#431 – Courtney Stoltz

About This Episode: This week on Stageworthy, host Phil Rickaby is joined by Courtney Stoltz, the production manager for a new community theatre company in Kenora, Ontario, called So I guess we're doing this. Courtney shares her journey from actor to production manager. She provides a look into the theatre scene in Northwestern Ontario and the experience of taking their original play, Finding Richard Close, to the Winnipeg Fringe Festival. Courtney also discusses the unique balance of working in health promotion in remote Indigenous communities while pursuing her passion for theatre, highlighting the company's commitment to community wellness and their ambitious plans for the future.

This episode explores:

• The formation of So I guess we're doing this, a theatre company founded by two family physicians in Kenora.
• The themes of community, family, and healing in their original play, Finding Richard Close.
• The challenges and triumphs of a new company performing at the Winnipeg Fringe Festival.
• The state of the theatre scene in Northwestern Ontario and the passion of its artists.
• The company's future vision, including a potential regional tour and their goal of becoming a professional theatre company.

Guest: 🎭 Courtney Stoltz

Courtney is the production manager for So I Guess We're Doing This? Theatre Company, based in Kenora, Ontario. She was born and raised in Edmonton, Alberta. Her theatre journey there included performing in Northern Lights Theatre's productions of Beauty and the Beast and Robin Hood at the Edmonton Fringe Festival in 2009 and 2010, respectively. She has appeared in numerous productions with Missoula Children's theatre, including King Arthur's Quest, The Adventures of Robinson Crusoe, and The Princess and the Frog. She attended Foote Theatre School, which culminated in a performance of A Chorus Line and Victoria School of the Arts from grades 10-12. She has recently appeared in TryLight Theatre's productions of My Fair Lady and Holmes and Watson. This is Courtney's first time approaching a show from the production side rather than being on stage, and it has been both fun and educational. When not thinking about theatre, Courtney works in Health Promotion in Kenora, Ontario. She is an avid whitewater kayaker and loves spending her weekends in the summer finding new rapids to challenge her. You also might find her mixing cocktails behind the bar where she works part time.

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