Edward Kotanen's guest appearances

Edward Kotanen

The Title Block

Steve Lucas

Scott Miller

Mary Kerr

Michael Laird

Kevin Fraser

Conor Moore

Ronnie Burkett

Rachel Forbes

Julie Fox

Ken Macdonald

Susan Benson

Richard Feren

Lorenzo Savoini

Allan Stichbury

Shawn Kerwin

OwlTail

Edward Kotanen in his Studio in Hamilton OntarioThis episode, I speak with set and costume designer Edward Kotanen.  Ed was around at the start of the rebirth of Canadian theatre in the 1960's and managed to navigate a successful career until his retirement recently.  Ed has a great perspective on the relationship between amateur and professional theatre and how groups like the Sunparlour Players and London Little Theatre helped to launch his career in the 1970's.  We also talk about the meetings in Frances Dafoe's basement and how they spawned the Associated Designers of Canada.  Ed's painting of his partner scenic artist David RayfieldEd also recounts the story of Jack Shapira and his conviction of embezzlement at the Rainbow Stage.  I have gone over the press clippings, one which is found in the links below, and all of what we talked about though it may sound just a little bit like gossip occurred as Ed told it, so rest assured, we are not making this stuff up!  A bit more on the apocryphal side is my telling of a controversial set design that I attribute to Michael Levine at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  Hard as I try, I could not find reference to it online, so I may indeed have my facts all backwards - if you listen and know the real story let me know and I will post an update!   LinksUCLA School of Theater, Film, and TelevisionWilliam MelnitzRalph FreudUniversity of Southern California School for Dramatic ArtsMalabars TorontoThe Pilot TavernThe First Floor Club, Asquith St. TorontoMachinal by Sophie TreadwellThe Crest Theatre, TorontoCanadian Opera CompanyCanadian PlayersNational Ballet of CanadaCelia FrancaThe Sunparlour PlayersErnest SchwartzThe Canada Council of the Arts, HistoryThe London Little TheatreThe Grand TheatreThe Canadian Little Theatre MovementJack KingThe Easter Egg, a design by Jack KingWalter LerningTibor FeheregyhaziMagnus Theatre, Thunder BayPersephone Theatre, SaskatoonLeslie Hurry, costume designerMad Shadows, National Ballet of CanadaAnne DitchburnThe London School of Church MusicThe Aeolian HallOpera Hamilton which has just ceased operationsToronto Operetta TheatreRainbow Stage, WinnipegJack ShapiraAssociated Designers of CanadaFrances Dafoe, and her figure skating careerLate Nights On Air, Elizabeth Hay

Edward Kotanen in his Studio in Hamilton OntarioThis episode, I speak with set and costume designer Edward Kotanen.  Ed was around at the start of the rebirth of Canadian theatre in the 1960's and managed to navigate a successful career until his retirement recently.  Ed has a great perspective on the relationship between amateur and professional theatre and how groups like the Sunparlour Players and London Little Theatre helped to launch his career in the 1970's.  We also talk about the meetings in Frances Dafoe's basement and how they spawned the Associated Designers of Canada.  Ed's painting of his partner scenic artist David RayfieldEd also recounts the story of Jack Shapira and his conviction of embezzlement at the Rainbow Stage.  I have gone over the press clippings, one which is found in the links below, and all of what we talked about though it may sound just a little bit like gossip occurred as Ed told it, so rest assured, we are not making this stuff up!  A bit more on the apocryphal side is my telling of a controversial set design that I attribute to Michael Levine at the Metropolitan Opera in New York.  Hard as I try, I could not find reference to it online, so I may indeed have my facts all backwards - if you listen and know the real story let me know and I will post an update!   <h2>Links</h2><a href="http://www.tft.ucla.edu/faculty/theater-department/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">UCLA School of Theater, Film, and Television</a><a href="http://texts.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb238nb0fs&amp;doc.view=frames&amp;chunk.id=div00055&amp;toc.depth=1&amp;toc.id=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Melnitz</a><a href="http://texts.cdlib.org/view?docId=hb9k4009c7&amp;doc.view=frames&amp;chunk.id=div00017&amp;toc.depth=1&amp;toc.id=" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ralph Freud</a><a href="https://dramaticarts.usc.edu/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">University of Southern California School for Dramatic Arts</a><a href="http://www.malabar.net/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Malabars Toronto</a><a href="http://www.thepilot.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Pilot Tavern</a><a href="http://www.rochdalecollegebook.com/1_46_Yorkville-Village-Rochdale-College.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The First Floor Club, Asquith St. Toronto</a><a href="http://www.ciaranhinds.eu/pdf/machinal.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Machinal by Sophie Treadwell</a><a href="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/the-crest-theatre/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Crest Theatre, Toronto</a><a href="http://www.coc.ca/ExploreAndLearn/NewToOpera/OnlineLearningCentre/HistoricalTimeline.aspx" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canadian Opera Company</a><a href="http://www.canadiantheatre.com/dict.pl?term=Canadian%20Players" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Canadian Players</a><a href="http://national.ballet.ca/thecompany/about/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">National Ballet of Canada</a><a href="http://www.celiafranca.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Celia Franca</a><a href="http://www.sunparlourtheatre.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sunparlour Players</a><a href="https://fisher.library.utoronto.ca/sites/fisher.library.utoronto.ca/files/schwarz.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ernest Schwartz</a><a href="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/canada-council-for-the-arts/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Canada Council of the Arts, History</a><a href="http://dotydocs.theatreinlondon.ca/grand.htm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The London Little Theatre</a><a href="http://www.grandtheatre.com/index.php/about-us/our-history/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Grand Theatre</a><a href="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/little-theatre-movement/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Canadian Little Theatre Movement</a><a href="https://books.google.ca/books?id=rleOtrzoi9IC&amp;pg=PA122&amp;lpg=PA122&amp;dq=jack+king+designer+canada&amp;source=bl&amp;ots=VyIosWvJpc&amp;sig=gVfs09hu1-vXl17wZqNDTrmAhmQ&amp;hl=en&amp;sa=X&amp;ei=auzTVNzANsS6ggTUzIGQBw&amp;ved=0CBwQ6AEwADgK#v=onepage&amp;q=jack%20king%20designer%20canada&amp;f=false" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack King</a><a href="http://www.artsalive.ca/collections/imaginedspaces/index.php/en/explore/the-easter-egg" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Easter Egg, a design by Jack King</a><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Walter_Learning" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Walter Lerning</a><a href="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/tibor-feheregyhazi/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tibor Feheregyhazi</a><a href="http://magnus.on.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Magnus Theatre, Thunder Bay</a><a href="http://www.persephonetheatre.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Persephone Theatre, Saskatoon</a><a href="http://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O106933/theatre-costume-hurry-leslie/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Leslie Hurry</a>, costume designer<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mad_Shadows_%28novel%29" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Mad Shadows</a>, National Ballet of Canada<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anne_Ditchburn" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Anne Ditchburn</a><a href="http://www.jefferyconcerts.com/season1415/about.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The London School of Church Music</a><a href="http://aeolianhall.ca/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Aeolian Hall</a><a href="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/opera-hamilton-emc/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Opera Hamilton</a> which has just <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/arts/theatre-and-performance/opera-hamilton-ceases-operations-cancels-seasons-performances/article16270233/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ceased operations</a><a href="http://www.torontooperetta.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Toronto Operetta Theatre</a><a href="#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Rainbow Stage, Winnipeg</a><a href="http://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/rainbow-stage/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Jack Shapira</a><a href="http://designers.ca" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Associated Designers of Canada</a><a href="http://www.manleywoman.com/episode-55-frances-dafoe/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Frances Dafoe</a>, and her <a href="http://www.theglobeandmail.com/sports/frances-dafoe-and-norris-bowden/article4278232/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">figure skating career</a><a href="http://www.elizabethhay.com/?book=late-nights-on-air" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Late Nights On Air, Elizabeth Hay</a>

#15 Edward Kotanen