Staff Picks #2

NYC’s Playwrights Horizons presents Soundstage, a podcast series every second Thursday featuring new, diverse writers who are creating plays & musicals for today. There are already 3 podcasts you can listen to.

He’s been spending a fair bit of time lurking on a forum devoted to the modular music synthesis app Audulus . It’s a node-based programming environment, à la Max MSP, with a focus on modular synthesis & processing. It’s a beautiful, infinitely flexible app, with a wonderful community supporting it.

He’s been tuning in to Radio-Canada’s Théâtre à la Carte and listening to Ceux qui se sont évaporés by Rébecca Déraspe, produced by Le Centre du Théâtre d’Aujourd’hui. There are others to choose from so go nuts!

Brush up on your French while discovering theatre from another country. France’s La comedie française continues to entertain with online programming of plays, readings, and discussions available on their YouTube channel.

Like many of us, Kathleen’s been spending a lot more time in the kitchen lately. She found some great inspiration for what to do with all those cans of beans and weary root vegetables at Smitten Kitchen, where Deb Perelman has a section focused on the pantry staples we’re relying on between masked strips to the grocery store. Deb’s also got candid cook-alongs on Instagram. And if you can find four & yeast, Kathleen made (and devoured) Samin Nosrat’s focaccia from Salt, Fat, Acid, Heat, on Netflix. Add a few sprigs of fresh rosemary as a tribute to Rosemary Focaccia, one of the loveable marionette characters from our favourite puppet master, Ronnie Burkett, and The Daisy Theatre troupe. See … theatre is everywhere! 

Lately, Vanessa has been spending more time on her yoga mat. It doesn’t take much space, so her home office is also a yoga studio. Her regular Old Montreal studio, Luna Yoga is offering online classes.

She’s also getting a lot of TLC from her life coach/mind-body teacher and actor, Julia Juhas, a.k.a. Lily St-Cyr in Centaur’s Last Night at the Gayety! Julia’s Facebook page, Live with Ease will remind you to enjoy simple pleasures like taking a walk, journaling, and breathing.

Stewart Hall’s Biennale of Contemporary Aboriginal Art exhibition, entitled Honouring Kinship.

WOW! From May 29-June7, 20+ global film festivals (TIFF, Tribeca, Cannes, Sundance, etc.), will be streaming movies FREE for the WE ARE ONE Global Film Festival. Stock up on the popcorn!

Diane has gone old school, rekindling her passion for jigsaw puzzles. Like a real pro, she’s got the contours done and is looking forward to lots more hours of fun! Want a real challenge? Turn even the simplest puzzle upside down to solve it without any visual clues. That’ll keep you busy!