The Constant Struggle

E55 - Maddox Campbell: Blanket Fort Enthusiast

In Episode #55 of TCS, Brie & Nick chat with Maddox Campbell in Maddox' tent-fort studio in Toronto. MADDOX CAMPBELL (BCS) is an actor, improviser, podcaster, host & so much more. He tells us about his podcasts; Break a Wish, and now-completed Caverns & Comedians, his live shows; Perfect Match & The Know Show, his pub quiz Quizdamonium and his upcoming Toronto Fringe show The Resistance Improvised. He also tells us about the super cool shoot he did a few years back with METRIC. Maddox also opens up about his struggles being recognized as an actor and performer, when for so many of his projects his performing has to take a back-seat for the sake of the production. Join us on this super fun adventure with this VERY busy creator. Oh, and also...
Follow Maddox on Facebook, Twitter & Instagram
Follow Break a Wish on Facebook & Twitter and at the Sonar Network.
Keep an eye out for The Resistance Improvised at Toronto Fringe this summer.
Thanks so much for listening & #StruggleOn!

E54 - Blow That S*#% Up with Kate Fenton

KATE FENTON is an actor, improviser, content creator, mom, among MANY OTHER things; most pertinent to our conversation however, is how, along with some co-conspirators, she created an IPF trailer for a new webseries called "Band Ladies" in which she, and her fellow book club members get fed up with the mundane and start a punk rock band together.
We talk to Kate about Band Ladies, her theatre company, improv (of course), being a mom and how important it is to appreciate the art you create, even if sometimes, its monetary value only amounts to peanuts.
Kate is a dedicated, hardworking, lovely human being, and we hope her webseries gets made because it sounds like a lot of fun! In the meantime, you can help by watching the trailer for Band Ladies TODAY, liking and sharing it with everyone you know!
BAND LADIES IPF TRAILER: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MOEC708NA2M
Band Ladies Facebook, Instagram, Twitter
Kate's Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, Website
Thanks so much for listening & #StruggleOn everybody! 

E53 - Improv is the New Punk with Joe Amero

JOE AMERO is done with punk rock. His path has shifted quite a bit since his days in SOFA; he's now a social worker, a father of two, and a Hamiltonian. More importantly to the podcast, he's an improviser. You can find Joe improvising everywhere in Toronto! He trained at The Second City Training Centre, his troupe Pepperoni Pizza Cats perform monthly at the Social Capital Theatre, and with the Assembly, and he's now a Featured Player at the Bad Dog Comedy Theatre. 
We talk to Joe about improv. About his love of improv, who he was before finding improv, and how much of an impact improv has had on his life. That's right, this is an improv episode. Buckle up.
Truly, Joe is an absolute delight of a human being, an incredibly funny guy and a tremendous improviser. It was wonderful to catch up with him in his basement in Hamilton, and we think that'll be obvious in this wonderful earhole adventure.
Follow Joe on the social networks below:
Joe's Website.
Joe on Facebook.
Joe on Twitter.
Joe on Instagram.
Pepperoni Pizza Cats on Facebook - Twitter - Instagram
Now #StruggleOn!
 

E52 - Deb Howey, Leading Lady

DEB HOWEY is much more than than the leading lady in Thorold Community Theatre's upcoming production of "Sin, Sex & the CIA," (a farce written by Michael & Susan Parker.) She's a mom of two with a full-time job, and has the know-how to run an entire stage production, on stage and behind-the-scenes.
In this episode, Deb talks to Nick & Brie about the process of putting on live theatre productions for the Thorold Community Theatre; the difficulties involved when all participants are volunteers, and the joys that arise out of these community-building endeavours. 
She also gets us ready for TCT's next production and it sounds like a hoot! Sin, Sex & the CIA opens March 29th 2019 at the Trinity United Church in Thorold, ON & runs:
Friday, March 29 @ 8:00 p.m.Saturday, March 30 @ 8:00 p.m.Sunday, March 31 @ 2:00 p.m.Friday, April 5 @ 8:00 p.m.Saturday, April 6 @ 8:00 p.m.Sunday, April 7 @ 2:00 p.m.Friday, April 12 @ 8:00 p.m.Saturday, April 13 @ 8:00 p.m.
Tickets will be available online soon, by clicking HERE!
Become a Fan of the Thorold Community Centre on Facebook.
Volunteer your awesome skills for TCT by clicking HERE!
Thanks for listening & #StruggleOn.

E51 - Happy Twenty Nine-Tea!

Nick & Brie talk about their creative goals for the New Year. And about a few of their other goals, side-hustles and hobbies. Get on board, we're READY for 2019!

E50 - Be Kind to Yourself

Our 50th episode (YAY!) has a recurring through-line, the need to treat yourself kindly. Be it with mindfulness, therapy, legal weed or swimming in Lake Erie in October, Nick & Brie talk about the ways to take care of ourselves when we're not feeling our best. We also update everyone on our creative progresses and challenges and take a few fun departures along the way. Like to Golfton-sur-mer!

E49 - There's Always Struggles

Nick and Brie catch you up on the artistic goings on of the summer months. For Nick, it's trying to find the time to edit his latest project in between his kids' baseball games and his newfound obsession with golf. Brie's out and about with improv from Toronto to Niagara, with new projects hatching all over the place and old ones finally wrapping up. Thanks for listening & #StruggleOn everybody!

E48 - Erica Sherwood's Big FIGHT!

ERICA SHERWOOD is an actor and filmmaker from St. Catharines, Ontario who's latest project FIGHT! premieres next month on Jun 22nd with a fabulous red carpet screening event in the heart of downtown St. Catharines. Erica helped create the film, in which she also stars, produces, creates foley as well as MANY other things. Erica is a strong promoter of Niagara's growing film industry and hopes that with films like FIGHT along with her not-for-profit Jarico Films for Youth, which aims to build leadership skills and confidence through film for Niagara's youth, will help motivate filmakers to stay in Niagara to create and maintain sustainable careers in the film industry.
Erica takes us through the creation of FIGHT from its inception through to its current editing stage and fills us in with incredibly helpful knowledge about filmmaking, screenwriting and barenuckle boxing along the way.
Find out more about FIGHT and get your tickets today at http://fightfilm.ca/ 
Follow Erica on Instagram at @sherwood & @jaricofilms & @enpointecreative & @fightfilm

E47: Lacie Williamson & the Dunnville Renaissance

LACIE WILLIAMSON is a visual artist, comedian and event/community planner galore based in Dunnville, Ontario. Recorded in the back room of Lacie's LVW Creative Barracks, a building she purchased in Dunnville's historic downtown to create a space where she could paint and encourage others to create art, Lacie spoke to Nick & Brie about life as a full-time artist in a town with, shall we say, less than progressive views, politics & ideals.
Lacie takes us back to her roots in Dunnville, to her forray in journalism and event planning, into full-time artistry and the amazing achievements she made along the way that helped heal a community in great need of change. From producing an 11-hour rock concert at 15 years old for the town, to her contining work administrating the River Arts Festival, Lacie takes us on a journey into the history of Dunnville, her process as an artist and advocate for social change and her passion for comedy all while struggling to balance both artistic and financial freedom. 
Listen to this interview with this incredible force of nature & follow her on her various social networks too!
 
Lacie Williamson
Instagram: @lacievdub
Twitter: @lacievdub
LVW Creative Barracks, Art Studio & Gallery
Facebook: LVWART
Instagram: @barracksbythegrand
Website: https://barracksbythegrand.ca/
 

E46: One Foot in the Forest with Jess Grant

JESS GRANT is an improviser and improv teacher living in Toronto. Originally from New Brunswick, Jess takes TCS on a journey through her discovery of improv through to her process of using physicality to inspire her amazing scenework along to how the rules of improv helped her through her treatment of Hogkin's lymphoma.
With a clean bill of health, she reflects on some of the clarity she discovered on her journey through cancer treatment and how overcoming it helped her face some of her other fears and self-doubts; like taking the big leap from improv to stand-up comedy and the written word!
This episode is enlightening and insightful and we're so happy to feature such an incredible human being on our show. Listen and be inspired by the incomparable Jess Grant.
Thanks for listening & #StruggleOn
Brie & Nick