About this episode

Chantel Winters discusses her journey in theatre and film, the challenges of producing, and her latest work.

About This Episode: Chantel Winters is a Toronto-based actor, playwright, and producer who has built a career by refusing to wait for permission. In this conversation with host Phil Rickaby, Chantel talks about how the realities of the audition grind pushed her toward making her own work. The conversation also digs into & Other Concerns, the film adaptation of the 2019 Fringe hit An Atlas in a Necktie and Other Concerns, how it evolved from a pandemic Zoom project into a short film now available for free on CBC Gem, and what Chantel learned about producing for screen along the way. She also speaks candidly about the shift from non-union to union work, the exhaustion of self-tape culture, the state of diversity in Canadian film and theatre, and why, despite everything, theatre will always be her first love. This episode explores: How the audition grind pushed Chantel toward playwriting and producing her own work What producing outside of Fringe taught her about ticket sales, venue costs, and the gap between expectations and reality The evolution of And Other Concerns from Toronto Fringe to a short film now streaming free on CBC Gem How Eartha Kitt inspired her play, Dear Ms…

People in this episode

Host: Phil Rickaby

Guest: Chantel Winters

Topics covered

• playwriting
• producing
• audition grind
• diversity in film
• theatre
• self-tape culture

Keywords

• Chantel Winters
• Phil Rickaby
• producing
• theatre
• audition grind
• CBC Gem
• diversity
• self-tape culture

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: CBC Gem

Books & works: An Atlas in a Necktie and Other Concerns, Dear Ms. Kitt

Places: Toronto

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• Blythe Haynes on Creative Risk, Accessibility, Emotional Safety, & Other Concerns · May 19, 2026 · 1h 1m
• Susanna Fournier is Spending a Season in Hell with take rimbaud · May 12, 2026 · 1h 15m

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