Former Fredericton theatre artist launches new podcast exploring theatre creation.
As the summer came to an end, the Fredericton theatre community said goodbye to actor/director Alex Donovan. Following a final series of performances with Theatre Free Radical who traveled to Edmonton to present the Len Falkenstein play Lac/Athabasca as part of the city’s 2016 Fringe Theatre Festival, Donovan remained in Edmonton where he is now enrolled in the Master of Fine Arts Directing program at the University of Alberta.
A graduate of the University of New Brunswick, Donovan was a mainstay on the Fredericton theatre scene where he founded Imaginary Circumstances Theatre Company, acted in numerous plays produced by UNB Drama, Theatre Free Radical, Solo Chicken Productions’ the coop and Bard in the Barracks, and was recently a featured playwright and director as part of the NotaBle Acts Summer Theatre Festival. While his wit, onstage charisma and passion for the art of theatre will be missed locally, his love for theatre is now reaching a national audience.
Talking Theatre is his latest project – a conversation podcast where Donovan chats with many of the directors presenting work at UofA.
“Talking Theatre started a bit selfishly,” said Donovan, admitting the initial inspiration behind the weekly podcast was simply a way for him to settle into a new community. “I really wanted to learn more about the theatre artists working in Edmonton and at the University of Alberta. I realized that if I’m interested in learning more, there must be others interested too and decided why not share my conversations with these artists for anyone who’s interested to listen.”
As one of only a handful of theatre-focused podcasts currently available, Talking Theatre fills a void by presenting insightful conversations with new and emerging directors.
“I think it’s important to share the different processes of making theatre that occur around the country so we can all learn more about how theatre is made in our country,” said Donovan. “It also felt like a fun way to connect my East Coast friends with what’s happening on the other side of Canada. It’s a chance to get a glimpse into a province you may not be familiar with, theatrically.”
As the show progresses, Donovan hopes to develop the program to include a broader range of theatre artists.
“I began with the idea of just interviewing directors but it’s now opened up to actors and I will be speaking with the new Artistic Director of the Citadel Theatre, Daryl Cloran, in the next coming weeks,” he said. “I have a lot of plans, but for now I’m just focusing on booking interviews so I can release an episode a week.”
Check out an episode of Talking Theatre or subscribe in iTunes.
