Life in Stages with Joel Greenberg

Michael’s jam-packed resume is itself a testament to the many stages in a professional actor’s life. So, having Michael join me in conversation is precisely what I’d aimed my podcast to include.

Selecting from among the many, many credits will provide a snapshot – our conversation will offer much more.

Film and television credits include “Chucky” (regular guest star), “Fellow Travelers” (recurring role), “Guillermo del Toro presents ...

Deb and I met about 25 years ago when we were both working on the Canadian premiere of “The Laramie Project”, the production that launched Studio 180 Theatre. And during its subsequent run the following year, at Buddies, Deb returned to the company. 

Additional stage credits include “Steel Magnolias” (Capitol Theatre), “The Curious Incident…” (YES Theatre), “Doubt” (BNE Theatre), “The Penelopiad” (The Grand), “”Parfumerie” (Soulpepp...

Jim is a multi-talented writer-performer-director with more than 50 years of professional experience. I first saw Jim in the original Toronto production of “Godspell”, and soon after I was working with him on a series of original musical revues: “Tonight at 8:30…9 O’Clock in Newfoundland (Series 1, 2 and 3), I’ll Tell You Mine…If You Tell Me Yours”, “The Moose that Roared”. For these, he was writer, composer, performer – not EGOT, ...

Lucy just completed her 38th season at the Stratford Festival and was the recipient of the Stratford Festival Legacy Award in 2023.

She has played in over 85 productions at Stratford and has performed in approximately 45 Shakespeare plays including Lady Macbeth in last season's Macbeth directed by Robert Lepage. Throughout her 40-year career she has journeyed through the stories of Ophelia, Rosalind, Viola, Portia, Helena, Desde...

David has spent as much of his career onstage as he has in front of cameras. Stage credits include “The Nether” (Studio 180 theatre/Coalmine), “The Boy in the Moon” (Crows), “Noises Off” (Soulpepper), “Doubt” (Canadian Stage), “Frost/Nixon” (Vancouver Playhouse/ Canadian Stage), “Amadeus” (Citadel Theatre), “The Trials of Ezra Pound” (Stratford Festival) and “Nothing Sacred” (Winter Garden Theatre). 

Film and television roles have i...

Linda began her professional career at Second City (Toronto) where she performed, directed and conducted workshops. She has appeared in and directed many plays, films and television shows throughout Canada, the US, Europe, Russia and New Zealand.

Stage credits include her work with the Stratford Festival, Tarragon Theatre, Canadian Stage, Theatre Aquarius, Studio 180 Theatre and Theatre Calgary, among many others.

Television includes...

Tom has been a member of the Stratford Company for 12 seasons. Additionally, he has performed in “Someone Else”, “The Seagull” and “The Wedding Party”, at Crows Theatre, Hairspray, both in Toronto and on Broadway, “Hamlet” at the National Arts Centre, Robert Lepage’s “Romeo et Juliette”, “I Am My Own Wife”, at the Vancouver Playhouse, and “Tartuffe”, at Canadian Stage. On television and in film, Tom can be seen in “This is Wonderla...

Bringing this season to a close, Mike becomes host to Joel -- and this is their 3rd conversation, which makes sense since we are in Season 3 -- how the podcast has developed, is developing, will continue to evolve PLUS the reality of stepping down from Studio 180 Theatre after 20 years as Artistic Director and, altogether, 50 years in the professional theatre world. Regrets? Triumphs? Dreams? Tune in and listen to Mike and Joel jos...

Judith is the author of more than a dozen plays, all produced in Canada and many  translated and produced internationally. She has written two produced films and  two television films, plus many radio plays. 

Judith lists among her many awards two Governor General Awards, a Toronto Arts  Award, a Dora Award and a Chalmers Award, The Epilepsy Ontario Award, the  Susan Smith Blackburn Award and The Amnesty International Freedom of  Ex...

A graduate of the National Theatre School of Canada, Susan has appeared in  leading roles in theatres across the country, including The Royal Manitoba Theatre  centre, The Citadel, The Banff Centre, The Stratford Festival, The Shaw Festival. 

As a founding member of Soulpepper Theatre Company, she appeared in Don  Carlos during the company’s inaugural season. Among other Soulpepper  productions were her own adaptations of Platonov, ...

Evan has been a leading player across various stages and screens in Canada and  the United States for 30 years.  

As a longtime member of both the Stratford and Shaw festivals, he has played ‘Sky  Masterson’ in Guys & Dolls, ‘Mercutio’ in Romeo and Juliet, the title role in  Pericles, ‘Stanhope’ in Journey’s End, ‘Jack” in The Importance of Being Earnest.  Musical theatre credits include his Dora Award-winning performance in Fun...

I first saw Barbara in a Toronto production of The Dining Room. I was completely  taken with her performance, her warmth, her clarity. I hoped that I would have  the opportunity of working with her, and in 2006 we finally did get to work  together — The Arab-Israeli Cookbook provided the opportunity. And I’ve  followed her career since then. 

Theatre audiences will know Barbara from her performances in A Doll’s House  (Belfry Theatr...

Brad is among the most produced and prolific Canadian playwrights. Born in  Edmonton, he won his first playwriting competition at the age of 17. He hasn’t  stopped writing since. 

Unidentified Human Remains and the True Nature of Love, which premiered at  Alberta Theatre projects PlayRites in 1989, after being developed by Workshop  West (Edmonton), launched an international career with productions that  followed in Toronto, New Yor...

Drew’s tally of theatre, film and television credits is daunting, and this thumbnail  sketch barely scratches the surface. 

Fourteen seasons at the Shaw Festival include roles in The Devil’s Disciple, The  Playboy of the Western World, Cavalcade, The Front Page and Cyrano de Bergerac.  

Elsewhere, and right across the country, Andrew has performed in Cymbeline and  Richard III (Stratford Festival), Blithe Spirit (Neptune Theatre, Hal...

Many of my guests have discussed the paths they followed through careers both  linear and pin-ball like. Allan Stratton begins by stating that he was raised by a  single mom in Bruce County, Sarnia and London. 

He has lived in Manhattan, Montreal, Vancouver and Switzerland — but mostly in  Toronto. 

Allan began his professional life as an actor, moved on to playwriting (I ‘met’ Allan  by directing his very successful play, Nurse Jane...

Ben is in his 50th year as a professional actor. And as weighty as this is, his family  history that is equally striking. 

To take nothing away from Ben, himself, his lineage traces back to his maternal  grandparents, Sir Lewis Casson and Dame Sybil Thorndike. Ann Casson and 

Douglas Campbell are his parents. And his ‘inheritance’ extends to his siblings, of  course. 

Back to Ben: his career began in England, where he trained at the B...

Jon and I met in the early 90’s at the University of Waterloo where he was among  the students who, years later, performed in The Laramie Project, the play that  launched Studio 180 Theatre. 

Following his training at the National Theatre School of Canada, we worked  together again on Our Class. Many seasons followed at the Stratford Festival,  where he continues to perform. Among his many festival credits are Henry VIII,  The Music...

Paul juggles a career as playwright and actor with effortless dexterity. Having  trained at the National Theatre School, Paul understands the value of being both  on and offstage, although as a playwright it can be fairly argued that he is as  present as anyone, maybe even more so. 

Paul’s capacity to move between classical and new work is further proof of a  natural affinity for stages of all kinds. Many seasons at Stratford have i...