Blythe Haynes on Creative Risk, Accessibility, Emotional Safety, & Other Concerns

About this episode

Blythe Haynes discusses the evolution of indie theatre in Toronto, the impact of the pandemic, and her experiences adapting a theatrical piece into film.

Read transcript About This Episode Blythe Haynes returns to Stageworthy for a wide-ranging conversation with host Phil Rickaby about indie theatre, artistic process, community, and the evolution of a Fringe hit into a feature film. Blythe reflects on how Toronto’s theatre scene has changed since the pandemic, why she believes artists need spaces to experiment and fail, and what Canadian theatre can learn from the Edinburgh Festival Fringe model. The conversation also explores the challenges of sustaining indie work in Toronto, the importance of artistic community, and how Blythe’s own understanding of her career shifted during the lockdown years. They also discuss the journey of An Atlas, A Necktie, and Other Concerns — the acclaimed 2019 Toronto Fringe Festival production that eventually became the filmed adaptation And Other Concerns , now streaming on CBC Gem. Blythe shares what it was like adapting the theatrical piece into film, acting while serving as a producer, and working within the unusual constraint of keeping the story confined to a single room. The episode also touches on rehearsal room culture, emotional safety in performance, outdoor theatre disasters, the…

People in this episode

Host: Phil Rickaby

Guest: Blythe Haynes

Topics covered

• indie theatre
• artistic process
• community
• Fringe festival
• emotional safety
• Toronto theatre
• playwriting

Keywords

• Toronto theatre
• independent work
• Fringe festival
• emotional safety
• artistic community
• playwriting
• theatrical adaptation

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Gangway Theatre

Books & works: An Atlas, A Necktie, and Other Concerns, And Other Concerns

Places: Toronto, Edinburgh Festival Fringe

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