And I would say, why don't you read this part? 177 00:09:08,280 --> 00:09:09,280 Oh, okay. 178 00:09:09,280 --> 00:09:10,280 Why don't you try this? 179 00:09:10,280 --> 00:09:11,280 Okay. 180 00:09:11,280 --> 00:09:12,280 Next thing you know, what? 181 00:09:12,280 --> 00:09:13,280 And they're in the show on stage. 182 00:09:13,280 --> 00:09:15,280 And most of the people have not been on stage before. 183 00:09:15,280 --> 00:09:16,280 Like Keel. 184 00:09:16,280 --> 00:09:17,280 Again, here we go. 185 00:09:17,280 --> 00:09:18,280 Yeah. 186 00:09:18,280 --> 00:09:22,160 And I heard from Christina, you're 80. 187 00:09:22,160 --> 00:09:24,160 He's just been doing improv classes with you. 188 00:09:24,160 --> 00:09:27,040 I know him from the act improv class. 189 00:09:27,040 --> 00:09:29,000 And he's got a good role. 190 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:31,480 And he's like, I asked him, I said, how are you doing? 191 00:09:31,480 --> 00:09:34,760 He's like, oh my God, I never thought I was going to do this. 192 00:09:34,760 --> 00:09:35,760 But he's- 193 00:09:35,760 --> 00:09:36,760 And he's doing great. 194 00:09:36,760 --> 00:09:38,000 She's at the capital the other day. 195 00:09:38,000 --> 00:09:41,120 And the first question they asked me was, how many new people are on stage? 196 00:09:41,120 --> 00:09:43,720 Because act is, we love that. 197 00:09:43,720 --> 00:09:45,720 Yeah, we love putting new people on stage. 198 00:09:45,720 --> 00:09:48,360 People coming new, it's just amazing. 199 00:09:48,360 --> 00:09:51,160 Part of what we do always in a show is add new people in it. 200 00:09:51,160 --> 00:09:54,200 Look, it is about developing talent in the city. 201 00:09:54,200 --> 00:09:59,040 And in this case, developing young black talent is so important. 202 00:09:59,040 --> 00:10:02,480 Developing appreciation for the arts, continuing that, is so important. 203 00:10:02,480 --> 00:10:05,640 We hope we do that with the youth coming to see the show as well. 204 00:10:05,640 --> 00:10:09,600 The more people see themselves on stage, the only the better our city gets. 205 00:10:09,600 --> 00:10:12,440 And the theater community will be for it. 206 00:10:12,440 --> 00:10:17,440 Our kids in Windsor-Essex County are sponges for the theater. 207 00:10:17,440 --> 00:10:22,520 Like when I was talking to Christina, and we were talking about when E. Clay was here, 208 00:10:22,520 --> 00:10:25,240 and the questions that these kids were asking. 209 00:10:25,240 --> 00:10:26,240 So many great questions. 210 00:10:26,240 --> 00:10:32,560 Bloom my mind, how interested they were, not just the on stage, but the technical, the 211 00:10:32,560 --> 00:10:35,160 back, the marketing, the advertising. 212 00:10:35,160 --> 00:10:40,600 And these are things that me as a 54-year-old wasn't even thinking about. 213 00:10:40,600 --> 00:10:45,840 And these high schoolers were asking these questions, and I'm like, oh my God, we're 214 00:10:45,840 --> 00:10:52,440 going to have wonderfully amazing, creative, talented kids if they are steered in the right 215 00:10:52,440 --> 00:10:53,440 direction. 216 00:10:53,440 --> 00:10:56,080 And I think you guys are doing a great job of that. 217 00:10:56,080 --> 00:11:02,040 Just even downstairs, Annie was doing the practice today, and they sounded amazing. 218 00:11:02,040 --> 00:11:04,400 These are all kids, right? 219 00:11:04,400 --> 00:11:05,400 Yeah. 220 00:11:05,400 --> 00:11:06,400 It's so important. 221 00:11:06,400 --> 00:11:07,400 Look, we have a youth program. 222 00:11:07,400 --> 00:11:09,240 We have this program, which is the ACT Co-Lap. 223 00:11:09,240 --> 00:11:14,120 And being in collaboration with the Amesburg Freedom Museum was a great way to start this 224 00:11:14,120 --> 00:11:15,840 new project. 225 00:11:15,840 --> 00:11:17,720 Because we're lifting. 226 00:11:17,720 --> 00:11:18,720 We're lifting up people. 227 00:11:18,720 --> 00:11:19,840 We're giving voices. 228 00:11:19,840 --> 00:11:22,320 We're allowing them to be part of the theater experience. 229 00:11:22,320 --> 00:11:25,000 And just hearing people talk about that is amazing. 230 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:26,480 Or be our community projects. 231 00:11:26,480 --> 00:11:31,800 Or our ACT New Works, a new project that is going to be to help artists be paid for their 232 00:11:31,800 --> 00:11:32,800 work. 233 00:11:32,800 --> 00:11:36,040 Like these are all great, and this is all good energy happening in our theater community. 234 00:11:36,040 --> 00:11:37,840 And we're just trying to make the difference. 235 00:11:37,840 --> 00:11:38,840 Together we will. 236 00:11:38,840 --> 00:11:39,840 Together we will. 237 00:11:39,840 --> 00:11:44,640 Now, is this, sorry to cut you off really quickly, is this your first Co-Lap? 238 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:45,640 Yeah. 239 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:51,640 So we just started, this is, we launched this program for 2025. 240 00:11:51,640 --> 00:11:54,880 So we started it last year, but it was officially launched this year. 241 00:11:54,880 --> 00:11:57,240 And this is something that we want to do now annually. 242 00:11:57,240 --> 00:12:03,080 So this is going to be, ACT Co-Lap is going to be an annual program where we, you know, 243 00:12:03,080 --> 00:12:09,720 any organizations, nonprofits, charities, if they're interested in working with us and 244 00:12:09,720 --> 00:12:15,240 putting on a play to highlight something that their organization does or a story that the 245 00:12:15,240 --> 00:12:21,240 organization needs to tell and wants to get out there in a new and unique way. 246 00:12:21,240 --> 00:12:24,720 That's what we're looking for for this, this program that's going to happen every year. 247 00:12:24,720 --> 00:12:25,720 That's great. 248 00:12:25,720 --> 00:12:30,080 So make sure organizations get in touch with them. 249 00:12:30,080 --> 00:12:33,880 Because this has grown so much. 250 00:12:33,880 --> 00:12:34,880 I can't believe it. 251 00:12:34,880 --> 00:12:35,880 From nothing. 252 00:12:35,880 --> 00:12:36,880 It starts from just an idea. 253 00:12:36,880 --> 00:12:38,400 And now he's talking about. 254 00:12:38,400 --> 00:12:39,400 He wants it on tour. 255 00:12:39,400 --> 00:12:40,400 On tour. 256 00:12:40,400 --> 00:12:41,400 Carlos wants it on tour. 257 00:12:41,400 --> 00:12:42,400 Oh my goodness. 258 00:12:42,400 --> 00:12:45,880 I believe he's writing a book to go along with this as well. 259 00:12:45,880 --> 00:12:51,240 Yeah, he's got big plans for this play because it's been his baby for so long, right? 260 00:12:51,240 --> 00:12:56,360 And now that he's acting in it as well, he's so invested in this project as are all of 261 00:12:56,360 --> 00:12:57,920 us. 262 00:12:57,920 --> 00:13:02,480 So we'd like to see some legs come from it and see how far we can take it. 263 00:13:02,480 --> 00:13:08,080 And that's why I think that any organization or person, anybody that wants to collab and 264 00:13:08,080 --> 00:13:15,080 they have a good story, no matter how small it is, it can be put on stage. 265 00:13:15,080 --> 00:13:17,600 What else are you guys doing next after Annie? 266 00:13:17,600 --> 00:13:23,920 Well then we move into our major musical, which I start the minute this one ends. 267 00:13:23,920 --> 00:13:24,920 Along with Acneework. 268 00:13:24,920 --> 00:13:25,920 Along with Acneework. 269 00:13:25,920 --> 00:13:30,800 So two things are happening at the same time. 270 00:13:30,800 --> 00:13:36,400 In May we'll be auditioning for actors at the same time for either Acneeworks, which 271 00:13:36,400 --> 00:13:38,400 is called Blood Ties. 272 00:13:38,400 --> 00:13:44,320 And it's a brand new work from Johnson and Johnston from Toronto. 273 00:13:44,320 --> 00:13:47,360 One is actually in come from away right now in Toronto on stage. 274 00:13:47,360 --> 00:13:49,760 The other one is workshopping in the musical. 275 00:13:49,760 --> 00:13:50,760 In Stratford. 276 00:13:50,760 --> 00:13:51,760 Annika's workshopping in the musical. 277 00:13:51,760 --> 00:13:57,120 Well they had written a couple years back a musical that they premiered and they thought. 278 00:13:57,120 --> 00:14:00,920 And we had heard about it and we thought we're looking for something new to come to Windsor 279 00:14:00,920 --> 00:14:03,960 and we're looking for people to be able to workshop a brand new show. 280 00:14:03,960 --> 00:14:05,360 This is good for Windsor right? 281 00:14:05,360 --> 00:14:11,120 So they wrote a show called Blood Ties and we were like okay that's it, let's do that. 282 00:14:11,120 --> 00:14:14,760 And then we'd worked with Brian, Brian Hindle on Rant. 283 00:14:14,760 --> 00:14:17,000 He was one of our choreographers on the show. 284 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:21,840 And so I called him up and I said look I want you to direct a brand new show. 285 00:14:21,840 --> 00:14:23,480 Come to Windsor for three weeks. 286 00:14:23,480 --> 00:14:24,480 Just like you would on Broadway. 287 00:14:24,480 --> 00:14:30,760 You get two, three weeks, six days a week, eight hours a day and show a workshop of this 288 00:14:30,760 --> 00:14:33,520 new musical and premiere at Windsor here. 289 00:14:33,520 --> 00:14:34,680 And so that's what's going on. 290 00:14:34,680 --> 00:14:35,680 This is so exciting. 291 00:14:35,680 --> 00:14:37,440 Like I can't believe that's happening. 292 00:14:37,440 --> 00:14:39,720 It'll be, it looks like June. 293 00:14:39,720 --> 00:14:43,920 So we start the summer off with this brand new work. 294 00:14:43,920 --> 00:14:49,400 And then at the same time he's doing that and I am directing Avita. 295 00:14:49,400 --> 00:14:52,560 And so in May we're going to audition people for both shows. 296 00:14:52,560 --> 00:14:53,720 They might be selected for both. 297 00:14:53,720 --> 00:14:55,240 They might be selected for one. 298 00:14:55,240 --> 00:14:56,240 We'll see. 299 00:14:56,240 --> 00:14:57,640 We'll see how it is. 300 00:14:57,640 --> 00:15:02,480 And both will be happening at the same time and I will be in deep rehearsals for Avita. 301 00:15:02,480 --> 00:15:07,240 And Avita's usually, the summer project usually is the one that is the most stressful and 302 00:15:07,240 --> 00:15:08,600 it's so big. 303 00:15:08,600 --> 00:15:10,120 And I'm always trying to up ourselves. 304 00:15:10,120 --> 00:15:14,040 Look, I am never satisfied with okay. 305 00:15:14,040 --> 00:15:17,480 I will give the best I can for what we have. 306 00:15:17,480 --> 00:15:19,520 And I just, you know, I'm never satisfied. 307 00:15:19,520 --> 00:15:21,760 I always want more and people, he always wants more. 308 00:15:21,760 --> 00:15:26,240 The truth is, yes, because there's always something better we can do to show our community. 309 00:15:26,240 --> 00:15:28,760 There's always another, another place to go up. 310 00:15:28,760 --> 00:15:30,560 I just, I'm such a believer in that. 311 00:15:30,560 --> 00:15:33,200 Like if we can do a little bit better, let's do it. 312 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:35,960 And why do we have to say, oh, it's, it's community this or why? 313 00:15:35,960 --> 00:15:36,960 No, no, no, no. 314 00:15:36,960 --> 00:15:38,680 We are our best selves rising up. 315 00:15:38,680 --> 00:15:41,800 We are who we are getting better and stronger together. 316 00:15:41,800 --> 00:15:44,280 And if it means we put on the best show we can, let's do it. 317 00:15:44,280 --> 00:15:45,280 And that's my thing. 318 00:15:45,280 --> 00:15:47,640 So I put a lot of energy into the show. 319 00:15:47,640 --> 00:15:49,400 And but we know what's happening. 320 00:15:49,400 --> 00:15:53,360 We are getting people contacting us to be part of this now, meaning like I want to help 321 00:15:53,360 --> 00:15:58,280 backstage or I just want to be, I want to work on a work study or whatever it might be. 322 00:15:58,280 --> 00:15:59,360 We want to be involved. 323 00:15:59,360 --> 00:16:02,480 People coming to school here to be involved in act. 324 00:16:02,480 --> 00:16:07,720 Something's happening since rent and it took 10 years, but something's happening. 325 00:16:07,720 --> 00:16:09,480 Being in the water, something here. 326 00:16:09,480 --> 00:16:10,920 It's your perfectionism. 327 00:16:10,920 --> 00:16:18,280 Your perfectionism is making these plays, these productions, these stories insanely 328 00:16:18,280 --> 00:16:19,280 good. 329 00:16:19,280 --> 00:16:21,160 I mean, beyond good. 330 00:16:21,160 --> 00:16:24,240 Good isn't even a good enough word for it. 331 00:16:24,240 --> 00:16:30,200 And people are seeing that and they're realizing that Windsor, we're, we're on the map now. 332 00:16:30,200 --> 00:16:32,200 We're going like Stratford. 333 00:16:32,200 --> 00:16:33,200 I think. 334 00:16:33,200 --> 00:16:36,040 And I was talking to Brian and we, we were having a meeting over the holidays about the 335 00:16:36,040 --> 00:16:37,040 project. 336 00:16:37,040 --> 00:16:39,320 Brian said to me, why go to New York? 337 00:16:39,320 --> 00:16:41,840 Why not make Windsor something the legacy here? 338 00:16:41,840 --> 00:16:43,640 That's what Edmonton is doing. 339 00:16:43,640 --> 00:16:48,040 That's what you're seeing a lot of smaller companies evolving into these labs, these 340 00:16:48,040 --> 00:16:49,720 places for people to create new work. 341 00:16:49,720 --> 00:16:52,960 And then if it has legs, it walks to New York after, right? 342 00:16:52,960 --> 00:16:54,440 And then they want it. 343 00:16:54,440 --> 00:16:56,800 New York wants to see something new. 344 00:16:56,800 --> 00:17:01,520 And so I think what's happening now, it's turned, smaller companies are investing themselves 345 00:17:01,520 --> 00:17:05,160 in becoming laboratories for theater and creating new works. 346 00:17:05,160 --> 00:17:08,440 And people are coming to see it, traveling all over to see it and going, the right person 347 00:17:08,440 --> 00:17:12,640 walks in the room and says, bingo, we're taking that over here. 348 00:17:12,640 --> 00:17:14,320 And that's what you want to do, right? 349 00:17:14,320 --> 00:17:19,280 Give all these young artists and other artists an opportunity to create and maybe one hits. 350 00:17:19,280 --> 00:17:21,000 Wouldn't that be lovely? 351 00:17:21,000 --> 00:17:25,640 And that's why we've, why we have these two new programs this year. 352 00:17:25,640 --> 00:17:27,960 Because it's all about New York, new work. 353 00:17:27,960 --> 00:17:33,200 At Colab, it's about creating a new play and new original play. 354 00:17:33,200 --> 00:17:39,800 And the fact that we were able to find the writer locally, collaborate with the organization 355 00:17:39,800 --> 00:17:45,400 locally, this is something that is born out of Windsor, out of our people. 356 00:17:45,400 --> 00:17:48,960 And I think that's something that needs to be done. 357 00:17:48,960 --> 00:17:54,040 And it's just going to put Windsor Essex on the map, especially in our community. 358 00:17:54,040 --> 00:17:55,040 I see us going there. 359 00:17:55,040 --> 00:17:57,640 I told them, I would like to see, we just celebrate our tenure. 360 00:17:57,640 --> 00:18:01,440 And I'd like to see when we get to 20, looking back over the last 10 and say this was the 361 00:18:01,440 --> 00:18:04,320 year that we had partnerships more than ever. 362 00:18:04,320 --> 00:18:06,280 We're known out of Windsor. 363 00:18:06,280 --> 00:18:08,080 We're creating dynamic new work every year. 364 00:18:08,080 --> 00:18:10,160 People are getting paid for their work. 365 00:18:10,160 --> 00:18:12,280 We're working with other people in town. 366 00:18:12,280 --> 00:18:13,320 Maybe we're building a new theater. 367 00:18:13,320 --> 00:18:14,680 I don't know. 368 00:18:14,680 --> 00:18:16,680 Whatever that is, I see bigger. 369 00:18:16,680 --> 00:18:18,000 I want more. 370 00:18:18,000 --> 00:18:20,480 I see that happening before the 20th. 371 00:18:20,480 --> 00:18:21,840 I really do. 372 00:18:21,840 --> 00:18:27,720 I mean, just in the last year alone, it's grown exponentially. 373 00:18:27,720 --> 00:18:28,720 Takes vision. 374 00:18:28,720 --> 00:18:29,720 It takes a lot. 375 00:18:29,720 --> 00:18:31,080 It's not just producing the work. 376 00:18:31,080 --> 00:18:33,840 It's about seeing five years from now. 377 00:18:33,840 --> 00:18:38,320 And making sure that you have the right people that are supporting you. 378 00:18:38,320 --> 00:18:40,400 Our board is phenomenal. 379 00:18:40,400 --> 00:18:45,400 We wouldn't have had this collaboration with the Amesburg Freedom Museum if it wasn't because 380 00:18:45,400 --> 00:18:50,480 a board member is very close with the Amesburg Freedom Museum and their board. 381 00:18:50,480 --> 00:18:52,200 And so she was like, you know what? 382 00:18:52,200 --> 00:18:53,680 We need to be working together. 383 00:18:53,680 --> 00:18:57,760 And I feel like the great work comes out of collaborations. 384 00:18:57,760 --> 00:19:03,360 And we see that in the city more than anything because a lot of collaborations are happening. 385 00:19:03,360 --> 00:19:04,480 And I love seeing that. 386 00:19:04,480 --> 00:19:05,480 I love partnerships. 387 00:19:05,480 --> 00:19:06,480 I love it. 388 00:19:06,480 --> 00:19:07,480 I love it. 389 00:19:07,480 --> 00:19:08,480 I love it. 390 00:19:08,480 --> 00:19:10,320 And every time I write a grant, I'm like, OK, who can we partner with? 391 00:19:10,320 --> 00:19:12,760 Because I love working with people. 392 00:19:12,760 --> 00:19:17,040 And I think that's just going to make one idea like Chris always says. 393 00:19:17,040 --> 00:19:19,600 There's never a bad idea I want to hear. 394 00:19:19,600 --> 00:19:21,000 And a good idea is a good idea. 395 00:19:21,000 --> 00:19:22,000 A good idea is a good idea. 396 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:30,120 More people you get in the room that have that kind of innovative want to do more here 397 00:19:30,120 --> 00:19:34,160 in Windsor Essex and bring more to the community. 398 00:19:34,160 --> 00:19:35,640 Great things come out of that for sure. 399 00:19:35,640 --> 00:19:40,720 Well, you guys and the board also have such a great relationship, a lot of give and take, 400 00:19:40,720 --> 00:19:43,360 a lot of talking and communicating. 401 00:19:43,360 --> 00:19:45,320 And you work well together. 402 00:19:45,320 --> 00:19:47,720 And I mean, they're wonderful people like Shelley. 403 00:19:47,720 --> 00:19:48,720 I love that. 404 00:19:48,720 --> 00:19:49,720 Tracy, I can't say enough. 405 00:19:49,720 --> 00:19:53,280 Our big thing is our board has all done something in the theater. 406 00:19:53,280 --> 00:19:55,640 If they've never been on stage, they've been on stage in something. 407 00:19:55,640 --> 00:19:56,640 They've been backstage. 408 00:19:56,640 --> 00:19:57,720 They've worked in front of house. 409 00:19:57,720 --> 00:20:01,080 Something involving in theater because that's where it's like in the University of Windsor, 410 00:20:01,080 --> 00:20:03,480 they used to have this program where it was you had to be in nature of theater. 411 00:20:03,480 --> 00:20:09,760 You had to work behind, paint something, build something, costumes, whatever that was to 412 00:20:09,760 --> 00:20:15,640 appreciate that when you're an actor on stage, there are other people doing things for you 413 00:20:15,640 --> 00:20:17,480 that help you get there. 414 00:20:17,480 --> 00:20:22,360 And so for us as always a building that appreciation, you know, I started backstage. 415 00:20:22,360 --> 00:20:24,240 I was on stage as a kid. 416 00:20:24,240 --> 00:20:27,440 You have to understand all the elements that make production work. 417 00:20:27,440 --> 00:20:31,800 And when you do that, then you have an appreciation for everyone working on the project together. 418 00:20:31,800 --> 00:20:36,560 When I started Act, I was the production manager, the director, I was all of it. 419 00:20:36,560 --> 00:20:39,600 And I learned real quick how everything worked. 420 00:20:39,600 --> 00:20:42,880 When Moe came on, she came on as the production manager and other things. 421 00:20:42,880 --> 00:20:46,600 And it just built from there because then you understand how a show operates and then 422 00:20:46,600 --> 00:20:48,000 you have an appreciation. 423 00:20:48,000 --> 00:20:49,000 You know what? 424 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:50,000 Let me help you. 425 00:20:50,000 --> 00:20:51,000 I know what that's like. 426 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:55,000 I help move the sets into the theater on the last one who leaves. 427 00:20:55,000 --> 00:20:57,680 Just because I'm the director doesn't mean I get to leave when the show's over and say, 428 00:20:57,680 --> 00:20:58,680 that's great. 429 00:20:58,680 --> 00:21:02,320 Maybe in New York one day, maybe in 30 years, I don't know. 430 00:21:02,320 --> 00:21:06,440 But it's an appreciation and it's showing that it's a humbling that shows that everyone 431 00:21:06,440 --> 00:21:09,080 is in this together and no one is better than anyone else. 432 00:21:09,080 --> 00:21:12,960 Good ideas are a good idea and help helps everybody lift up, right? 433 00:21:12,960 --> 00:21:15,120 So that's where we kind of come from. 434 00:21:15,120 --> 00:21:18,240 And that's why you guys are so wonderful. 435 00:21:18,240 --> 00:21:21,360 And I appreciate you both so much. 436 00:21:21,360 --> 00:21:27,120 And I can't wait to see the price of freedom, which is February 28th, March 1st and March 437 00:21:27,120 --> 00:21:32,440 2nd of this year and your 10th anniversary. 438 00:21:32,440 --> 00:21:34,120 And thank you again, Moe and Chris. 439 00:21:34,120 --> 00:21:37,520 I appreciate you both so much. 440 00:21:37,520 --> 00:21:41,240 And again, this is Tracy Martins, YQG and Bloom. 441 00:21:41,240 --> 00:21:52,080 I hope you all have a wonderful day.