On this episode of Tiny Conversations theatre performer Michelle Polak discusses creating connection and hope with her latest peace “Leaving Still”.

Michelle is a multiple award winning interdisciplinary actor, creator, teacher and mother. She has performed nationally and internationally, and is also the first woman in Canada to receive the Patrick Crean Award.

Michelle is using her art to create positive change, inspire others and create hope in the world. Host Brian Cauley invited Michelle to be on this show after seeing a performance of “Leaving Still” at Nuit Blanche. The play starts with Michelle offering to make someone a sandwich. It ends up with people squished inside a freight elevator that is intentionally reminiscent of the trains that took Jewish people to Auschwitz. On the walls were pieces of brown kraft paper with words written on them. Things like: “from nothing to something” “addiction” “home” and more.

Listen to the episode as host Brian Cauley asks Michelle about:

How she created this piece.
How she is moving past her demons and to a place of “survivor”
The emotional toll it took to perform this piece and create the hope she describes.

If you’re in New Brunswick you can see Michelle perform as The Snow Queen in “The Snow Queen” at Theatre New Brunswick.

What is the most moving piece of theatre you’ve seen? Did it change your life? Comment below, send Brian an email, or tweet @briancauley.

Below you can listen to the full conversation between Brian and Michelle, where they parenthood, what Michelle’s dad thought about a first reading of the play (he tore it down) and her thoughts on Donald Trump and how the US Election is similar to 1940s Germany and the Holocaust.

Our theme music is provided by Broke for Free.

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