One year ago, we closed our doors to audiences. 
To mark the one year anniversary we wanted to share a piece of art through the lens of an artist.  

You can read "Here we are" as a play, or listen to the audio recording read by Erin, with music by Thomas Ryder Payne. "Here we are" is a piece I have been writing throughout this past year. It was not a commission, nor did I have a theatre or audience in mind as I wrote. It was more like an unstoppable outpouring of words and thoughts and emotions to try to make sense of the upheaval of the world as we knew it. "Here we are" is an expression of pain and longing. It is an act of empathy. It is a search for community in a time of profound isolation and division. There is something intrinsically flawed about this text which aspires to dissolve boundaries between individuals and expose the interconnective tissue between us all. But that’s okay, I think. This text is as much about failure as it is about success; about the journey rather than the destination, and besides, this is only my third draft. I considered printing a hundred copies and snail-mailing it to a hundred friends and colleagues I’ve missed over this past year. But there are more than a hundred. And there are so many people I still haven’t met. So ... on the anniversary of the great lockdown, I share with you: "Here we are."

Here We Are

Here We Are by Erin Shields

Show Notes:
The following are some of the people/organizations/productions mentioned in the interview:

Julie Tepperman and Aaron Willis of Convergence Theatre - https://www.convergencetheatre.com/julie-tepperman and https://www.convergencetheatre.com/aaron-willis

The Unending - https://www.convergencetheatre.com/past/#the-unending 

Chandra Pepper

Theatre Orangeville - https://www.theatreorangeville.ca/ 

Roseneath Theatre - https://www.roseneath.ca/ 

Theatre by the Bay - https://theatrebythebay.com/ 

Mary of Shanty Bay - https://theatrebythebay.com/mary

Simcoe County Theatre Festival - https://theatrebythebay.com/festival

Iain Moggach

George Brown Theatre School - https://www.georgebrown.ca/arts-design-information-technology/media-performing-arts/theatre 

Mark Brownell and Sue Miner - https://www.jgshillingford.com/the-interview-mark-brownell-and-sue-miner/

Stephen Dobby - https://www.mandy.com/ca/a/stephen-dobby 

Kristian Deisen, Barrie, Europa - https://www.orilliamatters.com/local-news/traffic-jam-inspires-play-by-orillia-woman-5491410

Rochelle Reynolds - https://www.collingwoodtoday.ca/local-news/forget-great-expectations-this-thespian-wants-to-change-expectations-1578262 and Stage Whispers episode #17

The Wolves - https://www.concordtheatricals.com/p/62099/the-wolves

SW - 044 - Rachel and Daniel

Supermarket Flowers. Words and Music by Ed Sheeran.

In memory of Anne Sara (Macfarlane) Masswohl. 
July 4, 1936 - May 5, 2019.

Health. Search. Learn.

Supermarket Flowers

Supermarket Flowers. George Masswohl, voice. Patti Loach, piano. John Loach, sound engineering

A podcast about live theatre, both professional and amateur in Central Ontario

SW - 044 - Rachel and Daniel

Stage Whispers

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