A View from the Box - The Podcast

Janine Marley
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Hey Everyone! It’s Janine from A View from the Box and welcome to A View from the Box – The Podcast! I’m going to be talking to artists from Toronto and beyond in my new interview-style podcast. This is an extension of my Stage Door Dialogues feature on my site, but in audio! I’m really looking forward to getting to chat and have some fun with some of the most talented folks I know and bring these conversations to you!

  1. Episode 4 - Fall Preview

    4D AGO

    Episode 4 - Fall Preview

    Hello there, dear listener, and welcome to Episode 4 of Season 2 of A View from the Box - The Podcast. Today's episode is just a quick chat about what I've seen this fall, what you can still see on stage right now, and what I'm looking forward to this fall. Also a Happy Thanksgiving to those of you here in Canada. I'm so thankful for all of you and for your support with everything I do. If you'd like to help support A View from the Box - The Podcast, you can become one of my Patron on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    19 min
  2. Episode 3 - Makram Ayache of In Arms Theatre Company and The Mena Collective, in association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Factory Theatre’s “The Green Line”

    SEP 29

    Episode 3 - Makram Ayache of In Arms Theatre Company and The Mena Collective, in association with Buddies in Bad Times Theatre and Factory Theatre’s “The Green Line”

    Well hello there! Welcome to Episode 3 of Season 2 of A View from the Box - The Podcast. I am so happy to get to have Makram Ayache on the show today. He's chatting with me today about his new show "The Green Line" which is on right now at Buddies in Bad Times Theatre, as well as his Dora Award Winning "A Witch in Algiers" and much more. Makram Ayache is a Governor General Literary Award Finalist and Dora award-winning playwright, performer, director, and producer based in Toronto. His playwriting explores representations of queer Arab voices and aims to bridge political struggles to the intimate experiences of the people impacted by them. Ayache was selected as one of six breakthrough artists in Toronto in the Toronto Star in 2023. His play, "The Hooves Belonged to the Deer" was selected as one of 10 best productions in Ontario in 2023 by the Globe and Mail and won an Elizabeth Sterling Haynes Award for “Outstanding Independent Production” in Edmonton in 2023. Previously, His Governor General nominated play "The Green Line" (Downstage and Chromatic Theatre) garnered four Betty Mitchell Award Nominations, winning two including "Outstanding New Play." Most recently, Ayache has written an adaption of Shakespeare's "The Tempest" titled "A Witch in Algiers" (Shakespeare in the Ruff)m which garnered the Dora Mavor Moore Award for Outstanding New Play in 2025. Alongside writing, Ayache directs, most recently directing the development showcase of "Small Gods the Musical” with Theatre Sheridan and Factory Theatre. Photo by Shane D'Costa. You can find Makram online at: https://www.makramayache.com/ And on Instagram at: https://www.instagram.com/m_makram90/ If you'd like to hear Markam's Before You Go! episode, you can join my Patreon at: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    44 min

  3. SEP 15

    Episode 2 - Andrea Donaldson of Nightwood Theatre, in association with Tarragon Theatre's "Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs"

    Hi there everyone! It's time for Episode 2 of Season 2 of A View from the Box - The Podcast! Today's guest is Andrea Donaldson, and we're chatting about "Enormity, Girl, and the Earthquake in Her Lungs" which opens this week! Andrea has been Nightwood Theatre’s Artistic Director since 2019. Her artistic practice has spanned over 20 years rooted in dramaturgy and directing feminist works. Directing highlights include: Mad Madge (Nightwood VideoCabaret), The Queen In Me (Nightwood, Amplified Opera, Canadian Opera Company, Theatre Gargantua), Betrayal (Soulpepper), Every Day She Rose (Nightwood), Beautiful Man (Factory Theatre), The Taming of The Shrew (St. Lawrence Shakespeare Festival), Lo (or Dear Mr. Wells) (Nightwood/Crows), Quiver (Nightwood/Buddies), Sequence (Tarragon), Romeo & Juliet (Ruff), Soliciting Temptation (Tarragon), Within the Glass - GG Nomination (Tarragon), Mistatim (Red Sky), The Atomic Weight of Happiness (Theatre Direct), and Montparnasse (TPM). Prior to her time as Artistic Director at Nightwood, Andrea ran the company’s Write from the Hip program for five years and was the Assistant/Associate Artistic Director at Tarragon Theatre. Awards: Stratford Festival’s Jean Gascon Award for Direction, nominations for the Pauline McGibbon & John Hirsch Directing Awards. Her projects have received over a dozen Dora nominations and have been awarded Outstanding Performance (Ensemble) & Outstanding Production for And By the Way, Miss (Theatre Direct). You can find Nightwood Theatre on social media at: https://www.facebook.com/nightwoodtheatre/ https://www.instagram.com/nightwoodtheat/?hl=en https://bsky.app/profile/nightwoodtheat.bsky.social If you'd like to hear Andrea's Before You Go! Episode, you can become one of my Patrons on Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    39 min

  4. SEP 1

    Episode 1 - Brenda Kamino of Renaissance Canadian Theatre's "Bachelor Man"

    Hello there, and welcome to SEASON 2 of A View from the Box - The Podcast. Thank you so much for coming along this journey with me and for getting us to a second season of this podcast, I'm over the moon. I'm so excited to have the legendary Brenda Kamino on the show today. BRENDA KAMINO DIRECTING: Harabogee & Me, (Shakespeare in Action); Restless Night, (Shadowpath) Eminent Domain, Half the Sky (Women at Play 5, 7); UPCOMING: Bachelor Man at Tarragon Theatre for Renaissance Theatre. ACTING – Theatre: Mizushobai (Tableau D’Hote); Carried by the River (Red Snow); Her2 (Nightwood Theatre); Rashomon and Simpleton of the Unexpected Isles (Shaw Festival); Ching Chong Chinaman (fu-Gen); Nisei Blue (Alberta Theatre Projects); dreams of blonde and blue and Bachelor Man (Theatre Passe Muraille); Petra and A Secret Life (Theatre Direct); YPT’s Dora Nominated Naomi’s Road; M Butterfly (Theatre Aquarius); suicide notes (Summerworks - NOW Magazine’s Outstanding Performance); At the End of the Day, her Award winning one-woman Fringe show. Film/TV: Two seasons of CTV’s series Carter, The Glass Castle, (Lion’s Gate), Warigami, (CBC), Lost Girl, Degrassi TNG, Train 48, Forever Knight, Kung Fu, Loser, Zero Patience, Street Legal and Mr. Dressup. Winner CAEA’s LARRY MCCANCE AWARD for her work in diversity. 40 years of advocacy for non-mainstream theatre/film artists. If you'd like to hear Brenda's Before You Go! Episode, join my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    49 min

  5. AUG 18

    Episode 25 - Birgitte Solem and Robert Ross Parker of Here for Now Theatre and Hope and Hell Theatre's "Apples in Winter"

    It's the final episode of Season 1 of A View from the Box - The Podcast! Thank you all SO much for your support of me and my podcast in this new journey for me! My guests today are Birgitte Solem and Robert Ross Parker of Here For Now Theatre and Hope and Hell Theatre's "Apples in Winter" Birgitte Solem has worked at theatres across the country, and has spent several seasons over the last twenty years at The Blyth Festival, including performing and co-creating The Pigeon King and as a playwright, debuting her first full-length mystery Resort to Murder, top seller of the 50th anniversary season. She is co-founder of Hope and Hell Theatre Co., starring in Disgraced (Mirvish Entertainment and The Citadel Theatre). With over 30 film and television credits, Birgitte was a series regular on Malory Towers for CBBC, appeared in the recent TIFF award winning short Motherland and for two years was the voice of Volvo Canada. You can find Birgitte on Instagram at: Instagram Robert Ross Parker Robert is a NYC based Canadian director, actor, and writer. He is the co-founder of the Obie winning Vampire Cowboys. He has directed all of their productions including Soul Samurai, Alice in Slasherland, Fight Girl/Battle World, The Inexplicable Redemption of Agent G, and Revenge Song (Geffen Playhouse and Oregon Shakespeare Festival). Other directing credits include Anna Moench’s Mothers (Playwrights Realm) Vietgone (RMTC) Disgraced (Mirvish, Citadel) Fast Company (Ensemble Studio Theatre) the world premier of She Kills Monsters (The Flea) and the award winning Hamlet (solo) (Hope and Hell) which has toured for more than fifteen years playing in the US, Canada and the UK, most recently Soulpepper. You can find Robert on Instagram at: Instagram If you'd like to hear the Before You Go! Episode, become one of my Patrons and help keep this podcast going: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    46 min

  6. AUG 4

    Episode 24 - Cale Crowe of Capitol Theatre Port Hope's "Rez Gas"

    Well hi there! This is episode 24 of A View from the Box - The Podcast! Season 1 is winding down, but fear not! Season 2 is already in the works! This week, I'm chatting with musician and now playwright Cale Crowe. Cale Crowe is an Anishnaabe singer-songwriter from Alderville First Nation and has been performing to stages of all sizes for the last 12 years alongside acts like Ron Sexsmith, The Strumbellas, William Prince, Aysanabee, Digging Roots, and countless others. He has released three records of his own music to date: 2015’s Stars & Promises, 2017’s Til You Let Me Go, and 2024’s Burn Blue. Cale is making his playwriting debut in 2025 at The Capitol Theatre with Rez Gas, which was born out of the Theatre’s 2023 Creator’s Unit. You can often catch him performing at various bars, nightclubs, theatres, and festivals across the province. You can find Cale on social media at: https://www.instagram.com/calecrowe/ If you'd like to hear Cale's Before You Go! episode, subscribe to my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    48 min

  7. JUL 21

    Episode 23 - Praneet Akilla and Lili Beaudoin of Canadian Stage's "Romeo and Juliet"

    Welcome to episode 23 of A View from the Box - The Podcast! Today, I'm chatting with Praneet Akilla and Lili Beaudoin who are taking on Shakespeare's most famous lovers, Romeo & Juliet, at Dream in High Park! A mostly Vancouverite but sometimes Torontonian Lili Beaudoin is an actor, improvisor and filmmaker. Some of her notable theatre credits include Juliet in Juliet, a Revenge Comedy, Marie in The Nutcracker at Caravan Farm Theatre, Claudia in I, Claudia at The Arts Club, Mimi/scenographer in Blind Date, Brigid Blake in The Humans at Theatre Calgary, Gracie in Gracie at ATP & Belfry and Miranda in The Tempest at Bard on the Beach. Elsewhere Lili’s voice can be heard in several animated shows such as Beat Bugs, Littlest Pet Shop, Rainbow Ruby, Max Steel and My Little Pony. Lili is the Associate Artistic Director of Tightrope Impro Theatre where she spend most of her weekends strutting her stuff on stage and pretending she knows what she’s talking about. Lili is the honoured recipient of a Betty Mitchell award for Outstanding Performance by a lead Actress in a Drama. Praneet Akilla is an award winning Indian-Canadian Actor & Producer best known for his leading roles on The CW’s Nancy Drew, Disney Freeform’s Motherland Fort Salem, and Netflix’s October Faction. He is currently the series lead of the Canadian Screen Award nominated medical drama Skymed on CBC Gem & Paramount Plus. Over the last 3 years Praneet has made the successful transition into producing a variety of critically acclaimed short films and digital series with his new production company Akilla Express, focusing on telling unique, genre-bending stories from a Third Culture Global Majority perspective. Most recently Praneet produced and starred in the critically- acclaimed short film “Mom vs Machine” which is currently on the film festival circuit with 6 Leo Nominations (B.C. Film & Television Awards) including Best Short Drama. With stops at Fantasia Film Festival, Whistler Film Festival, Reelworld Film Festival, and Brooklyn Horror Festival- the short film premiered on the Sci-Fi Streaming Platform- DUST in 2023. Praneet also produced a Telus Funded short film entitled Not For Us (Whistler Film Festival Premiere 2023, LA Comedy Film Festival 2023 Best Short film). He is currently in development on a TV adaptation of the celebrated Canadian novel Junie with 100 Dragons Media Inc. and a new comedy horror series called Raksha with funding from IPF & Canada Media Fund. Praneet is a recent graduate of the National Screen Institute of Canada’s Access BIPOC Producers program. Praneet is currently selected as a producer participant in the highly competitive Netflix Diversity of Voices Program as part of the 2025 cohort for emerging BIPOC creators to decision-makers at the Banff World Media Film Festival. You can find Praneet online here: Instagram If you'd like to hear their Before You Go! Episode, you can join my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    44 min

  8. JUL 7

    Episode 22 - Sanskruti Marathe of "At The End of Kaliyuga" at Toronto Fringe Festival

    It's Episode 22 of A View from the Box - The Podcast and it's my final Fringe Feature! Today, I'm talking to Sanskruti Marathe who is performing in TWO shows at the Fringe: "At the End of Kaliyuga" and "Temple of Desire" Sanskruti Marathe is an Indian Canadian dancer, actor and writer with a BFA with Honors from York University's Acting Conservatory. Her journey in the arts began with dance, sparking a lifelong dedication to mastering both classical and contemporary forms. For over 17 years, Sanskruti has trained extensively in Indian Classical Dance, completing her Bharatnatyam Arangetram and currently pursuing her Kathak Vishaarad under the mentorship of esteemed gurus. Driven by a passion for connecting communities through culturally informed storytelling, Sanskruti’s work continues to inspire audiences of all ages, bridging the traditional and contemporary to create meaningful artistic experiences. Her notable works include At the End of Kaliyuga, a compelling solo children's theatre production that seamlessly integrates the elegance of Indian classical dance with the expressive artistry of clowning. This production was showcased at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival and is now scheduled for presentation at the Toronto Fringe Festival. Additionally, she co-wrote Shuth Chondi Hai (The Roof is Leaking), a thought-provoking play exploring the quiet endurance and unspoken sacrifices of Punjabi/South Asian women that hold their families together, which will be presented by Pleiades Theatre at Berkley Street Theatre. You can find Sanskruti online here: Sanskruti Marathe (@sanskrutis_adaa) • Instagram photos and videos Instagram If you'd like to hear Sanskruti's "Before You Go!" episode, you can join my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

    40 min
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About

Hey Everyone! It’s Janine from A View from the Box and welcome to A View from the Box – The Podcast! I’m going to be talking to artists from Toronto and beyond in my new interview-style podcast. This is an extension of my Stage Door Dialogues feature on my site, but in audio! I’m really looking forward to getting to chat and have some fun with some of the most talented folks I know and bring these conversations to you!

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