Luke Reece is a storyteller, community builder, and artist-educator from Mississauga. He loves engaging with young-in-craft artists that are as diverse as the community he lives in. Luke is the Apprentice General Manager and a Resident Artist-Educator at Young People’s Theatre, Artistic Director of Little Black Afro Theatre, co-creator of Dark Nights, captain of the 2017 Toronto Poetry Slam Team, and previously the Associate General Manager of Obsidian Theatre Company. He has a Bachelor of Arts Honours Degree from York University, where he studied Theatre and Creative writing.
Twitter: @lareece93
Instagram: lareece93
www.littleblackafro.com
Twitter: @littleblackafro
Instagram: littleblackafro
www.darknights.ca
@darknightsTO
darknightsTO
Stageworthy:
http://www.stageworthypodcast.com
Twitter @stageworthyPod
Facebook: http://facebook.com/stageworthyPod
Transcript
Transcript auto generated.
Phil Rickaby
Welcome to Episode 74 of Stageworthy. I’m your host Phil Rickaby. Stageworthy is a podcast featuring conversations in Canadian theatre with actors, directors, playwrights and more. If you want to drop me a line to tell me what you think or to suggest somebody I should really talk to you can find Stageworthy on Facebook and Twitter at stageworthypod. And you can find the website Stageworthy podcast.com. If you liked the podcast, I hope you’ll consider leaving a comment or rating on Apple podcasts or Google music or wherever you get your podcasts, ratings and comments really help people find Stageworthy My guest Luke Reese is a storyteller, community builder and artist educator. Luke is the apprentice General Manager and resident artist, educator and young people’s theatre, co creator of dark nights, captain of the 2017 Toronto poetry slam team and was the Associate General Manager of obsidian Theatre Company. Luke is also the artistic director of little black Afro theatre. Little black Afro is currently seeking proposals for its emerging artists programme for 2017. You can find details at little black afro.com.
What are you doing?
Your people see that?
Luke Reece
I’m doing a McAfee internship. Okay, I’m doing in general management. So I’m working there with Nick Tracy, their Associate General Manager and Nancy Webster, their executive director.
Phil Rickaby
Okay. What is is it arts administration? something you’re interested in? Or is it like a means to an end?
Luke Reece
No, I think it’s like, it’s definitely something I’m interested in. It’s I’m slowly discovering more and more how much I like it. And but also what parts I like, and what parts I don’t like, I think it started administration, because I was like, I just started producing my own work. Yeah. And then I just had to know how this stuff was gonna happen. And that’s what happens, right? It’s like, well, I guess I have to do this. So I need to learn how to do contracts, and how to manage a budget and make sure that we we, you know, are aware of our spending and everything. And, you know, so it started as that. And then it led to some jobs, it led to some interesting relationships with some other artists. And I was like, You know what, I like this. And I like being the, like, I’m the producer, producing, and I like being the person who’s out talking to people. And he’s like, making those connections and bringing people together. I love that.
Phil Rickaby
Like, when you’re talking about like, yeah, people together like that. It’s not just like, you’re bringing like, your brain sponsors, and you’re bringing, like, what people you’re bringing together,
Luke Reece
whatever kind of people I need, when it’s I mean, it started with just finding people who wanted to create with me, right, finding a team of people who I liked, who I respected, and who respected me and my work. And then everything from from that to people just coming up to me and being like, you know, people in the community like, this is this is, this is what I want to do. Do you have any people in mind that could do that? And then I’m like, yeah, here are all these people. So I like to meet people so that way I have people to offer to these other people. But then also bringing bringing in sponsors and like, talking to people about the work that I do, and what the other people doing and getting the conversations going and getting people excited, getting audiences excited. There’s a joke now at y PT, where I’ve realised that I say a lot that I am excited, or like, that’s exciting in response to different things. So now Nick will, will be like, Oh, really? Is that exciting? As must be so exciting. So now I tried to say it more, of course. But yeah, I think I’m a bit of a hype man for for some shows for some work. And for some people in that sense.
Phil Rickaby
You mentioned that you sort of like you started down this road because you started self producing. Yeah. Everybody like self producing I when I was in theatre school, they never talked to him self producing, like no, don’t do it. Don’t do it. I still still then a lot of theatre schools don’t talk about self producing very much, or they might touch on it, but they never like prepare you.
Luke Reece
Yeah, there’s like a couple. I mean, I went to York and there was a course that York I took called hanger just called Peter management. That’s like gold no is great. It’s a 30 year course and it’s not mandatory. You can either take theatre management and and which is the third year course or career management, which was a fourth year course I believe and, and it was, it was described Have two is that like, oh, career management is the one for actors and theatre management is the one for people who want to do other things. So I took theatre management, and I did it the summer after doing, or sorry, the year after doing the summer works programme slip, that now is exist in different ways. It’s more of a platform, then the programme that was in 2013, I think was the year I did it, where I got a little taste of producing. And it was meant for emerging producers at that time. And I think I was the youngest in that year. And I got to meet so many artists in the community. And every day, we did a different little seminar, we had fundraising, how to deal with the media, touring what it means to be an artistic director, grants, budgeting everything. So a little bit of a taste. And I was like, Okay, this is this is it, like I’m getting my feet wet. And then the next year, I took theatre management. And I felt like, I had almost already done that course, within the span of two weeks, it’s at several works, and then went and nailed that class. But even still, we just like having the opportunity to practice those skills in an environment where you know, it’s fake money. So there’s like, there’s no real risk involved in that class, which was nice. And in the whole thing. At the end of the class, you have to submit like an OAC grant at the end of it. And like do you need to, so you need to have like your company and your, your slogan, or your, your mandate, slogan, and then your, what your plan was for the season as well. And I was working with a little black Afro theatre, as my company, which is a collective that I had been working with at that point for I think we’ve been around for just just two years, maybe not even a year and a half, and eventually use this same or a similar grant application for that project for the OAC. And got that grant. My first summer at school.
Phil Rickaby
How do we I’m curious, maybe you don’t know. Like, how do you grade somebody’s right? Without you always cPanel? Like, how do you even grab it?
Luke Reece
Do you edit it? We even had to like print everything. And it was like because that was before like snap was always you know, but I had the prints only copy. And like, I love I love the I love the OAC very much and they funded us and it was fantastic. But know that assignment two, I was like, how am I gonna?
Phil Rickaby
How do you get three? That’s like my question like, Dude,
Luke Reece
I got it. I got an A. So I guess that means I got the grant. And then in real life, I got the grant. Like that’s, that’s pretty good. Well, right. So the grading scheme, I guess wasn’t far off from what was on the jury that year.
Phil Rickaby
Yeah, in terms of the like, you said, you’re starting to self produce. Was there something was there a particular reason why you wanted to self produce, or was it just like that’s the path that you want it to go on? Or
Luke Reece
it was so it was my, the summer after first year. So I just did a year of university, and I was like, all pumped and I met all these cool people. And I learned so much. And I just like realised that I could do better work than what I was doing. In high school. I was like, wow. And I was in high school. I thought I was I hit my peak. I thought that was it. I can’t get any better than grade 12 Students festival. And then after first New York, I was like, No, I learned some things. And I wanted to try it out. I wanted to rewrite an old piece. I wanted to do more work. And I didn’t see any options for me. I think that was the problem was I got out of first year. And I was like, hey, but like, I don’t want to wait until September to come back to school. And do you think like I want to do things now. And then a friend of mine saw that in new and my one of my best friends who’s not involved in theatre at all. He went to a different high school and he’s very much like a tech kind of business, you guy. So he came up to me and he’s like, Hey, like, what if we just started? What if we just self produced like, I’ll make it I’ll make the website. I’ll do all the designs. We’ll do like a business plan. And we’ll just do something that summer. And my first thought was like, you’re an idiot, Ryan like I don’t like I’m working two jobs coaching a soccer team. What am I gonna do this? And then and then I was like, No, yeah, that could be cool. And he came up with the name Little Black Afro to the idea was that, because we were in Mississauga, and we were gonna produce it in Mississauga. And he was like, some people might recognise you or like, know, your work from, like, Meadowvale. And we were trying to use it to bring in people who might recognise my hair, which, which is, and it just stuck. And now it’s just a fun thing. So I guess it started from like this, I wanted to do it and I didn’t know where and I think a lot of companies out there offer programmes for you once you’re out of school. Because like while you’re in school, like Yeah, like school will deal with you. And then when you get out of school and like maybe you’ve learned some things or you’ve had some experiences then I think from the theatre companies want to take you on, and I know that there are programmes out there for people in high school and still in school, but I just didn’t know If I wasn’t told that in the first year, nobody came in and outline that for me. But you know what, even when I was in theatre
Phil Rickaby
school, they didn’t want us working between first and second year. They were like, they would have really discouraged that. Yeah. Direct like, I think they just didn’t want us picking up anything outside of
Luke Reece
what to do a conservatory. See? Yeah, because the conservatory at York had the same rule was like, you don’t do anything? Yeah. Because you’re ours. Yeah. But I did. I did playwriting device theatre. And I guess they were like,
Unknown Speaker
Oh, they’re a little more like, do
Luke Reece
whatever. But not like, not like, I don’t know, if I would have listened. If they, if they said the dog do it.
Phil Rickaby
People in our class who they didn’t listen, and they sort of they got like, you shouldn’t do that. We’re gonna turn this way. But I think they, you know, the more they definitely weren’t happy
Luke Reece
about. Yeah. And I think you know, there’s a there’s a benefit to really closing yourself off and focusing on one thing, because you get so good at that one thing, but then you just come out of and you have that one thing. And then you’re met with other things. And you’re like, oh, like it’s your life. You know, in rock, paper, scissors. If you only knew rock, everytime you encountered paper. In the real world, you’d be like, Oh, shit. Yeah. I don’t know, scissors because they only taught me rock. Yeah.
Unknown Speaker
Really good analogy.
Phil Rickaby
When you, you formed this company. Yeah. Afro, what was what was the show that you did you even have a show that you wanted to do with the time?
Luke Reece
I did. There was there’s this show that I did in grade 12 series festival. And I was like, This is my baby. And it was like the first real play that I wrote. And I wanted to go back and and use bless it and use what I learned and rewrite it and be like, well, now well, now what? I think it’d be better. Yeah. And my friend also knew that he had come and he’d seen the show. So he suggested like, Well, why don’t we go back to this? Why don’t you do that again? And then that was another way that he wanted me over. It says, okay, yeah, I do want to rewrite that I do. I do. I do. And then, you know, I just got into the playwriting programme that your accident. I am a playwright, so I can do that. And then he was like, but that plays kind of sad. So I also want you to write a funny play. And then I was like, okay, and then wrote this terrible. It wasn’t terrible. It was clear he’s but there’s no point to it. political comedy of each of these places, like 25 minutes long tops, and then did it like a double bill. These two guys who worked in the mailroom, and they were they have this like routine, they’re like best friends, how they sort of mail it’s kind of like some slapstick stuff. And then they get this pack the sack, and there’s a human being that someone is kidnapped and is trying to mail. But they have a rule that they can’t open the mail. So there’s like having some moral dilemma where they’re like, do we open it or not? And then the guy’s like, I heard the sack grunt and the other ones like sacks don’t grunt dude, and the play was called sax don’t grunt. And, but it was fun. So that’s where it came out of it was and then the next time we produce two was two plays that I just I had written. And, and then after that, I was kind of like, I don’t know, we did, like a device collective piece because I was doing device theatre at that point in second year. And then there was something about producing my own work. That just got annoying for me. And it felt weird. Like, what when I had done some of the works programme, when I, when I had taken the class of theatre management, I was like, I know these things now. And I also realised that I needed to give my own work more time, and I and maybe it wasn’t ready to just throw up some work. And then with the people that I had around me at the company at the time, as well, we decided it was best to just produce other people’s work or like us what we have and our resources and our experience thus far. But still, like we we acknowledged the fact that we’re emerging, and we don’t know everything, but we know a little bit and together, maybe we can do something cool. So then we started, you know, having calls for submission and developing some pieces and just investing in artists and ideas that that we liked. Yeah.
Phil Rickaby
So one of the things that I often like to like to find out is why people choose to go into the theatre. Yeah. So for you, what was it that that sort of drew you in to the theatre? When did it start for you?
Luke Reece
It started, like, I think it started early on, but I didn’t acknowledge it until I was in high school. Like I always liked the spotlight I like to perform when I was a kid, my sister and I would do magic shows, at like family gatherings. We would have like a dance thing. And I would have like a little solo dance party when I was like six years old at like, family Christmas. I liked performing and I didn’t really know at the time I was just like, this is cool. I also like to writing I like to writing stories. in grade one, we had to write like a paragraph for this, this little telling B book thing that we’re putting together. And then I wrote like a two page thing, but then cut it down to the first paragraph and put it in and I was pissed because it didn’t make sense the title that they had, of course, because it was the story was called Blackie came back but in the intro parent blocky was a squirrel in the intro paragraph it just outlines who the squirrels were like it just you know, establishes the characters are a great one. Luke was like these people need to know all the squirrels first before they know that he leaves and comes back. But they didn’t get to that part so that it just didn’t make sense to Taylor. I was pissed, anyways, justifiable, justified, justifiably great, one piste. And then I was in a musical in grade eight. And then I was like, this is just fun. This is fun for me. And I went to I didn’t go to an arts high school, because I loved math, I loved science, and I was getting high 90s in both. And that was exciting for me. And it was like pleasing people, I think what I actually liked was the fact people like, Oh, you got 98 at math, more than actually being proud of myself for getting like a 98 and grade nine math or whatever that means to me now. But then my drama teacher recognised that I had a lot of energy and that I was interested in and kept, like pulling me in and, and, you know, try out for this and be a part of this. Terry Fox assembly, or this school play or series or student rights or like everything was you could put me in, and then I loved it. And then but it still wasn’t even until that grade 12 Sears show that I knew that this was what I wanted to do, I still felt like this was just a fun thing that I’m doing. I’m still like, I’m still taking grade 12 physics, I’m still doing all this, these things and getting ready to apply for like psych or engineering or numerous things. But then when I saw that play, I wrote the first time and it was performed before Sears the student rights Festival, which is a festival that’s done in the peel, within the peel school board. And it’s run by that same drama teacher, Wendy Gibbons and Ian Armstrong, who are dear to my heart. And I had the play. And it was it was a play that came from very emotional moment in my life was very by the passing of my grandmother. And my grandfather’s response to that, and how he was very loving and just positive with her the entire way. So my whole family was there to see it that night, my grandfather was there. And you know, my hands, and then that sort of play happened. And afterwards, everyone stood up and like applauded. And then like my family was in tears. And it was just like, the fact that I could make that happen, like, and I ended up directing it too. So it was just like, my words, and my placement of people on a stage could make all those people feel that much emotion. I was like, this is pretty good, awesome. Like, this is what I want to make people feel a thing. And that was it. And then I was and then I just changed my entire path to this was like when you were applying for schools to this was so I was like, looking at schools for other things was November. And then I was like, No. And then it was all of a sudden applying to theatre school.
Phil Rickaby
What was your path going to be before that moment? Like, what were you thinking that you were going to be doing?
Luke Reece
I mean, there was the math was thing, I loved physics, I still like physics a lot. I didn’t I didn’t take the final math course you have to take in grade 12 to go into engineering. Because I think like, in my mind, make it like I knew that I was going to go in a different direction. So like, there were certain programmes that I thought and read 11 I wanted that I ruled out by my choice of courses in grade 12. Because there’s like, No, I’ll do I’ll do psychology, and maybe I’ll do biology and then I’ll work my way back into like some hardcore math and science. But it was like no, I like I like, like, yeah, like being in a room with people making discoveries, like going diving into some tags. And there was like, there’s also a sense of community and and family that I got from that specific show because we worked on it pretty much all year in grade 12 from the Student Rights festival in the fall through to the Sears in the winter into early spring. And it was just it was a great experience. I wanted to keep doing that.
Phil Rickaby
Now I know a number of people I’ve spoken to and I’ve gone from like the academic, where they were like on an academic path and then all of a sudden they made that change and they were going to they decided they were going to go into theatre. And their families kind of had a a moment of like, some of them are still going through that moment.
Unknown Speaker
Like forever. And
Phil Rickaby
what happened you were going to be a scientist or a doctor or a professor. Yeah. Did you find that or did or was your family like we see what you did there? And you should pursue this I think
Luke Reece
like you it like different family members click the different at different times. And I mean, even the fact that I went to Meadowvale, which was just the high school that was across the street from where I lived, there wasn’t an art school wasn’t a science school, like I could have gone to woodlands, which was like the gifted school and Mississauga and a lot of my family was just like, they took so much pride in the fact that I could do that. But that was a choice, you know? And they’re like, you know, like woodlands, well, then you go to Willard, like, when I was like, but I just wanted, like, all my friends are gonna Meadowvale is right there. Like, I think I’m still gonna be smart at Meadowvale I’m not gonna just turn it like, you know, it’s nothing. So I chose metadata and my family. Were there like, okay, all right. Yeah, sure. Okay. And then, like, I kept getting good grades. They’re like, Yeah, awesome. This is fantastic. And then, you know, gradually, I’m just doing all these shows, and ultimately getting invites all these plays, and they’re coming out and they’re seeing you and they’re like, that’s fun. That’s nice. And then definitely, when I made the choice, you know, there were a lot of conversations I had, and like they weren’t. So like, just as wrong. They were just trying to understand, because they also saw how much I was I was succeeding. And I’m gonna say like, mad and they’re like, What, huh? Yeah. And I was like, but at this I was just what I want to do. And that final piece and grateful that was really connected to his family. I think that that helped a lot of them, get it and then in university, you know, as they would every now and then get some kind of like a word for work or some kind of milestone and they would all come out and they would support it. And they would see at the at the receptions. They just people around they’re like, oh, okay, this is actually this is becoming a thing. Yeah. I think like there was a moment where I won a Playwriting Award through the arts and letters club of Toronto, along with the PGCE at the Tom Hendry awards. And I and my mom came to that, and a lot of other people, my family came as well, they’re always really supportive too, if you’ve never just not come. But there’s only like with my mom there, and like, she was just like seeing all these people and like the building we were in, and think that that was just like, I was like, Okay, now she gets it. Yeah, yeah, the reception. Is it impressive building, I think the building helped. I think the building definitely helped. And then, and I think because I saw, like, my mom kind of understand it, then I also took a breath in that moment, and I was like, okay, yeah.
Phil Rickaby
Different schools that you were looking at when you like, were you considering different schools? And was it? Did you make the choice of your credit if your choose you,
Luke Reece
um, I think it was a bit of both I was gonna apply, I went to I went to the Radisson open house before like, and I just did not like the vibe at all for the theatre programme. And as like, as turned off entirely better eyes and as like, no nine minute apply. Yeah. And so I applied to like Guelph, and make masks or like some of the ones that just have not too much of a hands on kinda, you’re going to be in a studio programme, but a lot of like, theory based theatre, courses and programmes, and then I applied to Windsor. And then my Windsor audition was going to happen, like, a couple weeks after my York audition, went to New York audition for the condition that they take you around the school, and you get to hang out with some of the students that are in their first year. And I just fell in love with the people and the vibe, the fact that in first year, I got to do everything, because I definitely came into it. Like, I want to be an actor, but like, also, I want to be a playwright, and also, whatever else I could do. And York was like, you can do all of that in first year, and then you get to decide and I was like, sweet, so I auditioned with a story about my experience doing my show and in grade 12. So I didn’t do a monologue. I didn’t present a design thing like you could have done. I just told them about how I why I wanted to get into theatre. And then they like called, like, not too long after like gear in, didn’t even go into my Windsor audition. I call Evans was like, sorry, like, I’m not gonna go get stopped somewhere else, whatever. And then I went to York and I, and I think that was the right school for me. I definitely think it was the right school. For me.
Phil Rickaby
There’s something about knowing the like, feeling that you’re in the right place. Yeah. That really? Like, is the right like, it makes you feel like you’re well in the right place. Like instead of like, you know, you’re in like, you knew from the moment you saw it that it was like for you. And a lot of people just end up going, you know, who will take me Yeah, yeah. Which works, but to know to go in knowing that you’re in the right place that you chose that sort of like a great way to start out.
Luke Reece
Yeah, I was deaf. I definitely got off on the right foot. I was I was excited. I was happy. I was like, This is it. I don’t know what’s gonna happen, but I know it’s gonna be awesome, which is how it approached a lot of things. But
Phil Rickaby
you’re excited because I’m
Luke Reece
excited because everything’s so excited. I was so excited to go to New York. I was excited. But I was also excited to graduate I was so excited to leave your attic. As much as I loved the school for me getting out of there was awesome.
Phil Rickaby
Was it like were you? Was it like, didn’t get by the end? Was it like, taking too long was it were you
Luke Reece
well, like in like, in fourth year, I didn’t take any theatre classes. And I ended up getting a minor in Creative Writing alongside my theatre major. So my fourth year was a lot of English classes and finishing my gen Ed’s because I was doing so much theatre work outside of school at that point, I was like, I don’t need to pay York $1,100 to use their studio, get taught by one person and then do put do one show at the end of the year, that 70 people who I already know are gonna see, yeah, when I can use that money and self produce and, you know, make some connections and find mentors in the commute. Like, there. It just there was a point. Like, I think we’re in third year where I realised that like, I didn’t need York for theatre anymore.
Phil Rickaby
I just think that a lot of people that I know of, when they’re leaving theatre school, they’re not thinking about finding mentors. That’s not a thing that people did a lot of people consider where did that impulse come from, for you that you knew you needed to find some mentors?
Luke Reece
York would bring in speakers when we were in first year. And Philip Bacon came in, in first year. And he did this this big talk. And he was like, you know, like, if you want to sit down and have a coffee with me, just send me an email and none. And he’s like, I’m telling you that none of you will do this. And I went a little first year, Luke went up to Philip Bacon after it. I don’t know if he remembers this. But I was like, Yeah, I’m gonna I’m gonna do that. He’s like, Okay, do it. I was like, all right. They weren’t. I put it in my, my calendar app, what I would say what I was using at the time, but I remember it crashed. I lost everything. And I was so upset, which is why I didn’t email filter. And I didn’t see him until until I was at summerworks doing slip. And then they kept bringing in all these people. And they give you a mentor for that, too. So my mentor was getting over deck. Yeah. So I was like hanging out with Ghana over the summer, and then meeting all these other people. And Philip came in. And he was like, you have a good website, little black afro, and I was like, starstruck. And I’m like, Yeah, and I find the message fill up. And I was like, hey, and then I was like, I emailed like, almost every single one of these people that came and I was like, thanks for coming in. This is something that I liked about what we talked about, but the and then a lot of them, I was like, let’s keep in touch or let’s sit down for coffee. And then I think that’s when I realised that that was an option, because everyone I asked to sit down with was like, Yeah, I was like, Wait, why isn’t it okay? And then like, you know, I just made a lot of friends with people who were artists in the community, and then they just became mentors. So I don’t know if I was like, if I knew that I was looking for a mentor off the top, and I’m just looking for people to hear me people I can learn from and I guess that’s, that’s what a mentor is. And I had had a lot of a lot of good mentors. Just in school, my drama teacher was a great mentor to me. And I’d always lucked out, which is having fantastic teachers all the way through elementary school. And even like, at work, I worked in retail at Eric Postel for like, nearly six years. And my like, manager that I consider a mentor. And it’s like, you know, I opened myself up to those kinds of relationships. And I think I find them in those ways.
Phil Rickaby
Yeah. It’s funny because you talk about how you could just you just email these people and say, Hey, can we meet? And they all said, Yes. And then something that I think a lot of people don’t think about even as an option. Yeah. We’re not thinking about it. You did it. And they were like, Yeah, sure. I found just doing this podcast that you asked people to talk to you. And they, yeah, like, okay, yeah. It’s one of those things you don’t think about, but it’s there. Yeah. Is there anything in particular that you you learned, if you can, like sum up things that you’ve learned from the people that you
Luke Reece
Yeah, can your mental Yeah, you definitely like you don’t need to know. You don’t always need to know exactly what you want to get out of the conversation. Well, you need to have a pretty good idea. Even if it’s just like, hey, like, I want you to know me as an artist and I want to know you and learn more about your work. That’s okay. You didn’t meet but there is. And it’s funny because now I met yp T but I met with Alan McInnes because he came in to talk to us. And I remember I have to talk to you about this too. But because I wanted you remembers this because you probably missed lot of people as well. But like, I remember going and sitting down with him and he was like, like, so like, what do you want to talk about? Like, what do you like? Like, what are you wondering about yp t and I, like, I knew things about young people stand up, I did not know, a lot, and God knows INNOPOLIS as much as I should have going into that conversation, and I felt like an idiot there was like, I don’t really know. And then he ended up he gave me you know, an idea of some of the different things that like he does and how I could get involved with yp T and like volunteering and this and that. And it’s also such a big company, there’s so many ways to get involved, that I was sitting there and I was like, I and it was like a, like a very brief Panama conversation. And then at the end of it, he’s like, Well, we, you know, we can chat again, when you have a better idea of
Speaker 3
what we’re looking for what you you know,
Luke Reece
because I get, I felt like an idiot, I went home now still in Mississauga. So I like I took like the like, go train at home. And I did the whole time. And I’m like, why didn’t they just do some more research or just like Google something? Because they said no, you didn’t know, right? I didn’t know what he didn’t know. I didn’t know that. I mean, I’m there now. So I guess. Yeah. Now I know
Phil Rickaby
you like seeing ever seen shows in NYPD or was
Luke Reece
even seen it. I even seen a show like these things. And he said he was like we should see a show. So if you want to come to one of our like, you’re our teacher, like previews, I, you sent me an email, I’ll get you tickets. And I did that I went and I started seeing their shows. And that’s, that’s so important. Is seeing the shows, I guess soon as I met with Philip, like, every single obsidian show, after that I was at I made sure it was like I’m seeing their work. I’m seeing the work all of the time. Yeah. And then whenever I go to it, it was just like, that was just so important. Because the people are there. You know, you say Hi, what’s up? How’s it going? You don’t have to, you know, have a full on conversation with them about their show on opening night. It’s probably not the best idea. But they know you’re there. And they’re like, oh, yeah, that’s nice. We’ve looked, you know, communes your work is done. And then because the people can’t offer you work, if they don’t know you exist, right? They don’t have the urine option. So I think a lot of the opportunities I’ve I’ve gotten now, it’s just because I present myself as an option.
Phil Rickaby
I personally, I have a soft spot for white beauty because years ago when I was like, it was like 16. The I don’t know, they still do their summer school.
Luke Reece
Summer trauma counted that.
Phil Rickaby
There was like, I think it was the July one year when I was 16. It was like, completely formative. It was like, there were some people that I met there that I still know. And oh yeah, I still remember the crappy little show that we made and stuff like that. But like it was really formative. So it’s like,
Luke Reece
I wish I did. Why VTX because I get when I was a kid. I played soccer. I did soccer. I played like in school, I played football. I played volleyball I didn’t track for I did a lot of sports before I actually got into theatre. Yeah. So I don’t think my parents knew. Like, I think if they knew that now I was gonna become this, this theatre person, then they would have signed me up for something like that. But I was just like, I like sports and Mac and they’re like, Okay, let’s do that.
Phil Rickaby
That’s too bad. Because the programme is like,
Luke Reece
just this great. Oh, it’s fantastic. And you know, even like, now I’m seeing it like, I’m meeting people. And they’re like, yeah, like, Well, we were talking to you. I went to camp there. I didn’t. I feel left out.
Phil Rickaby
Like sports and stuff. Actors are like,
Luke Reece
I had sports. And I still I still play sports. If it’s like going twice a week still nice. It’s like it’s a bit so important that I had that I get to kick a ball really hard. At least twice a week.
Phil Rickaby
You’re still working with obsidian as well, right? I’m so on the website. So I’m not sure if you actually are
Luke Reece
on the website because they haven’t taken myself off. Well, so what happened? I got in a Metcalf internship I played with obsidian. So I did their apprenticeship programme last year around the same time actually. And I did that in producing specifically and I was working with Tanya animal Rodney there. And and then I switched I did a double apprenticeship. So I switched and actually was at yp T in their education department, working with the drama school, doing an apprenticeship there. And then I really liked the relationship that was happening with obsidian and I felt like there was still more for me to learn there in terms of like more general management versus producing. So we talked Dr. Phillip and Tanya we put together a Mac half application for the programme there. We got it. And it was the plan was that was going to be at obsidian for the full year. And life happens. Tanya got a wonderful position at Salt, pepper, congratulations, Tanya, she’s telling over there. And then we kind of had to reconfigure what my, my internship was. I was then working kind of under Philip at the time, but then he is right now in Shaw, he’s at Niagara, I’m like directing. So when, when Philip was slated to go, like we worked really hard to meet with McAfee, McAfee did a really good job about it, Michael Trent there and making sure that I would still have a place. And that, you know, because you plan for the funding that you’re getting for this amount of time. And, and because they had the relationship with yp, T but I was in the YP t is in the education department and getting a chance to work with Nancy Webster, I thought was going to be great and, and Philip highly recommended her as well. So we split it. And when Philip took off to Shaw, I’m now a yp T finishing that same McAfee internship but I still have a strong relationship with obsidian. I think that there is like there is a future with obsidian, I believe, but I gotta do one thing at a time. So but I am still on the website,
Phil Rickaby
which is why I was asking you about it. But when you I don’t know how long you spent doing what you were doing had at obsidian. But are there different things that you’re learning that are the like differences between the YPG experience and the experience
Luke Reece
so different and like it’s the perfect, like pairing for me because the kind of work they look at the quality of the work is all related to companies that do just like high quality work. And I love it. And I’m so lucky to be to have worked with both of them. But like, but completely different audiences. And the size, the scale, I mean, you’re going from a non Vinoodh company, to wit has been around for going on 17 years to a venued company that’s been going around for nearly 52 years, a staff of 40 versus a staff of sometimes four. It’s just like, there are different. Like, they’re, they’re different things that have to do. And they’re different responsibilities. And sometimes, like it was yp T It’s like navigating all of the different departments and kind of having my feet in all these different places, but overseeing everything. And then with obsidian it was like kind of like just doing everything Yeah. But in a way that makes sense for your for your company. And you know, really like obsidian is a lot of like going to bat for obsidian and going to bat for these artists. And and really like how like making sure that your voices are heard when you’re competing with some of these larger companies. And then won’t be T is providing spaces for younger artists, for for children and everybody to explore. And like really, that building is so vibrant and full of life and art all of the time. Like it’s, I couldn’t have I couldn’t have, like imagined a better pair of places. It’s, it’s great.
Phil Rickaby
It’s like you’ve got yp T which is like so important for like, not just introducing theatre to a young audience. But for like introducing theatre, future theatre, right, like people who are going to like do stuff. And but then I didn’t actually realise that obsidian had like, only 17 years for some reason. I thought that obsidian had been around longer cuz I’ve been hearing the name for so long. Oh, yeah, just sort of like, assumed that they’ve been there forever. But no, like, no companies like that. Most companies
Luke Reece
are not that. Right. Yeah, no, it’s there. They’ve been doing a good job at just like speaking out in the community. And I mean, like obsidian does good work. And that’s what you know, people know, sitting because like, No, I saw that when they finally see an obsidian show. They’re like, Oh my gosh, this is great. Why haven’t a museum where it shows.
Phil Rickaby
I’m gonna, I’m gonna bring up the thing that I think keeps some people who normally go to theory away and that’s because they’re white, and it’s
Speaker 4
100% year that is centred around the Africans. But most of our audience is white.
Phil Rickaby
Oh, it’s a show for no show for me. But that’s a one of those things that people who don’t know don’t know. Right. So we’re like,
Luke Reece
especially when we do master edit the Toronto Centre for the Arts. I’ve been in North York. Mostly white majority 100% You’re still seeing more black people than you are in other shows. They say like definitely more black people but still mostly white. Yeah,
Phil Rickaby
I mean, there’s that ancient there’s that question about, you know, bringing more people into the theatre who don’t normally come into the theatre. And you know, not that like, like, price of ticket is an issue for a lot of Yeah. Like, I maybe go to see one Mirvish show every two years, right, that takes stretch. And, you know, so it’s like, big theatre requires a lot more money. And I know that, that there’s a lot of people talking about, I’ve heard people complaining about how, you know, Hamilton in the US, those that theatre, which is, you know, that show was made up of such diverse people, that the audience is like, mostly white people. Except maybe on an educational, like Wednesday matinee. Right, what? Like, how do we get more people into the theatre? who often think that theatre is for rich people?
Luke Reece
Yeah. And it’s hard because it takes money to make it work. You know, theatre theatre is not cheap. And even with obsidian, there’s that line where it’s like, you know, we could be pricing our shows higher, because it’s because of the quality of the work, you know, like people can go and people saw a master held and the boys for $20 Sometimes. It was a beautiful show, Victoria, steel, I don’t give us the 90 Minute shows a great job. But there are but there are people that want to come to your shows that are like, well, I can’t afford it. And I think it’s like, there needs to be those corporations, those organisations, those people with money, who can pay for other people in the community to see that in some theatres, or some are calling it outreach, right, you’re applying for grants, and you get have subsidised tickets. And you see it happen every now and then. But it’s just it’s tough. Yeah, it’s,
Phil Rickaby
it’s that balance between like, I have to be able to afford to put on the shirt. Yeah. But I also want the widest possible audience. See the Sherman, which, that’s, that’s tough to balance.
Luke Reece
And then you know, when you if you like, well, maybe I’ll just like, I’ll add an extra show, like an extra Wednesday, matinee. But then you add more shows, and then you’re upping yourself in the category, then there’s equity, you know. So there’s also all these things that we have to navigate and consider if you want to, if you want to make those steps when you’re talking
Phil Rickaby
about going to bat for a city and going to bat for those people. Yeah, where are you going to bat? Like, how is that? What does that look like?
Luke Reece
That it just looks like? The I think it goes for all non venue companies. When you go to a venue and you’re renting and it’s your show. You want to make sure people go to that venue and still know that it’s your show, right? That you guys put in all the work. So sometimes it comes down to how you’re dealing with the lobby space, right? What What kind of promotional materials, are they letting you put in the space, right? Because then you know, when you want to represent your sponsor, because your sponsor gives you so much money, and they really help make that work what it is, and you’re like, Yeah, I want to put your logo up on the on the poster there. But then there’s other companies like, we actually have this other bank but right especially, we think
Phil Rickaby
that’s gonna be a tough conversation.
Luke Reece
And it just comes down to like, listen, like they, you know, they, we put in all this work we are renting right now, we are bringing in new audiences to your theatre, let us put up this plaque.
Phil Rickaby
I find it kind of shocking that even like, that’s even a conversation, they’re like, No, see, I know you’re renting. But this company gave us money. So your rent, doesn’t trump doesn’t trump this, like it’s it’s a strange thing that
Luke Reece
and like an each and you know, there’s this like, every, every venue are the ones that is perfect. They have their own guidelines, their own rules, and they and they all vary, but it just feels like everyone’s kind of holding on to this, like, precious thing that’s there as it is like, we’re all just doing theatre together. We know worst
Phil Rickaby
thing is that their space or their sponsor, or is it like or is it?
Luke Reece
I think it’s, it’s their audience their identity. I think it’s the fear of being seen somehow in a way that that they don’t want to be seen. Like if there happens to be something terrible that goes wrong in our show, and somebody blames it on the space and not the company. You know, in which case they think of, you know, obsidian would would own up and be like, okay, yeah, that’s our patron who kind of punched a hole in your logs never happened, but this but there’s this it all comes from fear. It comes in like, oh, I don’t know, this is this is different. This is like we don’t normally let people put up. It’s funny because we have these like easels that have these plaques on it that like say, like obsidian and our main sponsor GD. And in some places there’s like, oh, like when I asked him it was like, what Like, where do you want to? Like? Well, wherever like, like Brazil, sometimes they don’t even get asked the question, because a lot of smaller companies who will rent like a lot of indie companies don’t have that. So when I’m sitting in a company that has been around for nearly 17 years that has a lot of weight all the way around venue comes in, and like, we got this, this, this and this, they have to go up. Yeah, they’re not used to at the same time. Yeah. Yeah. And then they have to, they have to make exceptions for us. And then we have to, and that’s when I’m on the phone go into that group sit in, do they have stuff in their contract? Oh, yeah. Oh, yeah. It comes up in contract negotiation. And then it comes up, you know, and then I’ll, we’ll bring it up, and then it’ll get tossed around and then, you know, depends on the company.
Phil Rickaby
Yeah. What, in terms of what you where you want your, your trajectory in the theatre to go, you’re doing, you know, you studied playwriting and acting, and you did the devised course, and now you’re doing some theatre, general management and things like that. What do you want your
Luke Reece
question? Going in going into 2017, I was like, this year is going to be Luke’s year of writing and writing. And then I’ll have like, two main administrative gigs. And then I’m just going to write what’s my plan. And then of those cases, there was going to be the madcap internship, and there was going to be a little black afro, and then I wanted to write, and then I was like, wait, I’m also doing this great thing called dark nights that I did that to do with the GLAAD. So it was Wayne Wayne burns, and Annie McCain and John McNeil. And that’s just growing and growing, growing like, okay, so then I’ll have this internship. And then I’ll have a little black afro, and then I’ll dark nights, and then all right. And then I am now on the Toronto poetry slam team, which happened in the winter. And so then we practice and we are going to go compete in the states in the in August. So I was like, okay, so then I have this internship, and I have little black afro, and I have dark nights. And I have the poetry slam team that I’m going to write. And then I’m also going to play soccer twice a week, because that and then it keeps building up. And then I lose, like, I haven’t had enough time to write this year. I think if there’s one thing I haven’t been doing enough of this year, it’s been writing. But like, I’m able to pay my bills, I’m still enjoying life, a lot of things I’ve run out of things excite exciting, huh. So I ideally, I find enough time. And I find a way to schedule my life where I can do all of these things. The amount of time I need to do each of these things. But I want to write more, I want to write more than
Phil Rickaby
I am tough to balance like, like, I you know, I have my relationship, my job and my writing. And you know, eventually there’s going to be so that comes out. And so I’ve got like four things to balance, it’s hard to balance. Whereas you’re like balancing like boiling heat things.
Luke Reece
And there’s also a relationship in my life, too. It’s like, it’s like, it’s important.
Phil Rickaby
We haven’t talked about darkness. Yeah.
Luke Reece
Dark Nights is a conversation series that started with Wayne burns out of the Youth Advisory Committee, I guess, like a year and a half ago now. And basically, you know, we’re in the YC. And we’re always trying to think of these like youth events to do. And there was what actually was at the charter reference library where we first had this kind of conversation where we’re like, what, like, what is the thing? Like, what do we want? What do we value and we talked about how we like talking to people who aren’t far off from our age, who are being successful. And like, sometimes it’s hard to look up, like me looking all the way up to Philip Bacon, like there are so many steps in between me and Philip Aiken, where are those steps? Why can’t I see those steps? Why can’t they have a conversation with the steps between me and Phillip they can also hang out philippic and learn from him too. But I want to know the steps. So that we came with this idea of of creating a space where we bring in artists who are under 30, around 30, who are doing what they love, who are making somewhat of a career out of it or finding a way that they can live their life, pay their bills, do their art and be someone happy, and also kick butt in what they’re doing. And we want to talk to those people and bring other people on or those people and just like have an honest conversation. And we can also talk about your fears because we understand that it’s not perfect, but that doesn’t mean it’s not impossible. Yeah. So the first year we did it. Theatre Ontario, we pitched the idea to them since it was from the YC they gave us some some seed money. We started at the Theatre Centre. We were having the conversations there every other Monday, which was so exhausting. Which and that’s why Right. That’s why it was called dark nights because it was like theatre struck on Monday. So, you know, we should be able to get everybody out. But every other theatre related event happens on Monday, whereas it goes like the bellows happens on Mondays wrecking ball happened on Mondays, all these pop up conversations about diversity happen on Monday. So we did a year of that. And we saw all kinds of artists, you know, writing they both came from a theatre background, but we had musicians, we had illustrators, we had fashion designers, we had dancers, we had cinematographers, we had everything come in, and we went out in the community and found these people saw their work, but they were cool, brought them in. And then after the first year, we’re like, Okay, that was a lot. But we want to keep doing it. So any and Joss were two people who kept coming back and expressed an interest in dark nights and like, we want to help make it better with you. So we brought them on the team. We all sat down at a hard look at Dark Nights. We’re like, you know, how can we make it better? Okay, not what every other Monday, we’re gonna do all one Wednesday night, once a month, we’re going to give us more time to get to know these artists. We’re going to put more information out there on social media on our website, so people can also get to know the artists and prepare for the conversation. We’re gonna go to the Gladstone now. Sonova permanent residency in 207 Gladstone Hotel, which is great, we changed the time a bit. We just like Reese tightened everything. And already, we’re seeing a difference in our attendance. We’re seeing a difference in the quality of conversations, and the kind of artists we’re bringing in this year. It’s a great lineup. We have Haley McKee coming in tomorrow night. And we’re live streaming dark nights now for the first time. And so many people in our first year were like, Have you guys tried live streaming?
Phil Rickaby
Are you Periscope, are you doing like Facebook?
Luke Reece
Random Facebook Live, we’re gonna try. I think it’s going to be trial and error. First up to bat Facebook Live. And then we’ll probably do a pair. We’ll see how that goes. We get some feedback from people, you know, we’re always open to feedback, too. We also don’t think that what we’re doing is perfect. And then we might give Periscope a try. People have also been like, Oh, you shouldn’t make it a podcast. But we really want people to be there in the room with us.
Phil Rickaby
That is that is I mean, podcast is great for those people who can’t
Speaker 5
speak in podcast right on the podcast.
Phil Rickaby
Like, it’s great for those people who can’t be there. But I totally get like, what you get out of being in that. Yeah. And being able to participate. But on the other side, Oh, yeah. If you do like Dave, you release it like a week later, or something like that. I’m not right after. But you’ll also so there’s the impetus to be there in the room, but also include all of the questions that people have. So it’s not just like this person talking that we stopped before the conference, when the questions are coming in, right, then somebody who can’t be there, like there’s somebody in right now in Winnipeg or Vancouver who be there, but we really get something out of it. And I am all about, like, more Canadian theatre content in the podcast universe. So anything that we can get out there because yeah, there’s precious little,
Luke Reece
ya know, and it’s, it’s really it is accessible. Yeah, absolutely. And I think in order to as Canada slowly defines what it means to be Canadian theatre artists and what our theatre looks like, having more things out there could definitely help. So I think I think there might be a time when we try podcasts, and it’s me, you know, because a year ago, we were like, We’re never going to stream this live ever, ever, ever, ever. And then now I’m like, everyone tune in live tomorrow night. You never know what things are gonna change. So it’s, it’s yeah, we’re still growing. But it’s so cool. And it’s one of the coolest things that I’m a part of right now. And it’s another thing that like, I wish I could give more time to Yeah,
Phil Rickaby
yeah, absolutely. You it’s interesting. You mentioned like, you know, all of these things that you guys as Keynesian theory, are, is talking about what Keynesian theatre looks like, and things like that. You also mentioned, you know, all of the pop up conversations and diversity happening on a constant almost constant
Luke Reece
is diverse
Phil Rickaby
like this. It’s I have this thing where I get I know the importance of talking about it. The what do they call a bad habit? Yeah, they have that service out that and but then I heard like, a couple weeks later, there was a thing at George Brown College and the theatre department, their conversation, diversity is like every time we turn around, but we’ve been having those conversations about diversity for like, what like 20
Luke Reece
for so long, sometimes people could talk.
Phil Rickaby
Everybody can talk. It’s just like, what you don’t seem to do is like, enough action on that. Do you ever get tired of the conversation or are absolutely important to have. And it’s good that we’re having it. But for fuck sake,
Luke Reece
like it, I’m definitely getting tired of the conversation. But like, I’ll still show up because I feel like if I don’t show up and someone else will, and I feel like, you know, there’s, you look at the people are going to these panels and are on the panel and you see that they’re tired. And I wonder like, I’m like, Well, why are you on this panel? I’m like, well, because if you don’t show up and someone else, well, they might say the wrong thing. So I’d rather have you on this panel. Yeah. Even though you’ve been on these panels forever and ever and ever and ever and ever, and you’re exhausted. I
Phil Rickaby
know. When I was at the bad hats. Amazing panel. Yeah. Well, we’ve got a couple of people. We’re obviously tired. Amina,
Luke Reece
was exhausted, Nina was exhausted is
Speaker 5
exhausted about the conversation. But she’s willing to be but she’s there. Yeah, she’s there. And she’s so strong.
Luke Reece
I started tearing, I started tearing up when when Nina was speaking about when they’re talking about the funding and how, you know, she’s not really getting rewarded for the work that’s happening, like, sure some of these other companies are getting cut money, but they still have way more money than what she is getting to work with. And she’s finding a way to do the work. Yeah. And she’s there and she’s talking to and I was I teared up cuz I was like, this is like, this is this is so fat, that this is happening that this that this is the structure that we’re living in that we’re fighting, and you could see that she’s still fighting. So like, Thank you, Nina.
Phil Rickaby
One of the things that kind of struck me about that conversation was, you know, Nina is the only female person of colour running a major theatre that like a venue in this country? And how can we get like, and that’s like, the I keep wanting to just say, Look, guys, the question that we like, the question is, how do we make this happen? Like, why is that unique? Yeah, because the boards are made up of old white men who just want to see old white men and controllers or theatres? Or, and, you know, it’s one of those
Luke Reece
things. Yeah, you know, it’s gonna, it’s gonna take a while, I mean, there was a time when there were none. So, you know, I’m also like, I’m a hopeful person. So I think that we are moving if, you know, slowly, but we’re moving. Um, you know, it’s any, it’s like any, like, racial or just genders sexes kind of problem that’s out there. Because it’s, we started off as an immediate world. And we are slowly realising that, that there are better ways to live and that there are better ways to treat people and that there are better ways to deal with differences in the world. And it you know, it’s just, it’s clicking with people slowly.
Phil Rickaby
It’s really slow. And one of the things that I think that is a challenge for people is is talking about Wait, race makes white people uncomfortable. Because it makes them uncomfortable. They forgot to talk about it. Which is
Luke Reece
more awkward when they do talk.
Phil Rickaby
That’s the thing is like, you get so I’m talking about this for me, he’s an artist of like,
Luke Reece
just let’s just say it just say
Phil Rickaby
like, the thing is, like if you say the wrong thing. It’s okay. If the person says I prefer this term, and then we’ll go forward. Yeah, but the whole like, like, why people get uncomfortable, and so they don’t talk about it, so they don’t deal with it. And that’s a problem.
Luke Reece
And it’s like, I’m, if you’re speaking honestly, then like, all too yet, you know, and you know, you don’t have to like everything. I don’t like chocolate. That’s just the thing I don’t like okay, I don’t like chocolate. I don’t eat it. I don’t you know, if a white dude doesn’t like black theatre artists, then he doesn’t let you maybe he’s a little more of an asshole than I am. phenolic and chocolate but like, you know, but don’t try to I don’t force myself to eat chocolate. Like I don’t I don’t go like Oh, I’m gonna get more money if I eat chocolate so I’m just gonna force feed myself chocolate so don’t force feed yourself this work if you actually don’t want it.
Phil Rickaby
Maybe they don’t want it but chances are they also haven’t
Luke Reece
seen it. I tried talk that though.
Phil Rickaby
Yeah. I mentioned this before the theatre is like the one art form that I can think of. Well, Pete, were you here? Oh, I saw play once I didn’t like it. So I don’t and maybe there’s like something up there. I saw black theatre show watch and I didn’t like theatre. Yeah, like it’s TV we see a bad show you change
Luke Reece
right? Because there’s there’s so is there’s less of a risk in like changing the channel than like finding the time and the night and going out for dinner getting in the car and going to buy your tickets in advance and sitting in this year and then you know, it’s like there’s so many barriers and you waste so much more of what appears to be your time and your money. If you go out and you show you don’t like them versus you turn on things
Phil Rickaby
we can You know, I think what a lot of people forget is like when it’s good. Oh, it’s real good. So much better. Yeah, like the sitting at home watching Netflix.
Luke Reece
Yeah, I whenever I catch myself watching Netflix, I’m like, I could be reading a play. But yeah, it’s like, whenever and whenever I, I take someone to see theatre, who I who doesn’t normally see theatre, I pray I hope that this is a good show, right? Like, I don’t want to take this person to see a terrible show. We want
Phil Rickaby
to be the person who took them to see like a standard, right?
Luke Reece
Yeah, right. And they never come back. I want to know, I want to be the one who turns your life around.
Phil Rickaby
It’s like you want sugar free to take somebody to see it. But 100% Like, it’s risk. Yeah. Maybe you’re there on a bad night. You don’t know. It’s a big risk.
Luke Reece
So and then I want to I want to go back to diversity. I’m gonna give Philip Bacon another shout out. It has any and he tells us to everybody. Now once he had this, he had this. I think he was having a conversation with Leah, Simone Bowen, as well, about that different companies and like diversity, and about referring to obsidian as like a diverse company. And then in he’s like, No, it’s a culturally specific company. Because it’s diverse than it’s like implying that there is like an there we are different from something that is supposed to be the norm. And now we are the other. But like, really what we’re living in is a very diverse group of people where this there isn’t really a norm you go on the street and you see anything I do. I can walk on Kensington and see an alligator like, I don’t know. And, you know, obsidian is a culturally specific Theatre Company. Fujian is a culturally specific Theatre Company, one might even say that other companies are culturally specific to it. I don’t want to like how many names
Speaker 6
like that brand. And then if that’s what they’re gonna do, didn’t that’s what they’re gonna do. That’s what they’re gonna do. They need to just like, This is what we all
Luke Reece
just like, it makes me feel awkward when I see programming that just doesn’t make sense to me. And I’m sitting there and I’m like, you don’t know you don’t know this artists. You don’t you don’t you ever said like you didn’t go and see their work like, like when I get, I get asked sometimes to be a part of shows to work with companies strictly. I know, because I’m black. I know this because a lot of times will tell me and I’m like at least one of them. But they’re like we’re you know, we’re looking to be more diverse and yada, yada, yada, yada. I’m like, okay, at least you’re not trying to hide it. But people who’ve never, like seen me direct write and produce them don’t actually know the calibre of what I can do, but I guess, talk some people talk, and they refer people as well, but are like, oh, I want you to do this thing. And sometimes I feel icky. And but I don’t feel icky. If like, I know the person if this is a person who’s like, come and seen my work, I have a relationship with an example of this. Autumn Smith approached me to direct this new initiative that Ken stage is doing alongside Shakespeare in Hyde Park, they’re commissioning some new works. And I’ve been asked to direct one of them and you know, can stages company Oh can stage so why they happen? And if anybody else and organisation they didn’t really know approached me and asked me to be a part of it, I would have been like, Oh, this is weird. This is weird. But I autumn has seen my work item out of knows me as an artist. And I feel like there’s an authenticity in that relationship that I value. Yeah. And I want to work on this because of autumn it because the relationship that we have, and I think some of these other companies need to put the time into develop those relationships, the artists, yeah. And then because then when you programme the work, everybody involved feels better about it. The creative space is just there’s a better energy to it. And then the work is better. Yeah, because it’s coming from a real place. It’s not coming, you’re not forced to do it, because you don’t have funding anymore. Yeah, you know, it’s like, it’s like walking around all day, and like really tight clothes, because they were super cheap. And you’re like, awesome. I got a great deal on these clothes. Yeah, I’m gonna put everyone else’s wearing these clothes, I’m gonna wear them around, but I’m gonna be uncomfortable to look, you make the clothes look bad, and you look bad.
Phil Rickaby
I think that it’s important that if that, you know, the whole time stage. So white thing I think that kind of stuff is really important to call out when a company is like, we’re Canadian stage. Like, Show Canada, you know? And but and it’s important that we Do call out. Yeah. And he’s that, you know, or Yeah,
Luke Reece
then they get the fact that it’s a call if they recall something else. I don’t think I think they probably still would have been called out but not so not as much. It’s just because like, what do you present it? Yeah. What do you what are you presenting yourself as, like I think of obsidian all of a sudden did a season where they were no black people whatsoever like sometimes obsidian does plays written by white people, but then they do and all but no, it’s just like supporting black artists and always in design, in producing. It’s not just about the performer of the playwright, there’s so many other aspects to it. But if you’re putting forward that you are Canadian stage, then what people see as Canada is different than it was when Canadian states was formed. So but Canadian stage hasn’t changed. So that’s the that’s the problem. And that’s why they’re getting called out. But there’s
Phil Rickaby
a lot of there’s a lot of companies that are that, you know, they’re like that they still they haven’t changed. They haven’t changed to reflect the world around us. And we got to call them out on it. Especially when they are Canadian. To do that, you know,
Luke Reece
yeah, like I got I got called out when I cut my hair because then other people were like, your little black afro,
Unknown Speaker
what are you are you
Phil Rickaby
Did you see my offers?
Luke Reece
I got so I did. You had like just rocking a huge fro for like, on I don’t know, something stupid, like 10 years. Within those 10 years, you know, I was getting a trend and it’s growing out. But then this past holiday season, I like shaved it all off. And the first thing people said
Speaker 7
was still called Little Black afro. You call little black shaved head you call it?
Luke Reece
Like it’s so funny. You’re so funny. I don’t know.
Unknown Speaker
It’s like when people are like Luke, I’m your father and I’m
Luke Reece
like haha, hi. Like how original Are
Phil Rickaby
you haven’t heard that? Never heard
Luke Reece
that before? The hashtag no fro hashtag like, black no fro.
Unknown Speaker
Just changed. No, no, no, no,
Luke Reece
no. I’ll just change that. I’ll have to change that the artists we work with to just have less hair.
Phil Rickaby
Less hair. Yeah, we I’m sorry. This year. We’re only
Unknown Speaker
we’re only working with people with bald heads.
Luke Reece
Man or woman. That’s our next season next season. Everybody shaved head. Oh, it was been a lot of fun. Yeah. Thanks so much for talking with me today. Thanks for inviting me into this study pod.