Hello everyone and Happy Family Day! I've got a great interview to share with you today with playwright Nicolas Billon.

Nic’s literary vocation surfaced at the age of six, when he wrote and illustrated a story on index cards about a rampaging robot. He stapled the cards together and sold “Le Robot” to his mother for a tidy profit.

Today, his work is known for its challenging subject matter blended with humour, twists, and deep humanism.

The Elephant Song, Nic’s first play, premiered at the Stratford Festival in 2004; it has since been produced around the world and was made into a feature film in 2014. Several of his other plays, most notably Iceland and Butcher, have had major productions across Canada and internationally.

Accolades include a Governor-General’s Award for Drama, a Canadian Screen Award, and a Writers Guild of Canada Screenwriting Award.

Nic is a strong supporter of the serial comma and of Caryl Churchill’s adage that “Playwrights don't give answers, they ask questions.”

You can find Nic on Bluesky here: https://bsky.app/profile/nbwriter.com

If you'd like to hear Nic's Before You Go! episode, join my Patreon at: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

Welcome to Episode 12 of Season 2 of A View from the Box - The Podcast. I'm so thankful to have Kate Martin, who is not only currently performing in but is also associate directing Shakespeare BASH'd's current production "Troilus and Cressida"

Kate Martin is a theatre artist and educator raised in rural Saskatchewan and based in Toronto. Previously with Shakespeare BASH'd, she played Emilia in The Two Noble Kinsmen, Lorenzo in the staged reading of The Spanish Tragedy, Annabella in the staged reading of 'Tis Pity She's a Whore, and was the assistant director for The Tragedy of King Lear. Elsewhere, Kate has performed with Young People's Theatre company and Crane Creations Theatre. She has been twice Dora-nominated within Outstanding Ensembles. Kate holds her BFA in Acting from Toronto Metropolitan University.

You can find Shakespeare BASH'd on Instagram at https://www.instagram.com/shakesbashd/

And you can find Kate at https://www.instagram.com/katemartin___/

If you'd like to hear Kate's Before You Go! episode, you can join my Patreon here: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox

Welcome to Episode 11 of Season 2 of A View from the Box - The Podcast. I'm so excited to have Natalia Bushnik and Kathleen Welch back on the show to talk about their new Horror Theatre Festival "Dead of Winter"

Founded by Natalia Bushnik and Kathleen Welch in 2021, spindle collective formed through our shared passion in the telling of original, immersive, horror-theatre works. Based in what is colonially known as Toronto, we believe in working collaboratively in the space to create a cohesive world by interweaving storytelling devices and site-specific creation. Pulling inspiration from folklore around the world, we are committed to confronting the uncomfortable.

To learn more about the festival and snag what few tickets remain, click the link here: https://eldritchtheatre.ca/winter/

To hear Nat and Kat's Before You Go! episode, you can join my Patreon at: https://patreon.com/AViewfromtheBox