The Good Idea Initiative
Equity Showcase Theatre Presents
The Good Idea Initiative
Positioning Creative Projects for Realization and Success
Equity Showcase, Artistic & Executive Director, Kevin McCormick and the Board of Directors, headed by Siavash Kaszemian, President of the Board, are pleased to announce the "Good Ideas Initiative".
The Good Ideas Initiative is one of a number of projects being launched in honour of Equity Showcase Theatre's 60th Anniversary Celebration.
It also represents our return to the stage, presenting our own productions.
For many years, Equity Showcase presented theatrical showcases involving members of Canadian Actors Equity. The Showcase model was based on the American Equity Showcase concept whereby, members of CAEA could appear in Showcases without salary and before a non-paying audience. The concept provided artists with the opportunity to create and develop their abilities through showcase productions.
Over the last number of years, we have changed how we support showcasing professional artists. Those changes can be seen in our mentoring initiative for Indie theatre artists called the Mavericks and through our Cayle Award for artists creating new works and productions in media and in Theatre, and through our Art Club.
While we will continue those ways of helping to showcase artists we are looking forward to producing productions. Rather than returning to the former showcase model for CAEA members, we will be creating productions, with artists under regular CAEA contracts, where the artists are paid and benefits covered.
Equity Showcase is one of Canada's oldest not-for-profit and charitable arts organizations, with a mandate to invest in the artistic and cultural wealth of artists by embracing all artists and leading by developing, uniting, advocating for and empowering the arts community.
At Equity Showcase Theatre, we strive to be an equitable and inclusive community, rich in diversity, protecting the human rights of all persons. We believe in mutual respect and dignity and the worth of every person. We have a strong platform in our mandate to support female artists.
The mandate of the Good Idea Initiative is to position creative projects in the arts for realization and success.
The recipient of the Good Ideas Initiative is based on a variety of factors, including the strength and professional background of the creative team, the artistic merit of the project, prominent lead roles for women offered within the project, diverse and inclusive casting, the potential for the project to impact and educate an audience and its power to celebrate the human spirit, while uniting people behind a social concern, thus fostering awareness. It is our hope that the art created lives well beyond its initial actual execution and is woven into various aspects of our community.
Equity Showcase's, Good Idea Initiative, unites the creative, administrative, mentorship, leadership and funding resources, as a Champion Producer behind a creative project that has been selected as deserving of recognition and support.
In particular, a project that represents a story that needs to be told through the creation of a new work, and has potential and significant educational/awareness campaigns with outreach events that can be generated around it.
WalledIN the Conversation
Welcome, Al Bernstein, the inaugural recipient of the Good Idea Initiative and creator of the WalledIN the Conversation. Al is an Actor, Writer, Filmmaker and Educator.
Kevin McCormick, Artistic and Executive Director and the Board of Directors of Equity Showcase Theatre can’t wait to start the process of working with Al, to bring WalledIN the Conversation to Toronto and to work with all the artists and champions for mental health who will be involved in the wonderful vision and dream WalledIN represents.
Walled IN, the Conversation By Al Bernstein
WalledIN, the Conversation is a movement.
The seed of the idea comes from my award-winning short film of the same name. I am creating a new Canadian play, an original feature film and conversations around mental health in our youth and the role of the community.
WalledIN delivers a hard-hitting message about the mental health epidemic in our schools and in every corner of society-lurking behind the Covid pandemic and waiting to re-emerge.
The script for both the stage and film is a well-crafted, suspenseful narrative that deals with four traumatic days in the life of a complicated bipolar teenage girl and her coping resources. It covers bullying, discrimination, mental illness, suicidal ideations, coping mechanisms and a gun. The story builds to a dramatic high-stakes third act culminating in a showdown with an unanticipated plot twist. It promotes a conversation that could help de-stigmatize mental health and support those dealing with its challenges.
We will work with impact partners in the mental health community to find an additional interest that will amplify our messaging and generate a campaign that will build awareness and discoverability of the artistic works. We will work with assets such as cast, crew, directors and co-creators and behind-the-scenes project development to create a robust website that will act as a hub of information about the play and film script themes and ongoing community management.
WalledIN, the Conversation goals are motivated and instilled in a big heart. We hope all the levels of our desired activity can generate a broad audience, and start a conversation that continues long after the artistic objectives are achieved.
I am deeply grateful to have been selected by Equity Showcase Theatre as their inaugural recipient of the Good Ideas Initiative and looking forward to such a historic organization helping me to achieve my dream.
all my best,
Al Bernstein
Al Bernstein
AL BERNSTEIN: After graduating from York University in Toronto as a screenwriter; Al set his sights on New York City to become a working actor and a good actor. Al’s training began at Circle in the Square theatre school with Jacqueline Brookes, Terry Hayden and Alan Langdon, then moved to the Deena Levy Theatre Studio, and UtaHagen’s HBStudio with the gifted Carol Rosenfeld. Al worked and performed on the stage in New York until he was accepted into his dream acting program, at the Actors Studio Drama School where he received his Master’s in Fine Arts. He studied intensively with theatre’s top coaches such as Elizabeth Kemp, David Gideon, Arthur Penn, Ellen Burstyn, Susan Batson, Sandra Seacott, Jacqueline Knapp, Carlin Glynn, Anne Jackson, Sam Schacht, Gene Lasso and many more. He has learned from some of the world’s greatest artists like: Al Pacino, Robert DeNiro, Tom Hanks, Andy Garcia, Susan Sarandon, Meryl Streep, Sylvester Stallone, Alan Alda, Jack Lemmon, Anthony Hopkins, Steven Spielberg, Naomi Watts, Sean Penn, Philip Seymour Hoffman and so many more at Inside the Actors Studio craft seminars.
Al works in film/tv and the theatre in New York, Toronto, and Los Angeles some highlights include the award-winning short film Walled IN (written & produced by Al), Workin’ Moms, The Umbrella Academy, The Novice, Nikita, How To Lose A Guy in 10 Days, Showtime’s Street Time, Off-Broadway: The Interrogation, Will (written by Al), 2013 Winner! LA Drama Critics Awards for Best Production, Director, Adaptation, CYRANO (World Premiere, DeafWest/Fountain Theatre), 2011 Ovation & LA Weekly Award-winning Best Musical, Best Musical Director, Best Director, HOBOKEN TO HOLLYWOOD, The Sunshine Boys (with Hal Linden and Allan Miller) plus, many more. Today, Al is a finalist at the Actors Studio and works as an actor, writer, filmmaker and acting professor in Toronto.
His award-winning short film WalledIN about mental health in our youth is being made into a feature film and a stage play. Exciting times are ahead.
JOURNEY towards the DREAM of WalledIN, the Conversation.
Equity Showcase Theatre’s creative goals as Producer, with Al Bernstein, are multi-layered.
We will begin with the journey towards the creation of and travel towards a professional production of a new Canadian play, WalledIN.
We will start the process by appointing an Artist In Residence, who will oversee a series of activities including a detailed dramaturgy process, followed by the direction of a private reading of the script and who then will direct a professional production of the new play. The production artistic, directorial and performing teams, will operate under contracts with the Canadian Actors Equity Association.
Prior to the start of rehearsals, the acting company will be offered a funded 1-week training experience under our ongoing, Canadian Conservatory for the Development of Artists program as part of our objectives and commitment to professional development and artist enrichment.
We will appoint a Director of Engagement to work with Al Bernstein, our Artistic Director and Board of Directors to support the dream of The Conversation around mental health which is at the core of Al's dream. This will involve a variety of salons, round table talks, special events and guests from both the arts community and the mental health community. In addition, we will create a compelling blog and social media presence to help illuminate messaging around the overall creative project and mental health awareness.
In the long term, we imagine partnering with another professional company to see WalledIN, the play tour for high schools and Universities, act as a vehicle to encourage conversations and awareness around mental health in young people.
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Artist in Residence
We are so pleased to welcome award-winning and veteran artist, Allegra Fulton as Artist in Residence who will lead the dramaturgy process, workshop reading and direct WalledIN, the new Canadian play.
ALLEGRA FULTON is an award winning actor and director whose distinguished career on stage and screen has taken her across Canada, the U.S. and Europe. Hailed as a National Treasure (NOW Magazine) she has won accolades, awards, and critical praise for playing iconoclasts and dangerous women. From her haunting portrayal of Frida Kahlo in multiple award-winning solo tour-de-force FRIDA K. by Gloria Montero to the 3 turns of Penelope, Circe and Helen of Troy in Derek Walcott’s ODYSSEY at the Stratford Festival, and a troubled and glorious Amanda Wingfield in the Glass Menagerie at the Shaw Festival mark only 3 of the over 100 roles she’s played on stage.
On-screen Ms. Fulton has appeared in over 75 films and television series, including Guillermo Del Toro’s Oscar-winning THE SHAPE OF WATER, Cronenberg’s MAPS TO THE STARS, STRANGE BUT TRUE directed by Rowan Athale, as well as recurring and supporting roles in many TV series, SCHITT’S CREEK, SUITS, FARGO, CARDINAL, 19-2, TITANS, SUPERMAN & LOIS, STREETTIME, KIM’S CONVENIENCE, WORKIN’ MOMS, among many others. Look for her playing the mysterious Jill Leblanc on the newest Sheri Elwood creation MOONSHINE CBC/eOne/NETFLIX) and Ann Morgan in the Stephen King gothic horror CHAPELWAITE. (MGM’ Epix/HBO Crave).
Her dramaturgy skills stem from the many years of new play development at Canadian Stage, NightWood Theatre, Tarragon Theatre, Theatre Passe Muraille, Factory Theatre, and the National Arts Centre, among many others, workshopping new Canadian plays by the likes of Michel Marc Bouchard, Brad Fraser, Colleen Murphy, Gordon Armstrong, Peter Hinton, Micheal Mackenzie, to name a few.
Her directing credits include a Catalan Premiere of LA LLISTA presented to great acclaim at the prestigious TEATRE LLIURE in Barcelona, OLEANA at the Red Sandcastle Theatre as well as TRACE written and performed by Yanna Macintosh at Toronto fringe fest (pick of the Fringe) among others.
Ms. Fulton has served on the boards of Equity showcase Theatre, and Toronto Arts (now TAPA), as well as being a juror for Toronto Arts Council and Ontario Arts Councils. She has been the recipient of a B grant from The Canada Council. Allegra has won a Dora Mavor Moore Award, two Dora nominations and nominations for Genie, Gemini, and an Actra Award as well as a Falstaff Award, a Broadway world award, and a host of critics awards in Canada and the US.
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Director of Engagement
Equity Showcase's current Director of Social Media and Events Manager will act as coordinator for a series of events, salons, round table talks, and guest speakers and oversee a robust social media campaign and blog.
Dreaming Large
WalledIN, the feature film is in the making.
In 2020, Al Bernstein partnered with acclaimed producer and filmmaker, James Weyman to work towards getting his film script for WalledIN to the big screen. The highly acclaimed and talented director, Valerie Buhagiar was appointed director of the film.
The producing team has been busy behind the scenes developing the project and seeking commercial producer partners and funds.
We are thrilled for Al and so excited about what's in the making for a new Canadian film.
While Equity Showcase Theatre's mandate does not allow it to be involved in the commercial model of making a film nor raise funds for it, we will, under our education mandate be appointing a Champion Mentor to the film, in an artistic area as determined by the producers.
It is also our dream that after the film is released we can work with Al Bernstein's objective of using the film as an educational and awareness tool, by getting the film viewed within the high school and university circuit, where it will also be attached to conversations for young people around mental health.
We also look forward to helping the film team, build an audience around the film by using our social media presence.
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Producer, Barn 12 Inc.
James Weyman is the President of the media production and consulting company Barn 12 Inc., based in Toronto. A 30-year veteran of the screen-based industries James has been a filmmaker, producer, production executive and consultant known for his creative taste and innovative risk-taking. Barn 12 is committed to creating high-quality film, television and digital media in partnership with like-minded creators for a global audience, and also offers business development consulting services in the domestic and international creative industries.
Select recent credits include “Level 16”, an elevated genre film by Danishka Esterhazy (“Ginny and Georgia”), sold to Netflix, and “I Used To Be Funny”, a dark, comic drama from Ally Pankiw (“Feel Good”) starring Rachel Sennott (“Shiva Baby”), selected in competition at SXSW. Titles in development include Vanessa Shah’s “Chasing Elizabeth Taylor”, a gender-bending romantic comedy set in Toronto and Mumbai; and Al Bernstein’s “WalledIN”, a psychological thriller to be directed by Valerie Buhagiar (“Carmen”) starring Taylor Hickson (“Motherland: Fort Salem”).
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Director
Valerie is an award-winning Toronto-based actor and filmmaker. At 18 years of age, she toured China, the U.S. and Canada as a Puppeteer. She is a scholarship Graduate of George Brown’s Acting Program and a three-time Dora Mavor Moore award winner for collective productions. Valerie first gained international recognition playing the leading roles in Bruce McDonald’s Highway 61 and Roadkill. She has been a host for The Showcase Revue and has appeared as a guest star in various T.V. episodics and several Independent features.
The Passion of Rita Camilleri was Valerie’s writing, directing and producing debut. The film has won several international prizes. The Karlovy Vary film Festival held a retrospective of Valerie’s work as an actor and a filmmaker. Other filmmaking credits include One Day I Stood Still, L’amour L’amour Shut the Door Por Favor and BoomBoom Baby Wants to Go. She has directed a Public Service Announcement for the Centre of Opportunity, Respect and Empowerment (C.O.R.E), a biography on Colin Linden for the Toronto Arts Awards and two Bravo!FACT shorts entitled Pictures from Home and Omneya – Wish. Valerie also directed the Festival of Lights, a parade full of vignettes set on rooftops of Toronto’s Kensington Market, as well as video images for Theatre Gargantua’s production of Nod. Tell Us the Truth Josephine – a bitter immigrant story and Small, Stupid and Insignificant both won the best experimental film at the Female Eye Film Festival. The Fall of Grace is a short film for the National Theatre School of Canada. Black Hole, is a music video for Joey Wright.
Valerie can be seen on the small screen as well with recent roles including a guest star spot on the CBC hit series The Border and in a recurring role on the international hit series Degrassi, NBC’s Beauty and the Beast, Murdoch Mysteries, The Expanse Season 2 and most recently WB Titans.
Valerie continues to work on stage. She has returned from the UK where she developed a theatre piece with the support of the National Theatre Studio in London, England. She has starred in the award-winning theatre production of Scorched at The Tarragon Theatre, National Arts Centre and the national touring company. She played in One Light /Neptune theatre’s The Veil and won a Merritt Award nomination for best leading actress. She was also in Frankfurt to perform the one-woman show titled We are not Afraid of the Dark by Tine Van Aerschot. In 2016 she was nominated for a Dora Mavor Moore award for her performance in Botticelli in the Fire and Sunday in Sodom at Canadian Stage, which won best production.
Valerie’s second feature film It’s Hard to Be Human has finished it’s festival run and won BEST CANADIAN FEATURE at the Female Eye Film Festival. It has worldwide distribution. Her first feature film, The Anniversary, won BEST NARRATIVE COMEDY at Cinequest. Best Leading Actress, Best Supporting Actor and Honourable Mention Best Feature film at Buffalo Niagara film festival and an Actra nomination for Best Actor for Colin Mochrie. Her third feature film Carmen is a Maltese/Canadian co-production, shot in Malta and starring Natascha McElhone. The film has won Best in Show at the Female Eye Film Festival, Best Cinematography at Whistler’s International Film festival and Best Feature at the Canadian Film Festival. Carmen was also picked as The Critics Pick in the New York Times.
Valerie was the Honorary Director (best in Biz) at the 2022 Female Eye Film Festival. Valerie has two feature films in development. Valerie is presently in post-production with her 4th feature film, The Dogs.
More at valeriebuhagiar.com
Canadian Conservatory for the Development of Artists
Equity Showcase Theatre has made a commitment to educating artists through its Conservatory Training programs for many years. We are looking forward to creating a unique educational and inspiring conservatory for the company of artists who will perform in WalledIN.
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Alan Powell
Actor Care Specialist
Maintaining Mental Health is Important to all of us at Equity Showcase. As part of providing a safe and healthy environment for all our artists, throughout their creative journey within WalledIN, we are excited to appoint Actor Care Specialist, Alan Powell to our team. Alan will work with the artists as needed throughout their creative journey to support their resilience and emotional capacity in the context of character development.
Where it all began
Al Bernstein's dream of a feature film script and a new Canadian play, all started with his award-winning short film.
Make a donation.
Supporting our objective of creating a new Canadian play and our Conversation series of salons, round table talks and events.
As a charitable arts organization, we rely largely on donations, to achieve our various artistic and educational objectives.
We would be deeply grateful for your support
You may donate to WalledIN The Play & Conversation by going to Canada Helps. You must click "WalledIN the Play & Conversation" On that panel, you will be given the easy-to-give guidelines to fill out and automatically receive your charitable receipt.
Equity Showcase Theatre provides charitable receipts for donations of $20.00 and up.
Contact us.
Join the WalledIN Circle
"It takes a village", as they say, to build something incredible. If you'd like to volunteer to be part of our circle of supporters we would be deeply grateful There will be a variety of areas that we will need people power for, including getting our Salons and special events and fundraisers into fruition.